(A/N: Yes, I have played X7 and with all of my homework I'm just starting Command Mission. Axl will be featured in the series finale and I've got a sequal to this in mind and if it comes into play, Axl will be one of the three main characters. I don't want to give away anything much, so I'll just leave it at that. So don't worry though, Axl will be included towards the end of this story. And I know what you mean about stories getting deleted, arg.... So now, anywho, moving on with this story, onto the new chapter!)

(After all of the strange events that had happened as of late, the base soon returned pretty much back to normal, well, as normal as things can get in the Maverick Hunter Headquarters. One thing strange and slightly askew was X asking for a day off.)

Signas: This sure is unexpected.

X: Yea, I know. To be honest, it kinda surprised me too.

Signas: A day off, is something wrong?

X: No, I've just been working a lot lately and I figured I needed to settle down and take it easy, really get some me time in, you know?

Signas: I understand perfectly. Don't worry about your work, we'll find someone to cover.

X: Yes, thank you sir.

(Today X had a special assignment, to train two intern brothers named Bit and Byte. But since X was unavailable, Signas assigned the next best, er, worst, thing.)

Signas: So it's all come down to you, the last final hope.

Zero: Aw come on, did you at least ask Gate?

Signas: Yes I asked everybody, even Rush.

Zero: (muttering to self) Dam unreliable dog.

Signas: Come now Zero, all you have to do is give these two boys the grand tour, show them how the base works and give them the rundown of things.

Zero: The Rundown? I love The Rock! I'll do it.

(Signas just rolled his eyes and walked along. Zero went to the main room where he saw Alia and Iris fondling over the two young pre-teens.)

Alia: Oh you are just the cutest things!

Bit: I know, aren't we?

Alia: Aw!

Iris: Zero, come meet Bit and Byte.

(Zero approached them curiously, they looked pretty much the same except one wore aqua armor and the other was purple. He wondered if he was gay.)

Alia: Zero!

Zero: Hu?

Iris: You'll have to excuse my husband, boys, he does that sometimes.

Byte: Not at all.

Zero: Hey guys, I'm Zero.

Bit: Obviously.

(The boys giggled, causing the two ladies to laugh. Zero frowned, rolling his eyes. He only hoped his child wouldn't be like that.)

Iris: Oh, I've got an appointment today, honey.

Zero: Another one? Gees Iris, you go to the doctor more in a year than I do in a lifetime!

Alia: (to Iris) Which scares me.

Iris: Don't worry, since you'll be busy with these two, Alia is going to take me.

Zero: Alright then, you two better go, I'll see you later.

Iris: Ok, have fun boys.

(Zero watched and waited until they were out of the room, then turned back to the boys. They looked up at him eagerly and expectantly.)

Zero: So, ah...

Bit and Byte: So.

Zero: So... uhm...

Bit: Maybe you should give us the tour now?

Zero: Oh, oh, yea, ok.

(Zero walked off.)

Byte: (to Bit) God he's dumb.

Bit: Yea, this'll be all too easy.

(Zero walked them around the base until he reached the end of the tour.)

Zero: And that's the famed talking corner.

Bit: (sniffs) Why does it smell like pee?

Zero: Dah, I, uhm... dunno.

(Zero smirked, trying not to blush as he rubbed the back of his head.)

Byte: (sniffs) And why do you smell like liquor?

Zero: Ah, new cologne.

(The two brothers rolled their eyes at each other.)

Bit: So was that all of the base?

Zero: Yea, pretty impressive hu?

Byte: I wanna go to the training room.

Zero: I guess that wouldn't be a problem.

(Zero led the two boys to the training center, it was empty since X was taking the day off.)

Bit: Sansei Zero, will you spar with us?

Byte: Please?

Zero: Well I don't want to hurt you. It's against regulations to fight you.

Byte: We could sneak off and train secretly out away from the base.

Zero: Ok, I guess we could do that.

(Byte and Bit grinned sinisterly at each other. Zero led the two boys out to the outlands.)

Bit: This should be far enough.

Byte: So are you ready Zero?

Zero: Ha, ready, for what?

Byte: To die?

Zero: Heh, somebody's got a cocky attitude of themselves.

(Byte pulled out a large gun. Zero gasped and held up his arms.)

Bit: Any last words?

Zero: What's going on here!?

Byte: We shall grant that wish. Zero, we are Bit and Byte, interns to the lord Sigma.

Zero: What, Sigma? No!

(Byte shot the gun, there was a huge explosion. Zero screamed in immense pain before his world went black. The smoke cleared, Bit and Byte stood, Byte holding the large bazooka sized weapon on his shoulder. Bit turned to his twin brother.)

Bit: Aw, how come you got to shoot him?

Byte: Cause I won at rock paper scissors.

Bit: But he's already unconscious, it's no fun anymore.

Byte: Fine, then I'll just beat him up by myself.

(Byte walked towards Zero, Bit watched, before following him.)

Bit: No! Aw come on, wait up!

(Byte and Bit spent the rest of the day brutalizing the already unconscious, battered Zero. As the afternoon grew late, the two boys abandoned the body in the swamp. They wanted him to be found, it was a message from Sigma to the hunters. Iris and Alia had gone to the doctors where Iris received a baby update. After which they splurged at the mall before returning to the base. There, they received a warm welcome from X.)

X: Ah my two favorite ladies, how are you today?

Iris: Great, and yourself?

X: Never better my dears.

Alia: Wow, you sure do seem chipper.

X: Do I? Well I never realized how great it would feel to have a day off.

Alia: And I never thought I'd see you without your helmet. You've got one scruffy case of helmet hair.

(X looked up at his dark brown shaggy head of hair and blushed.)

X: So Iris, how was the doctor?

Iris: Well I was going to save this as a surprised, but he said I'm coming along fine and he found out what the gender of the baby will be.

X: Yea? And what is it! The suspense is killing me here.

Iris: Haha, oh X you're so silly. They told me that it would be....

Signas: X, thank goodness I found you!

(The three turned to see Sigma run in the doorway panting. X got up out of his chair and ran over.)

X: Sir what is it, what happened is something wrong?

Signas: Yes, terribly. Zero and the two interns are gone!

Alia and Iris: What!

Signas: I found Zero's signal on the locator but nothing of Bit and Byte.

Alia: Quick, to the command center.

(The four of them ran to the control room where Gate and Douglas were waiting.)

Signas: Any updates?

Douglas: Yes sir, we seem to be getting an incoming transmission.

(Signas looked at the screen until the connection speed fully loaded.)

Signas: Play recording.

(The screen opened and the sinister young faces of Bit and Byte appeared.)

Iris: (gasp) It's the boys!

X: But where's Zero?

Bit: Haha!

Byte: Hello there Maverick Hunters.

Bit: You're probably wondering where we've gone.

Byte: And the whereabouts of your friend Zero.

Bit: Well it seems that you've been fooled.

Gate: Fooled?

Byte: We are interns alright.

Bit: Yes, just interns to lord Sigma that is.

X: Sigma!

Byte: We've taken the liberty of sending you this message.

Bit: Find Zero!

Byte: And now we must take our leave.

Bit: But before you do, make sure you get the message from Zero clearly. Once you find him, I'm sure you'll understand.

Byte: Chow!

(The screen went black, leaving everyone confused. The monitor returned to the locator program, Zero's signal showing up on screen.)

Alia: Well sir, now what do we do?

Iris: I didn't get any of that. But I think the first thing we should do is find Zero.

Signas: He has a message, what message could they possibly be referring to?

X: Douglas, do you think the molecular transporter will work this time?

Douglas: Yes X, I'm sure of it.

X: Then let's try it, Zero must be hurt or he'd have come back to base or at least contacted us about this 'message'.

(Douglas pushed some buttons on the machines. The signal on the locator program disappeared as the totaled body of Zero appeared on the platform.)

Iris: Zero!

(Iris ran over and threw her body over her husband, weeping. Everyone stood with their jaw dropped, even Gate.)

Gate: My god, what happened to him!?

Signas: Douglas, get him out of the room. Now!

(Douglas grabbed him and briskly left the room. Alia covered her face and went to Gate for comfort, he held her tightly. Iris stared decimated on the floor, her face was pale. X couldn't move, his body felt paralyzed, he felt as if he were about to throw up. Signas finally cleared his throat and everyone slowly turned to him.)

X: What.... What was....

Signas: I think we've gotten our message.

Gate: In all my years of science, never have I seen such brutality that close to murder.

Iris: (gasp) Oh no, do you think he's...

X: No, I could still sense his energy only it's very, very weak.

Alia: Sir, what do we do?

Signas: Call Life Saver, get him to the medical ward, Zero is in a stage beyond critical condition here, set base to code red.

Alia: Yes sir.

(She pushed the red button on the keyboard and a siren was heard throughout the base as a red light flashed in random corners. Everyone in the base looked up and went to the debriefing room where Signas and the other awaited them.)

Colonel: Sir, what's going on?

General: Is everything alright?

Signas: I'm afraid not. The two interns were remote spies working for Sigma. Who knows what information they absorbed on their shot stay. But even worse, they've attacked Zero.

X: Have we received word on his status?

Alia: Not yet, but....

(Before she could finish, there was a beep on Signas's communicator.)

Signas: Yes?

Douglas: Sir, come to the sickbay please, we have a serious problem.

(Iris gulped and held Alia's hand tightly.)

Signas: You heard him, come on, let's go.

(Everyone followed him to the sickbay. Gate and Life Saver were putting away their tools as Douglas took off a face mask. He looked up as Signas entered the room first. Iris and X shoved past him.)

Iris: Douglas!

X: Please, is Zero ok?

(Douglas looked over at Gate and Life Saver. They looked at each other, then back at him. Douglas nodded and cleared his throat, trying to find his voice.)

Douglas: I'm afraid his injuries are beyond immediate repair, his medical condition is extremely severe. I'm afraid his body has shut down and Zero is in a state of coma.

Iris: No!

(She broke down into tears, practically collapsing on the floor. Everyone was in shock, there had never been such an injury, such an attack that it resulted in something like this. These two boys were very formidable foes and for the fact that they were working for Sigma was even worse. X knelt down and held Iris, helping her up, tears in his eyes as well. Iris sniffed and looked up at her comatose husband as she rubbed her stomach. That night, everyone tired to go to sleep but the image of Zero on the platform and the news Douglas gave them was too disturbing. Iris had cried herself to sleep but X wasn't so lucky. He crept quietly through the dark base until he made it to the medical ward, he opened a door. The air filled with the sound of hums and beeps from the machines and the air of the oxygen flowing into the tube over Zero's nose and mouth. His armor was completely totaled, his helmet was gone, his entire body was cut and gashed, it made it seem as if he were on the verge of death. X pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. He just stared, stared at the pale face of his best friend. He tired hard not to cry, but he choked up just at the thought of his friend dying.)

X: Zero, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I was so selfish! I took the day off, if not for me I would've introduced those two traitors and I'd be lying in that bed instead of you. Zero, please, you can't die. You have too much to live for! A wife, no a pregnant wife. You have a dog, everyone here in the base, but you have me, your best friend. You can't leave me, I wasn't there for you. I could've made a difference had I been there, had I been so unselfish! Oh the one day I take a day off, the one day I think of myself over others and look what it does to me!

(He pounded his fist on the nightstand, causing the lamp on it to fall of and shatter on the floor. He broke down into sobs, falling to his knees next to the side laying chair. In the doorway, Life Saver watched. The next morning, Life Saver was walking down the hall of the barracks when he stopped in front of X's door. He knocked.)

Life Saver: X, are you in there?

X: Go away.

(He smirked to himself, he knew he was in there. He opened the door and went in to find X crying on his bed.)

Life Saver: Hey.

X: (sniff) What part of go away didn't you understand?

Life Saver: Great, he's even starting to act like Zero.

(Life Saver rolled his eyes jokingly and went down to sit at the foot of his bed. X sniffed and sat up.)

X: What do you want?

Life Saver: Whoa, don't give me the cold shoulder. I'm just worried about you.

X: Oh?

Life Saver: Look, I know I'm not the biggest fan of Zero, but I swear to you, Gate and I are doing everything in our power to save him. You know we just kid, but when it comes to our job we're dead serious. We don't care who the patient is, we do our job, even if on the outside we play like we hate him, we would never, ever, let Zero die. I know he means a lot to you and everyone here, hell, we hate to admit it but he even means something to Gate and I. Seriously X, we are doing everything we can to save him and I just want you to know that. I know it doesn't help, but...

X: No, no Life Saver, it does. Thank you.

Life Saver: (smile) Sure thing. (gets up to go, but stops) Oh and X?

X: Yea?

Life Saver: Don't ever tell anyone like Zero that we had this talk, cause when it comes time for his annual physical, I'm shoving my foot up his ass.

X: (laugh) Ok, no problem.

(Life Saver smirked back, nodded, and closed the door behind him. Meanwhile, at Sigma's base, he was very pleased with the work of Bit and Byte, but this master plan was far from over yet. Vile entered the room to find Sigma debriefing his two interns.)

Sigma: And as for Zero...

Vile: Excuse me sir?

Sigma: What is it, Vile?

Vile: I just received a transmission from the Maverick Hunter Headquarters.

Sigma: Oh? Is part two going into play?

Vile: Yes sir, it's under work as we speak.

(The days went on, and Zero's condition hadn't improved. Everyone was trying to keep X out of his rut, but the whole environment back at the base was still so down and dismal. Today, Signas was talking to the two new replacements for the interns. One was Garres, a powerful Reploid with a strong government reputation preceding him on the military work force. The other was surprisingly a highly educated young woman named Belkana who would work with Alia and Iris on such similar duties. Once Signas was finished the introduction, X entered the room.)

Signas: Ah and here he is now. X will show you around and give you the rundown of the place?

X: I think it's the least I can do, accounting with what happened. After all, I was supposed to and if not for me taking a day off it would've been me in that hospital bed.

Garres: What's wrong with him?

Belkana: Oh that's right, the whole Zero incident.

Signas: Ahem, I think it's best none of us speak of that, why don't you just carry out your orders X.

X: Yes sir. Come along please.

(X led the two new recruits out of Signas's office and gave them a tour of the base. Finally at the end they arrived in the main room where Signas entered not too soon after.)

Signas: X, may I speak with you?

X: Of course.

(They walked to talk privately as the two recruits watched television. They walked down the hall slowly as they talked.)

Signas: Now, I know this is a very sensitive subject, but I want you to take these two under your wing.

X: That's not a problem.

Signas: If you let me finish. With Zero in, a coma, you need a new partner to replace him in case a mission should ever arise. I want that partner to be Garres.

X: But sir...

Signas: My decision is final, X.

X: (quiet sigh) Yes sir.

Signas: Good. Now I have Garres off today, but I want you to take Belkana through a run through of what her job will persist.

X: I'll get right on it sir.

(Signas walked off and X went back to the main room. Garres was flipping channel as X approached Belkana. She looked up from the sofa.)

Belkana: Yes?

(X cleared his throat, trying not to blush.)

X: Signas wanted me to go through your assignments with you.

Belkana: (smiles) Oh, well thank you.

(The two went to the monitoring room outside of the control center. X and Belkana sat in front of the base's main network, it was up to Belkana to run and monitor it. As X went through the instructions, he kept noticing Belkana staring at him from the corner of his eye. He tried not to blush and finally he finished his statement.)

X: So now why don't you give it a try.

Belkana: Ok.

(X watched as she went through what the daily routine would be. X thought to himself, why did he keep blushing, being around her, just looking at her made him feel so weird. He stopped, wait, could this be love? Do I have a crush on this new girl! Oh man... he forced himself to look at her, their eyes met and he gulped. Oh no, it's true, I do like her!)

X: I gotta go!

(He got up and ran out the door into the control center. Alia swirled around in her chair.)

Alia: Something wrong X?

X: Not a thing! You can take your intern from here Alia!

(Alia blinked, shrugged and went back to work. Back in the other room, Belkana watched with a blank stare for a moment before wearing a sinister grin. This was all working just to well according to plan. X had run back into the main room where he found Signas talking to Garres. He approached X.)

Signas: I'm sorry X, I know I said you both had no assignment today, but we just got in word at the command station and we need you to go to these coordinates for an excavating mission.

X: We'll get right on it sir.

Signas: Oh, and how is Belkana holding up?

X: Oh uhm, ahem.... I gotta go.

(X hurried off, trying to hide his red face. Signas watched them go and smirked to himself, in all his years of experience, he knew a hidden crush when he saw one. X and Garres went out to the coordinates and looked around, it was the same area where Zero had been attacked times before. X frowned, he didn't like the feeling he was getting.)

Garres: I don't understand commander, why would we excavate here at such a remote location? I can't find a thing.

X: Something's here alright, only it's not tangible to see with your eyes.

Garres: Then what? Do you mean that...

X: That this was all a set up trap? Exactly.

(Garres jerked but whirled around when he heard the sound of a jetpack cooling. Sure enough, Bit and Byte stood high up on a rock.)

Garres: X, look there!

(X whirled around and wore a bitter scowl, one likes that had never graced the face of him before. He growled with a deep hatred.)

X: You.

Bit: Hey X, how's Zero? Ha!

Byte: Too bad, you were our original target, but this makes you suffer even more, so we're glad we got to demolish Zero instead.

Bit: Yea, but it was kinda creepy going back to base and having that one fruity guy go nuts on us.

Byte: Yea, ugh.

X: You, you'll pay for what you've done!

(Garres looked at X, his energy levels were powering up higher than normal, he was pissed. He turned to Bit and Byte, they had surprising attack levels despite their age and stature. He frowned.)

Garres: X, I don't understand it, the energy reading I'm getting here is too large for it to be just two small boys.

X: Someone else must be with them then. Who is it, Vile again? Or maybe Slash Beast?

Byte: Hardly.

Bit: That guy was busy trying to get his brother admitted to a psych ward.

Byte: No, this person X, you should have a very close relationship with.

X: Stop toying around, kid.

Bit: Ha, toy, kid, that's a funny one.

Byte: Oh, I'm sure you know her very well.

X: (gulp) Her?

Belkana: That's right.

X: What! Oh no, not you too!

(Belkana laughed as she approached the two boys from behind.)

Belkana: I see you've already met my two lovely sons.

X: Your, sons...?

(X was too shocked to realize it, but his heart had just been broken in two. Garres growled.)

Garres: You three will not get away with this!

Belkana: (laugh) Oh, but it seems we already have.

(The three of them disappeared, leaving both X and Garres confused. Garres turned to X.)

Garres: Wow, is it just me, or is it always this strange?

X: No, this is your first day, you're going to see a whole lot.

(Garres frowned and opened his wrist communicator.)

Garres: Teleport back to base.

Douglas: Roger.

(X sighed and looked at the barren ground, three traitors, at least Garres was a hopefully reliable source. Zero was still in a coma and X had felt even more pain on top of that, the girl he loved, his very first crush, was one of them, and not only that, the mother of the two that tried to murder Zero. X and Garres slowly disappeared as they were transported back to the base. Talk about one way off day off...)