Hehe, I'm baaack! Sorry if this is so depressing... it's supposed ta be that way for things to develop 'em the way I want 'em to... anyway... I hope you're all liking this! lol Anyway, onward we go to Axl's recollection of thoughts! Look at me, I'm sick! Here I am smiling and this is sad as hell... anyway, to answer some stuff:

a) this is TOTALLY not the end of this fic! lol. Lots more to go!

b) Axl's got a part in this since he experienced the sadness too, so he has to cope with stuff. This chapter is basically a retelling of chapter 1 from his eyes.

c) Iono why I just really didn't like Axl. I guess it was 'cause he was annoying and he got in the way of the X/Zero pairing I was so devoted to. lol. But iono, I fell in love with his Japanese voice in X8. I absolutely adore it, and I think 'cause of that factor and that I've been reading some really good fanfiction here, he's growin' on meh. NEway...

ON WIT DAH FICCY!

Shadows on the Wall



Shadows of Axl p.1

Why… why now? That wasn't supposed to happen… I should have stopped it… I had a feeling it was going to happen…

I did…

So it was my fault……

It was……

I was in my quarters, lying on my bed, refusing to accept what had happened. I was going to hold my head up high. Zero was my hero… and he'd come back, just like he always does. He had a thing for coming back with miraculous survivals.

But… then… I sighed… and everything came out of me… I was crying! No! I couldn't cry! I was crying, and the hot tears spilled out like they never had before. Where was Zero?

Zero…! Come back…

I was with X and Zero, and we were going into this warehouse that Signas told us to go in. Alia hadn't said a whole lot about it, and I think she had the feeling that it just wasn't a good idea. But, Zero, stubborn as ever, prodded us to go on and do it with a good attitude. So, we did.

If only I could have persuaded him otherwise…

We got in the warehouse. I was spooked as soon as we went in… I know it wasn't going to be a good thing to do this… but, not wanting to lose my pride in front of Zero, I followed behind him and X.

There was no one guarding the warehouse. A second obvious sign…

Right when I walked in with them, I jumped back hearing a loud crash roar down the hallways. This was a weird warehouse, looking as if to hide something… I didn't want to know what, and I wanted to leave…!

"Zero… maybe we should go slower…" I said meekly, looking around with uneasiness. Zero looked back at me with a simple headshake.

"Come on, Axl, this is nothing… let's go. Are you scared?" he asked, tilting his head ever so slightly. I jumped back hearing another loud, thundering crash.

"Let's just go, Zero… something's down there…" X said, gently pushing him to go on. He shrugged with his arrogant nature, and continued walking down the hallway, me and X following him.

The place started shaking, as if there were an earthquake or something! I nearly toppled over, but regained my posture and tried to see over X's shoulder, since him and Zero seemed to be staring at something with horrific awe. Then, a blood curdling scream told me the answer.

Unsheathing his saber, Zero dashed fiercely down the hallway before X and I could do anything about it. What was he doing? Did he know what he was getting himself into? And why wasn't Alia saying anything to us? I was scared, and I hated to admit it, but my kiddish nature had sparked a fear spilling ice-cold senses all over.

When we got inside the room, I think I saw the scariest, most evil looking maverick I had ever set eyes on. Reploid blood was dripping from it's fangs and enormous, sharp claws. It's armor was the color of the blood he had shed from another reploid, which was all over him, and staining the whole room. Then, these huge metal tentacles came out of his sides, and just grabbed onto me, squeezing the life out of me. I could tell one had wrapped around X, too, because I could hear him trying to escape next to my pitiful screams of pain.

Zero furiously roared and dashed forward, striking the maverick right in the gut with his saber. As I opened my eyes, I screamed again, but not out of pain. Right as my eyes opened, a large claw had been struck right through Zero's body.

I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to see anymore. I could hear the loud crunches and scrape of metal against metal as Zero's body was torn apart by the maverick's huge claws, and I felt myself getting dizzy. Stop… please, just stop this, and let's go! Zero, just back down from the fight… please…

All seemed to eventually fall silent. I could hear heavy, satisfied breaths from the maverick, and the soft drip of Zero's blood… falling onto the ground. Not a single word, plea for mercy, cry or pain, or anything came from him. I could feel the tears weld up in my eyes. I wanted to break free and shoot that stupid maverick dead and carry Zero back to the base where he'd be just fine… In the middle of my hopes, X and I were thrown brutally into the wall. When I finally opened my eyes, the only thing I saw was a still, shocked X beside me, and the blood soaked across the walls and floor of the room.

… Gone… Zero was gone… my... my idol…!

I should have done something! I knew it would happen! I knew it, and no one can stop me from blaming myself! I could have done something...why didn't I do something, why didn't Imake a damn statement and try harderto tell him to stop and leave? I could just feel that this misson was out of our leage... we'd need reinforcements...And then, my body shook violently with sobs that I couldn't hold back. I was making little kid noises as the cries left my mouth. Zero had to come back… he always did…

He would come back…

Right?

Please tell me what you think so far and if you have any suggestions, or corrections, or anything like that, please lemme know! I'd be glad to hear 'em!