Chapter 3
Yay! I want to thank the people who reviewed. Your comments helped me a lot. I have low self-esteem, and it's only when I'm encouraged that I go on. So keep sending your comments in! ^_^ v. To all the people who want me to put yaoi in this story: Sorry, I wasn't planning on putting boys kissing and I can't put it in now 'cause that will change everything. There will be none. (Unless you count in a scene in which Sigma in the later chapters. . .) Nevermind. He's a perverted bastard and everybody knows that. You'll see that in this chapter.
Aaaanyhoo, on with the show! --------------------------------
Zero sighed from his prone position on the infirmary bed. He had to report to a whole council but they allowed him a few moments rest. And he was fuming. He had been humiliated, played with, had his only weakness dragged out and extorted. 'How did he know that?' he thought with a angry frown. 'The only person that ever knew about it was Wily, but he's long gone.' He sat up carefully: his legs had only just recovered from the dart that Alpha had sneaked on to him. It was an e-dart, a weapon hardly anyone used anymore, but quite useful when applied to the right spots. It gave out a small burst of scrambled energy and data confusing the nerves and thus paralyzing.
Sighing, he looked down at the small disk which had been pressed into his hand earlier that day by the Maverick in black. He hadn't looked at the contents yet, though he felt it was something Signas should see. Whatever it was, it probably contained something important.
The blonde reploid sighed again and shook his head gently, his hair loose and swaying in a shower of molten gold. He was beginning to get a headache with all the worries and thoughts racing in his head and he decided not to do anymore thinking for awhile and got gingerly to his feet, wincing a little at the dull throb in his chest and prickles running up and down his legs. He really didn't want to report, but that was a duty no one could shirk aside. 'Damn being a commander. I wish I was still in my soldier days helping X the bumbling rookie, but those days are gone now. Now I wish I knew he was alive.'
His boots clanked dully on the floor of the seemingly endless hallway to the conference room. He was more and more reluctant to show up at all but he already had run the words of what to say over and over, and if he didn't get the whole ordeal over with, he was going to explode. Like a dark omen, the metal doors of the conference room loomed over him and summoning the last shreds of energy and patience he had, he schooled his face into an impassive mask and walked in.
The room felt silent at once and Signas, who had been talking quietly with the officer sitting next to him turned his head and looked at Zero who was sauntering in a little unsteadily with his helmet tucked under his arm and a bandage on his cheek. He stood at attention right in the center of the room and gave a smart salute. Signas returned the gesture. "Please commence your report, Commander," he told him.
"The trap was more or less a success," the tall blonde said in a neutral tone of voice. "Call it what you will, but those Mavericks plainly knew something like this was going to happen, and recovered quickly and efficiently, and fought back quite well. This resulted in slight casualties on both sides but nothing that can't be fixed on ours. While they fought I set out to find the 'mysterious' commader as was planned." He paused. Everybody strained their ears to hear what came next. Signas carefully noted the slight twitch in Zero's eyebrow. "He found me."
He turned and handed the memory card of the little camera to an operator seated behind him. "These are his statistics and photographs from the camera I was equipped with." The room darkened and eager whispers surged up and everyone turned their heads to the giant holographic screen which flashed into life in the center of the room. An image came up. Zero raised his eyebrows. 'Hmm,' he thought. 'If I had another career it would be photography.' For Zero had unwittingly shot a very excellent picture of Alpha while he was dodging one of Zero's attacks. He was twisting in midair, arms stretched out dramatically, the sun glinting of his hair which was swirling in a dark cloud around him, an empty mocking smile on his face.
"Hubba, hubba," murmured a female officer. Quite every other female in the room agreed with her. Zero sighed inwardly. 'I knew the women were going to love this,' he thought ruefully.
"This is Commander Alpha of the Maverick unit. I think he is siding with Sigma since he uses the same cheap tricks." Zero remembered the e-dart and growled. "I'm not completely sure, but I'll just ask him next time." Something about the way he said those words and the way his face clouded up with anger, resentment, and something else, Signas knew something had happened and whatever it was, it was had not been pleasant to the A-class Hunter. "He has astounding speed and is quite strong, which makes him a formidable enemy, yet nothing I can't handle with too much problem." 'Not if I wasn't paralyzed. . .' "I have yet to find his weaknesses."
The blonde paused and looked down at his fist. In it he had Alpha's disk. While everybody was murmuring and digesting this new information Zero walked up to Signas and bent down to talk to him quietly. "I was handed this disk and I think there's something crucial in it."
Signas snorted. "It's likely Sigma gloating on and on about some great plan he's got." He also spoke in the same soft tone as Zero.
"Whatever it is, it might give us some desperately needed clues."
However, the content of the harmless-seeming little black disk was far different from Sigma's sneering face.
"Hello? Anyone there?" A fearful voice ventured timidly. Silence immediately fell and everyone looked at the magnified image of X, ragged, hurt, and bleeding, standing in what obviously was a holding cell. Zero stiffened in startled alarm. "Anyone?" The brunette swayed a little, his right arm hanging uselessly at his side, obviously broken. He let out a sob and leaned against the wall behind him and slid down brokenly, leaving a trail of blood. Zero felt something in him break. 'Oh, X.' There was absolutely no sound in the room except for the terrifyingly weak sobs that emanated from the slight form on the cold damp floor of the hologram. "Why does nobody come for me?" the captive reploid whimpered in a broken voice. "It's been so long. . ." He then shuddered and coughed, harsh terrible coughs that shook his ravaged frame. He lifted a dirty hand and wiped his mouth, leaving a bloody streak on his chin. As X slumped and closed his eyes, his breath coming in painful gasps, loud terrible laughter rang through the conference room. The picture blinked out and was replaced with a hated and familiar face, Sigma, and he was laughing mockingly down at the horrified viewers, loud and long.
Zero felt a black tide of burning hatred surge up inside and he gritted his teeth as he gazed upon the face of his nemesis. Signas could see the blonde trembling violently and before he could open his mouth to stop him Zero grabbed a paperweight that was resting on the desk in front of Signas and threw it at the sneering face of Sigma with an animalistic roar of rage. The delicate crystal screen in which the image resided shattered in a million pieces. "I am waiting for you, Omega. . ." Sigma's voice rang out and faded.
Silence fell and no one spoke, and the vacuum that was created in the absence of noise was filled with horror and disbelief. "My God. . ." someone murmured. Zero stood silently trembling, head bowed, trying not to show anyone the angry tears that were running down his face.
"Zero?" Signas ventured. He too, felt sick. "We'll talk later. You have leave of rest for two days. Dismissed."
Zero nodded and turned and left the room without saluting, but Signas let him. He could hardly think what it was like to see your best friend whom you loved like a brother shown bleeding and dying in front of you, while you couldn't do anything to help him. He let out a tired and mournful sigh. X was beloved by almost everyone in Macerick Hunter HQ, with his kind and helpful attitude and bright smile. Signas rubbed his eyes. Maybe with time, things would work out. . .
**
"How did it go?"
"It went well."
"Casualties?"
"Minimum."
"Did Zero accept?"
"Negative. He adamantly refused."
"Huh," a soft chuckle. "Typical. Anything else?"
"No," He turned to leave.
"Alpha."
"Hai?"
"Come here."
"Hai," He came. He had no choice.
"Why do you always wear that visor? Take it off."
Alpha wordlessly complied.
"Ahh, red is my favorite color."
Alpha flinched a little as Sigma's large hand came forward and caressed his cheek. He turned his face away, he did not like Sigma's touch. Sigma chuckled again and suddenly grabbed the smaller reploid and pulled him against his chest. Alpha started to struggle but the painful grip on his arms tightened in warning and he stopped. He was now sitting in Sigma's lap with his back against the larger reploid's chest and Sigma started kneading Alpha's shoulders with a deceptive gentleness as he said, "Tell me, when you fought against Zero, what did you feel?"
"Nothing," Alpha lied. His head started to ache when he remembered the feeling of familiarness when he first laid his eyes upon the blonde reploid, how he felt he knew the way his hair waved in the wind and how his electric blue eyes narrowed in anger. His temples started to throb. Sigma continuing his massage, raised his eyebrows. "Oh really?" he said. He smiled evilly and asked again, "Didn't you feel something in your little emotionless heart when you heard his voice?" Alpha wordlessly shook his head. He wanted to get away from Sigma's disgusting presence and the pain in his head. "I felt nothing. Please, leave me alone," he started to strain forward but Sigma squeezed his shoulders like a vice. He cried out and started to struggle. Sigma laughed. Oh how he loved to inflict pain. . . He waited to see if the virus still held strong and after a while Alpha went suddenly went slack. Sigma smiled in satisfaction.
As the Maverick in black walked from the dark chamber he remembered nothing about his feelings earlier that day, nothing about his pain, just black and empty hate at the memory of the blonde reploid.
**
Alia sat at her desk, head in her hands, tired after a good cry. She felt helpless and weak, not knowing what to do and she hated the feeling. She needed someone to talk to. Taking a shuddering breath to calm her frazzled nerves she stood up and left to seek a familiar friendly face.
Zero turned and twisted in his bed, shivering in the throes of a hideous nightmare. Alpha's empty, emotionless voice rang out in his head.
I know how to turn you. I know how you killed all those defenseless people years ago, I know how you reveled in their blood, how their cries for mercy unfazed you. You were a wild animal, a savage hunter.
"No, no. . ." he moaned.
Hello? Anyone there?
You still do. The lust for childrens' blood is still deep in your heart. It will never go away.
Anyone?
"Leave me alone. . .!"
Why does nobody come for me?
We can give all that back to you, if you join us.
"No. . .!"
It's been so long . . .
Maverick.
So long. . .
"Noooo!!" With a strangled cry Zero jerked up in bed, eyes wild, heart racing as cold sweat ran down his face. For a while he just sat there, breathing hard, until he sank back down with a shuddering sigh. Soft arms wrapped around him.
"What's the matter, hon?" A sleepy feminine voice murmured.
"Bad dream."
"That much I figured."
. . . . . . . . .
There was a very long moment in which Zero got his bearings.
"Waugh!" He scooted to the other side of the bed and stared at Alia who was propped on her elbows and wearing one of Zero's shirts.
"Oh no!" he exclaimed. "Our friendship is ruined!" Which was weird, since he couldn't remember anything that happened last night. Maybe he got drunk. . .?
"Relax, you dumb oaf," Alia yawned and grinned sleepily at him. "Nothing happened. I came in here to talk to you but you were already asleep. But you looked so sad and lonely that I had to stay with you. Look," she gestured around. "I even tidied up your room."
Zero relaxed and flopped down on his pillow. Alia did the same and Zero put an arm around her in companionship. A comfortable moment passed.
"I miss him," Alia murmured. Zero did not need to ask who.
"So do I," he said. "I wish I could go were he is right now." Alia's eyes teared up and her lip started to tremble. She sniffed. "What's wrong?" Zero said looking down at her in slight alarm.
"I just can't believe what those bastards did to him!"
Zero's face darkened and the familiar feeling of anger rose up inside him. Alia sobbed a little and continued, "I never felt so helpless before. You -- you are actually able to do something about it but I'm just stuck here being useless, and I can't help thinking that I'm too late, that I'll never see him again!"
"Don't say that!" Zero grated harshly and glared down at Alia. "You *will* see him again. How could you even think that?!"
Alia closed her eyes in hurt and Zero immediately felt bad. An uncomfortable silence passed and Zero took a breath. "I'm sorry," he said in a small voice. "I didn't mean to yell at you, I just--"
"I know, hon," Alia opened her eyes and gave him a little forgiving smile and wiped her eyes. "I know you have many more burdens on your mind than I do."
"Tell me about it, " Zero sighed. He shifted to a more comfortable position. "And what is this 'too late' thing you were talking about?"
"Oh," Alia blushed. "I. . .just felt it was going to be too late to tell him how I feel about him."
"Ah," Zero said with a small grin. "No worries there," he assured her. "He feels the same way about you, he's just too shy to admit it."
Alia giggled in delight and Zero smiled fondly. But then his thoughts turned in a much darker direction. He thought back when Alpha whispered those horrible words in his ear. The bastard threatened him with activating the Maverick virus in him if he didn't comply. By doing so everything would be erased and reprogrammed, turning Zero the lovable goof into a sadistic monster who killed for pleasure. That was what he once was, then there came X. . .
Zero hated those memories of warm blood on his hands, of the terror-filled eyes of his victims, and of catching a glimpse of himself in shards of broken glass and seeing a wild, horrible smile. Alia sensed his turn of mood. "Zero, you have too much to worry about," she said reaching out and caressing his face. "Concentrate on one thing and leave the X worrying about me."
Zero closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of a warm touch.
"You just kick the Maverick bastard's butt, okay?"
"Okay," Zero grinned sleepily. "Good night."
"Good night, hon."
**
Alpha knelt on the floor of his small room in a tangle of bedsheets, forehead against the wall and hands gripping his head. The pain that radiated from his brain was so severe, it was a wonder he didn't black out. He moaned in the back of his throat, trying to block the images that flashed through his mind. What were they? They spoke of a former life, a purpose, but didn't Sigma say he had no purpose? He was nothing. He was just a mindless doll given a meaning by him, he who was so generous even with his disgusting presence, who told him every day that if it weren't for him, he would have ceased to exist long before. All those thoughts and images cost him great pain yet he couldn't push them away.
Alpha. . . your name is Alpha.
No it's not, it's. . .it's. . !
"Uunh. . ." He bit his lip until it bled. His body spasmed uncontrollably as old and new feelings and emotions raced through his entire body and he started hitting his head against the wall in a desperate rythm.
. . .stop it. . .stop it. . .stop it. . .
"Don't do that!" Hands seized him from behind.
"Hnnnh!" Alpha struggled blindly.
"Don't do that," the owner of those hands repeated. "You'll hurt yourself."
"V-vile?" Alpha gasped then cried out at the great pounding inside his skull. Vile held the smaller reploid against his chest with practilly both arms and legs folded around him, trying to keep his trashing body still.
"Shh, shhh," Vile made soothing noises, trying to relax him. 'Damn, he's strong,' he thought grimly, putting all his strength in surpressing Alpha who was making harsh horrible noises like a wounded animal and struggling in blind agony. Freeing a hand with difficulty, Vile took a syringe full with clear liquid and jabbed it as best he could under the circumstances into the side of Alpha's neck. Alpha let out a chilling scream. "Alpha," Vile panted. "Stop it, Alpha!" He couldn't hold on much longer.
"That's not . . .my. . . name," Alpha gritted out painfully. "It's not!"
"I know," grunted Vile. He waited impatiently for the depressant to get to work, and finally Alpha slumped down weakly in Vile's arms with a grateful gasp. The two of them struggled for breath for a while and Vile leaned back against the wall, resting his arms on the floor and closing his eyes. If Alpha continued to have seizures like this every night, he didn't know how he could keep on. A warm touch on his hand alerted Vile, and he looked down to see Alpha's hand holding his own. A sudden rush of a warm feeling coursed through Vile, and he felt his cheeks redden. He had never been touched that way, not in his while life. He had never received a gesture of gratitude, or a kind word, and now suddenly he had his hand entwined with someone's who had been his enemy until recently. But he shook his head. He was tired, he tended to think about things a bit strangely.
"Alpha," he began, but a long slow sigh alerted him to the fact that Alpha was fast asleep.
Vile smiled slightly and picked the brunette up in his arms and placed him gently down on the bed, arranging the twisted covers around him and softly wiping away the trickle of blood that ran down his chin. He stood for a moment, gazing at Alpha's still face, then turned and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
---------------------
Well the ending of this chapter sucked ^^;. Have you ever written something while listening to gregorian chants, you know, where the monks sing long hymns acappella? It's good focusing music. And have you ever listened to Shima Uta (trance mix)? It's so gorgeous and melodic. It actually made me tear up when the harmony kicked in.
Anyway, I don't think this chapter came out the way I liked it. Zero and Alia's conversation right after his nightmare seems too abrupt in subject change. Yaoi fan-girls, you probably liked the hand-holding scene, but don't get your hopes up!^^; Reviewers, if you find something wrong with this chapter, or something that seems out of place, please tell me. It would be greatly appreciated.
Next chapter: Attack on HQ and Zero's startling find and grevious injury! Major Alpha/Zero dogfight.
E-mail: Kaoru_28@hotmail.com for flames, comments, and donations!! (ha, just kidding -- about the donation part)
Yay! I want to thank the people who reviewed. Your comments helped me a lot. I have low self-esteem, and it's only when I'm encouraged that I go on. So keep sending your comments in! ^_^ v. To all the people who want me to put yaoi in this story: Sorry, I wasn't planning on putting boys kissing and I can't put it in now 'cause that will change everything. There will be none. (Unless you count in a scene in which Sigma in the later chapters. . .) Nevermind. He's a perverted bastard and everybody knows that. You'll see that in this chapter.
Aaaanyhoo, on with the show! --------------------------------
Zero sighed from his prone position on the infirmary bed. He had to report to a whole council but they allowed him a few moments rest. And he was fuming. He had been humiliated, played with, had his only weakness dragged out and extorted. 'How did he know that?' he thought with a angry frown. 'The only person that ever knew about it was Wily, but he's long gone.' He sat up carefully: his legs had only just recovered from the dart that Alpha had sneaked on to him. It was an e-dart, a weapon hardly anyone used anymore, but quite useful when applied to the right spots. It gave out a small burst of scrambled energy and data confusing the nerves and thus paralyzing.
Sighing, he looked down at the small disk which had been pressed into his hand earlier that day by the Maverick in black. He hadn't looked at the contents yet, though he felt it was something Signas should see. Whatever it was, it probably contained something important.
The blonde reploid sighed again and shook his head gently, his hair loose and swaying in a shower of molten gold. He was beginning to get a headache with all the worries and thoughts racing in his head and he decided not to do anymore thinking for awhile and got gingerly to his feet, wincing a little at the dull throb in his chest and prickles running up and down his legs. He really didn't want to report, but that was a duty no one could shirk aside. 'Damn being a commander. I wish I was still in my soldier days helping X the bumbling rookie, but those days are gone now. Now I wish I knew he was alive.'
His boots clanked dully on the floor of the seemingly endless hallway to the conference room. He was more and more reluctant to show up at all but he already had run the words of what to say over and over, and if he didn't get the whole ordeal over with, he was going to explode. Like a dark omen, the metal doors of the conference room loomed over him and summoning the last shreds of energy and patience he had, he schooled his face into an impassive mask and walked in.
The room felt silent at once and Signas, who had been talking quietly with the officer sitting next to him turned his head and looked at Zero who was sauntering in a little unsteadily with his helmet tucked under his arm and a bandage on his cheek. He stood at attention right in the center of the room and gave a smart salute. Signas returned the gesture. "Please commence your report, Commander," he told him.
"The trap was more or less a success," the tall blonde said in a neutral tone of voice. "Call it what you will, but those Mavericks plainly knew something like this was going to happen, and recovered quickly and efficiently, and fought back quite well. This resulted in slight casualties on both sides but nothing that can't be fixed on ours. While they fought I set out to find the 'mysterious' commader as was planned." He paused. Everybody strained their ears to hear what came next. Signas carefully noted the slight twitch in Zero's eyebrow. "He found me."
He turned and handed the memory card of the little camera to an operator seated behind him. "These are his statistics and photographs from the camera I was equipped with." The room darkened and eager whispers surged up and everyone turned their heads to the giant holographic screen which flashed into life in the center of the room. An image came up. Zero raised his eyebrows. 'Hmm,' he thought. 'If I had another career it would be photography.' For Zero had unwittingly shot a very excellent picture of Alpha while he was dodging one of Zero's attacks. He was twisting in midair, arms stretched out dramatically, the sun glinting of his hair which was swirling in a dark cloud around him, an empty mocking smile on his face.
"Hubba, hubba," murmured a female officer. Quite every other female in the room agreed with her. Zero sighed inwardly. 'I knew the women were going to love this,' he thought ruefully.
"This is Commander Alpha of the Maverick unit. I think he is siding with Sigma since he uses the same cheap tricks." Zero remembered the e-dart and growled. "I'm not completely sure, but I'll just ask him next time." Something about the way he said those words and the way his face clouded up with anger, resentment, and something else, Signas knew something had happened and whatever it was, it was had not been pleasant to the A-class Hunter. "He has astounding speed and is quite strong, which makes him a formidable enemy, yet nothing I can't handle with too much problem." 'Not if I wasn't paralyzed. . .' "I have yet to find his weaknesses."
The blonde paused and looked down at his fist. In it he had Alpha's disk. While everybody was murmuring and digesting this new information Zero walked up to Signas and bent down to talk to him quietly. "I was handed this disk and I think there's something crucial in it."
Signas snorted. "It's likely Sigma gloating on and on about some great plan he's got." He also spoke in the same soft tone as Zero.
"Whatever it is, it might give us some desperately needed clues."
However, the content of the harmless-seeming little black disk was far different from Sigma's sneering face.
"Hello? Anyone there?" A fearful voice ventured timidly. Silence immediately fell and everyone looked at the magnified image of X, ragged, hurt, and bleeding, standing in what obviously was a holding cell. Zero stiffened in startled alarm. "Anyone?" The brunette swayed a little, his right arm hanging uselessly at his side, obviously broken. He let out a sob and leaned against the wall behind him and slid down brokenly, leaving a trail of blood. Zero felt something in him break. 'Oh, X.' There was absolutely no sound in the room except for the terrifyingly weak sobs that emanated from the slight form on the cold damp floor of the hologram. "Why does nobody come for me?" the captive reploid whimpered in a broken voice. "It's been so long. . ." He then shuddered and coughed, harsh terrible coughs that shook his ravaged frame. He lifted a dirty hand and wiped his mouth, leaving a bloody streak on his chin. As X slumped and closed his eyes, his breath coming in painful gasps, loud terrible laughter rang through the conference room. The picture blinked out and was replaced with a hated and familiar face, Sigma, and he was laughing mockingly down at the horrified viewers, loud and long.
Zero felt a black tide of burning hatred surge up inside and he gritted his teeth as he gazed upon the face of his nemesis. Signas could see the blonde trembling violently and before he could open his mouth to stop him Zero grabbed a paperweight that was resting on the desk in front of Signas and threw it at the sneering face of Sigma with an animalistic roar of rage. The delicate crystal screen in which the image resided shattered in a million pieces. "I am waiting for you, Omega. . ." Sigma's voice rang out and faded.
Silence fell and no one spoke, and the vacuum that was created in the absence of noise was filled with horror and disbelief. "My God. . ." someone murmured. Zero stood silently trembling, head bowed, trying not to show anyone the angry tears that were running down his face.
"Zero?" Signas ventured. He too, felt sick. "We'll talk later. You have leave of rest for two days. Dismissed."
Zero nodded and turned and left the room without saluting, but Signas let him. He could hardly think what it was like to see your best friend whom you loved like a brother shown bleeding and dying in front of you, while you couldn't do anything to help him. He let out a tired and mournful sigh. X was beloved by almost everyone in Macerick Hunter HQ, with his kind and helpful attitude and bright smile. Signas rubbed his eyes. Maybe with time, things would work out. . .
**
"How did it go?"
"It went well."
"Casualties?"
"Minimum."
"Did Zero accept?"
"Negative. He adamantly refused."
"Huh," a soft chuckle. "Typical. Anything else?"
"No," He turned to leave.
"Alpha."
"Hai?"
"Come here."
"Hai," He came. He had no choice.
"Why do you always wear that visor? Take it off."
Alpha wordlessly complied.
"Ahh, red is my favorite color."
Alpha flinched a little as Sigma's large hand came forward and caressed his cheek. He turned his face away, he did not like Sigma's touch. Sigma chuckled again and suddenly grabbed the smaller reploid and pulled him against his chest. Alpha started to struggle but the painful grip on his arms tightened in warning and he stopped. He was now sitting in Sigma's lap with his back against the larger reploid's chest and Sigma started kneading Alpha's shoulders with a deceptive gentleness as he said, "Tell me, when you fought against Zero, what did you feel?"
"Nothing," Alpha lied. His head started to ache when he remembered the feeling of familiarness when he first laid his eyes upon the blonde reploid, how he felt he knew the way his hair waved in the wind and how his electric blue eyes narrowed in anger. His temples started to throb. Sigma continuing his massage, raised his eyebrows. "Oh really?" he said. He smiled evilly and asked again, "Didn't you feel something in your little emotionless heart when you heard his voice?" Alpha wordlessly shook his head. He wanted to get away from Sigma's disgusting presence and the pain in his head. "I felt nothing. Please, leave me alone," he started to strain forward but Sigma squeezed his shoulders like a vice. He cried out and started to struggle. Sigma laughed. Oh how he loved to inflict pain. . . He waited to see if the virus still held strong and after a while Alpha went suddenly went slack. Sigma smiled in satisfaction.
As the Maverick in black walked from the dark chamber he remembered nothing about his feelings earlier that day, nothing about his pain, just black and empty hate at the memory of the blonde reploid.
**
Alia sat at her desk, head in her hands, tired after a good cry. She felt helpless and weak, not knowing what to do and she hated the feeling. She needed someone to talk to. Taking a shuddering breath to calm her frazzled nerves she stood up and left to seek a familiar friendly face.
Zero turned and twisted in his bed, shivering in the throes of a hideous nightmare. Alpha's empty, emotionless voice rang out in his head.
I know how to turn you. I know how you killed all those defenseless people years ago, I know how you reveled in their blood, how their cries for mercy unfazed you. You were a wild animal, a savage hunter.
"No, no. . ." he moaned.
Hello? Anyone there?
You still do. The lust for childrens' blood is still deep in your heart. It will never go away.
Anyone?
"Leave me alone. . .!"
Why does nobody come for me?
We can give all that back to you, if you join us.
"No. . .!"
It's been so long . . .
Maverick.
So long. . .
"Noooo!!" With a strangled cry Zero jerked up in bed, eyes wild, heart racing as cold sweat ran down his face. For a while he just sat there, breathing hard, until he sank back down with a shuddering sigh. Soft arms wrapped around him.
"What's the matter, hon?" A sleepy feminine voice murmured.
"Bad dream."
"That much I figured."
. . . . . . . . .
There was a very long moment in which Zero got his bearings.
"Waugh!" He scooted to the other side of the bed and stared at Alia who was propped on her elbows and wearing one of Zero's shirts.
"Oh no!" he exclaimed. "Our friendship is ruined!" Which was weird, since he couldn't remember anything that happened last night. Maybe he got drunk. . .?
"Relax, you dumb oaf," Alia yawned and grinned sleepily at him. "Nothing happened. I came in here to talk to you but you were already asleep. But you looked so sad and lonely that I had to stay with you. Look," she gestured around. "I even tidied up your room."
Zero relaxed and flopped down on his pillow. Alia did the same and Zero put an arm around her in companionship. A comfortable moment passed.
"I miss him," Alia murmured. Zero did not need to ask who.
"So do I," he said. "I wish I could go were he is right now." Alia's eyes teared up and her lip started to tremble. She sniffed. "What's wrong?" Zero said looking down at her in slight alarm.
"I just can't believe what those bastards did to him!"
Zero's face darkened and the familiar feeling of anger rose up inside him. Alia sobbed a little and continued, "I never felt so helpless before. You -- you are actually able to do something about it but I'm just stuck here being useless, and I can't help thinking that I'm too late, that I'll never see him again!"
"Don't say that!" Zero grated harshly and glared down at Alia. "You *will* see him again. How could you even think that?!"
Alia closed her eyes in hurt and Zero immediately felt bad. An uncomfortable silence passed and Zero took a breath. "I'm sorry," he said in a small voice. "I didn't mean to yell at you, I just--"
"I know, hon," Alia opened her eyes and gave him a little forgiving smile and wiped her eyes. "I know you have many more burdens on your mind than I do."
"Tell me about it, " Zero sighed. He shifted to a more comfortable position. "And what is this 'too late' thing you were talking about?"
"Oh," Alia blushed. "I. . .just felt it was going to be too late to tell him how I feel about him."
"Ah," Zero said with a small grin. "No worries there," he assured her. "He feels the same way about you, he's just too shy to admit it."
Alia giggled in delight and Zero smiled fondly. But then his thoughts turned in a much darker direction. He thought back when Alpha whispered those horrible words in his ear. The bastard threatened him with activating the Maverick virus in him if he didn't comply. By doing so everything would be erased and reprogrammed, turning Zero the lovable goof into a sadistic monster who killed for pleasure. That was what he once was, then there came X. . .
Zero hated those memories of warm blood on his hands, of the terror-filled eyes of his victims, and of catching a glimpse of himself in shards of broken glass and seeing a wild, horrible smile. Alia sensed his turn of mood. "Zero, you have too much to worry about," she said reaching out and caressing his face. "Concentrate on one thing and leave the X worrying about me."
Zero closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of a warm touch.
"You just kick the Maverick bastard's butt, okay?"
"Okay," Zero grinned sleepily. "Good night."
"Good night, hon."
**
Alpha knelt on the floor of his small room in a tangle of bedsheets, forehead against the wall and hands gripping his head. The pain that radiated from his brain was so severe, it was a wonder he didn't black out. He moaned in the back of his throat, trying to block the images that flashed through his mind. What were they? They spoke of a former life, a purpose, but didn't Sigma say he had no purpose? He was nothing. He was just a mindless doll given a meaning by him, he who was so generous even with his disgusting presence, who told him every day that if it weren't for him, he would have ceased to exist long before. All those thoughts and images cost him great pain yet he couldn't push them away.
Alpha. . . your name is Alpha.
No it's not, it's. . .it's. . !
"Uunh. . ." He bit his lip until it bled. His body spasmed uncontrollably as old and new feelings and emotions raced through his entire body and he started hitting his head against the wall in a desperate rythm.
. . .stop it. . .stop it. . .stop it. . .
"Don't do that!" Hands seized him from behind.
"Hnnnh!" Alpha struggled blindly.
"Don't do that," the owner of those hands repeated. "You'll hurt yourself."
"V-vile?" Alpha gasped then cried out at the great pounding inside his skull. Vile held the smaller reploid against his chest with practilly both arms and legs folded around him, trying to keep his trashing body still.
"Shh, shhh," Vile made soothing noises, trying to relax him. 'Damn, he's strong,' he thought grimly, putting all his strength in surpressing Alpha who was making harsh horrible noises like a wounded animal and struggling in blind agony. Freeing a hand with difficulty, Vile took a syringe full with clear liquid and jabbed it as best he could under the circumstances into the side of Alpha's neck. Alpha let out a chilling scream. "Alpha," Vile panted. "Stop it, Alpha!" He couldn't hold on much longer.
"That's not . . .my. . . name," Alpha gritted out painfully. "It's not!"
"I know," grunted Vile. He waited impatiently for the depressant to get to work, and finally Alpha slumped down weakly in Vile's arms with a grateful gasp. The two of them struggled for breath for a while and Vile leaned back against the wall, resting his arms on the floor and closing his eyes. If Alpha continued to have seizures like this every night, he didn't know how he could keep on. A warm touch on his hand alerted Vile, and he looked down to see Alpha's hand holding his own. A sudden rush of a warm feeling coursed through Vile, and he felt his cheeks redden. He had never been touched that way, not in his while life. He had never received a gesture of gratitude, or a kind word, and now suddenly he had his hand entwined with someone's who had been his enemy until recently. But he shook his head. He was tired, he tended to think about things a bit strangely.
"Alpha," he began, but a long slow sigh alerted him to the fact that Alpha was fast asleep.
Vile smiled slightly and picked the brunette up in his arms and placed him gently down on the bed, arranging the twisted covers around him and softly wiping away the trickle of blood that ran down his chin. He stood for a moment, gazing at Alpha's still face, then turned and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
---------------------
Well the ending of this chapter sucked ^^;. Have you ever written something while listening to gregorian chants, you know, where the monks sing long hymns acappella? It's good focusing music. And have you ever listened to Shima Uta (trance mix)? It's so gorgeous and melodic. It actually made me tear up when the harmony kicked in.
Anyway, I don't think this chapter came out the way I liked it. Zero and Alia's conversation right after his nightmare seems too abrupt in subject change. Yaoi fan-girls, you probably liked the hand-holding scene, but don't get your hopes up!^^; Reviewers, if you find something wrong with this chapter, or something that seems out of place, please tell me. It would be greatly appreciated.
Next chapter: Attack on HQ and Zero's startling find and grevious injury! Major Alpha/Zero dogfight.
E-mail: Kaoru_28@hotmail.com for flames, comments, and donations!! (ha, just kidding -- about the donation part)
