Megaman ZER0: The Duel

Chapter 2

The ruins of Neo Arcadia. These last 6 months have been dedicated to the reconstruction

of Area-X. Since the commander of Neo Arcadia was destroyed, many rumors have flooded in the Neo-Arcadia Metropolis, and the many ouskirted cities dotting the planet. Under the guise of temparary leadership, The Three

Gaurdians have assumed control of all the inner workings of Neo -Arcadia.The public has been told that due to a strong malfunction in their commander's body, he has temporarily resigned to be repaired and have a new body created for him. The general public has accepted this explanation, but some have gotten wind of the true happenings inside the demented goverment...

In less than five minutes, I have integrated into the streets of this outskirted city.Walking around, im amazed that this city has not been gaurded much by any of the usual cannon fodder i have been up against. I look up into the sky, seeing that this giant city has a great dome over its skyline, since much of the air has been polluted from past wars. Not noticing were I was going, I bumped into an old man. As he falls down, his cane gets thrown from him.

I kneel down and help him up, apologizing.

" Im sorry sir, I wasnt looking were I was going. Let me help you up."

"Thanks son, I admit I wasnt looking either." I help him up, and I return his cane to him.

" Hey, you wouldnt know where I could find a room for the night, would you?"

" Well now, I own a pretty big apartment, and i have no use for some of the rooms, so I suppose you could spend the night. Least I could do for troubling you."

"Thank you. I have only gotten into this city, what is the name of it by the way?"

"This here city is called Orpheon. This city is very well know for the fact that one of our great leader's guardians

home. I think it's the green one, Harpuia."

We start walking down the street, talking. This makes me blend into the city better, so for now, I should be off of

Neo -Arcadia's forces at least for a little while. As we walk, I see a human punishing a reploid housemaid, just because she had accedentaly droped a bage of groceries. He raises his hand and starts beating her. I cringe, trying to look away. Simular scenes happen too often in the few short minutes I have been here. Each time a reploid is to blame for a human's mistake. And each time, they are repremanded for it.

"Harpuia, huh. I hear he's a great fighter."

" He is. I know because I have seen him fight. Oh! Where are my manners, Im Proffesor Killmore."

Not wanting to reveal my real name in fear of being recognized, I tried to come up with a name. I suddenly thought of a name, somehow familiar to me.

" im... Wiley."

We walked on for a good 5 minutes, talking untill we got to his house.

" Door... open please."

The door suddenly unlocked and slide open.

We both walked in, an I instantly noticed many mechanical parts lying around. Computers jury-rigged togeather

with many screens hooked up to make one big screen.

" If you couldn' tell, im pretty good with computers." Turning the lights on, I walk up the stairs and put my helmet onto the bed.

" Well son, I think you can drop the cherade now."

"Hunh?"

" I might be old, but i do know a reploid when I see one. Don't worry, I'm not going to turn you in."

"Why?"

"Because of who you are. Not many people would recognize Zer0, the one who destroyed that disgusting commander of ours. "

" You hate the goverment?"

" Yes. I used to work for them in fact. I specialized in writing programs and repairing the work reploids.

I belive you know that human-reploid relationships are looked down upon, yes?"

Thinking back to an old story told to me by the resistance's resident old reploid i agreed.

" Well, my wife was a reploid that helped this old man clean his house."

Killmore sits down on a comfy looking blue chair.

" We kept up the facade that she was human for 25 years. i worked for Neo-Arcadia, she worked for a small

buisness store. One day, The very reploids i had helped them repair stormed my house. Harpuia just started as one of X's guardians. As they held me down, he read outloud a holo-message decreeing that she was a reploid that was deemed a maverick, and that she was a danger to humankind, and killed her in front of my eyes."

"Im sorry."

" Dont be son. You had nothing to do with it. I imediatly resigned my position and left the capital city.

I ever since then hated the goverment. What they have done is not right. So i help any reploid who defies them."

" Would you be able to repair me?" I take off my cloak, revealing many of the open wounds in my person.

" Well, let me take a look at ya." Killmore gets up and goes into his desk.

Pulling out a pair of glasses, he walks over to me. Looking at some of my armor, and such.

" Whoever built you was a damn good person. I might not be able to fix up all of you but yes, I can repair most of the damage. Untill then I suppose you can stay here."

"Thank you. Will you be able to keep the guards off of my back untill your finished?"

" Shouldn't be a problem. i created a security system that would rival them."

" Oh by the way, you wouldnt happen to know Ciel would you?"

" Yes! Im trying to get back yo the resistance base."

"Your going to have a hard time doing that. It was destroyed."