Disclaimer: Got Capcom?

A/N: This chapter is a little angsty, with some more death, and harsher language. In between the T and M ratings. T+ or M-. You get the idea!

Epilogue: Hope for the Future

MHHQ- Assembly Hall
Time:
-23:48-

The warp field hummed to life in the near empty Assembly Hall. Alia nearly rebooted when she got a sudden transmission from Zero, so she was alert and ready for the ignition of the field. The same could not be said for Signas though; he had dozed off while trying to find something to do to pass the time. He also fell out of his chair, so he got up, brushed himself off and ran over to Alia, who was waiting for someone to walk through from the other side.

"Alia, what's going on?" The joyful girl was shifting side to side with her hands clasps together and in front of her face. She seemed to ignore him as she continued her gleeful dance. Grunting, Signas turned towards the field as it suddenly started to glow brighter.

The field dimmed, revealing two figures on the field. X stood up next to Zero, who took in a deep breath of air. Alia's eyes lit up as she ran over to the shorter reploid, literally knocking Zero off of the platform. She embraced him tightly, not giving him a chance to speak or anything. Zero, after regaining his balance, proceeded to step off of the platform. He was stopped by Signas, who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Good to have you back, Zero." Signas said in a firm voice while extending his arm. Grinning, Zero extended his own arm and shook the Supreme Commander's hand. "It's good to be back." Signas thought the handshake felt a bit strange. Zero kept cheesing as his left hand covered something on his abdomen. Now he was suspicious.

"Busted. Go to the Med Lab, have them look you over." Zero's face changed abruptly. Signas made note of this and sighed. "I know you don't care for the Lifesavers, Zero, but you need to be looked at." Zero was feeling too much pain to argue, so he nodded. "What about X? How's he doing?" Right on cue, Signas heard X yelp rather painfully. He looked over to see him holding his left arm, kneeling on the ground. Alia was over-apologizing while X was shaking his head, trying to dismiss her worries. Signas ran over to the console near the center of the room and opened the announcement link.

-Click-

"Attention medical staff: Megaman X and Zero have returned and need immediate first aid. I repeat, Megaman X and Zero have returned. That is all."

-Click-

Signas stepped down from the console and looked on at the injured hunters and Alia. They all had narrowed pupils and wide jaws, including Raydia. Signas gave them a quizzical look. "What?"

"Signas...why did you do that?" Alia basically screamed. He was shocked at first, then he realized what he just did. Playing innocently, he asked. "Do what?"

"Why didn't you use their frequency to page them?" X answered rather crossly. Signas, still trying to figure out how to weasel out of this blunder, gave them the simple answer.

"I dismissed most everyone on base including the Med Lab, so no one would pick up on it." He said nonchalantly. This only made X and Zero's eyes bulge even more and made their jaws droop even lower.

"Ahh! Now everyone will bum rush us with a jillion questions! Again!" Zero blurted out. Signas rubbed his head and laughed. Despite his cheerful expression, X and Zero felt even more uneasy.

"Not to worry. Sentries are on watch for crowds of large mass. Only the Med Lab staff is getting through these doors." A large boom was heard outside through the large digisteel doors. Everyone in the room felt uncomfortable as a repeated knocking was heard through the doors. A burst transmission came through on the large holo-monitor in the middle of the room. On it was a top perspective view of Tank, one of the 'sentries' just outside the door. He was wearing a vexed expression.

"Signas! Why in Light's name did you do that?" He asked while looking behind him. The pounding noise filled the room but was not directly in the room. Yet. Signas looked puzzled. The camera moved to show a reploid braced up against a large door. It was Dozer, the other 'sentry'. He had his back against the doors, feet spread shoulder length apart and arms spread out as well. He looked horrified as the doors behind him pulsated violently. The camera cut back over to Tank.

"Everyone is going to bust in there now! Again " Tank shrieked out. Signas rubbed his head. "That is why you are there. To stop that from happening." Zero looked at Signas, thinking that this is something that he himself would have done, but unintentionally.

"AHH! THEY'RE BREAKING THROUGH! I CAN'T HOLD THE DOORS!" This rather loud holler was heard moments before a screeching blast filled the room. Tank turned to look at a sliding Dozer. He shrieked in panic as the camera cut to view the first set of doors open wide. A torrent of noisy hunters spilled into the long hallway.

"What have you done?" Tank yelped out before the large mob of hunters swallowed him up. The camera cut transmission, as well as the link. Signas looked dumbfounded. The whole group was startled as a large amount of commotion throbbed from the doors. Zero had backed up to where X and Alia were standing by now. "Signas, this happens all the time. Why? Do you like being rushed by the entire headquarters every time X and Zero complete a big mission?" Alia harped out. They all almost screamed when a short range I.T. field opened up and Kicker stepped out of it.

"Oh my god! Signas, sir, do you know how many people are outside those do--" Kicker started.

"Yes! I know! Just take those two and go!" Signas interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest of his lecture. Kicker motioned for X and Zero to follow him into the field, and they hastily followed. The field closed shortly after. Signas sighed as a bolt on the door flew off.

"Perhaps one day I'll learn, Alia." He turned his head to regard the reploid in question. "Alia?" She wasn't there. She had left him to face the torrent of hunters alone. Signas took in a large breath and held it as he stood firm, awaiting the punishment from the mob.

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Med Lab
Time:
-00:16-

Kicker finished sealing X's arm up when a Lifesaver came to report something to him. "Sir, Major Alia wishes to speak with Colonel X." The Lifesaver said in a monotonic voice. Kicker nodded for him to let her proceed. X called out to the Lifesaver with a confused voice.

"Wait a sec! Colonel X?" X sounded stupefied. Alia busted in the O.R., her face gleaming with triumphant resonance.

"X! Have you heard? Promotions for everyone!" She shrieked out. X noticed she wasn't garbed in her armor or her active-duty uniform. Instead, she had a short-sleeved denim jacket on over a black t-shirt with blue jeans and white sneakers. X sat up as she approached the bed he was on.

"Yeah! Congratulations on that!" He said while standing up, flexing his arm. She couldn't help but smile.

"X, come on! Everyone's waiting for you at the party!" Alia exclaimed. X looked bit confused. "Party? That's okay...I'm, er, kind of tired. And I think that I need to rest my arm a bit more." She lowered her eyebrows and looked over at Kicker, who was sitting down at a sub-desk in the corner of the room, was typing something on his keyboard.

"Is he cleared to leave, Doc?" Alia called out. Kicker turned around in his chair and waved good-bye to them. X gave him a merciless glance before being dragged out of the room. Laughing to himself, Kicker stretched out his arms and stood up. Today had been a long day, and he was exhausted. As he prepared to leave, he ran into a familiar reploid.

"Oh, Leyna. What's up?" He asked while yawning. She went past him and checked behind one of the curtains. Frustrated, she went back over to Kicker.

"Kick, have you seen Zero?" Kicker shoved his hands in his pockets. "No, can't say that I have. He was released about twenty minutes ago." Sighing heavily, she ran out of the O.R. He didn't even want to know what Zero did this time.

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Downtown Arcadia- Northwest District
Time:
-00:26-

She sighed to herself as the traffic light turned green. Where could he be? Leyna pondered on Zero's usual hangouts, but there were too many to count. So she would just wait until tomorrow to try to talk to him. Right now, she had her own problems to reflect on. Past problems to be exact. And the only way to do that was to drink them away. She pulled her car into the lot of Keena's Retreat, a bar she was fond of. She was surprised to see so many vehicles, though she shouldn't have been, seeing as how today was a day of celebration. She put the alarm on and stuffed the key into her pocket.

The bell on the door jingled but could barely be heard, seeing as how there was a multitude of patrons in the place, filling the bar with commotion. Leyna pushed her way past a few familiar faces, inspecting some but not finding who she was looking for. She sat at an empty stool at the less crowded and somewhat quieter side of the counter. The bartender, Keena, smiled when she saw her.

"'Ey! If it isn't Leyna! How are ya?" The dark haired woman asked with a slight Australian accent. Leyna smiled weakly. "Not too bad, Keena. And you?"

"Can't complain. Business is great tonight, as you can see. What can I getcha?" Putting an elbow on the counter and leaning her head into her palm, she sighed.

"The hardest stuff you got." She looked on at rowdy crowd. It looked like a few people from her unit were having a contest with a few from the 1st.

"Comin' right up! You tryin' to drown some sorrow, mate?" Keena asked as she poured some mystery liquor in a can with soda water. Leyna only nodded. Keena gave a resounding "Hmm.", as she shook the can up. Leyna noticed a person with a thick black leather jacket and black hat sitting at a table by himself. Actually, she couldn't tell if 'he' was male or female. Keena poured the mix from the can into a frosty glass. She slid it down the counter to Leyna who lazily caught it.

"Thanks, Keena. Owe you one." Leyna said as she took a gulp of the liquor. "S'all good, mate. Anything for a friend." Keena gave her a warm smile before running off to serve another patron. Leyna continued to gulp down her drink as she stared at the shifting crowd. A few of the people seemed to turn upside down and walk on the ceiling. Some of them sank through the floor. Others turned into differently colored fruits, like orange apples, red bananas, and blue strawberries. See blinked a few times when green rabbits started talking to her.

"Jeez, this stuff is potent." She whispered to herself. One of the rabbits walked up to her and picked her up by the collar. She then felt something hard ram into her stomach, causing her to blackout for a sec. She heard that the noise in the bar died down, but someone was yelling. She opened her eyes to see that she was pinned against the wall by a tall individual. It looked like a wolf with a large moon shaped scar on his face. He must be a reploid. She then realized that he was yelling and screaming at her.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" The wolf said while baring his teeth. Leyna was in no mood to fight, or resist for that matter. Maybe this was the best way she could get rid of the past. Smirking, she said, "I see you still have that scar. Did you miss me that much?" Enraged, the tall wolf humanoid growled before drawing his fist back, ready to bludgeon the regretless girl.

"Hey, Balto. Put the girl down. Didn't your mama ever teach you how to treat women? It certainly isn't like that." A voice that was mysterious to him called out. He lowered his eyebrows. The person that was sitting at the table was now standing behind him, his stance relaxed. Wolfen didn't bother to turn his head to see who was mocking him. Instead he tried warding him off.

"Whoever who are, you had best leave if you enjoy living." He said coolly while looking out of the corner of his eyes. Leyna could barely see over Wolfen's broad shoulders. The person in black had their hat pulled down, obscuring their eyes.

"Why don't you take your own advice, Scooby-Doo?" The voice said in a somewhat quiet manner. Fed up, Wolfen snapped his fist back into the face of the person in black. The man didn't do anything but turn his head to let the blow glance off his cheek. His hat fell, revealing a head full of blonde hair, which slightly obscured vivid green eyes. He wore a blank expression. By now, Wolfen had turned his attention to the man in a black overcoat, dropping Leyna to the ground.

"Well, punk. You had your chance to run." Wolfen said cockily. The man turned his head back to the wolf reploid.

"I don't run from problems; I fix them." He said as he pushed a lock of blonde hair from his eyes. Wolfen felt his stomach drop as he realized who was in front of him. Just his luck. Nonetheless, he threw a punch at the man, who effortlessly grab his arm and twisted it behind his back. He then proceeded to grab his leg and pick him up over his head. He walked over across the bar towards the doors. A couple of hunters opened the doors and for their commander as he threw the wolf reploid on the ground with force. He hollered out as his arm and leg were bent awkwardly.

"Don't let me catch you around here again. Ever." Zero said as he returned to the bar, his trademark golden hair following him. The patrons in the place erupted with cheers for the well known reploid. He walked back over to his table and sat down, his expression grim. The previous bustle of the bar revived and continued as if nothing had happened. Leyna broke away from the small crowd around her as she told them she was fine. She walked over and sat down next to Zero, who seemed oblivious to her.

"Hey, how are you doing?" She broke the ice. Almost. As soon as she finished asking, Zero had a question of his own.

"Who was that guy? You know him?" He asked without making eye contact. Leyna twitched a little in her seat. "Just...a painful memory..." She said while combing her purplish hair back with hand. Her eyes looked stern as she said that. Zero didn't notice of course.

"I didn't know you came here. Few people know about this place." She said, still amazed that the 0th was here in its entirety. "I usually don't. Gene's place is my primary choice, but that got destroyed during X and Alia's 'vacation'. So I found this place by accident. And they followed." Zero explained to her. 'They' was referring to Special Unit 0. Leyna, trying to get un-sober, failed miserably and yelled to Keena for another strong drink. "Bastard knocked me sober..."

"Leyna, why aren't you at the party? They are having one, right?" Zero asked, once again not looking. Sighing, Leyna dropped her head into her palm.

"Well, I was looking for you, because you weren't there. So after I found out that you weren't anywhere on base, decided to drown out my miseries here. Then I ran into an 'old friend', you kicked his ass, and here we are." Keena walked over to the table they were at and set down two glasses.

"Here you go! Two suicide sodas!" She said cheerfully. Leyna looked up at her with a confused glance. "Two?"

"Sure: one for you and one for the gentleman who saved your ass. You both look like you need to forget somethin'." She walked off behind the counter, waving as she went. Zero perked up when he heard this.

"Hey, don't drink that yet." He managed to stop her for a question. She set the glass down and turned towards him. "So, if you don't mind, what miseries are you trying to escape?" He asked while sitting in the same position she was in. Sighing, she was about to spill the beans but realized that this was her chance to get Zero to open up to her.

"You first. I wanna hear the story you were gonna tell we while we were on our way to destroy the cannon." Zero lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry but...it hurts too badly...maybe some other time..." She gave an exasperated sigh.

"And you think my past is any less painful?" She said almost crossly. Zero didn't say anything. "Nothing makes your past any worse than mine! Zero, everyone has a past they want to run away from. Something deep down that hurts." Zero held up two fingers. She looked at them with confusion.

"Two people that both you and I know, don't fit into that category." Zero said while looking up at her slowly. "Who?"

"Megaman X and me." Before Leyna could protest Zero started his explanation. "I say X, because he is too pure. As long as I've known him, he's never done anything that he regrets. Anything. So in turn, he doesn't have any bad memories to forget. Now me on the other hand..." Zero stopped, feeling a tear well up in his eye. Leyna quit trying to protest when he got to this part, seeing the visible tear.

"It's not that I want to run away from my past. I can't run away. I need to remember what I've done. It's the only way I've been able to suppress the monster within me. If I forget about, then the demon inside me will wake up. My past is the only reason I live!" Zero cried out before covering his eyes with his large hand, letting his hair droop over his face. This was a shock to her. This was the first time she had ever seen Zero breakdown. It had to be serious for him to breakdown like this.

"Zero, what happened? What's paining you so much?" She scooted her chair closer to him. She just hoped she wouldn't get more than she bargained for. He wiped at his eyes and crossed his arms and set them on the table. He sat there for many moments, not moving. She got up and got ready to leave, but Zero grabbed her arm, motioning for her to sit. So she did. Turning to face her, Zero drew in a breath to explain his painful, but vivid memory. She noticed that many of the patrons had already left.

"It was about four years before the Space Colony incident, when Repliforce was still around. I was friends with Colonel for a while before then. He had a sister, too. Her name was Iris. She was a sweet girl, and I had emotions for her. But after the government labeled them as mavericks, Colonel and I didn't really see eye to eye. We would fight constantly, but Iris would stop us before we killed each other. But one day..." He felt his voice starting to shake, as more tears formed up. Leyna crossed her hands and held them in front of her face.

"...one day, he stopped me on my way to the space port. I begged him to let me pass, but we ended up fighting to the death. I didn't want to fight him. I killed him. I didn't have a choice. While I was on my way to Sigma...I ran into her. I ran into Iris. I had already killed her brother...I...was forced to take her life as well. It wasn't supposed to happen that way...and all this happened on this very date. The anniversary that will torment me for the rest of my life..." Zero broke down now, but it wasn't in the way most people did it. He was crying, but his tears held all the sobs, all the sorrow, all of the angst. He was crying without audible sound, but visible sound. The tears proved that as they rolled down his face and broke away as gravity took them. They cried out as they hit the cold reality of the table, being silenced forever.

Leyna was thunderstruck. She had wanted to know more about him, but this was deep. This wasn't the Zero she was used to. This wasn't the cocky, womanizing, arrogant man she knew. This was a frightened, tormented, isolated man. She suddenly felt guilty for talking down to him earlier. "Zero...I'm sorry I yelled earlier. I had no idea...no idea..." She suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes. "It's ok. You couldn't have possibly known. You're the only other person who knows besides X..." Zero said as he smiled weakly. She was taken aback. "You...trust me enough to keep your secret?" He nodded. She felt a certain vibe from Zero, something that told her that he wouldn't tell anyone anything about what she was going to tell him, even if he somehow would profit from it.

"Zero, will you promise to keep what I'm about to tell you a secret? From everyone? Including X?" She asked, getting him to look up at her, tears flowing in incessant brooks. 'Uh-oh' he thought. Though he would usually keep to himself when he reflects on this day, Leyna instilled a sense of security. She was genuine, a trait that was missing from most women he met. This is probably why he opened up to her so freely. Wiping his eyes free of tears, he gave her his answer. "Of course, I promise." She sighed, but looked around and stood up. Zero looked at her confusedly.

"Let's go somewhere else: too many wandering ears." She whispered as she motioned over to the 0th. He nodded his head, which hurt a bit from the crying. She called over to Keena, who was drying off a glass. Once she got her attention, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a few Zenny. She tossed it over to the bartender with a flick of her thumb, who quickly tossed it back in the same manner.

"S'on the house, mates!" She said while smiling. "Thanks! See ya around!" Leyna said as the two walked out of the door. Zero was becoming fond of his place.

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The two maverick hunters exited the bar with a jingle of the bell. It had begun to snow, as the white stuff was falling gently towards the Earth. "I'll bring the car around. She said while Zero nodded slowly. She disappeared around the corner, leaving footprints in the snow. Zero leaned up against the wall, staring up at the sky, not that there was much to see. The grayish clouds above him merging with one another, the gently falling snow creating a peaceful ambience. The sound of a horn trying to deafen him.

Zero snapped out of his daze to see Leyna in her hover car, honking the horn on it. He didn't know why he felt embarrassed, but he opened the door when he got to it, and sat down in the seat. He pulled the door down shut, and the car sped off down the street.

An unusual silence filled the car as she drove down the near empty streets of Downtown Arcadia, so she decided to soften up the mood a bit. "What's your favorite color?" Zero turned around and looked at her with curiosity. She glanced at him with a grin. "Well?"

"I like gray." Zero said surprisingly. Leyna's grin grew wider. "Gray?"

"Mmmhmm. Gray." Zero said nonchalantly. "Most people assume that it's red." Leyna chuckled a bit. "Lemme guess: you can't stand red?" He nodded his head. "It reminds me what I am. The blood of those I've stained my hands with." He stared at his hands as if they were actually covered with the red liquid. More silence ensued.

"Hey. Where exactly are we going?" He asked, looking over at the purple haired girl. She suddenly pulled the car to a stop. She beckoned for him to get out and join her. She walked out towards the guardrail overlooking a brink. Zero noticed that she had driven them out to the edge of Downtown Arcadia. This info he was about to receive was definitely for his ears only. He leaned on the rail next to her.

"So...you ready to hear my story?" She asked while looking over at him. He gave her an affirmative nod. Sighing inwardly, she began telling the story.

She was scared. Ailita was running down one of the dark alleys of Neo Arcadia. She had to get out. She had to go somewhere. Ailita was part of a small, but very dangerous mob syndicate. Namely, she was one of their bounty hunters. Everything had gone smoothly for her before tonight. Now she didn't want anything to do with them. They would be after her soon, and she would probably be caught. That couldn't happen; she wanted to live. The long brown hair reaching down to her back whisked around as she ran. Rain poured in torrents, washing away the blood on her face. Tears stung her stormy gray eyes. What just happened? She thought back to the past events.

All she was supposed to do was catch the bounty head, Brian Washington. Eyes in the sky told that he was out with his family tonight. This man was an alleged fraud mastermind and the supposed leader of a vicious and rival syndicate. On top of that, he also held information about an underground operation. So an order went out that she and her team go out to recover that info, and turn him in. The plan was to follow this man to his house, get the files and turn him in on behalf of the syndicate. It seemed simple enough. She was perched inside an abandoned building, studying the photo she had been given. Then she radioed in for confirmation.

"Sam, this is Ailita. Are sure that's the guy?"

"Yea, yea! It's him!" A gruff voice sounded over the small old styled radio she had in her ear. The reason her team used these radios was for the simple fact that no one else used them anymore. They were ancient. This provided the smallest chance for an outsider to patch through and eavesdrop.

"Who's all with him?" She asked him. An audible sigh of agitation was heard on the other side. "It's him, his wife, and two kids. Looks like a teenager and a little girl, 'bout ten or eleven years old." Sam was cloaked and airborne, flying in close to the family-sized hovercar when he could. Otherwise, he just followed them, sending out radio messages when the bounty head made a turn.

Ailita watched the rain fall from her window. She sighed. It had been only one year since her creator died. And it was raining like this on that day as well. She remembered him well. Old, about in his mid sixties. He had the white hair and everything. He told her that he created her in place of his daughter, who had died years earlier. He told her that she had been taken by Mavericks when she was on her way to visit him from DenTec.

"Yes. Leyna would be about twenty-seven, if she were still living today. Why do you ask, Ailita?" The old doctor Strider asked his younger looking replica daughter. "I was wondering why you didn't create me with an older appearance?" The curious girl asked. The old man chortled. "Well, I wanted you to experience life as a teenager. Not quite a child, not quite an adult." He said while smiling. Ailita thought for minute before grinning wildly. "I like that, Dad!" She leaned over and gave her human father a hug. He returned hug with one of his own. "I love you Daddy." "I love you too, Ailita."

About a week later, Ailita opened the door to her house and walked in, with an armful of wet grocery bags. There was a terrible storm outside that seemed to worsen by the minute. She kicked the door closed and called out for her father. "Dad! I'm home! Daddy?" She felt like something was wrong when he didn't answer. Her hunch was solidified when she smelled something in the air. Blood. Dropping the bags, she hurried off in the direction the stench was coming from. Fear was taking hold of her as she neared the source. She screamed when she rounded the corner and saw that Doctor Strider lay motionless on the ground in a pool of blood. Next to him was his wallet, which had been emptied. The window had been broken into, with the glass spread out on the floor. Scared, confused and grief-stricken, Ailita ran out of the house and into the cold, rainy night.

Ailita opened her eyes when Raven's voice called out her name. She shook her head, clearing those thoughts.

"Sorry 'bout that, Rae." She said, looking out of her window. "Be ready in ten seconds." A female voice sounded over the radio. "I don't even know who did it...it doesn't even matter anymore." She muttered to herself. "Hunh? What's that mean, Lita?" Raven asked quizzically. "Oops! Just talking to myself. Let's go!" She said, realizing that she left the radio on. Pulling her cloak over her shoulders and flipping her hood over her head, she leapt out of the window and into the cold, rainy night.

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The hover car pulled into a driveway. The doors opened, letting the passengers on the inside out. The family huddled under a large umbrella, trying to keep dry from the rain. Lighting flashed high in the sky, illuminating the darkness for a brief moment. A figure in a cloak was illuminated for a moment as well. The family rushed towards the house, splashing in puddles as they went. They were at the door, when the father turned around and ran back to the car.

"Whoops! Forgot my watch!" He said as he made his way back to the car. Another flash of lightning illuminated the area, revealing a cloaked figure running towards the house. He opened the driver side door and ruffled around for something. Ailita looked on from a tree. She looked over at the mother and children, who were laughing as they went inside. Something just didn't feel right about this job...

"(They look so happy. But, some things can't be helped.)" She thought as the man started running back towards the house. "Alright guys, it's go time." She said as she hopped down from the tree.

The man was jogging back towards the house when his foot hit something. This caused him to slow down and stop. He looked around on the ground for something. A bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the ground. He shrugged it off as he didn't find anything but a rock he would probably trip on. He was about to start jogging again, but a firm arm around his clavicle and a cold piece of metal pressed to his throat prevented that.

"What the mmffm?" He managed to yelp out before the hand slipped up to cover his mouth.

"Shh shh. It would be in your best interest to be quiet, Mr. Washington. Now, if you cooperate, you will not be hurt." A female voice spoke to him softly. She was a professional; she knew what she was doing. He nodded his head slowly. "Now, let's start walking towards the house." He did as he was told. They took normal sized, but quiet steps toward the house. Ailita didn't know why she felt so bad. Almost like they were making a mistake. The man heard an odd, static sound.

"This is Bass. Beat, I'm at my location. I'll let you know if there's any trouble." Another voice said, this one sounding like a male voice and more mature and older than his captor. "Roger that. We'll be in and out within five." Ailita looked around for signs of Raven. There she was, pressed up against the wall of the between a bush. She waved to Ailita after peering into the window. Nodding her head, Ailita motioned for her to stand ready.

"Where's the safe located, Mr. Washington?" She asked. He didn't say anything. She pressed the knife firmer on his throat. "I'll ask again. Where's the safe located, Mr. Washington?" She said, her voice becoming firm as well.

"It's behind the picture that hangs under the clock in the living room." He spoke carefully. She nudged him in the back, making him walk a bit faster. "What is it that you want?" He asked. She answered him by pressing the knife harder on his throat. When they reached the door, Ailita signaled for Raven to take Washington.

"Open the door." The new voice said to him. He did so and opened the door in a casual manner. No one in sight. The three walked into the house, with Ailita looking for the place Washington described.

"Honey? Is that you?" A feminine voice called out from the adjacent room. Raven jabbed him in the ribs, goading him to answer. But before he could, his wife rounded the corner and screamed when she saw the sight. Immediately following her yelp, two figures emerged from the staircase next to the kitchen.

"Mom? What's wrong?" A teenage male voice asked as the two figures trotted down the stairs. Raven pointed her pistol at Mr. Washington's head. "All of you, stay where you are! Move, and its lights out for daddy! Speak not a word!" Raven spat out with authority. Ailita cast a worried glance at her. She gave Ailita a look that said 'I'm only threatening them'. Turning back around, Ailita removed the picture and found what she was looking for. She immediately placed her hand over the keypad and closed her eyes. Her fingers moved swiftly over the keypad, inputting numerous combinations per second.

"Don't hurt my daddy!" A small voice called out from the top of the stairs. Raven looked up to see a little girl with red hair hiding behind the boy at the top of the stairs. He was trying to shush her up. "You, up there! Down here, now." Raven ordered while motioning for the woman to sit down on the couch. They were hesitant, and did not move. Raven let out a low growl and cocked the pistols slide back, loading a bullet into the chamber. "I suggest you get down here...NOW." She said firmly while looking over at Ailita. The two on the stairs joined their mother on the couch.

"How's it coming, Beat?"

"Almost...got it!" She said as the safe popped open and she reached inside. Raven grinned, though no one could see it under the shadows of her hood. Ailita pulled out a few files, scanned them, then went through several more. She gasped when she found a file containing his personal info. "Rae, let him go." Raven looked over at her quizzically, but did as she was told. Ailita walked over to the man, file in hand.

"You aren't Brian Washington, are you?" She asked, getting a gasp from everyone in the room. He looked her in the eyes, or actually, where here eyes would be if he could see them. "No...I'm not. He's my brother. I'm Adam Washington." Raven's jaw dropped. They had the wrong man.

"Dammit! I should've known! I knew something didn't feel right..." Ailita shouted as she threw the file to the ground. She turned to Adam. "Where is your brother then?"

"You mean you haven't heard? He was caught by the police a few months ago. Wait a minute...you guys must be bount--" He said before a loud screech emanated from Ailita's radio.

"Ailita! Raven! You have to get out of there! Hurry, before Wolfen--KKZZZTT" The transmission was suddenly cut off. A deafening crash alerted the entire room as a body slammed through the front door. A clap of thunder intensified the noise, as rain and debris flew into the house. Ailita caught the dead weight in her arms. The Washington family screamed.

"Sam! Shit!" She screamed as she checked his body for wounds. His body was riddled with numerous gashes. She set him down in the corner away from the hole in the wall and tried to stop the bleeding. Raven drew out her pistol and a combat knife. As she looked on outside, a glowing pair of amber eyes caught her attention. Sam weakly opened his eyes, his sopping wet red hair clinging to the sides of his face. Ailita noticed his breathing slowing down dramatically.

"Dammit Sam. Don't die! Sam? Sam..." His blue eyes faded into nothing. "Shit! Lita, we gotta go!" Raven called out but then cried out. Ailita snapped her head up when the little girl behind the taller reploid teen screamed out, "A WOLF!"

Raven was being held by her throat two feet off of the ground by Wolfen, a member in their syndicate. He had a cloak that was similar to the one that Raven and Ailita were wearing. Why was he here? What exactly was he doing? Raven's hood blew off of her head, revealing her raven black hair. She clutched at his arm fruitlessly, trying to break his grip on her neck. "Enngh! What are you doing here...Wolfen?" She choked out. He pulled back his black lips and bared his teeth.

"Couple reasons, actually. For starters, I really don't trust you bounty hunters, even though you hold the respect of the Boss. Secondly, I'm here to clean up the mess you guys made. Capturing Brian Washington! What were you fools thinking?" He said as he smirked. Ailita stood up now.

"Wolfen, you're the one whose gave us the heads up on him!" She shouted crossly as she drew a knife from under her cloak. She looked over at Adam and his family who were huddled up in a corner before diverting it back towards Wolfen. He was laughing loudly. "It's not my fault if you don't dip your foot in the water before jumping in!" A loud clap of thunder filled the air as the rain outside turned into a small monsoon. Suddenly, Raven drew her pistol and aimed it at Wolfen's head. Right when she pulled the trigger, Wolfen snapped his head to the left, avoiding a bullet. He grabbed her pistol hand and bent it forcefully back, causing her to cry out and drop the gun.

"Bitch." Was all he muttered as he tightened his already vice-like grip on her neck. A sickening crack emanated from her neck as her body went limp. Wolfen proceeded to throw her into the darkness of the storm. Now he turned his gaze to Ailita. She rushed forward with amazing speed and threw a punch at his chest. He was expecting her to attack with the knife, so he failed to dodge the fist. She continued to bluff him with knife feints and kicks and punches. After she had him outside the hole, he swiftly took a swipe at her face, connecting and sending blood flying onto the wall. She jumped and spin kicked him in the face. She turned to face the family huddled in the corner. "Run! Get outta here!" Her hood had been torn to shreds from Wolfen's claws, releasing her long brown hair. She looked at them with her florescent gray eyes. Three cuts streaked across her face, letting blood flow freely down her left cheek. She looked back over at Sam's lifeless body. Tears started to form in her eyes.

"Dad, I think we should leave! Or call for help, something!" The teenage reploid asked his human father. Adam looked around for the phone. Not seeing it, he stood up and walked over to the couch, searching for the phone. The rest of the group got up and looked as well. The little girl went over towards the stairs.

"Daddy! I found it!" She picked up the phone and ran over to Adam. Time seemed to slow down as a foreboding clanking sound hit the floor. The teen was the first to hear it, being a reploid. He looked at the grenade that hit the floor with fear. Rushing forward, he grabbed his younger sister and shielded her from the inevitable blast. He squinted his eyes as he waited for the explosion, but an odd popping sound took place of the explosion. "Oh my god! Adam what is that?" Elena cried out as the grenade split into many smaller pods, which stuck to the walls and ceiling. Stryke's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. A bright flash illuminated the room, as hot searing fire filled the area with pain.

Before that...

Wolfen slashed repeatedly at the brown haired girl. She did her best to duck and dodge each one. He stopped momentarily. The rain was pouring in torrents, and thunder rolled across the skies. It was too dark to fight. He ducked down and turned back towards the hole in the house. Drawing out a grenade, he crept towards the house. When he was within range, he stood up and threw the grenade into the house. As soon as the grenade left his hand, the area lit up and showed Ailita jumping at him with her knife drawn. Her eyes followed the grenade as it flew through the air. She dug the rounded tip of the knife under his left eye. He yelped as she rolled on the ground and kicked him back towards the house. A moment later, the house exploded and sent both Wolfen and Ailita hurtling back away from it.

Ailita recovered first and looked up at the house. The flames washed out from the rain almost as soon as they ignited. Falling on her knees, Ailita began weeping. Sam and Raven had been taken from her. Her father had been taken from her. The syndicate betrayed her. She had nowhere to go. She heard a voice. Looking up, she heard Wolfen mutter some words with his hand up to his ear. Then he shouted at her.

"They're coming for you! And if they don't kill you, I will make sure that you die!" She stood up and looked at him with empty eyes. "You had better start running, girl!" And run she did. Sticking around would be suicide, seeing as how the syndicate did not tolerate failure. She no choice but to run, for her will to live was enormous.

So there she was, running in the dark alley through the rainstorm. Left with nowhere to turn.

Zero was staring in shock. He didn't know much about Leyna's past, what she had done before the Hunters. She was leaning on the rail, her shoulders heaving. She was crying. He walked over behind her and draped his arms around her. "...I'm sorry, Leyna. I...wasn't expecting..." Zero struggled for the right words, but couldn't find them.

"After Ailita stopped running, she saw remembered what her father told her. He told her that a long time ago, he used to be in the Hunters, but had to quit when he came down with a serious illness. Back when humans could still enlist in the Hunters. She decided that that's where she needed to go. She needed to join the Maverick Hunters. But her appearance would prevent her from getting too far. She changed her eye color to blue, cut her hair shorter and dyed it purple. She also left her name behind. That's the day that Ailita died in body, and Leyna Strider was born."

She turned around and looked at Zero, her eyes shifting between blue and gray. He looked down at her, somehow sharing her pain. "So, no one knows but you and me..." She hugged him tightly and began crying into his chest. He pulled her closer to him and rustled her hair with his hand. He stared into the snowy sky.

"(I'm sorry, Iris. She needs my attention a bit more right now.)" He thought as he looked down at the sorrowful girl. "Zero?" Leyna looked up at him with tear filled eyes, but her voice was calm and un-shaky.

"Hmm?"

"Let's go back. Let's go home." She gave him a smile. He returned her smile with one of his own. "Yeah. Sounds good!"

"You wanna drive?" Zero gave her his trademark wide-eared grin. "You know it!" They made their way over to the car and drove off, leaving behind grim sorrows and looking forward to the future.

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Unknown
Time:
Unknown

Epsilon floated around in what felt like air. What had just happened? Where was he? Did he die? No, he was never truly alive in the first place. So, what was he experiencing? Suddenly, he felt himself laying on something. There was a presence with him.

"So. You were not able to initialize Eden. You were not able to eliminate the Carbons?" Epsilon realized were he was now and who was speaking to him. "You have failed to complete your mission, Epsilon."

"...I'm sorry Mother Zero..."

"But perhaps...It was too early to initiate the program. It needs to be revised. And you will participate in another mission as well. Until then, we will watch what happens next."

"Mother Zero, what will happen next?"

"Patience, Epsilon. Sebastian Weil has just been born..."

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The End?

And, Voila! I give to you, the last and final chapter of Paradise Never. If you have any questions, post 'em! So, uh, what did you think? This is the longest chapter I have ever written. 7,743 words and counting! A milestone for me. I would like to thank all of my reviewers for taking their time to read this installment. You have all been a big help, whether you realize it or now. Now, I just have to 'fix' Birth of a Demon. Think of it as a prologue to Paradise Never. It explains the background of some of the more mysterious characters. Like Raydia. And...I lied. Remember when I told you that Scar and Rayne didn't disappear? I completely forgot about them until now. Heh heh. They will be in the next sequel to Paradise Never, which will be about what happens when the Elf Wars start up. Soooooooooooooo...

Till next time!