"I can't believe this." Castus looked up at Maverick Hunter HQ, complete disbelief in his face. Axl laughed, adjusting the backpack on his shoulders.
"I can't believe it either… thank you so much, Axl," Rocco said with a brilliant smile. She was incredibly pleased with her new assignment. It was rare for any reporter to get a chance at Hunter HQ, let alone a freelancer actually staying there. She would have to pass her articles by Signas to make sure she wasn't giving out any sensitive information, but she was more than willing to tolerate that. And she'd insisted on a private room with Castus. Axl grinned again as he remembered that. Castus had been embarrassed when she brought it up with Zero and X, but very pleased. It seemed to really be love.
Modesty was following them tentatively, her eyes wide. Of all of them, she was getting the least out of this change, but she hadn't protested. She trusted them a great deal.
"I'm really rusty… it's been years since I fought," Castus said, worried. Axl sighed.
"Oh, don't worry. They won't put you in a unit right away. We'll both have to go through rookie training… again." Axl looked over at Castus, pained. "This will be the third time for me." Castus arched an eyebrow at him.
"Haven't you been on several missions? I'd heard about it in the news. How could you have been a rookie?" That made no sense.
"Oh, I just kinda went along on the missions anyway," Axl said with an urchin grin. "Zero likes me, so X couldn't get rid of me, and I'm good! But I never officially passed my training. So I'll have to do it again. It'll be a pain, but better with you there." Castus chuckled, and ruffled Axl's hair.
"It'll be better for me with you there, too." Axl's faith in Zero had undergone a dramatic revival, but the red hunter still wouldn't have a lot of time to be with him. Zero had duties that didn't include watching Axl constantly.
Although Zero would probably keep closer tabs now. That made Axl feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Inside Hunter HQ, Modesty looked around curiously, then tugged on Axl's arm. He looked down at her in surprise, and she blushed, then pointed out a mural on the wall.
"That's so pretty," she said softly, and Axl looked at it, surprised. He had been taking the scenery in Hunter HQ for granted for so long, he had stopped noticing the murals in Hunter HQ. There were several very large ones, on different levels. They all paused to examine this one.
"Very restful," Rocco said. "Although a bit too stylized for me." The mural was of a meadow, or a field… very green with many, many flowers. It portrayed a bunch of Reploids and humans playing a game in that field. It was really very charming and very well done. "Those flowers wouldn't last a minute in a real soccer game." Axl laughed. Trust Rocco to be relentlessly practical, even about a work of art.
"I think it's supposed to be X's concept of the perfect world. Elysium, he called it, I think." Castus snorted.
"Paradise? I don't think so. One man's paradise is another's hell… and war is all about who gets to pick." He said sourly, and Axl blinked. He hadn't thought about it like that, but really, it sounded very accurate. Wasn't that true about X and Sigma? They both wanted to pick…
"True, but some visions of paradise have more value than others." They all turned at X's voice, and Axl winced. He hoped Axl wasn't going to dislike Castus just because he was Axl's friend… but that seemed too petty for X. And from the look Castus was giving him, the dislike would be mutual anyway. "Or do you think Sigma's vision is better than this?" X waved at the mural, and Axl winced again. That was an almost insulting question, and it was worse since Castus' had been in Repliforce. He'd had people calling him a Maverick before.
"Of course not," Castus said briskly, giving X an unfriendly look. X flushed lightly, as he mentally reviewed what he had just said and realized how badly it could be taken. "But I would prefer a vision a little less… sugary."
"Well, we can debate that later," X said, trying to gloss over the awkward moment. "I'm here to show you to your rooms, then take you and Axl for combat evaluations."
"Me? Evaluations?" Axl protested. "Not again, X!" That was the last thing in the world he wanted to do. But X surprised him, giving him a friendly grin.
"Not for YOU. But I thought you might like to be around when we put your friend through his paces?" Axl blushed at the gently teasing tone in X's voice, then blinked. X was acting more friendly than he ever had before. Had this whole incident made X reevaluate how he acted towards him?
Even if it had, Axl was still going to be wary around X for a long time. But he nodded. "Sorry X. You're right; I'd like to be there for that." He'd enjoy helping Castus out, and Castus would probably be happier with a friendly face nearby. Modesty listened with wide eyes, as Rocco jotted down a few notes. Axl wondered what exactly she found interesting in the lobby, or this conversation. It was hard for him to see anything interesting about it.
"Just come this way…" X delivered Modesty to the domestic wing first, putting her in the able hands of the director of that section, a motherly human woman. They stayed long enough to see Modesty relax into her able hands, then X took them to the rookie wing. Castus and Rocco got a room right across from Axl's, which was also a new room. Axl regarded it ruefully. He hadn't been expecting his old room back, but it was going to be a little confusing, memorizing a new room number and door code.
Once they had their gear settled, X took them to the practice rooms, with Rocco following, her notebook in hand. Axl finally had to ask.
"What are you writing? None of this is interesting." He asked, curious. Rocco flashed him a grin.
"To you, maybe, but to the outer world Hunter HQ is a mysterious place. All the usual pieces focus on your activities, but I think some lifestyle pieces about what it's actually like to BE a Hunter could be very popular." Rocco tapped her pen against her mouth thoughtfully. "Might drive up recruitment, too." X glanced back at that.
"Well, you can't reveal anything that might let the Mavericks know how this place is set up, but that could be interesting," he said cheerfully. "And we can always use more recruits." The Maverick Hunters were currently a little understrength. Castus looked on the verge of saying something, then held it back. Axl could imagine what he was thinking. If you need recruits, why did you get rid of one of the best ones?
Then another thought occurred to Castus, and he voiced it.
"If you need more recruits, what about the other survivors of Repliforce?" X looked at him, startled, and he shrugged. "Some have turned to crime, or managed to fit into civilian society, but a lot are like me. After we lost our savings, it was hard to-"
"Savings?" X stopped completely, this time, and turned to Castus with a frown. "What are you talking about?"
"Didn't you know?" He frowned. "All our accounts were confiscated. We were thrown out without a penny to our names… those of us who survived." X looked shocked at that.
"I never heard of that! I'll look into it," he said with a frown, and Castus shrugged. "Didn't you complain?"
"Of course I did! I complained to everyone I could think of," Castus said bitterly. "Even the Hunters. Everyone told me to talk to someone else. When I started going in a circle, I gave up."
"Oh…" X was quiet as they walked the rest of the way to the training room. It was the most advanced type, meant for solo practice… a holographic simulator. It was generally reserved for expert Hunters, and Castus looked at it apprehensively. "What level would you like to start at?"
"Ah… level one might be best." That was the most junior of levels, usually only used by Hunters who were injured or exhausted. X frowned, and Axl shook his head with a grin.
"Aw, Castus, have some adventure! If you were a lieutenant, you had to have been better than that!" He coaxed the older Reploid, who winced, but nodded.
"Level 3 or 4 used to be light training. But it's been over three years since I've touched a gun, Axl." Castus rubbed the jewel on his helmet, slightly embarrassed. "I don't know how well I would do at that level anymore."
"Oh, come on Castus! I bet it's like riding a bike. You'll get right back into it. Why not try level 3?" Axl grinned as Castus hesitated, but finally nodded. "Okay X, set it up!" X tapped in the specifications, and Castus readied his weapon, setting it to the lowest level before he stepped inside.
X and Axl casually walked over to the observation window. It was one-way, just like the windows in the rookie practice rooms. No one really appreciated being watched, but commanders always liked to keep track of how their troops were doing. This was a good compromise.
Axl blushed, then covered his face with one hand as X winced. It was embarrassing to watch.
"I guess starting fighting again isn't like getting on a bike…" Axl peeked out at the spectacle, then grimaced. The situation was getting particularly grim, although Castus was still 'alive'. Well, technically.
"Unless you count that time Zero tried going down South Broadway on a unicycle." X said with a grimace. The simulation finally ended, and Castus stumbled out, favoring Axl with a glare.
"I'm never listening to you again." X snickered, and Axl blushed.
"I know, I'm stupid! I'll go commit hari-kiri right away…"
"Actually, Axl, why don't you help him get back up to speed?" X suggested. "Zero and I need to talk to the council about changing your status, and that will take for a while." Axl winced, but nodded… he wasn't even technically a rookie right now. After X's first presentation to the council, it would take some work to get him reaccepted in the Hunters.
But with X and Zero both on his side, there wasn't much doubt of the outcome.
Note: Okay, I think that's about it for this fic. I might eventually make a sequel, though. Have fun!