"Zero!" shouted Axl in exhilaration, suddenly grabbing the crimson Reploid in an embrace. "You're really here! I can't believe it..." His eyes seemed to dance with laughter only a child can display, and for the first time in a long time, he managed a smile. If he were to die, his last moment on Earth would have been a cheerful one. With this thought, he blinked, questions forming in his mind. Feeling a sense of trust with Zero, he blurted out his question without a second thought.

"Heh, does this mean I'm dead? I mean, what are the odds of me meeting you like this?" Axl watched him closely, impatiently awaiting a gesture, a change of expression, or a simple answer. When none came, he prodded Zero, like a puppy would to it's mother. "...Well? You could at least say something."

"No, kid, you aren't dead. Just consider yourself very lucky." Zero steadied the young Reploid, pulling out of his grasp. "What were you doing out here anyways? Surely you knew there was danger, why did you get in the middle of it?" His tone was kept at a soft level, so as not to give the impression that he was angry with Axl.

"..Um.." Axl struggled to remain standing, his body becoming weaker with the continuing loss of blood. However, he refused to show himself as weak or pathetic, especially in the eyes of someone he'd worshipped for so long. "I can explain everything, but...You gotta promise me something, Zero." He grasped his abdomen area, in attempt to conceal the wound itself, at least for the time being. Luckily, Zero took no notice of it just yet, being more concerned with the request he was just given.

"Well, I suppose that would depend on the promise." stated Zero, his eyes level with Axl's. "I'm not going to do anything insane, just so you know." Seeing that Axl's determined disposition had not changed after he spoke, he felt whatever it was, it had to be important.

"You have to promise that you won't get mad at me, Zero. I know I've done a lot of bad stuff, but you can't be mad at me. Please, don't hate me for what I've done..." Axl's visionaries drifted to the blood tainted groundwork beneath them, shame written clearly over his face. "Everyone says I'm a traitor, or a murderer, or I won't amount to anything. I...I can't take it..." He swallowed his tears, trying to remain strong even as he poured his heart out to Zero.

"If you hate me for asking, then I can't tell you. Then you'll just hate me even more, and..." He trailed off, fighting off his anguish.

"You listen to me. I know what it feels like to be judged," Zero said sympathetically. "I doubt you've done anything as bad as you think. Sometimes the will of fate is cruel, and people say and do things they don't mean. Kid, I've done things I'll regret for the rest of my life, but it does no good to keep it all inside." His voiced seemed to venture elsewhere, recalling the horrific past of his own.

After a short pause, Zero returned from his daze, and spoke again. "Someone once taught me, that everyone deserves a second chance. I was given one, and I believe it's only fair that the rest of the world does the same for you. And if it means so much to you, I promise I won't be mad at you."

Axl remained facing down, stunned by the reaction he was given. If Zero spoke truly, the two weren't that different. Although Zero could not see it, a smile had again taken it's rightful place on his expressions. The past replayed in his mind, and the cruelty of the words spoken by his once loving father echoed perfectly in his memory. He shuddered, but was beginning to muster up the courage to confess. Finally, his eyes met with Zero's once more, bringing him a warm sense of comfort. He drew in a breath, in preparation to tell his tale.

"I was a member of the bounty hunter group, the Red Alert Syndicate. You've probably heard of it, I think they were supposed to replace you." He watched to see if anger would arise in Zero, but his face remained emotionless.

"Anyway, I used to be one of the key members. My fathe..." Axl began to choke with these words, but shook them off. Red could not be his father. "No...Red; he used to take me on a lot of the missions, because he told me I was special. The reason for that, is 'cause I can copy the shape and abilities of Reploids, by using their DNA data. I understand if you don't belie-"

Zero twitched in surprise. "You can do what!" He blinked a few times in disbelief, and shook his head as if he had been hearing things. "Where..How did you learn to do something like that?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to one side.

"Hey, you said you'd listen to me." Axl crossed his arms, a look of frustration passing to his features. "You're supposed to let me finish my story." He flinched, noticing he had removed the pressure from his stomach area. Zero's eyes focused now on the dark crimson blood that spilled from the injury, and put his hand on Axl's shoulder. His heart began to sink with guilt, hating himself for not noticing the younger one was hurt sooner.

"I know, and I promise will listen to you. Let me just get you back to the Hunter Base. They can help you." his eyes never once left the gash, surprised to see that he had not yet passed out. "You want me to call them to come get you?"

"I got this far, didn't I? I can make it on my own." Axl slapped himself mentally. He couldn't make it, he was just trying to impress Zero, and he knew it. If there was anything he ever learned at Red Alert, it was to not show yourself as pathetic. It always came with consequences. Unbeknowst to him, however, this time was an exception.

"You're lies are not very convincing, you know." muttered Zero, watching as Axl grew more ashamed of himself. "Maybe I could teach you sometime," he smirked, knowing that lying was not something usually encouraged. "But for now, just let me help you."

"Okay, fine, but don't call anybody. It's bad enough you gotta see me like this." Axl was becoming lightheaded, and he had begun to sway on his feet. He struggled with himself, and he desperately tried to remain strong. These efforts were to no avail, as he collapsed onto the ground very suddenly.

"They're going to see you anyway.." Zero mumbled, "But, it's all right. You've done good so far... And if you die on me, I'll never be able to teach you the art of lying." He grinned, gently kneeling down to pick the unconscious Reploid up off the ground. He noticed Axl's face had adopted a look of tranquility, almost as if his troubles had left him entirely.

"Don't worry," he whispered, "Soon, everything will be alright. I've made it through hard times, and you can, too. Trust me."

-

Thanks to all of you that reviewed, it means a lot to me. :D

I also should apologize for any confusion the revisions have caused. You may or may not have noticed the Chapters moving around, because I changed the contents of Chapter 2, moving the rest of the chapters up one. Sorry, everyone. x.x;