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A heartbreaking silence enveloped the damaged chamber, while countless pairs of eyes focused on the female Navigator. She felt insecurity form within her mind, and she was almost positive that there was a spotlight of some sort, just directed solely at her. Alia's normally cheerful face was marked with an even mixture of concern, discomfort, and the most apparent, fear. That emotion itself had spread like an epidemic; everyone had experienced the torment of terror, and therefore could easily relate to and comprehend Alia's circumstance. Whether or not they chose to, however, was a different story.

"X, I...I just don't know if I can..." she stuttered, stumbling over her speech. It was obvious she was at a complete loss for words. "..I don't specialize in this field of operation. What if I do something wrong, or perform malpractice that could endager his life further? Why don't you just get Lifesaver to-"

"Alia, you shouldn't worry so much about what you think you can't do," cut in X. "Just concentrate on the abilities you do have. Besides, you know as well as I do, Lifesaver isn't with us." His blood froze at the sound of those words; he had never thought much of it prior to this mention of it, but Lifesaver had not been present. Nor had he been located on X's short scan of the area. He could only pray that the medical Reploid had found another safe haven to take cover in.

"If I find him, I'll be glad to have him help you. I just don't have the time to search for something that might not even be there. You've had at least a half a year of training, but you've just never been given the opportunity to test your skills and knowledge. Why not start here?"

X's gaze shifted over to the tortured youth's motionless figure; from X's point of view, Axl resembled an abused infant, snuggling up to it's parent for warmth and comfort. The child's countenance was ultimately marked with the look of a beaten, neglected animal, that had been abandoned on the coldest night of the year. If Axl had told X of his past experiences, the heroic Reploid would have realized this comparison was not far from the truth.

Meanwhile, The other Hunters whispered amongst themselves, a few of them in perfect understanding and agreement with X, and most of the others believing that even the notions of Alia's 'skill' was insane. This whispering intensified as time slowly progressed, turning into shouts and shrieks of protest. Some of the Hunters were even laughing at the idea of Alia working in a field other than navigation. A look of determination then passed across Zero's facial features, as he drew himself to full height. The sound of his voice reverberated throughout the confined space, and had succeeded in catching the attention of each Reploid present.

"Look, if you're all just going to sit back, put down Alia's confidence, and watch this going on..Then you're going to be just as responsible for the kid's death as the attacker! Do you really want the guilt of murder on your conscious for the rest of your life?"

Just as Zero had anticipated, the exchange of words had subsided. Nobody dared to make even the slightest movement, since those that knew Zero, also knew of his infamous temper. Each and every soul within a ten-foot radius of the frustrated Hunter feared for their existence at the moment; everyone, except a single brave Reploid.

He had been one of the Reploids in need of rescue back at the Lava Factory; during that time, he had appeared someone with a very shy, reserved, and aloof disposition. Now, however, that had all changed without any warning or explanation. He had become courageous, willing to challenge those who were considered far superior to him...And he had also become very, very unwise.

"Oh, come now. The guilt of murder? Were we the ones who sliced his face open with glass? Did we stab him with a surgical knife?" he retorted, his voice dripping with an inexplicable and fiery malignance. "I refuse to be wrongfully blamed. For all we know, he did it to himself. There's a rumor going around that Axl's just a suicidal runaway. That kid's crazy."

If the chamber had not been completely silent earlier, the sudden look of shock that passed the others' expression would have possessed more emphasis. Many thoughts had begun to take shape within the mindset of each individual, but nobody had the courage to say so as much as Zero, himself, did.

"No. Nobody has directly done anything. Yet, if you just keep standing there, watching a life slip away, what makes you different from a killer? I know better than any one of you...You don't want to be faced with that..." Zero's voice had grown fainter with every word, before he had finally broken off.

His emotions were getting the best of him again. For a long time now, even the smallest things, such as the sight of a female Reploid that just vaguely resembled her, caused Zero to relive that same horrific day. The teenage Reploid's limp body was positioned in the same way his former love had been, and the circumstance was very much the same; this caused Iris's final words repeatedly echoed through his mind, while every devastating memory was brought back to him. Although it went un-noticed, Zero's sapphire tinted optics had adopted a distant, longing, and tormented appearance.

While Zero became victim of a daze, X had continued to watch Alia, and he quickly took observance of her advancement. She had gradually forced her way through the vast sea of Hunters, until she had found herself standing parallel to the azure Reploid. Not once did she look up, which made the fact very clear; she was still unconfident in her own ability, and the words of others had not helped her self-esteem. Although, the Navigator knew what she had to do, she felt as if she had no support from anyone. Was it abnormal to feel insecure in a predicament such as this?

"You should all be ashamed," snapped X, his eyes moving from Alia to the crowd. "Everything that Zero said was true. Alia's going to do something about it, which is more than you can say for yourselves. Oh, and, as for Rovin..."

X's voice was tinged with a harsh malevolence, and his gaze focused solely on the Reploid who had opposed Zero's words earlier. Naturally, the cerulean Hunter could not help but feel aggrivation toward Rovin; Of course, X had said Axl's behavior had implied he wished to take his own life. However, by no means could he be given the label of 'crazy.' That was cruelty the young Reploid did not deserve.

"'That kid's crazy,' is not quite the phrase you're looking for. Try 'That kid's screaming for help,' and you just might be a little more accurate."

With this final statement, X made a quick gesture towards the entrace; Alia took her leave first, and was followed by the irritated X. Zero stayed behind for a second, before bitterly narrowing his eyes at Rovin, and administering him a nasty glare. How could this Reploid, who had just been rescued shortly after the mission was assigned, possibly know anything about what was going on? The scarlet Reploid glanced down at Axl's right arm for a brief moment, just to confirm the fact he had pulled out the small tool that had once been embedded within it.

It was true; there was no trace of the precision knife, other than the bloody welt on the youth's arm. Why then, did Rovin know about it ever being there to begin with? Only an experienced expert in medical occupations could possibly identify this, and Zero was pretty certain, that this was not the case for the rescued Reploid. At this time, however, he had too many different emotions and muses running through his mind. He was incapable of organizing them, so instead, he simply departed from the chamber.

'Yes, you just turn around and leave. You're wasting your time and energy on that child. Fixing all the little cuts will do you no good, if you don't get rid of the source.'

Rovin's synthetic lips curled into an arrogant smirk, as soon as he was positive that all danger had been removed from the area. He always knew Hunters were quick to trust those in need. X had always been known for his sympathetic attitude, and his understanding personality towards everyone. Therefore, it was impossible for the soft-hearted Hunter to ignore a desperate for help; it did not matter who the victim was.

And this compassionate heart was the very cause of these further troubles.

Rovin is an actual rescuable Reploid at the Lava Factory; and he had the least common name, so I used it.

Okies; most of you who reviewed hate Lyza. Actually, scratch that, I think all of you hate her guts. Y'know, she didn't really achieve anything, though. Unless she considers making herself one of the most hated things in existence an achievement, in which case, she should feel VERY accomplished! Despite that, I just wanted to thank everyone, not just for getting back at her, but for supporting me all the way. Instead of yelling at her now, we can just laugh. Or use her as a vent for anger. Don't get mad, blame Lyza!

I can summarize her in one simple phrase:

"Someone's got their panties in a knot." OoO. Means she has lots of anger issues.

To the Infamous Lyza:

Like I said, you have attitude problems. They have help for that. We just call it 'Anger Management Classes.' You should go take some! Or, you can go on living the way you are. If you do, send me a pretty postcard from hell or something. (:

WARNING: Getting help may cause you to actually get friends. A common side effect of this is excessive smiling or happiness.