When the cat met...
Chapter 02
...X term...
A legendary blue Hunter walked quietly along the steel corridor of the huge HHQ building. He tried to concentrate with his red friend's sonar signal. He knew the blond Hunter let him get his track.
"X!!" X jumped and turned around to face a younger black reploid.
"What do you want, Axl?" X stared at the boy, waiting for the reason. He didn't mean to be rude but he couldn't help himself.
"Ur……Um……" Axl's quite nervous with X's cold voice.
The older Hunter noticed his nervousness but he couldn't change his own feeling. He knew it's wrong to dislike and judged someone without any reasons but he still couldn't stop himself. He'd be happy that the boy stayed here after the Red Alert incident and was stated as a Maverick Hunter for supporting him and Zero. Maybe, the one he didn't really like wasn't himself. He felt sorry and was guilty that Axl had to be disliked for what he didn't do.
No, he perfectly knew the reason but he just didn't want to accept it. Axl was like his past self. And, he didn't like that fact at all. It reminded him what he never could be, again since he had gone through the uncountable wars. His pure heart already had been destroyed and crushed since the first time he killed. Though, it's the right thing to do, it still was cruel.
He had to admit that neither he nor Axl could change. The gunner didn't ever have any reason to do. That's why he had to give some credit for his patience. The young one still could stand his coolness, though he didn't have to. Why? Whatever his reason was, he had to thank him for that. He really hoped that he could pat the boy's head and smile warmly like Zero. But, he still couldn't, though he tried so hard. He started to hate himself for that. He stopped thinking when Axl talked to him.
"Ur…Alia wanted to see you and Zero. We have to go out for some research."
"Research what? That mission again?" X said with slight anger with the last part. The said mission had made Zero disappear yesterday, after all.
"No, it's not. This is a new one. There was something happened, last night. Someone found an unknown destroyed Maverick in the alley."
"I think I don't have to find Alia. You already have told me everything. So, let's get Zero."
"You know where he is?" Axl's embarrassed with X's comment and smiled dryly.
"Hay! Wait up! "
Axl didn't mind that X just turned around and walked away without a single word and ran after him. Though, the older hunter was cold to him, he still was his comrade. Somehow, he felt like he couldn't hate this cold and hard blue Hunter. He might respect him like he did to Zero?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Something was banged loudly and the two Hunters jumped back from the crushed wall. X suddenly dashed in the thick smoke when he saw a flash of red armor.
Before he could reach Zero, his body disappeared. It's useless to find his hiding friend, so he turned to track his sonar signal. Axl's pistols yanked him to turn to the shooting sound.
"Axl!! Where're you? Alia! There's Maverick on the 96 Gm Point, the north building."
X called Axl and connected to one of navigators through an intercom in his blue and white helmet.
……OK, I got the signal you have sent. Try to clear everything carefully and don't destroy anything too much. I'll send help to you guys as soon as possible…… She answered back quickly.
X's slightly angry with the answer and the security of the building. They should be the first ones who knew about the Maverick. Here's the Hunter Head Quarter, after all.
"X! Help or do something, will ya!?" Axl shouted and shot the strange black Maverick with his favorite pistols in each of hand.
Can't this kid do anything himself?
X thought irritatingly. He turned to concentrate on Axl's sonar signal. He charged the energy in his buster and shot through the cloud to rescue the boy just in time. The Maverick suddenly backed away and used invincible mode.
"Are you alright?" X asked with concern deep in his heart, though he unconsciously said stoically while helping the other up.
"Be careful kid. I can't help you every time, so watch yourself. We've enemy to handle and Zero to find."
X didn't bother that he'd hurt the kid or not as he didn't have time to care. Maverick still was invisible somewhere around them.
"Watch out!!!"
They heard but weren't fast enough to even know what. Something just pushed them away very fluently. X slammed hard on the wall and dropped lying on his stomach on the ground. His eyes widened with a flash of red spraying liquid and the long blond lines.
Axl had seen the same things in front of him before the weight of something or someone slammed on him. He fell down on his back on the ground. His face was pale with the sight of his lifesaver. Something wet touched his face. His shaking hand gently touched the liquid and looked what it's. He's regret to know it's the red crimson fresh oil blood. His body started to shake and eyes warily looked down at the soft spreading long blond hair on his body. The blood painted the end of his lifesaver's hair as it flew out of the three gashes on his back.
"Zero!!" X and Axl shouted in unison.
"Go and…get that bastard…and you…. Help them or do something, will ya!?"
A small voice was heard and the owner of the voice moved out off Zero's hair. The sight of red cat shocked them. They didn't have time to ask Zero about it and went to get the Maverick.
Surprisingly, the cat easily killed their insane reploid with only its amazing speed and the most deadly claw they'd ever seen.
Meow…
The cat just ignored them and secretly thought they're idiot. It's really that hard to believe it's a cat that helped them? Why they had to be shock with something like this. They knew it's a reploid, right? It thought and jumped down from Maverick's black metal piece. It walked to sit on the fallen red Hunter's stomach.
X snapped out of his shock as his eyes followed the red cat to his friend. He rushed to kneel besides his friend and left Axl to explain everything to Alia and the rescued team who just had arrived and managed with the pieces of Maverick. He's guilty when he looked at Zero's emerald eyes. He carefully picked his friend up and let his head leaned on his chest.
"Damn that bastard. Are you alright, X?" Zero hissed with his painful back. He closed his eyes but still smirked. "Whatta 'bout that kiddo?"
"He's just fine."
He said softly. His smile didn't reach his eyes. Zero just didn't say anything and whispered quietly as he understood.
"C'mon, X. That's an accident. I just did what I had to. Axl's our comrade. Don't act as if this never happens before. You did know yourself, hn? How many times I have to save your ass, so don't blame that kid, X."
"And I have every right to be angry, worry, guilty…..and hurt, too."
"At least, don't blame yourself." Zero's said just that and fell asleep as he's too tired to stay awake.
The blue hunter just nodded, though he still couldn't do that. It's true that Zero had helped him several times and Zero still walked beside him. He couldn't smile for that. Who could? He hoped it should be him who fell down like that. Why it always was Zero. Why it wasn't him who died, so Zero wouldn't have to scarify his life for him, anymore. It'd be better if he gave up his life and never come back, again? So, Zero could live happily and peacefully. But he did know Zero wouldn't accept that and surely went out to find him.
His painful blue eyes stared silently at Zero's sleeping face before he turned to look straight. He bitterly smile for the last part of his thought. He didn't mind the little cat that jumped on his shoulder and stared at his friend. He looked surprisingly when Zero opened his eyes and started to chat with it. So, his friend didn't sleep as he thought. He's more surprised with himself that he could read their words from their moving mouth.
Why don't you do that first, damn stupid cat!!
Zero gritted his teeth and looked angrily at the cat.
And why I have to bother? There're two weak Hunters, loser.
The little cat just turned away and titled its face up.
Hey!! What's wrong with saving my comrades? At least, I could rescue someone and do something. Zero snapped back.
And being kicked down like this? Don't make me laugh, weak boy.
If you could see it laugh or smirk, X and Zero would see it did.
X suddenly felt very angry with that remark but he said nothing. His anger was subsided with amusement sight of Zero and the cat. He saw they're surprisingly alike and he didn't know why. He just knew that they surely didn't kill each other.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The corridor of HHQ building
X carefully walked in the medical room. Everything's very quiet and cooler than the outsides. And it's a good thing for the machines like him. He turned to look around but didn't see even a Lifesever. He just shrugged and walked past the table bed that was full with the black Maverick's pieces. He stopped in front a laying capsule in the middle of the room. It's bright with green liquid.
"I know you're there. Come out." X said without turning to the little figure that walked quietly out to sit on the metal table, at the other side of the capsule.
He touched the glass of the capsule and it opened. He placed his friend in the capsule and closed the capsule. He looked blankly at his friend's calm face. The red Hunter was looked like he's sleeping peacefully and he's quite afraid that his friend wouldn't weak up again.
"Who're you, little cat?" X asked while he's looking at his sleeping friend. He's really surprised to get three bloody scratches on his cheek for his answer.
"S…Sorry, sir. I won't call you that again." X apologized and kneeled down to cub his painful cheek. He didn't miss the lit……cat's sight that said Good and carefully remember that.
X stood up and turned to look at his fallen friend, again. The red cat did know the blue Hunter was still waiting for its answer.
Not yet, kid. You'll be surprised how stupid it was. It thought.
Though, X didn't get an answer, he didn't mind. Right now, he only wanted to see his friend awaked. So, he didn't ask, again. Everything had happened so fast, especially Zero who fell in front of his face. He hoped he didn't feel guilty with what'd happened as Zero had asked. Everything could happen in the fight. If Zero had not helped Axl, he'd have not been like this. Or, it was just him. He wasn't careful more enough to get the Maverick's attack. If he'd been fast enough, Zero'd have not been injure like this. At lease, it'd be him who took the Maverick's deadly claws instead. He shouldn't be angry with Axl. Not at all. He should be angry with himself. But deep down, he couldn't help to be angry and blame the young black hunter. X started to be frustrated with himself, again. And two reploids didn't help him at all.
"Hi. Ur…How's Zero?"
Axl knew it was a stupid question while he already had Lifesaver standing beside him. He really felt uncomfortable and didn't know what to say to X.
"Ask him, not me. He's a Lifesaver." X couldn't help to snap with his smooth voice. His eyes never left Zero's face.
The young reploid felt like the older Hunter would secretly call him damn stupid kid. Yet, he already felt stupid himself, so he quite didn't mind with that unsaid remark. He just scratched the back of his head, smiled and laughed to himself quietly.
X finally turned to face Lifesaver who stood next to him, right now. The medic checked all of Zero's system and program on the computer beside him.
"How's Zero?" X asked with concern.
"Don't worry. The repairing program is running. The damages have been repairing for 70%, right now. He has to be run an examination program for his function after the program finishes." Lifesaver said with smile.
"Thank you, Lifesaver."
"It's nothing. It's not the first time I have to repair this aggressive head, after all. " The older medic joked and pointed at Zero. X's relieved to see his smile.
"Um, when do you really release Zero?" Axl asked. He sat on the edge of metal table behind the two older reploids. The red cat laid on his lap and turned to look as it also wanted to know.
"Tomorrow morning, I guess. But I think Zero won't wait and stay still as always. I'll probably come to release him this night, though it's not my working time."
"That's Zero. Sorry about that." X put his hand on the back of his head and laughed softly. Lifesaver just shrugged.
"Well, it's my job. So, excuse me, I have to work with another case you have brought to me."
"You have not analyzed these pieces yet." Axl asked and pointed his thump to Maverick behind him.
X wasn't surprised why Zero's very annoyed with Axl sometime. This kid was an incredibly curious being like him. But it couldn't help as it's a part of them. The blue hunter was quite surprised that how Zero could stand them both.
"Hey, I really do have to work, now. So, if you two please?"
The Hunters laugh quietly with Lifesaver's childish voice.
"All right. All right. We're out, sir. C'mon you two. Let's get out of here before he injects us with his scary syringe." X said and walked out of the room. Axl followed him and the cat still lay comfortably on his shoulder.
Axl felt uneasily with warm and gentle aura all around X. It turned back to every contrast thing completely. But he still had to say what's in his mind.
"Er…I…I'm really sorry about what was happened to Zero. I know it's unforgivable and……and I should be more careful. But I really--!"
X's stoic voice interrupted him.
"Never mind it. Everything is fine and Zero's fine, now. You could feel hurt and sorrow or even feel sorry within your heart but don't blame yourself. That's what Zero always tells me. I guess you should do that and don't say something nonsense like that, again."
"But…But, I should…."
"So, it'd be Zero you say those words to."
The legendary blue Hunter couldn't help to snap the younger one. He really did know what the young reploid wanted to say next. The pure innocent boy really blamed himself for Zero's injures and he truly felt sorry for that. He's really willing to accept the boy's words but he couldn't stop himself from shutting the boy's mouth. His words just reminded him that Zero's hurt because of him and he only felt guilty more and more.
"He's really hurt in his heart. I can see, though he never shows it to anyone." Axl stopped walking and said to himself quietly after X walked away without a single word.
Meow…The black Hunter turned to the little cat on his shoulder and said gently. "I think you better stay with him." Axl nodded to the direction X had gone. It eyed him as if saying……You're sure that you'll be OK without me?
The little cat jumped down and ran to jump on the blue Hunter's shoulder. It turned to nod to the black Hunter. He waved his hand and smiled before he turned to walk away.
"Thank you, Axl." The blued Hunter sincerely said.
…End X term…
