Author's Notes; Pre-Day of Sigma AU. Shounen Ai. X coaches Zero in the training room. Zero tries out the Absolute armor a little more and gets a taste of human food. Please enjoy.
X and Zero had slept for a total of 2 whole days. Dr. Cain was able to carry on without X, having to put up with phone calls and a few emails. The two woke in the same moment. As Zero yawned, he showed X a mouth of sharp teeth. X found those sharp teeth a little kinky. "Good morning, Zero." Zero slowly closed his mouth with a content sigh. He felt refreshed after their long sleep. "Good morning, little Xavier." X blushed. "I think I have an idea for an experiment and I'd like you to be in that experiment." Zero tilted his head. "What kind of experiment, might I ask?" X blushed more. "We could modify a female reploid of your choice. Then we could see if she gets pregnant from intercourse with you." Zero frowned. "You're asking me to choose a mate and make a family? I hardly think that's rational when I believe I already have one." X was puzzled. "Already have one? What do you mean?" Zero grinned. "I mean, I want you to be my mate." X grew more confused. "But...with your try out, I have to admit, simulated or not, I do fear you a little for going after the humans." Zero gently held X's cheek carefully. "I am programmed to fight, we know this. Though I wasn't programmed to target anything in specific. Just to fight. If you will show me what it is that I'm doing wrong..." X nodded. "Do we need to go back to the training room?" Zero nodded back. "Likely if you want to show me what you want me to do."
X opened the cover of the recharger pod for them. Though before he could get off of Zero's body, Zero's arms held him tight as Zero got up. Dr. Cain smiled when he saw them. "That was some sleep the two of you had." Zero gently set X down on his own two feet. X nodded deeply. "Yeah...What day is it?" "Friday. You were asleep for two days." Dr. Cain answered. X's eyes grew wide. "2 days?" Dr. Cain nodded. "We're stuck here on the 4th floor. The builders are working on a staircase to the 4th floor, the electricians are repairing the elevator, and we have a makeshift elevator outside the window. If you need to go somewhere, you'll have to use that for today. Also, Xavier, I brought you a change of clothes." He pointed to the clothes on the examination table." X smiled. "Thank you, doctor." He picked up the clothes and walked to the bathroom, which had a shower too for any event like this.
When X had locked the bathroom, Dr. Cain looked to Zero. "You could use a wash yourself. Though for now, I guess we could shine your armor and brush your hair." Zero looked puzzled. "Wash?" Dr. Cain picked up a comb and some polish for his armor. "Yes, but I imagine we should have X help you with that." The doctor looked at the blond, spotting tangles in his hair and smudges on his armor. "Let's get to work."
After the brushing, polishing, and X helping him wash up, Zero went with X back to the training room. He just flew X down to an open window on the 3rd floor.
Once in the training room, Zero took a spot, ready to fight. X stood near the simultator controls. "I apologize, but it seems your base armor is more appropriate." Zero grumbled, reverting back to his base armor. X had picked up his clipboard from the bleachers and flipped to a different sheet of paper. "I'm going to use the same three simulations as Commander Sigma used." Zero tilted his head. "There are conditions in place, correct?" X nodded. "Yes. Those conditions are thus; Do not attack any humans. Do not attack any reploids unless they are acting hostile." Zero nodded. "Noted. If I clear these conditions?" X grinned. "Then we'll try a second go using your winged armor. And I'll speak with Dr. Cain about the upgrades to your armor and the sword." Zero grinned at that prospect, keeping the conditions clear in his head.
Zero spotted the angry Maverick as X started the first simulation. The Maverick charged at Zero as before and Zero smirked as before as he charged too. This time, Zero changed his right arm to a Buster, charging it up as he ran. Just as the Maverick was within range of grabbing Zero, Zero released a full charged Buster shot on the Maverick, vaporizing it. X powered down the simulation, jotting something down. "Very good, Zero. Your execution was very crude last time. I think that's what put everyone on edge before." Zero just shrugged. "Sure, next!"
X chuckled, starting the next simulation. "Remember, do not hurt any nonviolent humans or reploids." Zero scrambled past the fleeing humans and reploids and towards the closest fire hydrant. He pulled the fire hydrant out of its mount in the street, opened the valve, and aimed it at one of two burning apartments. He redirected the fire hydrant at the other apartment once the first was out. He shut off the valve before putting the hydrant back in place once the fires were out. X cut off the simulation, clapping a little. "Fantastic, Zero!" Zero felt a little less groggy about having to stay in base armor with X praising him. He spied X writing on his clipboard with a bright look on his face. "Are you ready for the last one? You couldn't land a hit last time. Try to find a weakpoint."
Zero nodded with a grin X wasn't able to see. X started the final simulation once he was done with his clipboard. The mechanoloid stomped towards him. Zero paid no attention to the fleeing people and reploids and dodged the mechanoloid's leg aiming at him. He then jumped on the same leg and ran his way up, dodging the others trying to swat him. The blond crawled on the main body of the mechanoloid, holding on tight as he looked for a weak spot. He found his target, a generator, as he clamped himself down on the mechanoloid as it tried to shake him off. Zero edged his way closer to the generator and with only a fist, took it out. He jumped away just in time for it to short and collapse.
The blond stood still, panting deeply with closed eyes as X shut off the simulator. X walked to Zero with a smile on his face. He gently pet Zero's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Zero. You can have a rest if you want." Zero's eyes opened and looked at X. X smiled at Zero. "You would make a good, no a great Hunter with what you've displayed." Zero snorted, nuzzling X and gently pushing him towards the lowest level of the bleachers. "I don't care about that. I just wanted to alleviate that fear of yours.." X found himself on the lowest level of bleachers. "What? But..Sigma wanted you to be a Hunter..that's why he tried you out." Zero sat down beside X on the bleachers. "I don't care about him or what he wants. Have you considered what I want, little Xavier?" X blushed. "You wanted me to be your mate. And you wanted to help get rid of the fear of you that I had." Zero nodded, looking at X with half lidded eyes. "Exactly. Are you still scared? I don't want you to be afraid of me." X blushed more. "Well, I do admit, I feel a little less nervous about you. But, if you want to completely alleviate me, you can try those simulations with that flying armor. I think the data said it was called Absolute Zero. I'll call Dr. Cain and discuss your upgrades and weapon." Zero pressed his own head crystal, activating his Absolute armor. "Don't worry about the upgrades, Xavier. I just want the sword. And this." He nuzzled X's chest gently. X smiled, sliding a hand under one of Zero's cheek guards. "I think you're on your way to earning that." Zero purred a little, snuggling X's hand before standing and pulling X up with him.
They hadn't noticed that two other reploids were now on the bleachers and a third lingered by the training room entrance. Zero got into position and X turned on the first simulation when Zero looked ready. The blond let the angry simulated Maverick come closer this time, teasing him with a smirk and gesturing with one demonic finger. As soon as the Maverick was on Zero's spot, Zero seemed to disappear and confused the Maverick. Suddenly claws of ice hit the confused Maverick in the back. When he turned around, the icy claws hit again. When the Maverick looked around for the black android, Zero appeared over him and performed a flip in the air before charging into the Maverick, sending him into a building in the distance. X turned the simulation off, giving Zero a round of applause. "We did see notes of water and ice imbued into that armor. Though, personally, I was expecting fire." Zero chuckled a little as he landed. X turned the dial on the simulator. "Guess you get to test those elements a little more." He switched to the burning building simulations. Zero nodded, taking flight away from the fleeing humans and reploids. Once he was level with the burning floors of the apartment buildings, he leaned his head back and shot a large stream of ice from his mouth. The ice underwent a phase change as it left him. In the middle of the beam, it changed into water, dousing the flames due to the heat. He made sure to douse every ember on both buildings before X turned off the simulation. X grinned as he jotted down some notes on his clipboard. Zero soon spotted the other two reploids. One looked like an eagle and another like a penguin. "Rawk! Don't mind us. We're just spectators." The penguin reploid said. The eagle reploid nodded. "Carry on. We just wanted to see what was going on." X looked up. "Don't attack them, Zero." Zero nodded, groaning a little tiredly. X looked back to Zero. "Hey...you've never looked that tired before. Do you need a break?" Zero shook his head. "No...Its only..one more." X grew concerned. "If you're certain.." He turned on the mechanoloid simulation. Zero wasted no time dodging the mechanoloid's attacking arms and legs. He was much faster than the mechanoloid in flight and was able to quickly able to puncture the mechanoloid's generator with his icy claws. He watched the mechanoloid fall with a thud onto the ground before X turned off the simulator.
The reploid by the door had been creeping towards the bleachers. X hadn't noticed as he jotted down more notes as he went to the bleachers too. The reploid got closer to X and swatted away the clipboard and pen. "Quit your scratching, doc. I want to play a game!" The reploid's armor was purple with a cannon mounted on his right shoulder. X groaned. "Back off, Vile. This isn't the time for your games." Vile backed X into the side wall. "I'm making time." Vile's cannon began charging up. The reploid eagle and penguin got up. "Vile!"
Zero spotted the commotion below and pinned down the purple reploid aggressively. He then bit into the top of the shoulder cannon, pulling the cannon clean off. The reploid's arm went limp, shorting out from where the cannon had been. "What the...? Give me back my cannon!" Zero snarled, turning his head and throwing the detached shoulder cannon right into Vile's face which sent Vile to the floor. The blond soon realized that he had just attacked another reploid and though exhausted, expected a scorning from X. X had picked up his pen and clipboard before dusting himself off. He spotted Zero, avoiding his glance as he touched down. X walked to Zero and pulled Zero into a tight hug. Zero was confused. "I don't understand...I attacked again..You're not scared this time?" X shook his head. "You saw that I was in danger. That's called protecting, Zero. You saved me." He whispered in Zero's earport. 'You deserve a reward for that.'
Storm Eagle and Chill Penguin, the two reploids who had watched the later half of Zero's simulation practicing, informed X and Zero after what they'd seen that they would tell Sigma and Sigma would likely want to talk with Zero later. X grew nervous about Sigma's reaction. Sigma had been very aggressive since his fight with Zero and he would surely be unhappy to know Zero was still hanging around. Zero didn't seem to care. He was too exhausted to care and also distracted by sounds and small pressures in his abdomen.
X walked him out of the training room, hearing the sounds in Zero's abdomen. Zero looked to X. "Why do I..feel so weak..? What are these sounds and pressures..?" X chuckled. "Do you want to know what else we found in your blueprints? A stomach and digestive system, all mechanic, though very human in design. I assume your ice beam wiped out the rest of your energy reserves. Also, you haven't eaten anything since you got here. Any human would be dead from starvation after such a timeframe. Simply put, Zero, like humans, you need energy. You're hungry and from the sounds of it, very hungry." Zero tilted his head. "Well, what am I supposed to eat?" X smiled. "Reploids don't usually eat human food, though they can recreationally. Every human has different tastes, different preferences. We can eat anything, being omnivores."
The two took the makeshift elevator down to the ground floor where Dr. Cain waited. Dr. Cain walked to them once they were off. "Afternoon, boys. I have diagnostic results on our local Maverick. And on Sigma." X got a little tense. "Well? Is anything wrong?" Dr. Cain grinned. "I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" X sighed. "I guess..bad first." Dr. Cain nodded, holding both hands on his cane. "The diagnostics Lifesaver sent me on Sigma suggest he may be abnormal. He's given us a few cues already, I suppose, but Lifesaver has recommended a few extra sets of eyes to keep watch on him." X held his own arm in nervousness. "Commander..." Zero couldn't help but ask. "Then..what's the good news?" Dr. Cain's expression became less serious. "The good news is related to you, Zero. Your results now show no abnormal readings. Though, I did notice that your energy levels are rather low. You're not free from the need to eat, just like a human. Though I'm sure an E Tank would help too." X looked to Zero. "Which do you want to do, Zero? Eat or try an E Tank? It is my and Dr. Cain's lunch hour." Zero didn't hesitate this time. "I want to eat." Dr. Cain grinned. "You're in luck then. We've agreed to some Asian cusine today. I also noticed in your blueprints that you have a preference for meat and the place we're going has plenty of fish." Zero drooled a little at the thought. "Then..if you would allow it.." X stopped him. "You're coming with us, Zero. We need to get you plenty of energy." Zero smirked a little, but weakly. "Take me there..master.."
At the local Asian restaurant, the three were accomodated with glasses of tea while trying to decide their orders from the menus. Zero's interest held on sushi and sashimi. X's interest was on the ramen section and Dr. Cain settled with soup. A short while after ordering, each of them were enjoying themselves. X contently slurped a few times while eating ramen. Zero ate his sushi and sashimi fast, wasting little time to order more. Dr. Cain was enjoying his miso soup. He knew he was in for a big bill with Zero along and eating alot already, but he didn't mind since Zero's behavior wasn't but so Maverick-esque anymore.