AN: Sorry for the wait. Had exams, plus this is a fairly long one, so it took me a while. More things happen!

Thanks to Vox for editing ^^

CHAPTER THREE

"This is bullshit!"

Axl shot upwards, slamming a fist on the boardroom's round table.

Deep beneath the Earth's surface in the Resistance bunker, Commander Ciel and her most trusted soldiers watched a live broadcast of X parading Zero before the Neo Arcadian people. The force of Axl's fist coming down rattled the room, knocking over empty glasses and making his fellow board members startle, though Ciel remained still as she watched the broadcast with unfaltering attention.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing, this-" Axl clenched his fists until they shook as he grasped for words, so caught up with his own fury. "This is fucking bullshit! Fucking bullshit!"

Before he could punch a hole through the television, Craft grabbed a hold of him and wrestled him back.

"I know, I know- just calm down," Craft assured through Axl's outburst, the low rumble of his voice soothing as he lifted him off the ground to mitigate collateral damage. "I know it's bullshit, Axl."

"How am I supposed to calm down?! Look at him! Look at Zero! That fucking bastard has him in a collar! I'm gonna fucking rip his head off!" Axl continued to yell and thrash, though he hardly made an impact on the much larger reploid's grip on him. The other Resistance members slowly inched away from the enraged copybot, gingerly sitting back down while Craft struggled to incapacitate Axl. "Fuck! I should've gone with Colbor, I should've stopped X! Fucking bullshit!"

"I know. I hate it as much as you do, Axl, but have some perspective here," Craft insisted. "What do you think we can do about it right now? Realistically."

Axl was beginning to tire, feeling the hopelessness of it all sinking back in in lieu of unbridled anger. He sighed, putting a halt to his outrage and letting himself relax, at which Craft set him back down on the ground. "I… I don't know," Axl admitted. Ciel chewed the back of her pen anxiously.

"None of us do," the cyborg added, swivelling around in her chair to face Axl. "As much as I hate it, it's out of our hands now. We just have to focus on other endeavours for the time being."

Developing novel energy sources for a solution to the ongoing energy crisis was on top of her agenda, for one. Unfortunately, Ciel knew very well that killing X and abolishing the regime of Neo Arcadia was on top of Axl's. Defeated, Axl collapsed back down on his chair, its backrest buckling with the reploid's weight.

"I just… can't stomach it," Axl went on, slouching over. "X… X is a monster. He's-he's a murderer! A dictator! H-how can Zero bring himself to be okay with that?!"

Craft offered a reassuring hand on Axl's shoulder. Cerveau tucked his chair back in and crossed his arms. "Zero probably doesn't know what X is doing to his own people at this point," the techie reasoned. "He's just woken up after a hundred years from an off-grid hibernation. Honestly, he doesn't even really know where he is. We just have to be patient. It's far too early to say anything."

A red-headed human woman leaning on the far wall merely huffed a laugh at such an optimistic statement. "As if X will ever let Zero know the truth," Neige snapped in a low, snide voice. "There's no doubt in my mind he'll control what Zero does and doesn't know. Who else can Zero believe, anyway?"

Axl knew it to be true- X would do everything in his power to manipulate the truth. It didn't make it hurt any less, and Axl put his head in his hands. "Yeah, I know. I just… hate not knowing what to do."

"So do I," Craft consoled. "But if we give it time, we might be able to do something about it. We just gotta take the chance when it comes up."

"Yeah, might," Axl lamented, wiping his hand over his eyes. "I can't just sit around and wait for an opportunity to come up. I can't waste time like that and let more people die. I have to tell him- Zero. I need to tell him everything. The sooner he knows what X has become, the sooner he can escape and do what needs to be done."

Ciel fiddled with her pen, folding her legs on the table. "Axl, be honest," she began, "how do you think you'd be able to pull that off? I'd wager a guess that Zero will be confined to the inner Neo Arcadia sector. You and I both know that place is crawling with guards that shoot on sight."

"I'll figure it out," Axl huffed.

"You won't make it within three miles of the citadel." Ciel frowned. "Especially alone."

The copybot shrugged it off. "Maybe that's a risk I'm willing to take," Axl murmured. "I just don't want Zero to get hurt."

With a sigh, Ciel set her feet back on the floor and leaned forward on the roundtable. "Me either. None of us do," she reminded, "but this is out of our control."

Though he could deny it for as long as he wanted, Axl knew that Ciel was right. There wasn't much he could do about it that wouldn't end with him dead. All he could do was watch X and Zero united once again on the news broadcast, heart twisting at the thought of being betrayed by the two reploids he once considered loving found-fathers.

Axl refused to give up on the hope that Zero would choose the path of justice over his love for X, even if the chance was slim. It still wasn't too late for him to change, at least.

Clearing her throat, Ciel garnered the attention of her fellow Resistance figureheads, letting the solemn mood lift for a moment. "Well, I know there isn't much I can say to bolster your spirits right now," she admitted, "but we have to move on from this. It sucks and I know that, but… that's just how things go sometimes. We should focus our attention on the other things on our plate anyway. Those Neo Arcadian satellite weapon schematics- does that ring a bell for any of you? Or are we losing sight of the bigger picture here?"

She eyed Neige and Craft. A short, ugly silence followed, and Ciel leaned back in her chair, sighing. "Well, if there's nothing else to say, you're all dismissed." She waved them off. "Go wind down for the night."

The board members uncomfortably exchanged uncertain looks, no one wanting to be the first person to take the liberty to leave. Axl finally sighed and stood, departing the boardroom without a word. Cerveau followed, with Craft and Neige lagging behind. The journalist gave Ciel a small but reassuring smile as a parting gesture and disappeared through sliding doors, leaving Ciel by her lonesome in the meeting room.

With the Neo Arcadian broadcast still running in the background, Ciel let out a long exhale, running her hand through her fringe to soothe her nerves. With little else to do, she grabbed her tablet and went about chipping away at the daily grind of paperwork. Still, Axl's despair would continue to loom over her, even after she lost herself in the endless stream of battle plans and field reports and patrolling schedules.

She drummed her tablet pen against her temple. What was there to do, besides believe in Zero?

Ciel wasn't sure what else could be done about it at that point. She didn't know Zero like Axl did- she hadn't even lived through his era- but somehow, she still found it in her heart to believe in him.

Zero felt a little humiliated to admit it, but he couldn't bring himself to share X's bed that night.

Alone, he wandered the citadel halls, mulling over his thoughts. He had no reason to be so apprehensive, he scolded himself; X was doing what he and Zero always did, exterminating mavericks and keeping the peace. They got dirty, they got violent, and they did things they would rather avoid, but they got the job done as Maverick Hunters. Not only that, but X had gifted him so much for little in return. He had power, he had status, he had a beautiful paradise of a kingdom under his command. Most of all, he had X. He should've been happy.

But despite it all, Zero couldn't get the memory of a blood-soaked X out of his mind. No matter how much he bathed, he couldn't wash the image from his thoughts. A chill crept up his spine as he replayed the words X had said to him that morning.

It was him who taught X that all mavericks had to be eradicated, no questions asked. Zero supposed he wasn't wrong. Still, the burden of responsibility weighed heavy on his psyche. They had been wrong before. Iris came to mind.

Zero groaned and shook his head. I'm overthinking it. X is just doing what must be done. Peace through justice. It's nothing new.

Nothing new, but the reploid X had become undoubtedly was. Proud, nearly arrogant, and overly assured of his convictions... it was a far cry from the person Zero fell in love with.

But I do still love him. I should be happy! X finally has some confidence in himself.

Surely he was just working himself up over nothing. Maybe it was hibernation sickness messing with his processor. It had been too long, after all- his mind was still fragile, more so than it already was. He just needed to find his bearings in the new world X had created.

Through massive arching glass doors, the hallway opened up into a large balcony, with floors carved from white granite and a large pool overlooking the edge. A glass panel replaced the outward wall of the pool, providing an underwater window of Neo Arcadia's skyline, the city's lights twinkling and flickering against the midnight sky. To his periphery were small, neatly kept gardens, rare greenery in the desert world. Petite round bushes, bearing pristine white flowers, grew atop neatly trimmed lawns. Zero sighed, taking the opportunity for a moment of relaxation.

He stepped forward to the pool's edge, dipping the toe of his boot into the turquoise water's surface. Finding it perfectly warm, he sat down and let his legs hang over the edge, submerging them in the water. It was just what Zero needed, the pleasant flow of warm water caressing his body, washing away the tension simmering in his soul.

Even with the comfort of the pool and the gentle rustling of the garden in the soft breeze, Zero couldn't escape his thoughts for long. Even when he closed his eyes, all he could see was X, dripping with the blood of reploids he was supposedly serving as their king.

Zero balled his hands into fists at his sides. Why was he so afraid? No matter how much he tried to hammer it into his own mind that X was just doing what they always did when he had eradicated those mavericks, Zero was not comforted. The sheer amount of blood coating his pristine white armour implied only the deaths of whoever had opposed him. X hardly ever resorted to killing; it was an outcome that only happened when his hand was forced and all other options had been extinguished.

Maybe he just caught him at a bad time. Maybe it was a threat that required deadly force. It wasn't all that uncommon for S-rank Hunters such as X and Zero to be called on for highly dangerous missions that could only be resolved by lethal means.

Maybe Zero was just afraid of change... X had unequivocally changed. He reminded himself that he was no stranger- this was the reploid he loved, and his fear was unwarranted. X would never want to hurt him. He had nothing to be afraid of.

"Zero!"

"Eeagh?!"

Zero, too caught up in his own inner turmoil, didn't notice the blue blur approaching him from beneath the water. Breaching the pool's surface with an enthused cry was none other than Leviathan, who promptly shocked Zero into falling into the water with an unceremonious splash.

"Oops," Leviathan chided herself, though a laugh slipped past her lips before she could help it. Zero reached for the pool's ledge and scrambled onto dry land, every inch of him now drenched from his brief unplanned swim. "Hi Zero. Sorry for scaring you."

Zero just pouted at her, wrapping his hands around his hair and wringing out the water. "Where the fuck did you come from?" Zero asked, slipping the stray wet locks of hair that fell over his face out the way. Leviathan just giggled coyly.

"From the water," she answered unhelpfully. Zero maintained his frown. "Okay, okay. There's an underwater tunnel system of ducts that connects the main bodies of water in this building to the inner city water system. Lets me be anywhere at any time. Pretty cool, right?"

The drenched reploid slowly closed his eyes and breathed out a long exhale. "Sure."

"It's so convenient. I hate walking around the citadel. It's way too big. Plus, you know, flippers for feet," she rambled on. "Anyway, how are you? Relaxing? The pools are the best place you could choose. One of the best places. There's a spa and massage parlour too, you know. Floor 43, can't miss it. Plus a hot spring on floor 62. You should totally go there sometime with me and Fefs. Get a little TLC, spoil yourself! You're the king, after all-" Leviathan paused abruptly and gave him a discerning look. "Are you okay, Zero?"

The question caught Zero off guard. "Why do you ask?"

Leviathan made an unsure noise. "You look all forlorn and brooding," she answered, "is it 'cause I got you wet? Sorry-"

"No, no, it's fine," Zero assured, though Leviathan seemed unconvinced. Even though he had only known Leviathan for a week or two, he felt weirdly safe around her, like he could tell her anything. It wasn't like she ever hid her thoughts from him. "I should have a shower, anyway."

Leviathan sighed before leaning her back against the pool's edge. "Phew. In the clear," she mumbled to herself. "So… what's up?"

Was he that easy to read? Zero took a moment to figure out what to tell her, before offering a small shrug, slumping over with a breath. "I don't know," he admitted, "ever since I woke up everything's been so weird to me. Isn't all of this weird to any of you?"

"Weird?" Leviathan cocked a brow. Zero straightened himself and reached out his arms, gesturing to the world around him.

"This?! This is weird!" Zero elaborated, desperation edging into his voice. "I went to sleep with the world in tatters and now I've woken up a century later and everything's perfect and I have everything I've ever wanted and X is nothing like what he used to be! I just don't know what to think. I don't know if I can make things work like this."

He put his head in his hands and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Maybe I'm just overreacting," Zero conceded, shoulders falling. "Leviathan… What's X really like? Because I don't know what I should think about him. At least, I don't know what to think of the reploid he's acting like right now."

Leviathan frowned, looking down at the pool's bottom. "Dad's… well, he's… I don't know what to say," she half answered. "He's the best of us! He's loyal, kind, generous… he's by far the strongest reploid alive. He's everything we strive to be!"

The pep in her speech quickly returned as she went on. Zero smiled and managed a soft laugh at her vigorous enthusiasm. "That sounds like my X."

"Oh yeah," she agreed, "he's so cool. You know, one day, I wanna be just like him."

At that, Zero seized up, taking a sharp breath. Wanting to be just like him… that was what Axl used to say.

Did Leviathan know anything about what became of him? Maybe Zero shouldn't risk letting Leviathan in on that suspicion on the chance that she'd let X know. Whatever happened to Axl, Zero wasn't sure if X was going to be too keen on talking about it, considering the shattered picture frame he discovered yesterday morning.

"Zero?" Leviathan piped up. Her voice ripped Zero from his musings.

"Huh?"

"Are you still there?" she asked. "You totally zoned out just then."

Zero blinked at her before grinning sheepishly. "Just thinking about what you said," he assured, somewhat dishonestly.

Leviathan cocked her head, leaning in to whisper. "Zero, is Dad… giving you trouble, or something?"

"No! No… it's not like that," Zero lied. "He's just… different now. He's still X, and I love him, but… I don't know. I don't know if I can get used to the idea of King X."

"Oh…" Leviathan shrunk back down. "I… I've never known anything besides King X. But you know, I get what you mean. He can be scary, sometimes."

Zero knew very well how intimidating a mad X could be. Luckily, he never found himself at the receiving end of his fury. "I… shouldn't be afraid of him though," Zero lamented, "it's X… I should know he'd never do anything to hurt me."

"But you are afraid of him, is what you're saying," Leviathan extrapolated. "Are… you scared he'll hurt you?"

Zero didn't know how to answer. Reminiscing on the vision of a blood soaked X, the photograph of Axl shattered to pieces, that muted workerbot, the orders he gave Phantom… he couldn't deny his own fear. On the other hand, what would Leviathan do if he admitted that?

"No." He decided to keep the truth a secret from her. He wasn't sure who he could trust with his thoughts in Neo Arcadia. The truth was always longer than a lie, regardless. "No, I'm just… confused. Ugh, forget I said anything, I'll get over it." He wrapped an arm around himself, comforting his fraught nerves. "Thanks for letting me talk about it, Leviathan."

The smile returned to her face. Zero found himself smiling too, her optimism infectious. "No problem, Zero," Leviathan said with a playful wink. "You can talk to me about anything you want, I won't judge. Your secrets are safe with me."

She pretended to zip her mouth shut, locked it, and threw away the key. Zero huffed a laugh. "I'll have to see about that…" he mumbled amusedly. With the sombre mood alleviated, Leviathan casually leaned back against the pool's edge, throwing her head back.

"So, you'll have no idea what just happened to me today…" she began. Zero made himself comfortable, resting on his palms as he anticipated a long story from the aquatic reploid. "I was just doing routine checks on the water purification facilities when this mechaniloid came out of absolutely nowhere and went friggin' crazy! I reckon it got in from the Outside Lands. The sun's so strong out there it fries the mechaniloids' processors and makes them go nuts. I have no idea how it got in. So weird. Harpuia's probably gonna make me write a five thousand word report on it. Anyway, I had to put it out of its misery, poor thing, so I…"

Zero was only partially listening the longer she rambled on. Even if it wasn't particularly interesting to him, he still cherished the company and the sound of someone's voice, someone who was truly happy to talk to him about whatever came to mind. Zero liked Leviathan. Fefnir too, when he came to think about it, but he was still pensive about letting them know of the true extent of his suspicions.

Or maybe he really was just overthinking things. X wouldn't hurt him- he couldn't, not if he had a say in the matter.

But if he did, Zero knew he couldn't fight back. With no weapons and a weakened frame from hibernation, he knew that X had total control over his body. Now that he had no one else from his past to turn to, X had total control of his beliefs, too.

He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Maybe he just shouldn't think anything at all, and heed Fefnir and Leviathan's advice.

Just don't do anything. In the end, things will work out without you.

X trudged through the remains of a Neo Arcadian military base, reduced to rubble by an unexpected Resistance strike.

The embers still smoldered, smoke filling the air as the Neo Arcadian Defence Force arrived at the scene, X and his men finding that it was far too late to do anything of use.

In the haze of smoke and dust, X could see Resistance soldiers fleeing, disappearing in a flash of light as they warped away. It was no use making chase, as much as X hated to admit. The most they could do was lick their wounds now.

The devastation didn't matter that much in the long run. The soldiers had pledged to give up their lives to defend Neo Arcadia. They could be replaced, and so could the destroyed military base.

Not that it helped quell the fury burning in X's heart. The Resistance had been nothing more than vermin, a mere inconvenience to him, and yet they had the audacity to resort to barbaric guerilla warfare tactics. If it was his attention they were after, then they had gotten it.

X vowed he'd make them regret having ever earned it.

A single Resistance soldier lagged behind his fellow comrades as they warped away to safety, crawling along the ground feebly with weak arms. Shrapnel had caught him in the legs, rendering escape from X and his men a fruitless endeavour.

X marched over to the soldier with slow, methodical steps, looming over him with his hands held behind his back, his massive wingspan blocking out the reddened sun and plunging the soldier into the darkness of his shadow.

The small reploid whipped around onto his back to face X, blaster still held firmly in his shaking hand, eyes wide and lip quivering. The young soldier wanted to scream in terror, but lacked the power to even do that. X just furrowed his brow and growled.

"Hmph. You Resistance soldiers cower like stupid animals," he snarled, red glare darkening. "It's sad to see my own kind acting no better than the humans that came before us. You can't let peace persevere, can you? Reploid, human, it's no matter. Always pining for war. It's only that humans are easier to pacify."

"Y-you…" The reploid soldier managed a few strained words, despite the agony that seized his frame. "You bastard!"

X didn't bother moving when the Resistance soldier took aim and fired his blaster squarely at his chest, the movement so swift it was nothing more than a blur. The blaster bolt struck his armour in a flash, not even leaving a burn mark in its wake. It failed to make X do as much as flinch.

"You've got some bravery, maverick. It's almost commendable," he praised mockingly. Before the soldier could scramble away, X slammed his foot down hard upon the reploid's chest, making him gasp and arch as the wind was handily knocked out of him. "I'll put you out of your misery. Consider it mercy."

With that, X drove his foot down, crushing his inner workings under his boot until it came out the other side. A swift, if violent, execution.

He stepped over his body and kicked it away, shaking off the blood and grime that collected on his foot. Aztec Falcon and Harpuia soon landed at his side, ready to report on the aerial assessment of the situation.

The ever loyal Harpuia addressed his father with a salute. "Master X, sir," he greeted. X gave him a nod.

"At ease, Harpuia," X commanded. "How bad is it?"

Harpuia dipped his helm and shook his head. "Bad, I'm afraid," he answered, "they looted the base before bombing it. There's absolutely nothing here that can be recovered. It's all been destroyed. We haven't been able to quantify a death toll yet, but things are looking grim."

"Hm. Then we'll have no choice but to clear the area and rebuild," X mused, rubbing his chin. He came to a resolution, and commanded the two air reploids away with a pointed finger. "Go. Look for survivors. Eradicate any remaining Resistance soldiers."

"Yes, sir!" Harpuia and Aztec Falcon affirmed in unison before departing into the sky. X was left alone once more, watching the silhouettes of his forces scouring the destruction, searching for survivors through the smoke.

He wouldn't remain alone for long. From the curtains of smog still billowing from the burning wreckage, a Neo Arcadian soldier emerged to face X, his face twisted in a frown, defiant and bold.

X knew that emerald glimmer in his eyes.

"Don't try playing games with me, kid," he reprimanded. "I know it's you."

The soldier huffed. "Of course you do."

His body was overcome by a flurry of rectangular refracted light as his true form was revealed. In his place, the newgen Axl stood to confront the reploid he once called father.

"Axl." X spat his name like it was poison in his mouth. "I could kill you right now if I wanted."

Axl tipped his head to the side in subtle agreement. "I know. I'm an enemy of the state. All rebels must die. Even me," he snapped, "but you're not going to. Are you?"

Always so cocky. "I'm disappointed in you, child," X chided, pacing around him. Axl never broke eye contact with him. "You should be ashamed of this violence. Hundreds of reploids are dead because of you."

Axl's frown deepened. "And thousands more are dead at your hands." An overwhelming anger burned in his gaze. "As if you even cared for the lives of these soldiers."

X stopped, shaking his head. "The offer still stands, Axl," X reminded, standing in front of him. "You can still come back. You, me, and Zero. Just like the old days, when we were Maverick Hunters." He clenched his fist. "We were so powerful. Nothing could stand in our way. Not Lumine, not Sigma. Not even Weil. We could bring justice and peace to this world together. Isn't that what you want, Axl? To bring justice to the world? To be back with us?"

His lips twitched into a smirk. "Think about it. All this needless fighting could end. You could rule Neo Arcadia with Zero and I. The world could be yours."

Axl spat at the notion, face turned up in disgust. "Forget it, X. I know you're putting lies in Zero's head. You'll never let him learn the truth of what you've done, will you?"

"Zero isn't as foolish as you." X's gaze was cold, unforgiving. "He knows what I'm doing is right. He was the one who taught me rebels like you must die."

"Is this really what he wants?" Axl gestured out towards the destruction. "You're manipulating him. Turning your own partner into a mindless toy to show off to scared reploids and complacent humans. It isn't love, X. It's disgusting." His piercing gaze narrowed.

"Have you always been this way?" Axl sneered, revulsion thick in his voice.

X bared his teeth, seething at the accusation. He readied his buster, shot already charging, and aimed directly at the center of Axl's chest. A powerful laser suddenly blasted him from the side, throwing him to the ground.

A huge Resistance soldier rushed to Axl's aid. X glared at the combat reploid from where he kneeled on the ground, view obscured by injury warnings blaring on his HUD. "Axl! You idiot, let's get out of here!"

The former Neo Arcadian commander, Craft, collected Axl and warped both of them away before X could get to his feet. He fired a useless shot into thin air as they vanished.

X stared at where they once stood before he got to his knees and gripped the side where Craft had blasted him, hissing through gritted teeth.

"Dad!" Fefnir came barreling through the dust and smoke to X's side, leaning down to support him. "Are you alright?"

X shoved him off. "I'm fine," he insisted, before he reached into cyberspace and made quick, mindless use of a nurse type cyber-elf to heal his wounds. "Don't worry about me. Go help look for survivors."

At first, Fefnir was hesitant to leave. When X flicked his head towards the remains of the base, he caught the hint. "Alright, Dad."

His son parted ways with him, rushing over to lend his formidable strength to the search and rescue operation. X just sighed, standing up tall and brushing the dust off his shoulder.

Axl was a fool, and X was angered to no end. Had he failed to raise that boy right? Maybe he was too soft on him. Maybe Zero was too soft on him, never letting him push Axl to his limits, never letting Axl know what justice really was; not mindless vigilantism, but the organised and systematic punishment of evil. Axl was giving him little other choice. Axl, just like every other maverick who threatened his kingdom, had to be brought to justice and an end, no matter the memories they shared together.

It didn't matter. Even if he killed Axl, he had other sons. More importantly, he had Zero. That was all that mattered.

He just couldn't lose him.

Zero had to get out.

Despite failing the last time he tried, he was already on the way to the ground floor. They couldn't hold him in forever, not if he had anything to say about it.

The citadel was huge, so massive that it made Zero feel sickeningly insignificant with the way its marble and gold archways towered over him, closing in on him like the maw of a beast. He couldn't stand it much longer, with little company besides the mute servants, X's children, and X himself, though he tended to be busy most of the day, leaving Zero to fend for himself. He just needed to leave, get some fresh air, and see the world beyond the Neo Arcadian spire.

Most of all, he needed to shake off the feeling of being imprisoned by his own partner.

As the elevator descended from the upper floors where X and Zero's rooms resided, he watched the city rush by with a hand placed over the glass window. The people of Neo Arcadia hurried around below, looking so small from where Zero stood atop the tower.

He wondered if perhaps, among the crowds, his old Maverick Hunter comrades milled about. He was still in the dark as to what their fates had been. Their comms frequencies still lingered in his databanks, though they remained long disused- unsurprising, considering a century had passed- but still, their memories hovered over Zero, taunting him with the fact that X had neglected to mention anything about them.

The Maverick Hunters, they were their friends! When things weren't going well for X and Zero, they could always turn to them for support. They were his teachers, and then they were his students. There was a time when they were his entire world.

Now it felt like X wanted Zero's world to begin and end with him. Zero loved X, but he was more than just a thing X could own.

Reploid workers and human businessmen came and went from the elevator as it passed by the countless floors. Zero worked the bridge of his nose between his fingers in exasperation. He was just being dramatic. He went over that with Leviathan the other day.

X was busy. He probably just didn't have the time to explain everything that happened during his one hundred year stasis. Maybe whatever happened wasn't something X was too keen on discussing. After all, there were plenty of truths X hadn't revealed to Zero for one reason or another, and there was much Zero refused to divulge to X in kind.

The elevator reached the ground floor, and he left for the foyer alongside a human journalist who seemed preoccupied with his notes. He scanned the entrance as he made his way towards the glass door, finding only visitors, reploid workers, and a few soldiers standing around on guard duty, pacing up and down the halls and watching over the people with stern gazes. Zero swallowed his nerves down, looking over his shoulder as he approached the citadel's massive glass doors for a second time.

Of course, Zero's luck meant that he would immediately bump into Harpuia, who had his nose buried in a clipboard. If Phantom obeyed X's orders without a second thought, then he could only anticipate how Harpuia would react…

"Master Zero," Harpuia greeted him with a questioning tone. Zero prepared himself for yet another interrogation by the Guardians. "Where are you going in such a rush?"

Zero rolled his eyes. This again.

"Outside. Isn't it obvious?" Zero answered huffily. Harpuia tucked his clipboard under his arm.

"I can't let that happen. Master X wouldn't approve-"

"Yes, I know," Zero groaned, walking around Harpuia. "I don't know why he cares. I've been stuck inside for nearly a month. I need a walk. I don't give a shit what X says."

"Ow. That stings, sweetheart."

As Zero passed through the glass doors, he jolted at the sound of X's voice. From the sky, X landed gracefully before Zero, cladded in pristine white and gold armour.

Swallowing nervously as X approached with a slow foreboding gait, Zero timidly backed away from his partner, making himself small in his vast shadow.

"Oh, X, I-" he stumbled over his words as X cornered him against the door, fear flickering in his eyes. "I didn't mean it."

X just snickered. It was always a cute sound to Zero's audials, but now? It just felt patronizing. "I was joking," he assured, though Zero had no confidence in the assertion. "What's going on here? Giving my son a hard time?"

Harpuia harrumphed, pivoting and leaving X and Zero alone to sort themselves out. Zero laughed awkwardly, feeling increasingly vulnerable without Harpuia backing him up.

"I just wanted to go out for a bit," Zero admitted, "but everyone goes crazy everytime I try. Seriously, it's getting really humiliating, X."

"Ah, is that so? That's good," X mused. Zero gawked.

"Good?!" Zero yelled, the fear in his eyes suddenly drowned by a fury that came over him. "What do you mean, good?!"

"I told them to keep an eye on you, in case you sneak out like that," X divulged. "Good, in that they're doing what I asked them to. Sometimes wrangling four kids to do as you say is impossible."

Zero couldn't believe what X was saying, how casually he was ignoring Zero's concerns, tone as calm as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. Sure, he knew that Phantom and Harpuia were following X's orders- they had said it themselves- but hearing it from X himself? It hurt, Zero's chest tightening as he was torn between outrage and betrayal. Did X not care about what he felt anymore?

"Are you insane?!" Zero snapped. "You seriously want to keep me locked up? What do you think I'll do, run away? To where? You think I'm that stupid? I don't have anywhere to go even if I wanted to run!"

X remained unphased by Zero's anger. "Calm down." He set a hand on Zero's shoulder. If anything, it just made him more irate. "I'm not being cruel. I'm being careful. I don't want you running around unsupervised."

Zero gasped, blood boiling at the implication that he needed to be monitored as if he were a misbehaving child. "Is that what you think of me now?" Zero shoved X's hand off him, lips pulled back in a snarl. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I can trust you!" X insisted. "Look, Zero. I couldn't live with myself knowing you could get hurt out there."

"I can handle myself," Zero's voice was low, his expression dark.

"That's what you always used to say," X sighed. He wrapped a huge wing around Zero and began guiding him away from the door and towards the courtyard, away from the tower. "Zero, things are different now. These mavericks are from a new generation of reploids, and you're still recovering from stasis. I just… want to keep you safe."

The solemn look X was giving him imparted an unspoken 'I don't want to lose you again'. Zero's anger slowly fizzled with the pleading expression, and he allowed X to reach for his hand, guiding him through the tower's entrance.

"Why don't I make it up to you?" X offered. "You can come on a walk with me. Just the two of us."

Zero's mood lifted at that. After being tormented by ceaseless paranoid thoughts, he supposed he could use a little time alone with his partner. "I'd like that," Zero accepted, tightening his grip on X's hand. "Sorry for getting pissy. My head's just been all over the place lately."

X snuggled up to his side, the two walking like they were joined at the hip. "I understand," he murmured. The citadel entrance opened up into a massive courtyard, where gardens lined pale stone pathways, massive trees arching over the walkway and offering the relief of shade from the beating sun. Hedges bearing flowers lined the tall, solid fence wall enclosing the court. The garden enraptured Zero in its opulence and lush verdure, the scene reminding him of when he and X visited Dr. Cain's courtyard gardens. It was odd, knowing it was so long ago now, but if the similarities were anything to go by, it was clear X had built it in that image. "I probably should've told you I ordered my Guardians to keep you inside. At least until you've gotten used to life around here."

They circled a large round fountain, shimmering blue water spouting from a stone sculpture and sparkling in the sunlight. Visitors came and went, from haughty businessmen to a group of schoolchildren- both human and reploid- scurrying behind their teacher like ducklings. Zero's spirits lightened somewhat, his expression softening. Seeing man and machine coexisting in that manner was new to him, yet wonderfully reassuring. "You really should've," Zero grumbled, still upset over the whole ordeal. "You always think too hard on the little things and-"

"-Not enough on the big things, yes, I know. You always said that too…" X acknowledged, "I've just been… busy, with the rebels causing a ruckus. I didn't have the time to tell you."

The two left the courtyard, passing by gates manned by two tired soldiers who let them through without a second thought. The citadel, built atop a hill, opened up to a massive sprawling city, ivory and gold, with highways and elevated high speed railroad lines weaving through huge skyscrapers like rivers through mountains. Zero froze to take it all in. Neo Arcadia was far more magnificent than any city he had lived in previously, nearly overwhelming in its perfection. The air was crisp and clean, not a speck of grime coating the streets despite the swathes of busy Neo Arcadia denizens she harboured.

With a huff, Zero pulled himself out of his daze and caught up with X. "You had a chance last night," Zero continued their conversation. X shrugged, a little amused with himself.

"Slipped my mind, I guess," X contended. "I'm sorry, Zero. I didn't want to risk you getting hurt out here. I just need the peace of mind to know you're out here with me, not by yourself."

The possibility that anyone Zero walked by in X's paradise, paved in white stone and marble, had the capacity or drive to even lay a finger on him was slim to none. Humans and reploids mostly went about their day- working, playing, some turning to stare and whisper at their kings… X was always a bit clingy, but paranoid and controlling? That was a new development.

"Well, I can't say I'm not offended," Zero grumbled, rubbing his chin. The two followed the main footpath down a busy street, the red warbot slowing his pace to take in the view.

"I know," X sighed, "but I promise you, it's not that I'm trying to be a jerk to you."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't act like a jerk," Zero dismissed the claim, crossing his arms and looking away. By wrapping his massive wing around him and blocking his view of the city, X corralled his gaze back towards him.

"Zero, just- think about how I feel," X pleaded. "You've been gone for a hundred years. A hundred years, Zero. I can't… take chances on your safety anymore. I just want you to be here, with me."

The street, lined with exorbitant cafes and boutique clothing stores, eventually lead into the main city square- a large, open circular plaza with a tall, massive fountain in its center, cast in bronze atop a green granite base, where a sculpture of X and Zero stood tall above the ground, sunlight glowing off their sculpted forms as they looked over the Neo Arcadian city square with watchful eyes.

Zero suddenly felt acutely self-aware. Whatever he was going to say to X, to rip him apart for restricting his freedoms, was quickly swept from his mind as he stared down the artwork that stood as the centerpiece of the entire city.

His place in the world he had woken up in was very slowly beginning to dawn on him. Had he not defeated Weil and Omega with X, humanity and reploidkind alike may have been wiped out completely, the world reduced to a barren, inhabitable wasteland. He was not just a hero, but a saviour, who rescued his people from certain demise. He was their idol, worshipped like a Messiah, whether he liked it or not.

All around him were the denizens of Neo Arcadia, and it felt like a million stares were bearing down at him all at once. He hid himself into X's side, seeking reprieve from the crushing pressure.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" X asked, wrapping an arm around Zero's shoulder, not taking notice of his uncertainty. "We created this. You and I. This is our legacy, and ours alone."

Zero took in a deep breath, feeling his nerves thick in his throat. It felt reductive for X to say that. Perhaps he and X were the ones to defeat Weil and Omega to end the Elf Wars, but it would've been impossible without the help of their friends and comrades, the same friends X had neglected to mention even once throughout Zero's stay. Did X not care about his old life, his old friends? Zero wasn't sure what that would mean for him. Maverick Hunter X saw him as a mentor, an invaluable companion, a best friend and beloved partner, but King X…

It felt as if he saw Zero as just another thing he ruled over, like all the beautiful sculptures and artworks scattered across Neo Arcadia. Something to own and enjoy, and little else.

In the shadows of the plaza were countless reploid soldiers and police bots wielding rifles and batons, patrolling the streets of Neo Arcadia diligently alongside combat grade canine mechaniloids, giving every robot they passed a discerning glare that made them instantly shrink back and cower. Drones flew overhead, keeping a close eye on every inch of the inner city- small enough to be subtle, but noticeable enough to scare the citizens into their best behaviour. Police bikes drove past periodically, always with somewhere to be, though Zero wasn't quite sure what their mission was when crime seemed to be nonexistent. Despite everything X said about Neo Arcadia and the peacetime it founded, its military presence was inescapable, shrouding the utopia city with an intense aura of intimidation.

"A paradise like nothing this Earth has ever seen before, and it's all ours," X whispered into Zero's audial. "Nothing will stand in our way anymore."

There was no reason for Zero to be afraid of X. That was what he kept trying to drill through his skull, repeating it over and over and over in the desperate hope that it would soothe the fear and paranoia that crawled up his throat, choking his words and poisoning his thoughts. X would never hurt him.

Still, in the spur of the moment, he wanted to break free from X's grip and run until he escaped into the Outside Lands, to the territories where X's reign didn't reach. The thing that terrified Zero the most, though, was that if he tried to act on that impulse, he wouldn't get as far as the outskirts of the central business district before getting captured and returned to X. He couldn't fight back, with no weapons and middling strength. He was well and truly trapped, and X could make him do whatever he wanted regardless of what Zero wanted.

"X…" Zero finally broke his silence with his lover's name, "this… this is…"

"Incredible?"

"A lot… to process," Zero corrected, nervously tucking a strand of his hair under his helmet. "I… don't know what to think."

X's smile faltered, and he breathed out some tension, gaze flickering away. "I see. Well, I should probably start heading back. I need to report on a maverick incident that happened the other day." X swiftly changed the subject. Zero cocked his helm at him.

"So soon?" The disappointment was clear in his tone. "...I have to come back with you, don't I?"

X nodded, his hand straying down to the small of Zero's back, turning him around and away from the city square. "Yes," X confirmed. "It's… it's for your own good, Zero. This is a new world for you. I just want to be there with you to guide you through it."

As they walked back to the citadel, Zero was quiet, his stomach twisted into knots. As if you'd let me choose otherwise, X.

X squeezed his hand, earning his attention once more. "But I should spend more time with you," he lamented, "I've been neglecting you lately."

"X, it's fine," Zero waved off his concern, eyes still roving around the city as he refused to meet X's gaze. "I know you have so many more responsibilities now. Don't work yourself up over me."

It failed to convince X. "But it's not fine, Zero. I can tell when something's bothering you. I've been leaving you alone in this world when it should be me showing it to you." X looked to his feet and groaned in frustration. "I promise, Zero, I'll always be here for you. How about dinner tonight?"

In a bid to lighten the mood, Zero gave X a coy look. "Is that a date?"

It made X chuckle. This time, Zero welcomed the laugh, for it sounded truly genuine. "Sure." X's mouth pulled up in a grin. "I guess it's a date."

Zero playfully nudged X with his side, drawing more hearty laughter from the usually uptight reploid. It eased his nerves to see him smile, calming some of the racing thoughts that had been haunting him since he woke up.

He knew they would return eventually, but for the time being, he enjoyed being with X. Maybe he was all he really needed.

True to his word, X took Zero out that night.

The sun was setting on Neo Arcadia as X and Zero stood hand in hand in a high speed elevator, ascending one of the city's many spires, as opulent and extravagant as Zero had expected from X's domain. The elevator was all windows, save for the sparse metal scaffold that held it all together, offering a clear view of the city as the elevator passed through the clouds and into the heavens. From such a height, the lights of the city below were but a blur, and the earliest stars above glittered against a darkening sky as they began to appear.

"Hope you're not afraid of heights all of a sudden," X whispered into Zero's audial. "The Sky Needle's observatory is well above the two hundredth floor."

He stuck out his chest, proud of the architectural feat that stood tall in the middle of his kingdom. Zero just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You know, we never used to go to places like this when we were Maverick Hunters," Zero reminded him, hoping to humble him. "Remember when your idea for a date was a movie and some snacks?"

"Mmhm. Well, isn't it nice that we can afford to treat ourselves to such luxury?" X sneakily wrapped an arm around Zero's lithe waist. "Besides, I always wanted to give you more. Now that I can… well, Zero, I'd give you the world, but it wouldn't be enough."

He pressed a kiss into the fin of Zero's helm, making the red warbot flush, unable to stifle a giggle at X's saccharine affection. "You're such a sap, it's unbearable," Zero chided sweetly, bumping him away with his hip before he could shower him with any more loving kisses, lest Zero's cheeks turn as red as his armour. "You know I don't need much to be pleased anyway."

"But you deserve it," X contended. "After everything you've been through, you could use a little pampering."

It sounded awfully optimistic. How would X know that Zero was really done going through the paces?

He stopped himself before he could wander down that path. He supposed he needed to accept that nice things were happening to him and there was no malicious intent or ulterior motive behind it. X was the type to be unconditionally good and generous, even to a warmachine like Zero. Especially to a warmachine like Zero.

After a scenic trip up the Sky Needle, the elevator opened up into the observatory, a circular deck with glass windows all along the walls that gave a 360 degree view of the city. Within the observatory was a bar and restaurant, modern and sleek in its design and dimly and intimately lit, the pale pink and orange of the sunset bathing the observatory in the vivid colours of an eastering sun.

Inside were various well dressed, haughty looking Neo Arcadians, both human and reploid, laughing and mingling over dinner and drinks, bantering over the football match being aired on the television. Zero snickered as X walked him into the restaurant, arm interlocked with his own. Of course what finally united man and machine was good food, alcohol, and sports.

A waiter quickly attended the two, the young, dashing reploid starstruck in the presence of legends, and sat them at a private booth right up against the window, offering them the best view of the city from the observation deck. X was speaking to the waiter bot, who handed them two menus, though Zero wasn't paying them too much mind. He was entranced by the view from so high in the clouds, watching the distant lights of the city flicker and the first stars twinkling in the sky.

The waiter poured them a glass of a deep red merlot and departed. X leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table, watching Zero dotingly as the warbot admired the city.

"Liking the view?" Zero hummed thoughtlessly and nodded, keeping his gaze steady on the city view. From such a height, the sheer breadth of X's kingdom was clear to Zero, the city of Neo Arcadia stretching as far as the horizon. "Even I still find it breathtaking."

He reached over to brush Zero's hand with his fingertips, his touch light as he entwined their fingers. Zero loved X's touch- always so gentle, but just firm enough to hint at the unfathomable strength he could muster. When Zero turned back to X, he quickly realised X wasn't talking about the city at all.

Zero turned away with a blush and a bashful laugh, hiding his face behind loose strands of his fringe. "You're such a sentimental idiot," Zero playfully prodded. X's sweet smile just widened.

"And you love it," X teased, taking great pride in the way he made Zero blush and chuckle. He took his wine glass and held it up to toast Zero. "Cheers?"

Deciding to play along, Zero held his own glass up. "Cheers."

They clinked their glasses together, and X held his drink under his chin. "A toast to our future," he said, swirling his glass before taking a sip. Zero eyed his drink before following suit, downing a sip of the dry, yet soft full-bodied red.

Grabbing a hold of the menu, Zero flicked through the choices available. "I hope you know this is still all so crazy to me," he reminded X, reading through the entrées. "I used to only ever drink shit out of a tank. Can't blame me for not being used to this sort of luxury."

X peeked over from behind the pages of the menu. "Oh, trust me, I felt the same at first," X assured, "but I found myself enjoying the lifestyle after a while. I mean, after all the hells we've been through… don't you suppose we're owed this?"

Zero set the menu down and shot X a quizzical look. Since when did X feel as though he was owed anything? "Hm."

"So, what are you craving?" X flicked through the pages. "Don't worry about the prices, honey. It's all covered."

If Zero had to be honest with himself, he wasn't all that hungry. "...Still deciding." He mindlessly skimmed the pages without really processing the words printed in front of him, worry nagging at his thoughts. X leaned back into the soft booth lounge and hummed an affirmative.

"Take your time. I'm having the lamb shoulder if you wanna try," X said, looking out to the city. Zero cast his own eyes towards the view, finding it far more enthralling than the prospect of eating anything.

They sat in a soothing silence, Zero letting X grab a hold of his hand once again, the blue emperor rubbing soft circles into the back of his hand as his beloved looked out into the distance. The sun was starting to disappear behind the horizon, lights flickering on behind the windows of apartment blocks as dusk befell the city. Zero took a sip of his wine. Neo Arcadia seemed so endless.

"X," Zero asked for his attention, leaning in with a soft voice. "What's beyond the walls of the city, anyway?"

X made a face. "Why do you care?"

Zero shrugged a shoulder. "Just curious."

"Well, it's exactly what you think it is. There's nothing out there. Just vast, uninhabitable desert." He paused to drink. "My Guardians are working to reclaim the land, but that maverick rebellion is keeping them occupied at the moment. Tch. Irritating."

X's disdain was palpable in his tone. "Would you… ever think to show me the Outside Lands?" Zero prodded. His partner just huffed an incredulous laugh.

"What's the point? There's nothing to see out there." X dismissed the thought. "You're better off staying here, where it's safe."

Pouting, Zero set his chin in his hands as he gazed out to the city. Of course X still erred on the side of caution after all these years. He always preferred the safer option for others, and now was no different… probably. X wouldn't lie to him.

"Something bothering you?" X gently worked Zero's hand in his grip. Zero swallowed and shook his head.

"Nothing I haven't already told you." Zero tried to steer the conversation away from his anxieties. "Just feeling… I don't know."

X snickered. "You were never too good with talking about your feelings."

That earned him a glare, and X backed off submissively. "Sorry-"

"It's fine, X. You're right, anyway." Zero waived his concerns. "Just feeling lost, 's all."

With a hum, X cocked his head and furrowed his brow, seeking elaboration.

"It's just that… everyone I know is gone besides you, X," Zero explained, breaking away from X's gaze. "It's… it's scary, X. I don't know how else to describe it."

"Oh, Zero…" X's voice dwindled to a whisper as he leaned in. "Maybe all we need is each other."

Zero snapped back to face X. Zero loved X… but he loved his friends, too. More than that, he thought of himself as more than just X's partner. He let out a wavering breath, squeezing X's hand. Perhaps it was better to open up now rather than later.

"You know, X, I've been meaning to ask you something," Zero began. "What… happened to everyone?"

X tightened his jaw. "What do you mean? Who's everyone?"

"Oh, don't be obtuse with me now," Zero scolded, hoping some force could snap X out of his newfound self importance. "I mean our friends. Alia, Signas, Massimo- the Maverick Hunters, X! You haven't said a word about them this entire time, and you know what? I'm starting to get a little worried about you. For god's sake, what happened to Axl?"

"Don't you fucking dare even say his name!" X yelled back, the mere mention of the copybot triggering X's fury in an instant. Zero flinched back, pulling his hand away from X's grip in fear. As soon as his episode began, however, X snapped out of it, sighing and wiping his face with his palm.

"Goddamnit. I'm so sorry, Zero," X apologised, eaten up by shame as a crushing guilt weighed him down. "I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry. I really am."

Zero wasn't exactly raring to let it go anytime soon, but in fear of inciting X's anger anymore, he refrained from reprimanding him. "X… what happened to Axl?"

The memory of the shattered picture frame came to Zero's mind. Maybe he was making a mistake, asking X about him. X pinched the bridge of his nose as he steeled himself for an explanation.

"He betrayed us, alright?" X finally answered, exasperated with Zero's questioning. "He went rogue, maverick, whatever you wanna call it these days. He turned his back on Neo Arcadia and joined that pathetic little Resistance and now he's coordinating terrorist strikes on our city and my citizens and ruining this peace I've worked so goddamn hard to create, while he just sat back on his ass and criticised everything I ever did! He's killing our people because, I don't know, spite?! Because he wants to make me, his father, angry?!" He paused to breathe, trying to settle himself before his anger flared in full force again. "You know, I thought we raised him right. But I suppose things aren't so simple, are they? So there. That's what happened to Axl. He's our little backstabbing, bastard, disgrace of a son."

The silence that followed hung heavy in the air. Zero didn't know what to say. Obviously, he was upset, angry and disappointed that Axl would turn on X, and in a way, on him. On the other hand, though? Axl was their closest friend, someone they treated as their own kin. Zero didn't want to believe Axl could harbour such animosity towards his fathers, to the point of turning his back on an entire civilisation.

He didn't want to believe it. His throat tightened, stomach churning at the thought.

"Did… did you at least try talking to him?" Zero finally managed, though he knew the answer was obvious. "You could convince him to come back. N-now that I'm awake again, maybe he'll want to see me."

X laughed, offended Zero would think otherwise. "You think I haven't tried?" X snipped. "You know that kid. Stubborn as a mule. Nothing gets through to him." He sighed and crossed his arms, dipping his helm. "Stubborn, just like his old man. Even though he doesn't have my genes, guess I rubbed off on him anyway…"

It wasn't like Axl wasn't a wild card- he was always a little rebel- but he was their little rebel. X didn't always see eye to eye with Axl, but it was clear to Zero that he cared for him. X hid behind his glass, taking a swig and polishing off his drink before Zero could count to five.

"Ugh. I shouldn't be rambling about the politics of my city. This is supposed to be a date," X berated himself. "I know I said this was paradise, but… so was Eden once. I'm not going to let the people of my city fall victim to senseless violence- I didn't as a Maverick Hunter, and I will not as king."

He waved over a waiter for a refill of his wine glass. Zero blinked at him, frowning. X didn't tend to drink so much. "Is there much I can do to help?"

Zero was sure he was going to get the same response he got from the Guardians when he asked. "Stay out of it." X denied the offer immediately, a little too firmly for Zero's liking. "There's still a lot you don't know. I'd rather you not get hurt doing something reckless, right now."

He was looking away as he took comfort in his drink. Zero supposed there wasn't much he could do as a newcomer to Neo Arcadia, and even less he could do when he was about as effective in a fight as the next helpless civilian. That didn't keep him from wishing, though.

Zero occupied himself with trying to figure out what he wanted to eat. Despite everything, he couldn't stop reminiscing on Axl's young, aspiring face in his head. That fiery, passionate young reploid, who once looked up to them as heroes and fathers, who wanted nothing more than to be just like X, had turned on them. Was Axl disappointed in him? He wasn't sure who he wanted to side with. He loved X and trusted his ideals, but it hurt knowing that he was letting Axl down. Axl was always a vigilante- fighting for justice, even before he joined the Maverick Hunters. Maybe he was fighting for a reason. X was still keeping things from him.

He missed everyone. Whenever X went on about the paradise he had gifted the world, Zero found himself missing the X he used to know.

"Ahem. What exactly are you two doing?"

X made himself known as he walked into the Maverick Hunter HQ's main training hall, finding Zero accompanied by Axl, who was wearing a strange virtual reality headset and swinging wildly into thin air as the older red hunter took notes. At the realisation X was among them, Axl slipped the headset off and let out an ecstatic cry.

"X!" Axl called out, barreling over to run into X's arms. X had no other choice than to reciprocate the hug- otherwise, he would've been thrown to the ground. "You're finally back!"

It had been a while. X had been called out to a covert mission to infiltrate a maverick uprising in Giga City's underground, and it had been mostly radio silence from his end for the better part of a month. He got it under control eventually, and it thrilled X to know he could return safe and sound to the comfort of his family. Zero sauntered over, stealing X's attention away from the young copybot with just the way he walked so elegantly.

"Welcome home, X," Zero crooned, cupping his cheek to pull him into a kiss. Axl stepped back to give them some semblance of privacy. "Signas let me know you did well out there. I'm proud of you."

Even now, when X was far higher in rank than Zero, his praise still made him giddy and flustered, and he could feel the colour rising to his cheeks. "Aw, thanks, Zed," X mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Nothing I couldn't handle. Those punks just needed some sense knocked into them."

He punched his palm as he said that. Zero snickered, pushing the stray locks of X's black-brown hair back behind his helmet with a light touch. "Sounds exciting." Zero grinned. "Too bad I'm stuck here until the Elf Project's done with me. You'll have to tell me all about it tonight."

Zero paused, squinting at X. "You need a shave. Keep that up and you'll start looking like Dr. Light."

"Yes, sir," X conceded playfully. He turned back to Axl, who still held on to the peculiar headset. X cocked his head at it. "Now, now. What were you two doing just then?"

Axl glanced at the headset, then turned back to X. "Ah, we were testing out this new training doohickey," the newgen explained. "See, the other day, Signas tested all of our combat capabilities so he could update his strategies or whatever. You'll be happy to know I scored the highest out of everyone in my rank at firearm proficiency."

There was a 'but…' that was left unsaid lingering after his sentence. Zero chuckled at Axl's self confidence, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"His hand-to-hand combat skills need a little work," Zero filled in. Axl grumbled, Zero effortlessly raining on his parade. "But the doctors told me they'd prefer if I didn't overexert myself, so I've been keeping watch. We were just using this new simulation thing so Axl's training can feel a little more immersive while I'm out of commission."

The way Zero's activity was so heavily restricted weighed down on X, but he tried to convince himself that it was for the greater good, and when Zero was done with the project, things would go back to normal- or as normal as it ever got around Maverick Hunter HQ.

A thought came to Zero, and he snapped his fingers. "Hey, X, I don't suppose you're doing anything this afternoon, are you?" Zero asked. X leaned back and crossed his arms, knowing what was coming next, but he still played along.

"No, I suppose I'm not," X confirmed. Zero smirked.

"Then why don't you help Axl train? You're good with fisticuffs," Zero proposed. Axl seemed to be on board with the idea, looking up at X with pleading, bubbly green eyes. X rolled his eyes and nodded, much to Axl's delight, and they stepped onto the training mat, Axl surrendering the VR headset to Zero's possession. Zero kept a watchful eye from the side, leaning on a wall as Axl and X squared up, pacing around each other with raised fists.

"Alright, why don't you give me a taste of what I'm working with here?" X goaded him. "Hit me. As hard as you can."

That was what Axl needed to hear. He pulled back a fist and threw a strike directly at X, but the blue hunter had already moved out the way. Axl harrumphed, stancing up one again to slug another punch that met nothing but air as X evaded him again. As soon as Axl could register the movement, X had swept his ankles and knocked him back onto the mat.

"Try to be a little more subtle with your intentions," X advised. "I can see your punches coming from a mile away."

Axl breathed out hard as he got back to his feet. He tried to throw a punch, then another, and another after that, but nothing connected, X managing to either dodge or effortlessly block the onslaught.

"Use your whole body when you strike, Axl," X suggested, all the while avoiding every jab, punch and kick Axl threw at him. "If you punch with just your arm, you're only gonna use as much force as your arm can muster. If you use your whole body, you can put all that momentum into the strike."

Axl tried again, heeding X's advice, putting his entire body behind his punches. He was getting there, but he was still awkward and stilted in his fighting. Zero looked on closely and wrote down a couple notes.

"Getting good," X praised, "but you want to be punching more like this."

Before Axl could process what he was saying, X had thrown a powerful, heavy punch square into the copybot's chest. Axl gasped in agony, the wind knocked out of him in a mere second as he collapsed onto the mat. He curled up into himself, the pain making him feel sick as he tried desperately to recalibrate his scrambled systems.

At the sound of the collision, Zero dropped everything and rushed to Axl's side, kneeling down to cradle the boy. Axl gasped for air, the sound of the young reploid heaving sending a shiver down Zero's spine.

"O-ow…" Axl choked out. His air intake system felt like it had been crushed with one simple punch. "T-that really h-hurt, X…"

He was sobbing, clutching his chest. Zero held him closer and hushed him. X stood over the two, seemingly unphased. "See, now you're prepared for the real thing."

Axl felt nauseous, an unbearable pain burning through his entire body. He was sobbing, heaving, and he knew he must look pathetic, but he couldn't help it. He knew X was strong, but that strong?

"Ow..." Axl weeped. His eyes were getting watery now. "D-dad… w-why did y-you do that?"

"You need to be prepared for everything, Axl!" X exclaimed. "Anyone can hurt you anytime. You have to learn to anticipate this-"

"X!" Zero shut him up quickly. "That's enough. You really hurt him, you know."

They glared at each other for a moment that felt like an eternity. "He needs to be pushed," X refuted. "I don't want him acting like the reploid I used to be. I was pathetic back then."

"This is pushing him too far!" Zero shouted, his voice beginning to quiver. The warbot scooped Axl up into his arms as he got to his feet. "What's wrong with you?"

That made X back off. Zero fixed him with a cold, furious glare, letting his actions sink in before Zero stomped off with the kid limp in his arms, still wheezing and huffing in pain. The doors slid shut, leaving X by his lonesome in the silence of the empty training hall.

He looked down at his hands, opening and closing his fists. He let out a sigh, falling back onto the training mat and looking up at the ceiling.

What was wrong with him?