In a dead of a clear starry night, Ceil has just got done negotiating with a few huamans that have remained underground. The humans have been living underground for so long, that they aren't going to budge unless they get the major requirements. In order to finally come out of hiding, they wanted all reploids in the surface to basically give up their rights and free will, as they wanted to go back to the way it was. Basically, they don't want to co-exist with them as they were. and have been since 21XX.
Ceil is upset that these group of humans that have spent the majority of thier lives underground, as Reploids fought each other for the sake of humanity. And the way that these humans that have gone underground and have this mindset. It was something that Ceil needed to figure out a good compromise other than to pick a side.
Ceil takes a seat on a steel bench in a park, as Neo Arcadia is in the progress of rebuilding. She hears a commotion in the distance at the direction of the base, but Ceil is too stressed and exhusted to matter. that is until there's a clashing bang that is caused when a metal is being hit. She immediately gets off the bench and goes twoards what it is. Ceil arrives to the commotion as she thinks its another dispute amougst reploids again. She went inside a small storage tent as she wasn't expected who is inside. She clearly reconizes the familar long blonde haired reploid that she thought died on Ragnarok. Her eyes began to swell up in tears as Zero is going off on Axl, the repolid that she found batteredly shut down in some abandoned faciltiy that has been buried in.
"For freaks sakes Zero, Calm down!" Axl firmly says as he is pinning Zero to the ground like a cop taking down an aggressive robber. Neither of them has noticed Ceil watching them as Zero is having a bit of a hostile tone towards Axl. Without context, Zero without his vest and armor and Axl being on top of him, it would look as though they were in some kind of an kinky adult situation. It isn't the case as Ceil made a noise that made both Axl and Zero look over to Ceil.
Still in this offensive mode, Zero uses his aggressive strength to get himself up. Making Axl fall on his back, as Zero goes right over to Ceil. Without given permission, he grasps her shoulders and gave a through examinations to see if there's any injuries. Before he would to be able to ask her if she's alright, Ceil leaps forward for a hug of releif. Zero steps back as Ceil gives him a hug as his hands are spread out in response to the sudden hug. Hearing Ceil cry also alerted Zero as though he thinks something is up.
"Ceil what's wrong? I'll exterminate whomever troubling you." Zero states sternly to Ceil as Ceil actually responds through the tears. "Zero... You're alive... Thank goodness."
Her response has gotten Zero to be a bit baffled, as He turns his head to look at Axl to which gave a nervous grin and rubbing the back of his head with his hand.
-- Time Skip --
Tomorrow came as it was a clear warm morning. Ceil and Axl have given Zero an explamation to what has happened at his abstance last night. It has been a full year since Zero took down Dr. Weil and destroyed Ragnarok. Everyone from the Resistance thought Zero has sacrificed himself to save the world. Going out as a hero to all, However upon hearing that, Zero still doesn't think he deserves to have that title considering that he just did it for the mission.
Ceil is outside on a wooden picnick, having breakfast as Axl gets out of the tent stretching his arms as he yawns. Getting up like a teenager waking up at noon as he immediately gains his enthusiatstic youthful energy. Turning right around as he lifts the tent to awaken Zero. Once he tells Zero to get up full-heartedly otimisitic, Zero responds with throwing a can of rations at Axl. He dodges as this is usually how Zero gets when he's awaken by an energized morning person.
"Morning Axl." Ceil spoke as she greets Axl when he leaves Zero to sleep in. Axl spoke with a chirpy tone, "Morn'in." Once he goes over to sit with Ceil. They chit chat for a bit about Zero.
"I guess you were right about you two knowing each other." Ceil spoke as she was refering to thier past conversation. The conversation that happened about Axl's relationship to Zero as he mentioned that they used to be Maverick hunters together as teamates. Something that Ceil hasn't been aware that there's a third person in the once famous S rank Maverick Hunters.
"Yeah I told ya, me and Zero go way back. We even fought alongside X in a battle to end the sigma virus that has been plaguing Repoloids to become mavericks." Axl spoke with a smile as he felt really releif that at least Ceil knows about him bieng present in the war. He has a bit of a let-down when he discovered that his past sacrifice to save X and Zero in the Elf wars went unreconized and even been given a notice. It felt like being fogotten in history as it stings to Axl that have been a great fighter and a team player to both X and Zero.
"So sorry that the historians didn't reconized you as part in the ranks of S-ranks Maverick Hunters fighting the Elf wars. We are trying to salvage the infomation we could gather up to be put on our records." Ceil informs Axl as she explains to Axl about the reisitance trying to look for salvageable info about the past from the Elf Wars. Since for some reason, Dr. Weil or Copy X has gotten rid of all infomation about the Elf Wars that has almost erraticatied humanity and Reploids. Ceil as well as Niege is basically trying to salvage what they can recover form the past.
"It's fine, I figured that Weil would basically try to erased history. Can't take over the blood world if the people finds out about the past history of... Or whatever the heck the reason for getting rid of the historical records." Axl spoke in a joking tone, but notices by the look on Ceil's timid facial response. He backs off from using a punch line that would be rather dark and edgy. So he backs off.
A sudden sound of a tent opening, A little girl came out of the pink color tent holding an adorable kitten plushie. She yawns adorably as he apporaches towards Axl and Ceil.
"Miss Ceil and Mister Axl..." Allouette spoke tiredly as it immediately warms the heart of the ginger spikey haired reploid that finds Allouette to be the most adorable little girl. Allouette actually took a liking to Axl's youthful and energetic personality, in which the two have grown a good bond.
"I've overheard last night that mister Axl has found Zero." Allouette spoke up as she sits next to Ceil. Looking rather relief to hear that Zero is alive as the little girl was worried sick for someone that she considered an older brother figure. Once Axl clarifies to the little blond haired girl holding her plushie on her lap, Allouette gave a loosen sigh of relief. The little girl has been feeling hurt, hurt since the day where Ceil had to break it to her that Zero isn't comming back. From that day, the little girl took it rather maturely for her age as she sees the look Ceil is showing to her as she just went over to give Ceil a hug for comfort. Allouette took it strongly, but still feel heartbroken that Zero broke a promise.
After a few minutes of an unrelated chatter from the three of them, Axl notices that Zero hasn't awaken from his charging bed for reploids as he thought it would be better to shout back at him. "Zero wake the heck up!" He shouts as this remineded him of those times back in the Maverick Hunters days, Zero wouldn't let Axl sleep in during the slow days.
Zero is ignoring Axl's voice as he tries to shulk alone in the tent. Hearing that exact engergetic old teammate of his, he gets up. He storms to open the tent with agression as the Crimson armored repoloid is livid. Presumingly due to been thinking about a particular old friend that had become a cyber elf. "Axl! Shut up! Don't freaking awaken me unless there's a bloody massacre going on!"
Zero is then greeted with the sight of Ceil, Allouette and an equally angerly upset Axl sitting in a picknick taple. Noticing that he personally spent all night overthinking about something, He rather not want to put up with anyone at the moment. Allouette and Ceil stay slient as the two reploids have an intense virbal arugument. It got really intense, Ceil quickly covers the young Allouette's ears as Zero swears up a storm. To which Axl calls him out on as there's a little child present.
"What the hell is wrong with you Zero?! You saved the bloody world from Dr. Weil and you're going to spend your days sulking like some kind of an sulking edgelord that hates everything?!"
The yelling and shouting between Axl and Zero has left with Zero basically began to walk away from the group. Not wanting to put with Axl and just ending the aggressive virbal fighting.
"Screw all of this, I'm freaking leaving!" Zero firmly shouts as he storms off as he walks past a tree to which he stopped for a moment to aggressively punch the tree as he activated his Z-Knuckle. The punch is powerful, that a big chunk of the tree is blown off, but the tree still stood as there's pieces of the tree barks are flying off. Ceil gets up right after Zero resumes storming away from the base. "Zero..." she spoke with a worried consern for the reploid.
Right as Zero disapears into the woods and heading deeper in. Allouette in a curious tone, asks Axl. "Mister Axl, what is a sulking edgelord?"
Author's Note:
Here's the second chapter of the megaman Zero series. The Megaman Zero series is rightfully owned by Capcom, this is basically just a fanfic of the videogame series. Appeciate for any reads of this story. Feel free to send feedback or give a favorite if you like it.