Author's Note: I do not own Mega Man, Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, or Sword Art Online all rights to their respective companies. Time for the ship to sail away.
Chapter 4: Coming Back
One year has passed since Zero left Asuna and so far it has been a miserable year for both.
So time to tell you what happened in that year.
Asuna joined the Knights of the Blood Oath thinking that it might take away her thoughts of Zero which did work for a time. However not even two months later she heard how there was this swordsman with a glowing green saber who wore a cloak to hide his identity. The players called him the Enigma.
Asuna of course knew that this was Zero and so whenever she had free time she would go search for Zero, searching for any clues of his whereabouts.
She would go to the people who said they saw the Enigma and asked if they saw Zero's face as she showed them a picture that she and Zero took when they were about to enter the tower in Neo Arcadia.
Most of the time people would say that they didn't see his face, but sometimes they would say that they did see his face and tell her where he ran off too.
She kept searching no matter what, even if she was told by her guild to give up or to stop entirely.
Kirito would help her once in a while, but only to get closer to her since he had developed a crush on her ever since Zero left.
He did sometimes try to make advances on Asuna only to be swiftly declined by Asuna.
Zero on the other hand lent a hand in some of the boss' raids, while also hiding from Asuna since she kept her eyes peeled for him.
Zero mostly dealt with the Mavericks that came his way or threatened the lives of the players.
He did find out about Asuna was searching for him after he saved a couple players from a Maverick attack.
Flashback
A group of players were running from a horde of Mavericks who were chasing and shooting them as they ran through the forest trying to keep as much distance as they could.
They then hear the sound of a Saber cutting through all of the Mavericks turning them to bits.
They then turn around and see Zero or how he was known when he had his cloak on Enigma.
"Y-you're Enigma!" One of the players said as he approached Zero who was sheathing his Saber.
"Yeah that's me." Zero says as he looks at the player.
"Thank you for helping us with those Mavericks you really saved our asses!" The player said as Zero nodded.
"Your welcome." Zero says as he begins to walk away.
"Wait somebody is actually looking for you." The player says as Zero stops and turns to look at him.
"Who?" Zero asks as the player thinks about it for a moment before giving his answer.
"The Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Asuna I think her name is." The player says as Zero widened his eyes.
"Thank you for the information, stay safe alright." Zero says as he walks away from the group.
Present
(Music Recommendation: For Endless Fight in Resonance)
Zero was going rooftop to rooftop of the 50th floor keeping a close eye on Asuna who was walking with Kirito heading to beat Floor 70's boss.
Asuna then looks up to where Zero was observing her only to see no one.
"Asuna did you see someone?" Kirito asks as Asuna has stopped in front of him.
"No one Kirito. I just felt like somebody was watching me just now." Asuna says as Zero continues to watch over her as she walks away.
Just then Cyber Elf X appears next to Zero who was still looking at Asuna.
"She loves you, you know that." X says as Zero sighs.
"And I love her, but you know why I can't be with her." Zero says as X sighs.
"You know you're really shy at points you know that." X says as Zero continues to look at Asuna.
"Really tell me one time when I was shy." Zero says as X smiles.
"Let's see when I found out that you and Iris liked each other but both of you were too shy to tell each other until I pushed you to tell her." X says as Zero begins to blush.
"I just want her to be safe." Zero says as X sighs.
"You know that you're causing her more pain than you think you're preventing." X says as Zero sighs.
"I know but-" Zero says but is interrupted by X.
"Then why don't you go down there, say hi, and live your life with her?" X asks as Zero finally lets out his frustration.
"Because I don't want to hurt her! I don't want to lose control and end up hurting her or worse X!" Zero shouts at X who is left stunned by how his best friend reacted.
"I don't want to let my Maverick side harm her X." Zero says as he looks at Asuna who was still walking while having a gloom look.
"Zero you and I both know that the remaining Maverick side of you was destroyed when you killed Omega." X says as Zero looks down.
"But what if it's still in me lingering within me waiting for the chance to strike." Zero says as X sighs and puts a hand on Zero's shoulder.
"Listen Zero. I know for a fact that the Maverick side of you is gone. You don't have to stay away from her. Go be happy for once you deserve it." X says as he fades away.
"Maybe you're right X. Maybe you're right." Zero says as he looks down.
(Music Ends)
Zero then looks back at where Asuna was and begins to follow her trail. Long story short Zero finds her arguing with her bodyguard Kuradeel who Zero really didn't like. Kuradeel then challenges Kirito to a duel to which he accepts.
Zero watches Kirito smirk and go into a fighting stance for the duel. Zero wanting to end this stupid conflict decides intervene when Kuradeel was about to bring his sword down on Kirito. Zero dashes in and delivers a couple quick slashes at Kuradeel marking him with his Z Saber, while also annihilating Kuradeel's sword.
"Zero." Asuna says as she sees the marks on Kuradeel and immediately recognizes how they were from Zero's Z Saber.
Asuna then began to look around to then see a cloaked figure standing on top of one of the rooftops. The figure looks at her before slowly walking away.
"Wait Zer-" Asuna says but is interrupted by Kirito.
"Come on Asuna, that dungeon isn't going to raid itself." Kirito says as he walks into the portal that led to the dungeon as everyone in the town square including Kuradeel began to leave.
"Coming!" Asuna says as she enters the portal.
Zero jumps down from one of the rooftops and enters the portal after everyone had left.
Dungeon
Long story short Asuna dealt with some Mavericks that were in the dungeon which didn't really help her since it only reminded her of Zero.
However, that didn't mean she didn't cut them down the bits.
Zero also had to deal with his fair share of Mavericks but he dealt with them at a safe distance where Asuna wouldn't notice him.
Everything went as it did in the original story with Kirito using dual wielding to try and kill the boss only for him to fail.
As he was about to be killed by the boss Zero at speeds that no one could see him, cut the Minotaur down.
As everyone started to check on Kirito, Asuna had her attention focused on the cloaked figure who had beaten the boss.
As she was approaching him Klein asks, "Yo Asuna you got any healing crystals?"
"Yeah I do." Asuna says as she turns to look at the cloak figure only for him to have disappeared.
Asuna sighs and goes to heal Kirito.
Zero's Latest Hideout
"That was a close one." Zero says as he sighs sits in his hideout.
"What hideout is this? #137 and so far 2 weeks in without it being destroyed by Mavericks. I think we're making progress." Zero says as he lays down and begins to drift to sleep.
However that sleep didn't last as his wall was soon destroyed as he woke up and sighs.
"Should've known it was too good to be true." Zero says as he unsheathes his Z Saber and goes on to deal with Mavericks. After dealing with the Mavericks Zero plunges his Z Saber and begins to look around his surroundings.
"Well time to start the search for a new hideout." Zero says as he begins to walk away.
One Month Later
After at least a month of roaming the desert, Zero finds himself walking completely exhausted.
Just then he hears a tone of metallic footsteps and looks behind to see an armada of Pantheons.
(Music Recommendation: Mega Man Zero 2 Departure remix)
Zero then takes off his cloak in the most badass way he could and glares at the Pantheons.
"*pant* *pant* Let's go." Zero says as he tore right through the armada killing all of them before going through all of the death traps the Pantheons put for Zero.
Zero cut down anything that was in his way including some Golems that were in his way, a couple of Maverick Vultures, and more Pantheons.
After dealing with the Mavericks that were in his way Zero thought he was safe until he dodged a scorpion's tail from impaling him.
"Huh is it just me or this is totally deja vu." Zero says as he dodges another one of the scorpion Maverick's attacks.
Zero just kept on dodging until he got on top of it and plunged his Z Saber into it's head and pulled out another Z Saber and cut its tail off.
"Now that is what you call dual wielding." Zero says with a smirk as the Maverick explodes.
However that smirk quickly went away, as Zero then walked a bit more before collapsing on the ground.
"So I guess this is it huh? X, Asuna I'm sorry I failed you both." Zero says as he closes his eyes.
(Music Ends)
However as Zero laid there unconscious some players wearing Knights of the Blood Oath uniforms come up to him and kneel next to him.
"Vice Commander we found him." One of them calls out as Asuna appears in a flash and looks at Zero's exhausted state.
"You always did push yourself didn't you," Asuna says as she puts Zero's head on her lap before shedding a tear and getting out a teleportation crystal.
"Teleport home." Asuna says as the teleport crystal takes her and Zero to her apartment.
A Couple Hours Later
Zero wakes up in a bed he didn't recognize. He looks around him and sees how no one was around.
Zero decides to get up and leave as he makes his way to the door.
'Alright Zero just find the exit to this place, get out, and avoid her at... all... cost.' Zero finishes his thoughts abruptly as he sees how someone opened the door and that someone was Asuna holding a plate of food in her hand.
Once she sees Zero she drops the food and begins to slowly walk towards Zero who is stupefied.
"Z-Zero." She says softly as she then hugs him and cries into his chest.
Zero didn't hug back, only listening to what she had to say.
"I thought I lost you. I searched everywhere for you and when I did see you, you just ran away from me." Asuna says as Zero separates from the hug.
"You know why I had to stay away from you and you know why I have to leave now." Zero says as he was about to head out the door only for Asuna to shut it and lock it.
"You're not going anywhere!" Asuna says in an angry tone.
"You knew how I felt when you left me and you know how much it hurts when you're not with me so why? Why are you doing this again?" Asuna asks as Zero looks down.
"Because it is the only way you'll be safe from not only the Mavericks but from me as well!" Zero shouts as he looks at his hands.
"You know what I had to do to Iris and you know what happened when I turned Maverick. I don't want the same thing that happened a century ago, happen to the woman I now love. So please let me go." Zero says as his hands begin to shake only for Asuna to hold them softly.
(Music Recommendation: FFXV: Episode Prompto - The Fire Within)
"You know I never got to tell or show you that I love you too." Asuna says as she then kisses Zero who was at first hesitant before he finally eased in and joined her in their make out session tongue and all the good stuff.
"You're not a monster Zero. You saved countless humans and Reploids. You've saved me numerous times and you've helped me throughout the toughest of situations and I've grown to love you because of that. You have been with me since the beginning of this whole entire mess. What you were created for doesn't define who you're destined to be, you define who you're destined to be Zero and you know this better than anyone. Please Zero stay with me. You're not a monster. You're you, you're... Zero." Asuna says as Zero finally understood what X meant, he just had to hear it from her.
"I will stay with you Asuna. I will stay." Zero says as he kisses Asuna again who happily joined him and began making out with him.
Zero then took off his helmet, and began to take off his clothes as well. Asuna did as well until they were both naked.
Zero then carried Asuna and pressed her against the wall and began kissing her neck which caused Asuna to let out a loud moan.
They were like this for a couple minutes making out on the wall until Zero carried Asuna to the bed and laid her down.
Zero then looks at Asuna who was panting catching her breath from making out with Zero.
She then looks at Zero and smiles. That smile, that beautiful smile is what kept him going in that one year away from her, hoping to see that smile once again after he dealt with all the Mavericks.
Zero at that point couldn't contain himself anymore and positioned his man hood (Reploid hood) at the entrance of Asuna's pouch.
Zero then looks at Asuna, as to ask permission to which she nodded. Zero then slowly puts it inside until he breaks through her barrier causing some blood to leak out from her clit.
Asuna let out a moan of both pleasure and pain.
"A-are you ok?" Zero asks in a concerned tone.
"Y-yeah. It just hurts a bit. You can go on." Asuna says with a smile.
Zero then does what he was told and proceeded to thrust which caused Asuna to moan more.
Zero then kisses Asuna while also holding one of her hands, while the other hand he uses it to grope Asuna's right breast while Asuna clenches his back and wraps her legs around Zero.
The two were like this for hours, both showing their passion and love for one another.
"Z-zero I think I'm g-going to..." Asuna said as Zero was also reaching his end.
With one final thrust and a loud moan followed by a passionate kiss the two reach their ends as both of their inner fluids mixed with one another as Zero fell on Asuna who was panting.
Zero then got off of Asuna and covered them with the bed sheets. The two then began to cuddle with one another with Zero lightly brushing Asuna's hair while also hugging her to which she did the same as she hugged him and buried her face into his chest
The two were like this for a couple minutes until Asuna finally spoke.
"Zero." Asuna said as Zero stopped brushing her hair.
"Hm?" Zero asked as Asuna cuddled into his chest.
"Please tell me this isn't a dream and you'll still be here with me when I wake up." Asuna says as she begins to cry a little only for Zero to wipe away the tears and smile.
"I will be here Asuna don't worry I'll be here." Zero says with a smile as Asuna smiles.
"Good that's all I needed to hear from you." Asuna says as she falls asleep on Zero's chest as the two cuddle for the rest of the night.
(Music Ends)
The Next Morning
Asuna woke up the next morning to the sun shining on her face as she groaned and sat up still naked.
She then rubbed sleep out of her eyes before deciding to look around the room.
She saw how everything was in place except one thing.
Zero wasn't in bed with her.
"Zero. Zero. Zero! Zero!" Asuna says as she uses the bed sheets as a cover before deciding to run out of the room in search for Zero.
However her worries soon died down when she saw Zero in the kitchen making breakfast.
He was just wearing his usual pants with his trademark red boots. He was also shirtless which caused Asuna to blush a deep shade of crimson.
"Heh. And X said I couldn't cook for shit." Zero said as he flipped two chocolate pancakes before putting them on two plates that already had a patch of pancakes on them.
"Oh you're up! That's good. Take a seat, I made us some breakfast." Zero says as Asuna then hugged him which almost caused him to drop the food.
"Woah careful there. I know you're hungry but at least wait until I set the food down." Zero says in a jokingly tone as Asuna smiles.
"I love you, you know that." Asuna says with a smile as Zero also smiles.
"And I love you more. Now come on the food is going to get cold." Zero says as the two sit down.
But before Zero could dig in into his amazing chocolate pancakes, Asuna was giving him an adorable pout.
"Are you forgetting something?" Asuna asks as she continues to pout adorably.
"Uhh... do you want Maple or Chocolate Syrup on your pancakes?" Zero says as he holds up the Maple and Chocolate Syrup and gives off an innocent smile.
"You should be apologizing to me for making me worried sick this morning. Look I couldn't even put my pajamas on and instead I had to wear the bed sheet to cover myself." Asuna says as Zero smiled before looking her up and down.
"If anything it makes you look hotter." Zero says as Asuna slaps him upside the head.
"You deserve punishment for that and I know just the thing." Asuna says with a dark smile.
"*Gulp* What kind of punishment?" Zero says as Asuna's smile grows.
"Oh you'll see. Now be a good Reploid and pour the Chocolate Syrup on my pancakes." Asuna says as Zero grabs the Chocolate Syrup and begins pouring and says, "Yes ma'am!"
After the two ate their breakfast they decided to go back to their room to put on their clothes. Or Zero thought as Asuna then pinned him down on the bed.
"My turn to be in control." Asuna says with a dark smile as Zero begins to become really really nervous.
Floor 45 Streets
Asuna was walking happily with a bright smile on her face, while Zero on the other hand had a very tired look on his face, like he hadn't slept for an entire week.
"Come on Zero!" Asuna says happily as Zero groans and tries to keep up.
'Seriously how did she learn to be so rough after our first time?' Zero asks himself as he continues to walk.
"Asuna, where exactly are we going?" Zero asks as Asuna stops and before sighing.
"My commander got word of me finding you and now he wants to question me." Asuna says as Zero shakes the sleep out of him.
"In other words he wants to interrogate you." Zero says as he raises a brow.
"Y-yeah." Asuna says shyly as Zero then hugs her.
"Hey I said I would stay with you right? If this guy gives you any problems I'll just 'convince' him to leave you alone. Besides, I think it's time for everyone to know who Enigma is." Zero says as he equips his desert cloak and holds Asuna's hand and heads inside the teleporter to go to the 50th floor.
Floor 50 Knights of the Blood Oath Headquarters
Asuna walks out of the teleporter and immediately gets looks of respect from the rest of the KOB members. However as Asuna steps to the side of the teleporter, Zero walks out of it with his hood on concealing his face.
Every single KOB member stops what they were doing and look at Zero in his Enigma persona. Zero then takes off his hood to reveal himself to everyone as they all gasp as they finally find out who Enigma was. However, they were even more surprised when Zero grabbed Asuna's hand and smiled at her as she smiled back.
The two then began to enter the KOB Headquarters but were stopped by none other than Kuradeel.
"Identify yourself before you enter our-" But he was stopped mid sentence by Zero who bitch slapped him away.
He then looks behind him to see Asuna with her arms crossed.
"What he was being a nuisance so I dealt with him just how I deal with any nuisance." Zero says as Asuna sighs.
"Let's just go in." Asuna says as the two make their way inside.
Inside of the KOB Headquarters
Zero was waiting outside of the meeting room waiting for Asuna to let him in, as he had his back against the wall with his arms folded and his eyes closed.
A lot of KOB Members stared at Zero as they passed by him, with Zero of course not caring about all the stares he got.
"Well look who finally decided to show up after a year." A familiar voice said as Zero knew who this was all too well.
"How you doin Kirito." Zero says as he raises his head and opens his eyes to look at Kirito while smirking.
Kirito smirked as well as he finally saw his "rival" after so long (A/N: We all know who Zero's true rival was and forever shall be. Rest In Peace X.)
"So what made you come back?" Kirito asks as Zero smiles.
"I didn't come back by my own will. Sure I wanted to be with Asuna but I didn't want the Mavericks to get to her, so I stayed away from her luring the Mavericks away from both the players and Asuna. In short I stayed away from her to protect her. I traveled around the game lending my aid to anyone who needed it, while also helping with some raids and floor bosses. But the thing about staying hidden and away from someone you love, is that you do a lot of migrating and moving around which means a lot of hideouts. So after one of my hideouts was attacked by Mavericks, I traveled the desert for at least a month before I came across an armada of Pantheons and Golems. I slashed my way through all of them until I destroyed a scorpion mechaniloid. After that I basically passed out from exhaustion. Asuna then found me and took me to her apartment and convinced me to stay with her and long story short we're now lovers." Zero says as his back remains on the wall and his arms remain crossed while a smile appears on his face as he remembers the best night he had ever spent in his entire life.
When Kirito heard this he was shocked, saddened, and enraged.
"You know I never thought I would ever fall in love again." Zero says as Kirito began clenching his fists.
"You don't deserve her." Kirito says quietly as his eyes are shadowed by his hair.
"What was that?" Zero asks as he glares at Kirito as he clearly heard Kirito the first time.
"I said you don't deserve her, you bastard! She doesn't deserve a monster like you! Yeah I know what you really are 'God of Destruction'!" Kirito shouts as Zero only looks at him unamused while still leaning against the wall.
"Is that your best insult because I've heard much worse." Zero says as he looks at Kirito with the same unamused look.
"I challenge you to a duel Legendary Maverick Hunter Zero! If I win I get to keep-" But Kirito was cut off as Zero with blinding speeds grabbed him by his collar and slammed him against the wall causing all of the guild members to gasp.
"You listen to me you little shit! I've fought in countless wars and I've been alive for more than 2 centuries, and you want to know what pissed me off the most throughout all those years of fighting?! It was when people think they have the right to try and control what others say and do! Asuna is a person who can make her own decisions and she decides who she wants to be with, not you, or me, or anyone, you hear!" Zero says as he pushes Kirito deeper into the wall leaving a hole in the wall that was in the shape of Kirito's body.
Zero then drops Kirito and begins to walk away.
"You wanna fight? Meet me in the arena in 5 minutes." Zero says as he walks away from Kirito who only glared at Zero.
Knights of the Blood Oath Arena
Almost all of the KOB Members went to see the fight between the Legendary Maverick Hunter Zero and the Fake Swordsman Kirito (A/N: Guts was first and dawns the name better. Fucking fight me).
Kirito immediately readied his dual wielding mode, while Zero just got out his Z Saber.
"I'll finally show you who the superior swordsman is between you and me! We end this now Maverick Hunter Zero!" Kirito shouts as Zero only glares at him.
The timer finished it's count down and the battle began with Kirito rushing Zero at blinding speeds.
However, right when his swords are about to make contact with Zero, Zero appears behind him and sheathes his saber slowly.
Kirito swords breaks and his body appears with a bunch of scratches leaving his health in the yellow zone as he collapses to the floor, leaving Zero as the victor.
Zero throws him a potion before walking away.
As Zero made his way back to where Asuna was, Asuna ran up from behind him and smacked him upside the head.
"What were you thinking?!" Asuna asks in a very angry tone.
"Just let me explain to you once we're home because I don't want to deal with the bombardment of questions I'm about to get." Zero says as Asuna sighs.
"Fine but you better explain yourself mister." Asuna says as she puts her hands on her hips before the two begin to make their way home.
Author's Note: Wow I love doing this. Anyways, I hope you guys like it, stay safe.