X, Zero, me, and the soldiers were in the abandoned city. Our mission was to investigate the city if there was a honkai threat. If there is, we need to block the city. If not, the government will create a new city for the people.

I didn't know why or how this place was abandoned but I rather focused on my mission.

I was staring at the ring while I rested and sat on a huge rock. This ring... was very hideous. TT_TT

"Yo! Axl, What's up?" Zero arrived as he looked at the ring. "Whoa! Is that an engagement ring?!" he was dumbfounded.

I jolted at what he said as I looked at him. "What?! No! This is a promise ring."

"Oooooh! Is it for Tyro?" Zero teased me as he pinched my cheek. "Yo! X, our baby bro became a man!"

"Excuse me, Zero! I am a MAN!" I pouted. He still treated me like a baby again. I thought X was the one who treat me. T3T

X walked towards us and smiled. "Oh! I'm excited. You two get along pretty well. Can I see the ring?"

"Sure," I showed him the ring. "I ordered it online last Saturday."

X analyzed the ring. "This ring looked like Childe's Fatui symbol from Genshin Impact with light blue and white rhinestones but the silver ring is kinda off."

"Hmm," Zero looked at the ring. "Yeah. Where did you find this?"

I chuckled nervously as I scratched my cheek. "I bought it online. Some jewelry makers created 'inspiration' rings. As I found the GI version rings, the prices are very different. The ring you held is $3.45 while the other ring that I left at home is $4," I took out my smartphone and showed the picture of four diamond-shaped silver ring with a blue gem.

"So, you ended to buy both. Huh? I like the second one. Why you brought the first one?" Zero raised a brow.

"'Cuz I like to wear it. The problem is that my ring finger is too big. I thought this ring is adjustable," I answered.

"Then, you can make it into a necklace. I don't want you to force and break it by accident," X suggested with a smile.

"Yeah. I should buy a chain necklace after the mission," I agreed with him. Luckily, I can keep the rip-off ring and save the real promise ring for Tyro. I hope Tyro will love it. ^_^

"Maverick Hunter X! Maverick Hunter Zero! Maverick Hunter Axl! HELP!"

We heard an urgent call from one of the soldiers through our earpieces. We answered immediately as we pressed the buttons from our earpieces.

"This is Maverick Hunter Zero. Do you copy? Over," Zero asked.

"Sir! Our men were slaughtered by reviving mavericks! They have honkai energy in them! Some of us retreated as we need to stay away-*SCREECH*"

"Hello! Please respond!" X got panicked.

"Save our men! I BEG YOU-AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

After that frightful scream, no one responded... That was never a good sign. I navigated a little from my GPS navigation as the caller's location was at the old school, going north. I sent the location to X and Zero as we all agreed and rushed to the old school.

"The signal is there. Let's go, Zero, Axl!" X commanded as he entered the school with Zero quickly.

I was going with them-

"Nowaki, hurry! We're going to be late!"

"Wait up!"

Huh?

I saw four high school boys run to the school. The one who passed through me was a high school boy with black hair and green eyes.

"I'm coming! Geez! We have 10 minutes before the school gates close," he pouted as he caught up with his friends.

What the hell is going on?! Am I daydreaming?! I slept well yesterday!

I closed and shook my head as I opened my eyes and the daydream disappeared. I lost tracks of X and Zero as I checked again on my GPS navigation. They were inside the school. I followed them as I was in the hallway, filled with empty classrooms on each side.

"Ya know, Nowaki! We should perform our last song for graduation."

I heard voices again as I spotted the same high school boys from before, even that boy, Nowaki. Their classrooms had a neat sitting arrangement with school chairs, a whiteboard, and a teacher's desk. The sky was shiny and bright.

"Last song? My ass! We can play our music every day. Plus, we go to the same college together," Nowaki laughed. He sat on the table and fixed his guitar.

"True but we chose our different courses. We don't know if we spend each other," Kiko was concerned.

"It's okay. We can hang out when we're not busy. I mean, I choose 3D Animation and Cartooning. Gino and Nowaki are in the Business Management course. Fram will be nursing and you choose sexy pole dancer," Yukina grinned and danced mischievously.

"Fuck you, Yukina! I choose architecture!" Kiko scolded Yukina.

"Hoping there's no Algebra. I really hate it," Nowaki sighed.

"Nowaki, I hate to say it but all courses have Algebra," Fram smirked.

"Ah, shit! Nuuuuuuuu!" Nowaki screamed as his friends laughed at him.

I chuckled as I listened to their cliche, slice-of-life comedy. I didn't know why I have this but their friendships were heartwarming.

"Axl! Can you hear me?!"

Ah shit! I was daydreaming again! I snapped from the daydream again as I pressed my earpiece. "I'm here, Zero! I was middle of something! I'll catch up-"

"No! You need to get all the soldiers out! The mavericks are stronger with the Honkai virus. X and I will block the mavericks while you rescue the soldiers and send them back to our camp," Zero ordered.

"Sure about what about you and-"

The communication was cut short as I spotted the hunters, some of them were injured as they helped each other out. I didn't ask them about what happened but Zero and X trusted me.

I transformed into Optimus Prime's truck as I carried all the hunters and rode to our camp safely.

And yes, I asked Dr. Angelo for a commission about making a reploid with a vehicle transformation memory chip. He suggested a Transformer because they can transform into cars. So, I happily agreed and chose Optimus Prime.

Heeheehee! I was soooo happy with my transformation. :)

After I rescued the soldiers and sent them to camp, I returned to the school and transformed back to my true form. As I activated my navigation, X's and Zero's signals still appeared.

I followed the signals as I saw a big hole in the floor. The hole led to the underground. I jumped down and landed on the ground. While I ran, I saw the corpses of the soldiers and other hunters that they didn't make it-

"Oh shit!" I heard Fram's voice next to me.

As I turned around, all the corpses changed into dead high school students. The underground was still the same but added with splattered blood stains on the walls.

I was terrified that this daydream turned into a living nightmare.

"M-m-mavericks?! We have to get out of here!" Gino panicked as the five boys escaped from the massacre.

"Oh god! Don't want to get murdered!" Yukina cried.

"I want my mama!" Kiko screamed.

Nowaki kept following them. Suddenly, the mavericks blocked their only escape.

"Hi there!" the leader with a skull mask smirked as he snapped his fingers.

"NOOOOOOO!" Nowaki and I screamed as Nowaki's friends were ripped and crashed their bodies by the mavericks' brutal strength.

I was shivering that their causes of death were the same that I dreamed of 6 months ago.

Even though I didn't know them, they were still innocent people. I felt guilty that I didn't take action. I rose my gun and fired at the mavericks. All of them disappeared, not getting killed.

"You can't defeat me in a nightmare, Axl," the maverick with bat wings smirked as all my bullets went through him, like a ghost. He went closer to me.

I stepped back and kept firing. "Shut the fuck up! Why are you killing those kids?! They didn't do anything to you, you maverick!" I shouted outrageously.

"Maverick? I know I was in Nowaki's body but that bitch, Herrscher of Manipulation, sealed me away. Fortunately, Nowaki is still alive. However, he had no memories as a new person," he spoke.

"What are you talking about?" I asked as I still targeted him.

When he smiled at me evilly, he faded away. Is my daydream over-

"Aaah!" I held my chest as I felt intense pain. The hell?! This wasn't a heart attack.

I coughed out blood as I was shocked.

I shook my head. "No! I'm not!"

I activated my navigation. X's and Zero's signals were still active. I kept running while I held my chest and eased my pain. I wanted to help and rescue them. I needed them if I had troubles and solved them together. They were just like my brothers. I didn't want to abandon them.

As I saw the light, I ran quickly as I reached the room. All I saw... were mavericks... that we all knew...

Vile, Chill Penguin, Overdrive Ostrich, Blast Hornet, Dark Mantis, Dr. Doppler, Colonel Redips, Bit, Byte, Lumine, and the others... they were alive.

"Bwahahahaha! So, you're the only one left. We were waiting for you," Vile laughed sarcastically as he folded his arms on his chest.

"Where are X and Zero?!" I shouted.

"Are you blind?" Lumine pointed at the ground as I looked down.

My eyes widened as X and Zero were lying on the ground, wounded as their armor and body parts were destroyed wretchedly.

"X! Zero!" I cried as I ran and kneeled to them. I checked their health from my navigation. They were alive but they became very frail.

All the mavericks surrounded me as they won't let me escape with X and Zero. I knew them. They were heartless and wanted revenge on me.

"If you want to save them, you have to defeat all of us!" Dr. Doppler smirked.

"You may have copy abilities but you're still not strong enough to face us," Colonel Redips said emotionlessly.

All the mavericks were laughing at me heartlessly as they readied to kill me. I gritted my teeth and held my guns tightly as I readied to fight. I will never be afraid of the mavericks. I will never forgive them!