Zero stood tall, strong, and fierce. The combination was carried by an air of grace, though the darkened lab cast an underworldly drape over him, where the only the emerald orbs of his breastplate and slivers of his brilliant red armor shone through. Like a tiger under a jungle canopy, he was as menacing as he was marvelous.
"Even though you told me, X, I just couldn't believe it," Dr. Cain said. "But I have no choice but to trust my eyes!"
Zero pointed his expression downward, unable to meet the doctor's eyes.
"I just can't explain it," the doctor said, shaking his head.
X sensed Zero's discomfort. "That's alright for now." X said. Standing at Dr. Cain's side, he moved to approach Zero. While gesturing toward the doctor, he then said, "Zero, I'd like for you to meet Dr. Cain. He's the human who discovered me. He is a brilliant and kind human, and it was his idea that may have saved your life."
"Well, possibly," the doctor added.
Zero looked up and scanned the doctor for a moment, as though deciding whether or not to believe what X said. He then nodded to the doctor and said, "I'm grateful, I think." Zero then furrowed his brow and brought a hand to rest on his head. He added, "But I have no memories, nor can I figure anything out. Will you tell me who you are, and what my directives are?"
Dr. Cain said nothing, instead looking to X to take the lead. Neither had expected this outcome, and so they needed to come up with something plausible, fast. X could feel Zero grow irritated at the lack of response, so X quickly said, "You're at the Maverick Hunter Headquarters, and you were wounded in action. So we brought you here to treat you."
Zero quirked a brow, pausing to process the information. He asked, "What's 'Maverick Hunters'?"
"We're a global organization dedicated to protecting humans from Reploids who go mad. We call those mad Reploids 'Mavericks'," X explained.
"Reploids?" Zero asked.
"Robots who can think for themselves and have free will, like yourself, and like X here," Dr. Cain said. X smiled while Zero nodded.
"So I'm a Hunter?" Zero asked.
X's face fell instantly. The question hit him in the gut. He did not want to tell Zero that no, he was not a Hunter. X did not want to tell him that he was built to destroy, and that was responsible for the deaths of many of his comrades. He could not tell Zero that been brought here not for forgiveness, but only to satisfy the perverse curiosity of his commander. X did not want to reveal how many times he had considered euthanizing him, and that he actually did in effect euthanize him. Above all, he could not tell Zero that he was once a Maverick, and therefore a sworn enemy.
For the first time since he could remember, X did not want to tell the truth. Without hesitation, he said, "Yes. You are a great Hunter."
Dr. Cain looked at X with a mixture of shock as well as mild amusement. X trusted that the doctor would follow along.
Meanwhile, Zero smiled, seeming to be pleased with the idea. He said, "You must be a Hunter, then, too?"
X nodded and said, "That's right."
"Are you in charge? Is that why you are the only Hunter here?"
X smirked and shook his head. "Far from it. Our commander is a Reploid by the name of Sigma."
"Sigma " Zero repeated.
"Speaking of," Dr. Cain interrupted. "When were we going to notify him of this development?"
X sighed and said, "Anytime, I guess." He thought about his fib about Zero being a Hunter and quickly added, "I'll tell him now myself." X's aura grew stormy, forgetting to utter a goodbye as he stepped out of the room.
Left to themselves, Dr. Cain eyed Zero as if he were still trying to figure out a way to melt the ice between them. He could sense Zero's distrust - a natural reaction to waking up without any memories to help make sense of reality. The doctor would think to say something, then stop. Finally, he said, "I'm very glad you pulled though. I'm not sure how X would have handled it otherwise."
"What really happened to me?" Zero asked.
Dr. Cain paused, mentally mustering the ability to be honest without betraying X. He said, "After your accident, you were brought here with critical damage. You were violent and incoherent, and not anything like the way you are now. There were weeks of operations, but it was mostly time spent hoping your system would repair what I could not understand."
"What you could not understand?" Zero repeated. "You didn't build me?"
Dr. Cain smiled. "Like the human who built X, the one who created you was a genius of geniuses. I fear it would take an extra lifetime for me to fully learn what makes you work."
"Who did create me? Why didn't you ask them to help?"
"Zero." Dr. Cain paused for a beat. "As far as I know, no one on this planet knows who made you."
Zero's face started with surprise, then swiftly changed to disbelief, to disheartened, then to troubled. Combined, it was apparent that the revelation was a jolt to Zero's newborn consciousness.
"I understand you want to recover as much of your memory as possible," Dr. Cain said. "But that will take time, and there will be some things that remain a mystery. There's at least one Reploid who knows what you're going through better than anyone." "Who?" Zero asked, looking up sharply.
Dr. Cain smiled and said, "You've already met him."
Zero blinked before saying, "X?"
The doctor nodded. "He has struggled, as I am sure you will, with being different and with having no clear recollection of your past or purpose. Your advantage, however, is that you won't have to struggle alone, like he has."
"Really " Zero trailed off. He put a fist to his chin, and his stance relaxed.
Dr. Cain's face fell suddenly. Zero noticed, and was confused when the doctor pinned him again with a serious, almost angry gaze. The doctor said, "Even though I have been there for X since he can remember, and although an entire race was been born because of him, X is more lonely than I could possibly understand." His face then relaxed. "That's why I hope you will be the friend he needs."
Zero furrowed his brow and asked, "Were we not friends before?"
Dr. Cain chuckled. Smiling, he said, "Since you met, you've been inseparable." Seeing Zero nod, he added, "And now, you owe X your life, and for many reasons. I don't see you having much trouble with my request."
Zero smiled softly before replying, "I understand. I don't think that will be a problem."
Satisfied, Dr. Cain moved on from the subject and said, "Truly, having two of the most remarkable creations of mankind my laboratory at once has been quite a humbling experience for me. Which isn't to say that I'm just a quack. As a matter of fact, I hold many prestigious awards in robotics as well as molecular biology "
As Dr. Cain continued proudly listing his accomplishments, Zero smiled, but his gaze traveled toward the exit door where X left the lab to make the call to Sigma.