Revelations
Zero and X moved through the facility, both firing off seemingly random shots at pieces of machinery in rooms as they ran through. With a few minutes the building was in flames as Zero and X stood on a nearby cliff.
"That was a little too easy X." Zero stated as his molten mane swung in the wind.
"I know. Not even any real reploids manning the place. Nothing but normal bots." X stated as he stood beside his taller companion.
"Think we should let Light know?"
"I'd say he already does. He monitors all of our battles. Besides, why wouldn't we let him know?"
"Save him a little bit of worry?"
"Bah, he's a computer program, he can take it." X grinned in the light from the distant blaze.
"I suppose you're right," Zero stated as he too grinned and chuckled. "I'm too used to dealing with human commanders."
Two beams shot back up through the sky.
Alarms sounded everywhere in the former Fort Campbell military base.
"Seal off the perimiter!" A commander shouted out as multiple maverick soldiers, amazingly reminiscient of Repliforce, fell before the onslaught that was X, Zero, Signas, Toronto, and Zenton. "If we cannot stop them from getting in, we'll certainly stop the traitors from getting back out in one piece." He brandished a Mark II lightsaber as Zero suddenly dashed in his direction. Zero suddenly skidded to a stop less than six feet from him.
"I take it you're in charge of this base?"
"I am, and what's it to you? You're not leaving here alive."
"Well, I was gonna give you the chance to surrender, since my significant other isn't too fond of needless violence, but I'll just have to let her know you weren't taking kindly to the idea." Zero's face lit up in a nearly maniacal grin as he pulled the Z-saber back out. "One on one, man to man, Commander, what do you say?"
"I have no idea what makes you assume this foolishness, but very well then, I accept your challenge." The commander brought his saber in front of him and saluted as Zero did the same. As he settle into his stance Zero seemed to disappear from in front of him. He felt the wind as a red and gold streak flew past him. His saber flew through the air and landed upright in the ground, as the commander himself fell to the ground, his torso separating from the lower half of him.
"You lose," Zero stated as he put the Z-saber back in place. {Alia, if you could, let the others know to just knock out as many of the other Reploids as they can. I'm sure they'll be thoroughly demoralized when they wake up and realize that their commander is gone.}
{Gotcha Zero, I'll pass it along.} Alia's bright voice responded.
Several days had passed since the move had occured. Zero was still asleep in his room, as were most of the other others. Crystal, however, was up and about, morning having come to her slightly faster than the others. She wandered down the hall to the main room where Dr. Light was known to usually reside. Though everyone else wasn't completely sure as to whether or not he stuck to that one room. She seemed somewhat absent as she trudged to a chair. As she sat her face took on a look of resolute determination, but would then shift to insecurity. Indecision played across her features. Dr. Light was not oblivious to this, but chose not to show until he felt he was needed, or until he was called for.
"Dr. Light," a small voice carried out from her.
"Yes, my dear, what's on your mind?" He asked, a monitor sliding down from the ceiling so she wouldn't have to look far to see him.
"I'd like..." She fell silent for a moment before she turned her face up towards the screen. Her eyes now shone with an inner fire. "I'd like for you to do to me what you did to Seero. I have to be able to help him." Her features broke down momentarily. "I feel so useless right now."
"Then you're possibly not going to like part of what I'm going to tell you then," Dr. Light responded. Crystal's eyes seemed suddenly not so sure of themselves. "I can't do that." Crystal started to sob as tears began their trek down the curves of her cheeks. "But there's a reason I can't do that. Not yet."
"And it is?" She slowly began to slump down in her chair.
"Well, let's just say you'll find the answer in yourself. And if that doesn't give you enough of a clue, let's just say the problem should be gone in about six months or so."
"You mean?" Crystal's eyes began to show another emotion.
"Yes, I'm saying exactly that. I would suggest you let a certain someone else know too. Sooner or later." Dr. Light smiled to take some of the edge out of his words.
"But how is he gonna take it?" She seemed to slump again.
"You're perfectly well aware of how he feels for you." Dr. Light admonished her lightly. "Why would he take it any way other than happily?"
"I don't know. But I'm scared." Crystal wiped the tears on the back of her hands. "Maybe I'm all worked up for nothing." She said, managing a small smile.
"I'd say you are. I may just be a computer program now, but I'm not without my own emotions, and my own intuitions. Now, get you back to bed." Dr. Light said, chuckling as Crystal stood and headed back down the hallway.
"Oh come on, Signas, surely you can do better than that." Zero shouted as he and Signas both rebounded off of opposing walls in the Training room. A smile of pure glee shone on his face.
"Ha!" Signas shouted, grinning as the two met again, exchanging multiple saber strikes, neither of them scoring a hit on the other. "I'm perfectly aware that you're not fighting at full speed. Don't even try to deny that one."
"Okay, I won't deny it, but there's a reason for that Signas," Zero suddenly got much faster than he had been previously. Signas was finding it quite diffictult to even see where the next strike was coming from. He was having next to no luck intercepting any of them. He suddenly found himself disarmed and then felt himself flying backwards. As he impacted with the wall, creating a twelve inch dent, he began to feel where Zero's foot had made contact with his chest. He collapsed onto the ground, and began to catch his breath the moment he felt it was safe to do so.
"O...kay...I...think I see...a good...reason for that......hehe" Signas panted out as he stayed kneeling for a while. As he looked up he realized that Zero seemed to be steaming. The air around him distorted with the heat.
"Heh, let me socket my saber, and I'll help ya up there, " Zero stated as he put the Z-saber in it's proper place and helped Signas to his feet. "Sorry to do that to ya, but had to let ya know why I don't use full power. Especially in practice. Hell, I don't even need that kind of speed to outrun any of the Mavericks I've met so far. Not to say temporary boosts of it don't help, but they're mostly just to avoid dragging things out longer than necessary."
"Okay then, one more question for you." Signas said as he now had all his breath back.
"Shoot."
"Why do you call it socketing your saber?"
"Because," Zero stated, grinning again. "Unlike conventional sabers, meaning Mark I and Mark II's, mine uses a slightly different blade. The energy in mine isn't completely solidified like yours, but it is solid enough to cut what it needs to, and to catch with other saber blades. However, once it's not needed, it dissipates. And the place where I put the handle, on the backside of my armor, is more like a hole just meant for the handle to magnetically lock into. So I've taken to callig it socketing, since it also restores what little bit of energy the saber might have used. Not only that, but as long as it's there, it helps keep my energy level up as well. That's part of the reason I was able to help you up almost immediately after I put it there. The pack automatically draws on the cold energy of the saber, using it to help cool my systemsm. It does the opposite if I happen to get stuck in a cold environment too. Handy thing, but it's really only good for if I'm out scouting or something. Especially seeing as I usually use my saber in combat."
"I see. Makes sense when you put it that way." Signas grinned, and looked over to where Alia and X were sitting talking. Zero looked over at him and grinned.
"They look a little too peaceful, wouldn't you say?" Signas grinned and nodded at Zero. "Watch this." Zero's right arm morphed into his cannon, and he fired a level 2 plasma bolt at the floor in between X and Alia. Both jumped back about three feet, then turned and glared at Zero, who had collapsed on the ground laughing. Signas had managed to remain standing but still had his hands on his knees keeping him upright as he laughed. X and Alia both looked at each other before deciding on a course of action. Alia pulled out her pistol and fired where Zero was rolling on the floor, just as X pulled up his arm cannon and let his own level 2 blast go.
Zero looked up in time to see Alia's pistol shot coming and jumped straight up to avoid it. Straight into the path of X's blast. As he flew backwards Zero was actually attempting to laugh, right up until he impacted with the wall. "Oof!" could be heard from the wall, though slightly muffled as Zero had hit face first. As he toppled back out, he was heard to still be laughing uproariously. X and Alia could no longer contain themselves, and both collapsed into laughter, though Alia almost managed to contain herself to mere giggling. Right up until the point where Signas finally collapsed. Then she couldn't hold it anymore. She too began to laugh as hard as the others. Zero picked himself back up off the floor, but only made it halfway before he collapsed laughing again.
"What did we miss?" Zenton asked from the doorway, Toronto standing behind him with crossed arms.
"Oh, not much," Zero got out between breaths. "Just probably one of the most hilarious moments in the history of Alia plus X."
"I don't know Z," X commented. "Seeing you fly backwards and impact with a wall before toppling back out was exactly what the doctor ordered if you ask me."
"Ah shut up, I'm amazed you two did that to me though. I didn't think you could coordinate an attack that well without talking."
"Well, that is that we, uh..." X tried to cover himself, somewhat unsuccessfully.
"Those two are very good at that," Signas interrupted from where he sat. "They always have been. That's how you can tell they're soulmates. No matter what I do with them, they make the perfect team."
"Soulmates, eh? Bah, to hell with that, call'em lovers and have done with it." Zero stated, once more cracking up while X and Alia both turned a bit red. Both Zenton and Toronto laughed from the doorway.
"Yeah, well speaking of that subject, your other half is wanting you Zero," Zenton said as he chuckled some more. "Since me and Tor here were already on our way here, we though we'd deliver the message."
"Thank you. Signas, I'll be back to work with you some more here in a little bit. Alia, be prepared, because we need to work on your skills some too. Don't want you completely helpless after all." He said as he ran down the hall. "Oh to hell with this." He leaned forward and kicked the boosters on.
Dr. Light suddenly heard a slightly metallic skidding noise outside the door to the main room.
"Well my dear, I'd say he's here," Dr. Light said as he chuckled. "Kids, I just love them, they're so much fun to watch."
"Thanks Doc, that makes me feel so much better about what I've gotta do." Crystal responded somewhat sarcastically.
"You'll be fine lass, just be honest. I can be quite certain when I say that you'll feel much better after getting this off your chest. Though I wouldn't suggest doing so in here."
"You're right. But where am I supposed to take him?"
"Might I suggest maybe back to your private quarters?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right." As she finished, she stood, just as Zero finally got around to stepping inside the doorway.
"Did you want me for something babe?" He asked Crystal as she walked up to him.
"Yes, I did. Come on, we need to talk." She said, looping her arms around his and leading him out the door.
"Uh oh, what did I screw up now?" Zero could be heard asking as they walked out the door.
"Heh, if you only knew how rightly your screwing things up was this time, Zero. You may be the one to help usher in a new era in Reploid-Human relationships." Dr. Light said with a small chuckle.
As Zero sat down on the bed in their room, he pulled Crystal down on his now human-seeming lap.
"Come on, what's the problem?" He asked her tenderly.
"Well, it isn't a problem right now. It might be here in about six months or so when I'm yelling at you at the top of my lungs, but it's not a problem right now." She said, hiding her face slightly behind the few locks of her auburn hair that slig around her shoulder. Zero reached up a hand and pushed them back behind her ear.
"You're gonna have to be a little more outright with me. I'm fairly intelligent but you know I have problems working my way around riddles at times." He told her, his voice still very soft. "I think I've got an idea of what you're trying to tell me, but I don't want to jump to conclusions."
"Well, then," Crystal took a deep breath. "I'm about three months pregnant or so." She said very quickly. She immediately tried to hide her face by looking the other way.
"Hey, turn around here and look at me." He gently turned her face using his fingers on her chin. "Did you think I would be mad at you?" She nodded her head. "Never fear me. Never. Just as I promised I'd never leave you, I'll never hurt you either. You have my word on the matter." He pulled her face up, and she finally broke into tears as his lips found hers.
As she started to cry, he pulled her into him, his arms wrapping tight around her. "I'll never leave you, never hurt you, never forsake you, as long as I live, or as long as I can be rebuilt. Not even death will keep me from you. I promise you that." He spoke into her hair as he rested his head upon hers.
Zero and X moved through the facility, both firing off seemingly random shots at pieces of machinery in rooms as they ran through. With a few minutes the building was in flames as Zero and X stood on a nearby cliff.
"That was a little too easy X." Zero stated as his molten mane swung in the wind.
"I know. Not even any real reploids manning the place. Nothing but normal bots." X stated as he stood beside his taller companion.
"Think we should let Light know?"
"I'd say he already does. He monitors all of our battles. Besides, why wouldn't we let him know?"
"Save him a little bit of worry?"
"Bah, he's a computer program, he can take it." X grinned in the light from the distant blaze.
"I suppose you're right," Zero stated as he too grinned and chuckled. "I'm too used to dealing with human commanders."
Two beams shot back up through the sky.
Alarms sounded everywhere in the former Fort Campbell military base.
"Seal off the perimiter!" A commander shouted out as multiple maverick soldiers, amazingly reminiscient of Repliforce, fell before the onslaught that was X, Zero, Signas, Toronto, and Zenton. "If we cannot stop them from getting in, we'll certainly stop the traitors from getting back out in one piece." He brandished a Mark II lightsaber as Zero suddenly dashed in his direction. Zero suddenly skidded to a stop less than six feet from him.
"I take it you're in charge of this base?"
"I am, and what's it to you? You're not leaving here alive."
"Well, I was gonna give you the chance to surrender, since my significant other isn't too fond of needless violence, but I'll just have to let her know you weren't taking kindly to the idea." Zero's face lit up in a nearly maniacal grin as he pulled the Z-saber back out. "One on one, man to man, Commander, what do you say?"
"I have no idea what makes you assume this foolishness, but very well then, I accept your challenge." The commander brought his saber in front of him and saluted as Zero did the same. As he settle into his stance Zero seemed to disappear from in front of him. He felt the wind as a red and gold streak flew past him. His saber flew through the air and landed upright in the ground, as the commander himself fell to the ground, his torso separating from the lower half of him.
"You lose," Zero stated as he put the Z-saber back in place. {Alia, if you could, let the others know to just knock out as many of the other Reploids as they can. I'm sure they'll be thoroughly demoralized when they wake up and realize that their commander is gone.}
{Gotcha Zero, I'll pass it along.} Alia's bright voice responded.
Several days had passed since the move had occured. Zero was still asleep in his room, as were most of the other others. Crystal, however, was up and about, morning having come to her slightly faster than the others. She wandered down the hall to the main room where Dr. Light was known to usually reside. Though everyone else wasn't completely sure as to whether or not he stuck to that one room. She seemed somewhat absent as she trudged to a chair. As she sat her face took on a look of resolute determination, but would then shift to insecurity. Indecision played across her features. Dr. Light was not oblivious to this, but chose not to show until he felt he was needed, or until he was called for.
"Dr. Light," a small voice carried out from her.
"Yes, my dear, what's on your mind?" He asked, a monitor sliding down from the ceiling so she wouldn't have to look far to see him.
"I'd like..." She fell silent for a moment before she turned her face up towards the screen. Her eyes now shone with an inner fire. "I'd like for you to do to me what you did to Seero. I have to be able to help him." Her features broke down momentarily. "I feel so useless right now."
"Then you're possibly not going to like part of what I'm going to tell you then," Dr. Light responded. Crystal's eyes seemed suddenly not so sure of themselves. "I can't do that." Crystal started to sob as tears began their trek down the curves of her cheeks. "But there's a reason I can't do that. Not yet."
"And it is?" She slowly began to slump down in her chair.
"Well, let's just say you'll find the answer in yourself. And if that doesn't give you enough of a clue, let's just say the problem should be gone in about six months or so."
"You mean?" Crystal's eyes began to show another emotion.
"Yes, I'm saying exactly that. I would suggest you let a certain someone else know too. Sooner or later." Dr. Light smiled to take some of the edge out of his words.
"But how is he gonna take it?" She seemed to slump again.
"You're perfectly well aware of how he feels for you." Dr. Light admonished her lightly. "Why would he take it any way other than happily?"
"I don't know. But I'm scared." Crystal wiped the tears on the back of her hands. "Maybe I'm all worked up for nothing." She said, managing a small smile.
"I'd say you are. I may just be a computer program now, but I'm not without my own emotions, and my own intuitions. Now, get you back to bed." Dr. Light said, chuckling as Crystal stood and headed back down the hallway.
"Oh come on, Signas, surely you can do better than that." Zero shouted as he and Signas both rebounded off of opposing walls in the Training room. A smile of pure glee shone on his face.
"Ha!" Signas shouted, grinning as the two met again, exchanging multiple saber strikes, neither of them scoring a hit on the other. "I'm perfectly aware that you're not fighting at full speed. Don't even try to deny that one."
"Okay, I won't deny it, but there's a reason for that Signas," Zero suddenly got much faster than he had been previously. Signas was finding it quite diffictult to even see where the next strike was coming from. He was having next to no luck intercepting any of them. He suddenly found himself disarmed and then felt himself flying backwards. As he impacted with the wall, creating a twelve inch dent, he began to feel where Zero's foot had made contact with his chest. He collapsed onto the ground, and began to catch his breath the moment he felt it was safe to do so.
"O...kay...I...think I see...a good...reason for that......hehe" Signas panted out as he stayed kneeling for a while. As he looked up he realized that Zero seemed to be steaming. The air around him distorted with the heat.
"Heh, let me socket my saber, and I'll help ya up there, " Zero stated as he put the Z-saber in it's proper place and helped Signas to his feet. "Sorry to do that to ya, but had to let ya know why I don't use full power. Especially in practice. Hell, I don't even need that kind of speed to outrun any of the Mavericks I've met so far. Not to say temporary boosts of it don't help, but they're mostly just to avoid dragging things out longer than necessary."
"Okay then, one more question for you." Signas said as he now had all his breath back.
"Shoot."
"Why do you call it socketing your saber?"
"Because," Zero stated, grinning again. "Unlike conventional sabers, meaning Mark I and Mark II's, mine uses a slightly different blade. The energy in mine isn't completely solidified like yours, but it is solid enough to cut what it needs to, and to catch with other saber blades. However, once it's not needed, it dissipates. And the place where I put the handle, on the backside of my armor, is more like a hole just meant for the handle to magnetically lock into. So I've taken to callig it socketing, since it also restores what little bit of energy the saber might have used. Not only that, but as long as it's there, it helps keep my energy level up as well. That's part of the reason I was able to help you up almost immediately after I put it there. The pack automatically draws on the cold energy of the saber, using it to help cool my systemsm. It does the opposite if I happen to get stuck in a cold environment too. Handy thing, but it's really only good for if I'm out scouting or something. Especially seeing as I usually use my saber in combat."
"I see. Makes sense when you put it that way." Signas grinned, and looked over to where Alia and X were sitting talking. Zero looked over at him and grinned.
"They look a little too peaceful, wouldn't you say?" Signas grinned and nodded at Zero. "Watch this." Zero's right arm morphed into his cannon, and he fired a level 2 plasma bolt at the floor in between X and Alia. Both jumped back about three feet, then turned and glared at Zero, who had collapsed on the ground laughing. Signas had managed to remain standing but still had his hands on his knees keeping him upright as he laughed. X and Alia both looked at each other before deciding on a course of action. Alia pulled out her pistol and fired where Zero was rolling on the floor, just as X pulled up his arm cannon and let his own level 2 blast go.
Zero looked up in time to see Alia's pistol shot coming and jumped straight up to avoid it. Straight into the path of X's blast. As he flew backwards Zero was actually attempting to laugh, right up until he impacted with the wall. "Oof!" could be heard from the wall, though slightly muffled as Zero had hit face first. As he toppled back out, he was heard to still be laughing uproariously. X and Alia could no longer contain themselves, and both collapsed into laughter, though Alia almost managed to contain herself to mere giggling. Right up until the point where Signas finally collapsed. Then she couldn't hold it anymore. She too began to laugh as hard as the others. Zero picked himself back up off the floor, but only made it halfway before he collapsed laughing again.
"What did we miss?" Zenton asked from the doorway, Toronto standing behind him with crossed arms.
"Oh, not much," Zero got out between breaths. "Just probably one of the most hilarious moments in the history of Alia plus X."
"I don't know Z," X commented. "Seeing you fly backwards and impact with a wall before toppling back out was exactly what the doctor ordered if you ask me."
"Ah shut up, I'm amazed you two did that to me though. I didn't think you could coordinate an attack that well without talking."
"Well, that is that we, uh..." X tried to cover himself, somewhat unsuccessfully.
"Those two are very good at that," Signas interrupted from where he sat. "They always have been. That's how you can tell they're soulmates. No matter what I do with them, they make the perfect team."
"Soulmates, eh? Bah, to hell with that, call'em lovers and have done with it." Zero stated, once more cracking up while X and Alia both turned a bit red. Both Zenton and Toronto laughed from the doorway.
"Yeah, well speaking of that subject, your other half is wanting you Zero," Zenton said as he chuckled some more. "Since me and Tor here were already on our way here, we though we'd deliver the message."
"Thank you. Signas, I'll be back to work with you some more here in a little bit. Alia, be prepared, because we need to work on your skills some too. Don't want you completely helpless after all." He said as he ran down the hall. "Oh to hell with this." He leaned forward and kicked the boosters on.
Dr. Light suddenly heard a slightly metallic skidding noise outside the door to the main room.
"Well my dear, I'd say he's here," Dr. Light said as he chuckled. "Kids, I just love them, they're so much fun to watch."
"Thanks Doc, that makes me feel so much better about what I've gotta do." Crystal responded somewhat sarcastically.
"You'll be fine lass, just be honest. I can be quite certain when I say that you'll feel much better after getting this off your chest. Though I wouldn't suggest doing so in here."
"You're right. But where am I supposed to take him?"
"Might I suggest maybe back to your private quarters?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right." As she finished, she stood, just as Zero finally got around to stepping inside the doorway.
"Did you want me for something babe?" He asked Crystal as she walked up to him.
"Yes, I did. Come on, we need to talk." She said, looping her arms around his and leading him out the door.
"Uh oh, what did I screw up now?" Zero could be heard asking as they walked out the door.
"Heh, if you only knew how rightly your screwing things up was this time, Zero. You may be the one to help usher in a new era in Reploid-Human relationships." Dr. Light said with a small chuckle.
As Zero sat down on the bed in their room, he pulled Crystal down on his now human-seeming lap.
"Come on, what's the problem?" He asked her tenderly.
"Well, it isn't a problem right now. It might be here in about six months or so when I'm yelling at you at the top of my lungs, but it's not a problem right now." She said, hiding her face slightly behind the few locks of her auburn hair that slig around her shoulder. Zero reached up a hand and pushed them back behind her ear.
"You're gonna have to be a little more outright with me. I'm fairly intelligent but you know I have problems working my way around riddles at times." He told her, his voice still very soft. "I think I've got an idea of what you're trying to tell me, but I don't want to jump to conclusions."
"Well, then," Crystal took a deep breath. "I'm about three months pregnant or so." She said very quickly. She immediately tried to hide her face by looking the other way.
"Hey, turn around here and look at me." He gently turned her face using his fingers on her chin. "Did you think I would be mad at you?" She nodded her head. "Never fear me. Never. Just as I promised I'd never leave you, I'll never hurt you either. You have my word on the matter." He pulled her face up, and she finally broke into tears as his lips found hers.
As she started to cry, he pulled her into him, his arms wrapping tight around her. "I'll never leave you, never hurt you, never forsake you, as long as I live, or as long as I can be rebuilt. Not even death will keep me from you. I promise you that." He spoke into her hair as he rested his head upon hers.