Zero2 Ch. 15

Reconfirmation

Zero stood outside the remains of what had at one point in time been the Maverick Hunter Headquarters. As he sifted through the remains, the old Zero took over temporarily. Anyone who'd been listening in on him and didn't know any better would've thought he'd been talking to himself.

"So this is where you once made your home?"

"Yes, it was." Zero's body moved, independent of the mental conversation that flowed from his lips.

"You have a lot of memories of this place." He sorted through what seemed to be pile after pile of the rubble.

"More than I care to remember sometimes."

"Why would that be? All that we are is made up of what we remember." He moved another fallen pillar with ease.

"Man survives by forgetting his memories."

"But there are some things a man should never forget."

"You speak as if you know something of the subject."

"I may not have experience with it, per se, but I've come close enough to losing Crystal enough times-" Zero slowed his pace a bit.

"Once."

"Once is enough for anyone I should think." He started to pass beneath the slowly crumbling supports that had at one point been a canopy.

"Hmph. If it only takes one close call to make you afraid of something then what kind of warrior are you?" His pace just as suddenly picked back up.

"I fear nothing on the battlefield. That is the only place where being a warrior makes any kind of difference. Off the field, I'm a different man, and you should have been too."

"Perhaps. But there are places off the battlefield where a warrior's mentality is needed."

"Not where Crystal is concerned. Why do you think I remove my armor any chance I get when she's near me?" He slowed as he neared the doorway.

"You think that much of this woman?"

"I do." He stopped in the doorway.

"Then perhaps I misjudged her. What makes her so important to you?"

"There is nothing specific that makes her important to me."

"Then what makes her important?"

"She just is. That's what makes it love. There's nothing specific about her that makes me love her. It's the whole package. Everything about her makes her who she is, and that's what attracts me to her. At one point in time, it may be the way her hair falls around her face, two minutes later it may be the way she pouts when she thinks I'm not being nice enough to her." Zero stopped and picked up a small rock, which crumbled in his hands within moments.

"All of this?"

"Was it not the same with you and Iris?"

"I loved her for her spirit. She never went down without a fight about anything."

"That's another part of Crystal that I like. She's like Iris in that aspect. I've never seen her just give up on anything. Besides, you may not realize it, but it was the same with you and Iris."

"What makes you say that?"

"I have complete access to your memories, remember?"

"I have some issues with Light about that..."

"He did what he thought was right, and let's face it, he's more intelligent than either one of us on our own. Hell, even together for that matter."

"Much as I hate to admit to it, you're right." He passed finally into what had at one point been the main hall.

His mental conversation finally abating, he finally began to truly focus on his task here.

"Right then...where did we keep that damned backup block?" He searched around for several minutes before finding a slightly battered pillar, but seemingly the only one that could still withstand a beating, which it stood to prove as Zero bashed it from every angle he could. "Okay then, I'm missing a clue here somewhere." He stopped for a moment and put a hand on his robotic chin. "Ahhh, okay, that's right, they specifically designed this with the idea of me and X being alive, so that either one of us could access it." He pulled the saber off of it's spot and place the blade end against a spot in the pillar. Suddenly the pillar split open to reveal a small cube that Zero picked up and inserted into a slot in his arm cannon.

{Doc, I've got the cube. Anything else we need from here?} Zero said through the communicator.

{Not that I'm aware of at this time Zero. Return to base whenever you feel ready to.} Dr. Light replied.

{Will do, Doc. Zero out.} Zero stood where he was for a moment longer.

"Well then, have any departing words you'd like to say?"

"I don't think so. I've made my dues here."

"Any last questions while we're out here?"

"Yes. Why do you fight?"

"You've seen in my memories all the happy times with Crys, Zen and the others?"

"Yes."

"Those are all the reason I need. Anything beyond that, is just icing on the cake. I fight, so that others might live."

"Honorable reasoning I suppose."

"Right then, we're off" A scarlet beam made it's way back up over the wasteland that was now the former MHHQ.

Crystal was waiting in a seat near where he teleported in at. He first made sure to remove the cube from his arm cannon and then immediately reverted back to his human form.

"Didja miss me?" He asked before he gave her a quick kiss to say hello.

"Just maybe," She replied, following his wise-cracking example. He suddenly looked crestfallen.

"I go out risk my life, my hair, and my all for you and I'm just maybe missed? What's a guy gotta do to get some recognition around here?" he waved his hands in the air dramatically. Toronto and Zenton both started chuckling from the other table. "Oh, is this the peanut gallery laughing themselves to death?" Zero turned towards them with an almost feral grin. "Okay then fellas, come on, let's see how you do when it comes to wrestling!"

This of course was immediately followed by the knocking aside of one table, two chairs, and two people as Zero suddenly leaped at both of them. As he wrestled with them for a few minutes, not quite gaining the upper hand anymore once Tor started actually using his size to his advantage. Zero suddenly found himself pinned to the ground. "Ahhh, shit, I give, I give!! Please, dear lord, not the HAIR!!!!" This of course immediately set Toronto and Zenton into massive fits of laughter.

Crystal watched them play for a few minutes after she inserted the cube in the computer for Light. As she watched them, she laughed almost as hard as Toronto did when Zero started yelling about his hair. As she laughed though, she suddenly stopped and both hands flew to her stomach as a strange look crossed her face. Zero was immediately off the floor and by her.

"You okay? Crys? Come on, talk to me." His face mirrored more concern than it had at any other point.

"I'm...okay...I think though...that I just got kicked...for the first time." She said, her voice very quiet. She began to laugh lightly as Zero hugged her tightly.