"In our minds, love and lust are separated." Tori Amos

"What are you doing here?" Zero asked while on the ground.

"What do you think?" Leviathan snapped. "Looking for you."

"What for?" Zero said. "Neo Arcadia's gone…I doubt were even in our world anymore. Any and all qualms against one another are meaningless now…unless there's an ulterior motive for finding me."

"Exactly." She said in a very lustful tone. "Wow...you look even more attractive in that human form. What did you do to yourself?"

Zero swung his right leg and Leviathan. She leaped off of him and landed a few feet away from him while Zero leaped onto his feet and pulled out a Beam Saber that he held in his pocket.

"How'd you find me anyway?" Zero asked as he stood a few feet away from him.

Leviathan smiled and pointed at his head.

"Huh?" Zero asked.

"You're hair." She said.

"What about it?" Zero asked.

"It's a total giveaway." Leviathan. "No normal human that I knew back then would have ever let their hair grow that big."

Zero looked at his hair. It was the only feature his disguise program did not hide his hair, because it was provided when he was first created. Therefore that was exempt from the list of altered items. Still Zero stoically looked at her as his armor reactivated.

"Doesn't matter." He said. "What do you want?"

"Well I'm trying to get away from some bad people right now." She said. "But I got time to kill."

Leviathan pulled her Trident out and put it in a fighting stance.

"So let's see if you haven't lost anything!" She said.

"You're a fool if you think you can beat me." Zero said. "And there's no point in fighting me anymore…but if you want to go ahead and sacrifice yourself for a meaningless gesture, so be it!"

"Ooohh…" Leviathan moaned. "Zero's thinks he can still beat me! Don't worry: I'll play nice."

Leviathan charged at Zero and swung her Trident trying to hit him. However when she looked at Zero hoping to see damage, he was gone.

"Huh?" She yelled. "Where did he go!"

"You're nowhere near as fast as you were a long time ago." Zero said.

Leviathan looked around for a bit trying to find him. She however then noticed her Trident seemed awful heavy all of a sudden. She turned around to see Zero perched on the Trident like a bird.

"And your even slower than usual." Zero said; leaping off and performing a roundhouse kick.

Leviathan took the whole blow and flew right out of her knees. She fell on the floor and made a loud thump that shook almost the entire area.

"You need to lose some weight." Zero said as he walked towards her.

Leviathan burned with anger as she struggled to get up. Sharp pain was ringing in her head. Zero's blow did more damage than it should.

"How dare you tell a lady that?" Leviathan shouted! "Ugh you don't understand women at all!"

"No…I don't understand you." Zero said.

Leviathan and Zero fought. As Zero fought he noticed that Leviathan was slowing down. It was happening gradually. Each time his saber deflected a blow. Leviathan would cringe a bit. And anytime he went on the assault, she seemed to close her eyes really tightly; as if she was holding something in. And no matter what he did; whether defense or offense, she slowed down after every attack. Eventually her attacks became ridiculous and easily predicted.

At this point, Zero knew something was wrong with her. Zero put both his hands on his saber and swung the blade as hard as he could; breaking the lance in two. Leviathan looked at Zero with multiple expressions. A combination of fear, lust, pride, joy and anger as he put his beam saber to her face.

"You're finished." Zero said.

"Fuck your still stronger." She asked.

Zero made a small chuckle and deactivated his beam saber. He then began to put his arm on her and began to touch different areas of her body; as if he was looking for something.

"Let me get this straight: You beat me up, and then start feeling me up?" She asked softly.

"Not exactly." Zero said. "You were in pain the whole fight…ah Ha!"

Zero noticed that Leviathan had several gunshot wounds to her back and arms. Bullets were still lodged into her back, exposing several wires. There was some sparks coming out. Her arm showed shrapnel in it, and her legs had several grenade wounds as well.

"You're totally banged up in your back." Zero said. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Leviathan shouted. "You attacked me!"

"No; there's no way I did all this." Zero said. "I don't like guns. Killing an enemy with your hands is much more preferable. These are bullet and grenade wounds…and even if I did fight with my Z-pistol, the munitions I use are plasma…not steel anti-personal rounds."

"How Barbaric." Leviathan said.

"This is new to you how?" Zero said.

Zero put his saber in his pocket and went to pick up Leviathan. As he did, a gunshot whizzed right past his face. Zero turned around to see Britannian Military soldiers moving right in. There was about forty of them and they seemed to be looking at Leviathan.

"There's the escape reploid!" The Soldiers shouted. "Waste it."

Zero turned to duck, and disappeared into the shadows, as he saw them approaching hundreds of feet ahead. Leviathan however grabbed what remained of her lance and leaped at the soldiers. Leviathan threw the spear head at one of the soldiers, hitting him in the neck. Leviathan then put both of her hands out and fired an ice attack and began to freeze soldiers one by one. Lots of the squad moved away as Leviathan threw her ice attacks at soldiers. The ones that were nearby she broke with her strength. The others she left and went for more threatening targets.

However, Zero had already exhausted most of her strength. She ran at targets while in searing pain as machine guns round tore into her. Eventually she could not endure it anymore and fell to the ground in pain. She breathed heavily as she tried to regain her strength. Alas she could not and fell to the ground. Sparks flew all around her.

The soldiers went over to Leviathan. Leviathan tried to reach for her lance head but the soldiers kicked her face and stopped her from moving. No one seemed to notice Zero.

"Stupid Reploid!" The soldier said. "You're just as pathetic as those Elevens!"

"Ha!" Leviathan laughed weakly. "You're talking to someone who wiped out your entire Knightmare squad."

"How the mighty have fallen." A commander said. "Damn machines. I don't know why command wants them found."

"Should we kill her?" A Soldier asked.

"Yeah get rid of the garbage." He said. "She'll die like the rest…"

The commander jerked up as a glowing green saber was stabbed into his stomach. The soldiers turned around to see Zero with his saber in the commander's stomach. Zero pulled it out and threw the body to the side. The soldiers turned in shock; which lasted a few seconds. The Britannians fired at Zero. Zero easily moved in and out away from the shots and then began to attack the soldiers. Zero sliced arms off, stabbed victims, and deflected shots. The soldiers fell one by one as Zero swung his blades, until all of them were dead. Zero looked around and made sure there weren't any scouts. No life signs were detected around them or within a four hundred meter radius.

As he did, he then again went right back to sulking in his mind. He did it again…he didn't judge the situation like he would have backed then. Instead, when they put their guns to Leviathan, he just snapped again and attacked them as if they were vermin to him.

I did it again! What the hell is going on! WHY! WHY AM I DOING THIS!...This doesn't make sense anymore! Okay…so I have gone out into the city on different times since I joined here…I didn't have a problem with the government doing their police duties when they were justified. But then I see stuff like this and that's when I draw my saber…can…I really be a maverick? What's going on!

After debating more in his head, Zero looked at Leviathan. The damage she had suffered forced her into a coma of some kind. A sudden feeling of pity and remorse for the girl appeared in Zero's head. Unable to leave her there for whatever reasons, Zero picked up Leviathan and ran off.

Zero and her ended up in his room at the Ashford manor. It was nothing to special: A small room with two beds, two desks, and a drawer. There were curtains and the room itself had a beautiful wood design to it. Zero put down Leviathan and began to patch her up, using…anything he could find really. He first carefully removed the bullets that were lodged into her system and prevented any further damage. He then began to use his advanced sensors to detect where she was damaged. Zero began to fix each of her damaged systems, patching them up anyway he could. He worked for more than an hour fixing her wiring and restoring her damaged systems. Then he patched up the wounds to prevent the loss of anymore blood and other fluids; and when she was stable, began to wake her. The entire process took two hours. Leviathan woke up a few minutes after Zero finished the repair process.

"Ugh…" She said. "Am I dead?"

"Close." Zero said. "Feel any better?"

"You…you saved me?" She asked.

Zero looked as if he was about to say something, but then put his head towards the floor. He stood motionless for a few minutes as if he was going to say something. He then looked back up.

"Years ago, you helped me take on Zero Omega." He said. "You sacrificed yourself so I could live and defeat Weil. I Guess I just got sick of people dying for me. But why did you fight earlier? Are you still mad I beat you back in the day?"

"Not really." Leviathan said. "I don't know why I decided to fight you. Maybe it was anger…maybe it was sorrow…maybe I'm just going crazy. The fact I killed those humans back there is proof of that. Maybe because I felt that after killing them…a maverick like me doesn't deserve to live."

"Well we have some common ground at least." Zero said.

"Hmm?" She wondered.

"You're being pursued by Britannia right now correct?" Zero said. "Well Britannia's after me too. They don't know about me yet; but they do know that something with a beam saber is killing all of their guards and Knightmares. The longer I stay hidden, the easier it'll be for me to destroy their forces undetected. That's why I'm posing as a student. I met someone who can help us take the fight to this country."

"Why?" She asked.

Zero stood silent.

"This place…" He said. "It's like Neo Arcadia…but worse morals than before. I've watched people fall under the firing squad…just because they were a different race. I hated it…and I hate myself for the fact I am now compelled to fight these humans because of it…and yet…I can't help but feel what I'm doing is right. It's stupid and its maverick talk…but…I feel like this is right."

Leviathan just looked at Zero.

"If Britannia is looking for you, I think it's best to stay here for the time being; till I can find some other place to hide you." Zero said.

"What makes you think I'll go with you?" Leviathan said. "I have my own life."

"Not like you have much of a choice." Zero said. "They're probably posting bounties on you as we speak."

"Relax." Leviathan said as she got up. "I'll come with you. It'll draw me closer to you. Besides, you're right anyway. You always were."

"Ugh." Zero said.

What did I just get myself into?

"What?" Leviathan asked while getting close to Zero. "Don't like me? Or are you falling for me and denying it to yourself? Ahh Zero...you're as human as a Reploid can get; so don't say that my appearance doesn't turn you on."

"In our minds, love and lust are separate." Zero said.

A painful memory crossed into Zero's mind.

"Well sucks to be you." Leviathan said as she went towards Zero's bed. "Love can be a weakness. Lust works out better."

Zero grunted loudly.

"What makes you think I'm a good girl?" Leviathan asked softly.

As she did, she suddenly twitched. She raised her arm up and saw that Zero had transferred to her the human simulation program.

"What's this?" She asked.

"It's a gift." Zero said. "It's the device I'm using to transform into a human. Just be careful when you use it…a lot of powers are disabled in that form."

She nodded and then activated it. When she did, she transformed into an ordinary girl, with blue hair, extremely short blue shorts, and a blue T shirt.

Upon looking at her, Zero felt a surge come from his brain, go to his waist. He had a strange and sudden desire to remove Leviathan's shorts, and see what was under there. To move his hand under her shirt, feeling her breasts. As the feelings ran wild, Zero shook his head, returning himself back to where he was earlier. What the hell did he just feel?

"Whoa…" She said. "This is what humans feel?...It feels so…"

Leviathan grabbed her skin and pulled it up slightly.

"Spongy." She said.

"…okay." Zero muttered.

She began to experiment for a few minutes, looking over every aspect of herself. Finally she turned to Zero.

"Thank you Zero." She said. "However…I think I more time to evaluate this program."

He nodded to her. Then she yawned. Leviathan turned around and went to the side. Zero watched as she took off her top, followed by her bikini bottom. Zero tried to say something, but had difficulty adjusting to the fact that she was striping; till she was completely naked. She covered her breasts with her hands and went over to Zero's bed and laid right on top of his bed, pulling the covers over her.

"Hey what are you doing?" He shouted, stuttering on most of the words

"You're not going to make an injured girl sleep on the floor now are you?" She asked as she covered the blankets over herself. "Sleeping on the floor would throw my back out and put me in a lot of pain."

"You can't be serious!" Zero said. "Saving you is one thing, but I got to share the same bed with you?"

"You could sleep on the floor." She said as she turned around. "Or you could come in here and sleep on the other side."

"Argh!" Zero said. "Fine then as long as you don't bother me I guess it'll be fine."

Zero took off his shirt and went into the same bed as her. He however turned his back to her and looked the opposite direction to avoid looking at her nude body; or to have any contact with her at all. Zero's relationship with her was an enemy, while she viewed him as a plaything. It was true that she did help him against Weil and Omega, but Zero still viewed her as an enemy and obstacle. Leviathan turned to Zero and let the covers slowly fall off, barely letting the tip of her breasts become exposed. She crawled over to Zero and let her chest barely touch his back. Zero shot up as a burst of energy went to his brain.

"You know if you're bored…" She began. "We could fool around a bit. Experiment with our new bodies…"

"Just because we're sharing the same bed doesn't mean I like you." Zero said.

Leviathan crept away from him.

"Meh." She said. "Your choice. Not exactly what I see."

Zero looked at where his waist was in the bed. He noticed a bulge that was coming from it. Frustrated by the program's effectiveness in simulating a human body, he turned to the side.

"Good night Leviathan." Zero said as he shut himself down for the night.

"Damn." She said. "Always have to ruin my fun."

That morning, Zero got up and then began to get ready for class. He took a shower (before doing so keeping an eye on Leviathan to make sure she was asleep) and got his clothes on for the day.

Before he went in, he encountered Lelouch.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to at times." Lelouch said.

Zero stood outside the door for a few minutes, and placed his back on a nearby wall, closing the door.

"Is it safe to talk?" He asked.

"Millay is already gone." Lelouch answered.

"How long have you known?" Zero asked.

"Earlier this morning." Lelouch said. "Who is she?"

"A Reploid." Zero answered. "One of the Four Guardians of Neo Arcadia…that was her title. Her name is Fairy Leviathan."

"How powerful is she?" Lelouch asked.

"Exceptionally." Zero said. "Though she is no match for me, she could destroy most of the other Reploids back where I came from."

Lelouch grunted in affirmation. Then he looked up at Zero.

"This is bad Zero." Lelouch asked. "She is being pursued by the government. The rounds in her back suggest a Britannian fire arm. I'm already causing enough problems with Millay by having you here…hiding her is going to cause issues."

"Seems to be the case." Zero said. "But we can't hide her anywhere else right now."

Lelouch got up from the wall and walked away.

"This is your next order." Lelouch said. "Find a way to get her to join our cause."

Zero nodded and retired back to his room. Leviathan was now up when he entered the room when he was dressed and getting ready for his classes. She took one of Zero's T-shirts and wore that over her.

"Hey Zero." She said.

"Yeah what is it?" He asked.

"Do you even go to the school here?" She asked. "Doesn't seem like you at all."

"My new boss requires me to be within talking distance of him." Zero said. "It's easier than using a radio. I also can't just be a student and not go to class. Wouldn't be good for me and my cover. I got a math test today, but I'm cutting the rest of my classes today. The person who found me is planning something big today and wants me to fix up my old armor system. So I'm going to have to raid a supply depot today and get the equipment."

"So you're still listening to someone?" Leviathan said. She lay back down on the bed. "Funny how you listen to someone who makes you go on dangerous missions and you refuse to listen to the person who would sleep with you in a heartbeat. Are you crazy?"

"Leviathan; I barely know the biology of these people as it is." Zero said.

"Well then explain to me what's with the CDs and guitar?" She asked.

"An additional cover." Zero said. "Most likely if the country finds out about my existence (in the unlikely case), and find out I'm disguising myself in the country, they're probably going to look for the person who most resembles the individual in the best way possible. They'll probably look for someone who's always working out. Not someone who's always playing music and listening to it. So I'm buying CDs and playing a guitar just to throw them off when that happens. Besides I need a hobby here anyway. You don't know how boring it is to answer the same questions you already know the answer to repeated to you several hundred times."

Leviathan looked at Zero with awe. No one was ever that intelligent with planning cover.

"You're such a smarty." She said.

"I suppose." He shouted. Zero grabbed his backpack and began to go the door.

"Zero…" Leviathan said.

Zero stopped as he was about to leave the door.

"Britannia knows about Reploids already." She said. "They found a really powerful one who told them everything about Reploids. Apparently there are capsules all over Area 11. The capsules each contain a reploid. I know for a fact because I forced a guard to spill the beans before I killed him. The capsules emit low frequency bursts of electricity every two to three hours. And each one has a reploid in it. If your friend wants to start a war, those people would be a great addition to his team. But he better hurry: Britannia is trying to secure as many as they can."

"How did you know he was going to start a war?" He asked.

"Who uses you as a gardening tool?" She asked.

"I suppose you have a point." Zero said. "And you know this because?"

"Because I saw Harpuia being taken by the Britannian guards." She said.

"You're serious?" Zero said.

Leviathan nodded. Zero smirked and gave himself a small chuckle.

"What a weakling." Zero said. "To be beaten by humans."

"I wouldn't say that." Leviathan said.

"Why is that?" Zero said. "Are you saying those humans I sliced up were supposed to be strong?"

"The guards didn't defeat Harpuia Zero." Leviathan said. "It was Mega Man X."

Zero's face nearly turned white. His blood immediately turned from super-heated to ice the moment he heard that. His best friend and comrade had sided with the enemy. Zero's mind began to race and think unlike ever before. Leviathan still kept talking but Zero paid no attention while he gathered his thoughts about what happened.

It can't be.…No. It's got to be him. He must have been that Reploid all along that destroyed the Eleven's Knightmares back at Shinjuku. It all makes sense now. That would have been the only way Britannia would have won that fight. Or maybe it's Copy X. He was rebuilt a whole lot of times before. Yeah it's got to be him…maybe.

Zero stood at the door. He was in shock and almost in fear, but made no sign of it to her.

"Hey are you even listening to me?" She shouted.

"X." Zero said. "You're sure?"

"Positive." She said. "I served him for a long time Zero. I know how he looks. I can't say it's exactly like Master X. It must be the original because he spared Harpuia."

Damn. That blows the Copy X theory out the window. No doubt now. It's my old Maverick Hunter Buddy. Damn…

"I see." Zero said.

"What?" She said. "Scared now?"

"No way." Zero said. "I knew this was never going to be easy. I just didn't want to fight X."

"What are you going to do?" She said.

"Who knows?" Zero said. "I'll get to that road when I cross it. Stay here and get some rest. If you have to do anything…anything at all, do not get spotted."

"Sure." She said as Zero walked out the door. "Go off and have fun and leave me here to myself. All alone. Nothing to do. All by myself."

Leviathan was then the only one in the room. As the footsteps from Zero faded, she whispered only one sentence.

"Have a nice day…my hero."