Death and the Vibrant Architecture of Rebirth

by goldenyuusha

A century had passed since Zero had sealed himself away. After being awoken by the Neo Arcadian king X, Zero finds himself in an unfamiliar, perfect world with no one to turn to but his old partner. But cracks start to form in the perfect things he once held dear, and Zero must accept that they may be set in stone forever. An MMZ AU where Neo Arcadia finds Zero before Ciel.

16. Chapter Fifteen

AN: hi everyone, me again. sorry for the wait, lots of fight scenes in this which I tend to struggle with. still super busy with life and all, what can you do.

craft and zero find themselves in a pickle. hope you enjoy.

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Harpuia. Why did it have to be Harpuia?

Phantom possessed enough of a conscience to hesitate before launching himself at someone he might call a friend in the name of his state. Zero had built enough repertoire with Leviathan and Fefnir that he was sure he could convince them to let him go with enough time.

Harpuia had no such respect for Zero. He had no respect for anyone or anything but his father and his state. Harpuia had never even considered Zero as anything but another piece of X's property. If X asked something of him, he would see through to it without hesitation. That very much included retrieval of things X owned.

And now he was dangling metres away from the ground, Harpuia's talons buried into his flesh as Craft trailed behind, always just inches away from his grasp.

"You'll be coming home with me, Master Zero" Harpuia said cordially, tightening his grip. For such a skinny, hollow-boned freak, he was powerful, his grasp unrelenting. "Patience. We will be free of this maverick shortly."

Zero bared his teeth and growled, frantically trying to reach up and grab at his actual captor's legs. The talons at his chest and shoulders made it hard to flex those muscles, his barely unsheathed claws only barely scraping at the paint on Harpuia's armour.

"Let go of me!" Zero wailed, finally managing a good enough angle to sink his claws into the side of Harpuia's thigh and dragging them down to his ankle. With a cry of pain, Harpuia's grip weakened as Zero gouged deep valleys into him, his trajectory wavering.

"Argh! Watch it!" scolded the air commander. Zero just snarled back, flashing his fangs.

Craft didn't take his eyes off Zero as he weaved through the alleys, civilians ducking out the way at the last second to make space for him. At a sufficiently long stretch of straight road, Craft reached for his cannon and held it at his side, training it on Harpuia. Try as he might, he couldn't get a clean shot on the air commander while he was tangled up with Zero.

"Stop that! What's wrong with you?! Why are you– grh, why are you resisting?!" Harpuia shouted, incessantly trying to shake Zero's claws off of him. From the corner of his eye, he only just caught Craft's laser cannon charge, a red light aimed straight at his chest. "Hang on, Zero!"

In a blur, Harpuia hoisted Zero under his arm and dove, prying Zero's claws from his flesh in the process. A massive laser beam fired off from Craft's cannon, just barely grazing Harpuia's wing and singing off the paint. Zero's eyes widened as the blast they had just evaded effortlessly rendered the wall behind them into rubble, avalanching into a heap below. Harpuia was free to manoeuvre now he was holding Zero flush to himself, but on the other hand, Zero wasn't being restrained at arm's length anymore.

"Are you insane?! I'm trying to save you!" Harpuia spat, flexing his arm around Zero's throat. As his head grew lighter, Zero desperately clawed at the grip choking him out. "You're gonna get us both killed!"

"Good! I'd rather die than go back with you!" Zero spat back, voice hoarse and thin. He flailed pathetically, trying everything he could to throw Harpuia off balance. Craft was still following close behind as they turned into the busy main thoroughfare, where market stalls and crowds of civilians forced him to slow and carefully manoeuvre his bike like he was threading a string through a needle's eye.

[I can't get a good shot on him!] Craft warned over their cloud connection. Zero hissed through gritted teeth.

[Shoot me if you have to!]

[Don't be stupid, Zero. I'm not doing that!] Craft denied. It uncannily sounded like X in his earlier years, it hurt Zero to admit.

"What has he done to you? Why are you being so insolent?!" Harpuia reprimanded, pressure on Zero's neck worsening with every word from his mouth, his frustration bleeding ever so deeper into his tone. "I'm trying to help you!"

Shutting his eyes tight and grinding his teeth until his nose crinkled, Zero shook his head. He didn't need help. He wasn't so defenceless.

He reached for the holster at his thigh blindly before Harpuia could wrangle his wayward arm back, clamouring and feeling for the handle to get a grip on.

"Enough!" Harpuia snarled, at the end of his rope. He reached for something behind his back and ripped his weapon from its sheath, activating it to unveil a blinding magenta blade. He stopped and turned to face Craft in his rearview, throwing a sonic blast at him with a swing of his sword. Craft drifted sideways into a break as the energy wave smashed into the ground with a small explosion, throwing rubble into the air in a bright flash.

Zero's breath caught in his throat as he felt the heat of the sword up against his neck.

"You've been a real thorn in my side, you know. I could slit your throat so easily right now. If only X wasn't so obsessed with you," he whispered into his audial, hostility poisoning every word, "now come quietly."

Zero finally managed to find a grip on the handle of his dagger, tearing it from the holster and powering it on, cyan blades firing from the dagger's hilt. With all the strength he could muster, Zero buried it deep into Harpuia's waist and twisted.

"AGGHH-K!"

Harpuia jolted to a stop and wrenched, eyes wide and pupils small as pinpricks. Zero growled, yanking the dagger from Harpuia's side and stabbing him again. That time, Harpuia's resolve faltered, as did his strength.

Harpuia released Zero, the red warbot dropping from the sky like a fired upon bird. He twisted in the air and landed safely on his feet. A quick scan of the area, and he found himself in the main street, surrounded by pantheons, soldiers and police officers. Like a phalanx, they formed an impenetrable wall, blocking Craft off. He took the blaster Ciel had gifted him and waved it at his aggressors in his free hand, threatening them with a blade still steaming with evaporating blood.

Overhead, X's air commander bit down and shook it off. Even with blood streaming from his side, Harpuia wasn't so easily deterred.

"This is Harpuia. I have Zero's location, East-Sector F, block 13-3 on Middlestreet Road. Send reinforcements immediately," he barked into his wrist console. Swiftly, he turned his attention back to the problem at hand.

"What are you waiting for?! Get him!" Harpuia yelled to his small contingency, pointing the finger at Craft. "Zero's mine."

Like cogs in a well oiled machine, they turned their weapons on Craft and recklessly opened fire, forcing the warbot to duck under the cover of his cape.

[Get out of here!] Zero commanded.

[Harpuia will-]

[Will be taken care of. I'll meet you halfway.]

There was a break in the assault as soldiers reloaded their red hot rifles. Craft didn't have the luxury of staying and arguing, and he swerved in the opposite direction, putting pedal to metal and leaving them in a cloud of dust. With the troop of soldiers making chase, it left only Harpuia and Zero to face off.

Tearing his other sonic blade from its holster, Harpuia folded his wings against himself and dove, giving Zero mere seconds to dash away before talons crashed into the ground, hard enough to leave a web of cracks in the concrete. The civilians caught in the midst of it scrambled away like mice finding refuge in nooks and crannies.

"You can't run forever, Zero," Harpuia threatened, prying his claws from the ground and holding his sonic blades ready at his sides. Zero swallowed and backed away. "Now, if you know what's good for you, I'd suggest you drop your weapons and get on your knees."

"You can't kill me," Zero said, thrusting the barrel of the buster towards Harpuia. Harpuia cracked a smirk and twirled his twin swords, blades crackling forebodingly as raindrops sizzled off them.

"I can't," Harpuia agreed, standing up straight. "But I can still make this hurt."

With a roar, he slashed the air, sending sonic blasts barreling towards him. Zero saw it coming, rolling away as the gash of plasma ripped past, slicing but a small strand of his hair.

Zero wanted to conserve them, but Harpuia left him no choice. He snatched one of Cerveau's auto-injectors from his holster and slammed it into his thigh, the solution releasing into his veins and through his racing mechanical heart.

It sent a shudder through his entire body, and everything suddenly seemed clearer, like he had been lifted from a pit of tar.

"Traitor!"

Harpuia wouldn't let him savour the moment, thrusters at the back of his wings firing on as he tackled Zero head on. The two tangled as they crashed into the ground, Harpuia pinning Zero to the concrete with gnashing teeth and wild eyes.

"You're coming with me!" Harpuia reeled back a fist aimed at Zero's face, freeing one of Zero's hands enough to let him catch the fist in his palm before it could land. Zero thrust a kick into Harpuia's stomach, throwing him off. It gave Zero the chance to flip over and push himself off the ground, clambering to his feet before he rushed away.

Harpuia landed harmlessly, shaking it off and giving chase in the air, sonic blades parrying the barrage of plasma fire Zero had blasted his way. The buster was barely strong enough to do so much as knock him off course.

Zero stopped and pivoted, bracing himself as Harpuia came diving into him. Steadfast feet held their ground as the force buried him into the asphalt, the heel of his boot digging into the road below.

He had caught Harpuia's blade in his dagger, sawtoothed together and locking them entwined. Harpuia's quivering gaze scanned him up and down, fixated on the restraining bolt at his neck.

"H-how?!"

An answer would not entertain him, and Zero thrust Harpuia's blades downward, throwing him off balance and back onto land. He dashed away, looking back to fire a few parting shots while Harpuia was too shaken to dodge. He lifted his sabres to parry, but it was too late, and plasma fire landed squarely in his chest, knocking him back.

Harpuia scowled, feeling at his charred armour. It hadn't pierced him, but the burning sensation just stoked the flames of his ire. His thrusters powered to life, deafening to all who remained around him.

When Zero looked over his shoulder, he saw Harpuia in his rearview, slashing away the laundry line web between apartments with no regard, emerald glare ablaze.

Even at Zero's fastest, he could never outrun him. A volley of buster fire wouldn't slow him, despite Zero managing to hit his mark through Harpuia's parrying blades.

"Geah-k!"

Harpuia hurtled past like a speeding bullet, clipping Zero's thigh with his blades and sending him to his knees with a grunt of pain. He came back around, swooping down from the air and catching Zero's arm with his sabres before he could collect himself.

Zero winced as the sting of shallow cuts welling with blood travelled up and down his limbs like a vine. He breathed out hard through his dorsal vents and got to his feet, frantically scanning the stormy skies around him.

"You'll pay dearly for your futile resistance!"

With wide eyes, Zero pivoted quickly to face the sound of his voice to find Harpuia falling from the sky towards him. He wrapped scrawny fingers around Zero's neck and launched himself into the sky, past cityblock rooftops, before he crawled to a stop, rolled in the air, and fell with firing thrusters. Several stories of apartments rapidly passed by Zero's vision until they all blended together in a blur before he was thrown to the ground with enough force to leave an impact crater.

Zero heard the brutal sound of bones snapping before he felt it. Even as the dust settled, Harpuia had him pinned, fingers still squeezing at his throat like a vice grip. He could see four reploids, three soldiers and a police officer scramble to surround him, all training the sights of their rifles towards him.

There wasn't a word that would spill from any of their lips. Zero stared with listless eyes right through Harpuia. The air commander glared back, his jaw hung aloft as he panted like a wild animal, blood and drool dripping from the corner of his open mouth. He set his jaw and coughed, swallowing hard before he stepped away cautiously, turning away to spit out a globule of thick blood.

In the corner of Zero's vision, his HUD was flashing bright red, a flow of warning messages spilling from within the text terminal.

[MULTIPLE MAJOR INJURIES DETECTED.]

[CLOSED TRANSVERSE FRACTURE DETECTED IN LATERAL SUPRACONDYLAR RIDGE OF RIGHT HUMERUS. OBLIQUE FRACTURE DETECTED AT RIGHT TIBIAL SHAFT. RIB CONTUSION DETECTED IN LEFT 3RD RIB.]

[LAUNCHING INJURY REPAIR ALGORITHM.]

It felt like someone was bashing his chest in with every wavering breath. He didn't bother to look, but he knew his arm and leg were twisted in a way they shouldn't be.

"I apologise, Master Zero. You left me no choice," Harpuia said, though it was little consolation for Zero as he lay limp in a crater, every wheeze a struggle. The emerald reploid wiped his lip dry of blood before slotting his blades back in their holsters and gestured his soldiers to stand down. Zero glanced around with rapidly blinking eyes as the men eased up, fingers lifting from the triggers as they aimed the barrels of their rifle downwards.

"This is for your own good. Stay down."

From his utility belt, Harpuia procured a pair of handcuffs and approached Zero, gently cupping Zero's lifeless hand on his good arm and unlatching the cuff.

[FRACTURE REPAIR PATHWAY INITIATED.]

As though some invisible force was cracking his bones back into place, displaced limbs contorting back into place until his limbs were stiff and straight once again. Harpuia lurched back, releasing his hand as though he had been burnt.

It was completely and utterly unnatural. Harpuia stammered, backing away gingerly. "Wh-what?"

[FRACTURE REPAIR PATHWAY CONCLUDED.]

Zero swung his leg out, catching Harpuia's ankle and throwing him to the ground, the back of the air commander smacking against the concrete. With broken bones slotted back together like pieces of a puzzle, Zero leaped back to his feet drawing his buster shot from his hip and fanned its hammer, sending a wild barrage of plasma fire towards the soldiers surrounding him. They had their rifles blasted from their hands, leaving them rattled and defenceless.

Powering on both of his daggers, Zero rushed the soldiers, stomping down on Harpuia's chest to give him some extra leverage as he leaped towards the troops.

He landed on the torso of the officer in front of him, pinning him under his boot and burying both blades just below his collarbone. The officer fell to the ground in a heap and Zero dismounted his opponent by somersaulting off him, daggers unsheathing cleanly from his flesh before landing cleanly on his feet.

The three remaining soldiers reached for their batons, but Zero wouldn't stand down. He struck first, swinging to gain momentum before he rammed his twin blades into the reploid soldier, the hapless trooper only just managing to block the daggers with the shaft of his baton.

"Not good enough!" Zero reprimanded, twisting his daggers and dislodging the baton from his grip, slashing upwards to toss it and his arms into the air. Rendered vulnerable, Zero thrust the dagger into the soldier's stomach, dragging it up through his chest and through his shoulder before kicking him to the ground.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zero noticed Harpuia heaving himself off the ground, visibly shaken and tiring from the wound in his side. He gripped at it, hunched over as he swiftly caught his breath, wobbling as he did. Zero turned to the two remaining soldiers, waving his gun at them as he backed away. Locked in a stalemate, the soldiers didn't engage, lest they too were swiftly dispatched of.

"Get him!" Harpuia commanded, before hacking into the inside of his elbow.

With no other option, the soldiers rushed Zero, bringing down electrified batons upon him. Zero ducked away from their strikes, dashing away and slicing at their ankles as he did, slashing at their tendons and bringing them to their knees.

Zero made sure they didn't get up, kicking them down and firing down on them. Silently, he turned to face Harpuia.

The air commander was trembling. He was furious. Zero looked down on him with an upturned nose, only further inciting his rage.

"Your tricks won't work on me!" Harpuia shouted, spittle flying from his lips as he swung his blades haphazardly at Zero, sending a triplet of energy waves hurtling in his direction.

Huffing, Zero dashed beneath them, daggers powering on as he rammed Harpuia, blades clashing with his opponent's. There was a shrill hissing sound erupting from the friction of their swords colliding, Zero slowly pushing Harpuia down until his knees buckled.

Choices diminishing, Harpuia parried away Zero's blades and flew upwards, fleeing the assault momentarily. He would return swiftly, swooping downward and expertly evading the bustershots sent his way before their blades struck one another's again.

The thrusters at Harpuia's wings roared, burning so hot it was nearly clear as he attempted to disarm Zero. Despite the force coming down on him, Zero remained steadfast, discomfort only showing through his wincing face.

"What has he done to you?!" Harpuia screamed, breaking through Zero's parrying blades and tackling him through a shop front, windows shattering and sending the occupants sheltering inside running. He had pinned Zero, but he failed to get a grip on him.

"He's done nothing!" Zero yelled back, sending a fist into Harpuia's face and knocking him off of him. When he got back to his feet, their blades swiftly met again.

"Shut up! You may have X wrapped around your little finger, but you can't fool me," Harpuia snarled, dashing away from Zero's attacks and grabbing him by his talons, dragging him from the interior of the building and throwing him into a wall. Twisting midair, Zero managed to grab onto a clearance bar above a garage door before he could hurtle straight into a wall. Gently, he dropped to the ground, staring daggers as Harpuia circled above like a vulture.

As long as Harpuia was in the sky, Zero didn't have a chance. He dashed away, hiding away behind a rusted old utility truck. Police officers were closing in on him- small fry for Zero, who could fend them off with a few well placed shots from his pistol, but it only delayed the inevitable. Harpuia came crashing down, his presence sending the area into a hush, the voices of the policemen dying in the gust of his beating wings.

The ute was sliced clean in half by a powerful energy blast that had the ground rumbling. Harpuia shoved the halves of the truck aside, honing in on his prey. He ran his tongue over his teeth, twirling his blades in his hands to get a better grip on the handles.

"Nowhere to run now…" Harpuia whispered. His face was so gaunt and hollow, it was as if the Reaper himself had come for Zero.

Of course, it wasn't his time yet. Zero got to his feet and squared his shoulders.

On the attack, he charged Harpuia, slashing away at his blades before he could block them and striking him with a trio of consecutive attacks. Harpuia quickly retreated away with a flap of his wings, his chest criss-crossed with new lacerations.

There was his problem again- Harpuia would always have the upper hand if he could just fly away. He set his feet and focused.

"I won't let you escape!"

Wings and engines flaring, Harpuia charged him with a wail, sonic blades charged and ready.

With a swing of his daggers and a well timed dodge, Zero caught Harpuia by the wing. He was moving far too quickly to stop or process what had just happened.

Harpuia crashed into a wall, tumbling down, his clipped wing skidding to a stop at his side. He shook his head and shut his eyes tight, coming to his senses.

When he did, his scream caught in his throat. His right wing had been sliced clean off, just above the elbow.

"N-no– you-!" Harpuia's voice broke, and he swallowed hard. Zero had stopped paying him attention, focusing entirely on staving off the officers around him, the warbot caught in a violent dance he dropped swathes of riot police.

When the last of the officers were finished off, Zero powered off his daggers and set them in his hip holster. On trembling legs, Harpuia staggered upright. Zero turned slowly to face him, eyes narrowed and looking him up and down.

"How dare you!" Harpuia squawked, lurching towards him, swords blazing.

Zero blocked the blow with his forearm, kicking him in the stomach and shoving him back. Before Harpuia could attack again, Zero had him by the wrists, twisting grip tightening until Harpuia yielded, his blades dropping to the ground and powering off with a clatter.

Only then did Zero release him, pushing him down onto his hands and knees. He kicked Harpuia's blades away before he could reach for them.

"You can't fight anymore," Zero said. As much as Harpuia wanted to refute it, he couldn't.

"Y-you're wrong," Harpuia stammered out through shallow breaths anyway. "I was holding back. That was only a mere fraction… of my power. Of Neo Arcadia's power!"

He tried to get up, but his strength was crumbling. Knees gave out, and Harpuia was on the ground again, falling into a rainbow petrol puddle.

Zero glared at him with a cold, analytical stare. "Don't push yourself," he said, almost reprimanding. Harpuia dry heaved and grabbed at the wound at his stomach.

His massive emerald eyes looked glassed over, pupils shaking in their sockets. He was blinking rapidly, maybe trying to fight back tears, it was hard to tell in the rain. Zero's frown melted, twisting into something more akin to pity.

"You look just like X when he's angry," Zero reminisced. Harpuia growled and punched the ground.

"Don't patronise me!" Harpuia spat.

"I wasn't trying to," Zero said plainly. "I'm sorry, Harpuia."

Defeated, Harpuia sighed and shook his head.

"For what? You won. Go ahead and run. My men will track you down in time."

Despite the hostility, Zero couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "I was supposed to protect you. Isn't that what parents are supposed to do?"

It was obvious there was nothing left to say. Zero turned and dashed away. As if he had called for it, a police officer on horseback appeared before him. The reploid pulled back on the reins, his steed rearing back before it could trample Zero.

That was his ticket out of there. Before the officer could reach for his weapon, Zero beat him to the draw and shot him off the saddle, the red warbot leaping to kick him away and steal the vacant mechaniloid. With a crack of the reins, he was off in a gallop.

[Craft?]

He hoped his fellow traitor hadn't strayed too far.

[Zero! Where are you?]

A response would come quickly, to his relief. Zero didn't really have a God to thank in his life for that.

[I'm heading southbound down Fort Road. I can see you on my map. I'll meet you at the service station.]

The massive mechaniloid stallion flattened all in its path, weaving effortlessly through gunfire as fast as a ride chaser as he zeroed in on his partner.

With enough distance, the annoying shrill tone emanating from his collar had finally ceased.

---

Two roads converged at the service station at the end of Fort Road, right before the interchange onto the freeway.

Like two ships passing in the night, Zero and Craft crossed paths there, as promised. Zero tightened his knees at the mechaniloid's saddle, bringing it to a slow jog as he lined himself up with Craft's bike.

[You look worse for wear,] Craft noted, extending an arm for Zero to take. He was strong enough to swing him off his steed and place him behind himself effortlessly. The mechaniloid horse veered off course, coming to a stop at the side of the road as Craft drove them back into the secluded safety of alleyways and tunnels.

Zero couldn't help but wrap his arms around Craft, practically hugging him. [Never been so glad to see your mug again.]

The feeling of his chest filling as Craft made a huffy laugh felt nice. [I'd say the same. I shouldn't have let you do that.]

[Don't flatter yourself. You don't get to 'let' me do anything,] Zero shot him down. [Harpuia should be off our tails.]

[Really? How'd you manage that?] Craft asked, making a hard turn into a tunnel, away from the prying eyes of drones overhead.

[Probably just wasn't expecting a challenge,] Zero guessed. [He called for reinforcements. We won't be alone for long. What now?]

Craft made a contemplative humming noise. [What now, indeed…]

It was obvious to Zero that Craft was driving fairly listlessly, going in no particular direction. It was good in that there was a chance it would throw Neo Arcadia off their trail, but Zero was cognisant of the hours it added to their ETA.

[We probably have to go underground,] Craft said, wringing his hands around his bike's handlebars. [We can shake Harpuia's airmen off there. That trolley system I was talking about should be just up ahead. We can probably make it if we're lucky.]

Zero deflated against Craft's back. [I'm pretty sure I've used up all the luck I have left, buddy.]

[And you've tempted fate enough times today…] he looked over his shoulder and shot Zero a snide smirk. [Buddy.]

The sarcastic addition gave Zero pause. This isn't X, he thought somberly, awkwardly unclasping his arms from around Craft's torso. The old pet name probably sounded condescending on someone else's audials.

Regardless, Zero had to put his trust in him, his temporary strength starting to wane as the concoction of performance enhancers in his bloodstream began to taper off.

The whirrs and screams of drones and helicopters overhead didn't bode well. Zero tuned his audials, hearing catching the drone of ride chasers turning and muffled orders being exchanged between hand-held radios. He rested his hand preemptively at the buster in its holster.

[We've got bogeys coming up on our six,] Zero warned. Craft leaned forward and picked up speed, turning away into an alley.

[I'm aware,] Craft assured. [Give me a second. I'm gonna try shake them off.]

Before he could advance any further, Craft had to swerve to a halt, a police officer appeared in front of them, the wolfoid's ears perking up and eyes glowing bright in the dark, a deer in the headlights.

"HEY–!"

Zero had drawn his buster and fired before he could compromise them any further, leaving a hole in the officer's head. He fell backwards, a lifeless corpse.

It was a little too late. The squeal of police sirens coming to life closeby was their cue to get the hell out of there.

[We've got company!]

[I've noticed! Cover me. I'm gonna try shake 'em,] Craft commanded, charging onward over the officer's body as police ride chasers pulled into the alley in hot pursuit, bathing dark walls in red and blue siren light.

[Already on it,] Zero assured, unleashing a spray of bullets towards their pursuers. With a keen eye and few good shots, each one of them was shot off their bikes.

Zero ran his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip. Easy pickings.

What they lacked in skill, they made up for in numbers. No matter how many Zero fended off, more officers and soldiers just appeared. It wouldn't be long until they'd have to face a real threat.

A hulking, bruising officer pulled up beside Craft's bike, matching his speed and brandishing an electrified baton.

"Pull over at once!" He demanded, fat face crinkled with anger. Craft swerved into him, smashing into his side and sending him off course.

"Back off!" He shouted back. Procuring a grenade from his belt, Craft accelerated before he tossed it over his shoulder. They sped away before they could get caught in the blast, the bomb splintering into the walls of the alley and sending a wall of debris crumbling to the ground.

It bought them enough time to get away before the dust settled. The alley fed into the main road that flowed into the freeway.

A barricade of cop cars were waiting for them, kettling them in. Soldiers and officers had their weapons drawn, a wall of riot shields easily warding off Zero's meagre blaster fire. Craft made a last minute swerve, turning back to the freeway entrance. It was of no use- the interchange had been seized by a pantheon squadron. Craft's lip formed a line.

[Hold on tight,] Craft warned, honing in on the wall of riot shields that had walled off the freeway, picking up speed until he had run into the bulwark of shields. Forming the perfect ramp, Craft's rider chaser went airborne as it drove over the shield barrier, over parker cop cars and the freeway guard rail, falling several metres through the air before they landed safely in an underpass. After making sure Zero was still at his back, Craft drove off, leaving their assailants scrambling.

[You have some balls, doing stupid shit like that,] Zero said bluntly. Craft cracked a smirk and made a low chuckle from the pit of his chest.

[I know,] he replied.

They couldn't sit and laugh about it, not when cars and armoured trucks were gaining on them in the diminishing distance. He weaved through the commercial district, through the parking lot of a shopping mall and rammed straight through glass doors. The civilians sheltering within made a chorus of screams, fleeing in a scatter and clearing a path for Craft's ride chaser.

The entrance was too unforgiving for the armoured vehicles to fit through. Pantheons poured from their confines, giving chase on foot. Craft evaded their gunfire, bolts pinging off the ground as he passed a fire alarm, pulling the lever and sending the shopping mall into lockdown. The overhead fire sprinkler system coughed to life, forming puddles on linoleum floors and slowing the pursuing soldiers to a careful pace.

Undeterred, officers on bikes threaded through the shopping centre, emerging from all sides, from down staircases and through fire escapes. Soon, they were surrounded by two bikes pulling up flush against their sides.

"Stand down!" the officer yelled, striking Craft over the head with his baton. Craft growled, slamming the brake and sending the cop he had been tangled with flying forward before he charged on forward, running over his body for good measure. He couldn't shake off the other officer, who had wrapped an arm around Zero, mustering up all his strength to try yank him from Craft's bike.

"CRAFT!" Zero yelled, kicking out against his assailant in a bid to free himself. Craft acted swiftly, pulling the dagger from Zero's hip holster and burying it in the back of the officer's head. The man fell limp, and Craft scooped Zero from his arms back onto his bike before he fell from the seat, the ride chaser collapsing onto its side and skidding into a doorway, blocking the way.

[Relax, you're not going anywhere,] Craft assured. The mall wasn't all too big, and soon, they emerged out the other end, having lost a good few cops at his tail. Zero shot at the remaining officers and soldiers still trailing him, throwing them off their bikes where they fell, blocking the exit.

They returned to the main road, giving Craft leeway to reach top speeds. The sirens had disappeared into the distance, leaving only the roar of the bike's engines to grace their audials.

[I think we lost them,] Craft supposed. [Trolley system's ahead. Let's get out of here.]

Such silence was never going to last long, not in a world living under a blanket of eyes. Zero could feel the hair at the back of his neck stand on end, the sound of helicopter blades whipping at the air growing closer and closer.

Streetlights passed them by, rain pouring down on them until they were soaked.

Ultimately, both knew deep down they wouldn't get too far. Craft slid to a halt, railgun fire hammering down upon the road in front of them. The munitions uplifted a cloud of dust and rubble, smouldering bullet holes covering the road only a yard or so away from where Craft had stopped. An aircraft hovered above, pantheon brawlers dropping from the side doors. The door gunner had the onboard railgun locked onto Craft and Zero.

"It's the end of the line, maverick," said a voice over a loudspeaker. The voice would reveal himself in time, an falconiforme reploid landing in front of Craft with a flourish. Craft furrowed his brow and scowled.

"Aztec Falcon…" he spoke his name like it was a curse. Falcon pointed his wing at him, his feather blades crackling with electricity.

"On your knees, or my men will riddle you with a thousand bullets," Falcon warned. Craft and Zero exchanged looks.

[Stay close. They won't risk shooting if they'll catch me in the crossfire,] Zero assured. Craft nodded, and the two slowly dismounted their ride chaser and got to their knees, hands held at their sides. Falcon's hollow red glare darkened, and he held up a hand to signal his men to hold their fire.

"You infidels, who humiliated the exonerated General Harpuia… may Master X have mercy on your souls," Falcon snarled. His voice was pitchy and grating. Zero crumpled his nose at him, but said nothing. "Weapons on the ground."

Craft gently set the World Ender on the ground in front of him. Staring at the laser cannon resting harmlessly on the ground, Zero mulled it over in his mind, taking stock of the situation. Aztec Falcon cleared his throat, and Zero decided to follow suit, gingerly placing his buster and dagger across from him.

He did, however, hid one of the daggers away under his palm and wrist. Falcon waved a reploid over and pointed at the two.

"Restrain them."

The soldier at his side stepped forward warily, his electrified baton thrusting at their faces as he unravelled a tangle of handcuffs. Craft shot a fleeting glance at Zero.

[Any bright ideas?] Craft asked. Zero narrowed his eyes.

[Give me a moment,] Zero replied. [I've got something in mind.]

The soldier eyed Craft up and down nervously. After a tense pause, he yanked Craft's arm from behind his back. Craft held his breath and stared at Zero.

[Well?] he asked, the soldier clasping one of his wrists in shackles. [Anytime this year would be good.]

[Shut up. I'm trying to focus here,] Zero snapped. Craft sighed.

[Alright.]

He honed in on the soldier, noting down his MeReAD entry and any potential weak points in his frame. He closed his fingers around his dagger, planning his next move critically, aware of his limited strength.

[Now!]

With a fluid movement, Zero pushed himself off the ground, grabbing his weapons on the floor and flipped his blade outward. Borrowing strength from leverage, he sheared through the soldier's outstretched arm, dagger making a clean cut, and sent him back with a kick to the chest.

Newly freed, Craft pulled his hand away, the handcuff coming loose around his wrist as he grabbed his cannon and fired it into the crowd. The massive beam narrowly missed Aztec Falcon and took out a few soldiers at his backside. The air warrior quickly fled away into the air, holding a hand up at his door gunner.

"Hold your fire! We are not to harm the asset," he warned. "I will deal with this myself."

[Stay with me,] Zero commanded, standing flush at Craft's side.

[Wasn't planning on being anywhere else,] Craft assured. [He's coming. Get behind me.]

"Nice try! Your tricks won't work a second time!" Aztec Falcon screeched, falling from the sky with his wing blades glowing with sparks. He fired a barrage of lightning arrows at the two, forcing Craft to grab Zero and dash away to safety.

"That's right, run! You have nowhere to go!" Falcon squawked, dashing towards them. Zero snarled, firing his buster into him, the Falcon shielding himself with crossed wings.

He rammed into Craft without mercy, finding his neck with his talons and squeezing. The blow forced the air straight out of his lungs. He was much too heavy to lift into the air, and before his throat could be crushed the Craft wringed his hands around Falcon's ankle and tore him off, spinning and throwing him away. Aztec Falcon jumped backwards, chest puffed.

Craft set a hand on the small of Zero's back and shoved him toward the bike. [Quickly, we need to–]

He'd have to hold that thought. Aztec Falcon torpedoed into him, wing blades slamming into him and sending a shock through his systems. Zero rushed away and leaped behind the cover of Craft's ride chaser, not interested in being caught in the scuffle, though he held his buster at the ready.

Craft shook off the strike, knocking him away before grappling with the Falcon, fending off an unrelenting flurry of talons and blades that had him constantly on the back foot. A claw managed to find itself into his side, piercing deep and puncturing his armour, drawing a rare cry of agony from the war bot.

There was an ill timed attack on the part of Aztec Falcon that had Craft easily parrying his blade wings offered him a small window of opportunity. He drove his fist into the underside of Falcon's beak with a piercing crunch, before taking his head in both hands and bringing it down into his knee.

Aztec Falcon was sent reeling, stumbling back with head lolling like it was on a swivel. Craft rolled backwards, kneeling and setting his cannon on his knee. A red laser flashed on his target before he fired, a white hot cyan beam striking the Falcon, sending him flying backwards into his men.

There wasn't a good moment to recover his stamina- the soldiers surrounding him opened fire, the gunner hovering above in the chopper pelting him with rounds. Craft grunted, shielding himself in his cape as he backed away to his bike. Zero peeked over the ride chaser, firing when he could and picking off a few soldiers with a couple well-placed headshots. Their aerial superiority couldn't be overlooked, their overhead artillery quashing any attempt at retaliation.

With options thinning, Craft tossed a grenade over his shoulder, the bomb exploding mid-air over the crowd and sending shrapnel flying. They protected themselves with riot shields, but it did have them scattering and ceasing fire for just a moment.

[I can't take this forever, Zero!]

[I know!]

In the midst of the crowd, who had encircled him to protect him, Aztec Falcon staggered upright, swaying, but still conscious. He shook his head, and with newfound fury, marched through his men with blades rich with electricity, sparks flying off like embers.

"You're finished, maverick!" He screamed. His thunderous roar filled the air, echoes bouncing off the barren walls of apartments around him. He leaped into the sky, folding his wings inward as he angled forward into a steep dive.

He was like a heat-seeking missile, hellbent on finishing his target. Craft could barely move to protect himself, gunfire pelting him from every angle. Zero bit his lip- things weren't getting any better for them as it was now.

"Stop!"

Zero heaved himself over the ride chaser, spreading his arms out wide and making himself as big as he could. The firing would stop immediately, and Aztec Falcon flared his wings out, coming to an abrupt stop and backing away with a wingbeat. The air warrior landed gently, talons making a light clicking sound as they met concrete.

A clap of lightning ignited the world for a mere second as they stared each other down. The storm had picked up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aztec Falcon lunged forward, hoping to intimidate him. "Step aside."

Zero remained defiant, eyes darkening under the shade of his helm. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, betraying his cold expression. "No."

Falcon huffed hard and rolled his eyes. "Do you even know what you're doing, Master Zero? You're defending a terrorist."

"I don't care what you think. You wanted me? Then take me," Zero said. He put his weapons away and outstretched his arms, wrists facing upwards.

Falcon cocked his head and leaned in. "Are you surrendering?"

"Sure."

[What are you doing?] Craft asked urgently.

[I don't know. Giving you time,] Zero admitted. The Falcon just filled his chest and straightened his posture.

"...I don't understand why you pretend to care whether or not I hurt him. He kidnapped you, after all. Just say the word, and I'll pick him apart, limb from limb. No need to keep up the act," Aztec Falcon said. He unlatched his forearms from where they locked into his wings and grabbed Zero's wrists, tugging him into his grasp. Zero didn't say anything back. "Well? Allow me to dispose of this garbage."

Falcon turned Zero around in his arms, like he was taking him in a dance. He was inspecting him closely, waiting for Zero to give him something to take advantage of. "Quiet all of a sudden, are we? Play this game all you want, what matters is that Master X will be pleased to have you back."

At that point, Zero was starting to regret his decision. Still, it at least meant Craft had a moment to catch his breath. He didn't entertain the Falcon with a reply.

"You already know what's going to happen, don't you? You'll be whisked away, and my men will shoot him down while you can only watch," Aztec Falcon murmured into Zero's audial. Zero closed his eyes and tried paying him no mind, passive. Falcon harrumphed and leaned away.

"Giving up now, are we? What's wrong? Run out of tricks already?" he taunted. "You may not know it, but this is for your own good."

Zero was shoved away towards a crowd of men, hands tied in Aztec Falcon's claws. Zero grumbled as soldiers manhandled him. His strength from the injection had all but vanished, and all he could do was writhe and kick his legs in protest.

Aztec Falcon walked away, standing in front of Craft. The combat reploid was on his knees, panting hard as he caught his breath. Men were all around him, rifles at the ready for the execution. He wiped the bothersome rain from his face and looked up at the air commander, brow furrowed and nose crinkled.

"And for you… well, I suggest you pray it won't hurt," the Falcon said. "Thunder Bird Party!" He yelled with an harsh upward intonation. "Take aim!"

There was a clattering as soldiers set their sights on Craft. [Zero?]

He could barely see him behind Aztec Falcon's frame. [Yes?]

[Could you make a ruckus?]

Making a ruckus was all he was good at, at that moment. There was an arm around his throat, holding him back like an iron bar. He reached up, gripped the soldier's forearm and unsheathed his claws as deep as tendons would allow, biting down as hard as he could.

"ARGH! Stupid bitch–!"

The pain forced the soldier into a moment of weakness, letting Zero weasel his way out of his grip. He snatched the rifle from the reploid's holster and stepped backward, opening fire on the crowd.

"What is it now?!" Aztec Falcon foolishly turned around to look for himself.

There was the window Craft was looking for. He lunged off the ground and tackled the air commander, pinning him to the ground. He unleashed upon him a storm of fists, punishing him dearly for his mistake. The Falcon could barely reach up to defend himself. His men were too cautious to fire on his assailant, wary of striking their own.

[Craft!] Zero called, running over to his side. Craft stood up over the delirious air warrior, picking Zero up and resting him over his shoulder and sprinting to his bike.

Slowly, Aztec Falcon staggered to his feet, glare burning hot and furious.

"Stop him!" He commanded. The reploid manning the railgun pointed it at the wayward combatants as they clambered onto their bike, and there would be a shot taken.

But it wasn't from the door gunner. A sound like a crack of thunder rang through the air, and the soldier at the railgun would fall lifeless from his station.

"Sniper!" A soldier called out before being swiftly taken out, all eyes averting from their targets and scanning the windows for the suspect. Aztec Falcon crouched for cover as his men dropped like flies all around him.

"Take cover!" Aztec Falcon yelled, his party fleeing behind cars and buildings. "Fall back now- AHKK!"

The sniper had aimed for him next, a bullet piercing his eye and sending him arching back, feverishly grabbing at his face.

"M-my eye! Son of a… got me…" Aztec Falcon squeaked out, stumbling away behind the cover of an alley. It all happened so quickly, Craft and Zero could barely process it. There were brave souls who peeked out to fire back upon the sniper, though with no real point of reference to their whereabouts their bullets fired uselessly into the wall. They were quickly forced back into their hiding spots when the sniper fired back, bullets taking chips off the shelter they cowered behind.

From an open window, the suspect cleared the sill and dropped to the ground, rifle slung over their shoulder. They gestured forward vigorously.

"Go! Move, run!"

The sniper was a woman. Craft didn't need to be told twice, and he sped off. The woman grabbed onto the side of the rider chaser and came with them, plucking a grenade from Craft's artillery and sending it towards Aztec Falcon's men. The blast obscured them in a cloud of dust, rubble collapsing onto the road and blocking them off.

"Up ahead, we can go underground there," the woman said. She pointed at an inconspicuous garage door in a building that was fairly out of the way. "Here, here, stop."

Craft came to a stop, and she jumped off, hurriedly pushing the garage door up off the ground and letting Craft and Zero in. She shut it again, latching it closed. Craft and Zero disembarked, Craft pushing his bike along as the woman motioned them along through to an expansive boiler room, one that seemed to go on for miles. She barricaded them in with a security bar lock, before letting out a deep breath.

Relatively safe, they finally had a second of peace. Zero gave the woman a good look.

She had darker skin, face peppered with a smattering of freckles and shoulder length hair that was purple in the light and blue in the shadows. She had rich brown eyes, a scarf around her mouth and a flat, squarish nose. She had some kind of exoskeleton reinforcing her body, encasing her limbs and torso, but that was all there was to her.

Zero squinted, before his brow disappeared behind the brim of his helm.

"You're a human," Zero thought out loud. She smiled and chuckled, loosening the scarf around her mouth and revealing a smile.

"Hah, you reckon?" she asked, cheeky. Zero cocked his head. Australian- that was a rare accent to hear these days. "Why, something wrong with that?"

"No, not at all, just… didn't expect it," Zero said. "Thank you for saving us. I don't know how I can repay you for risking your neck like that."

"Ah, no worries. My name's Brise," she said, reaching out a hand for Zero and Craft. They both were given a firm shake, her exoskeleton strengthening her human grip fivefold.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Zero. This is Cr–"

"I know who you are. Hard not to," Brise assured. "Pleasure's all mine. Never thought I'd be talking to the likes of you, Zero."

She bowed her head courteously. Zero bowed back. Craft, on the other hand, looked rather suspicious.

"...Who are you?" Craft asked.

"Me? I just said. My name's Brise," she said. Craft shook his head.

"No, I mean, who are you?" he elaborated. "Are you with the OSA? The Resistance?"

Brise looked aside to think about it. "Guess you could say I agree with a couple of the OSA's viewpoints. Call me a Resistance sympathiser n' all that, but, ah, yeah, nah, I don't wear the OSA armband or anything. I'm not with that mob," she said. "Follow me, I'll take you to the tracks. I'll get you on a cart out of here in no time."

The bridge of Craft's nose scrunched. Despite his suspicions, he followed her anyway. It was the right direction. "How would you know where we're going?"

"You were in the area. I didn't think you'd be here for sightseeing," Brise answered. "Runaways, fugitives, renegades, they come 'round here all the time."

Gruffly, Craft hummed, deciding the reasoning was sound enough. Zero came to her side.

"Say, Brise, I'd hate to sound ungrateful, but… uh, why are you doing this?" Zero asked. "It'd be less trouble if you just handed us back to X, wouldn't it?"

[Don't give her ideas. Could be a trick,] came Craft's voice in Zero's head.

[Could not be,] Zero added. Brise made a breathy laugh.

"Well it's simple, really. 'Cause fuck X, that's why," she said succinctly.

Zero's brows couldn't raise any higher. "Oh."

"I know you two have history, but, mate, have a look around," she continued. "He's run this place into the ground. Last thing he deserves is to get what he wants. Besides, I saw everything. You two weren't getting out of there without a miracle."

Craft's lip twitched. "Do you… know of a Neige? Neige Wolf."

Brise shrugged. "I've read some of her writing. Don't know her personally."

"I see..." He wiped his nose. The blood was still a little wet from his injuries. She forced upon a door to a staircase, leading them down into the depths of the subterranean systems.

"Where you headed, anyway?" she asked.

"Nowhere that concerns you," Craft answered briskly.

"Far out, was just curious…" she grumbled. The three of them reached the bottommost floor, where Brise unlocked a series of old doors leading to the tracks.

Zero leaned against the wall and let out a deep breath, a full-body soreness settling in. Having noticed Zero wasn't following her down the platform, Brise looked back, giving him and Craft an analytical look down.

"Say, you have some first aid on ya'? You look like you could use it," Brise asked, backtracking.

"Yeah. We do, don't we?" Zero looked to Craft for confirmation.

Craft retrieved his dufflebag from hammerspace and sat it on the ground. "Yeah."

He dusted off two old crates and dragged them over for some makeshift seating arrangements. Zero collapsed on its surface and threw his head back with an exhausted sigh. The colour had all but drained from his face.

"We need to stop and rest, Craft," Zero managed to eke out through laboured breaths. It was a relief unlike any other to just sit down, his legs were aching. His bones were just barely hanging together after Harpuia had slammed him into the ground.

And yet, though he too was nursing many a fresh wound, Craft didn't seem too convinced.

"I know we do, but we can't," Craft lamented. He cracked open their first aid kit and hovered his hands over the spread of equipment. "We need to keep moving."

Brise chewed the inside of her lip. "He's right though," she added. "You're no good out there if you're too banged up. How about this- you take a break to patch yourselves up and I'll cover you. Sound like a plan?"

She slipped her gun from where it was slung over her shoulder and, with a pull of a lever and a bit of a shake, it converted from a sniper rifle to an assault rifle. Without the same internal detection and ranging systems as the reploids among her, she took the visor hanging around her neck and secured it over her eyes, activating it with a tap on the side.

"Let me know when you're ready to go," she said, meandering away to keep watch of the area. Craft sighed in resignation before tending to Zero's wounds.

[Have a little faith in the human. She saved our asses,] Zero insisted. Craft's lip twitched upwards.

[I know…] he assured, but it didn't sound all that genuine. [Can you pull down your diagnostic firewalls for a second?]

[Sure. My bad.]

Craft plugged a scanning gun to his wrist console and gave Zero's body a once over. After a moment to contemplate the results, he scanned himself.

[You got a torso contusion. But doesn't look like you have any internal bleeding,] Craft said.

[And you?]

[Stupid bird nearly punctured my pneumatic sacs.]

He carefully removed a pierced armour plate in his side, finding a deep laceration below his armpit. He rinsed it down with a bottle of water and padded it dry with some gauze.

[But it should be fine.] He stapled the wound shut and pressed the lump of gauze against it, taping over it and keeping it secure before returning the scute back to its rightful place. [Let me see…]

Instinctively, Zero flinched back when Craft reached to take his vest apart.

[Sorry. May I?]

Zero hadn't even realised what he was asking at first. When he finally did, he felt his face grow red with embarrassment.

[Oh. Uh, allow me,] Zero said, pulling his vest from over his head. He had a few fresh scars crossing over all down his back from where his skin had met concrete and plenty of lacerations up and down his limbs, courtesy of Harpuia.

His skin was soft, so soft under the armour. Craft struggled to believe this was the war hero of legend he was touching as he poured water over his wounds.

Despite the sting of Craft padding his injuries clean with gauze and swabs, Zero wasn't dwelling on it. He found himself staring at Brise as she wandered back and forth, scanning the area with her rifle held firmly in her grip.

A human. As human as can be, her only augment, if you could call it that, was an exoskeleton that cushioned impacts.

Humans weren't soldiers or officers anymore. It had been that way for as long as Zero could remember. Even specialised reploids had taken over the human centric police department in Abel City. They were soft and prone to moments of weakness, moments that could easily be coded out of a reploid's primary processor.

Zero had barely had any combat experience against humans. If one happened to get aggressive, he was strong enough to simply hold their hands above their head and cuff them. Fighting humans was beneath him. A warrior like himself would not concern himself with such a thing.

And yet, his analytical algorithms did not register her. He couldn't consult MeReAD. All he could scan was her rifle, which was, unsurprisingly, a custom build anyway. She was a ghost in his programming. Unpredictable in every way.

Just like he was. Just like X.

"...How did you end up in a place like this?" Zero asked. Though she turned to face him, Brise's eyes were obscured by her visor.

"You mean why did I decide to leave my cushy life behind and wallow in the outer sectors?" Brise guessed. Zero shrunk away a little at her incisiveness.

"Yeah, I guess," Zero said.

Brise looked at him blankly before shrugging her shoulders ambivalently. "I gotta look pretty stupid, doing this, huh?"

She leaned against a load bearing pillar and laughed. "It's something everyone in Neo Arcadia will have to think about one time or another, knowing about this suffering, what's happening out here. Everyone in Neo Arcadia knows it's here, whether or not they come to see it for themselves or they just hear about it," she said, her voice softening. "It's hard. People don't like it. It's not like they don't have compassion, it's just that they know this place can't exist without suffering. Maybe, even though they full well know this is unfair, they convince themselves it has to be fair, that the people out here deserve it because they do bad things. Then they realise that maybe humans are just unable to conceive of a world without cruelty. I'd know, I'm a blak fella, after all."

She inspected her rifle carefully. "You accept the truth of Neo Arcadia eventually. It's uncomfortable. Most people stay, I mean, what else can you do? The only other thing you can do is walk away. To refuse to be complicit. Then what do you do? Wander in search of meaning? Do you stay and fight? Is there anything worth fighting for? You can't reform this," she posited rhetorically. "All you can do is walk away from Neo Arcadia."

With the last of their wounds cleaned and sealed to the best of their abilities, Craft and Zero would leave Brise behind, ever grateful and semi-rested. They boarded a small cart, barely big enough for Craft's bike, that would ferry them away down subterranean railways. Away from Neo Arcadia.

---

X and his guardians had rushed to occupy the slums of the Eastern Outer Sectors at Harpuia's first mention of Zero's presence.

It was dark and damp, rain still steadily battering the city with no signs of cessation. The air was thick with the smell of sulphur and rot and runoff from protein processing factories. Night had since fallen on Neo Arcadia, empty streets bathed in darkness. Puddles, rippling from rain drops, shimmered with the reflections of streetlamps and neon signage and billboards. Armoured vehicles rolled down the small streets cutting through flophouses, ferrying soldiers and officers to their posts. There was not a moment of silence to be had, not when a chorus of soldiers barking orders, tank treads rumbling forward and drones buzzing and helicopters hovering in the skies purveyed over all.

Phantom wiped his face clean from the rain that had fallen on his face and blinked away droplets that pearled up on his lashes. It was a terrible place. His head was ringing from the sheer overstimulation.

"Ahh! There you are!"

"What's up, Whispers?!"

He had been sitting on a crate under a storefront, sheltered from the storm. His head was buried in his tablet, trying to remain fixated on decoding the problem glitch plaguing the state's surveillance system. Really, he just wanted to look busy so no one would bother him.

Neither Leviathan nor Fefnir cared just how busy he was. Phantom sighed and glanced up at the two from his tablet.

"Hey…" he greeted brusquely. Neither his siblings picked up on his inimical mood, or they simply didn't care. They sat down unceremoniously beside him, their combined weight causing the crate to buckle some.

"Come on, look alive!" Leviathan insisted, playfully shoving him. "Dad's on his way, you know."

Previously, Phantom might've been pleased to know he was. Ever since Zero had been kidnapped, X had become increasingly mercurial- more than he already was, anyway, lashing out at even the most minor of slights. Over time, Phantom had come to learn that his father's presence brought with it an inevitable verbal thrashing.

"Is he…?" Phantom murmured, scratching the back of his helm. "You two haven't found Zero, yet, have you?"

Fefnir shook his head. "Nah. But this is the best chance at finding him we've gotten since this started. Get up and show some skin, Whispa'!"

Before he could reply, Fefnir yanked Phantom to his feet and pulled him along towards the crowd. "I was working on it–!"

"Yeah, and you can tell dad all about it!"

He was shoved in front of the crowd, where soldiers and officers had made a small clearing. Even in the darkness cast by flophouse shadows, X's battle armour shone pale and bright, like the morningstar in the empty dark sky at dusk. His golden accent glimmered in the streetlights, vast wingspan folded neatly against his back. When the crowd turned to address Phantom's appearance, X's attention followed suit.

There was no true discernable emotion on his face, but his stare seemed analytical in nature. When he approached, Phantom swallowed hard and backed away, folding to his knees and bowing his head.

"Master X, sir," he greeted courteously. X huffed, setting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"On your feet," he commanded, and Phantom obeyed judiciously. "Anything to report?"

Phantom would have to choose his next words wisely. His mouth felt overly dry. "I've made good progress on resolving the virus in our surveillance systems."

Whether X was pleased or not wasn't all too obvious. "...Then keep at it. Where is Harpuia?"

Fefnir put his hands on his hips and frowned. "Busy being a sore loser."

"I'd prefer not to hear any lip right now, Fefnir," X reprimanded coldly. Fefnir made himself small and backed away, head turned down.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," he whispered sheepishly. X turned back to Phantom.

"And have you heard back from that Rainbow Devil?" X asked. Phantom's throat bobbed.

"It has been deployed to the East-South border," Phantom answered, keeping his tone as level as he possibly could. "Where Harpuia's men reported Craft and Zero to be headed."

X stared right through Phantom, glare sharp and narrow. His hand raised to his chin and he kneaded it in thought.

After a moment, the corners of his lips twitched into a small smile. "Excellent," he offered, a rare praise for Phantom's audials. "That Devil of yours has never failed me before. Hopefully it won't start now."

Before he could walk away, a new presence would steal his attention. The dull roar of the crowd died down to a collective murmur, soldiers moved aside, clearing the area as Harpuia, battered and ashamed, made his way through the thicket of men.

The worst of his injuries had been taken care of, but those newborn scars still stung all the same. The pain was made infinitely worse by the hundreds of eyes locking onto him. He held his one remaining wing loosely at his side rather pathetically, his head fixed at the ground and shoulders slumped. X's expression didn't really change, but Phantom caught his jaw tighten as he grit his teeth.

Harpuia didn't say anything as he hobbled towards X. He dropped to his hands and knees at X's feet, and only then did he speak.

"I'm sorry, Master X," Harpuia muttered woefully. "I failed you."

X remained quiet, his stare icy and vacant as it bore through Harpuia's grovelling state. Harpuia looked up at him with wet, pleading eyes.

"I hope you can find it within yourself to deem me worthy of forgiveness, sir," Harpuia continued. "I apologise!"

X harrumphed. "Enough of this. You look pitiful. Get up."

He grabbed Harpuia by the scruff of his chestplate's collar and pulled him to his unstable feet. Harpuia turned around and stood properly, posture as straight as a board. "Yes, sir."

Despite the abundance of respect Harpuia was offering his father, none of it would be returned. X didn't even look at him, instead taking to pacing around listlessly.

"You're one of Neo Arcadia's greatest warriors, Harpuia," X began, "rarely do you disappoint me."

Harpuia's guard faltered. He'd regret allowing his disposition to soften.

"What happened?!" X's voice rose as he whipped around to face Harpuia, his intensity easily overwhelming the drone of the crowd. Harpuia stepped away, eyes little more than slits. "Letting Zero, in his state, overpower you! Are you not my greatest warrior? Did I not specifically engineer this situation to be in your favour?"

Harpuia nodded desperately. "Y-you did, sir."

"Then enlighten me, how did you let this happen? Because it wasn't Craft."

"He- they did something to him, he injected himself with something, it was- I don't know, a performance enhancer–"

"What does that matter?"

X opened his mouth but bit his tongue before he could continue, snatching his gaze away and pinching the bridge of his nose. Harpuia didn't have the mettle to meet his reproachful glare- or anyone's for that matter. He shut his eyes and turned his head downward.

After a moment to settle, X levelled his voice and continued. "Listen, son. You're more than capable of taking someone on Zero's level. You were designed with his degree of power in mind. Mine too. I know that. You know that. So what was it?"

Harpuia shook his head. "I don't know, sir."

Though rage no longer seeped through his tone, his words were still biting. "Were you afraid?"

No response, but he tried to push down the lump in his throat. X knitted his brow.

"Were you holding back?"

"...If I hadn't, I would've killed him."

There was a silence as X contemplated that answer. His lip twitched, eyes roving in thought. "No you wouldn't. Harpuia, do you know how many soldiers we lost after you let him escape?"

Harpuia looked away. "Too many–"

"Exactly!" X snapped. "You are extremely capable of taking down Zero, and yet, you held back. Why is that? Were you afraid to hurt him?"

"I-I didn't–"

"I know how terrible it feels to hurt someone you care about, but there are times when the situation forces our hand. I had to turn against Zero too, once. It hurt me, more than you will ever know, but what choice did I have? Just look at what your failure has cost us! What it's cost you! Look at me, Harpuia. All of you."

X gestured to his children, who watched on dutifully. Harpuia grit his teeth, steeled himself, and did as commanded.

"You will never be powerful warriors if you're afraid to get blood on your hands," he said, voice as soft as a feather falling. He let his words settle in their minds, stepping away.

"Harpuia, you have been dismissed. You're in no state to fight," X said calmly. The wings on Harpuia's helmet drooped.

"But–"

X looked over his shoulder, his glare enough to silence him. "Do not speak back to me."

Harpuia set his jaw. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

"Go home and rest. It's clear to me that your training is incomplete," X commanded. Harpuia bowed, but X wasn't looking. Humiliated and ashamed, Harpuia warped away in a flurry of light. At his departure, the tension in the air lifted some, just nowhere near enough for anyone to feel comfortable.

X wiped the rain from his face and let out a sharp sigh. None of the remaining Guardians wanted to test their father's temper, and so, they said nothing. There was nothing to say, regardless.

A notification appearing in his HUD would rescue Phantom from reality. He retreated from the crowd for the moment to open and read the alert in full.

It was from the Rainbow Devil. The thing couldn't speak for itself, it wasn't any more sentient than a dog.

[19:23 - TARGET 'ZERO' LOCATED. COORDINATES (DD): 9.8003268, 49.2285699. ESTIMATED WARP PROTOCOL - 12A. . THIS MESSAGE IS AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED.]

He turned and rushed to X's side, speaking before he could think.

"Master X! It's Zero," he said, "they found Zero."

---

With Brise having farewelled them, Craft and Zero were left to fend for themselves once more in the dark recesses of the Outer Sectors.

The Southern border of the Eastern Sector was a jungle of towering spires that just barely touched the heavens through storm clouds. The sector was at the centre of communications throughout the region and, as such, received an appropriate amount of financial investment from the state. The lights shone brighter here, the streets were cleaner, the air and water didn't reek of filth or poison. Massive billboards plastered the towers lining main street, flashing brightly coloured advertisements, with state-sponsored messages and announcements sprinkled in between. There were a few trees lining some particularly important thoroughfares, though they didn't look all too healthy. Basic infrastructure and municipal services had become strangers to Zero during his brief time in the Outer Sectors.

Though they had escaped capture, Craft and Zero could not let themselves grow complacent just yet. The state was hot on their heels, and they could no longer stop to rest. The designated warp point was nearby- if they just made it in time, they'd be more or less scot-free. They would still have to deal with their 'saviours' being recurrent, renowned mavericks and war criminals Vile and Dynamo, but even Zero could admit that was the least of their concerns at that time.

The alleys were emptier than those in the residential districts. There weren't lost souls and derelict lives haunting the shadows nor bottles or syringes cracking under their feet.

Clean. Too clean, it bothered Zero. It could only mean the state had a vice grip on the border, disposing of any 'undesirables' before they could taint X's vision.

[Zero?]

That was Craft's voice in his head, shaking him from the depths of his own thoughts. He hadn't realised it, but he had been resting his head on Craft's back, the gentle hum of the ride chaser lulling him to sleep.

[Yeah?] Zero replied. Craft made an acknowledging hum.

[Nothing, you just hadn't said anything in a while,] Craft said. Zero groaned, kneading the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ease the tension in his head. [Just wanted to make sure you hadn't dozed off on me.]

He rubbed his eyes and blinked the blur of fatigue away. [I won't. Where are we?]

A cursory glance around didn't reveal much. He knew they had been moving, but their surroundings didn't suggest as much. It was the same alleys, the same towering skyscrapers walling them in, the same dark, stormy skies above. All around them was the incessant drone of police and military operations, reploid soldiers marching through the streets and filling what would otherwise be empty air with orders and commands.

[We're getting close if that's what you're asking,] Craft answered. [Just got myself in a bit of a bind.]

Zero's brow rose, then furrowed. [What's that supposed to mean?]

He rolled his shoulders and let out a dejected sigh. [The only way through's been cordoned off by police. I need to go back around,] Craft explained. [It's gonna cost us half an hour. Can't be helped.]

Zero wanted to pull his hair out. Just being out in the open was sending his anxiety soaring to new heights. There were helicopters and drones hovering over them, never letting the air remain silent, spotlights flickering through the gaps between skyscrapers. He took refuge in the shadow of Craft's frame, pressing his forehead against his back.

[Why does it have to be like this?] Zero said, mournfully. [Why can't he just leave me alone? I don't want to do this anymore.]

Craft's lips formed a line. [...I just don't think it's in his nature.]

He was right. X was always afraid to be alone, and Zero couldn't help but blame himself for that. Everytime loving him became easy, Zero couldn't handle it. He ran away, time and time again. It was his bed to lie in.

[I should just go back. It'll save you the trouble.]

[Zero… that's not what you really want.]

[But what else can I do? He destroyed Bosaso just to get me back,] Zero said. The image of the district reduced to smouldering, blood-stained rubble wouldn't leave him be. Entire families had been wiped out in seconds. [If I do what he wants–]

[You shouldn't.]

[If I just did what I was told, none of this would've happened!]

He lightly smacked his forehead into Craft's back, eyes squeezed shut in a frustrated scowl. Craft didn't answer immediately. Zero needed the silence to let it all out.

[You can't go back to him,] Craft said, after a moment to reflect. [Not after everything he's done. Could you live with yourself?]

Zero swallowed. [No. But maybe that's the sacrifice I'll have to make if it means he stops this–]

[He won't. He'll just take it as you agreeing with his actions,] Craft said. [You have to be pragmatic about it. If you give up now, you won't get another chance at freedom. At least, it won't come easy. He won't let you escape again, you know. You'd make an enemy out of the resistance movements. Is that really what you want?]

There wasn't a response Zero could provide. Craft continued. [It's hard, I know. But what do you really want? Do you want to let him go, or do you want to be his dog to yank around on his chain?]

The breath caught in Zero's throat. Centuries had passed since then, but he still would never forget. It was Sigma who had given him his home, his job, his place in the world. Sigma, who was kind and patient enough to give him a chance when bureaucracy demanded his execution. Who nursed him back to health, taught him everything he knew, taught him how to even speak.

He owed him everything. As time passed them by, Sigma would hang that over Zero's head like a sword as he spiralled. Zero bore witness to every second of his descent, and for too long, he didn't dare speak up, not until it was too late.

How could he turn against the man who gave him his life? How could he, when he only ever lived on the leash of his convenience?

Craft slowed to a crawl at a junction, the hum of his ride chaser's engine dwindling to a whisper. There was a fork in the road, splitting perpendicular to their path like a T. Craft threw a glance over his shoulder and cocked his brow.

[Coast is clear?]

Zero lent his scanners, taking a rapid survey of their surroundings. No reploids, no mechaniloids- at least, none close enough to be of any real concern.

He began to answer, but pulled back just before he could transmit anything more than a single letter. There was no one around, but the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, hand closing around the grip of his buster.

[Back up, something's not right here,] Zero said. Tentatively, Craft pushed his idle bike in reverse with a few steps.

[Why, what do you see?] He asked. Zero drew his pistol from its holster and released the safety, dilated pupils bouncing back and forth.

The word WARNING in large, red letters flashed in the corner of his HUD, though his targeting systems struggled to lock onto the source of the danger.

The air was growing colder around them. Zero pursed his lips. [...I can't tell.]

An audible, viscous plop cut through the wordless air, drawing the two's attention. A shimmering turquoise gelatinous blob had fallen from the sky, landing in front of them. Craft backed away, engine revving back to life. [What the hell is that? Is that a slug?]

Zero's eyes widened, an upward pointing red triangle urging him to look skywards.

Steeling himself, he cast his gaze to the rooftops. Something was watching them, looming over like a gargoyle projecting off the roof of a telecoms office building. Through the darkness, its single red eye shone bright, its iridescent, gelatinous body glistening in the dim light of the city at night. It was vaguely humanoid, form always shifting, grotesque in its shape.

It saw them, long before they saw it.

[Turn this thing around! Move!] Zero ordered. Craft swung his bike around sharply and accelerated away, pushing the chaser's engines to their limits.

Zero turned, firing upon the monster as it dribbled down the side of the building, arms and legs emerging from its gelatinous form to grab onto the road. Though the buster hit its mark, its body simply absorbed the impact, slime sloughing off and reforming over the plasma bolt wounds. It was impervious, perhaps, save for the core floating in its head.

[The fuck is that thing?!] Craft yelled, driving his boot down on the accelerator as hard with all the weight he had. It was gaining on them, crawling and slithering grotesquely across the ground as it grew ever larger in his rear view mirrors.

[I don't know, my buster isn't doing anything!] Zero answered, trying to aim directly at its core. He fired again and again into its single foreboding eye, but each useless strike simply sunk into its gelatinous body. Even as consecutive gunshots away at its flesh, the newly made wounds would simply heal over, liquid metal lacing into itself.

It was a futile endeavour. Zero slotted his pistol away and held onto Craft for dear life. [Brace yourself, it's coming right at us!]

The monster was a mere nose length away when a massive arm extended out from its main form and smashed into the bike. The strike sent the two flying from their seats and to the ground, their chaser sliding to a halt next to them.

[It's no use, we have to stand and fight this thing,] Craft concluded, hobbling upright. He pulled Zero to his feet before drawing his laser cannon from the holster at his back and setting his feet, the generator blaring to life as he charged his weapon.

A red beam lined up with the monster's core as it lunged towards them, the tiny dot heralding a fully charged plasma beam from the barrel of a cannon. It was loud enough to drown all other sound, bright enough to bathe the alley in white-hot light. It cut through the creature's body, leaving a massive hole where its head used to be.

The smoke cleared, and Zero's audials ceased to ring. Its core had detached from its head to safety, and its cleaved gelatinous flesh slowly knitted itself back together.

[Damn it!]

Craft grabbed a hold of Zero's wrist and dashed away, only for his feet to be swept out from under him by a swinging arm morphed into a whip-like tentacle.

Before Zero could regain his bearings, the appendage had wrapped around his throat, dragging him from Craft's grip. It was crushing, enough to kill the scream trying to escape from his throat. He felt desperately for his dagger, ripping it from its holster and slicing upwards, slicing away at any gelatinous flesh he could reach.

The dismembered tentacle arm went limp around his throat, dropping around him, still twitching. Zero clambered to his feet and scrambled towards Craft, reaching out for his grasp with primal fear abundant in his eyes.

Still delirious, Craft struggled to find his hand, his vision still fading in and out of focus. The monster rushed them as an amorphous slime, trapping Zero in its viscous body and slamming Craft away with a punishing fist, throwing him to the ground.

The force was enough to make his HUD glitch and crash. He shook his head and forced a reboot, coming to only to find Zero bound in the grips of the monster's tendrils, its coils tightening the harder he struggled.

[Don't move! I'm coming!]

Craft charged the monster, slashing away at the tendrils whipping at him with a combat knife. Zero shook his head urgently.

[N-no, Craft, stay away!]

His warnings would fall upon deaf audials. The warbot would charge forward, slashing away at the monster's strikes in a bid to save his partner from certain capture. It was of no avail, not when his attacks were rendered useless by its liquid body. It would just reabsorb the lost mass to continue its assault, knocking him back and erasing all forward progress. It was exhausting the already spent Craft- even war machines had their limits. With the thing using Zero as a human shield, he couldn't risk using his cannon on it.

[I can't get close, Zero…] came Craft's defeated voice in Zero's head. [I can't get its core without hurting you.]

[Damn it!] Zero cursed, all attempts at escape swiftly quashed by the monster's gelatinous grip. It was like he was trapped in honey, its body shifting around his flailing limbs and turning solid. [Forget it, just go, run!]

Craft gritted his teeth and breathed out hard, remaining steadfast. [I'm not leaving you behind, Zero!]

The sound of soldiers marching approached, as did the baleful whirr of a transserver gate opening. Zero shook his head. [They're coming for us, you have no choice!]

[I can't, I'm not–]

[Just go! That's an order!]

It was hard for the soldier within to refuse a direct command. Craft's jaw tightened, gaze fluttering back and forth pensively. He couldn't sit and ponder delicately between decisions. He got to his feet, collecting his toppled bike and heaving himself onto the seat, swerving away into the darkness before the monster could strike. On the other side of the road, a platoon encircled them with a line, weapons raised as an eruption of light cast the alley in brightness.

X, alongside Hidden Phantom and his men, had warped in front of Zero. Fefnir and Leviathan barged through the blockade behind him. It was over.

Emperor X was clad in armour, ivory white and gold shining bright in the grey night like he was the moon. Dripping vanity. His shadow was huge, basking Zero in it. His eyes glinted red in the night like a predator lurking in the tall grass.

Though his gaze never wavered from where it met Zero's, he pointed towards where Craft had once been with a commanding aura.

"Phantom."

His son needed no further instruction, dashing away in a blur as his squadron charged headfirst into the darkness. Phantom bounded onto the walls, running across the trims of buildings for better vantage and disappearing into the storm.

Deep down, Zero knew his struggle for escape would ultimately be meaningless. X crossed his arms and let out a sigh.

"Why do you always do this to me?" X asked. He looked at the ground and shook his head, disappointed. "You make this so hard."

Zero could do nothing but scowl, eyes nothing more than slits.

"Let me go, X."

"You know I can't do that," came an almost immediate response. It pained Zero to know it was true.

"I don't want this," Zero muttered. His body was weakening by the second.

"And neither did I. Look at what I have to do to you to bring you back. Back where you belong," X lamented. "Do you think this brings me any pleasure?"

"You don't understand, do you?" Zero said, "I don't want you. I don't want anything to do with you."

"Zero-"

"You're a monster, X."

"You don't know what you're talking about," X countered coldly. "I'm doing this for you, Zero. Everything I do is for you. I promise, it's for your own good."

"What would you know about what I want?!" Zero snapped, tension finally rising to an apex in his chest. "There isn't a single fucking thing you've done since I've woken up that's made me feel safe, made me feel welcome! All you've ever done is hurt me, and now you want me back?! I hate this place! I hate you!"

X lip curled into a growl, the massive reploid lunging forward with his vast wingspan fanned out, intimidating Zero into silence.

"You always do this. I let you in and you take everything." X's voice was only a whisper and yet, it was rich with bitterness. "I give you a place in this world and still, you run away. You always run away. Turn your back on the world, because you're too afraid of what you might realise if you stay."

Trapped in the confines of the monster's tendrils, Zero couldn't look away, couldn't shrink back as X closed the distance between them.

"Do you know what that's like? To finally have everything you've ever wanted right in front of you, in arm's reach, knowing there's nothing you can do about it?" X continued. His words were raw, enough to feel like ice was forming in Zero's veins.

"I'm sorry-"

"No you're not," X snapped, his voice like a lash. "You've never been sorry. This is just what you want, isn't it? You want to be chased, never caught. Well, I'm not the same person anymore, Zero. I'm not letting you go."

There was nothing Zero could say that would make him reconsider.

This is my fault, he thought. I was too much of a coward to stay.

X had left a space for him to reply, but he wouldn't take him up on the offer. "Nothing else to say?"

Zero was silent, jaw set and tight. X motioned his men away. "Leviathan, you're coming home with me. Fefnir, you stay here and wait for word from Phantom," he ordered. "We'll talk later, Zero."

That was a threat. The monster released him, letting him collapse unceremoniously before X. He didn't have time to move, nor did he have the strength to do so, before Leviathan had him pinned under her knee.

She leaned into the crook of his shoulder as she grabbed a hold of his hands and shackled them behind his back.

"Sorry about this," she whispered into his audial. Zero didn't have it in him to reply.

Forced to his feet, Leviathan pushed him into the crowd, a wall of soldiers surrounding him as she went through transerver protocols, locking in coordinates for Central. Their home- though it wasn't his.

X's gaze never broke away from Zero. Unblinking and hollow, without love or warmth. Nothing but virulent rancour. Perhaps it was naive for Zero to believe there would be freedom for him, that he could ever have the privilege of choice in the world.

There would be no such liberties for him. Leviathan grabbed his arm as she teleported him and herself away, their worlds engulfed by white light. The only thing he could see in his mind was the faces of the Resistance. Of Ciel and Alouette. Of Craft.

---

Out in the south-eastern fringes of Neo Arcadia, Signas struggled through mountains of rubble and crooked rebar, the roads once paved there long having disappeared under remains of Qardho. He had to take care to weave through the shadows, underneath fallen billboards and through what few houses remained standing, away from the prying eye of the state. The outskirts of X's city were cradled by military power, patrols of vacant pantheons and Mutos Reploid commanders watching over the ruins. They were clearing out the old city to make way for a communications district to service the expanding outer sectors of Neo Arcadia. All who remained in the ruins and the ancient history the land possessed would be disposed of.

Signas let out a long sigh, looking out into the great expanse from the summit of a hill. The westering sun was disappearing behind the horizon, submerging the land in hues of red and black.

This was no place for a non-combatant like him, and Signas was well aware of it. As he descended into a valley, debris threatened to give way under his feet as he scaled over hills of it, walls crumbling around him. It made his insides twist every time, his heart racing in his throat. If it wasn't the world falling to pieces around him that would kill him, it was the soldiers who were trained to shoot first and ask questions later.

The air was hot and dry, and he was quick to grow exhausted. He found shade behind a wall, the lone reminder of a building once there and leaned against it, slowly sliding down until he was sitting. The cool darkness swathed him, offering him an oasis of respite. Signas threw his head back and sighed. He had to rest, not just for his own sake, but for the two young twins sheltered in his arms.

They were a little older now, no longer infants, but not quite toddlers yet. They had fallen asleep during the journey here, but as soon as Signas settled down, their eyes fluttered open, looking up at their father with big, inquisitive emerald eyes. Their little hands were reaching for him, begging for attention. Their rich brown skin was still soft as Signas stroked their cheeks soothingly with his thumb, wiping off the dust that was collecting on their faces.

Time had passed so quickly as his children grew up right before his eyes. They were changing, and so was the world around them, but they were still far too young to understand. They didn't understand why their father wasn't around anymore. They would ask, in what little manner they could, for their 'dada', but there wasn't any way for Signas to explain to them what had happened. They were only just getting a grasp on verbal communication at that point.

He reached for a bottle of water from under his coat. He was parched, but so were the kids. His daughter motioned for it with grabbing hands, mumbling demandingly, and Signas acquiesced without question.

"Hush, Ashe. Not too loud," he murmured. Ashe could somewhat understand the request, taking the bottle and quenching her thirst. "Let Grey have some."

Reploids had an innate knowledge of vocabulary, but it took time for them to learn how to process that into a conversation. Grey, he was smaller, only needed a few brief sips to feel content.

When their thirst had been satiated, he let them wander from where they had been sitting in his lap. They wanted to stretch their legs and wrestle, just like they did in the safety of Central Neo Arcadia. Signas guzzle down what little water his children left him, relief washing over him as his cooling system whirred back to life.

Courtesy of their lineage, Ashe and Grey had nascent transformation abilities to tame. As they wrestled, they would shift forms as though it was second nature, turning from little humanoid children to pups to kits, a tangle of paws and hands and snouts and fangs.

Signas didn't want to say goodbye. He had already had to see their father go, exiled into the harsh unknown of the world beyond Neo Arcadia. They were all he had left of Axl.

Though it hurt, he didn't have a choice. He couldn't keep them safe in Neo Arcadia. Not with X. His colleague, his friend, his family, he wasn't that man anymore. He was growing wary of the fact that the Maverick Hunter contingency had lost faith in him. They had to leave this place. He couldn't be selfish, no matter how much he wanted to stay with them.

Pebbles and dust came trickling down from the wall in front of him, tearing Signas from his daze. Tucking a lock of black hair back into where his hat met his forehead, he got to his feet gingerly, drawing a rifle from behind his back.

Atop a ledge, where a roof used to be, was a single coyote mechaniloid, lurking in the shadows with golden eyes glimmering like embers in the night. It was studying them closely- wholly impersonal, pupils roving back and forth.

When Signas' gaze met the coyote's, he could catch the glint of emerald green hiding beneath that yellow glare. He slowly lowered his rifle, stepping forward cautiously and staking his trust in his own intuition. Ashe and Grey untangled themselves from one another, standing side by side as they stared the mechaniloid down like a deer in the headlights.

"Is… is that you?"

It didn't say anything back, not yet. It leaped down from its perch and stalked forward, not making a sound other than the hum of hydraulic motors. It looked around, ears piqued and tail held high. With no one around, its lips curled upwards, fangs bared and eyes growing wide.

A smile. He let out a laugh, joy unbridled in his voice. It was like the sun had ducked out from behind clouds, giving forth to a burst of warm, gentle light.

"Axl!"

The coyote bounded towards Signas, jumping into his arms. Signas pulled him tight to his chest, the red-haired humanoid having replaced the beast that lunged at him.

"It's been too long…" Signas whispered. Axl let out a quivering breath, lips parting as he choked back sobs.

"I've missed you," he murmured back, his voice as soft as a gentle breeze. "You're as beautiful as the day I left you."

It had been almost half a year, but it felt like a lifetime. Axl stroked his face, his thumb running over the ridge of his cheek. Signas took him into his chest and held his forehead to his lips, breathing him in like he was a pocket of air in the ocean. Ashe and Grey scuttled to Axl's feet, jumping and begging for his attention.

"Dada!" Ashe called out, hands reaching skyward for him. Axl laughed, reaching down and scooping his twins into his arms, nuzzling their faces.

"Oh, sha'áłchíní…" Axl cooed, "I've missed you too. Your papa missed you…"

They squealed with joy. Axl chuckled lowly, not minding at all at the way Ashe was tugging at his helmet fins. Signas made a sigh, humming forlornly as he did. Axl's smile slowly faltered the longer he looked into Signas' eyes. His face was sombre, despite their reunion having sparked an infinitesimal elation in his heart. Axl closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, head tilting downward.

"...They're walking by themselves, now," Axl said. "I missed it, didn't I?"

Signas shook his head. "It's not your fault," he assured. He cradled the back of Axl's head, tilting it up to meet his eyeline. There was a new scar running down from his right eye from his helm. "It should never have been this way, Axl."

"I know," Axl said. He had come to accept it, but it didn't make it hurt any less. Signas ground his teeth, fighting within himself to find the right words to say. He didn't meet with Axl just for the sake of it, as much as he loved him.

"The desert is cooler this time of year," Signas said, averse to being anything more than equivocal. "Axl…"

Axl stepped back, but Signas grabbed a hold of his shoulders before he could retreat any further. Signas tried to force down the lump in his throat.

"Axl, they can't stay here," Signas said. "It isn't safe anymore."

His eyes went wide, his mouth dropping open. "What? What are you talking about?"

"X is growing paranoid. He doesn't trust us anymore, not since you left. I think he's found out we've been speaking, and I don't know how much time I have left," Signas continued. "How much time we have left. All of us, the old Hunters. He's been planning on getting rid of us for a while now, one way or another. If he does something–"

The bridge of his nose wrinkled, conjuring images of the wild coyote he once was snarling. "I won't let him. Over my dead body!"

"Axl, you can't. You need to stay alive," Signas said, jostling his shoulders to bring him to his senses. "We believe in you, that you can make this place better. Listen to me- if he does something to us, our children could–"

His voice broke when Grey looked at him, bewildered and struggling to grasp why his father was so upset. Signas ripped his gaze away from his son's, his eyes brimming with sorrow. "I don't want him to hurt them," Signas admitted. "They can't live here, not anymore. That green place you were talking about, you need to take them there. Please, dear."

Axl shook his head, utterly morose. "Then… then come with me, Signas! I'll take you to the green place out there. We can all go," he insisted, "stay with me. Ashe and Grey, they need you. I need you!"

"I can't, Axl. The others don't know about it yet, what X will do," Signas refused him, and though it was a difficult truth, the words came out easily. "I need to go back. I need to warn them."

"No, Signas! He'll… he'll kill you if you go back. I can't lose you. I love you."

"And I love you too, Axl. I love you so much," he whispered, pressing a kiss against Axl's forehead. "But I need to protect our friends, too. That is my duty, and I swore to it."

There was nothing Axl could say that wouldn't make him seem selfish. It felt like he was being torn in half, grief's claws ripping into his stomach. "Please, don't go. What if I never see you again? I can't do this alone."

"I'm sorry. Axl. I know I might not make it out of here alive, and that's okay, because I've brought new life into this world. As long as you promise you keep them safe the way I asked you to, then it will have been worth it," Signas confided. "I need to know you can do this without me. Don't let me die without knowing whether or not my children will be okay. You have to promise."

Axl dropped his gaze, incapable of meeting Signas' grave eyes. "I don't know if I can."

"But you must. Even if I can't be with you, know that you will never be alone, and that you are loved," Signas assured.

There was more he wished to say, but the words would be drowned out by the rattle of gunfire and warplanes screeching past in the sky. They instinctively crouched, shielding Ashe and Grey with their bodies.

"I can't stay for much longer," Signas said. "They'll find us."

"No, Signas… don't go. Don't leave me…" Axl pleaded. Signas leaned down to catch his lips in a kiss, quick and haphazard, but deep and passionate all the same. He gently stroked his children's heads, brushing their silver hair back to plant a kiss on their heads.

"Goodbye, Axl. I love you. Take care of our children," murmured Signas, stepping away. Ashe and Grey reached out for him, calling for their father.

"Please, Signas! Please, come with us. We can be safe together. You have to reconsider."

"I need to save them. The old Hunters," Signas said. "It's what I must do. I wish I could be what I want to be. I want to be there for our children. Just… I hope they know I loved them. Even if they don't remember me. I hope they know that…"

Axl frowned. "I…I'm not going to see you again, am I?"

He turned, getting ready to leave Axl with their children. "I will be waiting, Axl. I promise," Signas said. The sunset's crimson light was beginning to fade, and the moon was starting to rise. Its pale silver light glimmered off the edge's of Signas' black sable plating, like the plumage of a black swan in the night. It was like the stars had been embedded into his armour. "I will always be with you."

Axl and his children watched helplessly as Signas disappeared behind the heaps of debris, returning to certain death in the grips of Neo Arcadia. Even with his twins finally returned to him, he felt a loneliness unlike anything he had ever felt. A sadness far deeper than the earliest memories he possessed, before Red, before the Hunters. Before he met Zero or X. Long before he met Signas, who would carry his children centuries into the future.

He stayed there for quite a while after that, staring into the horizon where Signas had left. Ashe and Grey would paw at him, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He felt hollow inside. He wanted to hold out hope, but reality would prove that as a fruitless endeavour every time.

"Dada?" Grey asked. Axl shook his head and gazed at him, trying to focus.

I can't give up. They don't belong here. They need to be free, he thought. They'll be safe in the green place. Then I can come back for Signas and the others, and…

The thought trailed off. The red coyote forced himself to his paws and padded away in the opposite direction. His two silver pelted pups followed him into the night, where they would cross the vast desert towards the hallowed oasis. Tabula Rasa.