Chapter Twenty: Just Letting You Know…
It turned out the house had no other offers on it due to the high price tag. Much to Zero and Axl's surprise, X was a master at haggling prices. Joanna ended up calling the seller and putting him on speaker phone so he and X could fire prices and conditions at each other. For a good hour, X argued with the man, and by the time the trio left the office, the house was theirs for a good few thousand below asking price. X had the smuggest grin on his face the entire way back to HQ.
"Hey," Axl called from the back, "you sure Signas will let us all move in together outside of HQ?"
X glanced over his seat. "If not, I can quibble with him easily enough."
Axl chuckled and spared a glance at Zero. Although the blond was smiling a bit, he seemed much more focused on the road or, perhaps, something else that was on his mind. The younger Reploid frowned slightly and he looked at the floor of the car with downcast eyes. X almost had the easiest access to helping Zero in this hard time, but for others like himself…
Despite the fun Zero apparently had with them, the moment they were back at HQ, he vanished into his room. X watched him go with a dejected face, but went to Signas' office to talk about the three's new home. Axl was left alone, the way he always hated it. He shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered HQ with his eyes glued to the ground, unsure of what to do with himself now.
Axl was always the most upbeat of any group he found himself in, be it Red Alert or the Maverick Hunters. When someone was upset, he could make them laugh and be happy with his child-like antics and jokes. In Red Alert, he was treated as the baby brother before the group got bloodthirsty and greedy, and he lived the part up at any possible moment. But now, no matter how hard Axl tried to be that 'cute baby brother' or such, the smiles he got out of Zero were few and far between. He knew the small problems of Red Alert's members never amounted to what Zero was facing, but Axl still felt guilty that all he could do was joke around. Couldn't he do something else?
Axl shuffled his feet as he brain wracked itself for an idea. Obviously, being the happy-go-lucky kid wasn't helping Zero all that much. Axl realized he'd have to take a more mature, adult approach to expressing his desire to help. But how? Axl hummed in frustration and gripped his head with his hands as he thought hard, trying to come up with something that didn't sound so stupid.
He could take the X approach, and be like that. But did Zero really need 'two' X's doing the same thing? No; Axl had to think and do it in his own way so Zero knew he had one other person who worried about him and cared. What could he do…?
Axl glanced out a nearby window, hoping for some inspiration from the outside. All he saw was synthetic grass, rubble from the attack, gray buildings of the city and the graveyard. Nothing happy, let alone helpful. He put his hands back in his pockets and resumed his shuffling walk.
Well… Axl thought as he looked out another window he passed. Happy isn't working well with Zero…
Something caught his eye in the bed of synthetic grass, and Axl ran a scan over the strange plant. He scoffed when he realized all it was, was a flowering weed; he turned away from the window when an idea seemed to thunder in his head and make him freeze in mid-step.
Ah-HA!
Axl ran for the lifts to get to the Chaser garage, half in interface mode, with an internet browser opening up.
~*~
Zero sat on his bed, staring at the book at his feet. He was curled up in a tight ball, his arms around his legs and his nose between his knees. The book laid untouched, never read, since Iris had given it to him. Zero wasn't much of a reader, but he could hardly say no when Iris ran to him, bubbly with excitement, the book in her hands to give to him. She said he would be interested in it, and that she hoped he'd enjoy it. Zero had smiled, thanked her, pretended to thumb through it and promised to read it when he had time.
He never read it, and although he now felt the desire to do so, Zero stared at it as if it were a wet, angry cat with its claws out. The irrational fear only further frustrated Zero, and he managed a weak growl at himself. Maybe if he read the book, he'd feel a little less guilty over yet another promise broken…
A shy knock on his door broke Zero out of his depressing thought cycle, and only when it came again did he uncoil himself and slowly move off the bed, careful not to touch or disturb the book. He tried to stand up straight when he answered the door, but he felt so tired and drained that he ended up leaning against the frame as the door slid open.
Axl stood there, his hands behind his back and his eyes low, peeking up at Zero from under loose, orange bangs.
"Hey, Dad…" Axl started. "I know… you probably want to be left alone, but… I thought maybe… well, maybe you'd like to come with me and… well…"
Giving up on trying to talk, Axl brought his arms around to his front, and Zero's nose tickled at the smell of fresh, natural flowers. Cradled gently in Axl's hands was a small, modest bouquet of varying blossoms in a myriad of colors, wrapped in light purple paper and a white ribbon. Zero ran an analysis over the flowers: pink carnations, fully bloomed cyclamen, a forget-me-not, purple hyacinth, a dark crimson rose and a few lilies. Zero turned his gaze back to Axl, who fidgeted in his spot.
"Th-they all have special meanings…" Axl began to point at the flowers. "Like… like 'never forget you' and 'farewell' an-and…" Axl dropped his pointing hand, looking up at Zero fully. "I wanted to see if you'd come with me to put it on their grave…"
Zero's eyes widened at the request. Ever since the funeral, he had avoided the graveyard like the plague, never once going back to visit or to place flowers. Yet another stab of guilt pierced through Zero… here he was, moping around, and never once did he pay his respects and put down flowers…
Axl saw the change in Zero's face and quickly said, "You don't have to if you don't want to, Dad! I just thought… I just figured if you did, you'd like someone with you, and I already got the flowers and…"
Zero held up his hand, his expression changing to a silent, resigned look. He put on his shoes and stepped out, Axl slowly handing the flowers to him. The blond took them with shimmering eyes, and then turned toward the exit closest to the graveyard. Axl fell in step behind him, wondering to himself why this was a good idea at all. Realizing he had given Zero space, Axl hurriedly caught up so that they walked side-by-side, looking like they were headed somewhere together, rather than as Axl following. Zero needed the confidence of someone else, Axl figured.
The walk to the grave was silent, and Axl did give a respectable distance as Zero knelt in front of Iris and Colonel's grave to place the flowers gently in front of the tombstone. The vibrant colors contrasted harshly against the cold stone, but they added a touch of warmth and beauty Zero knew the two had in them in life.
Zero shook with effort not to cry, not wanting to break down in front of Axl. Despite his damnedest, a few tears still streaked down Zero's face as he stared at the flowers and the grave. Under his feet were two people he failed to protect, failed to save… an eternal testament that he wasn't strong enough to keep his loved ones safe. If he failed Colonel and Iris, he'd fail X and Axl, and if he did that…
Axl took a step forward, hating what he just done. He hadn't meant for Zero to get more upset at himself; Axl had merely hoped this would provide a little closure for the grieving Reploid.
"Dad…" Axl called. Zero jerked slightly, having momentarily forgotten he was not completely alone.
Axl swallowed hard, for he felt like crying for some reason too. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you wanted to see… I hoped it would have some sort of closure for you. But… but, I also wanted to tell you something else…"
Zero stood, but did not face Axl as the young Reploid went on. "I know I'm not as close to you and X as you are to each other. I haven't been around long enough for that." Axl wrung his hands together, hoping what he said made sense and was coming out correctly. "And I know Reploids never really know what it's like to have kids or parents, so people can argue you guys calling me your son, and me calling you my parents, is just in name, no feelings attached. But despite the short time I've been when you guys, I really do look up to you and X. I really look at you guys and think, 'These guys could be my dad…both of them could.' And I really do love you guys like you are."
Axl bit the inside of his cheek before resuming his speech. "I guess… I guess what I'm trying to say is, even if you really don't look at me like your son, that you do it just to amuse me, I know I'm at least your friend. Maybe not as long as X is, or as close as Iris and Colonel were, but… I want to be. And I want you to know I'm here for you, Zero. I know I can't do much to help, but I want you to know if there's anything I can do, know you can come to me and ask, and I'll do it. I'm here for you like X is… and even if they don't seem like it, so are Signas and Alia and Lifesaver and… and everyone else and…"
For some reason, Axl started to cry. He wasn't sure why, even as he swiped at the tears. All he wanted to do was let Zero know he was here as his friend in the very least, and that he cared about Zero regardless of how he acted. Axl sniffled, pressing his hands against his eyes and tried to settle down, but emotion was bubbling up after his stupid and confusing speech. Zero was probably annoyed with him now, or mad at him for dragging him out here. What a stupid idea…
Axl pulled his hands away when he felt a hand on his head, affectionately rubbing his hair. Glancing up, he looked into Zero's own teary but smiling face. The blond said nothing or did anything else, but something just clicked in Axl's mind from that look, and he hugged Zero around his neck and hung on like a crying child. Zero gathered Axl in a gentle embrace, rubbing his back soothingly. Axl didn't miss the ironic fact that a depressed and grieving Reploid was comforting him, but the way Zero hugged him told Axl that they were both okay. Axl smiled despite his crying, because of something else Zero's body language told him.
Zero, and probably X, really did feel the same. Axl really was like their son… and they really were like family.
<--- PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER --->
It turned out the house had no other offers on it due to the high price tag. Much to Zero and Axl's surprise, X was a master at haggling prices. Joanna ended up calling the seller and putting him on speaker phone so he and X could fire prices and conditions at each other. For a good hour, X argued with the man, and by the time the trio left the office, the house was theirs for a good few thousand below asking price. X had the smuggest grin on his face the entire way back to HQ.
"Hey," Axl called from the back, "you sure Signas will let us all move in together outside of HQ?"
X glanced over his seat. "If not, I can quibble with him easily enough."
Axl chuckled and spared a glance at Zero. Although the blond was smiling a bit, he seemed much more focused on the road or, perhaps, something else that was on his mind. The younger Reploid frowned slightly and he looked at the floor of the car with downcast eyes. X almost had the easiest access to helping Zero in this hard time, but for others like himself…
Despite the fun Zero apparently had with them, the moment they were back at HQ, he vanished into his room. X watched him go with a dejected face, but went to Signas' office to talk about the three's new home. Axl was left alone, the way he always hated it. He shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered HQ with his eyes glued to the ground, unsure of what to do with himself now.
Axl was always the most upbeat of any group he found himself in, be it Red Alert or the Maverick Hunters. When someone was upset, he could make them laugh and be happy with his child-like antics and jokes. In Red Alert, he was treated as the baby brother before the group got bloodthirsty and greedy, and he lived the part up at any possible moment. But now, no matter how hard Axl tried to be that 'cute baby brother' or such, the smiles he got out of Zero were few and far between. He knew the small problems of Red Alert's members never amounted to what Zero was facing, but Axl still felt guilty that all he could do was joke around. Couldn't he do something else?
Axl shuffled his feet as he brain wracked itself for an idea. Obviously, being the happy-go-lucky kid wasn't helping Zero all that much. Axl realized he'd have to take a more mature, adult approach to expressing his desire to help. But how? Axl hummed in frustration and gripped his head with his hands as he thought hard, trying to come up with something that didn't sound so stupid.
He could take the X approach, and be like that. But did Zero really need 'two' X's doing the same thing? No; Axl had to think and do it in his own way so Zero knew he had one other person who worried about him and cared. What could he do…?
Axl glanced out a nearby window, hoping for some inspiration from the outside. All he saw was synthetic grass, rubble from the attack, gray buildings of the city and the graveyard. Nothing happy, let alone helpful. He put his hands back in his pockets and resumed his shuffling walk.
Well… Axl thought as he looked out another window he passed. Happy isn't working well with Zero…
Something caught his eye in the bed of synthetic grass, and Axl ran a scan over the strange plant. He scoffed when he realized all it was, was a flowering weed; he turned away from the window when an idea seemed to thunder in his head and make him freeze in mid-step.
Ah-HA!
Axl ran for the lifts to get to the Chaser garage, half in interface mode, with an internet browser opening up.
~*~
Zero sat on his bed, staring at the book at his feet. He was curled up in a tight ball, his arms around his legs and his nose between his knees. The book laid untouched, never read, since Iris had given it to him. Zero wasn't much of a reader, but he could hardly say no when Iris ran to him, bubbly with excitement, the book in her hands to give to him. She said he would be interested in it, and that she hoped he'd enjoy it. Zero had smiled, thanked her, pretended to thumb through it and promised to read it when he had time.
He never read it, and although he now felt the desire to do so, Zero stared at it as if it were a wet, angry cat with its claws out. The irrational fear only further frustrated Zero, and he managed a weak growl at himself. Maybe if he read the book, he'd feel a little less guilty over yet another promise broken…
A shy knock on his door broke Zero out of his depressing thought cycle, and only when it came again did he uncoil himself and slowly move off the bed, careful not to touch or disturb the book. He tried to stand up straight when he answered the door, but he felt so tired and drained that he ended up leaning against the frame as the door slid open.
Axl stood there, his hands behind his back and his eyes low, peeking up at Zero from under loose, orange bangs.
"Hey, Dad…" Axl started. "I know… you probably want to be left alone, but… I thought maybe… well, maybe you'd like to come with me and… well…"
Giving up on trying to talk, Axl brought his arms around to his front, and Zero's nose tickled at the smell of fresh, natural flowers. Cradled gently in Axl's hands was a small, modest bouquet of varying blossoms in a myriad of colors, wrapped in light purple paper and a white ribbon. Zero ran an analysis over the flowers: pink carnations, fully bloomed cyclamen, a forget-me-not, purple hyacinth, a dark crimson rose and a few lilies. Zero turned his gaze back to Axl, who fidgeted in his spot.
"Th-they all have special meanings…" Axl began to point at the flowers. "Like… like 'never forget you' and 'farewell' an-and…" Axl dropped his pointing hand, looking up at Zero fully. "I wanted to see if you'd come with me to put it on their grave…"
Zero's eyes widened at the request. Ever since the funeral, he had avoided the graveyard like the plague, never once going back to visit or to place flowers. Yet another stab of guilt pierced through Zero… here he was, moping around, and never once did he pay his respects and put down flowers…
Axl saw the change in Zero's face and quickly said, "You don't have to if you don't want to, Dad! I just thought… I just figured if you did, you'd like someone with you, and I already got the flowers and…"
Zero held up his hand, his expression changing to a silent, resigned look. He put on his shoes and stepped out, Axl slowly handing the flowers to him. The blond took them with shimmering eyes, and then turned toward the exit closest to the graveyard. Axl fell in step behind him, wondering to himself why this was a good idea at all. Realizing he had given Zero space, Axl hurriedly caught up so that they walked side-by-side, looking like they were headed somewhere together, rather than as Axl following. Zero needed the confidence of someone else, Axl figured.
The walk to the grave was silent, and Axl did give a respectable distance as Zero knelt in front of Iris and Colonel's grave to place the flowers gently in front of the tombstone. The vibrant colors contrasted harshly against the cold stone, but they added a touch of warmth and beauty Zero knew the two had in them in life.
Zero shook with effort not to cry, not wanting to break down in front of Axl. Despite his damnedest, a few tears still streaked down Zero's face as he stared at the flowers and the grave. Under his feet were two people he failed to protect, failed to save… an eternal testament that he wasn't strong enough to keep his loved ones safe. If he failed Colonel and Iris, he'd fail X and Axl, and if he did that…
Axl took a step forward, hating what he just done. He hadn't meant for Zero to get more upset at himself; Axl had merely hoped this would provide a little closure for the grieving Reploid.
"Dad…" Axl called. Zero jerked slightly, having momentarily forgotten he was not completely alone.
Axl swallowed hard, for he felt like crying for some reason too. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you wanted to see… I hoped it would have some sort of closure for you. But… but, I also wanted to tell you something else…"
Zero stood, but did not face Axl as the young Reploid went on. "I know I'm not as close to you and X as you are to each other. I haven't been around long enough for that." Axl wrung his hands together, hoping what he said made sense and was coming out correctly. "And I know Reploids never really know what it's like to have kids or parents, so people can argue you guys calling me your son, and me calling you my parents, is just in name, no feelings attached. But despite the short time I've been when you guys, I really do look up to you and X. I really look at you guys and think, 'These guys could be my dad…both of them could.' And I really do love you guys like you are."
Axl bit the inside of his cheek before resuming his speech. "I guess… I guess what I'm trying to say is, even if you really don't look at me like your son, that you do it just to amuse me, I know I'm at least your friend. Maybe not as long as X is, or as close as Iris and Colonel were, but… I want to be. And I want you to know I'm here for you, Zero. I know I can't do much to help, but I want you to know if there's anything I can do, know you can come to me and ask, and I'll do it. I'm here for you like X is… and even if they don't seem like it, so are Signas and Alia and Lifesaver and… and everyone else and…"
For some reason, Axl started to cry. He wasn't sure why, even as he swiped at the tears. All he wanted to do was let Zero know he was here as his friend in the very least, and that he cared about Zero regardless of how he acted. Axl sniffled, pressing his hands against his eyes and tried to settle down, but emotion was bubbling up after his stupid and confusing speech. Zero was probably annoyed with him now, or mad at him for dragging him out here. What a stupid idea…
Axl pulled his hands away when he felt a hand on his head, affectionately rubbing his hair. Glancing up, he looked into Zero's own teary but smiling face. The blond said nothing or did anything else, but something just clicked in Axl's mind from that look, and he hugged Zero around his neck and hung on like a crying child. Zero gathered Axl in a gentle embrace, rubbing his back soothingly. Axl didn't miss the ironic fact that a depressed and grieving Reploid was comforting him, but the way Zero hugged him told Axl that they were both okay. Axl smiled despite his crying, because of something else Zero's body language told him.
Zero, and probably X, really did feel the same. Axl really was like their son… and they really were like family.
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