Chapter Twenty-Five: Rule Change
Zero flipped the burger into the air with a smirk, knowing Axl's eyes were watching every movement the blond made as he leaned against the kitchen counter anxiously. Although Reploids had no true need to eat, having the equipment with the ability to do so also came with the program to simulate hunger, and by the way Axl's systems were starting to purposely grind loudly, the young Reploid was on the verge of whining from simulated hunger.
"Is it doooooooone yet?" Axl called from the counter, pouting when Zero shook his head. "Daaaaad, I'm hungry…"
"I know, Axl," Zero chuckled as he flipped the second burger into the air. "Why not turn the program off if it's starting to bother you?"
"That'd make me quit complaining, which means you'll have peace and quiet, and we can't have that, now can we?"
Zero rolled his eyes, putting one slab of meat onto a waiting bun. After placing on the desired toppings and a handful of chips, he placed the full plate on the counter. A smirk came to his lips as Axl nearly squealed with delight and immediately began to stuff his face.
"Want a drink?" Zero asked, his smile widening as Axl only managed a nod. He fished into the fridge, grabbing a can of soda and sliding it to his son.
X was heard thumping down the stairs, a book tucked under his arm as he rounded the corner to enter the kitchen. Before he said a word, Zero was holding out a plate to him, his food fixed just how he liked it. An appreciative smile blossomed on X's face and he took the plate to the counter, setting it down before going to the fridge for his own drink.
When Zero joined them with his food, he glanced at the rather empty dining room adjoining the kitchen. "We should have bought a table," he remarked as he bit into his cheeseburger.
"Next time we're off," X shrugged, nibbling on a chip. "The counter works for now."
Axl tried to speak around a mouthful of food, but X gave him a half-hearted glare. "Don't speak with your mouth full, young man," X chided.
Axl chewed several more times, then swallowed his food dramatically and washed it down with a gulp of soda. When X nodded approvingly at him, Axl glanced at Zero a bit nervously.
"I… I ordered more flowers, Dad." Axl glanced at his food when Zero momentarily froze. "For… for Miss Iris and Colonel."
X looked at Zero, who slowly lowered his burger. Several moments of silence dragged on, and Zero sighed heavily.
"I'm back on patrol tomorrow," Zero muttered, "on the Jakob Project. I won't be able to take them to the… the grave til late at night."
"I'll do it," X said, taking a slow sip from his cup of water. When Zero gave him an appreciative look, the brunette could only smile. "I'll let them know you got tied up with work. I'm sure they'd understand."
Zero swallowed hard, but he nodded with a smile. Axl felt immensely better, and resumed his own ravenous eating, hoping the spectacle of him stuffing his face needlessly would make his Dad laugh. When he heard Zero chuckle, Axl mentally smiled to himself. He could bring up the other stuff later…
After dinner, when Axl finally settled down and went to sleep, Zero curled up contently next to X. He nuzzled close to his boyfriend, pressing faint kisses along the back of X's neck and shoulders. It was the same bed, same night clothes, and yet being in their house, their home… Zero felt more relaxed than he ever had before.
"You're being affectionate," X mumbled sleepily. He rolled over, lazily kissing Zero's chin with a tired sigh.
"You're complaining?" Zero whispered, tightening his embrace around X.
"Not in the least." X cuddled as close as possible, tangling his legs with Zero's beneath the sheets. "Just remember to wake up early so we can get to HQ on time…"
"I know." Zero kissed X's eyes closed before tucking the brunette's head under his chin. "Thank you. About the flowers."
"Mmhmm. I love you, Z."
"Love you too."
~*~
It was almost a miracle that the trio made it to HQ on time, but on time they were, much to Signas' approval. Immediately Zero was sent off to Jakob, and Axl was deployed with the rest of the spying network into an area believed to house Mavericks. X was left running around the globe taking care of anything above B rank, and by the middle of the day he felt ragged and worn down.
X flopped into the chair next to Alia with a groan, and when she ignored him, he scooted closer and put his head against her shoulder. Slightly annoyed, the Navigator glanced at him before shrugging her shoulder to throw him off.
"Off with you," Alia said. "New coordinates should be transmitted to you now."
"What?" X groaned. "Don't I get a break? I just got back from the Arctic area." He stretched one of his arms and a bit of fluffy ice fell out of the hollows of his elbow. "I'm not even fully defrosted yet."
"That's all right; the local volcano is your next hit."
"A volcano? I hate you guys…"
"No, you don't." Alia waved her hand. "Go on, we'll send you backup if needed."
"How 'bout a mech?" X asked as he got out of his chair and slowly made his way to the door. "I'll wait the extra ten minutes to get it ready."
"Go. The sooner you get back, the more time you have between this mission and the next." Alia snickered as X dramatically threw his hands up in the air before exiting the room.
X mumbled the entire way he walked to the teleport pad, barely remembering to wave at passing Hunters that looked just as tired as him. Just as he stepped onto the teleport platform, X had to wonder when, exactly, he became this protesting being sent off on relatively easy missions. Most of them ended up being false leads and he hardly fought anything… so really, what was there to complain about? Well, other than a waste of time…
The initial heat of the volcano blasted into X's face in full force, making him wince and raise his arms on reflex. X quickly reset his internal thermometer and stepped forward, staring at the cavern that once belonged to Magma Dragoon.
He shook off the memories of the traitor and pressed a finger against the side of his helmet. The concealed keyboard flared with a flash of light as it activated, and he input the code to turn on his scanner. X's green eyes became a dead gradient of gray and black, bright blue crosshairs branching out from the center of his eyeballs to the edges of his irises. The scene of jumping lava and red rock become one of brightly illuminated lines, and X could see through the rock and lava as if peering through clear water.
"What am I looking for, Alia?" X asked into his comm-link.
Alia's voice had a bit of static, but he heard her well enough, "From what Double cracked out of Dragoon's old logs, there may be signs of what caused Dragoon's infection. At the back of the cavern was Dragoon's meditating area, so you should find something there."
"What sort of something? Viral, logs, what?"
"I doubt anything viral would be there," Alia replied haltingly. "But, if you do find anything, be careful. Don't touch it, and call for the sanitation team."
"Gotcha," X cut the communication link and started forward, carefully placing his feet on assured solid ground. Through his scanning vision, he saw several areas that were carefully concealed pitfalls, and the myriad of sharp, pointy things at the bottom of the pits were hardly appealing.
As he navigated the infernal caverns, X came across several deactivated and slowly melting Mechaniloids. He immediately warped at least one of each type back to HQ, but as he knelt down next to the fiftieth one, X gently grasped the oozing machine in his hands. He flipped it over with a little difficulty and popped open its back panel. The contents were already melted, being made of less sturdier stuff than the outside. X frowned as he examined the molten mass, realizing these things were here only to slow trespassers down… but would not stop any competent person completely. If Dragoon thought to seek refuge here when he went Maverick, he obviously wanted Zero or X to make it through.
This made X gnaw on his lower lip as he remembered Magma Dragoon. Although he was a peaceful Reploid by nature, X knew he practically would sell his soul for a real, to-the-death match against him or Zero. Could he have only pretended to go Maverick to fulfill that wish?
That was a damn disconcerting thought and it made X kick the Mechaniloid into the nearby pit of lava. What was the world coming to, when Reploids went Maverick of their own free will? He watched it sizzle for several seconds before it finally sunk into the hot embrace into oblivion.
Going Maverick on your own free will… The thought made X shudder under his armor despite the oppressive heat.
Getting to the end of the caverns, even as carefully as he was, would not take as long as X anticipated, especially when he found the specially-made, heat-resistant Ride Armor. He climbed into it, and much to his delight, found it still operational. He secured the protective dome over himself and then jumped right into the lava river itself, cutting out the need to take roundabout paths. He had to destroy some rock formations here and there, and jump over oddly-planted platforms, but make it to the end he did.
It had to be the end, anyway, for there was nowhere else to go. The wide, circular rock formation was solid and devoid of traps, with a low-hanging ceiling. X carefully climbed out of the Armor, his eyes still in scan mode. The floor was simply rock, slowly being eroded away naturally by the lava, but the grooves in the ground tipped X off to this being where Dragoon spent his free time training or, as Alia said, meditating.
X swept his eyes around, frowning when nothing seemed to translate to as important to him. He stomped his foot down every inch of the platform, but there was no hidden switch to be found. Scowling now with annoyance, X spun around to face the tall wall nearby, seeing the heavy scars in it from Dragoon's bladed feet, indicating he would jump-kick against it.
The blue-clad Hunter paused, visualizing his former comrade for a moment. Dragoon was almost a flier warrior unit without wings, the way he liked to jump about. He liked to leap from the ground to a wall, kick off of it to reach the ceiling and dig his claws into it, clinging to it before he spewed flames at his enemy…
X's eyes slowly glanced upwards, and in his scan-vision, saw the hidden computer in the ceiling. His face lit up in an 'ah ha' expression, and he called to Alia.
"Get me Double and a few of the sanitation team down here to my signal," X told her. "I found Dragoon's master computer from the looks of it. Tell them to bring grappling hooks and drills."
Minutes later, Double and three of the sanitation team, with X, were crawling along the ceiling with the grappling hooks, looking for ways to open the hidden compartment. Double lightly poked a malformed stalactite, frowning at it.
X pulled on the system of ropes they had formed to reach him. "Whatcha got, Double?" X asked.
The gold-armored Reploid glanced at him, their upside down positions making his head swim for a moment. "This," Double jammed his hook into the stalactite. "It's too obvious, and yet…"
To X's shock and cry of alarm, Double released his safety rope and used his own weight to rip the stalactite out of the ceiling. However, instead of falling to the waiting platform below, the stalactite simply slid down a foot or two, and the entire ceiling opened up, revealing a massive mother computer. X and the team stared in awe, and Double smirked from his hanging position, incredibly pleased with himself.
"You're a genius, Double," X called to him as he maneuvered his way to the console. "I hope you know that."
"Yeah," Double replied loud enough for X to hear him, then mumbled to himself, "Too bad you only notice when it suits you…"
~*~
/Nothing here, / Axl reported through the server link to his teammates. He cautiously glanced over his shoulder, other Reploids running around in lab coats behind him. He checked under his own coat, assured his body was still transformed.
//What about the head honcho? // the squad leader sent back.
/Restricted lab, and unless I can get some data on him, there's no luck getting in there. No one but him can go in. /
//Try and learn all you can, then get back out, kid. Zero and X will rip me a real asshole if I let anything happen to you. //
Axl mentally nodded and closed the communication before resuming his pretended role of scanning the boxes before him. The scanner revealed the contents of the boxes, and none of them jumped at him as important—scales, droppers, vials, the typical lab work equipment. So what, exactly, was he supposed to find?
He and the squad had been sent to this lab, thinking it abandoned like the rest of HQ, to possibly find lingering evidence of Maverick activity. Yet, while Axl had split off from the rest to check out a shallow corridor, the wall in front of him opened suddenly and a man in a long, white coat stepped out. He had squawked in alarm right before Axl shot him in the core, instantly deactivating him and obtaining his data. After dropping the Reploid with the others, Axl assumed the man's role and infiltrated this secret research area.
Thus far, however, the most he'd gleaned from the other researchers was that the 'Head Scientist' was in charge and leading this research effort. What it was about, no one knew yet, except that the Head Scientist had a new friend or something that tipped him off to something incredible. Axl would have to spend the next several days here to figure out what it was, and who the H.S and his friend were.
He was tempted to ask for the permission to do so. This situation was familiar to him… it happened with Red Alert. Something or someone tipped Red off about special data, and Axl was made to hunt it all down. Now someone tipped off a scientist on something, possibly data-related, and they set it up in an abandoned lab instead of somewhere more respectable, open, public…
This made Axl wary and suspicious. He had to figure this out…
Axl re-opened the communication server link. /Yo. I need to stay here. /
// What? // His squad leader squawked. // Hell no, no way. Get out of there, Axl, that's an order. We can come back. //
/ And how are we going to do that when they realize their buddy is missing? /
// We've been analyzing him while you've been in there. We'll reprogram his most recent memory files and chip him. We'll swap you and him as needed, if HQ thinks this is important. //
Axl wanted to argue, to stay and learn more. Yet he knew he couldn't just refuse orders, and especially not without explaining things to his parents. For all they've done for him, he couldn't just ditch them and make them worry. He glumly affirmed he was going to start trying to get out, and quickly he re-did the inventory and committed each item to memory.
On his way out, a much taller Reploid passed by him, his helmet crowned and drawing attention to him. Axl watched him, replaying the recent memory file and still-framing the man's face. This had to be the H.S the others spoke of…
"How is everything?" the H.S called. An affirmative from all around, and he simply turned around and went back where he came from, not even looking at Axl as he passed him again.
Axl took another picture before making good his chance to escape. Maybe they could identify the man back at HQ.
When Axl and his squad returned to Hunter base, the newly reconstructed Layer was there to greet them and take their data-chip reports for immediate analysis. Axl handed her his, and in turn, she handed him a card. Axl blinked at it, peering up at the purple-haired Navigator.
"I gotta get these to the analyzers," Layer said. "That's for X; he's in the Recharge Room. Give it to him for me? He said he was expecting some flowers or something and they came in, and I put them in my locker to safe keeping. That card will get him in."
Axl grinned roguishly at her. "You sure you wanna give this to me then? What if I go rifling in that locker instead?"
"I'll shove my rapier so far up your ass you'll call it an upgrade," Layer replied pleasantly, a smile on her face.
Axl laughed nervously. "Ooookay, gotcha, thanks Layer!"
Immediately the trickster routed himself to the Recharge Room, figuring he could use a charge himself. He hummed to himself, flipping the card between his right hand's fingers as he rode the lift up to the appropriate floor. There he made his way to the room, and upon entering, found X just waking up from a recharging hibernation.
"Pops!" Axl called in a sing-song voice. X smiled at him, and the smile grew when Axl threw his arms around his adopted father, giving him a tight hug before handing him the card. "From Layer, to get into her locker. The flowers came in."
"Oh yeah?" X took the card, peering at its barcode. "You didn't go through her things first, did you?"
"I'm not a perv," Axl huffed. "You want to do it, Pops? I can if you still need some time to recharge…"
"Nah, I got it." X closed his eyes for a moment. "Just give me a bit to fully start up; I got a few programs still in hibernation." He ruffled Axl's hair, opening his eyes and smiling. "Take a few to recharge yourself a little. I'm off the clock, and Alia said you should be too. I can take you home when I get back from the cemetery."
"Okay," Axl yawned, moving to a pod and climbing it. He smiled at X before laying back completely, letting the pod automatically hook itself into the ports of his armor and relax him into hibernation mode.
X waited a few more minutes, watching Axl sleep as the rest of his systems finally started up fully. He got up with a soft groan, stretching his arms high above his head and arching his back until it popped, then dropped his arms and left the Recharge Room with one last smile at his son.
X ended up having to stop by the briefing room to ask Alia where the Navigator lockers were. Despite the odd look she gave him, she politely told him before resuming her hard work of staring at Signas as he studied the consoles in front of him. X wanted to laugh at her, but he was a nice guy and left without a word.
Layer kept a tidy locker, and was kind enough to leave the bouquet in plain sight. Like the nice guy he was, X took the flowers and left her copied key card inside the locker, closing and locking it for her. He checked the flowers and, finding them still in good condition, made his way to the graveyard.
Once there, X soberly made his way to Colonel and Iris’ grave, whispering the words engraved on the tombstone to the still air. With sad reverence, X placed the bouquet down at the tombstone, bowing his head and clasping his hands in a silent prayer for them. Not even X knew where Reploids went in their eternal afterlife, if there even was one for them, but deep down X believed Iris and Colonel could hear him.
Please continue to watch over Zero, X prayed. Even I know my love isn’t enough… he still blames himself. But he is doing better, and the quiet assurance from you will help him so much…
X slowly raised his eyes, looking at the tombstone in an almost beseeching manner. “We’re so sorry we couldn’t save you,” X murmured. “But don’t worry. We’ll have the world you always envisioned. You can rest easy… your fights are finally over.”
X wasn’t close to either Iris or Colonel, yet now alone at their tomb, staring at the dirt patch they were buried under, he felt a new level of sadness come over him. In the loosest way, they were children of his, and causalities in a war that should have never sparked. It all started so long ago, when Sigma revolted…
The blue Reploid silently vowed to find whatever it was that begat Sigma, and destroy it once and for all before it could make another tragic thing like Sigma.
Such thoughts were unsettling, however, and X quietly rose to his feet. Looking at the grave brought forth that terrible, abysmal sadness again, along with slightly more violent thoughts, and X crossed himself out of a habit Dr. Cain taught him. Realizing what he had done, the Reploid chuckled, shaking his head and turning away from the grave after a quick, silent farewell to its occupants.
I better cheer up before going home… X thought as he exited the cemetery, trying not to look back. Zero needs me to be strong for him.
~*~
Axl was nowhere to be found, and although X typically had the patience of a saint, he was still annoyed about having to search for the boy when he was so ready to go home. Having a house to go home to gave X a strange rush, a sensation so familiar it made him giddy. He was eager to clock out officially, drive home and walk into the front door knowing it was his house, shared by his wonderful lover and just as wonderful son.
Wherever said son was…
“That brat,” X mumbled. He glanced at the clock, wanting to be home before Zero as so to properly welcome him home.
Like some silly housewife, although X shoved that thought far too. He had been reading far too many romantic novels…
Where the hell was Axl?
“Axl!” X called as he jogged through HQ, already in civilian clothing and ready to go. Hunters still on the clock stared at him for several seconds before greeting him, and X only gave them a nod before inquiring his son’s whereabouts. No one had seen him apparently.
Damn it! X sighed as he went back toward the parking lot, then turned around to go to the other one. Maybe Axl woke up groggy and, being a silly boy, went to the wrong lot to wait? It would be him…
Upon entering the lot, X spotted the trademark tawdry hair poking over the top of a familiar, royal purple car.
As X drew closer, Delia climbed out of her car and smiled in a flirty manner at Axl, who dropped his eyes and blushed. She said something, making him laugh and rub the back of his head as she held a hand up to her mouth and giggled.
X promptly did an about face and stomped furiously back to Zero's car, his green eyes flaming in rage as he internally dialed Zero's cell phone.
<--- PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER --->
Zero flipped the burger into the air with a smirk, knowing Axl's eyes were watching every movement the blond made as he leaned against the kitchen counter anxiously. Although Reploids had no true need to eat, having the equipment with the ability to do so also came with the program to simulate hunger, and by the way Axl's systems were starting to purposely grind loudly, the young Reploid was on the verge of whining from simulated hunger.
"Is it doooooooone yet?" Axl called from the counter, pouting when Zero shook his head. "Daaaaad, I'm hungry…"
"I know, Axl," Zero chuckled as he flipped the second burger into the air. "Why not turn the program off if it's starting to bother you?"
"That'd make me quit complaining, which means you'll have peace and quiet, and we can't have that, now can we?"
Zero rolled his eyes, putting one slab of meat onto a waiting bun. After placing on the desired toppings and a handful of chips, he placed the full plate on the counter. A smirk came to his lips as Axl nearly squealed with delight and immediately began to stuff his face.
"Want a drink?" Zero asked, his smile widening as Axl only managed a nod. He fished into the fridge, grabbing a can of soda and sliding it to his son.
X was heard thumping down the stairs, a book tucked under his arm as he rounded the corner to enter the kitchen. Before he said a word, Zero was holding out a plate to him, his food fixed just how he liked it. An appreciative smile blossomed on X's face and he took the plate to the counter, setting it down before going to the fridge for his own drink.
When Zero joined them with his food, he glanced at the rather empty dining room adjoining the kitchen. "We should have bought a table," he remarked as he bit into his cheeseburger.
"Next time we're off," X shrugged, nibbling on a chip. "The counter works for now."
Axl tried to speak around a mouthful of food, but X gave him a half-hearted glare. "Don't speak with your mouth full, young man," X chided.
Axl chewed several more times, then swallowed his food dramatically and washed it down with a gulp of soda. When X nodded approvingly at him, Axl glanced at Zero a bit nervously.
"I… I ordered more flowers, Dad." Axl glanced at his food when Zero momentarily froze. "For… for Miss Iris and Colonel."
X looked at Zero, who slowly lowered his burger. Several moments of silence dragged on, and Zero sighed heavily.
"I'm back on patrol tomorrow," Zero muttered, "on the Jakob Project. I won't be able to take them to the… the grave til late at night."
"I'll do it," X said, taking a slow sip from his cup of water. When Zero gave him an appreciative look, the brunette could only smile. "I'll let them know you got tied up with work. I'm sure they'd understand."
Zero swallowed hard, but he nodded with a smile. Axl felt immensely better, and resumed his own ravenous eating, hoping the spectacle of him stuffing his face needlessly would make his Dad laugh. When he heard Zero chuckle, Axl mentally smiled to himself. He could bring up the other stuff later…
After dinner, when Axl finally settled down and went to sleep, Zero curled up contently next to X. He nuzzled close to his boyfriend, pressing faint kisses along the back of X's neck and shoulders. It was the same bed, same night clothes, and yet being in their house, their home… Zero felt more relaxed than he ever had before.
"You're being affectionate," X mumbled sleepily. He rolled over, lazily kissing Zero's chin with a tired sigh.
"You're complaining?" Zero whispered, tightening his embrace around X.
"Not in the least." X cuddled as close as possible, tangling his legs with Zero's beneath the sheets. "Just remember to wake up early so we can get to HQ on time…"
"I know." Zero kissed X's eyes closed before tucking the brunette's head under his chin. "Thank you. About the flowers."
"Mmhmm. I love you, Z."
"Love you too."
~*~
It was almost a miracle that the trio made it to HQ on time, but on time they were, much to Signas' approval. Immediately Zero was sent off to Jakob, and Axl was deployed with the rest of the spying network into an area believed to house Mavericks. X was left running around the globe taking care of anything above B rank, and by the middle of the day he felt ragged and worn down.
X flopped into the chair next to Alia with a groan, and when she ignored him, he scooted closer and put his head against her shoulder. Slightly annoyed, the Navigator glanced at him before shrugging her shoulder to throw him off.
"Off with you," Alia said. "New coordinates should be transmitted to you now."
"What?" X groaned. "Don't I get a break? I just got back from the Arctic area." He stretched one of his arms and a bit of fluffy ice fell out of the hollows of his elbow. "I'm not even fully defrosted yet."
"That's all right; the local volcano is your next hit."
"A volcano? I hate you guys…"
"No, you don't." Alia waved her hand. "Go on, we'll send you backup if needed."
"How 'bout a mech?" X asked as he got out of his chair and slowly made his way to the door. "I'll wait the extra ten minutes to get it ready."
"Go. The sooner you get back, the more time you have between this mission and the next." Alia snickered as X dramatically threw his hands up in the air before exiting the room.
X mumbled the entire way he walked to the teleport pad, barely remembering to wave at passing Hunters that looked just as tired as him. Just as he stepped onto the teleport platform, X had to wonder when, exactly, he became this protesting being sent off on relatively easy missions. Most of them ended up being false leads and he hardly fought anything… so really, what was there to complain about? Well, other than a waste of time…
The initial heat of the volcano blasted into X's face in full force, making him wince and raise his arms on reflex. X quickly reset his internal thermometer and stepped forward, staring at the cavern that once belonged to Magma Dragoon.
He shook off the memories of the traitor and pressed a finger against the side of his helmet. The concealed keyboard flared with a flash of light as it activated, and he input the code to turn on his scanner. X's green eyes became a dead gradient of gray and black, bright blue crosshairs branching out from the center of his eyeballs to the edges of his irises. The scene of jumping lava and red rock become one of brightly illuminated lines, and X could see through the rock and lava as if peering through clear water.
"What am I looking for, Alia?" X asked into his comm-link.
Alia's voice had a bit of static, but he heard her well enough, "From what Double cracked out of Dragoon's old logs, there may be signs of what caused Dragoon's infection. At the back of the cavern was Dragoon's meditating area, so you should find something there."
"What sort of something? Viral, logs, what?"
"I doubt anything viral would be there," Alia replied haltingly. "But, if you do find anything, be careful. Don't touch it, and call for the sanitation team."
"Gotcha," X cut the communication link and started forward, carefully placing his feet on assured solid ground. Through his scanning vision, he saw several areas that were carefully concealed pitfalls, and the myriad of sharp, pointy things at the bottom of the pits were hardly appealing.
As he navigated the infernal caverns, X came across several deactivated and slowly melting Mechaniloids. He immediately warped at least one of each type back to HQ, but as he knelt down next to the fiftieth one, X gently grasped the oozing machine in his hands. He flipped it over with a little difficulty and popped open its back panel. The contents were already melted, being made of less sturdier stuff than the outside. X frowned as he examined the molten mass, realizing these things were here only to slow trespassers down… but would not stop any competent person completely. If Dragoon thought to seek refuge here when he went Maverick, he obviously wanted Zero or X to make it through.
This made X gnaw on his lower lip as he remembered Magma Dragoon. Although he was a peaceful Reploid by nature, X knew he practically would sell his soul for a real, to-the-death match against him or Zero. Could he have only pretended to go Maverick to fulfill that wish?
That was a damn disconcerting thought and it made X kick the Mechaniloid into the nearby pit of lava. What was the world coming to, when Reploids went Maverick of their own free will? He watched it sizzle for several seconds before it finally sunk into the hot embrace into oblivion.
Going Maverick on your own free will… The thought made X shudder under his armor despite the oppressive heat.
Getting to the end of the caverns, even as carefully as he was, would not take as long as X anticipated, especially when he found the specially-made, heat-resistant Ride Armor. He climbed into it, and much to his delight, found it still operational. He secured the protective dome over himself and then jumped right into the lava river itself, cutting out the need to take roundabout paths. He had to destroy some rock formations here and there, and jump over oddly-planted platforms, but make it to the end he did.
It had to be the end, anyway, for there was nowhere else to go. The wide, circular rock formation was solid and devoid of traps, with a low-hanging ceiling. X carefully climbed out of the Armor, his eyes still in scan mode. The floor was simply rock, slowly being eroded away naturally by the lava, but the grooves in the ground tipped X off to this being where Dragoon spent his free time training or, as Alia said, meditating.
X swept his eyes around, frowning when nothing seemed to translate to as important to him. He stomped his foot down every inch of the platform, but there was no hidden switch to be found. Scowling now with annoyance, X spun around to face the tall wall nearby, seeing the heavy scars in it from Dragoon's bladed feet, indicating he would jump-kick against it.
The blue-clad Hunter paused, visualizing his former comrade for a moment. Dragoon was almost a flier warrior unit without wings, the way he liked to jump about. He liked to leap from the ground to a wall, kick off of it to reach the ceiling and dig his claws into it, clinging to it before he spewed flames at his enemy…
X's eyes slowly glanced upwards, and in his scan-vision, saw the hidden computer in the ceiling. His face lit up in an 'ah ha' expression, and he called to Alia.
"Get me Double and a few of the sanitation team down here to my signal," X told her. "I found Dragoon's master computer from the looks of it. Tell them to bring grappling hooks and drills."
Minutes later, Double and three of the sanitation team, with X, were crawling along the ceiling with the grappling hooks, looking for ways to open the hidden compartment. Double lightly poked a malformed stalactite, frowning at it.
X pulled on the system of ropes they had formed to reach him. "Whatcha got, Double?" X asked.
The gold-armored Reploid glanced at him, their upside down positions making his head swim for a moment. "This," Double jammed his hook into the stalactite. "It's too obvious, and yet…"
To X's shock and cry of alarm, Double released his safety rope and used his own weight to rip the stalactite out of the ceiling. However, instead of falling to the waiting platform below, the stalactite simply slid down a foot or two, and the entire ceiling opened up, revealing a massive mother computer. X and the team stared in awe, and Double smirked from his hanging position, incredibly pleased with himself.
"You're a genius, Double," X called to him as he maneuvered his way to the console. "I hope you know that."
"Yeah," Double replied loud enough for X to hear him, then mumbled to himself, "Too bad you only notice when it suits you…"
~*~
/Nothing here, / Axl reported through the server link to his teammates. He cautiously glanced over his shoulder, other Reploids running around in lab coats behind him. He checked under his own coat, assured his body was still transformed.
//What about the head honcho? // the squad leader sent back.
/Restricted lab, and unless I can get some data on him, there's no luck getting in there. No one but him can go in. /
//Try and learn all you can, then get back out, kid. Zero and X will rip me a real asshole if I let anything happen to you. //
Axl mentally nodded and closed the communication before resuming his pretended role of scanning the boxes before him. The scanner revealed the contents of the boxes, and none of them jumped at him as important—scales, droppers, vials, the typical lab work equipment. So what, exactly, was he supposed to find?
He and the squad had been sent to this lab, thinking it abandoned like the rest of HQ, to possibly find lingering evidence of Maverick activity. Yet, while Axl had split off from the rest to check out a shallow corridor, the wall in front of him opened suddenly and a man in a long, white coat stepped out. He had squawked in alarm right before Axl shot him in the core, instantly deactivating him and obtaining his data. After dropping the Reploid with the others, Axl assumed the man's role and infiltrated this secret research area.
Thus far, however, the most he'd gleaned from the other researchers was that the 'Head Scientist' was in charge and leading this research effort. What it was about, no one knew yet, except that the Head Scientist had a new friend or something that tipped him off to something incredible. Axl would have to spend the next several days here to figure out what it was, and who the H.S and his friend were.
He was tempted to ask for the permission to do so. This situation was familiar to him… it happened with Red Alert. Something or someone tipped Red off about special data, and Axl was made to hunt it all down. Now someone tipped off a scientist on something, possibly data-related, and they set it up in an abandoned lab instead of somewhere more respectable, open, public…
This made Axl wary and suspicious. He had to figure this out…
Axl re-opened the communication server link. /Yo. I need to stay here. /
// What? // His squad leader squawked. // Hell no, no way. Get out of there, Axl, that's an order. We can come back. //
/ And how are we going to do that when they realize their buddy is missing? /
// We've been analyzing him while you've been in there. We'll reprogram his most recent memory files and chip him. We'll swap you and him as needed, if HQ thinks this is important. //
Axl wanted to argue, to stay and learn more. Yet he knew he couldn't just refuse orders, and especially not without explaining things to his parents. For all they've done for him, he couldn't just ditch them and make them worry. He glumly affirmed he was going to start trying to get out, and quickly he re-did the inventory and committed each item to memory.
On his way out, a much taller Reploid passed by him, his helmet crowned and drawing attention to him. Axl watched him, replaying the recent memory file and still-framing the man's face. This had to be the H.S the others spoke of…
"How is everything?" the H.S called. An affirmative from all around, and he simply turned around and went back where he came from, not even looking at Axl as he passed him again.
Axl took another picture before making good his chance to escape. Maybe they could identify the man back at HQ.
When Axl and his squad returned to Hunter base, the newly reconstructed Layer was there to greet them and take their data-chip reports for immediate analysis. Axl handed her his, and in turn, she handed him a card. Axl blinked at it, peering up at the purple-haired Navigator.
"I gotta get these to the analyzers," Layer said. "That's for X; he's in the Recharge Room. Give it to him for me? He said he was expecting some flowers or something and they came in, and I put them in my locker to safe keeping. That card will get him in."
Axl grinned roguishly at her. "You sure you wanna give this to me then? What if I go rifling in that locker instead?"
"I'll shove my rapier so far up your ass you'll call it an upgrade," Layer replied pleasantly, a smile on her face.
Axl laughed nervously. "Ooookay, gotcha, thanks Layer!"
Immediately the trickster routed himself to the Recharge Room, figuring he could use a charge himself. He hummed to himself, flipping the card between his right hand's fingers as he rode the lift up to the appropriate floor. There he made his way to the room, and upon entering, found X just waking up from a recharging hibernation.
"Pops!" Axl called in a sing-song voice. X smiled at him, and the smile grew when Axl threw his arms around his adopted father, giving him a tight hug before handing him the card. "From Layer, to get into her locker. The flowers came in."
"Oh yeah?" X took the card, peering at its barcode. "You didn't go through her things first, did you?"
"I'm not a perv," Axl huffed. "You want to do it, Pops? I can if you still need some time to recharge…"
"Nah, I got it." X closed his eyes for a moment. "Just give me a bit to fully start up; I got a few programs still in hibernation." He ruffled Axl's hair, opening his eyes and smiling. "Take a few to recharge yourself a little. I'm off the clock, and Alia said you should be too. I can take you home when I get back from the cemetery."
"Okay," Axl yawned, moving to a pod and climbing it. He smiled at X before laying back completely, letting the pod automatically hook itself into the ports of his armor and relax him into hibernation mode.
X waited a few more minutes, watching Axl sleep as the rest of his systems finally started up fully. He got up with a soft groan, stretching his arms high above his head and arching his back until it popped, then dropped his arms and left the Recharge Room with one last smile at his son.
X ended up having to stop by the briefing room to ask Alia where the Navigator lockers were. Despite the odd look she gave him, she politely told him before resuming her hard work of staring at Signas as he studied the consoles in front of him. X wanted to laugh at her, but he was a nice guy and left without a word.
Layer kept a tidy locker, and was kind enough to leave the bouquet in plain sight. Like the nice guy he was, X took the flowers and left her copied key card inside the locker, closing and locking it for her. He checked the flowers and, finding them still in good condition, made his way to the graveyard.
Once there, X soberly made his way to Colonel and Iris’ grave, whispering the words engraved on the tombstone to the still air. With sad reverence, X placed the bouquet down at the tombstone, bowing his head and clasping his hands in a silent prayer for them. Not even X knew where Reploids went in their eternal afterlife, if there even was one for them, but deep down X believed Iris and Colonel could hear him.
Please continue to watch over Zero, X prayed. Even I know my love isn’t enough… he still blames himself. But he is doing better, and the quiet assurance from you will help him so much…
X slowly raised his eyes, looking at the tombstone in an almost beseeching manner. “We’re so sorry we couldn’t save you,” X murmured. “But don’t worry. We’ll have the world you always envisioned. You can rest easy… your fights are finally over.”
X wasn’t close to either Iris or Colonel, yet now alone at their tomb, staring at the dirt patch they were buried under, he felt a new level of sadness come over him. In the loosest way, they were children of his, and causalities in a war that should have never sparked. It all started so long ago, when Sigma revolted…
The blue Reploid silently vowed to find whatever it was that begat Sigma, and destroy it once and for all before it could make another tragic thing like Sigma.
Such thoughts were unsettling, however, and X quietly rose to his feet. Looking at the grave brought forth that terrible, abysmal sadness again, along with slightly more violent thoughts, and X crossed himself out of a habit Dr. Cain taught him. Realizing what he had done, the Reploid chuckled, shaking his head and turning away from the grave after a quick, silent farewell to its occupants.
I better cheer up before going home… X thought as he exited the cemetery, trying not to look back. Zero needs me to be strong for him.
~*~
Axl was nowhere to be found, and although X typically had the patience of a saint, he was still annoyed about having to search for the boy when he was so ready to go home. Having a house to go home to gave X a strange rush, a sensation so familiar it made him giddy. He was eager to clock out officially, drive home and walk into the front door knowing it was his house, shared by his wonderful lover and just as wonderful son.
Wherever said son was…
“That brat,” X mumbled. He glanced at the clock, wanting to be home before Zero as so to properly welcome him home.
Like some silly housewife, although X shoved that thought far too. He had been reading far too many romantic novels…
Where the hell was Axl?
“Axl!” X called as he jogged through HQ, already in civilian clothing and ready to go. Hunters still on the clock stared at him for several seconds before greeting him, and X only gave them a nod before inquiring his son’s whereabouts. No one had seen him apparently.
Damn it! X sighed as he went back toward the parking lot, then turned around to go to the other one. Maybe Axl woke up groggy and, being a silly boy, went to the wrong lot to wait? It would be him…
Upon entering the lot, X spotted the trademark tawdry hair poking over the top of a familiar, royal purple car.
As X drew closer, Delia climbed out of her car and smiled in a flirty manner at Axl, who dropped his eyes and blushed. She said something, making him laugh and rub the back of his head as she held a hand up to her mouth and giggled.
X promptly did an about face and stomped furiously back to Zero's car, his green eyes flaming in rage as he internally dialed Zero's cell phone.
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