Chapter Seven: Suspicion
What X never understood was why he was given such a large paycheck at the end of each couple of weeks. Sure, it paid for his little outings and the insurance on his hoverbike, but that could easily be paid off with less than half of what Signas shelled out to him. If the government had this much money to pay him, why were cities still in bad shape and people were poor?
Truth be told, X gave half his paycheck to charities. He tried to persuade Zero to do the same, and while Zero did end up giving in, he kept most of it for something. What exactly, X wasn't sure. At least until today.
It was only two days after their connection to each other, and despite the closeness they felt, nothing seemed to have changed. In a way, X was relieved, and yet he was also disappointed. Was he the only one who felt so… touched by the experience? Or was Zero confused about it, and ignoring it was his way of dealing with it? X wanted to talk to him, but after inquiring around, it turned out Zero had left HQ early in the morning for some outing. That hurt X too—since when did Zero go out without him?
X was brooding in the library (not pouting, brooding) when a soft ring echoed in his ears. X looked up from his book, and when the ring repeated, he switched to interface mode. Ah, his cell phone was ringing. One of the free upgrades in the Year of Patches, all Reploids now were installed with their cell phone, as opposed to carrying it around. If nothing else, it cut driving-related accidents tied to Reploids. Humans still crashed when they picked up their phones.
X answered on the third ring, // Hello? //
/ X! It's Zero! Meet me in the lot in five minutes! /
// What? Why? //
/ Just do it! / and then Zero hung up.
X sighed irritably, tossing his book back into its place before exiting the library. While he was glad Zero was coming home, X felt a slight irritation now when the blond was just so… normal after everything, especially after what X had seen and felt while in his head.
It took X five minutes to get to the front lot of HQ, and he stood near the door for another three before the roar of an engine assaulted his ears. X gasped and jumped back as a speeding sports car drove up and swerved to a stop in front of him. It gleamed red, and its windows were practically solid black. X noticed it was one of the newer models, a street racer if ever he'd seen one, and the price tag on the ticket either made one whistle in appreciation or faint dead away.
The top of the car slid back to reveal Zero behind the wheel, dressed in a plain white shirt and blue jeans, complete with a black leather jacket and sunglasses, his hair flowing free. On his face was a satisfied smirk.
"What'cha think?" Zero beamed.
X wasn't sure how to react; to him it was just a car, another means to get around. But it obviously meant more to Zero, so he actually took a good look at it before answering. The design actually was very catchy, and obviously meant for high speeds with the aerodynamic design. The rims had that brand new shininess that reflected the sunlight, and with Zero dressed the way he was, it was almost an image out of a commercial.
After a few seconds of studying it, X actually meant it when he said, "That's pretty damn cool."
"Isn't it? It's the first one made—imagine the buyback I can get later down the road if I take good care of it. Now, hop in before I'm late."
"Late?"
Zero waved him in, and as X jumped in—he always wanted to do that—Zero revved the car before speeding down into the nearby highway. "I promised Colonel I'd pick him and Iris up to go to the airport."
"Why am I going?" X asked, on the verge of pouting. Ugh, Iris.
"Cause honestly, I like Colonel and all, but if he got in the passenger seat and touched my radio, I'd strangle him, and Iris… well, we'd look too much like a carefree couple." Zero shrugged, shifting gears as he merged onto another road.
"So?"
"I don't want to look like a couple with Iris. Besides, considering she's leaving and won't be back for a long time, I want you to apologize to her for being an ass."
"What?"
X pouted the entire way to Repliforce Base, and despite his sour look, his mind was hard at work with a decent-sounding apology. While Double did goad Zero into his rages, Iris never once provoked X, and only a few times got nasty back at him. He really did owe her, at the very least, a sorry.
At Repliforce, both Colonel and Iris were waiting outside, light baggage in their hands. At the sight of Zero's new car, Iris was clapping her hands and squealing with delight, whereas her old-fashioned brother did frown a bit.
"I'd wager," Colonel said when Zero cut the engine to let them climb into the back, "you just bought this today, Zero, to show off."
"Not just to show off, Colonel," Zero replied with a smirk. Iris touched the side of the car before climbing in, greeting X with a smile as they made eye contact.
"Isn't this car so cool, Brother?" Iris asked. "I bet they have a lot of types like this in America! Could we get one when we get there, Brother?"
Colonel groaned, even as his slid his large body in the surprisingly spacious backseat. "Look what you've done, Zero. Oh, and hello there, X, I did not mean to ignore you."
While X and Iris were at odds, the buster-toting Hunter had no qualms with her brother. Indeed, X and Colonel maintained a friendly diplomatic relationship.
"Hello, Colonel, Miss Iris," X said politely. "I wanted to make sure Zero didn't get pulled over with his new toy, so I came along. I hope it's no bother."
"No, no, of course not," Iris smiled.
Zero actually did drive the speed limit with Colonel glaring at him from the back, but from the friendly atmosphere of the drive, it wasn't a serious glare. Iris had nearly squealed with delight when Zero opened the top of the car again, and with one hand made sure his mane of hair didn't whack the poor girl in the face. She lifted her arms up as they sped down the highway, her own brown hair whipping in the wind. She looked so happy and carefree, Colonel didn't have the heart to make her stop and behave properly.
The drive was filled mostly with the various radio stations Zero was playing, although small talk was made here and there. X stayed mostly quiet, knowing this was more of Zero's moment then anything; these were two of his good friends leaving the country for Heaven knows how long, so X had no right to intervene in any way.
When the four arrived at the airport to take the Repliforce private plane—already packed full of the pair's belongings—Zero and X saw them off at the dock.
"Please take care of yourself, Zero," Colonel said. "And keep in touch. You know our e-mail addresses."
"Of course, Colonel; you take care, too." Zero turned to Iris who, after her fun in the car, was on the verge of tears. "Oh, Iris…"
"I'll miss you, Zero," she sniffled. She rubbed her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Promise you'll keep in touch?"
"I promise," and, even if X felt some odd annoyance at it, Zero gave Iris a quick hug.
Colonel turned to X as his sister said farewell. "You as well, Sir X. We'll eventually come back, and I'd like to see you both in one piece when we do."
They shook hands, and when Zero finally calmed Iris down, X turned to her and crossed his arms. "Um, Miss Iris…"
When he had her attention, X looked at the ground, and then back up at her, uncrossing his arms to rub the back of his head. "I know we didn't get along very well, and it was mostly my fault. I think… I think it's 'cause I was afraid you'd take Zero away. He's my best friend and I guess… I guess I didn't want him forgetting about me. I'm sorry you guys didn't work out, and you didn't deserve me being an ass. I'm sorry."
Iris was sort of like the sweet old lady you always felt bad for hurting, minus the old part. From the way she smiled at him, X felt forgiven already. "It's okay, X, I totally understand." She grasped his free hand with hers. "Zero is very lucky to have such a caring friend! Please keep him out of trouble for us, and feel free to ask him for our e-mails. I'd… I'd like to be your friend, too."
Aw damn, how could I ever have been mean to such a nice girl? You're an asshole, X. "Have a safe flight, Miss Iris, Colonel."
Zero and Colonel shook hands again, and Iris ended up crying all over again. As they boarded the plane, the girl waved at them, and the two Hunters waved back until she and her brother were on the plane and it was taking off.
Zero turned to X with a smile. "See? Iris is such a nice girl."
"Guess that's why you love her, huh?" X asked. He meant to sound casual, and yet it still had a touch of bitterness Zero heard.
"Loved. I admit it wasn't anything deep," Zero shrugged at X's shocked face. "Iris is a good girl… she'd make a very lucky man happy. But I'm not that man, and I think she does understand that."
So you… really… "I thought…" X paused. "When I was in your system… I thought I saw you… really, really cared for her."
"I do, but not to the extent you're thinking. She's sort of like my little sister."
"But… but that emotion," X was nearly speechless. What he felt when in Zero's mind, it had to be deeper than a sibling love! "It…"
Zero decided to drop the ball, and he wrapped an arm around X's shoulders. "X…" he lowered his head to whisper right into his friend's ear. "That emotion you felt? It wasn't for Iris."
X blinked, several times, and was still in his silent confused state as Zero dragged him back to the car and sped on back to HQ. If it wasn't for Iris… then who else…?
The only people who are close to Zero in any way, shape, or form is Iris and I. X thought as he went back to the library, as Zero wanted to take a nap back in his dorm. If he was seeing anyone else I'd know; I spend nearly all day every day with him, even on call.
He idly picked up a book, and even as he flipped through the pages and looked at them, he wasn't reading a word of it. Hell, I knew he was breaking up with Iris before she did. Who else could he feel so much for? Alia? No way, they hardly know each other. Zero might not get as involved as I do, but he isn't the player everyone tries to depict him as. So the new navigator Layer is out of the question, too.
X's brain wracked itself for an answer. From the connection he shared with him, X knew Zero was in love. It wasn't that he found a file on it, but it was that pure raw emotion Zero emitted when he realized what exactly he and X were--
X froze in mid-flip of a page, his eyes suddenly growing wide.
The emotion happened because Zero felt the closeness X did during the connection. Because that closeness was with X.
It was because of me.
X dropped the book and raced out of the library, ignoring the stares of passerbys as he dashed to the dorms. The lift going up to the high rank dormitories moved too slowly, and he was practically jumping up and down inside the elevator.
That raw emotion, that overwhelming care and love and devotion that left me breathless…
X tore through the hallways, turning the corners he knew by heart and could walk with his optical circuits fried. He stopped right in front of the door he was headed to, staring at it, willing it to slid open without him having to knock or use the keypad nearby.
It's not for Iris.
When it didn't, X hurriedly input the password, his sudden epiphany making him dizzy. He didn't know why it made him run all the way to Zero's dorm, nor did he know why it made his core and heart leap and shake. X wasn't sure at all what he was feeling.
The door slid up and X launched himself inside just as Zero, who was usually a light sleeper, was sitting up, his face confused.
And the only other person who is close to him…
"X?" Zero asked, a bit groggy. He rubbed his eyes, those imperfectly aligned, ultramarine colored eyes.
Is me.
"Zero…"
<--- PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER --->
What X never understood was why he was given such a large paycheck at the end of each couple of weeks. Sure, it paid for his little outings and the insurance on his hoverbike, but that could easily be paid off with less than half of what Signas shelled out to him. If the government had this much money to pay him, why were cities still in bad shape and people were poor?
Truth be told, X gave half his paycheck to charities. He tried to persuade Zero to do the same, and while Zero did end up giving in, he kept most of it for something. What exactly, X wasn't sure. At least until today.
It was only two days after their connection to each other, and despite the closeness they felt, nothing seemed to have changed. In a way, X was relieved, and yet he was also disappointed. Was he the only one who felt so… touched by the experience? Or was Zero confused about it, and ignoring it was his way of dealing with it? X wanted to talk to him, but after inquiring around, it turned out Zero had left HQ early in the morning for some outing. That hurt X too—since when did Zero go out without him?
X was brooding in the library (not pouting, brooding) when a soft ring echoed in his ears. X looked up from his book, and when the ring repeated, he switched to interface mode. Ah, his cell phone was ringing. One of the free upgrades in the Year of Patches, all Reploids now were installed with their cell phone, as opposed to carrying it around. If nothing else, it cut driving-related accidents tied to Reploids. Humans still crashed when they picked up their phones.
X answered on the third ring, // Hello? //
/ X! It's Zero! Meet me in the lot in five minutes! /
// What? Why? //
/ Just do it! / and then Zero hung up.
X sighed irritably, tossing his book back into its place before exiting the library. While he was glad Zero was coming home, X felt a slight irritation now when the blond was just so… normal after everything, especially after what X had seen and felt while in his head.
It took X five minutes to get to the front lot of HQ, and he stood near the door for another three before the roar of an engine assaulted his ears. X gasped and jumped back as a speeding sports car drove up and swerved to a stop in front of him. It gleamed red, and its windows were practically solid black. X noticed it was one of the newer models, a street racer if ever he'd seen one, and the price tag on the ticket either made one whistle in appreciation or faint dead away.
The top of the car slid back to reveal Zero behind the wheel, dressed in a plain white shirt and blue jeans, complete with a black leather jacket and sunglasses, his hair flowing free. On his face was a satisfied smirk.
"What'cha think?" Zero beamed.
X wasn't sure how to react; to him it was just a car, another means to get around. But it obviously meant more to Zero, so he actually took a good look at it before answering. The design actually was very catchy, and obviously meant for high speeds with the aerodynamic design. The rims had that brand new shininess that reflected the sunlight, and with Zero dressed the way he was, it was almost an image out of a commercial.
After a few seconds of studying it, X actually meant it when he said, "That's pretty damn cool."
"Isn't it? It's the first one made—imagine the buyback I can get later down the road if I take good care of it. Now, hop in before I'm late."
"Late?"
Zero waved him in, and as X jumped in—he always wanted to do that—Zero revved the car before speeding down into the nearby highway. "I promised Colonel I'd pick him and Iris up to go to the airport."
"Why am I going?" X asked, on the verge of pouting. Ugh, Iris.
"Cause honestly, I like Colonel and all, but if he got in the passenger seat and touched my radio, I'd strangle him, and Iris… well, we'd look too much like a carefree couple." Zero shrugged, shifting gears as he merged onto another road.
"So?"
"I don't want to look like a couple with Iris. Besides, considering she's leaving and won't be back for a long time, I want you to apologize to her for being an ass."
"What?"
X pouted the entire way to Repliforce Base, and despite his sour look, his mind was hard at work with a decent-sounding apology. While Double did goad Zero into his rages, Iris never once provoked X, and only a few times got nasty back at him. He really did owe her, at the very least, a sorry.
At Repliforce, both Colonel and Iris were waiting outside, light baggage in their hands. At the sight of Zero's new car, Iris was clapping her hands and squealing with delight, whereas her old-fashioned brother did frown a bit.
"I'd wager," Colonel said when Zero cut the engine to let them climb into the back, "you just bought this today, Zero, to show off."
"Not just to show off, Colonel," Zero replied with a smirk. Iris touched the side of the car before climbing in, greeting X with a smile as they made eye contact.
"Isn't this car so cool, Brother?" Iris asked. "I bet they have a lot of types like this in America! Could we get one when we get there, Brother?"
Colonel groaned, even as his slid his large body in the surprisingly spacious backseat. "Look what you've done, Zero. Oh, and hello there, X, I did not mean to ignore you."
While X and Iris were at odds, the buster-toting Hunter had no qualms with her brother. Indeed, X and Colonel maintained a friendly diplomatic relationship.
"Hello, Colonel, Miss Iris," X said politely. "I wanted to make sure Zero didn't get pulled over with his new toy, so I came along. I hope it's no bother."
"No, no, of course not," Iris smiled.
Zero actually did drive the speed limit with Colonel glaring at him from the back, but from the friendly atmosphere of the drive, it wasn't a serious glare. Iris had nearly squealed with delight when Zero opened the top of the car again, and with one hand made sure his mane of hair didn't whack the poor girl in the face. She lifted her arms up as they sped down the highway, her own brown hair whipping in the wind. She looked so happy and carefree, Colonel didn't have the heart to make her stop and behave properly.
The drive was filled mostly with the various radio stations Zero was playing, although small talk was made here and there. X stayed mostly quiet, knowing this was more of Zero's moment then anything; these were two of his good friends leaving the country for Heaven knows how long, so X had no right to intervene in any way.
When the four arrived at the airport to take the Repliforce private plane—already packed full of the pair's belongings—Zero and X saw them off at the dock.
"Please take care of yourself, Zero," Colonel said. "And keep in touch. You know our e-mail addresses."
"Of course, Colonel; you take care, too." Zero turned to Iris who, after her fun in the car, was on the verge of tears. "Oh, Iris…"
"I'll miss you, Zero," she sniffled. She rubbed her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Promise you'll keep in touch?"
"I promise," and, even if X felt some odd annoyance at it, Zero gave Iris a quick hug.
Colonel turned to X as his sister said farewell. "You as well, Sir X. We'll eventually come back, and I'd like to see you both in one piece when we do."
They shook hands, and when Zero finally calmed Iris down, X turned to her and crossed his arms. "Um, Miss Iris…"
When he had her attention, X looked at the ground, and then back up at her, uncrossing his arms to rub the back of his head. "I know we didn't get along very well, and it was mostly my fault. I think… I think it's 'cause I was afraid you'd take Zero away. He's my best friend and I guess… I guess I didn't want him forgetting about me. I'm sorry you guys didn't work out, and you didn't deserve me being an ass. I'm sorry."
Iris was sort of like the sweet old lady you always felt bad for hurting, minus the old part. From the way she smiled at him, X felt forgiven already. "It's okay, X, I totally understand." She grasped his free hand with hers. "Zero is very lucky to have such a caring friend! Please keep him out of trouble for us, and feel free to ask him for our e-mails. I'd… I'd like to be your friend, too."
Aw damn, how could I ever have been mean to such a nice girl? You're an asshole, X. "Have a safe flight, Miss Iris, Colonel."
Zero and Colonel shook hands again, and Iris ended up crying all over again. As they boarded the plane, the girl waved at them, and the two Hunters waved back until she and her brother were on the plane and it was taking off.
Zero turned to X with a smile. "See? Iris is such a nice girl."
"Guess that's why you love her, huh?" X asked. He meant to sound casual, and yet it still had a touch of bitterness Zero heard.
"Loved. I admit it wasn't anything deep," Zero shrugged at X's shocked face. "Iris is a good girl… she'd make a very lucky man happy. But I'm not that man, and I think she does understand that."
So you… really… "I thought…" X paused. "When I was in your system… I thought I saw you… really, really cared for her."
"I do, but not to the extent you're thinking. She's sort of like my little sister."
"But… but that emotion," X was nearly speechless. What he felt when in Zero's mind, it had to be deeper than a sibling love! "It…"
Zero decided to drop the ball, and he wrapped an arm around X's shoulders. "X…" he lowered his head to whisper right into his friend's ear. "That emotion you felt? It wasn't for Iris."
X blinked, several times, and was still in his silent confused state as Zero dragged him back to the car and sped on back to HQ. If it wasn't for Iris… then who else…?
The only people who are close to Zero in any way, shape, or form is Iris and I. X thought as he went back to the library, as Zero wanted to take a nap back in his dorm. If he was seeing anyone else I'd know; I spend nearly all day every day with him, even on call.
He idly picked up a book, and even as he flipped through the pages and looked at them, he wasn't reading a word of it. Hell, I knew he was breaking up with Iris before she did. Who else could he feel so much for? Alia? No way, they hardly know each other. Zero might not get as involved as I do, but he isn't the player everyone tries to depict him as. So the new navigator Layer is out of the question, too.
X's brain wracked itself for an answer. From the connection he shared with him, X knew Zero was in love. It wasn't that he found a file on it, but it was that pure raw emotion Zero emitted when he realized what exactly he and X were--
X froze in mid-flip of a page, his eyes suddenly growing wide.
The emotion happened because Zero felt the closeness X did during the connection. Because that closeness was with X.
It was because of me.
X dropped the book and raced out of the library, ignoring the stares of passerbys as he dashed to the dorms. The lift going up to the high rank dormitories moved too slowly, and he was practically jumping up and down inside the elevator.
That raw emotion, that overwhelming care and love and devotion that left me breathless…
X tore through the hallways, turning the corners he knew by heart and could walk with his optical circuits fried. He stopped right in front of the door he was headed to, staring at it, willing it to slid open without him having to knock or use the keypad nearby.
It's not for Iris.
When it didn't, X hurriedly input the password, his sudden epiphany making him dizzy. He didn't know why it made him run all the way to Zero's dorm, nor did he know why it made his core and heart leap and shake. X wasn't sure at all what he was feeling.
The door slid up and X launched himself inside just as Zero, who was usually a light sleeper, was sitting up, his face confused.
And the only other person who is close to him…
"X?" Zero asked, a bit groggy. He rubbed his eyes, those imperfectly aligned, ultramarine colored eyes.
Is me.
"Zero…"
<--- PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER --->