Piece By Piece
The tinkling of chains drew eyes as Omega sauntered after Zero, smiling at the astonished looks of scientists and purring under his breath. Zero tossed a glare at his original body, hand snatching back to grasp the chain hanging from the newly added collar to Omega's neck, jerking him along.
That didn't faze the original at all, instead making him lean close as they walked to mutter, "Go on, jerk my chain. See what I'll do in response."
Zero tried to suppress the urge to shudder, knowing well what his double was attempting to instigate. With a cold look, he wrapped the chain around his palm and jerked on it even harder, nearly pulling Omega off balance. Omega purposely threw himself at Zero, knocking them into the office and onto the ground in a scandalous heap.
Zero groaned in pain when his head cracked against the floor, and he heard X quickly rise from his desk. Omega landed on top of him, his waist to Zero's backside, and he heard the original chuckle suggestively.
"Get up!" X hissed, and Omega lazily looked up. "You… whatever you're coded, get off him!"
Omega would have said something if Zero hadn't shoved him off and got to his feet. Omega temporarily choked when Zero pulled on the chain again while he was still on his knees on the ground, and the original quickly rose before his anger could rise.
X crossed his arms as the door closed behind the blonds, critically eyeing them both. "And this is your result?" he asked, his voice acidic.
Zero let the chain go, and Omega stayed where he was as the Hunter went to his friend. "Yes, and despite that blunder, he's what I theorized would occur. With the exception of gaining his own complete persona-grid, we're both functional, and all of my Maverick urges are within him."
X glared at Omega, now properly seeing him as the demon Zero once housed within himself. "I'm still pissed you went through with the experiment. Way too risky, Zero."
Zero smiled at X, and Omega frowned at that. "It's a bit like Colonel and Iris," Zero said. "They were originally one Reploid, and then split into two."
"Yes, but before they were even built, the original program was modified to be split. You forced a split in a program unmodified for it."
"But look, it worked out."
Zero's tone was light and careful, obviously wanting to gently nudge X to his side. Each word he said made Omega's frown deeper, and X noticed the souring disposition of the Maverick body. He walked around the desk and Zero, going right up to Omega and staring into his eyes. More than anything, Omega wanted to rip out those condescending eyes, but the chains sensed the threat and the metal bands they were connected to constrict.
Omega choked as the one around his neck tightened, the ones around his wrists offlining the entire arm and making them go rigidly straight to his sides. Despite the pain flaring from the restraints, Omega kept staring hatefully at X, kept thinking the thoughts of tearing him apart. Each thought made the bands tighten until he finally fell to his knees due to fluids and signals being blocked from his head processor.
"Relent," Zero commanded, and still Omega kept glaring at X. "Relent, Omega!"
Amazingly enough, Omega could speak. "I will…" he choked through the negative signals the chains forced through him, blood dribbling from the corners of his mouth as he spoke. "Des…troy you… piece… by… piece…"
Zero felt panic rise in him as the bands continued to tighten, knowing if Omega continued they would send the signal to force him to detonate. "Relent!" Zero barked.
X stood over Omega, a sort of gloating look in his eyes, or so Omega's own fading vision seemed to see. He heard Zero's command, but he didn't want to obey. He may be chained, but he wasn't a dog to be ordered…
Dying here serves no purpose.
Omega finally bowed his head and ceased such destructive thoughts. The bands loosened just a bit, and as the seconds ticked by and he kept his mind blank, the restraints continued to loosen until finally they returned to normal diameter. Once they did, Omega got to his feet, and he glared at X although he kept his mind blank.
"I knew your Maverick hated me," X mused, glancing over his shoulder at Zero, "But to nearly kill himself in it? I guess it's a good thing you did perform the split."
Zero finally breathed and he went to X, placing his hands on X's shoulders and drawing him away from Omega. Seeing the protective way Zero acted, Omega's scowl returned, but neither noticed as they focused on each other again.
"I wanted to ask you to authorize the use of the Separation Method," Zero said, hands still on X's shoulders as if ready to toss him to safety should Omega raise his hackles again.
"We'll have to conduct other experiments before we finalize it," X replied. "You are an original android like me, Zero; this could alter the results. But I'll authorize a fully equipped team to work with you on more controlled experiments."
It would have to be good enough, and Zero nodded. "Thank you, X." he smiled at his friend again. "I guess in exchange I'll let you do that thing you mentioned."
X smirked, leaning close to Zero and noticing Omega was glaring again. But he kept his eyes on Zero, whose own smile was widening at the closer proximity. "I think it's a fair trade, yes…"
Omega looked away as the two kissed, knowing full well their 'supposed secret' and having no desire to witness it. Despite his shared memories and, to an extent, feelings, anger roiled over everything and it took all of Omega's willpower to suppress the urge to be threatening. He could only hope they stopped at kissing, else he might have to risk death just to force them apart.
Yank my chains. See what I'll do.
~*~
"Code file, 'Mother.' Right?"
Zero froze in mid-step, and Omega stopped a half a step behind him. Turning just enough to look over his shoulder, Zero glared. "What?"
"That 'thing' X wants to do with you," Omega replied blankly. "Code file 'Mother.' He wants to take the virus anti-bodies your 'non-Maverick' makes and fashion the ultimate antivirus simulation."
Why Zero was surprised Omega knew that, he'd never figure out. "You should be glad, that experiment prolongs your existence."
"So he can test it against me." Omega actually smiled. "Torture me with it until he finds the right formula that destroys me. Well, the Maverick side of me, which is about ninety-seven percent."
Zero shrugged, resuming his trek to his tower. Omega fell silent, following him and staring at the back of Zero's head the entire way. The only sound they heard were the passing of others, their footfalls and those delicate little chains Omega was forced to wear.
Once within the confines of the tower, Zero should have known Omega would do something. Yet again, he was shocked to find himself shoved to the nearest wall, Omega's ominous eyes above him and lips hovering over his. Once the shock of the sudden assault wore off, another took its place: why weren't the chains constricting?
Omega's hands on Zero's forearms tightened. "Don't ever kiss X like that again," Omega hissed, careful with his processed thought pattern. "Don't ever touch him like that again. You belong to me, with me and for me."
Zero's eyes narrowed in a glare. "Where do you get off claiming that bullshit?"
Omega pulled Zero off the wall a bit to shove him hard into it, and the bands did constrict a bit but not enough to make him stop. "Where do you get off splitting us? Where do you get off taking apart what was perfect and creating this void? We belong together, Zero, whether you're ashamed of it or not! I am your other half and you know that void in you screams for me, just as mine screams for you. I won't let you dedicate yourself to another, try to complete another, when you are mine!"
Zero inhaled hard as Omega slammed him into the wall again, but it was more in astonishment then pain. "You're… jealous?"
"Fuck jealousy! You are my other half and I will not lose you to some prick that can't even use his own anti-bodies to make a cure for something he's too weak to combat!" Omega hissed as the bands finally offlined his arms and they dropped from Zero.
Zero should have shoved him aside and put him in the cell within the tower, yet amazement stopped that action. Amazement and longing… because Omega was right — that void was roaring for completion, for the missing component that was Omega. The black-eyed blond stepped forward and lifted his hands, cupping Omega's face and bringing their faces close again.
"Your own unique emotional recognition system, somehow forming from the incomplete pieces I left in you…" Zero breathed, eyes wide and shimmering. He saw how feral Omega's own eyes were, glassy and dangerous and gorgeous. "Are there any more surprises? Piece by piece you're becoming more than I ever theorized… What else have you somehow created from nothing to become a complete, independent Reploid…?"
"Idiot," Omega hissed, the bands now loose and his arms free to wrap around Zero. "I'm not complete or independent… and neither are you."
Both exhaled just as their lips crushed together, driven by the need to be complete. Yet the minute satisfaction of a kiss was over and their need roared even higher, almost angry as if the kiss deceived it. They pulled away, and Zero's eyes now held that ferocity Omega's did. He would not admit defeat and assimilate Omega, no. But he couldn't deny the charged electricity now running between them, their two voids consuming them and driving them closer to each other, Omega pinning Zero to the wall and hands fisting the back of his vest, threatening to rip it off as their lips met again.
Zero gripped the sides of Omega's helmet, shutting his eyes tightly and ignoring that rational part of his mind. Rationality wasn't present when he conducted this insane experiment, he didn't need it to deal with the consequences. Fulfilling a need never required rationality.