Mega man Battle Network: Virus mutations

Chapter 19: Infallible

*The stationary warm front and high pressure that's been around is moving out, and with it is going the unseasonably warm weather we've been experiencing over the past weeks. An area of rain showers is coming in from up north with cold front, we should see rain coming in at about noon with growing winds, that means a big wind chill. The temperature is going to drop over night to high 40s, low 50s and...*

Seven days had passed, the week was over.

Blues slowly rose, arduously sitting upright, crossing his legs and folded his arms. He open his mouth wide and yawned, like a crowbar preying open a crate he felt himself being slowly separated from his sleep and from his sharply rising awareness, he knew he wouldn't be able to return to it. He was sluggish having just woken up, he wasn't sure what it was that made him feel this way, this heavy weight, this lagging, this sleepy fatigue. Maybe it was all of his systems coming coming back on line one by one after leaving sleep mode, or maybe it was the diagnostics his body was running. '...' Blues scowled and closed his eyes, he felt guilty at the thought of running diagnostics, and it was all because of that annoying bastard Zero. ' Baka...' Blues knew Zero was fixated on the fact that he was a virus, self loathing and all, and Zero always argued that he was afraid of him. And Blues always yelled back that he wasn't, and that Zero was an idiot. Then eventually it came time to do diagnostics and such, and Zero's words embedded themselves so deeply in his thoughts that he felt like the only reason he was doing it was because, well, he might be infected.

He wondered, did Zero think that? Blues peaked one eye open and looked around silently, almost as if he feared someone would see him thinking like this and wanted to make sure no one was in the area before he made his next thought. Maybe Zero did think he was afraid of him...'Of course he does, he's an idiot.' Yeah, maybe he did, maybe that's why he hasn't showed up yet.

It was only six, the first rays of dim light peaked through the window of room 1306. Enzan was still asleep, and he would be for a few more hours, Blues was sure Lan, and subsequently Megaman, was still sleeping. And normally he would still be too. '...He's probably with them...' Zero always woke up at insane hours, Blues even wondered some time if he slept at all, did half-viruses have a sleep mode? Did a half Navi's for that matter? '....' Blues slowly leaned backwards and laid on the ground, resting his arms behind his head and staring upwards. Zero was probably awake right now.

Seven days had passed, the week was over. So...shouldn't he have come back by now? Blues narrowed his eyes, 'Baka, maybe he'll just stay way this time.' Why the hell was he wondering about this anyway? It was good that he hadn't come back, if he didn't come back anymore. That would be fine with him, he wouldn't have to deal with that annoying idiot anymore, it would just be peaceful and stress free with out him....and boring.

Damnit! This place felt so empty...no, not empty, it was too quiet, it was lifeless without Zero. Blues didn't understand it, Blues annoyed him to no end, but this place still ended up feeling devoid when he left. It was peaceful, but it was also dull as hell, as much as he resented his presence, when it was gone everything was lonely .He couldn't believe it, and he damn sure wouldn't admit it, but he missed Zero's presence, just having him here brought some kind of untold warmth, life. And he liked that life, without it he he felt...he felt...”This is all your fault Baka!” Blues growled out loud.

Yeah, Zero was probably awake right now. He wondered if he would comeback, or did Zero, like he'd accused countless times without uttering a word, feel like he was afraid of him? Zero never seemed to be able to accept an answer, and it aggravated Blues, he wanted to convince Zero if it was the last thing he did! Or maybe he thought that he was just a annoyance. Well...he was an annoyance, but he wasn't afraid of him.... and...he wanted him to... 'Maybe he's acting weird again.' Blues thought...and as much as he hated to even acknowledge it, he began to worry about him. “Zero....”

“How'd you know I was here?”

'!' A very flustered Blues flinched at the sudden voice and sat up right hastily, quickly looking over his shoulder. “Zero?” As sure as anything could be, there he was, blue eyes bright, and that wide grin Blues had come to associate him with. He was alright...

Zero lifted his hand in small wave, his grin turning into a smile. “Geez, I guess I can't sneak up on you.” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in some habit Blues couldn't decipher. Was he nervous? Or was it just the opposite? Was he holding back? Or did he not know what to say next? What did it mean? “ I-”

“What the hell are you doing surprising me like that!” Blues shouted, his voice loud and angry. An energy felt as though it had been released with his tension and swelled up inside up him with a tautness all it's own. He felt the strong urge to reach out and grab Zero with a grip as tight as he could gather and strike him. This feeling...it was relief, a strange excitement that confused Blue's senses and made him want to do things he normally wouldn't have been nearly as inclined to. He barely noticed...but there was a dwindling attribute to his voice, something underlaying. “Make some noise or something will ya?!”

“It's not my fault your a hard sleeper.” Zero retorted, feeling the same energy building in side of him after finally seeing Blues after so long. He knew what it was, he felt happy, he felt as excited as a child who had just received something he always wanted. At lest a little.

Blues quickly climbed to his feet and turned to face him, shaking his head rejectingly. “I wasn't asleep.” He said. Almost immediately he began to feel nervous, mildly as if he'd done something wrong. It wasn't the fact that Zero had stayed away so long, it was that he feared in some way Zero felt he had to stay away because of it. He feared what thoughts might have spawned from this, that Zero might have begun to grow reluctant toward him in some queer way. Damnit, he felt like an idiot for feeling like this, this is why Zero was so annoying! He made him feel things! This was so trouble some. He shook his head, as if trying to convince himself. He didn't care, it was just that he didn't want to be misinterpreted, he told himself, if Zero wanted to stay away from him, he didn't want it to because he thought something wrong.

“Since when do you get up so early?” Zero laughed, he sat down and crossed his legs, resting his hands in his lap, still smiling, “Your always so lazy.”

Blues could see it now, his face was always as Zero wanted it to be, as usual. But those eyes, as much as he hated to admit it, he knew Zero well enough to see past them. They seemed...fake.“I'm not lazy.” Blues retorted, folding his arms and pacing away a few steps.

“Yeah right, you are lazy.”

“It's not my fault that some of us have to sleep.” Blues replied in his usual condescending tone.

“How much does a Navi really have to sleep?”

“When do even you sleep?” Blues finally asked, curious, though careful to seem indifferent.

“Huh?” Zero stared at him for a moment, until the aggressive, argumentative expression faded and a questioning one came. He started to feel uneasy, what was he suppose to say to this? He felt like something was wrong with him, and in a way there was, and he was embarrassed to say something about it. He blushed and looked away, clinching his hands together nervously. “Well...I uh, uh...”

“?” Blues watched him fumble with a morbid curiosity, the same one that came over him when he watched Zero try to hide something, or zone out Such a phenomenon was comparable to seeing a train wreak happen or the remains of a car wreak, he didn't want it to happen, he knew it was something he shouldn't want to watch, but he couldn't look away. There was definitely something wrong. “What? Stop staring there like an idiot and say something already.”

“I...I...”Zero stared at the ground, speaking timidly and shyly “I don't sleep...”

“What?”

Zero quickly lifted his head and looked at him resentfully, “I said I don't sleep.” He grunted angrily hating that he had to repeat it and that he couldn't stop the embarrassed flush from coming to his cheeks.

Blues folded his arms and looked at him with a chastising glare. “You are such an idiot, you always have that dumb look on your face.” He said immediately, quickly trying to hide his astonishment with his usual indifference. He pridefully wouldn't show any surprise, because if he did Zero would feel even worse and everything would become awkward. And awkward was never good. 'He doesn't go to sleep, ever?' Zero never went off line, at all?

Zero didn't look up, he merely grunted in a low, half mumbling voice, still blushing ashamedly. He was never restricted by pride as Blues was, no, he was rarely focused on how others would perceive him when he did things. There was this distorted morality, distorted values that he felt his very existence didn't adhered to, and he was often ashamed by it. “It can't be worse then that look on yours.” He wasn't sure what always made him fight back at Blues, why he only felt safe, why he always had a comfortable contentment when they argued. Maybe he was naturally defensive.

Blues looked over him with quick, studying, sideways glances, attempting to understand the half-Navi more deeply then just his words. But eventually he gave up, shaking his head as he eased himself down to the ground again. “It's too early to deal with you .” He said coldly. It was easier not to get involved with people, it was better to stay away, then he wouldn't have to go through the trouble of figuring them out or worrying about them.

“Aw, your just mean.”

“You haven't been here 5 minutes and your all ready wining.” Blues smirked with amusement.

“Whatever.” Zero rolled his eyes and looked away again... Suddenly, Zero's eyes widened and he cringed , a tense breath forcing it's way out of his clinched jaw. “!!” His body became tensely rigid and a chill crawled up his spine that shook his entire being.

“?” Blues leaned forward, uncertain of what he should think of it. He hated it, he knew what road he was going down and he was powerless to stop himself. It was a rush, like a rising tide swallowing his body. He didn't understand, he didn't know what that was, and with Zero it could have been anything. Blues quickly became worried, though not without an equal share of resentment, he hated feeling like this. “Zero?”

Zero stared in the distance blankly, only able to sit in stare in a fearful amazement as everything began to pull away from him, reality was only a sheet and some great force pinched it in the center of his vision and began drawing it back. The horizon was pulled together like a sheet collapsing in on itself, it moved so fast, he felt as he was as if he was standing on the edge of a great water fall and watching the fast moving liquid speed away from him. Color began to stream like wet paint dripping off of a canvas turned upside down, everything was in a chaotic disarray, was this it? Was this the end of the world? Was this the end of his existence? “Un....ua...” Zero lifted his hands, but he didn't feel his arms raising or the strain on his muscles of sustaining them there, as if he'd done nothing at all, as if he'd had no arms at all. He stared at them, his mouth hanging open, it was all in a distorted, colorless gray scale.

“Zero?”

'I've felt this....before...' Everything was a million miles away, even Blue's voice seemed to be getting farther...was he leaving? ...No, don't leave...

*Zero*

'What is...happening?' The distant voice and what little he could see of the blurry world faded away in a roar of static, like a n infinitely hard rain or thousands of nails falling to the ground in an endless clatter. His body, it was light...he couldn't feel it anymore, he couldn't feel anything. In fact...he was floating, equivalent to water, to space, trying to reach the surface, trying to drift away, but yet something still was holding him down, chaining him down...

....

“Zero!”

That hard, sharp voice brought the world flying back at him at a terrifying pace, he flinched, fearing it would all slam into him once like a brick wall. Blue's quickly reached out and caught him before he could fall onto his back. “Blues...” For a moment he felt like he was in shock, he could move, he could feel everything, but his mind was blank, and he couldn't draw up the thought to will his body into motion. He could only stare at Blues sitting right in front of him, his hands on Zero's shoulders and his eyes fixed piercingly into his.

“What the hell was that?” Blues half shouted, confused, almost unnerved. He hated worry, it felt too much like fear, he hated concern, it felt too much like pity, it was too closely tied to worry. Would it not be easier to never have allowed himself to know Zero so well, so that he didn't always have this anxious concern for Zero. Wouldn't have been easier not to have had any connection with Zero at all then to always feel this traitorous worry every time something unsure happened to the half-Navi.

Zero stared at him for no more then a second longer before he smiled again, just as always and rubbed the back of his head. “I guess I can sleep.”

“?” Blues stared at him, there that look again, that smile, like he hadn't done anything. He just sat there and stared for 2 minutes, something clearly was wrong. “What?”

Zero shook his head and looked away again. “Nothing.” he said discardingly, dismissing the spasm and sudden black out as any number of irrelevant things. He was half a virus, it could have just been that. He had to quickly divert his thoughts to keep from blushing, with ashamed embarrassment. He felt vulnerable, he hated out of anyone for Blues to see his faults, maybe it was because he wanted to keep some measure of himself for Blues. Or because Blues was so brashly and comfortably open about him being a virus that Blues had set up some standard, which didn't include glitches, didn't want to let him down. “…Actually…” Zero started down at the ground like a nervous child who had to admit to the most vile crime to someone who would be let down the most by it, his finger subconsciously played along each other in his lap, a clear uncertainty coming in his voice and form.

Blues was confused at the sudden chance in demeanor, Zero wasn’t the type of person to change moods quickly, it was always a gradual process. It made him uneasy, “What?” His arms lowered slowly to his sides and turned around fully.

“… This place feels different”

“Not this again...”What? What the hell did he mean by that? Blues looked at Zero’s back for a moment, he couldn’t seem to under stand why something like that would cause such a reaction. Maybe there was a deeper meaning in that? Maybe he just didn't understand him...Blues’ mind exhausted all the possibilities he could think of and couldn’t figure out why he would become so shy over that question. “No. Why?”

“I don’t know.” Zero shrugged, “It just seems like…I don’t know, nothing feels the same anymore.” He said. It was odd, it was strange, unnatural almost numbing, the only way he could describe it. It was a subtle thing, like the feelings and sensations that came from all of his usual places were dulled more then ever. ‘It really is just me. What's wrong with me…’ ...No, he knew what was wrong with him, he was a virus, that was wrong with him. He held his head down in silent contemplation, his face dawning a silent, solemn thoughtfulness that gave a depressing air all it's own. 'There probably was never anything right with me in the first place.' He was out side of his friends now, beyond them; they were incapable of even thinking of what he was and he knew it. He had done something which even he had not thought possible, he didn't just resent himself, he was afraid of himself, he wasn't sure of what he was, or what he'd unwittingly do.

'What's the matter with him?' He didn't like it, seeing the distressing look on his face, it was something strange and foreign for Zero. “Whatever your talking about, it’s probably nothing.” Blues retorted indifferently.

“Really? How do you know?” Zero shot back with anger, more at the fact Blues was just disregarding his concerns as nothing. Then he receded again, No, Blues was right, this was nothing, Blues shouldn't have to be concerned with this. Blues didn't care, Zero nodded to himself in wordless agreement, no, he was probably just annoying the Navi. Yeah, that was it. That was probably why he was so anxious to kick him out for a week. Before he had a chance to recant his response, Blues spoke again.

“Because you don’t even make sense.” Blues said, Zero never failed to perplex him.

“...Maybe.” How could he expect Blues to understand...no, maybe Blues was the only one who did understand, Blues was afraid of him, and rightfully so, and he didn't exactly like him, as he rightfully shouldn't have... Even knowing all of that deeply, he couldn't help wanting to be around him, there was always this feeling of belonging, of being wanted when he was around Blues.

“Instead of whining about it-”

“I'm not whining.” Zero objected immediately.

“-Why don't you go talk to Enzan, or Tadashi, I'm sure they can do more about it then I could.”Blues suggested, seriously, he hated seeing Zero like this, he hated knowing something could turn such a person as Zero into this self-hating half-virus.

“Heh.” Zero just smiled and looked away. “They're doing their own thing, they don't want to be bothered with me.”

If Blues didn't know any better, he'd say *that* sounded a bit self loathing. “Your always making excuses.” He said, his voice as cold and arrogant as always. “The sign of a truly lazy person.”

“I am not lazy!” Zero retorted angrily. “Why would they bother, I'd probably just infect everything anyway.”

“Who's to say you would?”

“Why wouldn't I, just because I don't want to, doesn't mean I wouldn't.” Zero said, the self-loathing evident clearly in his voice now, he was much to busy trying to convince Blues of his non-worth to hide it. “ They wouldn't, they'd be too afraid I'd spread the virus.” He said this with no resentment what so ever, just as if he was stating a simple fact.

“For goodness sake!” Blues growled. “No one's afraid your gonna do that! The only person worried about it is you! Your just too stupid to realize it!”

Zero looked up at him, his mouth open as if he wanted to say something, he wanted to define all of the things, feelings, thoughts, realizations he had clearly and scream it at Blues at the top of his lungs to make him understand. Then he just folded his arms and looked away again, he couldn't yell at him for some reason, he tried to belt his words out but all the came out was a choked sound just above a whisper.“You are.”

It wasn't more then a second after Zero spoke those words that a swift kick came pounding into his chest “!” Before he realized it he was pin down painfully to the ground by Blues' foot.

“What did you just say!?” Blues growled fearsomely.

Well, Blue's was already angry now, Zero felt no desire or need to hold back anymore, “Well, you are!” With a grunt he reached up and grabbed Blue's leg and gave him a sharp, repelling push, hard enough to send the Navi tumbling on to his back. With little hesitation he scrambled on to his hands and knees and climbed on top of Zero, holding him down with his weight.

“What the hell!” Blues sent a sharp punch to the side of Zero's face, disorienting Zero enough to force his grip on his shoulders to loosen, but not enough to let go. “If you say that one more time I'm gonna pound your face into the ground!”

Zero bit back a hiss of pain and shook his head. “As apposed to now?!”

“It can get worse!” Blues' hands darted up and clasped Zero's neck, and he squeezed, lightly though, just enough to gain enough leverage to start to push Zero back.. “I'm not afraid of you!”

Zero reached up and clinched at Blues' hand's around his neck and tried to pry him away, despite his best attempts he found himself caving under Blues' strength, being forced back farther and farther until Blues was off of his back and the bother were on their knees. “You...are!” He shot back, his voice strained and breathless from the pressure on his throat. “Don't lie! I've...I've seen it!” Zero thrust his head forward and slammed it into Blues, the Navi immediately cringed and withdrew in pain. “I'm not blind! I'm not stupid!” Zero erupted in a frustrated, pint up anger that just would dull, pointing accusingly.

“You are stupid!” Blue's rebutted with equal intensity, one hand clinching his head in pain and the other clinching into a tight fist at his side. “What is it going to take to get it through that thick head of yours!” He yelled, punctuating his harsh words with strait pinch to Zero's nose.

Zero couldn't contain the small yelp of pain that slipped out of his mouth, he stumbled backwards, somehow managing to make it clumsily to his feet Then with a furious growl he bolted forward and tackled Blues' into the ground, with enough force to send them both sliding backwards. “Your just lying! I can see it when you look at me sometimes...” It was frustrating! Why didn't he just say it! Why didn't Blues just admit it!? Zero had a burning need, this fire that wouldn't be extinguished until he heard Blues admit it, until what he felt on the inside was finally inflicted on the outside. It would hurt, but a part of him wanted it that way, it would ease his conscious, already guilty from his own existence, and make him feel as though he was getting just what he deserved. He felt like crying.

“You imbecile, Your so fixed on hating yourself, that your imagining things!” Blues slipped his leg between himself and Zero and kicked the half-virus in the stomach, flinging him off roughly. He immediately climbed to his feet, before Zero could manage to recover, and charged at him.

“Your always saying stuff like 'I'll get infected' or-”

“I wasn't serious dumb ass--”

“You were serious!” Zero lifted up his foot and drove it into Blues' stomach just as his charge began to encroach dangerously, Zero could only watch as the air was forced from Blues' lungs and the Navi stumbled to the ground, clinching his stomach damaged with the force of Zero's kick and his own speed. “At lest...more then you thought you were.” Zero finished.

“How...the hell are you...gonna tell me...how serious I was!” Blues sputtered out, coughing in-between gasping breathes. Persistently, he sat up, his arms still wrapped tightly around his abdomen.

But he didn't get a chance to stand before Zero heedlessly dived at him, crashing painfully into his chest and sending both of them pounding to the ground with an audible slam. Zero quickly pinned Blues' arms to his side before he could recover.” I know you were! Cause if you weren't, you wouldn't have been so anxious to kick me out!”

“That's because your annoying!” Blues shot back, lifting his head slowly and leaning as close to Zero's face as his elevation could take him, struggling ferociously to free himself, like a wild beast having been taunted.. “Like your being now! I'm not *afraid* of you, I just don't like you!”

“Admit it! Damnit! Admit it!” Zero yelled desperately! Why didn't say it?! Just say it! “Damnit! I know you! Why don't you just admit it, I already know for sure...” Zero shifted his eyes away, not deriving his focus from holding Zero a bit. He didn't know why, why he felt this desire for Blues to say it to him, so strongly that it felt instinctual to seek the pain it brought, inane. He wanted Blues to say it to his face. To tell him something he knew was so dreadfully atrocious... “I already screwed up Megaman, I might do the same to you...” Zero's words trailed off into a questioning silence when felt a sudden wetness.. “?” He heard a small splash of something being dripped and in almost a flinching motion he looked down, startled at what he saw. He was bleeding, blue blood dripped from his nose and he felt the metallic taste in his mouth, much to his horror. “!” Zero immediately clamped his hands over his nose.

“?” Blues felt Zero's grip loosen and he lifted his hand to his cheek, examining the liquid questioningly. Before he could utter his first word, Zero bolted away, scrambling off of him and moving backwards a few feet until he nearly lost his balance. “You are such an annoying bastard.” Blues, however, was to preoccupied with anger to have any reaction Zero would have expected him too, it was as though he didn't care about it at all. He barely realized what it was, his mind was fixed on how Zero reacted to it, it was like a frightened child retreating and hiding from some unknown danger. It was enough to make him stop and pause, he could only stare for a moment almost as if in awe. 'Damnit...Zero...' Finally Blues shook his head and moved forward, and just as Zero looked back towards him, he shoved his foot into the half-virus's chest, pinning him down to the ground again, listening with a certain satisfaction at the startled outcry that came.

Zero burned with shame, immediately turning his head away as if trying to hide himself, and he was. As much as he wanted to fade away, as much as he wanted to die at that moment, as hard as it was to speak with his throat going suddenly dry . His first instinct was to make an excuse, to say something so that he could get away. “Blues' I-”

“What the hell is wrong with you!” Blues climbed on top of him, holding both of Zero's arms above his head by his wrist with one hand, and clinching him by the chin, holding his head strait with the other. But still, Zero's eyes shifted away like a timid child's, trembling, soft and afraid as he tried to free himself with great urgency, only to find Blues was stronger then he let on. “Damnit! Look at me!” He yelled, making Zero flinch and timidly meet his eyes.

“...”

“I am not afraid of you!” He said harshly....then the sharp edge in his eyes dulled, and the anger shifted into a focus, a determination. He wanted Zero to see, he needed him to see, he needed him to be able to look at him and know. “I'm not afraid of you...”

Even with Blues right here forcing him to look with a painful grip on his jaw and Blue's fingers digging into his wrist. He still couldn't see what Blues wanted him to, he didn't want to see it, but it became clear that there was no way to avoid it., Blues wouldn't let him. Zero became still, staring up at Blues with uncertainty, an the painful grip on his jaw almost felt gentle, the harsh constriction on his wrist almost felt soft. “Your...not?”

Blues was silent, and an unsure pause developed between them. There were times, seldom ones, when a rare phenomenon happened. Times where Blues would have normally felt awkward, he didn't, times where his pride normally would have screamed at him in nonintervention, it was absent, and there was only a desire that lead him to move without resistance, or hesitation. Blues slowly lifted his hand from where they pined Zero's arms and clinched into a tight fist. He watched Zero flinch as he lifted them, but no blows were thrown. Blues smirked distantly as he slowly wiped away the blue blood from Zero's mouth with a rough, harsh, strong, inexperienced gentleness. “Damnit, didn't I say that Baka?”

Zero stared at him in disbelief, his mouth hanging open, completely frozen. His normal impulsiveness quickly returned, He couldn't stop himself from grinning wildly, and in one, sudden movement he wrapped his arm around Blue's neck and hugged him tightly for the first time. “Your not that mean!” He exclaimed.

“Hey!Hey! Get the hell off of me! Let go! Let go!”

! - ! - !
! - ! - !

Enzan grabbed onto the side of Lan's bed and moved forward with weak, limbing steps. He progressed slowly, feeling his legs trembled underneath him as he attempted to stand on them. He bit back a grunt into a tense hiss when he felt a piercing pain shoot up his left leg from constantly sore muscles. As subtly as he could manage, Enzan sat down at the edge of Lan's bed and let himself fall backwards, releasing an audible breath.

Lan sat up from where he lay, half dressed in only his shorts, and leaned over Enzan. “You alright?” He asked, his voice and his expression were unsure. He felt tense, an anxiety filled with a yearning guilt and an empathetic pity, all of it silently but strongly hinting he should be doing something for Enzan but Lan unsure of what it was.

“I'm fine.” He said, waving discardingly, he didn't want to talk about it, the subject annoyed him more then anything else. The last thing he wanted to discuss was his own weakness, the last thing he wanted was for someone to have to help him, to take care of him. He hated it when people felt sorry for him of all people, even concern was mildly annoying, with the except of Lan. It made him feel weak, such concern felt so closely related to pity to him that they were interchangeable. And for someone who'd spent their entire life doing everything on the own, who'd always been independent, who never needed help, the entire world was one large group from which he was separate, and the last thing he wanted was for someone who was in that group, who had the help of others, to pity him who didn't have it nor want it.

Lan...Enzan thought, Lan seemed to be the exception. Maybe the reason could tolerate the other boy was because of the occasional looks of up most admiration he received from time to time, maybe it was because Lan admired and respected the one who'd saved his life, who'd shielded him and protected him. Enzan could take a good deal of concern and even pity from Lan because he knew Lan looked up to him like a child would an older sibling.

Lan gave him a slow, inquiring look, then shrugged acceptingly. He wasn't sure, he felt strongly that he should be doing something for Enzan, and he couldn't accept such a simple answer as 'I'm fine'. He hated it, how Enzan always did that, how he always dismissed things Lan thought were so large, so important they couldn't be ignored. How Enzan just said he was fine, or that something was no big deal when it regarded himself, especially when it regarded himself. Lan couldn't comprehend it,how could he just trivialize things. Maybe it was because he was so worried. The worst thing was that when Enzan said it, Lan always began to believe it, he couldn't help it, the way Enzan disregarded such important matters as if he had some omnipotent knowledge behind his answers. He always believed things like that when Enzan said it.. ”Have you seen Zero? I cant seem to find him anywhere.”

Enzan let his hands fall onto his chest, closing his eyes and taking in deep breathes. He smirked slightly at the thought, finding a silent amusement. “Yeah, he's with Blues.”

“Huh? Really?” Lan scratched his head softly and looked at Enzan with a child like astonishment. “I didn't think Zero would ever go back, he didn't seem like...”

“?”Enzan peeked one eye open and glanced up at Lan, “Really, I'm surprised he actually stayed away. It's not like Blues ever really means what he says to him.”

Lan could only shake his head and sigh,“You know how Zero is. I just can't believe I didn't notice it that day.” Lan was worried about Zero, but he'd always been worried about Zero, from the day he first met him. He thought about Zero a lot, he thought about how he practically killed himself out of self-loathing more then anything, it was more like suicide then a sacrifice. He always felt helpless, he didn't know how to deal with that. What could he say to Zero that would mean anything... Well, he was always hanging around his father, and Tadashi could do it better then he could anyway.”I think he was going a little crazy with out Blues though, he must have been really bored.”

“Heh.” Enzan smirk turned into a small smile when thought about Blues, how bored he must have been without Zero, even if he wasn't going to admit it. Blues never admitted anything, but neither did he for that matter.

“What are you doing here?” Lan finally asked, he lifted his arms high above his head and opened his mouth wide in a deep yawn. Fatigue clung to him like wet clothing, making his body feel heavier, more weighted, his mind was dulled, a veil of cloudlessness covered it and shrouded his awareness in a sleepy haze. “Your in no shape to be coming all the way up here.” Lan's room happened to be on the level above Enzan's, and near the other side of the hospital.

“To hell with my shape.” Enzan grunted, almost resentfully, “I'm sick of this place, I can't stand it anymore.”

“It hasn't been that long-”

“Not for you it hasn't.” Enzan curtly interjected.

“And besides, look how tired you are coming all the way up here.” Lan said, a clear concern evident in his voice.

“I'm fine.” Enzan objected.

Lan lifted his hand, unseen by the other boy and sharply poked Enzan's left leg with a sharp jab from his finger, listening to the boy growl like an agitated animal. Dispite the hard glare he received, Lan folded his arms and looked at him with a satisfied expression, almost tauntingly, daring him to disagree. “Yeah, sure you are.” He uttered sarcastically. “You can barely move as it is.”

“Yeah, and laying around in a hospital bed is really gonna help that.” Enzan retorted. His eyes slowly crept open and met with the ceiling...the ceiling in here was just like the one in his room, the same white, the same florescent light, the same everything. This place was so alike, fitted with light, pleasing, warm calming colors, how could he like this place and hate it at the same time? This didn't feel natural, by all means there was nothing wrong with this hospital, and he should have been perfectly content to take a...let's say vacation, in such a copasetic setting. But there was also this nauseating catastrophic feeling came over him at times, even when it wasn't strong, he always felt marginally trapped. “Besides, they already know what's wrong with me, when they figure out what to do about it, then I can come back. Other wise...” He wasn't going to sit around and wait for them to work through compounds, he'd send them a sample of what was in the tank and let them figure it out.

For such a complex person, Enzan's logic was always strait forward, simple, almost child like. Another thing, Lan noted, that showed his age. Lan lifted his hand to his mouth and covered another yawn, rubbing half-lidded, sleepy eyes. “Really, what they say was wrong with you?”

“Some filmy substance built up around the muscles in my legs and my arm. They say it's eating away everything.” Enzan said, subconsciously resting both his hands on his stomach and softly scratching at the bandages wrapped around his right arm, when ever the thought about it he always felt like he had a cast on again.

Lan uneasily rubbed the back of his neck and his head sunk a bit. “Yeah, they said I had the same thing around my lungs and in my stomach.” Hence, the coughing up blood, and the lack of air, and loss of consciousness. He'd also forgot to mention that it was starting to build in the wound on his forehead, which is why it never completely stopped bleeding. Though the blood was managing to wash it away. “This sounds pretty bad, you really should stay. I mean, at lest I can walk, you probably wont make it too far.”

Enzan looked up at him with an aggravated annoyment, he resented the insinuation that he was too weak, even if he probably was, he couldn't stand having anyone think that. It was strange, for a person who preferred being alone, a person who couldn't stand people, there were a multitude of things he pridefully couldn't bare for people to think “I'll do fine. Besides, I can get a chance to send them some of what was in the tank, I can't think of any other reason I should stay. I can't lay around here, I have to get back, there's no way in hell I'll let my project fail this easily.”

Lan dropped his shoulders and sighed in defeat, when he heard the words 'my project' he knew there was nothing he could do to stop Enzan. It was disappointing, Lan knew he would hate this. “Is there anything I can do or say to make you stay?”

Enzan slipped his hands behind him and sat upright.“No.”

Lan dropped his head and sighed, speaking timidly “It's gonna be boring in here with out you...”

Enzan glanced over at Lan silently, looking into the boy's downcast eyes...he immediately felt guilty and looked away again, remaining silent.

“Your gonna come back eventually right?”

“...Yeah, of course.”

! - ! - !
! - ! - !

The world spun around Megaman disorientedly, every thing shifted before his eyes as if the world was contentiously being turned upside down and falling right side up again. “I...I...” His vision was only a nauseating blur, as if everything was moving so fast around him that he couldn't keep up. A noisome stir started in his stomach, his breath grew heavier and heavier and what strength he had in his legs retreated from him, it felt like like water leaking from it's container, slowly being siphoned away until before he knew it, he caved under his own weight and was falling to the ground.

“Megaman...” Tadashi quickly knelt down beside him, looking over him with a sharp concern. “Are you alright?”

“I...I can't do it.” Megaman forced out in a torrent of heavy breathes, Tadashi was merely a distorted shadow in front of the florescent lights of the ceiling. “Sorry.”

Tadashi was running his usual yield of test and studies on Megaman, contentiously trying to determine a solution to the glitches that plagued the former Navi. As usual, Megaman was stripped, embarrassingly, down to nothing more then his boxers with a battery of wires connected to him. Megaman was attempting to utilize as much of his body's strength as he could, but what happened every other time, of course, was fated to happen this time. When he went past a certain point of strength, of endurance, his body failed where it should have succeeded.

“It's ok. You did fine.” Tadashi smiled and patted him on the shoulder, “Just rest here for a while.”

Megaman let his mouth fall open and sucked in deep, gasping breathes. “Hn.”

As frustrating as this was for Tadashi, he was starting to make progress, though small, it was enough to set him on the right path. Once he was on that path it was hard for him to stop. This was a puzzle, a challenge, something completely different from any other in the past, almost additively he was driven to solve it. He was anticipant, a little excited even, he thought of little else since it had been presented to him, and now that he felt he was close.

He folded his arms and looked upward thoughtfully. Ever since Zero had spoken to him yesterday it had been a nagging thought. There was something, he was sure of it now, there was a connection between both Zero's and Megaman's problems. Which meant he had to talk to Zero. “That's enough for today Megaman.”

! - ! - !
! - ! - !

“Megaman.” Lan slipped his hands behind him and sat up, sleepy eyes perked open and a small smile creped across his lips when he saw him.

“Lan.” Megaman half stumbled into his room, his arms hanging loosely at his side, his shoulder's slumped, his eyes half lidded.”How have you been doing?” he asked with is usual, friendly, comforting voice. He came to the side of Lan's bed, and the covers abruptly rushed upwards towards him as if attacking him until they abruptly slammed into his entire body with a firmness they shouldn't have carried. “Un...?” It wasn't until then that he realized he had fallen.

“ Ok...” Lan leaned forward and looked over Megaman curiously, “Are you?”

Megaman lifted his head slowly rolled on to his back, letting his legs hang off the side of the bed and his feet rest on the ground. “Yeah, I'm just really tired.”

Lan pried the covers off of himself and crawled to the end of the bed where Megaman lay almost lifelessly, looking down into his settled, peaceful blue eyes with a slight admiration, his gaze holding the same quality as someone admiring a sunset, or the pulsing tide of a beach. “So, how'd it go with my dad?” He asked, slowly laying down onto the bed with a lethargic breath and resting his head on his folded arms.

“Alright I guess.” Megaman blinked, long and slow, as if he was debating with himself to opening his eyes again. “Your dad seems to be in a better mood then usual, I think that's a good sign.”

“Hn.” Lan nodded softly, “He always get so into what he does, when he starts working more it almost always means he's almost done.”

“That's good.” Megaman said, he felt another flush coming to his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment at the thought of Tadashi studying him. He felt relieved at the possibly of being done with it all, even more so that he could be fixed. “ It must be hard for you.”

Lan's mouth opened wide and he yawned deeply, letting out a heavy breath. His eyes fell halfway closed and his voice was a low, half mumbling. “What?”

“Being in here.” Megaman said, he slipped his hands behind his head and closed his eyes , the darkness was oddly inviting, and the soft warmth of the sheets were almost pulling him in, giving him the vague, distant knowledge that getting up would be would be as hard as escaping quicksand, if he wanted to that is. “I knew you didn't want to go to the hospital, and Enzan doesn't wanna be here, it must be boring for you.”

Lan shrugged, “It's ok I guess...it's just that what ever they keep giving me is making me really tired.”

“...”

Lan shook his head, trying to recover some fading awareness, and looked up at Megaman, “Megaman?” He'd have dismissed the silence to Megaman sleepiness and figured he'd finally lost consciousness, had not he'd seen Megaman's eyes open, staring off at the ceiling as if it was a window to the vastness of space. He was still, almost frozen there, breathing slow and steady almost as a sleeping person would. “Mega...Megaman?” Lan reached out his hand and waved it before Megaman's eyes, and received no response.

A pang of worry shot through his entire system like a jolt of electricity, energizing his half lifeless form, he grabbed onto Megaman's shoulder and shook him, hard. “Megaman...Megaman...”

For a moment there was no response, each second building a tension inside of Lan... Until Megaman, as if nothing had happened at all, tilted his head towards Lan and looked at him with the same sleepy expression, “Huh?” He inquired, with the same low, slow, sleepy voice, his expression quickly changed into a puzzled one when he saw Lan's face. “What? What's wrong?”

“Don't...you know?” Lan asked, lost in a turmoil of bewilderment, awe, and fear. He could only stare, his mouth hung open, as if about to say something but he was too afraid. “You don't...remember?”

Megaman only shook his head, still hanging in a void of confusion. “Remember what?”

“You were...” Lan wanted to say it, but he paused, and eventually he decided against it. “...Nothing.” He dropped his head onto Megaman's chest and slowly wrapped his arms around him. Why tell him, why make him worry over something he couldn't do anything about... “Just tired that's all.”

“Hn.” Megaman lifted his hand and slowly buried his fingers into the soft brown strands of Lan's hair, almost subconsciously stroking the back of his head with his thumb.

! - ! - !

Zero...

'Eh....' There was a roar of static blaring deafeningly in his ears, he could barely hear himself over it. It was almost hypnotic, it dulled him, he felt like he was sinking deeper and deeper into a sea, this sound, this static. It was a weight, this lagging feeling growing as his consciousness receded farther and farther with the rest of himself It was making him really...really sleepy...

Zero?

What...what was that? There was something else, a voice. But...he was so tired, the desire to just keep sinking was almost inane, he felt he could, but....should he just ignore it? Should he really be going to sleep?...Hey...that voice...That was... “...?”

“Zero?”

The static cleared away as if he was opening his eyes and waking from sleep, only he wasn't opening his eyes since his eyes weren't closed. How strangely he must have looked... “Tadashi?” Zero lifted his head and found the man looking down at him with a studying inquisition, and knew already it was already to late...how long had he been out? How long had Tadashi been standing there? He felt like a spot light had been cast upon him and he was being stared at by the entire world, he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, trying his hardiest not to bush with shameful embarrassment. His first instinct was to make up some excuse for his non-responsiveness, but it would have been in vain, Tadashi already knew what was happening to him. Still, it would feel more bearable if he could try to evade it in some way, it was almost a natural habit to him now. “...”

“You ok?”

Zero shifted his eyes away, wanting to shrink away into the ground and out of sight. The concern was clear in Tadashi's voice, the sound of it stung with a guilty pain, a paranoid persecution, an deep shame. He felt guilty that Tadashi was wasting his time worrying about him, he felt open, venerable, as if he was on display for the entire world to see him as he saw himself. He admired Tadashi so much that the man's eyes could have just as easily been the entire world's, there was no way anyone else could make him feel worse. “Yeah.” He half mumbled.

Tadashi slowly sank down into a chair with a heavy breath, pausing to pushing his glasses back into place. After letting Megaman go for the day he deciding to take a lunch break in his office, as seldom as he did so. “You were out for while.” He said with morbid concern , his voice was almost as if he were just making an observation.

“...” Zero didn't respond, feeling throughly worse having Tadashi point that out to him, as if he'd done something horrible in front of the man. Tadashi was the last person he'd ever want to have something like this happen to him in front of, Blues was someone he could deal with, he didn't feel so bad if something like this happened in front of Megaman, and Lan didn't know either way. But Tadashi, he'd always had a different relationship with Tadashi, he didn't want him to see his faults.

Tadashi reached over and picked up a cup of coffee sitting on his desk, Zero watched it with an unknown interest, looking on curiously as Tadashi took a drink and sat it back down. “What happened Blues?” Tadashi asked. “Weren't you with him?”

“Yeah.” Zero nodded. “He's with Enzan.”

“Where's Enzan?”

“He said he was going back to fix his island or something like that.” Zero told him.

“Hmm...” Tadashi paused to take another sip of coffee, slipping a finger in between his tie and collar gently loosening the fabric. Small taps clattered against his window from coming rain as they had been for the last few moments, Tadashi shifted in his seat toward the window and gazed outward. “Hmm...looks like it's gonna be bad.” The sky darkened with gray clouds, clouding the sun like a creeping haze, and the horizon was thick with black clouds. “You didn't want to go with them?”

Zero seemed to be caught off guard by the question. “Well I...” He hadn't even thought about that, he didn't realize he had the option. Would he have gone? Did it matter? He could go any time he wanted. “I didn't even think of it.” Zero said. “Doesn't matter I guess, since I can go anytime.” Besides, Blues would probably hate him being around all the time.

Tadashi stared out the window almost as if a trans, listening to the tapping becoming harder and more rapid, watching drops of water splash against the glass and cascade down in a blurry sheet. “Makes sense.” His voice became distant and distracted. “It's good you came when you did, I was just about to go looking for you.”

“Really, why?” Zero watched Tadashi with his own admiring interest, remembering the look on Tadashi's face that sleepy morning when he opened the kitchen window and stuck his head out, that look when the sunlight fell on to his face and a warm breeze blew across his torso. He studied the look with the same interest, wondering what was it that changed in in such a way, what was it about the rain that made only him stare out in such a forlorn manner?

“I want to know if I can study you for a while.” Tadashi told him. His eyes still fixed to the window, watching the gray clouds eclipse the sky until nothing could be seen but a glowing whiteness.

'Why is he so distracted?' Zero wondered, 'Is something wrong?' “Uh...are you alright?”

“?” Tadashi lifted his head and looked back at Zero, seeming to regain himself. “Oh, yes, I'm alright.” He paused to take another sip of his coffee. “I was saying I wanted to study you for a while. I'm understanding more and more about what's causing Megaman's problems everyday, and I'm starting to think there's some kind of connection between what's happening to him and what's happening to you.”

“Huh? R-Really?” Zero didn't know why, he couldn't describe it, but he was getting nervous. He felt like he was hearing something dangerous in this, something troubled. Didn't Tadashi feel it? Couldn't he feel the danger in what he was saying? “I...I...”

Tadashi glanced distractedly out the window where the rain could be heard clearly, tapping against the glass, pounding against every surface outside. It captivated him almost, something that drew his attention, he couldn't help but stop and stare. It took him a moment to realize he still hadn't gotten a response. “?” He shook his head, dispelling some cloud that had covered him. “Zero?”

“I...I......you can get along without me right? I mean, you probably don't really need me.”

“Well, actually...” Tadashi's expression became perplexed again, “I do.”

Zero dropped his head and looked away, he couldn't stand seeing that disappointed look in Tadashi's eyes. He hated it, he felt like he'd failed the man, as much as he wanted to just agree just to make Tadashi happy as he knew it would, he...couldn't. “...” He was sure of it now, he was afraid, he was afraid as a claustrophobic person about to go into a closet would be afraid. He couldn't help but find it interesting that he'd talked about this very subject with Blues. “...Sorry I....” He spoke like a child who'd done something wrong and knew he'd be serious reprimanded, deeply shy and reluctantly.

“What's wrong?” Tadashi asked, he laid his folded arms on the desk and rested his head atop them, slumping in a manner that reminded Zero of Lan, something he didn't usually see in the man and had to take notice of the lax movements Tadashi rarely made. Tadashi always stood up strait, he always spoke in a certain way, he aways carried a certain demeanor about himself, Zero wouldn't have been surprised if he was one of the only few if any people that had seen Tadashi this way.

“I just...I can't.” Zero shirked away timidly, once again feeling the horrible shame that plagued his existence like a disease, why not, he was like a disease, or close enough anyway. That's why he couldn't do it, he wanted to help Tadashi, he wanted to help more then anything, but this fear, it was worse then the shame. He closed his eyes, it was easier if he couldn't see Tadashi looking at him, but it didn't stop him from feeling his eyes on him. “I'd just screw everything else up for you.”

“You wouldn't really have to do anything Zero.” Tadashi replied, his intent drifting away from convincing Zero to help him, to trying to decipher why he said no, why his demeanor had changed in such away. He made no attempt to hide the concern in his voice or on his face, knowing it would only make Zero feel worse, but he still couldn't help it, he didn't have much experience in hiding such things.

“I'd mess everything up for you...who knows what I'd do” Zero's voice trailed off, wanting to hide away more then ever, desperately wanting Tadashi to leave this alone, to accept it, to realize what he'd always known. He felt Tadashi's eyes bearing down on him more then ever, he want to look away, but he remembered his eyes were already closed. He wanted to get away, so this burning shame swelling inside of him wouldn't have been so strong, this persecuted feeling wouldn't have been as unbearable...The rain, that sound, it was like the dulling static that surrounded his entire being when he faded out of awareness...maybe that was why Tadashi was so enticed with it.

“Zero...” Tadashi sighed, listening to the rain filled silence that developed between them. He wasn't sure why he hesitated, why he paused and adjusted his glasses, then subsequently took another sip of his now cooled coffee. He could see it in Zero's form, this only made the half-navi more uncomfortable. “What are you so afraid of?” He immediately felt as though his IQ had lowered a few points for asking such a thing, he knew Zero well enough, what wasn't he afraid of?

Zero didn't think it was possible, but it was actually getting worse, he was actually feeling more shame. Was Tadashi actually going to make it worse for him, was he going to make him say it? It made him flush with anger and embarrassment, he was! He as going to make him... “I'm gonna...” Zero swallowed, hard, his anger flaring up even more, enough to make him shout with frustration. Damnit! Why couldn't he just leave it alone? “I'm gonna infect everything! Ok!” Immediately after he shouted those words he felt the anger recede and and odd regret come about.

“Zero, you...” Tadashi paused for a different reason, he tried to speak but something forced him to stop, something different from last time. His lips twinged and his eyes illuminated with unknown properties, and unexpectedly he began to laugh.

And Zero could only stare at him in confused and amazement, he was...Laughing? “Tadashi...?” He didn't know what to make of it, no one had ever laughed, and he never expected Tadashi. What?

Tadashi waved his hand concealingly. “I'm sorry.” He apologized jovially, still fighting back a bit of laughter. “It's just that your the only Navi I've ever seen who had a complex.” And inferiority complex to be exact.

“...” Zero still couldn't stop staring at him, that look, that smile, that laugh, it made him feel better, even though it might have come at his expense. “I wanna help you...but I can't.”

“Zero, You haven't infected anything without trying yet-”

“That's not true!” Zero immediately interjected, abruptly. “Megaman- “

“That wasn't you.” Tadashi objected, his voice completely serious.

“It was me...or at lest...” Zero pried his eyes away from Tadashi and stared down at himself, “...it was a part of me, it is a part of me, a big part of me.”

“ But Zero-”

Zero shook his head, quickly stopping Tadashi before he could make any excuses for him.“It's gonna come back!” Zero shouted forcefully, Tadashi didn't understand, the man shouldn't have been defending him! Didn't he realize what he was? Didn't he realize that there was something wrong with him! “I know it is!”

“It's not Zero, it's not even you.” Tadashi told him, trying to convince him with to no avail. Zero didn't seem to believe it, he didn't believe anything he was saying. It was like he was trying to convince everyone, even trying to remind himself. “Nothing's going to come back because there's nothing there but you.”

“Your wrong...” Zero shook his head, his voice fearful. It became completely a parent now that he was afraid of himself. “What do you think is wrong with me! I feel it! Every minute I feel it! It's like a war going on inside of me that's tearing me apart, and I'm losing! Both sides of me wants to kill the other, I hate it, I hate...” His voice abruptly cut off, as if his throat was being choked, when he was finally able to speak again his voice was softer, he looked away again. “I keep...fading out or something, All I can see is static and I feel really light...and I keep moving up, like somethings pushing me out. I've never slept but it's the only time when I feel sleepy.” He forced himself to lift his head and look up at Tadashi again, his eyes timid and depressed, his voice also. “I can't...I know I'm just gonna infect everything...I already messed up Megaman, it'll be better if you just...just-”

“No. Don't even say it.” Tadashi shook his head adamantly, staring back at Zero with firm, sure, almost hard eyes, it was almost startling to see a man who was always calm and reserved like this..”I'm going to help you *and* Megaman, I promise, but I *can't* do that if you don't help me.” Tadashi spoke empathetically, his eyes softening. “I trust you Zero, if there is something trying to hurt you I know you can beat it, your strong enough. Your not going to infect anything.”

“What if I do?” The question

Tadashi protested a bit stubbornly, as a rational man he knew that was something he should have been thinking about but... “You wont.” Denial in an attempt at reassuring.

“But if I do?” A sharp return to the question.

Tadashi sighed, Zero was fixated on this...Tadashi smiled at him warmly. “I don't understand why you hate yourself so much, your an amazing person, your so concerned about everything.” Sudden realization and statement of admirable features in the other.

Zero rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a warmth from those words, he just couldn't comprehend how Tadashi still could stand him? How could he still...a person who'd spent so much of his life fighting virus, it's was uncomprehendable to him how they all could stand him when *he* couldn't stand himself. The Navi side of him seemed to inanely hate the virus side of him, and the virus wanted nothing more then to mindlessly destroy the Navi side. The only constant, stable, completely agreed upon thing inside of him was death. “Tadashi...I want you to promise me that...when something happens you'll delete me.” The answer a serious plea.

“Don't you mean if?” Hopeful questioning.

Zero glared up at him.“Tadashi.” Frustrated anger.

“...” Tadashi could only look back at him, uncertainty in his eyes, he hated this. “No.” Defiance, refusing the posed answer.

“Tadashi!” Stronger frustration, hoping for him to understand

“No, I won't do it.” Stronger defiance

“You don't understand, if I started infecting everything, there's gonna be nothing left of me anyway!” Zero protested. A fear and rejection of something uncertain for something that was.

“I won't.” Tadashi protested just as strongly. Struggling to hold on to a startlingly fading friend.

“Tadashi-”

Tadashi shook his head decisively“Just because you've given up on yourself, doesn't mean I'm going to give up on you.” Stubborn coveting of hope.

“I'm not going to do it if you don't promise me!” Zero shouted, his voice desperate. A climax and an ultimatum. “I won't!” Rejection of hope for fear of failure.

“I'm not going to let it happen!” Tadashi shouted back, finally breaking. “I'm not going to let you just die off!” A decisive, unmoving stance, still holding on to hope

“Don't you know what's going to happen if I start infecting the Internet? Can you stop it? It's just better off if I die!” Finally stating an ever present, ominous, self-loathing thought. “You know that!” A bold, sacrificial statement of fear.

Tadashi's eyes slowly drifted back to the window, watching the rain pour down , listening.“Do you want to die that badly? Are you really that anxious to just leave behind Blues and Enzan and Lan and Megaman? Do you really want to just leave us all behind? Has it been that bad for you?” An unintentional accusation of treason.

“No, no, I love you guys.” Zero denied reverently, He felt like he could have cried. A quick recant for fear of treason. “That's one of the reason's why I'm doing this! I nearly killed Megaman already, I don't want to do the same to Blues....” A timid revelation of a guarded fact.

“I've never met anyone like you.” Tadashi slowly leaned back into his chair, tilting his head back and staring up at the ceiling. “I won't let anything happen to you, I promise you that.” A final decision.

“...” Silence.

“If not for your self, for me...let me help you.” A plea.

The rain picked up outside, it was audible all around now. It dulled and perked at the same time, it engulfed the senses.

Zero slowly lifted his eyes and stared at Tadashi with a profound confusion. “...” Silent acceptance.

Tadashi slumped back in his seat, letting out a tense breath and trying to relax again. “Thank you.” Relief..

Zero was sure he was gawking now, his mouth was hanging open and he had to conscious close it. Tadashi was helping him and he had the nerve to say something like that. He rubbed the back of his neck and stood silently for a moment, unsure of himself again. “Tadashi...” Gratefulness..