Author's Note: Well, now that I have concluded the Life & Death opening to my series, I've managed to hook quite a large number of people. That gives me just enough inspiration to keep writing! Lots of you have been giving me really good feedback and the others just tell me to keep it up, because apparently I'm doing something right. Now we get into the real meat of the series, so those whom have read the past episodes and enjoyed them, be prepared to really get into it. I must apologize beforehand though, because I didn't proofread much, making it very lacking in grammar and style.

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   "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." - Goethe

Aldayr Excavation Site - West Trailer
Antarctic Circle
November 6th, 2093
The Present

   X stepped into the trailer. From the doorway on the one small end, he could see the yellow carpeting with the wood finish across all the booths. Various people, mostly workers, were sitting down eating their food. It was well-heated so that no one needed any heavy clothing inside the bar.

   "X, shut the door! I'm already cold over here!" came the Australian voice from the farside of the room.

   X looked up to see Anyi sitting on a stool next to Zero. After that much attention, X got looks from pretty much everyone. X stepped inside and closed the door. He slowly walked over to the empty stool next to Zero. Everyone in the bar followed his movements and had stopped eating.

   'They're terrified of me. That's why they hate me,' thought X. He was starting to realize that he might not get the quiet evening he was hoping for. He had...a lot to think about.

   X sat down on the stool and looked over at Zero. Zero stopped talking to Anyi and returned the stare.

   "Hey X, you feeling better?" asked Zero.

   "...One of my bad days," replied X.

   "Gee X, I'm really sorry. I know you were expecting to find more about your past, but I don't think that what we saw was what you expected," said Anyi quietly.

   "No, it's alright. I don't really know what I was expecting to find, but at least now I know that I'm not Rock. I always did expect that to turn out to be the truth, although I don't know why,"

   "Hmmm. So have we determined who's in that capsule?" asked Zero.

   "Nope, I've been trying to re-activate the system, but it's really old. I'll have it done by tomorrow if Mr. Lee manages to sort through those tapes and gets around to helping me," replied Anyi.

   "So it's not going so fast then?" asked Zero.

   "Well...no not really. I guess it's just all the red tape they have to sort through. Gotta document everything to make sure that it's enough to keep the budget," replied Anyi.

   "Welcome to the Machine, Anyi," said X.

   Zero just laughed and X smiled a bit as well at the old joke. Anyi was more than a little confused.

   "Huh?" asked Anyi.

   "It's just an old joke between Zero and I, nothing important. What about the rest of the mess? Did you check the security tapes or anything?" asked X.

   "...I guess I'll ask Dr. Aldayr, but I don't really know. Anyway, I'm gonna go to bed, cause I'm tired!" said Anyi with a yawn. She stood up and stretched her arms out.

   "Don't worry X, I'll figure it all out for you before the week is done," said Anyi with a smile.

   X returned a weak smile and nodded. Anyi went over to the stool and put on her hides. She then opened the door and ran outside with a bit of a yelp at the cold blast. Zero laughed and knocked on the counter for the barkeep.

   "Well, enough crap for one day! X, today we celebrate the past!"

   "Zero, what the heck could we possibly celebrate?" asked X.

   "Well, you sure as heck aren't Rock," replied Zero.

   "Your point?"

   "If you were Rock, you'd be dead," said Zero with a wink.

   "...You're a nut, you know that?" said X with an incredulous look on his face.

   "Lighten up! It's not like we expected anything different. Why were all those capsules spread out? Why weren't you recovered by the military first? Come on, we knew this was going to happen!"

   "...You're right, I did always feel it. Now that it's fact though...well, I guess nothing has really changed," said X slowly. Zero wasn't really convinced by the tone in his voice though, and X knew it.

   "Well, either way, I want a drink," said Zero with a smirk.

   X shook his head. He knew this was how Zero normally coped with situations. Always smiling, always with a laugh. It used to bother X, but not really anymore. Sometimes the only way to deal with something was to laugh. Still, Zero had been a little strange lately. 'Maybe it's just because I haven't seen him in a long time' thought X. They had went their separate ways five years ago since the Maverick Hunters disbanded. After that fact, they ran into eachother again about three years ago, but they didn't talk much. Zero seemed pre-occupied at the time. It was only a few months ago that Zero started e-mailing X, wanting to purchase a private jet. X thought it was crazy, but it wasn't hard to get that kind of money for X. The government seemed more than happy to give him large pension for all his problems. After being re-united at the funeral, enough has happened to keep them from catching up. 'I wonder where he was all that time?' thought X. Even now, he was sure that the only reason Zero came back was for the jet. He probably didn't even know about the funeral until he got to Cluster One.

   The barkeep came over. He was a bit overweight with a balding head. He looked down at the two with a gruff look.

   "Alright, what do you two want?" asked the barkeep.

   "Whatever you have in this place, but preferrably some wine!" exclaimed Zero heartily.

   "Yeah, whatever. This isn't the Champs D'Elysees or something fancy, but I'll see what I got."

   "Zero, haven't you had anything to drink yet?" asked X.

   "Huh? Nah, Anyi doesn't drink. She seemed kinda disturbed by the idea of drinking here anyway."

   "Well, she is pretty young," said X.

   "Young? She's 27 years old! You're what? 10!?" replied Zero with a smirk.

   X laughed at that notion. It was pretty silly. X sat up straight and put his arms down on the table. Whenever he was with Zero, it improved his mood whether he liked it or not. The barkeep came over to their end of the bar with two small plastic cups filled with what looked like water.

   "That's the closest we have around here," said the barkeep.

   X noticed that the eyes in the room were shifted from himself and Zero to a man in the back. He was rather short and bald, and he was coming to the end of the bar. X recognized him immediately as Eugene Parker, one of the lead workers on the site. They had met him the other day in less than commendable first impressions.

   "You shouldn't be wasting good spirits on these two!" said Mr. Parker with a noticeable slur in his speech.

   "Why the hell not?" asked the barkeep.

   "They ain't human!" yelled a voice from behind X. It was one of the workers who was kind of small and had a frightened look on his face. Apparently Eugene's voice was enough to get a lot of them started.

   "So what? A customer is a customer," yelled the barkeep right back.

   X took a look at Zero who acknowledged the glance and began charging his primary systems silently.

   "Why bother wasting it on them? It's not like they can taste it!" yelled another in anger.

   Zero stood up at that remark and turned around to face the man who made the last comment. He slowly walked up to him, electricity running across the fingertips on his right hand.

   "Hey now, I don't want any trouble in here!" yelled the barkeep.

   Zero bent down over the man and narrowed his eyes. X got up and rushed over to Zero.

   "Zero, do you really want to give them a reason for getting rid of us?" whispered X.

   "......Fine, let's go."

   Zero stood up and went over to his stool. Eugene Parker came up to him and looked straight up at him. They stood there, chests facing eachother.

   "I knew this was gonna happen! You robots are always fucked up like this!" yelled Eugene in his face.

   Zero picked up the plastic cups. He proceeded to slowly dump the alcoholic contents over Eugene's bald head (which only came up to Zero's chest). Zero then handed the barkeep a two-hundred dollar bill and handed him the cups.

   "Keep the change," said Zero with a grim look, " Come on X, let's get the fuck out of here."

   X and Zero began to head for the door. Eugene Parker just started screaming in anger.

   "I'm keeping an eye on you fucknuts personally! If you guys do this shit again, I'm gonna take you out myself!" yelled Eugene right at their backs.

   X walked out of the door, leaving Zero behind in the entrance. Zero turned back, his body covered by the mist coming in from the door. Zero's eyes twinkled in the lights over the door, underneath the shadow of his hair. He just smiled and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

   ***

Aldayr Excavation Site - Anyi's Cabin
Antarctic Circle
November 7th, 2093
The Present

   "So how long have you been with X?" asked Mr. Lee to Anyi.

   They were both in a rather large grey tent which was insulated against the temperatures. It was the next day, and Anyi had found her bed in the tent a lot more comfortable than the laboratory back at the university. She did find it a little too warm though, but appreciated it over the coldness which was waiting for her outside. 'I hate wearing hides. I'm way more comfortable in what I'm wearing now,' thought Anyi. Of course, she was just wearing a white t-shirt with pink stripes and pink jean shorts. Okay, maybe it wasn't that fashionable, but at least she didn't feel like a wooly mammoth. Still, sweating wasn't her style and she was definitely out of style with the humidity of the tent.

   Looking up, she was working on the systems of the capsule. Mr. Lee had helped her lie it down on a ramp so that she could see if there was a problem underneath. She was rather fond of the space she had in her tent, giving her enough room for a computer in the left corner, with her bed on the right. Perhaps not as spacious as the lab, but definitely more comfortable. 'Maybe I should redecorate the lab back home,' thought Anyi with a smile.

   "Hello, Anyi?" came Mr. Lee's voice again.

   "Huh, what? Oh I'm sorry, I'm just a little distracted. I've been with him for almost a week now," replied Anyi.

   "What do you know about Zero and X?" asked Mr. Lee from above.

   Anyi took a look at the system and immediately found the problem. The wire system had decayed, probably from a circuit overload a few decades ago.

   "Can you hand me the pliers?"

   Mr. Lee stepped over Anyi to the other side of the tent and grabbed the red pliers. He bent down and handed the pliers to her.

   "Thanks," Anyi said, going back to work in the panel.

   "I know about what they did in the Reploid Wars," said Mr. Lee, "I was in a Contemporary Issues course for a few years. Still, in college, I always wondered what they were really like. We never really got into the Machine Vs. Man issue, maybe because it was a little too touchy. I remember getting kicked out a few times just for bringing it up,"

   "...Yeah, I remember. Even now, --I don't know, it makes me mad sometimes," replied Anyi.

   "I don't know. I don't really have an opinion on this whole free will issue, but I do still wonder what X and Zero are like, and how they put up with it all the time," said Mr. Lee.

   "Well, you could always ask X, he'll probably tell you. I wouldn't approach Zero though, I don't think he likes talking about it," replied Anyi. "As it is, I don't really know them very well yet, though I think they're both very cute sometimes. I almost burst out laughing when they were confused about how young I was."

   "What did you say?" asked Mr. Lee.

   "27, but only to Zero."

   "...Don't you think they'll figure it out sooner or later?" asked Mr. Lee.

   "Yeah, but I don't want them treating me like some little kid. Look, I don't wanna get into it."

   "Okay then. How's repairs going?"

   "Fine, just keep monitoring the systems from up there. What's going on so far?" asked Anyi.

   "Well, I'll go get some filaments from Dr. Aldayr's tent, I think that's the problem," replied Mr. Lee.

   "Yeah, I agree. Did you give him the refinished tapes yet?"

   "Yep, I think he's going through it now. I'll go check," and with that Mr. Lee left.

   'Hmm...I still don't know what his first name is,' thought Anyi. She heard the tent open and close with Mr. Lee's departure. The cold blast went up through Anyi's legs, which were out underneath the other side of the capsule, causing her to shiver.

   She went back to clearing out the old filaments delicately when she heard the tent open again.

   "Back already Lee?" yelled Anyi to the newcomer. Immediately, she felt her legs get yanked and she caught her hand on the control panel, causing the charred metal to cut into her arm as she came out from the other side of the capsule.

   Screaming in pain and holding her arm, she was roughly held up by Mr. Parker who had a contorted, angry look on his face. The hides covered his body, keeping half his face in shadows.

   "Look here, I want those two GONE from my site! They caused trouble at the bar last night, and I ain't trusting them ANYMORE Miss!" yelled Mr. Parker, spittle hitting Anyi's cheeks. The open tent sent a chill through the tent, causing the spittle to freeze once it dripped down and hit the ground. Anyi's cheek, which was now convulsing from the immediate cold in front of her, began to turn red.

   Anyi began coughing from the cold, the immediate change in temperature causing her consciousness to fade in and out of a haze. Mr. Parker closed the door, but the immediate damage was already done to her nervous system.

   "Oh geeze...I'm so sorry, it's just that the red one was threatening to kill my men. We aren't out here to die for your toys Dr. Solieu! I got a wife and a kid waiting for me at home, same with most of my other men, okay? Just get them out of here!" Eugene Parker began to cry, mostly because of what he had just done, but also because of the fear which Anyi could clearly see in his eyes. He began to squeeze her wrist, and it was really beginning to hurt. Unfortunately, Anyi couldn't say anything without going into another fit of coughing.

   "Just...just get rid of 'em! ...Okay? Okay, Dr. Solieu?--We ain't trained to handle those kind of things," said Mr. Parker, "We don't want their kind around here, they're too dangerous!"

   "I-i'll *cough* talk...t-to them," said Anyi, amidst the haze she felt in her mind. Unfortunately she collapsed to the ground, unable to hold herself up any longer. She could see Mr. Parker run out in a guilty hurry before her eyes closed, welcoming the darkness that awaited her mind.

   ***

Aldayr Excavation Site - West Trailer
Antarctic Circle
November 7th, 2093
The Present

   Zero walked into the bar. Another day had passed and he had done nothing but think about Iris. It was really quite silly, letting those men get to him. However, their politics caused so much trouble and were the reason for the war between the Repliforce and the Maverick Hunters. The war which claimed a lot of good lives...a war which claimed Iris' life. Humans just made him so damn angry sometimes, as if they don't care about anyone else but themselves and are willing to destroy anything they consider inferior to get it.

   'Whatever happened to compassion?' thought Zero as he walked through the dozens of eyes which followed his every move. He sat down on the same stool as last night and motioned the barkeep who was nervously cleaning a glass.

   "L-listen, I don't want any trouble!" said the bartender through clenched teeth.

   "...You won't have any. These guys aren't worth the plasma it takes," replied Zero without looking up from the counter, "Now you gonna serve me some of that clear stuff, or not?"

   The bartender rushed back to fill the order when he saw X walk in. Zero could tell that the barkeep was getting very nervous and it made him smile. It didn't matter, after last night he doubted he would have any trouble anymore from the workers.

   "Hey Zero, what have you been up to?" asked X from the other side of the room.

   "Surprised to see you here after last night," yelled Zero. X walked to the other side of the bar and took a seat on the left.

   "...Yeah, well I don't really care."

   "Neither do I. To answer that other question though," Zero paused to think, " Well, you know that peak just behind the laboratory site?"

   X just nodded and motioned the barkeep for a drink when he came back to serve the clear liquid to Zero.

   "I was up there, just thinking...about...things," finished Zero.

   "Yeah, I was thinking about the past too. Now I'm stuck in Dr. Aldayr's tent. I was filling out claims and checking reports. Apparently with Dr. Caine gone, I'm put in charge or something. I don't really get the redtape, but I'll do it. It's not really a big deal...I don't know, it's really boring," ended X with a smile.

   "Finally getting used to a deskjob?" asked Zero with a grin.

   "Oh God, no!"

   The barkeep came and set the plastic cup down next to X. X and Zero just looked at eachother and began to laugh at the notion of a deskjob.

   "Man, if I ever get stuck with a de--" Zero started.

   The door to the bar slammed open and two figures walked in. Zero could immediately tell that something wasn't right. The two persons took off their hides to reveal a man and Anyi. The only problem was that Anyi was slumped and seemed to be supported by her friend.

   "...What the hell?" stuttered X.

   "Hey guys, uh, I-i'd like you to--this is Mr. Lee," stated Anyi weakly, "Gee...I never did catch your first name."

   Mr. Lee just smiled when Anyi looked up at him with this very hazy look. He then got a stern look on his face and looked back at Zero. Zero got up and helped Anyi down into a stool.

   "She collapsed this afternoon, a lot of shock went to her nervous system. She'll be okay in a few days, but she'll be weak as a kitten until then," said Mr. Lee.

   "*cough*...And, t-that's different from how?" Anyi smiled faintly.

   "We had our physician take a look at her, she just needs some rest. She insisted on coming to see you two though, said it was really important. I tried, but she refused to rest without coming here tonight," said Mr. Lee with a shrug.

   Zero and X noticed the faint outline of blood along her left arm, covered in a bandage.

   "...Why? Who did this to you? Who cut you?" asked X.

   "Well, it's kinda complicated. You two have got to leave tomorrow though before any trouble starts. I--i don't want any trouble for anyone...don't worry, I'll bring the results back to the lab back home."

   "Eugene Parker," whispered Zero. It was obvious since Eugene Parker seemed to be the leader of the little charade last night. 'There's always one,' thought Zero. X heard Zero and looked at him with a worried look.

   "Anyi, I hope you feel better, but you should go get some rest. Don't worry, everything will be better tomorrow," and with that, Zero walked out of the bar.

   ***

Aldayr Excavation Site - Parker's Cabin
Antarctic Circle
November 7th, 2093
The Present

   Zero carefully opened the flap to the tent, even though he knew the blast of cold air would wake that bastard up. Stepping inside, he noticed it was just as dark in the tent as it was outside. He saw the stirring in bed and a light came on, highlighting Zero's lower body. The rest was left in darkness.

   "W-who's there?" asked the frightened little bald man in the bed.

   "You hypocrite, you want to protect your kind from us by hurting it!? You won't ever get a chance to make that mistake again," Zero whispered. He could tell that the man was in a cold sweat and was obviously shaking with fear. 'Finally, he doesn't cover his fear of me with a stupid charade of anger,' thought Zero with a smile.

   "Y-you, the red bolt from the bar!" yelled Eugene. He immediately went for the alarm button, finding it to make no sound at all.

   "Now, now, I've been handling security systems for 10 years, I think I know what I'm doing," said Zero as he approached the foot of the bed. Eugene Parker immediately jumped out of bed opposite his night-table and went for the axe on his wall. Breaking the emergency fire glass with his hand, he grabbed the axe and turned to face Zero.

   "Get away from me you bolt!" yelled the man. Zero could see Eugene's knees buckling and decided to advance.

   "Gee, be careful with that axe, Eugene," said Zero with a menacing smile.

   Eugene lunged at Zero, bringing the axe down towards Zero's head. Zero easily parried by grabbing the tip of the blade with two fingertips. He then snapped the axe-head with a simple flick of the rest, letting the blade hit the ground with a large thud. The man began to shake, and Zero could smell the fear on his breath.

   "P-please don't, i-I don't wanna die!" squeaked the man.

   "You insulted my friend one day, you hurt another the next. That wasn't smart."

   "I didn't mean to hurt her! I was scared and I forgot! I told you, we weren't trained to handle the arctic stuff...p-please, I truly didn't mean to do anything to that girl!"

   "Oh, I believe you. I just don't care anymore," whispered Zero in the man's left ear.

   "Hello Zero," came the voice from the back of the tent. Zero could tell who it was immediately.

   "X, what do you want?" said Zero fiercely.

   "I thought you might be doing this," said X calmly from behind.

   "You gonna try to stop me!? There's nothing you can say--" Zero started in a rage.

   "I know," interrupted X, "I know I can't say anything to make you stop."

   "Then why are you here?" asked Zero angrily.

   "What you do next is up to you, I can't say I'll be sorry if he's gone. I don't know what Anyi will say, if she even finds out. She passed out in the bar when you left."

   "So it's agreed," said Zero directly into the man's face. He grabbed Eugene's bald, sweat-ridden head with one hand and picked him up off the ground. Eugene dangled there in hazy fear, shaking with his fright. Eugene looked up, but Zero was shrouded in shadows against the light, only making out the eyes and the teeth in his smile.

   "...No, no I don't agree with this. It doesn't matter that you wouldn't have done this five years ago....The fact is, you'll do it now. I just thought I'd tell you to look at his nightstand before you snapped his neck," whispered X. Zero could hear him open the flap to the tent and felt the cold rush of wind go through his back.

   Zero turned to look at the nightstand. He saw a picture with Eugene holding a little boy up on his shoulders with a beautiful woman standing next to him.

   ***

   Author's Comment: Well, even if my writing style was a bit lacking this time around, I find that my execution has vastly improved. Give me a few more episodes and I should figure out how to keep it this entertaining and still have it well-written. For those of you who didn't like this episode, tell me why so I can figure out what I'm doing wrong. Anyway, see you next week!

Michael Raymond Vendittelli (LimousineDriver)