Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He didn't understand. He couldn't understand.

Vile had rebuilt him, he had improved him, he had trusted the doctor with his whole DNA Soul, and yet now he lay, crumbling as his processors gave out. And worse yet, that insipid clone, the one who'd ripped him apart once already, stood over him... and there was also himself.

Well, it wasn't himself, because he was still alive. It looked like him, but it couldn't be him. I refuse, there was in no way that could be been me.

He couldn't move, in fact he lacked much in the way of limbs. The bomb placed within him seemingly was meant to destroy his entire being, however it'd failed. Unfortunately, it hadn't been ineffective either.

The fake Zero, who once again looked down upon him with less than hatred - ambivalence and even pity in those nigh-expressionless eyes - stood triumphant over the Neo Arcadian leader... And then something shifted.

"Ciel, come in. Copy X has been taken out, Dr.Vile booby-trapped him, he's been mostly destroyed," He spoke, seeming to act as if he'd died - insolent wretch, I'd sooner die in combat again than be killed by such an underhanded trap, "Requesting permission to take in remaining parts for research purposes?"

What?

That sentiment of shock was seemingly shared by the other him, the cyber-elf whipping his head around to look at the copy, "Zero, are you serious?! He's a known dictator, we can't risk using his parts for anything in the scenario that he might-"

Zero put a hand up, "In his state, he's completely unable to do anything, and so long as he isn't hooked up to anything he shouldn't, I doubt he'll be much of a threat," The reploid reasoned, "And if he is, then I won't hesitate to dispose of him."

So what, they're just going to treat me as research?! I am your supreme leader! You can't just treat me as if I'm some trash heap!

Of course, he couldn't do much to vocalise his protests. After another beat, Zero seemed to get the go-ahead as he approached the veritable scrap-pile that remained of Copy X.

In moments, he and the crimson bane of his rule were transported away, brought into the command room of the Resistance Base that he'd only seen twice before during his gloating transmissions.

Only fitting he'd be brought to their level as his circuits finally gave out.

Next thing he knew, he was hooked up in a lab. Presumably that of the talented young doctor. Of course, Ciel wouldn't waste the chance to utilise her talents on me; I imagine she's going to try and reverse engineer what's left of me.

Normally he'd resist this happening at all, however since he was half a torso, a broken head, and what was effectively a nub of a left arm, well... He'd little choice. This seems oddly familiar somehow...

"Ah, life signs, finally..." He heard the young scientist mumble. Right now, with only one functional eye, he couldn't see her currently, "I can't believe this is happening... I get to correct my mistake..."

Her mistake? What in the name of Cain was she on about?

She stepped into view, looking up at him, "I know you can hear me. I also know you can't speak currently and trying to do so would be ill-advised," She was clearly a master at stating the obvious, "I suggest you cooperate; Vile wants us all dead, including you and the Four Guardians, and now he has Neo Arcadia under his thumb."

Ordinance #8! No, surely the doctor didn't bait me into indirectly giving him control of Neo Arcadia!

Ciel glanced toward her monitor and back to him, "I can tell you're panicking, but if you help us then I can... maybe build you a new body."

Help her? What kind of fool does she take me for?!

"I've done it before you know..." She sighed and shook her head, "I don't plan to do so if you even slighlty go against us."

Done it before... She's built me a new body before? Or does she mean she's built another's body before? Surely it can't be the former, I've been around longer than she's been alive haven't I?

She frowned at him, "I should build you a voice-box so you can atleast talk," She began to walk toward the opposite side of the room, possibly toward an exit, "I'll have Cerveau build one, in the meantime I suggest you don't try anything, not that you really can but... Still."

The door opened and she was gone, leaving Copy X to wonder just what exactly she was talking about.

There's so much wrong with this, and she can't be telling the whole truth. Vile was a loyalist, a sycophant at times, he wouldn't seriously do that. A catastrophic malfunction perhaps? Surely... And the implication that she's built a body for me, that... That can't be right. It isn't.

It was a little while longer before he was activated again, something hooked up to his jaw now. "Nngh... This is uncomfortable..." He murmured, glad to be able to speak again. He glanced about, spotting Ciel at her computer again, "Ah, of course."

"I'm glad that Cerveau is a reliable engineer, he had this made in only around half a day," She stood again, "So... About-"

"I don't believe you." Copy X stated firmly, refusing to allow some scientist, some child to hold power and leadership over him. It'd be a disgrace! "Even if you're correct, I can't believe you. I owe Vile, and if he were to betray me then it's a mistake that will personally have to correct."

Ciel pouted, "Are you that stubborn? I understand that I programmed you exactly as X was alive but your ego surpasses his by a country-mile!"

Copy X growled, "You did no such thing! I am the one true X, and I always have been!"

She crossed her arms, looking unamused, "You saw the real X, you saw his Cyber Elf form, when are you going to face that you're the fake?"

"B-But I can't be a fake! I remember it all! The Maverick Wars, Eurasia, the Jakob Incident, the Elf Wars, everything!"

"Because you were made to be the perfect copy! I built you when I was a young child, and now as barely a teenager, I can see that I made a mistake," She sighed, clearly tired, "I won't put my work to waste, but I also won't let you continue to be a tyrant. Something clearly went wrong with you, I don't know where or how, but you're not the X I wanted you to be."

This... This insolent-!... If that Cyber Elf was truly the original me, then what am I? Am I actually a copy as she says? But I can't be! I'm X! I am X! I am me!

... Aren't I?...

"You've gone quiet..." Ciel observed, "Have I finally gotten through to you?"

"... Ciel..." Copy X felt as weak as his body right now, voice small, too small, "... If what you say is true... Then why do I exist? What have I been fighting for my entire life?"

"... You've been misguided, I think. You were made to replace the real X as he sealed the Dark Elf, but... Well, clearly you hadn't inherited his morals," She explained, moving her chair infront of him and sitting, "You weren't a temporary measure, if you're worried about that. Under no circumstances could X be released from his throne since, well, he was the only thing keeping the Dark Elf sealed... And unfortunately, his body was destroyed a year ago by one of your own."

Copy X's one functioning eye widened, "One of the Guardians? The Gentle Judges?"

"No, a worker reploid called Elpizo," Ciel admitted, "He linked up with us during a raid, apparently having been branded Maverick. This was during your... absence."

Ah, so alot had occurred during my time dead. "I'm assuming my Guardians had taken over Neo Arcadia in my stead?"

"I believe Sage Harpuia, yes. Elpizo attempted a siege on Neo Arcadia but all of his men were killed by the Pantheons and Guardians. He went insane shortly thereafter, located both of the baby elves and, well... Eventually he came upon Yggdrasil, where he destroyed X's original body and freed the Dark Elf. Of course, he tried using the power for himself, which ended in him being killed as well, so..."

To think that a worker-bot, likely nameless before taking the name of the infamous Project Elpis... It's maddening and impressive all at once.

"How many casualties overall?" Copy X asked sharply, sudden, "How many humans died because of him?"

"During his lifetime, I don't believe he actively went out to kill anyone, though he did end up leading around 100 of our own to death..." Ciel seemed visibly uncomfortable at the memory, "Of course, if we're talking as consequence for releasing the Dark Elf... I'm sure you saw the fallout of the bomb in Neo Arcadia."

Right, I had sanctioned that. In retrospect, I'm not sure why I went through with it. Omega was supposed to be a fallback, a Plan B should the scientist refuse to cooperate.

"I see... Well, I think that it's quite clear that he deserved to be taken out, I'm sure my Guardians spared no mercy on him-"

"Actually, it was Zero who took Elpizo out, so uhm... You're welcome?" Ciel pointed out and corrected.

Copy X's frown deepened, "And where were my Guardians? Surely they weren't sitting on their chassis with their thumbs up their exhaust?"

"They'd been forcefully corrupted by Elpizo in the Neo Arcadian Shrines outside of Yggdrasil. Zero had already fought them once after he returned from the desert outside of Neo Arcadia, but they'd tried to defend the body of X to no avail. The unfinished Dark Elf had too much of an influence."

"... I see." I'm disappointed in them, perhaps they should've been scrapped already, they'd proven unreliable.

Wait... They knew. They couldn't have known.

"Did they know that I was a fake all this time?"

Ciel went to answer but hesitated, "I'm... I'm not sure, but since they knew that the second half of the Dark Elf was meant to be sealed, well..."

They knew....

"... And I've been kept out of the loop all of this time..."

For the first time I find myself feeling powerless. I was always a pawn, a replacement for someone greater than I could ever be. This was my purpose from my genesis, and now all I can feel is...

Hatred.

Copy X spat - or tried to given all of his more humanoid functions had been destroyed - and sneered, "Everyone around me has betrayed me, so I see. This cannot do..."

"Wait, I wouldn't go that far-" "Because you're soft, you believe in sending that foolish clone to do your bidding. You'd rather sit back and take the pacifist option while you pet tears apart my home, my people," He had no taste for inaction, for complacency, even when it was the opposing side - some resistance that this group turned out to be, a bunch of inaffectual whelps, "You are no better than the Guardians in my eyes."

"Wh- I have actively worked towards the benefit of Neo Arcadia with my power system, and then you went and bombed a large residential sector!" Ciel, outraged at this declaration, shot back, "It's not as if the Guardians have been inaffectual either, they took over in your absence!"

"And they also mislead me for my entire life! And so have you, Ciel!" Copy X struggled with what little of his body remained, "You will rue the day you created me forever, I will not stand for this!"

The young scientist backed away, "Careful! You'll end up rupturing something if you keep trying to flail free like that!"

"Speak nothing to me! You are nothing, neither a mother or creator, a prodigy or a hero! You are just another hypocritical, like those after Cain!"

Ciel seemed poised to retort, but chose not to. Fed up, she stepped towards her monitor, "I've had enough of this, okay? I'm shutting you down for the time being."

"Oh, so you're running from your problems again," Copy X laughed as best he could in his condition, "And you'll run back to your little copy? Does he even know? Does he know that he isn't even the real Zero?!"

Ciel froze, "... what?"

She doesn't know? Oh, oh this is rich.

"I'm not the only one who was cloned you know... I'd say you can ask Vile for more details, however I think that ship has sailed by now, hasn't it?" Even if he was about to be shut down for awhile, he'd revel in the shock and horror of his apparent creator while still conscious.

She pulled a lever, and suddenly everything went dark again.

Chapter Text

"Does he even know? Does he know that he isn't even the real Zero?!" The copy's speech was manic, almost desperate to rub salt in the wound before he was deactivated just to spite her for revealing his own past.

But that claim, the idea that Zero too was a clone, it shook her to her core, especially since there were no records of such a thing.

She froze, hand hovering over the lever, "...What?" She knew that she probably looked foolish to Copy X right now, something confirmed when she saw the smirk forming on his broken face.

"I'm not the only one who was cloned you know... I'd say you can ask Vile for more details, however I think that ship has sailed by now, hasn't it?" The idea that Vile not only knew about this too, but also that he may have something to do with it...

Without so much as a second thought, she pulled the lever down, shutting the copy down again. She slumped over her desk, breathing heavy and legs buckling under the weight of something so crucial that she'd been left out on.

Fitting probably, since she'd dumped similar news onto the copy she herself had created, but this was far more dire.

Zero, not just a copy... But a Vile Number?

She had to look into this.

"Zero, come in!" She stood at one of the command platforms, "Have you completed your mission in the Neo Arcadian Elevator?"

After a moment she could hear Zero's mic, the sound of his panting on the other end, "Just took out one of the judges, what's wrong?"

Ciel hesitated before continuing, "Well uhm... How do I put this? Copy X and I had a little chat, and uh... I think there may be things you should talk about with him."

"Hm... You sure? This sounds as if it's a more personal matter rather than any intel on Vile." Zero replied, "Regardless, you should prepare to bring me back. Apparently this elevator is used to transport large amounts of E-Crystals to use as energy, presumably something to do with Project Elpis."

Ciel nodded as she motioned for Rouge to start the transerver, "I see, well we can discuss the details later, I think this might be just as important."

Zero's line went out as he was teleported back into the room, materialising in the centre hardly a moment afterwards.

"So," Zero began, looking at Ciel with the usual blank expression, "Do you want to come with me or not? Either way it'd be best for us to record all of this."

"Log Entry #234, Resistance Base," Ciel began, hovering over a small microphone, "So, I've coaxed some information out of Copy X that might change alot of things. I've brought Zero in so we can both talk to him and-"

"What the hell are you doing?" She heard Copy X question from the wall, "How long have you been keeping that log? Who needs #234 and more entries in a diary when you already have intel stored in some sort of database?"

"I mean, well, it's always helpful-" "It's idiotic, though of course that's in the chance that you even have a stable database." Copy X interjected again.

Zero stood, activating his beam saber, "Watch it," He warned, "If you aren't going to cooperate then we'll just continue fighting Vile after deactivating you permanently."

The copy looked at Zero with an indignant sneer before sighing, "Fine, continue."

"No, actually, I believe you have more to say on things." Ciel spoke, swivelling her chair around to face the two, "Now, what was that about Zero?"

Zero glared at Copy X, who scoffed, "You want me to reveal the twist early? Fine," He turned his ire to Zero, "You're a clone like me, but while I was - albeit not in this body - built by the brat over there, your body dates farther back, before the Elf Wars."

The red hero stayed silent for a moment, "And this means?"

Copy X blinked, "... That you're living a lie? Of course, the original body still exists, unlike mine."

Ciel perked up, "Wait really?! Do you think we can go find it?"

The Copy fixed her with an odd look for a moment before laughing, "Well, considering the whole reason that the true body was replaced, I think that's not too possible unless you're gunning for Vile himse-"

Zero brought the saber's blade to the Copy's cheek, the synthetic flesh searing lightly from the heat, "Don't be obtuse, you're putting yourself at risk by not talking."

Copy X groaned, "Fine; you've already encountered Omega, yes? Well, that body is only a shell, a focal point to draw your blade and tire you out, and when you think you've destroyed it? The shell breaks away and, whoops, it's you, but more evil and bloodthirsty."

Ciel gasped, "Wait so-" "It's Zero VS Zero, yes, except I can't be sure you'd be able to defeat the actual Zero since... Well, there's alot about Zero - the actual Zero - that we still don't know about, even through research. Sure, we eliminated the Maverick Virus through both research of the virus that Zero's original body held and the fact that the then-new generation Reploids had developed further free will, but," Copy X jabbed one of his remaining fingers at Zero, "Your original body is still an enigma, and now it's being used as a effectively a walking cataclysm."

The room went quiet, neither Zero or Ciel speaking, the scientist not even seeming to breathe.

"... So in short, you might be fighting a losing battle." Copy X added, "Does that suffice?"

Zero straightened, "Actually, yes. Thank you," The Reploid stepped toward Ciel, "The Sunken Library, there's still alot of data down there that we aren't fully aware of. I think it's best if we go back in."

"W-Wait, what about the other missions?" Ciel looked at both the Reploids in confusion, "We should focus on ensuring that Vile doesn't go on to attack us directly with Omega! I mean, Omega has the Dark Elf, and if Copy X is right then we'd be-"

"Fucked? Oh, no doubt," Copy X grinned, "And you two were too slow to prevent this while you could, all because hero-boy had to go and fight the Baby Elves."

Zero frowned, "We need as much information as possible, learn more about my old body, how to combat it, maybe we might have to take extreme measures."

"E-Extreme measures? Like what?" Ciel questioned, not getting the obvious implication.

Zero looked back at Copy X, and immediately the recognition on his face was clear, "You... You two would seriously risk that?" the Copy sounded taken aback, "And what if I backstab you both? What then?"

"Then you'd die; you couldn't defeat me and that almost certainly means you can't kill Omega on your own," Zero stated, the matter-of-fact statement clearly frustrating Copy X, "And while your ego might push you over the edge, I believe you're not stupid enough to try that."

Ciel watched Copy X's expressions flash through all sorts of emotions before settling with a drawn out sigh, "Fair enough."

Zero nodded and looked at Ciel, "Ensure he has a failsafe on him so he doesn't step out of line."

The scientist looked at Zero with uncertainty, "I... I'm not sure I want to go through with this," She spoke, visibly uncomfortable, "I don't... Last time it ended up putting us all in danger even now..."

Copy X scoffed, "She is right y'know."

Zero glared at the copy before putting a hand on Ciel's shoulder, the young scientist blushing lighlty, "Trust me on this one Ciel... You are not at fault for how Copy X turned out. You've done everything you can to cooperate with Neo Arcadia, but as it stands, we need all the help we can get."

Ciel looked at Zero, frozen in place, "I-I..." A solemn smile crossed her face, "I suppose you're right, just... Be careful around him, okay?"

Copy X cleared his throat, "Can you two stop insulting me while I'm hanging here mostly dead?"

Zero whipped his head back, "You deserve every shot you take, both literally and figuratively. You've no room to talk."

Cerveau looked at Ciel with concern, "And you're sure about this? We spent years working to depose and destroy him, and now we're making him a third body?"

Ciel glanced at the dessicated corpse of Copy X, no longer hooked up to the wall in her own lab and thus effectively dead, "Zero has convinced me that it's necessary, and though I still have doubts, we have little room to risk having too little help..." She sighed, "I'm afraid we don't have a choice."

The Reploid engineer nodded, "Right, and he mentioned a failsafe?"

"Yeah, though it's up to you on how you integrate that. So long as we can incapacitate him if he ever gets too out-of-line then it's good for us," Ciel stepped towards the remains, wincing at how it had been completely defaced, "I know this isn't the same body that I created, but... Something about seeing it like this hurts."

Cerveau rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I understand, seeing something you made be misused and become something you never wanted. Never has it happened to me on this scale, but... Still."

Ciel nodded, "Right, you helped in creating the basis for the modern mass-produced Buster and Saber Technology didn't you?"

He nodded, "Yep, and look at it now, used in the creation of the Pantheons and even the Guardians. On the one hand, I'm proud, on the other... I wish it hadn't turned out that way."

She looked up at Cerveau with sympathy, she knew exactly how that felt, "I understand... Just ensure that his body is sufficiently restrained while running the diagnostics and all, we can't risk an attack from the inside."

Cerveau nodded and returned to the table where Copy X's lifeless remains lay, "Alright, I will, but first I need to extract both his Brain Chip and his DNA Soul."

Drifting. That's what he felt, drifting. As if he was being slowly taken across the void.

Am I dead? Is this Hell?

No, it couldn't have been, it was too... Green.

"Cyberspace... Of course..." Copy X murmured to himself. He found that he had his original body back, that was nice, but... His soul had returned to the afterlife.

Does this mean they didn't take my offer?

Whether or not, it didn't matter he supposed. The Resistance was resilient, steadfast, and ridiculously stubborn; in some way they're respectable as much as they're utterly repugnant.

He could see that his place in Cyberspace looked like the Resistance Base, so he clearly hadn't gone far.

Stepping out of the lab, he looked toward an elevator.

Wow, for a shoddy resistance base, they're actually decently high-tech. Maybe I was giving Zero too much credit.

He didn't get much further out of the lab before hearing a loud clearing of a throat, craning his neck back before his eyes went wide.

"So, I see that you'll be in here for the next while," He heard the figure speak, voice eerily like his, "Excellent, that means I can finally confront you one-on-one."

Shit.

Copy X watched as the Cyber Elf stood, whatever emotion he was feeling unclear and unfocused, "So... Explain what the hell you are."

The Cyber Elf scoffed, "I could ask the same of you. Afterall, you took my life's work and pounded it into the dirt until its mangled corpse remained."

The copy blinked, "So... You are..." His voice was alot more meek than he'd've liked, small and weak, much like his previous bodies.

"Indeed, I am X, the real X... And now that I finally get to meet you face to face, I can speak my mind about your actions."

Something about the Cyber Elf X, the way he was commanding himself, composed and so much more elegant in his robes and angelic form, it irked the Copy.

If X was anything like this before I was created... Then is this what they expected of me?

Before Copy X could react, X was right infront of him, something in his eyes bearing unbelievable anger, "Over 200 years of experience, moral training, tests of my character; you had absolutely no chance of replacing me perfectly, but holy fuck," X pinched the space between his brow and nose, "You managed to screw it up so badly that now Dr Vile is in power! I exiled him for a reason! He started the Elf Wars!"

Copy X's eyes widened, "He what?!"

"You-" X's jaw dropped from disbelief, "You didn't know?! You just let this mysterious scientist who dropped from space and rebuilt you run amok, bomb the people you're supposed to protect, and then have the gall to act like you're still the perfect copy of me?! ME?!"

Copy X tried to back away but the Cyber Elf advanced in on him, anger becoming more and more visible as he ranted, "I've had my lapses of judgement, I went too heavy on my pacifism and that lead to another virus outbreak one time, the Red Alert Incident during that didn't help. I also overlooked Vile originally, not expecting him to become this. But never, never ever, had I fucked up so badly that I actually potentially doomed the world."

The glare that X gave his copy was seering, terrifying to see on a face that was - for all intents and purposes - his, "Doctor Light would be disgraced if he knew that the basis that his technology provided was used on the likes of you."

... Oh.

Well he... He's not wrong...

The Cyber Elf sighed, "The only reason that I choose to tolerate your existence currently is that Zero and Ciel needs you alive, and therefore they're building a new body for you."

Copy X blinked, "They're... Really?"

"Had I a say in the matter then no, you'd be dead in the ground, but alas that ship has sailed and now you're... Here." Cyber Elf X looked like he was barely able to restrain himself, "... You disgust me."

So, that was it, huh. His original self despised him. And he thought that living up to all that he believed he did before was a rough deal.

Well... I have nothing to fall back on. I have nothing to be prideful of. Huh...

CRACK

Before he could even tell it happened, X's fast met his face dead-centre and laid him out flat on his back. X looked over him, a sneer on his face, "Before the bombing, I thought maybe you could be worth my time, that you could be just misguided, but now that you let Vile into power I've little empathy for what's become of you."

He turned, beginning to walk off, "You have a chance with the Resistance to get your act together, however if you choose not to assist in the Omega Threat or with the Resistance's restoration efforts after the fact, then I will personally see to it that you are deleted. Ruminate on that while being repaired, I've nothing more to say to you."

As he was left alone, Copy X brought his face up to his nose. Hot red oil dripped from his nostrils.

I think I finally understand why we've been made to bleed.

Chapter Text

Harpuia felt numb.

Seeing his master like this was cruel, but in no way undeserved. Still, something inside him couldn't muster the effort to feel relief or just-anger or even revel in the karma.

He just felt nothing, hollow.

"How does your body feel, by the way?" Cerveau asked from behind him, "I don't quite understand why Zero chose to bring you back, however I've already been tasked in creating the new body for Copy X, so I suppose I'm in no room to question these things anymore."

"We have a common enemy, it makes sense," The ex-guardian looked back at Cerveau, "As for the body, your work - as much as it disgusts me to say so - was excellent. I extend my gratitude."

Cerveau nodded, "I'll take it."

The door behind both of them opened, Zero stepping in, "Cubit Foxtar has been taken out, that makes all eight judges."

Harpuia grimaced, "I've no taste for the judges after what Vile did to them. You've done us and the rest of Neo Arcadia a favour."

The red reploid nodded, addressing Cerveau next, "How's the construction of Copy X's new body going?"

The reploid scientist sighed, "Tenuous, but smoothly enough. We're under significant pressure here but it must be done."

Harpuia looked at Cerveau curiously, "Wait, so you're constructing him a new body? A whole new body?"

In response, Cerveau shrugged, "It's not as if I haven't done similar work before, I've had to do repair work on Zero plenty of times even. I simply do what the Resistance commands of me, in the name of a better future for both humans and reploids. At the end of the day, I'm just a scientist."

The Guardian paused for a moment, considering this, before scoffing, "You all confuse and concern me, but I have better matters to attend to. My siblings still remain in Neo Arcadia and humans remain in danger so long as Vile lives. We have to be active."

"Actually, about that, currently Ciel should be decoding the Elf Wars file we found in the Sunken Library," Zero exposited, Harpuia's eyes widening, "I intend to explore it again to figure more out about the history of my original self and your master's."

"Wait, Vile had access to the Submerged Library? I thought that was sealed off and lost awhile ago. I even lead a search-party inside around a year ago!"

Zero's expression shifted, "And did you find anything of note?"

"Well, one of our research team, TK-31, found the full uncorrupted logs of Project Elpis, though at the time that knowledge was taboo, something to be labelled a Maverick over," Harpuia sighed, "And my lack of foresight lead to the Elpizo Incident, which lead to here."

The red reploid huffed, "That tracks. Do you still have the logs for Project Elpis?"

Harpuia shook his head, "I don't, it's in Vile's possession, and aside from that why would I even think of assisting you?"

Cerveau spoke up next, sternly, "Because if you don't then we are all functionally dead already. Remember, Vile is already planning, he intended to and effectively succeeded in taking out Copy X and he has Neo Arcadia on his side. We have very little wiggle-room here, so we need assistance, whether or not you harbour a grudge."

The Guardian frowned, "And I'm expected to play ball with a lot of mavericks? You are all anti-Neo Arcadia, all a danger to humanity!"

"We're not a danger to humans, your leader was," Zero corrected, a hand subconsciously reaching for the handle of his beam saber, "Your leader, your master, let this all happen. More casualties have happened because of you and your kind than they have because of us."

"And you believe I wanted any of this?! I don't want humans to die because of the incompetence of our leading parties, and it isn't your authority to fix their mistakes."

"So you'd rather do this alone?" Zero scoffed, "You and I reflect an unfortunate amount."

Harpuia grimaced, "You know what Zero? We do, and I will not stop until I see you dead at my boots," He spat at his fellow warrior reploid, "I despise you, so don't expect any favours after this is all over."

Zero nodded, "Sounds like you, yes."

The Guardian rolled his eyes before teleporting away, likely back into the heart of Neo Arcadia.

Cerveau glanced at Zero, "So what's the deal with him and you? From what I've heard, the other two living Guardians seem to be more eager to fight in your presence, why does Harpuia hate you so much?"

"Because we align. He hates me because he sees me in himself," He shrugged, "I can do nothing to stop it and I don't particularly care enough to try."

The scientist hummed thoughtfully, "Right."

Once again, Zero found himself in the submerged library, slogging through the water and electrical wires. It wasn't the finest environment he'd been in but a godsend compared to Area X-2 and it's spike-halls.

Seriously, who the fuck builds a place like that?

Regardless, Zero found himself combing delicately through various archives, trying to find data disks that were in good condition. Obviously that wasn't easy to do given everything was underwater and recently had a Vile Number hanging around.

Over time he began to find sporadic disks, about something called the Repliforce, the Maverick Virus that Copy X mentioned, and something called the Eurasia Incident.

He read through them, though he didn't glean much about his past that he didn't already know beyond vaguely participating in the Repliforce and Eurasia incidents on the side of the 'Maverick Hunters'.

"So I was a part of a past organisation, good to know that I've always been somewhat of a lapdog..."

Still, he couldn't exactly find anything telling about his past leading up to the Elf Wars which was immensely frustrating. Not only was this a waste of time, but it gave Vile and opportunity to strike again.

But he had to keep looking, for the Resistance's sake.

"Zero?" He heard from his receiver, Ciel's voice, "Come in Zero, it's important!"

Zero maneuvered out of the water and turned on his mic, "What's up?"

"We've managed to decode the Elf Wars data disk, you should come back soon so we can listen to its contents."

Zero hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Alright, activate the transerver for me."

The line went dead and in another moment he was teleported out of the library.

"Near the end of the Maverick Wars, many Cyber-elves were used. The period from this time until the end of the fighting was referred to as the Elf Wars as a result. In particular, the use of the gigantic elf known as the "Dark Elf," and copies of this elf, known as "Baby Elves," to amplify the power of Reploids while controlling said Reploids at will made this the worst war in recorded history. While use of the Dark Elf brought the war to an end in four years, approximately 90% of all Reploids, and 60% of all humans, were wiped out."

Everyone in the command room stood, silent, contemplative.

"So... The Baby Elves, those were what the sealed factory was producing in secret, and even though they've all been killed... The fact Vile was trying to use them again, and almost succeeded, it's... Both morally and mortally terrifying..." Ciel spoke, her voice the loudest in the room even despite how small it was.

Zero nodded, "And we don't know whether or not any of the other Baby Elves aside from Crea and Prea were able to be used. For all we know there are other Baby Elves out there."

Ciel paled, "D-Do you think Omega-?"

"No, because there'd be no need; Baby Elves are just weaker Dark Elves, and Omega is already using the real-deal," Zero continued, tone becoming grave, "We took out the worst of the Baby Elves but there's no counting out that there's more than the siblings out there."

And then, a low rumbling laugh from Rouge. Ciel looked at her with curiosity, and then recognition, and lastly fear.

"An excellent deduction, both Ms.Ciel and Mr.Zero. No wonder you both have persisted for so long." A voice that wasn't Rouge's came out of her mouth, and the whole room went tense.

The screen above the transerver turned on and a live video feed hit their screen, showing Vile in the flesh, "Unfortunately, you've made this conclusion too late," Vile looked away from the camera toward something much more horrifying, "This time, Omega is perfect, the perfect weapon of war..."

In the background, everyone could see the massive form of Omega - or rather its shell - hooked up to several wires. Blueish blood dripped down, the same colour as its royal-blue accents.

"With the Baby Elves I can control all living Reploids in the world, and that includes your precious Zero... But thanks to the completion of Project Elpis, that will not be necessary." Vile grinned at the camera, "My apologies for ending our game this way, Ms.Ciel... However, it is no longer a world for Reploids and Humans to coexist as one."

Omega's centre, usually a stark pitch black compared to how vivid the rest of his body was, flashed a bright resplendent white, and Zero swore he could feel a tingling in his head, "It's time for the Era of Doctor Vile! For punishment, penance for my banishing!" Omega flashed again, and again, "Speak, reploids! Speak the name of your one true leader!"

Several Resistance Soldiers stormed into the Command Room, brandishing their busters at Zero and Ciel, "Praise be Lord Vile! Praise be Lord Vile! Praise be Lord Vile!" The chant was shared from all, and it droned on repeatedly, over and over.

"Z-Zero?! P-Protect-" Ciel was cut off as the reploid beside her screamed in agony, clutching his head. She watched in horror as Zero writhed in agony, his programming seeming to fight violently against Vile's control.

"Z-Zero, you can't have come under their influence, you- AGH-!" Ciel was interrupted as a soldier knocked her to the ground, shoving a rifle into the back of her head.

"Praise be Lord Vile! He will lead us all to Arcadia, though Ragnarok and all!" The soldier chanted, completely lost in Vile's delusions.

Ciel wrenched her eyes shut, expecting her last experience to be hearing the agonising screams of her one closest friend, love, and solider...

And then white.

Next thing she knew, all Reploids in the room had collapsed, Zero still clutching his head and audibly whining in pain. Ciel looked up and gasped, the angelic form of a certain Cyber Elf descending upon them.

"D-Did you... Are they..." She mumbled, spirits too broken to get the questions out fully.

Calmly, Cyber Elf X put a hand up, "They are not dead, though they are incapacitated for the time being. When they wake up they'll be fine, but only for as long as I am around. This effect also only spreads across this base, so I suggest you don't try leave."

"Ah..." Ciel looked down to Zero, the reploid panting, trying to recapture his breath, "You fought off the control... That's curious..."

Zero cracked one teared eye open, "Y-Yeah... I-It is... nghh..."

X, always the emotional intelligence of any given group, crouched down by Zero, placing a comforting hand on his back, "I'm sorry that you had to go through that Zero... It wouldn't be the first time though."

"Y-You mean I went through that before... or that something similar in my further past was similar?"

"Fortunately the latter, back when you had the Maverick Virus held in your body... or, well, your old body."

Zero nodded, "Yeah... about that, you'd think that'd be relevant information wouldn't you? The hell didn't you tell me for?"

X blanched slighlty, glancing at a less than pleased Ciel, "W-Well... I thought it'd be more relevant if Vile returned, which... Well now he has, so-"

Ciel glared, "So you mean to tell me that you predicted this?"

"Well no, of course not! I'd hoped that I wouldn't have to ever see him again, but-"

"So you jetisonned him to space, on a Neo Arcadian-designed spacecraft, not assuming that - as a known scientist and talented machanist - he would not only have redirected the craft back to Earth, but would be put in a cyborg body that can regenerate?!"

"I-It wasn't I who made that decision-"

"Why didn't you have him executed?" Zero chimed in, "You knew he had Omega still, it was on the ship."

"I didn't know-!"

"If it wasn't you then the judges and/or the Guardians should've been questioned before you sealed yourself!" Ciel continued, reprimanding the Cyber Elf

"It was the Eight Gentle Judges!"

"And they were based on your designs, yes?" Zero once again butted in, "Surely you understand by now that they were too gentle?"

"How was I supposed to know they were going to exile him-"

"Surely the people weren't content with that!" Ciel pointed out, "You could've done something, anything!"

"By the time I was reborn as a Cyber Elf-"

"You could've done something as a Cyber Elf, but you've chosen to loom and be all cryptic! What the hell X?!" The young scientist was thoroughly pissed as this botched situation, "The fate of Neo Arcadia and what remains outside is only in peril because your people screwed up!"

X, however, wasn't pleased either, "Enough!" His voice boomed loudly throughout the base, echoing off the walls in a deafening commandment, "Yes, I am aware that Neo Arcadia has fallen into effective ruin without me due to the incompetency of the remaining leaders, however sealing the Dark Elf was a very necessary maneuver. Before I could do anything the judgement had passed and I was left with no choice but to live as a ghost watching as people like Vile cropped up left and right in a place that was supposedly a paradise; I have been powerless to stop everyone because if I did I would've expended all of my energy and I wouldn't be here helping you right now, you'd currently both be dead or controlled by Vile. Are we clear?"

Ciel and Zero blinked and looked at eachother for a moment before the former frowned, "Fine, but you still should take accountability for letting them into power in the first place."

X took in a breath and sighed deeply, "I am aware, as you are with Copy X too. Unfortunate as it is, we're too deep into it now to give in."

Zero nodded and looked to Ciel, "So, what's next on the agenda?"

The scientist shrunk slighlty, "Fixing Copy X, but that might take too long..."

Zero looked at X next, "And what about you?"

"The Neo Arcadian Subterranean Power-System, dubbed Sub Arcadia. That's where Omega is being held. If you're atleast able to destroy the machine that he's using to control everyone, even if you don't destroy Omega itself, it'll be a massive success for us."

"Perfect, mind imputting the co-ordinates-" "Wait!" Ciel butted in, "You just had your neural processors almost fried, you need a scan!"

Standing shakily, Zero frowned, "I-I'm fine, really."

X crossed his arms, "You always were rather stubborn when it came to taking care of yourself; and they said I was a workaholic, heh..."

Cerveau looked over Copy X's body, a sense of overwhelming dread coming over him. Could he do this? Reactivate Copy X, with the risks that came with it.

He found himself hesitating, both the Brain Chip and the mechanism that held Copy X's DNA Soul sitting beside the unconscious husk of a body. Cerveau had made adjustments to his design, bringing him closer to a Mutos Reploid rather than a revised version of what came before.

Admittedly, Cerveau had found it quite funny that one of the longest lasting Reploids was also the genesis of the race, and one of the most basic models on the surface at that. Sure, before his untimely sealing, X had been upgraded heavily to match the times, multiple times according to various logs, however he'd always kept the same baseline.

In that way, Copy X was quite similar, however with some kinks; the Element System in his body took up significant space and was hardly a replacement for the innovative Variable Weapon System that his predecessor had. As well, he had both an Ultimate Armour built in, as well as an Armed Phenomenon Form - or atleast something heavily resembling one.

Zero's copy body has some similar faults but his could be forgiven, afterall even his original body lacked the Variable Weapon System in place of his natural innate ability to create new abilities based upon other Reploids, which persisted even now in something that Ciel had dubbed "EX Skills".

There was also the Variable Form System his body had, but after some tinkering, Ciel had managed to basically permanently set him into Rise Form and never turned it off. It's for the best, it was always the most practical anyway.

Lastly was the curiosity that was the Z-Knuckle impliment that Cerveau have never seen him use.

Still, Zero had a mind and soul that was nothing like what had been mangled into and around Omega, even if they had yet to see what the body inside was capable of. He was certain that Omega would lack much of these implementations.

In that aspect, it made Omega even more terrifying, foreign in a way that only a madman like Vile could create.

Regardless, Copy X wasn't Omega; his tricks were known, and lousy at that. Cerveau wouldn't admit it, especially not to her face, but Copy X was subpar for Ciel, and by extension for Vile - though from the looks of it, that was the point this go around.

Still, Cerveau knew his way around the Reploid body, he was a Reploid himself afterall. This gave him much more insight than a 6 year old, even with her mental augmentation.

This body was made to be strong, nimble, reminiscent of X in his prime but without the bulk of what weighed the Copy's first two bodies down.

Granted, that meant that the Copy was left without either the Weapon Variable or Element Systems, though he was sure that he could reimpliment one or the other if need-be - besides, it was best that Copy X would lack too much firepower if his worries were proven right, at most he'd have a charge-buster and, potentially, the Chain Rod that he still held in storage.

Sure, that was still dangerous, but not outright lethal in most circumstances; so long as Zero existed, Copy X would have a tight leash around his neck. This line of thinking put Cerveau's doubts at ease for the most part, but he still had reservations.

As the door opened behind him and the familiar clomping of Reploid boots met his ears, he internally sighed in relief.

"How's the body looking doc?" Zero spoke, looking over the inanimate robotic husk.

Cerveau sighed, "Well, the kinks are yet to be worked out, but that won't take long should Ciel's schedule be free..." He paused for a moment before he took in a breath sharply, "Could you do it?"

Zero quirked an eyebrow, "Do what?"

"Resurrect a dictator like this. It doesn't matter how much we try to convince him, or whether or not it's beneficial, the moment Omega falls he'll be back to the way he was before, and now with a better body than before. Could you do this sort of thing, risk everything just so you can go back to the previous crisis?"

The red Reploid was quiet for a moment before nodding, "From what I've heard, that sounds about like what my own life used to be. I've read about the Eurasia Incident, Red Alert, the Jakob Incident, the Repliforce Crisis, even the first ever Maverick Outbreak of 21XX... That was all I knew."

Cerveau looked at Zero with a quizzical expression, "But did you ever go to these lengths?"

"No, but X did. If you recall, I used to house the Maverick Virus long before Sigma had it. From that I can only assume that I was originally meant to be that sort of chaotic force of nature, a 'God of Destruction' as Vile would put it..." Zero looked at the scientist, and for a moment Cerveau could swear that he looked tired beyond his years even in this new chasis, "If X was willing to befriend me, trust me as a comrade, and still entrust this to me long after we outgrew our old bodies, even despite the fact that I was a Maverick... Think about what X would do."

The scientist pondered that for a moment before clicking his synthetic tongue, "I understand your intentions, however I'd like to point out that - from my limited knowledge of the Maverick Hunters back when they were still an institution - you had shown nothing but good traits not long after you'd awoken," He then looked back at Copy X's new body, "And then there's Copy X."

"... I suppose you're not wrong," The hero shrugged, "Do what you have to do, doc. So long as I'm around I can keep him in check."

Cerveau cracked a solemn smile, "Yeah... Thanks Zero."