Chapter Text
It was quiet inside the hunter base. Most of the Reploids had already left for the day as it was already past midnight. The only light inside the room came from one of the computer screens nearby, and there was not a sound aside from the whirring of a machine and the clacking of someone’s fingers typing on a keyboard.
X stared at the screen in front of him as he glanced over the data. Several weeks had already passed since Sigma’s seventh downfall; Maverick readings had decreased exponentially, allowing the hunters to take a much-needed break. However, X still found himself with a plethora of tasks to complete: doing research, filing mission reports, occasionally navigating rookie hunters while also advocating for Reploid rights on the side… Though he was still avoiding the one thing he wasn't ready to return to doing yet—completing missions.
Since the Maverick Hunter Headquarters was established, X had already felt conflicted about becoming a participant of war. He’d found himself lost, unsure of what to do with his life. Even Dr. Cain had been concerned about him, asking X if there was anything he truly wanted to do. At the time, he had no answer, and X still wasn't sure if he had an answer for that question now. All he knew was that he had to do the right thing: protect the Earth, and possibly even the entire universe. He had a heavy responsibility to fulfill, so he couldn’t let anything else get in the way.
As much as he despised violence, X eventually came to realize that he had to inevitably return to the battlefield after his retirement. When the news of Red Alert’s Maverick behavior came out, X decided that he would put an end to the organization once and for all. Though as soon as the war was over, X had returned to desk duty. There were just too many tasks that needed to be finished, plus, there was a catch—he also had a certain runaway Reploid to deal with.
X heaved out a sigh. He was supposed to train Axl today but he just didn’t have the time to do so. He was caught in a backlog of mission reports from the past forty-eight hours, and aside from a quick recharge, he hadn’t had an opportunity to do much else. It had actually been Zero’s suggestion for X to train Axl to become a hunter; initially he had been shocked, but he later realized that by teaching Axl, X could potentially prevent him from going down the same path that he did. Over time, X also came to realize that Axl had a lot of potential, and that he was actually a decent person despite his dubious history with Red Alert. The younger Reploid seemed to be extra willing to please X and make him happy, and he was constantly improving with each training session they had. If X was being honest, he felt a little guilty for treating Axl the way he did when they’d first met months ago. They’d barely started getting along back then, but even during that time X could tell how much Axl admired him. It was only when they’d started training together one-on-one that X began to warm up to the other Reploid, and they slowly began to grow closer.
Suddenly X’s optics faded to black as a pair of hands covered his eyes, causing him to let out a surprised yelp. He nearly fell backward and off his chair, but the grip the mystery person had on X was firm enough to keep him still.
X’s breath hitched as a deep chuckle resounded near his earpiece. “Guess who?” A familiar baritone voice asked.
Upon realizing who the culprit was, X let out a small huff, his lips curling up into a small smile. “Is this Zero, or is this someone else I know who’s just pretending to be him?” he teased.
The hands covering X’s eyes began to glow white, flooding X’s vision with a bright light before they slowly disappeared. Immediately, X glanced over his shoulder and took in the sight of a familiar redhead standing behind him. “Axl,” he greeted.
“You got me.” Axl laughed, before moving closer to wrap his arms around X’s shoulders, his chin resting on X’s shoulder plate. “So, whatcha doing?”
X turned back to the monitor and resumed typing as Axl clung to him. For some reason, the younger Reploid had been especially handsy lately, though X didn’t mind—he just wasn’t sure why it kept happening. He wondered if Axl did the same thing with Zero… The S-rank hunter would probably threaten Axl with his saber if he even tried. “Just filing some reports,” X answered. “This is going to take a while, so I can’t train you today. Sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Axl replied. “I just dropped by because I wanted to see my favorite Maverick Hunter again.” A playful grin spread across Axl’s lips before he quickly added, “And make sure you weren’t overworking yourself.”
X felt his cheeks heat up at the words. He was aware that Axl had… some sort of attachment to him, but he decided it was best to just ignore it. As much as X didn’t mind having Axl around, the younger hunter’s advances on him had begun to grow increasingly uncomfortable over the past few days, especially since he wasn’t sure if Axl was just messing with him or if he really meant what he was saying. X knew it was all just teasing, but Axl’s soft touches and flirtatious remarks still caused his systems to go into overdrive all the same. He had to stop this before things got out of control and one of them ended up getting hurt.
“I’m fine, Axl,” X insisted, more forcefully than he’d meant to. “I can take care of myself.”
“I know…” Axl leaned in closer, his hands beginning to wander down X’s chest plate. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t worry about you.”
X’s breath hitched as he felt Axl’s breath tickle his cheek. This was starting to become a distraction, and X still had dozens of reports to finish writing. “You—you should be worried about yourself right now,” he said, his voice coming out shakier than usual. “You still aren’t officially a hunter yet.”
“Maybe not yet, but that’ll change soon,” Axl replied confidently. “After all, I have the best mentor in the whole hunter base. Once I become a proper hunter, you won’t be able to take your eyes off me for even a second.”
X couldn’t help but let out a soft snort at that. “Right. Whatever you say.”
As X continued to type his report, Axl gently pried his arms away from X’s shoulders and took a step back. A comfortable silence ensued between them until several seconds later, when X’s fingers paused on the keyboard and he slowly spun around in his chair so that he could look into the other Reploid’s eyes.
“Remember this, Axl. Being a hunter isn’t as fun or glamorous as you think it is,” he said. “It’s more than just a job. Thousands of lives need to be saved every day... There will be times when even the ones you’ve become close to will end up getting caught up in a war. You understand that, don’t you?”
Axl’s expression turned serious as he considered X’s words, and then he nodded. “Of course I do,” he replied. “I’ll admit, at first I just wanted to defeat the bad guys, but now I understand just how important this job is. I might not be experienced yet, but I want to help out in any way I can. And yeah, I still miss Red and all my friends at Red Alert, but it can’t be helped… Doing what’s right is more important to me.”
A few seconds passed before X let out a sigh of relief, a soft smile spreading across his lips. “Good. Then you’re on the right path.”
Axl watched as X turned back to the computer and resumed typing, and a few more beats of silence passed before X suddenly glanced over his shoulder. “Does training at nine A.M. tomorrow sound good?” he asked.
Axl blinked in surprise before a wide grin spread across his lips. “Sounds perfect,” he replied. “I can’t wait!”
As Axl turned around and left X to his own devices, X glanced briefly behind him, a soft expression on his features. “Me neither,” he murmured.
Their morning training had gone well. They started off with a warm-up and some target practice before moving on to the actual sparring section of the training. They’d done it so many times before that they had almost all of each other’s moves ingrained into their memory data. X and Axl were both long-range weapon users, so there was very little hand-to-hand combat involved during their sessions. X had shown Axl some simple maneuvers before they progressed to the more advanced ones. Eventually, they moved on to actually using their weapons in combat. If Axl wanted to improve his own fighting style, then he needed to know the proper ways of using his pistols. Right now, he was still trying to mimic X’s shooting style, and since Axl couldn’t fire charged shots, he had to find another way to clear all the enemies around him simultaneously.
They were currently in a simulation where a large group of MAME-Qs was flying across the screen in an alternating pattern. X stood back and watched as Axl leaped up, activating the hover function in his boots as he opened fire in as many directions as he could. He watched as one, two, three of the enemies fell to the ground and exploded on impact, but several more of them were still approaching.
“Watch me,” X said, moving closer and grabbing onto his buster arm as he charged it up. “When defeating enemies, try not to cause damage to your surroundings as well.”
X let out a shout as he released his charged shot, the blast flying through the air like a passing comet. It was a powerful, accurate shot. The enemies that remained were flung through the air, disintegrating and vanishing just seconds after the impact.
“Nice!” Axl exclaimed, looking at the display. There were no more enemies left.
The scene shimmered and shifted around them, and a computerized voice announced the end of the simulation. Immediately, Axl looked over to the results screen: ninety-two percent.
“So, how did I do this time?” Axl asked hopefully.
X glanced up at the screen and scanned over the rest of Axl’s performance score. He had already improved since the previous week and he’d also managed to exceed X’s expectations. “Well, aside from a couple of misfired shots and some sloppy touches, I’d say you’re ready to become a Maverick Hunter,” he replied.
“Really?” Axl asked, his voice rising with excitement.
X just nodded in reply, though there was a small smile on his face as he did so. He walked over and pulled out two E-tanks from a bag before handing one of them over to the other Reploid. Axl nodded in thanks as he took the drink, opening the lid and taking a sip before X motioned for him to come and sit with him on the floor.
“You’ve improved a lot, Axl,” X remarked. “Even Commander Signas has commented on how far you’ve come.”
Axl’s eyes lit up before he let out a cheer and raised his fist in the air. “Awesome!”
X couldn’t help but smile at Axl’s eagerness. In reality, he was proud of Axl’s achievements, even if he didn’t show it. The young Reploid had come so far since he’d been taken into custody months ago. While he was still reckless and a little cocky, Axl was willing to learn how to become a proper hunter, and his dedication and selflessness were incredible.
They both sat in silence as they drank from their E-tanks, and several moments passed before Axl put his empty can down on the floor beside him. “Hey, X?” he asked.
X looked over at Axl as he stopped sipping from his drink. “Yeah?”
“Can I ask you, like, a really personal question?”
X paused for a moment before he nodded. “Sure. What is it?”
“… Do you think Reploids are able to love one another?”
X spluttered suddenly, almost choking on his drink. Out of all the questions, he hadn’t expected that one. “Why do you ask?” he questioned slowly.
“Well, I just remembered something Red and I talked about long ago.” A fond smile crossed Axl’s face as he recollected the memory. “I asked him the same thing, and then he just laughed at me before telling me that I had to find out for myself.”
“Oh…” X took another sip from his E-tank before he spoke again. “From my experience, yes. It’s possible for Reploids to love each other in both a platonic and a romantic way,” he said. “We’re programmed to be able to think for ourselves and feel emotions the way humans do, which makes relationships with other Reploids almost as nuanced as human relationships. And we also have our own culture built around us that makes us different to humans, but I think our culture is still similar in some ways…”
He noticed Axl was staring at him intently, his green eyes rounded with curiosity and something more unreadable. “Anyway, is there a reason why you’re asking me about this?” X questioned.
A hint of pink rose to Axl’s cheeks and he glanced off to the side, fidgeting with his hands in his lap. “N-no reason. I was just wondering, that’s all,” he stammered.
“I see…” X chuckled softly as he took in Axl’s reaction. Interesting… Perhaps there was someone else Axl was thinking about, and he wanted to seek advice from X. “What I can tell you is that love is a complex emotion,” he said. “Only once you’ve experienced it, you’ll realize that it’s not as black-and-white as others make it out to be.”
His expression darkened then, and his fingers tightened around the empty E-tank can in his hand. “But that can also become a problem,” X continued. “You need to be careful not to let yourself get wrapped up too much, otherwise you could get hurt quite badly.”
Axl’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at this remark, and he leaned forward, tilting his head in curiosity. “Sounds to me like you’ve been through some stuff before. Am I right?”
X’s eyes fell shut as pain flashed through his core at the memories. “You could say that,” he replied quietly. “It happened a long time ago, though…”
Axl was about to open his mouth in reply when X’s communicator suddenly began to ring. X quickly pressed a button on his earpiece and responded, “This is X.”
“X? Do you read me? This is Alia.” The voice over the line spoke. “Commander Signas requested that you come to the Main Conference Room immediately. There’s something important he wishes to discuss… Is Axl there with you?”
X hesitated for only a second, glancing over at the other Reploid in the room before answering. “Yes, he’s here. We’ll both be there soon.”
Once X cut the communication, Axl glanced over at him with a raised brow. “What was that about?” he asked.
“Commander Signas wants us to attend a meeting at the Main Conference Room now,” X explained, quickly standing up. “Apparently it’s about something important.”
“Really?” Axl asked as he pushed himself up to stand beside X. “I wonder what it’s about.”
“I don’t know, but we should get going,” X replied.
He motioned for Axl to hand over the empty can that was sitting beside him, and after Axl gave it to him, X hurriedly tossed both cans into the nearby recycle bin before they both made their way outside.
It would’ve been easier for both of them to just teleport, but the conference room wasn’t far from where they currently were. Both of them walked briskly across the passage, making a sharp left turn and going past two doors before they found the entrance. The door slid open with a hiss, and once they were both inside, they noticed that Signas, Alia, and Zero were all present and already sitting down.
“There you are!” Alia called out.
X nodded in greeting as he rushed forward, Axl in tow behind him. “Commander Signas, I’m sorry we’re late,” he apologized. “We just finished our training.”
“It’s alright, X,” Signas nodded back, before gesturing to the empty chairs beside Alia and Zero. “Please have a seat. You too, Axl.”
Axl sat down next to Alia as X approached the chair to his left. Once they were both sitting next to each other, Signas turned to address the entire group. “Hunters, apologies for the short notice,” he announced. “After much deliberation, we have decided to discuss Axl’s future at Maverick Hunter Headquarters.”
X felt Axl tense next to him at this announcement, but he didn’t say anything. He had a feeling the outcome would be exactly as he predicted. Axl deserved a place in the hunter base, despite the things he’d done with Red Alert in the past. Most of the hunters were able to recognize his achievements and good deeds. If Axl ended up being kicked out, X would probably angrily demand an explanation why. After all, Axl was his responsibility too—he wouldn’t have agreed to train the younger Reploid if he didn’t want to see him succeed.
Suddenly Signas’ calm yet authoritative voice broke through X’s thoughts. “Alia, the report, please.”
Alia pulled out a data pad and began to read from it. “According to the mission reports we’ve received over the past few months, Axl has managed to assist in over four hundred cases involving Mavericks,” she stated. “Last week, he successfully deactivated a berserk Mechaniloid near the power plant and dispatched a rescue team to the site within thirty minutes of the attack. None of the Reploids nearby had been injured.”
Alia scrolled down to a new page before she continued. “We confirmed with Zero that Axl had managed to stay on track during their paired missions and that they were able to successfully work together as a team. As a result, we are considering using a new partner system for future missions going forward.”
She tapped her finger against the screen for a moment before pressing a button, bringing up a holographic projection. It was a video montage of the footage from the Red Alert missions, showing Zero and Axl, X and Zero, and finally X and Axl working together to defeat the Mavericks.
“We’ll discuss the partner system at a later stage,” Signas stated. Beside him, Alia pressed a button and switched off the hologram. “What I’m about to disclose is far more important.”
From beside X, Axl gulped down nervously as both his hands in his lap began to shake. Noticing how anxious the other Reploid was, X placed a hand over one of Axl’s comfortingly, causing him to let out a small squeak of surprise.
“Axl’s efforts have not gone unseen, and we have all recognized how hard he has worked to prove himself...”
Signas trailed off, before his gaze turned to the youngest Reploid in the room. “That’s why, Axl, you are being granted your hunter license today.”
“Huh?”
At those words, Axl snapped his head up and turned towards the other Reploids with wide eyes. Everyone was smiling at him, including Zero, who had a faint smirk on his lips, as well as X, who looked positively relieved.
“Please collect your hunter license from Commander Signas,” Alia told him. Immediately, Axl bolted up and rushed towards Signas’ podium. He looked up as Signas presented him with a digitalized card, showing a recent photo of Axl along with his personal data and rank.
“Congratulations. You are now an official Maverick Hunter.” Signas smiled down at Axl, reaching over to shake his hand. Alia stood up and snapped a picture of the two of them together before sitting back down. Once she was done, Signas turned toward Axl, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Is there anything you want to say, Axl?”
“Um, I…” Axl started, his voice wobbling with emotion as his shoulders shook. “I just wanted to say thank you so much for giving me a chance. I know we didn’t get off to a great start after I left Red Alert, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate this. Becoming a Maverick Hunter has been one of my biggest dreams, and I can’t believe that it’s finally come true.”
He took a deep breath to steady his emotions, looking at Signas, Zero, Alia, and then finally at X, his expression growing softer as his eyes locked onto the blue Reploid. “X…” Axl blinked back tears, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Thanks for being the best mentor I could ever have. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
A smile broke out across X’s face as tears began to form in his own eyes. He was so proud of Axl right now—all of his efforts had been worth it. And as he glanced between the rest of his acquaintances, X could see that they thought so, too.
“Commander Signas, Alia, Zero, X… I can’t wait to work with you guys as an official Maverick Hunter!” Axl grinned and gave them all a thumbs-up.
Everyone in the room clapped their hands together, a mix of joyous excitement and excitement about what the future held. Axl was going to be a great help to the organization, but more importantly, he was going to help make the world a better place for Reploids and humans alike.
“We look forward to working with you too,” Signas said warmly, and with that, the meeting was over.
The rest of the day had gone pretty well. After the meeting, they’d all taken a group photo together before leaving. X had returned to his desk to continue with his work for a few more hours before finally calling it quits at around three-thirty P.M.
He decided to take a break then, and after he stood up and pushed his chair in, he left his workstation and made his way down the long passage outside. He walked slowly, leisurely, taking everything in as he walked. The corridor was empty at this point, but X still made sure not to disturb the silence in case anyone was still around.
“There you are, X!”
X spun around at the sound of his name. There, a short distance away from him, was Axl, panting heavily as if he’d just been running around for a long time. “Axl? What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing’s wrong! It’s just…” Axl glanced off to the side before his gaze returned to X, and X immediately sensed that he was more nervous than usual. “Are you busy right now? There’s something I need to tell you.”
X looked over at Axl, slightly concerned by the other Reploid’s demeanor. “What is it?”
“I…”
Axl sharply took in a breath, as if he was trying to calm down his nerves, and then his green eyes met X’s. “I like you, X. I like you a lot,” he confessed. “I don't mean it in a friendship way, either. Ever since we started to work together on the Red Alert missions, I started getting this weird feeling whenever I was around you. I was pretty sure you hated me back then, but I still wanted to prove myself and show that I was capable of handling those missions. I… I guess I’m just really glad that you agreed to train me, because not only did I get to become a hunter, but I also got to spend time with the person I admire the most.”
X stood there, stunned, unable to comprehend the words that had just been said. Axl liked him? And not in a friendship way, either? He was clearly just young and confused. There had to be some kind of mistake.
A small, soft smile appeared on Axl’s lips before he continued. “I know it’s crazy for me to be saying all this, since you’re like, way out of my league… Heck, there are still rumors flying around that you and Zero are like that. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.” He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “You guys have literally been through so much together… Whenever I see you two acting all close, it kind of makes me feel like a third wheel, y'know?”
X’s gaze lowered as he noted the tinge of jealousy in Axl’s voice. It was clear that he had no idea about the truth at all… Perhaps he’d find out one day, but now was certainly not the right time.
Axl looked down at his hands in his lap. His voice was quieter than usual, more vulnerable. “But even despite all that, I can’t help it… It’s been months and this hopeless crush still won’t go away. I don't know what your views are on same-sex relationships between Reploids, but I'd love it if you could give me a shot...”
His eyes widened in realization before he quickly added, “No pun intended.”
For the longest time, X stood in total silence, just staring at Axl in front of him. And then he suddenly burst into laughter, causing Axl to pout and place his hands on his hips. “Stop laughing! I’m being completely serious right now.”
The tension broken, X finally composed himself before he cast a soft smile at the other Reploid. “Axl, I know you are,” he said gently. “I can tell by your emotions and the way you spoke to me just now, but have you ever considered what will happen in the future?”
Axl blinked, confused. “Huh?”
X let out a sigh before he continued, “You're still young. At your age, there's a good chance that you could lose interest in me and become attached to someone else.”
“No way!” Axl interjected. “That will never happen!”
“How are you so sure?” X asked him. “What if you end up dating one of the female navigators or one of the other boys from another unit? This is just a phase that you'll grow out of eventually.”
“Don't brush away my feelings as if they don't matter!” Axl took a step closer, angered. “You may be older than me, and I may just be a rookie hunter, but what I'm trying to say is that I'm serious about you… I'll even prove to you if that's what you want.”
X watched Axl for a long moment, unsure of what to say or do. A part of him wanted to believe Axl’s passionate words, but he also didn’t want to give in because he knew that being together would only hurt them both.
“Anyway, X...” Axl shifted, raising his head to look at X meekly. “Do... Do you like me?”
X blinked in surprise before he regained his composure and offered a soft smile in response. “Of course I do. How could I not like someone as cute and handsome as you? You’re a hard worker, and you always have a positive attitude no matter how difficult the situation is. You’ve proved yourself worthy of becoming a hunter even though you came from a group of vigilantes. That shows tremendous growth in your character… You should be proud of how much you've accomplished.”
“Well, thanks...” A light flush spread across Axl’s cheeks as he glanced off to the side, reaching over to scratch the back of his neck. His hand dropped down soon after and his eyes met X’s once more. “But do you like... 'like' me?”
Axl gazed up at X with hopeful eyes, causing X to break contact and look off to the side uncomfortably. Oh, so that’s what he meant… He couldn’t allow himself to give in, even if the offer was tempting. It was better to just remain friends as they were—could X even define Axl as a friend, or was he something else entirely?
The sound of metal boots clicking against the floor caused X to snap out of his thoughts. He glanced across the hallway, seeing Axl approach him slowly, a strange unreadable expression on his face.
“Because I know…”
Axl took another step forward, leaning into X’s personal space until their helmets were nearly touching.
“I only have eyes for you.”
“Axl, what—”
Before X could finish his sentence, he suddenly found the breath being knocked out of him as Axl’s lips met his own. For a moment, X allowed himself to reciprocate, his eyes fluttering shut as he leaned into the kiss, before he was suddenly struck with the realization that they were both still in the middle of the hallway. With a great amount of force, X reached over with both hands and shoved Axl away as hard as he could, sending the younger Reploid tumbling backward as he let out a shocked yelp.
Axl stared at him in shock, a mix of confusion and hurt written across his face as X tried to steady himself. “X! I-I'm sorry! I should've asked first—”
X shot him a furious glare before he spun around and stormed off in the other direction, not once glancing back at the other Reploid.