Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Megaman Zero: The Price of Peace	By : Kakashifan727 Category: +M through R > Mega Man Views: 2112 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman, MMX, MMZ or MMZX/A. The characters and series are owned by Capcom. I make no profit off of this work.

Chapter List
- 1-Megaman Zero: The Price of Peace
- 2-Chapter One
- 1
- 2
She opens her eyes slowly, her neck is sore and her body feels tired, the barely illuminated room confusing her senses. Ciel blinks, the memories flooding back to her in waves, gritting her teeth against the slight pain in her side as she tries to stand. That's right...We found Zero, but it cost us so much. She looks over at the red reploid as she thinks this, watching his still form sitting next to her. Her eyes start to sting, and she tries to blink away the tears that are beginning to flow from her lids, but to no avail. They just keep coming. Their victory was bittersweet, and it might not even be a victory at all. She quickly rubs the tears from her blue eyes, telling herself that she can cry once she's made it back to the base in one piece. She tells herself she needs to be strong now. She has to keep going, keep the dream alive for those who put their trust in her. If she let them down now, she if gave up here, their deaths and sacrifices would be for nothing. The woman grips onto the panel of the console, using it as a crutch to try and steady herself, letting go once she is on both feet.
A sharp pain in her leg causes her to falter, and she barely has any time to put her hands out in front of her to catch herself. The blonde woman looks at her bruised and battered body, grateful that she had decided to have cybernetics installed in her body before she left Neo Arcadia. It was a risky procedure, seeing as the treatment was new for humans at the time and the implants could be dangerous if they were rejected. She felt a chill down her spine as she remembered the screams and cries of agony of the people in the labs, their bodies convulsing violently and blood streaming out of their mouths as the implants began to attack their human systems. It was a relatively new science and she had been slightly reluctant to have the procedure done, Ciel only having basic knowledge of medical procedures, seeing as she had mainly studied robotics and environmental science during her college years.
It seems that the risk she had taken was paying off now, as the cuts and wounds on her body had started to heal significantly faster, though they could re-open and still cause her trouble later on if not treated by a professional. She would be alright for now, though her body still ached like hell and her leg would not support her weight without some kind of help. The human woman turns her head to the side, in order to confirm that the mechanical beeps and whirs beside her were coming from Zero and not some enemy reploid that had managed to sneak up on them. That wasn't likely since the destroyed Golem's body blocked any way of getting in through the front, and a large pile of rubble had caved in the passage long before the duo had arrived. She let out a sigh she didn't know she had been holding in. Zero's once dull, grey pupils flare to life in front of her, quickly becoming a dark blue color that is full of the vigor of life. She takes a few steps back, difficult to do with her injured leg. The reploid is busy trying to get up, his own body weak and broken in places, not only due to the long sleep he had taken. The silvery bits of metal and machinery that can be seen whir and whine as his form rises to a standing position, the remains of his red armor cracked and worn from decades of rust. He finally positions his gaze to the only other figure in the room. His confused stare was both worrying and endearing to Ciel; hopefully his memory loss wasn't short term as well.
“Hm? Right, I see...You woke me up, and then we were attacked...” Zero mutters, his eyes drifting up and to the right. An oddly human expression. Ciel was surprised somewhat at his ability to seem so human. Surely something so old couldn't be capable of such genuine emotion? Then again, Zero was one of the original androids, though X was supposedly used as the basis for most reploids. Times have changed since then.
“Yeah...Looks like we're still alive. We seem to be stuck though...I would like to find a way out of here before more arrive. Yet if none have been able to track us down yet, we could be lucky,” Ciel comments, causing Zero to focus on her once again. His eyes suggest he is worn out and tired, the damage to his systems probably more than he letting on. Getting back to the Resistance base should be a priority. Ciel attempts to push off the broken console for leverage, wanting to look around the room for an escape route. Her leg has still not completely healed, even with the advanced cybernetics, and she stumbles a couple steps before feeling her body pitch forward. Expecting to hit the hard metal ground, she is surprised to feel a tugging sensation and collision with something soft. An arm is around her waist, the silver metal and loose wiring startling her for a few seconds before she regains her senses. His face is expressionless as Ciel stares up at him, yet his 'breath' is oddly warm as he looks at her for a few moments.
“Are you alright? Your leg is in bad shape...” He comments, causing Ciel to sigh.
“I honestly don't know. We're both pretty beat up, as it stands. I want to look for a way out, yet...” She finishes, looking down at her broken leg with disdain. She senses the body near her shift, no longer feeling the warmth from before. Her view shifts slightly, once again staring at the room from a skewed perspective. The cold ground is a comfort to her weary body, despite just having taken a rest before. Zero is limping towards a specific corner of the room, across from the large canvas of rubble that blocks the other end of the tunnel. What is—Oh! Ciel thinks, curious at first until she notices the large door hidden by some of the debris. There could be something there. She watches him try to pry open the rusted door with some difficulty, the strains of the rusting metal echoing throughout the room. He pulls one of the frames free with a grunt of effort, the metal dropping to the ground with a audible clang. She notices the effort it has taken Zero to do that much; the arm he used to open the door hanging by only a few delicate wires. Ciel feels a surge of hope and disappointment in her gut at the same time. What if he isn't Zero? Certainly, the legendary reploid wouldn't be that pathetic. He is old, she reminds herself, and has been asleep for a long time. He's clearly not in good shape at all, so why bother judging him? Even if the reploid before her isn't Zero, she's just glad to have found a potential ally against Neo Arcadia. His footsteps snap Ciel out of her musings, turning her face up to look at him. His face is blank and devoid of emotion, though his blue eyes suggest some sort of relief.
“There seems to be a...device in that room. It looks functional, but I honestly have no idea what it is...” He comments, Ciel's eyes widening at his words. Hopefully it's a transever that could take them back to the base. All she has to do is insert the coordinates of the one back at the Resistance and they'd be home in no time. The red reploid offers her his still functional arm, and the two slowly limp towards the shattered doorframe. A beacon of hope lights up in Ciel's chest as she sees the dingy, damp, yet functioning transerver. She guides the two of them to the center of the console, pressing the power button and smiling as it whirs to life with a blue glow. Zero can only look confoundedly at the machine, clear bewilderment on his face.
“Can we get out of here with this?” He asks, Ciel busy tapping in the coordinates to the Resistance base. Finally finished, she turns her head to the side, a grin on her face.
“Yes. This device can teleport us to a location as long as we have the coordinates for the destination. It's a transerver,” She explains, the only answer from her partner an affirming nod. She touches the button that activates the transport mechanism, having known the base's coordinates by heart, and sighs when she feels the familiar pull of particles accelerating through space. A flash of light later and the two of them are in a completely different room, this one bright and orderly. A startled yelp causes the two of them to turn around, Zero glaring at the green clothed reploid a few feet in front of them. He just stares at them mouth agape, before stuttering something.
“Wha—How? Who?” The reploid can only mutter, the surprise and fear evident on his face. Ciel can only smile, giving the confused soldier a weary grin.
“We found him.”
… … …
It felt like days before her eyes opened once again, her vision blurry and movements sluggish. Have I been captured? Were the first thoughts to form in her mind, yet she felt safe where she was. It was warm, her clothes had been replaced, and she was under a blanket. The white overhead light nearly blinded her, her vision flooded in a sea of white as she tried to move her head to the side. It grudgingly replied, lazily sagging off the hard, warm surface she was lying on. A familiar yet hazy face greeted Ciel, her head propped up by a white gloved hand. She could see the frown on their features, yet was confused by their sigh of relief.
“Awake, huh? I was gettin' worried there. You've been out for a couple days; some of us were worried you were in a coma. Thank God that's not the case,” the human-looking figure replied, concern in their tone. Ciel laid there for a few minutes, waiting for her body to feel better, the medicine still coursing through her system. Sitting up, and able to keep her balance, the human woman was finally able to turn around in the small bed. Another woman greeted her, this one wearing green like most of the soldiers in the compound. Her black hair and eyes comforted Ciel as she recognized the human woman standing next to her. Like Ciel, she was one of the few humans who had left Neo Arcadia, tiring of their oppressive regime. Though the Resistance was made up mostly of exiled, lost, disenfranchised or hunted reploids, a score or so of humans also had joined to fight for the cause.
“Ah, Renee...How do I look?” Ciel weakly mumbled, the woman called Renee looking over her casually.
“You should be more careful. I know you're our leader, but you don't have to go out to such dangerous places...Sorry. Can't help it; we'd probably be nothing without you, ya know? You're always so positive,” Renee commented, her praise making Ciel blush slightly.
“Oh please. I don't do much...I just tinker with machines and ideas every so often. The ones out fighting do most of the work. I'm just a lab rat, heheh. Besides, I had to see if it really was Zero...” She trails off, wondering about the mysterious reploid from the dingy lab. How was he doing? Cerveau and his team of assistants were probably looking after him. Human doctors couldn't do too much to help reploids, even if they had a similar base structure, unless they were trained in robotics. She let out an exasperated sigh; Cerveau wouldn't go overboard, would he? The man tended to get excited when he sensed potential research material.

“Hah. The way everyone scattered about when you came back shows how much they really care about you. Heck, a few of 'em were still watching you until a couple hours ago. We're all grateful to you Ciel, don't ya forget it,” The doctor comments, Ciel nodding. Renee continued, her face suddenly frowning.
“You should be alright in a couple days. No hard work or heavy lifting. Don't stay up til the crack of dawn and be sure to eat right. We may have cybernetics now, but that doesn't beat old fashioned bed rest and good food. There's no internal injuries, aside from that leg of yours. Don't put too much weight on it for a week or two and it should be fine. Keep the cast on too please.” Done listing off the taboos, the doctor gave Ciel a big smile, who could only respond with a grin of her own.
“Right...Can I leave now? I...” She faltered a bit, unsure of what she wanted to actually do. Maybe going to bed and resting in her room would be the best thing for now, but she felt she had to at least see if Zero was alright. It was partly her fault he woke up with memory loss, and their subsequent flight had probably hurt him. She felt guilt bubbling up in the pit of her stomach, a burning, heavy sensation. It shouldn't take too long...She thought, getting up from the bed easily enough and grabbing a small pair of crutches.
“Sure. Just mind what I've said. You're so headstrong I couldn't stop you even if I wanted to,” Renee chuckled, her voice light though it carried an undertone of resignation.
“Of course,” Ciel replies, Renee helping her to the door. Luckily it wasn't too far from where Cerveau did his repairs on damaged or incapacitated reploids. They had thought it was best to keep both facilities close enough for wounded to access them, yet not so much that it would hinder the transport of humans and reploids. It only took her a couple turns down the hall and a few minutes of walking straight down the corridor to find the facility. The doors automatically opened as Ciel came close, giving her a small view of the inside of the place. It was busier than the human facilities, green uniformed reploids bustling to and fro, although none of reploids on the assignment had made it back alive. Another fact that made her feel weighed down with guilt. All of the death...Was it worth it? The thought made it difficult for her to press forward, fear and apprehension at what she would find slowing her steps. More then one of the reploids and a few humans stared at her, her glare of determination and their own work keeping them from trying to help her. She was fine on her own, and even said this to some of the worried people who inquired about her welfare. All that mattered right now was seeing the fruits of their labor pay off. He had to be alive...
A feeling of dread washes over Ciel as she nears the more advanced operating tables. Many of the green clothed soldiers are hovering over a particular table, passing various implements and devices back and forth. One voice in particular is shouting out commands, a deep and heavy baritone. It takes her a few seconds to find him, his thinning grey hair barely visible as he is hunched over a computer screen. She smiles slightly at this. Hard working as always.

“Damn, this is worse than I thought....Someone, get ready to solder more lithium together!” His harsh shout permeates the area, quickly answered by an affirmation. Ciel walks up to the man, unsure of how to get his attention without disturbing him. She wonders if she should leave, thinking that maybe it was a bad idea to come here. He turns around at exactly that moment, causing Ciel to jump back in surprise. This causes her to lose her grip on the metallic crutches, her small frame toppling to the ground. She utters a cry of pain as she falls to the metal floor, everyone stopping their work for a second to watch the accident unfold.
“Wh—Goddammit! Ciel!? How, when?” Cerveau shouts, the expression on his face one of surprise and shock. He quickly takes a few steps forward, gathering the crutches in one hand and pulling Ciel to her feet with the other. She offers him a small smile, taking the crutches from him and easily standing upright on her own. The reploid is still confused, his lined face contorting with a mix of emotions Ciel can't place.
“Jesus, you nearly gave me a heart attack! Well...not really, but close enough. What the heck are you doing up in your condition?” The mechanic asks, Ciel turning towards the table where Zero's body lay.
“Sorry, I...I wanted to see how he was doing, and if...he's the real thing,”
“He's genuine alright. At least as far as mechanisms go; he isn't made out of the same cheap material most reploids these days are mass produced with. Then again, that's part of the problem; Fixing him is going to be one hell of a job. I don't think we can repair him well enough with what we have; some of this material is ancient and either no longer available or too damn expensive. Even if we had the funds, there's no way we'd be able to get this kinda stuff without being discovered by Neo Arcadia. It's probably guarded somewhere, seeing as the energy crisis has driven material prices up the wall along with other things,” Cerveau explains, causing an even deeper pit to form in Ciel's stomach. If Zero couldn't get back to working condition then he was as good as useless or dead. All the work had been for nothing...and she had put him through heck just so he could wither away and die. She sighed, the older reploid putting a hand on her shoulder. His smile was genuine, that she didn't doubt, but it didn't fill with confidence.
“We can fix him. He might not be as good as he would be otherwise, but...It's the best we can do. Look,” He comments, leading her over to the table, a few of the workers moving out of the way. The sight bolstered her spirits, even if it was gruesome. He was in better shape than before, but his armor and outer exoskeleton were still cracked and broken in places, exposing the mechanical wiring and gears underneath. His right arm was severed, wires poking out from the shoulder joint, though it looked as if it was being repaired. Red fluids saturated the operating table, almost as if it was blood. It might as well have been. The small, triangular gem on his forehead looked as if it was almost whole, the light from overhead causing it to shine a brilliant blue. Zero's face looked peaceful, then again he was unconscious, so Ciel had no real way of knowing what kind of pain he was in. She could only hope for the best, wishing she could help out with her own knowledge of robotics, but she was far too weak for that right now. I feel useless... Sighing, she turned back to Cerveau who gave her a shrug.
“Who knows how long it might take...weeks, months...”
“We don't have that kind of time. People are dying, reploids are being killed just for being reploids, and this energy crisis is making everyone paranoid,” Ciel responds angrily, her fists clenching into the plastic on the crutches. All she can do is wait, this simple fact making her more angry than anything. If she did heal fast enough, maybe she could do something. But not now...Right now she was useless, and it hurt inside. She turns away from the mechanic, Cerveau frowning and looking at her worriedly.
“You alright? You know you can rely on us for help,” He comments, concern evident in his tone. Ciel only nods, starting her slow trek back to her room. Maybe some sleep would help her feel better. Then she could do something. Turning back to the reploid, her gaze was determined as she spoke
“Give me whatever data you have collected so far on him. I should be able to do something eventually if I study it enough. I am the person who rebuilt X after all,” Cerveau's only response was a curt nod. I'm not useless. I can do something.
- 1
- 2
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Megaman Zero: The Price of Peace