Author's notes: Italics for thoughts, and I don't own anything Rockman related

That is all

DISTRACTION

1200 pm

It was lunch time at maverick hunter HQ, which takes place in the enormous refueling hall, or mess hall as the politically correct term is used, which was built at around the same time as the rest of Hunter HQ constructed with built in Cafeteria like setting to simulate human eating activities thus further promoting human like gestures among the reploid personnels who are currently conversing, eating and doing somesuch activities as they while away the lunch hour before going back to their daily duties, all except for a certain red hunter who, despite currently being seated alongside a certain blue hunter who's currently busy issuing topics for the meeting later with the younger, spiky orange haired reploid rookie, Zero cannot be bothered to listen to half of what is being said, after all that's what built in helmet audio recorders are used for in the first place, rather, the crimson hunter is preoccupied with something else, or rather,

a someone else.

A minute chorus of tinkling laughter rang out albeit a little silently from where she sat, enough to attract stares from a couple of other unnamed male reploids who were giving the young female navigator a headturn every now and then, it was all Zero can do from marching over and claiming the brunette as his property and only his, after all that's maverick talk or at the very least, unfit and totally illogical for one to act if he ever hopes to be accepted and reintegrated back into society among his fellow reploids and humans,

"Yeah right..." Zero scoffs to himself, remembering all the silent ostracization and discrimination targeted his way from the first time X announced his rehabilitation and continuing even under X's careful watch, Zero shook his head trying to shake away such unnecessary thoughts and try, this time with a slight tilt from his head to better camouflage his intentions and return to his past time, really, he should feel ashamed, even disgusted, for calling this a past time, but he can't help himself

Her smooth porcelain like skin, hypnotic green eyes, and the way her brown hair smoothly follows the angles and contours of the chair which is almost as long as his blond locks, not that it doesn't look good on her rather she looks adorable,

too adorable even,

like a porcelain doll,

and that beret,

Oh Cain,

don't get me started on that piece of fabric which somehow just enhances all of her ensemble, anyone who looks like her should be illegal now that he thinks about it clearly enough, on grounds of unwanted somebodies constantly harassing her for her phone number, Zero again shakes his head and bitterly smirks a little, he always feels weird when thinking about the brunette navigator.

Ever since the erasure incident the red hunter already felt the start of something weird inside his currently beating core processor, they went out a couple of times a couple of years back with Zero always the instigator offering his heavily disguised excuse that getting to know each other better purely for business would be beneficial for the overall teamwork of both Repliforce and the Maverick hunters, and of course there's always the ever safe option of talking about her brother, less awkward certainly but still technically a non-date which continued for a nice short while before Zero decided it wasn't enough,so of course, like the currently rehabilitating ex maverick that he is, Zero came up with the oh so brilliant plan of recording the object of his unwanted attentions from afar, after all, it's not illegal if no one gets hurt, and he is technically the police if you squint hard enough, never mind that the code and of conduct was just recently downloaded on his mainframe a few months ago, just minor details in the end.

Iris suddenly gasps in amused indignation, putting her lithe doll like fingers to her mouth, Zero instinctively activated his zoom in function and looks for the other audio recorder button on his helmet

Stop it you freak, what the fuck's wrong with you?

And as always, Zero promptly z bustered and sabre slashed that annoying thought to smithereens and went ahead and pushed the button

Zero always likes the way she laughs.

The tinkling innocent laughter that's enough to calm him down even when he's in one of his uncontainable soundless rages, not to mention an all around nice girl, going out of her way to help others even to the point of endangering herself at times at which Zero just coincidentally appear out of nowhere to lend her a helping hand and scare the living daylights out of her tormentors, not to mention being one of the few who didn't deem it necessary to freeze in fright at the mere sight of him and treated him like any one would to a friend, really, whoever coined the term opposites attract must have been a genius of the highest pedigree because Zero can't find anyone else so vastly different from him, while here he is obligated to do what's right as part of his reintegration back into polite society, Iris was already...

dare he say it?

Perfect

From the getgo, she was already more genuine, sincere, precious...almost unattainable...and for someone as tainted and soiled as he is...

Another laugh, and Zero could almost imagine himself alongside her, the only one beside her in a roomful of ghosts

Forbidden

Zero activated the zoom in function even closer on his prey, the curve of her lips to the nape of her neck to her collar, and finally the slight curve of her breasts-

Zero unintentionally, hitched his breath ,losing him self for a moment and contemplating maybe, just maybe, I'll just go over there, never mind the stares and the wrongness of it all, I'll just-

And suddenly Iris smiled, for all intents and purposes, looking very much like the angel that she already is and looking like everything unattainable in Zero's eyes

Zero clenches his fists, ready to act whatever crazy thoughts his clouded mind has suddenly cooked up

CODE RED CODE RED, ALL UNITS PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT

ESCALATING MAVERICK ACTIVITY SIGHTED AT AREA 51

At this all reploids dropped, literally, whatever it is they were currently holding a while ago as they make a mad dash to their stations,

Zero sighs, out of frustration and...relief? He couldn't really figure what suddenly went on with his mind a second ago, it almost seemed like he wanted to do something to Iris...something...forced

What?

"Zero what's wrong? Stop spacing out and get to the weapons area pronto!" X snapped which decidedly ended whatever Zero was thinking on, the heat of the upcoming battle escalates and as the synthetic adrenaline kicked in on Zero's system amidst the thundering metallic footsteps surrounding his hearing periphery, Zero can't help but inwardly smirk at the anticipated battle

and out at the corner of his eye, something smooth and brown whipped out from the right corridor, and even then Zero felt his blood lust decrease slightly, and unseen by anyone, allowed himself the tiniest of smiles before continuing to the inevitable battle.

Author's notes: I figured Zero would have PTSD I mean, c'mon, a rampant reploid AND human killer suddenly becoming the model citizen (reploid, whatever) after having a few sessions with X? If reploids are anything like humans, it takes a hell of a lot more time to become sane enough to rejoin society, then again, they're reploids so they could just be reprogrammed, but then again look at Sigma lol, so yes, Zero here has PTSD and next chapters might probably be darker (and consequently more interesting mwahaha B} )

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it R&R please and next chapter's from Iris' POV before we go on to the, raunchier parts B), rating WILL go up in later chapters, have a good day peeps!