"Well, it's a little hard after you've run out of curse words..." X mumbled, as he stared up at the airborne vampiress. Torrent Rafale was seated on one of the nooks high on the wall.

Zero grabbed for his Beam Sabre, but his hand felt nothing but air. "What the hell? WHERE'S MY SABRE??"

Zero heard soft laughter and turned to face Lilac, one of the new Maverick Leaders.

"NightShade! Lookey what I got!" Lilac chirped, as she flashed Zero's Beam Sabre in the air in front of her.

Lilac's name fitted her appearance. She was a light purple and pink, short, and always giggling. In other words, a little annoying pest. "Hey NightShade!! Lookit MEEE!!!" She swung the sabre with all her force, and was thrown to the floor. "Oww!! Oops... No no! Lemme try again!"

"Shut up Lilac..." NightShade demanded, in a threatening voice. "X! I've got what you want right here!" She dangled a piece of paper from the talons on her foot. "Face it, it's all over....It's NO USE to try fighting u---"

"LOOK!!" Lilac screamed, as she balanced the Beam Sabre on her nose. "I DID IT!!" Zero growled at the mistreatment of his weapon.

"Shut UP Lilac!!!" NightShade warned.

"What NightShade was trying to say was," Torrent continued, "Um...in a way, your doomed. Hehe! But it's not like we won't ENJOY ripping you apart! X, you've destroyed me in the past, now I think it's time I repay the favor!!"

Torrent Rafale leaned back on his back legs, and sprung forward onto X's chest, knocking him to the ground. Torrent put his claws on X's shoulders, and slowly rakes his sharp talons down X's chest. X yelled out in pain, and tried desperately to throw Torrent off, but was unable to.

Lilac lightly tugged on NightShade's pointed tail. "Hey! What are we going to do with these two Hunters?"

NightShade glared at Lilac, and landed. "We're going to kill them, of course." She replied simply.

Lilac seemed genuinely surprised. "K--kill them??" She stuttered, "But they're the only Hunters left! We don't NEED to kill them! And, they. even though they're Hunters, are still our Reploid brothers! Let's just take them back to Maverick Headquarters."

"I SAID we're going to kill them! They're betrayers of their own race, and we needn't have them around." NightShade snapped.

"But, they still have the right to live! That's what Lord Sigma told me when I first joined! We only kill the ones who get in the way. THEY aren't in the way anymore! Please! Don't kill them!" Lilac whined.

"SHUT UP!" NightShade grabbed Lilac's pink ponytail and lifted her feet off the floor. "I told you what was going to happen, and STILL you whine! SHUSH! You know how much you annoy the hell out of me anyway?" You're walking on thin ice..."

X yelped out in pain again, as Torrent Rafale slammed his fist into his face.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM!!!" Lilac screamed, as she struggled in the air. "I HATE this!!! Mavericks only killed the Hunters because they were holding us back from what is rightfully ours: The rule over humans! You aren't doing what Master Sigma said! This isn't about peace and freedom for Reploids......it's all one big power hunger!!!!!"

NightShade's eyes bore a hole through Lilac. "SHUT UP!!!!!!!!" she screameed hysterically, throwing Lilac down on the floor in front of her. "Do you have any idea WHO I AM!?? I told you to shut up... no.....I ORDERED you to shut up, and you ignore me!! Do NOT defy me!!! Now, KILL Zero!!"

Lilac stared up bravely. "NO!!! I'll NEVER do what you say, you MURDERER!!"

NightShade gave a hellish scream, and leapt onto Lilac. She opened her mouth wide, exposing her terrible fangs, and sank them deep into Lilac's neck.

Lilac gave a hideous shreik, as her vital fluids were drained out of her. Her eyes slowly fell shut, permanently.

NightShade stood up and wiped away the blood on her lips. She smiled, satisfied.

Zero mumbled, "THAT kind of thing is exactly the reason we broke up!"

NightShade grabbed the Beam Sabre from Lilac's cold hand, and raised it high into the air. "Ah, Zero, my love...I'm so sorry you had to be a Hunter... I would love to keep you around, but the fact is, you're a betrayer, and that's it. Ta-ta."

With a simple flick of her wrist, she threw the sabre at Zero, hitting him square in the chest.

Zero reeled backward, and crashed to the floor. He coughed, and blood began to creep from the sides of his mouth.

NightShade shook her head. "Tsk Tsk. So many know, but you and Lilac just didn't listen. Don't EVER cross me..." She exploded in a fit of laughter that echoed throughout the room.

Zero lay on his back, with the blood from his chest running down his neck. The last thing he heard was X's cry of pain, then the room blacked out...