A/N - Capcom owns Megaman Zero. Not me. Now, I hope you all enjoy, also a majority of the OCs belongs to me, except for Ringo, she's my friend's OC.

(Meanwhile)

Zero is sleeping peacefully while Passy flying around his head, with her hand on her chin and, flying left and right. She sighs and thinks to herself, "Ugh... his personality is still processing! I understand he's basically ancient, but still! I wish Ciel gave him more time to process... than again... people would be suspicious to see a teenager walking during weekdays and avoiding school, and him getting into trouble with the authorities since Zero's identity is an government secret that only the higher ups knows... ugh!"

Passy groans quietly to avoid waking Zero up, who is soundly asleep. She's willing to admit; he seems perfectly okay, but she knows better than to assume; Zero's mind is still trying to process the two, clashing personalities, which is why he acts like a generic husk to keep him somewhat stabilised, but that isn't going to last long.

"Looks like I have to speed up the process... and now..." Passy whispered to herself, knowing that, if she screws up, than he'll end up breaking down, but if she doesn't do it now, than people are gonna treat him like a husk. A empty person with barely any personality.

Passy takes a deep breath and readies herself as she takes out a digital, small keyboard and start working on Zero.

(Tuesday 25th, at Neo Arcadia High)

In a prestigious looking school, where a bunch of students where the boys are wearing white blazers with light blue ties, white uniform shirts, black polyester trousers and black shoes, while the girls wears different white clothes such as some wears the blazers, while others wears a blouse or black vest over their white long sleeved shirts, but all of them wear a blue tie or bow, black skirts and shoes.

A familiar brunette girl waits outside of the school's gate where she is just waiting for someone. Until she sees two boys; one with magenta hair with a black highlight, and an metal hand, and the other boy with dark blue emo hair that covers his left side of his brown eyes. She takes a deep sighs in disappointment where the magenta haired boy yells "Yo! What's up, Iris?!"

"... Hey Al..." Iris mumbled.

"... Well... this is a lot awkward than I hoped..." The boy named Al said.

"... Let's just go." The blue haired boy told Al off.

"Come on, I understand what... ah... never mind. Forget what I was about to say." Al realised that bringing that event up would be an extremely bad idea.

"..." The boy stayed quiet and gives a quick glare at Iris before walking away.

"H-Hey!" Al shouted out as he chases after him, "Wait up, Shawn!"

"..." Iris takes a deep sighs and glances to the floor, than she hears another voice, but this time, from an old friend, she yells happily, "Ah! Ringo!"

Ringo walks up to Iris and says, "Yo Iris! I saw that perv and asshole talking to you. They didn't do anything, did they?"

"N-No! Don't worry!" Iris ensured her, "Everything is fine. I promise!"

Ringo takes a deep sigh and rubs the back of her head as she says, "Alright than. I'll hold you to that! Still... I fucking hate Mondays! It really sucks!"

"Hehe, let's be honest, who doesn't?" Iris replied jokingly as the two girls walk to the school and continues their conversion.

"Yep! So true!" Ringo replied, "Seriously?! I rather skip school than this shit!"

"Ringo! You can't risk that!" Iris told her off.

"I know, I know," Ringo sighed, "But still... I just can't bare being in this dumpster fire! Especially after last month! Oh... shit!"

Iris looks down on the ground and takes a deep sigh as she says, "It's fine... I understand what you mean... ever since he died... everything changed... even though we try to act nothing happened... it... nothing could change the atmosphere..."

"... Yeah... even after what happened last month, it's still burns in everyone's mind," Ringo admitted, "Even if Ethan is an annoying brat... nobody deserve that fate..."

"... Yeah... I..."

"Don't say it's your fault, Iris," Ringo told her as she pats her shoulder, which Iris jumps a bit and turns to her, "Look... just because you reject him doesn't mean it's your fault. It has nothing to do with you."

"... I know... but... when people found out about that just a week later..." Iris explained in an sad tone.

"I'll just beat them up, no worries Iris!" Ringo ensured her, "You're my best friend since we were kids, and I'll be damned if anything happens to you!"

"Heh, always the protective one..." Iris smiled softly, and nods, "And... thank you."

"No problem, Iris!"

"Iris! Ringo!"

The two girls hear yelling as they turn to the entrance to the school, where they see a freckled face boy with curly, grey-white hair and purple eyes. Iris smiles and wave her hand back as she yells "Ah! Hi Noah!"

"Hey Iris!" The boy named Noah greeted them.

The three runs up to each other where the boy says, "You guys okay?"

"Well, it would be better if it wasn't Monday," Ringo commented, "But generally, yeah."

"Yeah... sorry... just didn't sleep last night, honestly." Iris told them, which the two gives her concern looks on their eyes.

"What happened, Iris?" Noah asked with concern.

"... I keep having those horrific dreams... of me being killed..." Iris answered honestly, "I-I know those are just dreams, but at the same time... it feels very familiar..."

"Do you see the bastard in your dream?" Ringo asked her.

"... Yeah... I couldn't see his face, but I already know who," Iris told them, and says, "... And it's Zero..."

"Wait?! THE Zero!? One of the legendary trio?!" Noah asked in shock, "I-I mean! That's impossible! Those three swore an oath to protect humanity! Why would he kill you?!"

"I-I don't know... the dream is still fuzzy..." Iris admitted.

"... Well, there's no point in thinking about it!" Ringo told them, "Let's change the topic, k?"

"Yeah... oh yeah!" Noah remembered, "I heard rumours about a new transfer student coming in!"

"Wait, really?" Iris gasped in shock, as she tries to move on from the topic.

"Yeah! Definitely!" Noah told them, "Though... I heard one rumour that is... pretty unsettling..."

"Get on with it, Holmgran!" Ringo yelled at him, which startles him.

"Okay! Okay! I will!" Noah tried to calm her down, "A student saw the new one... and said that the student look similar to... Ethan Wily..."

Ringo's and Iris' faces turns pale once they hear his name... the name of the boy who died. It seems so... outlandish. Impossible. Until Noah notices their expressions and says, "However! It's only one guy, so maybe he just made it up. We don't know for sure!" As an attempt to calm them down.

"Y-Yeah... I mean... it would extremely weird and awkward if the new student is like that playboy!" Ringo said with some stuttering.

"... Yeah..." Iris agreed as she nervously giggles.

"... Though, I don't see the point in telling us that." Ringo admitted

"W-Well, just to be safe," Noah cautioned, "Even though it's less than one percent chance of that happening. I mean, seriously?! It's a very low chance an random person would look like someone else unless they're a genetic clone or identical twins!"

"Y-Yeah! Precisely!" Iris stuttered, "...Regardless, we should get into the building."

"Do we have to?!" Ringo groaned, "I wish I could have stayed at home, honestly!"

"Unfortunately... it's the law to attend school unless sickness or whatever." Noah noted.

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Ringo accepted grumpily, "Doesn't change the fact school sucks."

"Heh, you're not wrong there, Ringo." Iris giggled as the trio enters the school, where many students are chatting with their friends.

The trio turns to see a dark skinned, very tall and fat human boy with white hair and blue eyes, laughing at a sickly looking and short male reploid with grey-teal hair and teal tired eyes, with his buddies as the human is refusing to give back his lunch.

"Awe, what's wrong trash? Need your food?" The white haired boy taunted him.

"I-I-I!" The reploid stuttered while on the verge of tears.

"Awe, is the robot gonna cry?" Another human taunted him, "Are you gonna cry to your mummy? Oh wait! Metal freaks don't have parents!"

"A-Ah..." the Reploid starts to sob while the human boys continued to laugh at him.

Noah grits his teeth angrily as he rushes to stop them, which Iris and Ringo follow after him with the blonde yelling, "Oi! Wait up!"

The purple eyed boy glares at the bully and yells, "Oi! Quit being an asshole, Nikan!"

"Oh great, it's the metal freak lover!" The white haired boy named Nikan, "Don't tell me you're pissed that I'm taking the shithead's lunch?"

"Yes! Very!" Noah reprimanded, "Now give it back to Dotty!"

"P... I... ahem..." the reploid named Dotty stuttered while crying.

"Ha! I'm giving the tin head a favour by getting rid of his shitty food!" Nikan said just as he slams down the food to the ground.

"N-No!" Dotty bursted into even more tears as his food.

"Wha-what the hell is your problem?!" Noah yelled at him out of anger.

"What? He's an machine. He should be drinking oil, not food!" Nikan pointed out, which anger Noah even more, "What are you gonna do about it? Punch me? Oh wait! You can't cuz you're pathetic and small!"

"... Grrr..." Noah growled just as he is about to clutches his fist... but than Ringo rushes in to punch Nikan in the face.

"Gah! Fuck!" Nikan swore as he falls down to the floor, where his goons freaks out and tries to help him out.

"Ah-WAAHHH!!!" Dotty screamed and cried as he runs away from the situation.

"Let's get out of here, Noah!" Ringo told him as she grabs both of Iris' and Noah's hands as the trio runs out of there.

"Grr... you bastards!" Nikan yelled at them as they run away from them.

(Later in class 3-F)

Ringo and the other two slams open the door as she rushes into the class. The trio takes a deep sigh as the boy lays his back against the wall while Iris collapses on the floor on her rear and says, "Whew... we made it..."

"Yeah... sorry... guys..." Noah apologised while breathing heavily.

"Y... yeah... whatever..." Ringo breathed, "Just... god... damn... it, Noah!"

"Sorry..."

"Wow... you guys must have seen some bad luck happening..." A dark-haired female reploid commented with a creepy look to her eyes.

"Shut... it... creep!" Ringo told her off.

"Hehe... whatever you say, you poor fools..." The female reploid replied with giggles, which made the trio uncomfortable with her.

"Ugh..." Ringo groaned as she takes a deep breath, "What a fucking creep..."

"Yeah..." Noah sighed as he takes another deep breath and stretches his back as he goes to his seat, "We should be somewhat safe here."

"I hope so..." Iris commented, "Even though Nikan goes to our class as well..."

"If he tries something funny, I'll beat him up." Ringo declared to Noah and Iris.

"I wish I was that strong..." Noah told them, and whispers, "But I don't want people to found out my background..."

"Yeah... we know..." Iris mumbled as she takes a seat to calm down. "Man... that running really did an effect."

"Hey guys!" A pink haired young girl with pigtails, two mechanical limbs on an right arm, and leg, and different coloured eyes, called out cheerfully, "Did you guys hear about a new students?"

"Y-Yeah. I just told them." Noah told her, which made her frown a bit.

"Awe..." The girl moaned.

"Sorry, Gia." Noah apologised to the pink haired girl named Gia.

"Hehe! Nah! It's fine!" Gia replied with optimism. "Anyways, see ya guys!"

"Bye Gia!" Iris waved her hand at the pig tailed girl who went to her seat.

"... God that girl is weird..." Ringo mumbled.

"Ringo!" Iris told her off.

"What? It's true." Ringo replied, "That girl is too cheerful to the point it feels unnatural honestly."

"D-Don't you think that's a bit far?" Noah told her, "I mean... isn't she like Al? They're both cyborgs, but they keep an optimistic attitude. I think that's admirable."

"Eh... I have a feeling they're faking it," Ringo told them, "Just an guts feeling."

Just before Iris could argue back, the school bell was suddenly rang, than an purple haired female reploid walks into the class and says, "Alright! Get to your seats now! The teacher should be coming by now!"

"Ugh... her..." A gyaru aka an human girl with platinum blonde hair with hot pink/blue highlights and fake tanned. She is just sitting on her desk as she is tapping her cutesy pen.

"Excuse me, Miss Arimu!" The purple haired girl told her off as she walks up to her and slams her hand on her table.

"... You heard me, little miss student council president!" The gyaru replied back.

"First, my name is Alphina!" The council president named Alphina told her off, "And second, you are not only being disrespectful, but also not wearing the proper uniform... AGAIN!"

"Ugh, I don't need to deal with this again..." The rebellious girl complained.

"Why I atta-"

"Oi! Everyone sit down!" An black haired woman called out, which Alphina rushes to her desk as fast as she could. "Good. Now... before we start the reception... mm? Where's Nikan?"

"..." Nobody is willing to answer the question, either they don't bother or just don't know. Than a pink eyed boy stands up from his chair.

"Yes Seran?"

"Lady Jordan! I strongly believe that foul delinquent must have abandoned this important class today!"

"..." The woman named Miss Jordan groaned and just like, "... Seran, please don't say that about your classmate. And second, if you don't have anything important to say, than please don't speak about it... just please..."

"A-Apologises, Miss Jordan!" The Reploid replied as he sits back down.

"Nothing?" Miss Jordan asked. "In that case, I'll start the day by introducing the new transfer student from America."

"An American?"

"I hope it's a chick!"

"Same!"

"I hope it's a hot guy!"

"Omg! Same!"

"Now, quiet down everyone." Miss Jordan told them in a rather tired tone, but they continue on talking, "... Oh my god... ugh..."

"Silence you all!" Alphina told them off, "Miss Jordan haven't finished explaining! Let her finish!"

"Thank you, Alphina..." Miss Jordan thanked her in a rather bored tone, "Now... oh right, I should let him in... Mr Knight! You can come in!"

The door opens up as the students stare at the new student with enthusiasm... but than their eyes goes from excitement to outright disgust, horror, confusion or all of it together as they see the new student turns out to be Zero with Passy by his side.

"Everyone, please meet Zack Knight..." Miss Jordan said in an rather shameful manner as she avoids eye contact with her students and looking down on the ground.

"... What..." Shawn mumbled in horror as he just stares in horror.

"Hello everyone!" Zero greeted everyone happily, "The name's Zack Knight. Pleasure to meet you all!"

Instead of the expected everyone asking questions... it's just awkward silence as some of them are whispering to one another, and some are just staring at him with discomfort or outright disgust.

"Doesn't he look like Ethan?" One kid whispered.

"He does, doesn't he?"

"Looking at him is so uncomfortable..."

"Tell me about it..."

Zero is completely speechless as this is completely the opposite of what he hoped for, while Passy is just looking away and thinks, "... This is exactly what I'm afraid of..."

"... You..."

Shawn suddenly stands up abruptly as Al, who is sitting next to him, says "H-Hey Shawn! Wha-what are you doing?"

"... Shut up..."

"Ahem... is... is there something wrong?" Zero asked Shawn... who suddenly walks up to him as Miss Jordan gets in the way.

"Mr Light! Get back to your seat now!" Jordan told him off.

"... No..." Shawn mumbled.

"Excuse me?!"

"... I said... NO!" Shawn bursted into anger as he shoves his home room teacher and rushes to punch Zero in the face, who quickly ducks down.

"What the hell?!" Zero blurted out in shock.

"... How... how dare you..." Shawn stuttered angrily as his face is boiling red and tearing up, "HOW DARE YOU USE HIS FACE!?"

"That's enough!" Miss Jordan told him off as she tries to hold him back, "Alphina! Take him to the principle office! Now!"

"Yes Miss Jordan!" Alphina understood as she rushes in to grab Shawn by the wrist.

Thankfully, Alphina is an Reploid, so she was able to pull Shawn from the class while Shawn is struggling to get out of the president's hand. Just as the two left, the class goes back to awkward silence, but Miss Jordan cough into her fist and says, "... Ahem... Mr Knight, please seat next to Noah that is close to the back."

"Sure..." Zero replied uneasily who is quite startled of what just happened and rather uncomfortable with the way people are staring at him as he walks past them.

"... That boy..." Iris thought as Zero walks past her. "... I... I..."

(Flashback)

The two girls in Mallaza walked past Zero as he is too focused on his own thoughts, but Iris' eyes widen and quickly turns around.

"Mm? What's wrong, Iris?" Ringo asked the brunette.

"... I... nothing..." Iris lied as she shakes her head, "Sorry... I thought I saw something."

(Flashback ends)

"... Oh no..." Iris thought as she could not focus on the class, which continue on despite the uncomfortable silence due to the situation.

A/N - I hope I did well in this chapter, and made sure Ringo is in character. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode, and staying safe out there. Aqua out!