Disclaimer: I don't own Megaman or anything related to it, but some of the reploids mentioned that don't otherwise show up in the fic belong to either me, my friend Rama Olendris, or both of us.

Author's Note: All I've really got to say is that I started this on the 4th of July (2007) and finished it the next day. Nice timing huh? As for the names "Toby" and "Kaneki", the reploids do have real names, but I don't know if these are the actual ones. Bear with me. Other than that, enjoy the fic.

"This Fourth of July do yourself a favor and-" Click. "And things are getting underway with the parade-" Click. "-fireworks, and everybody is waiting in anticipation for-" Double click. Finally Zero let out a growl of frustration and turned off the TV. No matter where he looked, TV, radio, internet, it was always '4th of July this' and '4th of July that'. Frankly the tradition of the ancient holiday was grating on Zero's nerves like nothing else. What use was there for a reploid to even consider celebrating the holiday when they couldn't legally be considered people? It was enough to make him want to shoot something; or better yet, hack it apart with his saber.

Maybe it would have been different if he and the other Maverick Hunters had at least gotten a 'thank you' for their efforts thus far. Did they? No, instead they got nothing in return for preventing- what was it again?- oh yes, the destruction of the human race! That was bad enough, but the curt, "You've done your job, good for you," was just a flat out insult. Especially since the way it had been stated by none other than the president of the U.S. brushed off the Maverick Hunters like they were nothing more than dogs or tools. As if the thought of thanking them ranked up there with thanking a washing machine. So far as Zero could tell the others were accepting it with a certain amount of grace. Had it not been for Blues's ranting and bitching (there was no other term for it really), Zero would have been convinced that he was the only one rankled by the current state of affairs.

Letting out an irate huff the blond reploid dropped the remote on the couch, crossed his arms, and glared at the offending media instrument. 'If I could get away with destroying it, I would.' It was in this peculiar state that X chanced upon him.

Opening the living room door, the shorter reploid cautiously poked his head in and quietly stared at Zero with wide and curious eyes. Upon seeing that the television was in no danger of being mercilessly hacked into about a million pieces X let out a sigh of relief. Trusting that this was a good indicator of his best friend's mental state, the brunette stepped fully into the room. "Kaneki? Are you okay?"

Glancing up Zero gave a brief nod. X's use of his chosen name just showed how much he was concerned. "I'll be fine Toby. I just want to…," here he laughed, "I almost feel like a Maverick for saying this, but I really want to hurt a few choice people."

X gave one of his innocent yet sympathetic looks that made anyone who knew him just want to pick him up and nuzzle him. Fortunately Zero was for the most part immune to this urge, or at least he could ignore it better than most. "It's because of the president, isn't it?"

"Him and the entire damned group of fools that didn't even bother to think what hell we had to go through for their sake. Oh yeah, and this holiday is ridiculously stupid too. I think that about sums it up." The green-eyed bishounen motioned lazily toward the TV. "I've had enough of the Independence Day crap to make me gag."

"You aren't going to try to destroy the TV again, are you?" Toby's concerns were well founded- just the day before they'd lost one of their TVs due to Zero shooting it with Toby's X-Buster. That wasn't even counting the later abuse heaped on it by Blues. To say the least both of them had been "grounded" by Professor Light and their "allowances" were being put into buying a new TV.

Zero let out a snort. "No, but I'd sure as hell like to. Better yet… Never mind, I'll leave all of the death-threat bitching to Blues." Toby didn't know whether to feel relieved at this comment or wary. Not that he was afraid in any way, shape, or form that Kaneki's venting would turn to focus on him; he just didn't want to have to help clean up another giant scorch mark. In his opinion the first one was bad enough, there didn't need to be a repeat.

Letting out a sigh X's eyes met his brother's, both sympathy and dread warring in his mind. "It's- I'm not saying that what they did was right in any sense, but what can you expect from anyone that knows barely anything about reploids? For all they knew… we might as well have been like service robots." A sharp bark of laughter came from the blond and caused the briefest frown to flicker across X's face.

"Toby, that may be; but the idiots should have figured it out the moment we had to hold Blues back from punching the president. With what Blues was saying there is no way they could have just completely assumed that we had no free will. Hell, even Axl made his point!"

"…True." Neither of them needed to repeat any of what Blues had said. His cursing and screaming had admittedly been unnecessary, but with it there could have been no doubt as to a reploid's capability for free will. "Zero… I know it's bad, but why don't we just enjoy the holiday? That could be fun at least."

"I don't see the point."

X hadn't expected so clipped a response and was a little thrown off by it. "W-what? Why?"

"Because," Zero's eyes turned toward the window, "It's supposed to be a holiday celebrating freedom. What point is there in celebrating it when we aren't going to be treated as though we are free and living? What point is there when people that high up refuse to admit their mistakes and insist on treating us like we're nothing but tools? When that… When the president went on the news to announce that we had done our jobs, he still didn't offer any thanks. Instead all he said was 'I give my thanks to whomever it was that created the reploids involved in saving our world'; as if we were worth nothing more than a footnote!" Kaneki broke off with rage rolling off of him in waves.

Toby gave a slightly saddened look that, had Zero been in a better mood, not even he would have been able to resist glomping him for. X quietly strode over, plopped himself into the seat next to his brother, and hugged him. Zero blinked and hesitated for only a moment before returning the hug. The brunette smiled one of his insanely adorable smiles that said he knew when he'd had a victory; Zero was glad that it wasn't a pout- that would have been harder to resist.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, neither really bothering or feeling the need to talk. Sometimes things were just made better by such silences, and it was certainly calming if nothing else. X was about ready to break the silence to ask Zero a question as to whether or not he'd actually chose to enjoy the holiday, and then suddenly Axl barged into the living room practically beaming.

"Hey! I've got the perfect idea! We've got fireworks and Blues an' I are planning on setting a few off. Do you wanna join us? We already roped Alia, Sherri, Tiki, and Lionel into it." The hyperactive energy in Axl made his eyes gleam in anticipation; clearly he intended to have fun with this.

"I don't know…," Zero started.

"If it's about the whole stupid 'Independence Day isn't set up for reploids'; then forget it already. Blues said that and he changed his mind. Besides- EXPLOSIONS, big explosions… and we can get away with it. And since I know how P.O.ed you are about the whole 'president being an idiot', I also know you'll get some fun out of making things blow up. C'mon- it's a little holiday-approved senseless destruction. It'll be so worth it!"

Zero looked both amused and convinced that Axl was crazy. X looked back and forth between the two of them- and then locked his eyes on Zero. Within less time than it would take him to blink, the blond was faced with two sets of (mostly) green puppy eyes. Had his tolerance for sweets been less, Zero would have been on the floor with one of his eyes twitching. It was a rare occasion when these two brothers of his ganged up on him like this. "Alright! Alright already! Stop looking at me like that- I'll go!"

Axl grinned devilishly, "Good. I win."

"Win what? A brain?," Zero teased.

"Hey!"

Jumping to his feet Toby beamed, "Let's go, c'mon Zero." And so saying he started gently tugging the blond to his feet.

Rolling his eyes Kaneki stood up and followed his brothers outside. Independence Day may not have originally been meant for reploids; but as he watched a rocket shoot up into the air Zero had to admit, maybe it wasn't so bad.

End

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