Element of Chaos

This is an alternate continuation of Dunbans Sacrifice, following on from the end of the second chapter

Despite clearly having the upper hand Xord lowers his hammer and backs away.

"Pardon my rudeness, but I'm afraid I must dash. It seems we have a bit of a domestic issue demanding my attention. I'm sure we'll get another chance to get better acquainted later."

Xord activates his flight systems and rapidly leaves the battle. Sharla dashes over to a prone Juju.

"Juju! Are you okay?"

"Fine I guess, nothing worse than a few bruises thanks to you guys"

"What do you suppose just happened?"

"Well whatever it was, it was a stroke of luck for us."

"You okay Fiora?"

"I'm okay….well…to be honest equal parts relieved and angry. I think if we could've taken him down it would have felt like a bit of justice for Dunban, but saying that I think Dunban'd probably be happy just knowing we got out this alive."

"Let's get back to the camp. That fight took a lot out of us."

"It wasn't quite as bad the fight with Metal Face, but it was still too bloody one sided. We're gonna have to find a way through that armour next time."

"I think we might have made some headway there already. He might've been immune to the monado to begin with, but my rifle left a few scars on him from the outset so he's definitely not completely resistant to ether."

"So perhaps some kind of high energy ether attack really would work. Maybe we should try to contact Dickson, he's been working on beating mechon armour for a while now. Last time I checked he wasn't using ether though; he was trying to make weapons out of mechon parts, and the early results were promising."

"Huh? Was it just me it was there a flash on the Mechonis?"

"Now that you mention it I think I saw something. Not sure what it means mind…"

A deep rumble rolls across the plains.

"Not another thunderstorm! I swear the weather round here just can't make its mind up."

"That's odd; that sounded like thunder, but I didn't see any lightning…in fact there's barely even any clouds…"

Meanwhile on mechonis

"Sister, are you okay? Please, respond!"

"I'm fine brother, it was close but the shielding held, so I've got nothing worse than ringing ears."

"What's the damage status?"

"Thankfully highly localised, so most of the central factory is still functioning. Repairs will be initiated once we've got the fires extinguished. In terms of overall function we lost nothing irreparable, but our power grid has suffered so the facilities here will be markedly underperforming until this is rectified."

"I understand. We'll transfer the relevant details to Galahad. So what happened?"

"I have no idea how, but it seems our newest face unit managed to override the central control protocol and break his restraints. I dread to think what the strain must have done to him though."

"So he wasn't destroyed?"

"Astonishingly he survived, although many of his more delicate systems were likely damaged beyond repair, and unfortunately his tracking units are most likely amongst them."

"Tracking units…do you mean to say he's escaped?"

"That does appear to be the case. I had hoped once the dust settled we'd find him in a state of shutdown, but the external surveillance detected him passing through mechonis airspace."

"I suppose this means the call for backup was too late to restrain him, but at least it means your security is improved."

"You don't think he'd turn on us?"

"I'm not sure what to expect. What's got me even more worried is how much power he demonstrated back there."

"He shouldn't have been capable of that, although the face unit ether circuit itself does give rise to a degree of unpredictability…no, he simply shouldn't have been capable of that…unless somehow his core…"

"Well it's happened now; we have to deal with this. Judging from the video feed, it looks like he went completely berserk, so I don't think we can salvage him. We're just going to have to accept Ebon Face as lost."

"Very well…sigh…given that he was last seen heading towards Bionis airspace I don't think we'll need to perform any real sort of mobilisation here. If he does come back the forces at Galahad should be able to intercept him, although we'll be relying on visual or thermal; that black finish he has isn't just for looks, it incorporates radar camouflage."

"Do you have any sort of feedback from his systems?"

"It's not completely reliable but we did get something…let's see, looks like he did sustain damage to his secondary systems. Nothing that'll hamper his actual direct combat functions but…his radars out, his tracking unit's gone...hang on, we're still getting some feedback from his general systems status relay. It's heavily corrupted but…if we triangulate the signal it'll give us a primitive means of locating him. It won't be terribly accurate but it'll at least give us an indication as to which area of Mechonis or Bionis he's occupying."

"What's the status of his power supply?"

"It's more or less intact, but I suspect he'll have drained his batteries considerably in process of breaking out."

"So I suppose we could just wait until he shuts down from exhaustion."

"Not an option in his case. I went ahead with the proposed cannibalisation systems so he'll be able to recharge himself from ether crystal deposits or disabled mechon."

"That complicates matters; perhaps I should have reconsidered that particular system."

"There's nothing wrong with it in principle. His primary weapon system is decidedly power hungry so it gives him an effective means of recharging in the field. I still think we should include it in the designs for next generations of face units, and the Nemesis prototype already has a fully functioning variant."

"I suppose I didn't properly consider the prospect of a specialised face unit going rogue. We'll send a message to our forces already stationed on Bionis to watch out for him, and if possible try to deactivate him. Metal Face and Xord's combined strength should be enough to put him out of commission, and that's without considering the substantial quantities of standard mechon stationed with them."

"Brother, I know this is going to sound reckless but…I'd like to deal with this personally. I…I knew Ebon Face was going to be high risk. I didn't think it could turn out like this though and I feel responsible."

"Pursuing him would be suicide..."

"No it won't, I'll be using the Nemesis prototype."

"Hmph…very well, but if you encounter the heir you need to retreat, you'll have no defence against the Monado."

"Understood; if I find myself requiring further assistance Xord is already making his way back here so I'll have him accompany me."

Meanwhile somewhere on Bionis…

"Hmm…we might have a problem. I've intercepted an emergency signal from mechonis, some kind of testing accident."

"Why the concern? Ultimately mechonis will oppose us and this should put them at a disadvantage."

"It didn't appear in the projections. I know we can't directly see the future on mechonis, but we can still see the repercussions on Bionis that result from the events there…Ah, it would seem I used the term 'might' decidedly prematurely; our picture of the future just became opaque again."

"How much detail have we lost?"

"The near future is just about identical but clarity fades quite quickly, and then becomes completely obscured."

"The only time that ever happened previously the outcome was near catastrophic. Something has been set in motion that has the potential to leave our plans in ruins."

"It would be imprudent to leave things to chance now; with a distortion of this magnitude the scope of possibility is simply too great. We'll need to intervene directly in order to ensure fate returns to something resembling its original course."

"In that case use whatever resources you feel necessary…and consult with the others on this."

"They do not share our perspective…"

"Which is precisely why they might be better suited than us in figuring out the solution. Whatever it was that occurred on Mechonis, it has created an element of true chaos, and that's something fundamentally unacceptable. We should also consider our objectives to be reduced to their fundamental elements for the time being. We set ourselves certain rules of engagement when we initiated this scenario; if you see fit break these rules to preserve its shell."

A little later, back at Bionis leg…

"We should make a move on colony 6 as soon as possible. Whatever happened back there might have repercussions."

"Any idea on how we get in?"

"I haven't been back for a while so I don't really know what kind of state it's in. Most of the existing surface structures got decimated before we left, but the underground parts should still be useable."

"The ether mine connects to the bottom of the colony so you might be able to get in through there."

"We'll use that as our entrance then; assuming of course it's not guarded."

"Hmm…the main freight lift almost certainly will be since the shaft's large enough to allow even Xord to get in, so that way wouldn't likely be an option but…there is a drainage grate that we should be able to get through, plus it's small enough to prevent some of the bigger mechon from getting in."

"Any luck getting hold of Dickson?"

"Yes, but it'll be another day or two until they've got the air transports working again so he won't be able to meet up with us just yet. He did give me a little bit of advice though; mechon plate is susceptible to corrosion from high concentrations of ether. Any mechon in the ether mine should have their armour weakened by exposure, and contact with crude liquid ether will be enough to completely compromise it and leave them susceptible to conventional weaponry."

"That's all well and good but where exactly do you get your hands on concentrated liquid ether?"

"At the lowest level of the ether mine Reyn. It was only discovered recently but there's an actual ether river there."

Suddenly Earnest comes running into the camp.

"Everybody hide! There's a mechon scout heading this way!"

Everyone in the camp disappears into the caves and does their best to camouflage the area. Sure enough two mechon enter the camp shortly after.

"Shit…this might be the end of the camp. I know mechon aren't exactly smart but…"

A load roar cuts through the air. The two mechon react to this but don't seem to be able to detect anything. Suddenly a large black shape drops onto them. One of them is crushed and the other knocked over. The shape turns out to be some kind of faced mechon, about the same size as Metal Face, but with a jet black finish and a somewhat dragon like appearance, with wings and a tail, but an upright humanoid body. It has two flight units, one in each wing and unlike metal face articulated hands, but with sharpened fingertips, and its feet end in large claws. Its head is very different to other face units though, again having a very dragon like appearance, complete with six blue eyes, and large jaws.

The remaining mechon rises and tries to escape but it's grabbed by the face unit, which then proceeds to tear it apart. The face unit then examines the remains of the two mechon before eating bits of them. When it gets to the ether cylinders it actually stops to unscrew them before consuming the contents, seemingly aware of their volatility. Once it's finished feeding its black body becomes a little more illuminated by a red glow emanating from lines across it. Its eyes are also now glowing brighter, and glowing bright blue. The hilt of some kind of weapon holstered on its back can also be seen now. It then starts heading towards Sharla's hiding place, and appears to be sniffing the air.

"Sharla! It can smell your ammo! Drop the rifle!"

Fiora breaks cover and shouts at the face unit.

"Hey! Over here!"

She throws an ether crystal to one side of it. It catches the crystal and then eats it. The face unit seems to be interested in her, and then rather oddly tilts it head to one side.

"Okay…now what do I do? A little help here!"

"Hey, you want second helpings? Come and get them!"

Shulk waves an ether cylinder in the air and starts heading for the camp exit.

"(That thing feeds off ether so I just need to lure it away then chuck the cylinder and make a break for it myself…)"

Shulk's improvised plan rapidly becomes unstuck when the face unit simply leaps over him and blocks his exit.

"Ah…"

Shulk drops the cylinder and retreats. The face unit picks up the cylinder and then once again unscrews it and consumes the contents. As Shulk tries to get to the caves the face unit jumps over him again and blocks his escape.

"Not good..."

An empty cylinder ricochets off the side of its head.

"You want more food you're gonna follow me!"

Reyn starts running out of the camp, and the face unit gives chase.

"That's right, you just keep following, I've got a nice little surprise for you!"

Reyn keeps running towards the bridge, but the face unit is gaining on him.

"Aw shit! Just slow down a little will you! There's better menu options than me up ahead so just don't be so damn impatient!"

Reyn runs past the mechon waiting around the bridge area, and then turns and leaps off the cliff and into the lake before they can attack him. They don't get the chance to follow him as the face unit charges them and sets about making a meal out of them. Reyn swims back to the shore where Fiora has gotten ahead of the others.

"What's that old phrase…two birds with one stone? I guess it's three since I needed a bath as well."

"You still do. I take it you didn't notice the Ponios have got a nasty habit of doing their business in there."

Reyn spits the water out of his mouth.

"I filled by water bottle up from there, why didn't you warm me!"

"Hehehehehe! Just kidding, the water's clean enough to drink so don't worry about it."

"That was mean."

"Well don't be so gullible. If you want to go far in the defence force you're going to need to know about this sort of stuff. That's probably what's keeping you from getting promoted Reyn; your field survival knowledge is badly lacking."

"Nobody's perfect…and besides, if I get promoted I won't be Shulk's bodyguard anymore and I won't have an excuse to hang around with you two all the time."

Fiora ends up smiling at this and then helps Reyn out of the water.

"Aw come here you big softie…and you can give yourself a pat on the back, your plan worked. That cannibal mechon seems to have stuffed itself full and flown off."

"What the hell was that thing? I had no idea there was a mechon food chain."

"Look on the bright side; it seems to prefer eating mechon over homs."

"Even so, remind me to think something like that through next time. That was pretty bloody scary."

"Something odd about the look it gave me. It was...curious."

"You sure it wasn't just toying with its food?"

"No, it was hungry but it lost interest as soon as Shulk waved the cylinder at it, so I don't think it was sizing me up as a meal."

"Then why'd it come after me?"

"You did bounce a cylinder off its head; you might have gotten it a bit cranky."

"I've got a feeling we haven't seen the last of it so I hope it doesn't hold a grudge. With any luck we'll have more of a plan next time."

Shulk and Sharla catch up.

"Reyn, you're okay! You had us worried for a minute back there."

"Had to resort to little cliff diving, but looks like we've got rid of that thing and got it to remove the nearby mechon for now."

"That's a slight relief, but I'm not sure if those scouts identified the camp before they got turned into a snack so I don't know how safe it is back there."

"Well, that leaves us with two options then. Firstly we can try to move the camp, but that'll require the colony 9 air transports to be working again, and last we checked Dickson said they were still being repaired. Secondly we can try to take back colony 6 from the mechon."

"By the sounds of things the former option isn't going to be immediate, although the latter is pretty risky."

"We might face a bit less resistance now though, especially if that thing's been preying on the mechon round here."

"So, shall we head out?"

"We'll straighten things up back at the camp first, and you might want to get changed Reyn…"

"Wait a minute Sharla; Fiora just said the water's clean."

"It is; you certainly aren't though, you smell like a wet dog."

"Charming…"

"If it's any consolation you're not the only one Reyn; we haven't had chance to get a change of clothes with everything being so hectic."

The four of them get back to the camp and get cleaned up and changed.

"Right then, now that we're freshened up a little we need some sort of a plan. I reckon we should head out for colony 6, but we ought to consider getting the other plan in motion anyway."

"I agree. It'd be a bad idea to leave things to chance, and even if we deal with the mechon at colony 6 I don't think the mechon as a whole will be ignoring our decidedly hungry friend."

"So you think they'd send reinforcements to deal with it?"

"Almost certainly, and we still don't know what data those scouts sent back before they ended up as a side dish. If they know about the camp now they'll probably dispatch an attack group, so we'll need to intercept them. Even if they don't, there's still the chance any they could stumble on it accidently while searching for that thing."

"Dickson reckons another day to get something jury rigged enough for an emergency evacuation, and a few more to be able to clear up the camp completely."

"How're the defences here?"

"Questionable; the main advantage is the caves themselves; Something the size of Xord wouldn't be able to get in, and the smaller mechon don't stand up to ether rifles very well, plus trying to attack through the cave entrance would reduce it to a turkey shoot. The downside is the nearest thing we've got to trained soldiers here are some old timers, Earnest, and Juju, and in terms of military supplies we are not doing well. It doesn't help that those bloody Tirkin burglarised one of our supply stashes again. Defence against a small scale attack would be feasible, but with the supply and manpower problems holding out for only a very short period of time would be possible, and in the event of the defence collapsing there's no escape route either."

"So we've got ourselves a conundrum; that face unit will be drawing attention to itself and giving us a window of opportunity to take back colony 6, but in turn if we make a move now we leave the camp vulnerable until Dickson can get here."

"Right, perhaps we should take a vote. What do you think Sharla?"

"Well Fiora, I think we'd best wait until we can get some support. Our luck hasn't exactly been good and I've got a feeling if we tempt fate it'll come back to bite us."

"Okay, what about you Juju?"

"I can understand…but we've put our faith in our friends back at colony 6 to hold out, so I think you should do the same for the camp. I think we'll manage so I'd say make your move now."

"Okay, even so far. How about you Reyn?"

"I reckon we'd best wait. We know we can protect the people here, and I hate to say it but we've got no idea what's going on at colony 6. I don't think we should put the people here at risk for the sake of a chance."

"What about you Shulk?"

"I beg to differ again. If we attack colony 6 I think it'll have the side effect of drawing any roaming mechon back there. I also think Dickson will be able to get those transports working quicker than you might expect."

"So it's even again…I guess it comes down to me…"

Fiora has a flashback to colony 9, seeing Dunban saving her from Metal Face at the last second.

("…If I hadn't been so reckless Dunban might still be with us…no…it didn't happen like that! I made that move to save them, and if I hadn't Shulk and Reyn would have died as well. Time to stop doubting yourself Fiora; you did at least save them.")

"…I say we move on colony 6 as soon as we've made one last sweep of the camp. We check supply levels and fortifications just in case there's any critical weakness, but if there's nothing we direly need to address then it's time to make our move."

The party make some last checks of the camp. They decide to delay to service the weaponry and armour before they go.

"I think that's it, everyone ready?"

Juju has a brief chat with Sharla.

"Sis, don't worry about us. You concentrate on the task in hand; we'll be able to manage here for a couple days. Shulk's pretty confident this Dickson guy can get us out of here if need be so I'm sure we've got that eventuality covered."

"Okay then Juju, and don't worry about us either, you just make sure you stay safe."

The party notice Fiora has disappeared. Shulk calls out to her.

"Fiora, where are you, are you okay?"

Fiora steps out of the cave, although she's now wearing a new outfit.

"Well, I thought that armour had been ruined by those Tirkin, nice to see you've found a use for it."

Fiora is wearing a modified set of heavy armour. It covers her torso and abdomen, and leaves her shoulders, arms and legs up to the hips exposed. Metal plates cover her upper and lower legs and arms, but leave her elbows, just above and below the knees and hands exposed. Her exposed areas are covered by fabric, and a large number of belts span the gaps between the plated sections, and two belts crisscross over her chest.

"It's not so heavy now…I had to take out a few sections anyway since I think this was meant for someone bigger than me. I reckon it should give me a bit more defence without slowing me down since it isn't restrictive around my joints."

"I never knew you knew how to do that Fiora."

"Well Reyn, I helped Dunban repair his armour quite a few times in the past so I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm doing."

"Hold on a second, are those what I think they are?"

Reyn points to two visible hilts of weaponry on her back. Fiora draws the weapons.

"They're a bit shorter than what he preferred but yes, these are some of Dunban's swords, and as much as they're a bit heavier than my knives I think I can handle them now. I originally brought them along for sentimental reasons, but I think it'll more appropriate if these two get to keep taking mechon down."

Shulk walks up to Fiora and hugs her. Fiora is somewhat surprised that for once Shulk has been the one to initiate physical contact, but certainly not unhappy.

"Don't forget what we said; if ever there's anything on your mind we're always here for you to talk to."

Fiora reciprocates the hug.

"Looks like you figured out how I was feeling without needing to ask. I guess you noticed I've been deliberately avoiding bringing up Dunban to try to keep my mind from what happened. I know that's not going to help now; but I know I'm not alone either. I think I understand now how you must've been feeling Shulk, during those days after you first came to the colony. For the first time in my life I felt truly alone; even if it wasn't the case."

"What helped me through that was finding friends, and you and Reyn were always there for me…and we'll always be here for you now Fiora."

"Thank you…I guess thinking about it Dunban wanted me to live a peaceful life; we thought we'd seen off the mechon so I'm not surprised he was keen for me to stay out of the defence force. Everything's changed now though…and I've got the feeling that while this isn't exactly what he wanted, he'd still approve of me following in his footsteps now that the mechon are back."

Meanwhile in the skies around Bionis

"Okay; the data seems to be coming from this area. I guess even if it is garbage it still served a purpose."

"Can yer get anything a bit more accurate?"

"Afraid not; the signal becomes more diffuse as we close the distance."

"Well, I can't see this being too difficult; he's not exactly suited for a game of hide and seek."

"Finding him is only part of it Xord."

"Sounds like you're expecting a bit of a rumble. Don't worry your pretty little head; trouble's my department."

"While I appreciate your optimism, you might want to take a look at this footage we were able to recover from the break out."

"…well bugger me! I think I'm gonna need a bigger hammer."

"A straight up fight isn't likely to end in your favour. If we're going to go down that road you'll need backup."

"I suppose you'll be calling in Metal Face then."

"Possibly…"

"Pah! He ran off with his tail between his legs at colony 9; what makes you think he'll stand up to someone who can look him in the eye?"

"Bragging rights; he might be a coward but he likes to think he's the one at the top."

"I suppose that might work; but I reckon we'll see his arse disappearing off into the sunset if things get ugly."

"Hence my other plans. You might've already guessed but I'm equipped somewhat differently to face units."

"I know you said something about not having the same protection from the Monado; I would've tried to listen to the rest but my belly started growling."

"Sigh…next time we're back at Galahad I'm going to have to do something about your hunger issues. According to my diagnostics you're pretty much fully charged."

"I get hungry when I have to think about stuff."

"Well trust me; you don't need to eat at the moment. Anyway, the prospect of rogue face unit was one of the pillars of my design; I should be able to incapacitate him without having to beat him into submission."

"I guess that's why you're known as Lady Nemesis then."

"I'd prefer it if you didn't use that name. It's frankly embarrassing; m'lady will suffice."

"I get cha; would boss be okay? I normally talk to your brother so it's what I'm used to."

"I don't have a problem with that Xord."

"Something just came to mind; we've got radar; why aren't we using it?"

"He's got radar camouflage; it'll just be a waste of power."

"Maybe I'll have to take that back about hide and seek. Sounds like this Ebon Face is gonna be a real crafty bozo."

"…."

"You alright boss?"

"You were designed for direct assault Xord. No offence but I'm not sure if you're suited to a search operation."

"None taken; Speed and stealth ain't my game, and I can tell I'm slowing you down, but I'll still be pretty handy for the bit that comes after."

"Perhaps you won't need to search for him Xord."

"I don't think he'll just come to me boss."

"He will if you put yourself where he's most likely to go. He's going to be pretty hungry after his breakout and he is able to feed directly on ether cylinders and crystals."

"You reckon he's headed for the ether mine then?"

"Sooner or later he'll end up there. You'll have the advantage if you fight him there as well; he won't be able to press his agility against you and you'll have backup from the mechon stationed there."

"I don't like just sitting around, but fair's fair, someone needs to guard the mine as well. Might as well be me, but you're gonna need some more backup boss."

"I've got something planned Xord so you needn't worry; and besides, about the only things I'm not equipped to deal with are the Monado itself or a swarm of telethia."

"I guess this is where we part ways then. Where you headed first?"

"I'll take a low level flight across the leg region to start with."

Back with the party at bionis leg

"Is it just me or have things gotten a bit quieter round here?"

"Most of the animals are keeping a low profile Reyn; I've got a feeling that faced mechon might've spooked them."

Sharla takes a quick look through the sight on her rifle towards the bridge area.

"Little bit of good news; there's been no mechon redeployment."

"So we've got a clear run to the colony then?"

"As far as the bridge at least; it looks like the gogol's are still hanging about on the other side, but they won't come after us if we don't approach them."

"How come they've not made themselves scarce?"

"They're pretty much top of the food chain so they don't scare easily…hello, something's got their attention…they're making their way down the cliff face to the lake edge…what…well that's never happened before."

Shulk finds his binoculars.

"What is it Sharla?...oh, they seem to be heading away now, and fast…can't see what's scared them off though."

"We'll be able to see better from the bridge."

The party get partway across the bridge over the lake.

"Okay, let's have another look…ah, that explains why i've been feeling uneasy since we set off."

By this time Fiora and Reyn have managed to find some binoculars as well.

"Not sure I can see anything…just some sort of shadow near…"

"That's not a shadow Reyn."

"…It's that face unit again!"

The sun comes out from behind some clouds and illuminates the face unit, which seems to be slumped a short distance from a huge ether crystal deposit.

"It seems to be asleep."

On closer inspection the face unit is sat down with its back against the rock face with its head back, its jaws open and its legs apart. It then reaches a hand down and seemingly unconsciously scratches its crotch.

"…I think we can safely say its male."

A blue light returns to the face units eyes; it rises to its feet and stretches before making a silent yawn. It then shuffles over to the ether crystal deposit where it breaks off and eats a few pieces.

"I guess he's not so hungry; he's taking his time over those crystals. He seemed ravenous when he tore into those mechon…"

Something seems to startle it, and it retreats to secluded nook in the rock face.

"Well something's just spooked him, what do…"

"Shhh!"

"What is it Reyn?"

"…."

"I thought so; it's a mechon flight unit."

"Good ears you've got."

"A minor miracle considering what old square tache puts them through."

"It's getting closer; we'd better find some cover."

The party manage to find some vegetation to hide in. Once they've camouflaged themselves Fiora takes a quick look back.

"Where's he gone? We can't have taken out eyes off him for more than two minutes."

"I didn't hear anything so he hasn't flown off Fiora; pretty impressive that he can move that quietly mind."

The flying mechon comes into view. Unlike any previous mechon this one is a distinctive red colour. It slows its flight as it approaches the bridge, and then transforms, revealing it to be a faced mechon. It's smaller than metal face, but has a much sleeker design, giving the impression of being more advanced, and its overall shape is the most homs like of any faced mechon they've seen yet. It has what appears to be a mechanical skirt of sorts that contains its flight units, and thus combined with its overall body shape give the impression of it being female. It also doesn't seem to have any obvious weapon systems, and has articulated hands that look designed for fine motor co-ordination. It starts to mutter to itself a little.

"Now where could he have managed to hide himself? He shouldn't be that hard to spot; he's even bigger than me and I probably stand out like a sore thumb…heh…I guess that'll teach me to rely on radar…"

The face unit has a female voice. There's a groan from the bridge and she activates her flight systems, taking her weight off it.

"Oops! Well, it's still standing at least. A little odd mind; I'm not that heavy and I was under the impression homs constructions were generally pretty sturdy so…"

The other faced mechon suddenly swings itself up from the underside of the bridge, launches itself at her, and tackles her in mid-air. She lets out a cry of surprise, but reacts fast enough to ensure he doesn't have an advantage in the ensuing grapple. The two of them fall towards the lake edge and she activates her flight systems, slowing the descent. Once they land they continue to grapple, and despite her smaller size she seems to match him for strength. She then manages to break the grapple by head-butting him, sending him staggering backwards, but he remains standing.

"You won't get the better of me that easily Ebon Face!"

Ebon face takes a swing at her but she counters with a punch of her own. Their fists collide, and Ebon Face recoils from the impact while she seems unfazed.

"Tougher alloy I'm afraid; trading blows isn't going to get you anywhere."

Ebon face launches another attack; this time he attempts an open handed swipe, trying to make use of his sharpened fingertips, but she counters with an uppercut. He tries to ignore the impact and follows up with an attempt to grab her; she redirects his movement and sends him stumbling past her. She positions herself to counter attack, but he uses his clawed feet to stop himself and quickly spin around, closing the window of opportunity."

"Still something there I see; at least you realised your greater mass would give you an advantage in a grapple."

Ebon face leaps at her, attempting a diving kick, but she spins to evade him, and then in one smooth motion uses her rotation to initiate a roundhouse kick. It connects with his upper back, and she adds a downward motion to the strike, sending him face first into the ground. She steps back as he gets back to his feet.

"…grrrr…"

"Sigh…this isn't even how you're supposed to fight. Before…the way you moved was a thing of beauty, your dance of battle a work of art; but now you've been reduced to this…beast…"

Ebon face seems to respond this and changes his posture, looking less animal like and more akin to that of a homs.

"So it seems my words can still reach you after all. I'm not sure what's truly become of you but please stop this; I can still…"

"…Mechon…"

"You can still speak? That's a relief, I was worried…"

"…Destory…"

Ebon face charges at her again, but this time instead of just trying to strike her head on he feints to the side at the last moment, avoiding her counter. As he attacks she's forced to block the strike; he continues to attack, now better co-ordinated than before with faster, more precise strikes, no longer leaving holes in his defence, but for all his improved form she seems to be several steps ahead of him, and still manages to block or dodge his attacks with minimal effort.

"You can't beat me with simple brawling. I can match you for strength and I'm already faster than you; without some actual fighting skill you've already lost."

Ebon face persists in his assault and she seems to tire of simply defending and plants a boot firmly in his chest. He seems to have anticipated this though, and takes the hit before grabbing her leg. He then swings her around him and throws her into the air.

"That might've been a good plan against another face unit, but I think you'll find I have the advantage in the skies."

She repositions her flight units across her skirt as he activates his own and follows her. He attempts to continue combat in the air, but it quickly becomes clear her mobility far exceeds his in flight, as she's able to perform a series of rapid vertical and sideward dodges, effortlessly avoiding his attacks. After one miss leaves a sizeable gap in his defences she counters with an elbow strike to the back of his neck, stunning him momentarily, before grabbing him from behind. She wraps her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders and neck; then her flight units start to glow and she lifts both of them higher into the air, above the altitude of the bridge. Ebon face struggles, but he can't break free.

"I'm not your enemy so stop trying to fight me! My brother believes you need to be destroyed; I believe otherwise, so please, just stop…"

Ebon face activates his own flight units and tries to propel them both back towards the rock face in an attempt to slam her into it. She simply adjusts her own, flipping them both upside down before releasing her hold on him. He's disorientated by this and she takes full advantage; her forearms snap open and two long whip like cables emerge. She coils these around his legs and then spins before releasing him. He tries to slow himself but still impacts quite forcefully with the rock face; then he falls to the ground not far from the parties hiding place. He tries to get up again, but she lands on his back, pinning him to the ground.

"Please, come back to your senses! If you return with me peacefully I'm sure my brother can be convinced that you don't need to be deactivated…."

Ebon face tries to rise and starts to thrash about. She responds by coiling the whips around his neck. Lines across her body start to glow with a bluish light, and her whips luminesce to a bright blue colour. Ebon face lets out a roar before going limp; the light from his body and eyes now much fainter. She steps off him and examines him.

"I truly hope I haven't harmed you any further; after everything you've been through it would be sad if this proved to be the end of you."

Ebon face starts to move again, but he can barely rise to all fours.

"If nothing else your tenacity has remained. You're a pale shadow of your former self right now; I can fix you; make you whole again if…

"…Lady…Nemesis…."

"You remember me after all; come back with me, we can…

"…I'm….Nobodies Puppet!"

A red aura bursts forth from Ebon face; the red faced mechon activates her flight units just in time as he fires his own into the ground, allowing him to spring back to his feet. The light from his body has returned, and is brighter than before. The same is true of his eyes, but they're now glowing red instead of blue. He charges at her, and now his attacks are faster and more co-ordinated, but she still has an advantage in terms of manoeuvrability. She changes her own tactics somewhat, counter attacking instead of just dodging. She lands several solid strikes with her whips; they don't mark his armour but do cause him to recoil. After one further attempt to grab her she counters with a solid knee strike to his jaw. He recoils heavily from this, back flipping before landing on all fours.

"It would seem we awakened something in you during the process; this power most certainly is becoming of you, but little of your skill seems to have survived. I'm afraid you're still clearly very broken Ebon Face; I can fix you if you return with me."

"…Not going back…need to find…protect…"

"Then you leave me no choice."

Several small drones separate from her skirt and line up in a hexagonal formation in front of her. A mesh of light forms between them, and then they suddenly accelerate towards Ebon Face, spreading as they approach. Ebon Face seems to realise what's happening and reaches for the hilt of the weapon on his back, but he's too late and the mesh engulfs him. It inhibits, but doesn't seem to stop his movements; then the drones rapidly double back on themselves and pierce his arms, legs and wings. The mesh then fades, along with the red aura, and Ebon Face goes limp but remains standing. His flight units activate and lift him into the air; his pose resembling a crucified figure.

"I'm sorry I had to resort to that, but it seemed the best way of bringing you back without inflicting further harm on you. I just hope now I can convince my brother…"

The red aura around Ebon Face reappears, but this time rapidly increases in intensity.

"No! You won't be able survive doing that a second time!"

The aura flares and the drones overload. They return to the red faced mechon, forcing her to pause for a moment as they reattach. The light from Ebon Face's body and eyes is now extremely bright, and the aura seems to extend far beyond him, giving the whole area a red hue. He emits a bestial roar before activating his flight units and charging at her. His fighting style has returned to the animal like swings he started out with, but he's much, much faster, and judging from how the red faced mechon recoils from his strikes considerably stronger.

"Tch! So you can exceed your limits; looks like I can't afford to hold back anymore."

The red faced mechon's hands start to glow and she sends a burst of electrical ether through him. It doesn't even slow him down, and he grabs her arms before pinning her to the ground. She struggles, but clearly doesn't have the strength to break his grip, and he responds to her efforts by snarling."

"That ether release was too much for you; you've regressed back again…"

Ebon Face opens his jaws.

"…oh shit…you're hungry now aren't you?"

She can't help but whimper a little as he goes to take a bite out of her, but he stops at the last moment. He releases his hold on her and the light from his eyes returns to a blue colour, followed by the aura fading.

"…Not mechon…"

He quickly runs over to the ether crystal deposit and starts ravenously devouring it. The red faced mechon slowly gets back to a sitting position, but she seems to be shaking a little.

"I was a fool to think you could really be controlled; even he couldn't bend your will to his bidding. I'm not sure what'll become of you now…"

Ebon face stops eating.

"…need to find her…"

"What is it?"

"…need to find her…need to protect…thought you were her for a moment…you're not her…but very like her…remember a little now…"

"Who is it that you're referring to?"

Ebon face suddenly curls up slightly and clutches his head.

"…Why?..."

"What's wrong Ebon face?..."

"That's not me!...but who am I?...not important…she needs to be safe…all that matters now…"

"…What should I call you?"

"Beast"

"Beast…I think the person you need to protect is Lady Mayneth."

"Not sure…"

"I'll show you."

The red faced mechon emits a cone of light onto Ebon Face.

"…That's…it is…and it isn't…another…"

"Another? What do you mean? Are you saying there's another Lady Mayneth?"

"Yes…she's like her…the same presence…need to find her…keep her safe…"

"That can't be possible; how did you come to believe this?"

"Before I awoke…my dreams…I saw her…"

"That shouldn't be possible either. You shouldn't be able to dream during the process…unless…the procedure was performed at the central factory and not at Galahad so the vicinity would mean; you might've made contact…"

Ebon Face clutches his head again and curls up.

"…Why?...Why can't I remember?...Help me…"

"I'll help you Beast, but I'm going to need to confirm a few things first. If what you believe is true; then I have my proof. I'll be heading back to Galahad so…

"…Don't leave me…I'm slipping…"

"I'll check you over and see if I can figure out what's going wrong. Please could you hold still for a minute?"

A cone of light emerges from the red faced mechon and scans over Ebon Face.

"Hells teeth…how are you even alive? Okay, from what I can gather you must've overloaded all your core systems during the breakout; all of your original firmware was erased in the process, but you somehow managed to create a new set on the fly, otherwise you'd be dead. Thanks to this your memory link has been severely damaged; if you exert yourself even above basic levels it'll break down and critically hamper your ability to retain and recall short term information. Your long term memory does seem to be undamaged, but again, problems with the link will impede this. If you keep away from battle you shouldn't deteriorate any further.

"…understand…"

"You're going to need to keep a low profile for a while. My advice is to hide in the Satoral Marsh area; there's nothing of tactical value there, plenty of sustenance from the ether crystal deposits, and the area produces ether plumes that'll scramble any scanner readings. You should be able to keep your presence hidden from the mechon there, and if you keep yourself well fed you won't deteriorate any further. I'll head back to Galahad and see if can figure out a way of fixing of you in the field."

"…please…"

"I'm sorry but I must leave you now. My brother will be growing suspicious and he'll send forces to make sure I'm okay if I don't contact him soon. I promise you, I will see you again so hang in there; and before I go I want you to have this."

The upper part of one of the red faced mechon's legs opens up. She removes what appears to be an enlarged and modified ether cylinder.

"This is one of my reserve batteries; with this you should be able to maintain a greater power reserve and that should further prevent you from regressing."

"…How…"

"Ah, sorry, I sometimes forget face units aren't aware of all their inherent features. Allow me."

She produces the cone of light again and focuses on one of Ebon Face's legs. A similar compartment opens and she inserts the battery.

"…why help me?..."

"I'm responsible for what happened to you. I had my hopes that you could be the one to make a difference and I pushed you too hard and too soon. Unlike some people I can't look at you as just a tool or a means to an end; I promise I'll try to make things right somehow; it's the least I owe you."

"…you can't…too far…only thing now…find her…keep her safe…"

"Could you give me any further clues?"

"Can't remember…why…need to remember!..."

Ebon face clutches his head and starts whimpering.

"It's okay Beast; don't push yourself any further. There should be a copy of your memory logs from before you broke out at the central factory. They might be able to give us an answer…and you're not too far gone. I'm certain I can find a way to help you so don't despair."

"...tired…"

"I'm not surprised. You head to Satoral Marsh now and get some rest."

"…see you again?..."

"You have my word."

Ebon face activates his flight systems and heads into the skies.

"I hope I really can help him; but I suspect he's beyond repair…I can't think like that; I made him a promise. One way or another I need to make sure he lives…so if I can't fix him…my brother won't tolerate the alternative…but that's only if he finds out…"

The red faced mechon seems to be completely lost in thought. The light on her body suddenly shifts.

"...and that's distinctly less than convenient."

She sends out one of her whips into the ether crystal deposit. It glows a little and she sits down as the light on her body returns.

The party have a quick discussion amongst themselves.

"Any idea what the hell is going on?"

"Well Reyn…this is mostly conjecture but I think Beast or Ebon Face is some sort of prototype face unit that malfunctioned, and the other; I think he called her Lady Nemesis…is possibly his creator. I think she's an engineer; and much as I hate to admit it the way she's talking to herself; that's exactly what I do when I get engrossed in what I'm doing in the lab."

"She does look very different from any other mechon we've ever seen…come to think of it…she's the only mechon I've ever seen that actually does look like it was modelled in the image of the Mechonis."

"…She's not a mechon. I think we need to talk to her."

"Think this through Shulk; we all saw what she could do. I'd bet money she's a lot more powerful than Metal Face so even if she's recovering from that fight, I don't think we could take her if things turn ugly."

"I think she'll be willing to listen to us given how she handled Ebon Face...but…I have to admit this could be a bit of a gamble. I think not presenting any perceivable threat might be the best bet so I think what we'll do is this; I'll approach her on my own and without the Monado; and if it looks like she's going to turn hostile I'll jump into the lake; and since Mechon and water generally don't mix well that should be enough to dissuade her from perusing me."

"Not a chance Shulk."

"Please trust me on this Fiora. There's something very different about her and I need to find out more; there's just too much we don't know…about the Monado; about Mechonis…and even the real reasons for this war. I don't think we're going to find the answers we need through fighting alone."

"No. Leave her alone Shulk; the mechon have brought nothing but pain and suffering to all of us; expecting her to be friendly is too optimistic."

"She's not a mechon. I'm sure of it."

"How about a compromise?"

"What do you suggest Sharla?"

"I'll stay here; whatever she is I'm pretty sure she isn't going to be immune to a shot from an ether rife if I hit her in the right place. I've got a good vantage point and the distance isn't too far for me to blast her in the eye if she turns hostile. Reyn can stay here with me and Fiora can follow you at a distance…should we hold onto the Monado as well?"

"…Fiora should carry it. I got a little too curious for my own good a few days back and found out I definitely can't handle to Monado."

"I'm okay with that…and believe me; I'm not planning on getting myself killed."

"…If you're that set on doing this…I'll go with the plan…but whatever you, do not let your guard down Shulk."

Shulk leaves the hiding place and makes his way around the lake. Fiora follows him at a distance.

"Please, please be right about this Shulk…I'm not losing anyone else…

Fiora doesn't notice the Monado activate on its own.

"…no matter what it takes."

Sorry about the long delay in updating my stories; with any luck I'll be able to progress them a little more rapidly for a while.