"Well," one of the corrects laughed "Who is this? X-23 I presume? She has the cute face of a child but the body of a woman. The scientists are getting more perverted by the years. How long did it take to build her?"

"Took fifteen years." The man who was escorting her replied "She has the most advanced artillery and body that money could buy. The president will be splendidly happy to see it. Not so much I can say for the others. You know what they did to number 22, completely isolated her. Poor thing can't even function correctly anymore, that's why they brought her back here to this damned correctional facility. You go insane being here for so long. But, I have to get this one back to one of the 'holes' before it gets too late. See ya bob!"

X-23 looked back at the strange men but continued to follow the man that escorted her until they got to a giant wall with a keypad on it. He punched some numbers in and the wall slid apart to the clear view of a room made entirely of crystal and a giant window that showed the sandy region the building was surrounded by. She walked over to the window and stared out of it aimlessly searching for some sort of life that might be hiding out beneath the sand, but there was none. The man instructed her to sit down on the floor while he ran one last test on her before she is presented to the president tomorrow morning.

"What is your name?"

"X-23."

"Why were you made?"

"To protect the humans," she replied "I am one of many that will save the humans from some of the malfunctioning correct."

"What do you wish to do with your time here at the correctional facility?"

"I want to forget it," she said hesitantly "but use my training to destroy the enemies so that the human race won't cease to exist but live on in peace."

"One last question," he said "what do you wish for the most?"

"To be free."

After the man left she studied the room quietly. It was a giant room but all it had was a round table, two chairs, a bed, and that one large window. It was big enough for her to live in, but felt cramped and small. She wanted to be free; she wanted to see what was outside of that huge window. She pressed her face up against the window's glass and peered out, the darkness of the night began to swallow her view of the sandy mountains that surrounded her. But a light flickered below her and she could see a fancy limo drive up near the facility's car mount.

A tall man dressed in black climbed out along with what looked to be a woman and two other figures she couldn't make out. The man had a very stern look on his face, a look that sent cautious signals throughout her systems. He was yelling and pointing at the man who had escorted her, but the woman just stood with her head held high ignoring their conversation only to glance at her nails. They were standing close to the light so she was able to see the luxurious clothes and jewelry they had on.

The woman was wearing a red dress with diamonds plastered all over it and had rings to fit every finger. Her long blonde hair stretched down to her mid back complementing her blue eyes as she cleaned her nails continuously. But the man was a dire draw back. He had a pitch black suit on and his hair was cut perfectly right down to the tape. His, unspeakably stern face is what made him the dark presence she assumed him to be. Not one time did he smile, not even when they stopped arguing and began to laugh. His face was still stern, still dire, and still dark.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" she heard someone scream "I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I did what they asked!"

"Shut up!'' she heard a man reply as she put her ear to the wall "So this is the sorry state that X-22 was reduced to? Thanks to her lovely comrades of course. You should thank us, we're here to release you from this prison. But, it comes with a hefty price. Destroy-"

"Now initiating sleep mode." A voice boomed loudly in her room "Sleep for 08 hours awake at 06 a.m. X-23 powering off."

"Sleep mode?" she said as her eyes began to close slowly as she lay down on the bed "No. I have to hear…what…they…are…planning."

"Good morning X-23!" the man who escorted her said as she slowly powered on "Ugh, you'll power on slowly at first but believe me it will get faster. Here's a new change of clothing and something to eat. Even though you're made of metal they still gave you human parts."

"Human parts?" she said curiously "But how can they survive when I'm nothing but a machine?"

"X-23," he replied "You're more than just a machine. You're our only hope. Get dressed, the president won't wait forever. By the way my name is Lucia."

As Lucia led her out of the room and towards the president she couldn't help but look at all of the advanced technology and weapons they had. The guns, the food, the communication screens, they were all so advanced. This place was different from where she was made, there was no old rusted parts lying around. Only the best and pristine parts and robots were here but they didn't look like her. They actually looked like robots they would show on cartoons: cleaning, filing work, and even feeding the humans.

"Impressed?" he asked noticing her gaze "All of our materials were bought straight from the manufacturers that made them. In order to build you we had to actually make the materials ourselves. You sure were something to operate on. You were so beautiful when we first saw you, we didn't even want to operate. But we had to; the money was already sealed and your circuits were burned beyond compare. It's amazing we were able to build you another heart. The president was very interested in the project that's why he wants to see you."

"So I was alive before now?" she asked "How did I get here?"

"You were a failed robot made by doctor Luthenburg." He replied "He made you as a replica of his teenage daughter Alliana. But, you didn't look anything like her and to him you didn't seem to fill that endless void so he decided to power you down and you weren't supposed to be powered on again."

"Then why was I?" she said as they turned to a row of cars "Why wasn't I powered down completely?"

"Well," he said "that's because of me. He was experimenting with a government created chemical to make you. He stole that chemical from here, and when they found him he was executed immediately. They were going to rip you apart and take the chemical out of you but it had hardened and was completely intact with your systems and hard drive. So I suggested that they rebuild you and make you one of the X soldiers. So you don't remember me?"

"X soldiers?" she said "Who are they?"

"Sorry but my time to explain has run out." He said pulling her to a large metal door. "When you go in do exactly what he tells you, no questions asked. I will be back in exactly fifteen minutes."

As the door opened she noticed two familiar faces. The president was the man she had seen arguing with Lucia that night. The woman was his wife, Catherine, who had stood there aimlessly watching them. But the two men behind them who were dressed just like him, she didn't recognize. But they seemed familiar to her, almost as if she had known them before.

"X-23," he laughed smiling at her warmly "Sit down we has much to discuss. My last prized jewel."

"Last?" she replied "What do you mean?"

"Hmmm," he said grunting "you see before we began making the X soldiers we had an estimated number of how many we needed. 23 is that number, and also the peak of our technology. Your technology is so advanced that ten years into the future you will still be the most powerful X soldier in the world. X-22 also. She is five years behind your technology but still advanced. With you two the corrects will never destroy our hope. We will always-"

Boom!

"W-what was that?" his wife screamed "Get a visual on what happened!"

"X-23!" Lucia said bursting through the door "We need to leave NOW. Mr. President your limo is waiting outside, X-23 NOW!"

"System Overload. Self-destruct in t-59 seconds."

"What's going on?" she said following him "Why are we leaving?"

"Someone messed with the cables in the power source linked to the main system." He replied as flames rushed towards them "Jump!"

"So what does that have to do with all the fire?" she said "Why is all this even happening?"

"Argh!" he said banging on the main entrance door "It's not able to open completely without its power! There's enough room for you to get through but it's not big enough for me."

"I can push the door open!" she begged "I can get you out of here. Just wait a minute I-"

"X-23," he said "listen when I said I first met you at his lab I lied. There was a river by his lab that I used to go to when I was younger. We used to play there all the time. One day I fell into the river and I almost drowned, that's how I found out you were a robot. You jumped in and saved me, even though you knew you would fry out, you saved me. It was because of me you were powered off. I'm 30 now and your still 15, I think now is the right time to repay you."

"But Lucia!" she yelled "I don't care how much you want to pay me back. Even though I just powered on yesterday, throughout the operation you would come and talk to me every day. There wasn't a single day that you missed. I remember you protesting that I wasn't just a robot and that they shouldn't give up on repairing me. That's how you repaid me. So I don't plan on letting you die stupidly!"

She grabbed the little space that was left cracked open and pushed it open almost ripping it off the hinges. Against his protests she pulled him behind her scanning the place for a way out. But someone was blocking their way out. When they made it far enough to see what it was X-23 couldn't believe her eyes. It was X-22 smiling and grinning from cheek to cheek.

"Great to know I don't have to hunt you down." She said pulling a sword from her body "You coming right to me makes it easier for me to kill you."

"What do you want?" X-23 yelled pulling Lucia behind her "Who are you?"

"Tsk, tsk," she replied "we're sisters and you don't even know me? How rude of you X-23. I'm X-22, the older model of what you are! Now dear sister will die for me?"

"Lucia!" X-23 yelled dodging her sword "Get behind me! I won't let her touch you!"

Crash!

"Lucia!' she screamed as the ground collapsed under him "Lucia grab my hand please!"

"X-23," he whispered as his hand began to slip out of hers "Don't let the dream die out. Protect…protect…Argh!"

"Aaah!" She screamed as X-22 plunged her sword through his body and threw him across the sand "Nooooooo!"

"Idiot!" X-22 laughed "Sorry about your little boyfriend, he was in my way."

X-22 watched in horror as X-23's rage began to take control of her. X-23 pulled an ax out of her chest and raised it at her, laughing maliciously. Rays of red and blue began to swirl around her as she ran towards her swinging the ax expertly. She dodged her blows but with each one she became quicker and quicker, soon they were impossible to avoid. She kept trying to find a way to slow her down but X-23 wouldn't heed to any of her cries.

"Listen X," she pleaded "I'm sure he's okay. Please, do you think he would want this?"

"I…I…remember him!" X-23 cried "He was the only one, the only one who would give me the time of day! Everyone in town said I was a monster; the kids threw rocks at me and picked on me every day. But him, he would stand up for me; he would tell them that I wasn't a monster and would throw sticks at them when they threw rocks at me. He was my only friend. And you, you killed him!"

"W-why?" she said as X-23 plunged the ax deep into her "Why did you have to be the perfect soldier? I envied you because I wanted to be you. But I always respected you. Even now, I respect you."

"Get off my Ax!" X-23 said slinging her to the side "You don't deserve to die like a soldier. I'll let your own fire handle you."

She walked over to Lucia and picked him up on her back. He was still breathing but barely holding on. She ran as fast as she could, past the dirt, past the grass, and she even ran across the water just to find a hospital. Finally, she came to what seemed like a hospital and crashed through the door yelling for help. But everyone just stared at her shockingly as if she had done something horrible. There were millions of people lying on the floor, on cots, some even on top of cabinets moaning and in pain.

"How dare you come here!" a lady shrieked as she walked past them to one of the doctors "You supposed to be Good Samaritan! We begged you machines for help! But this is how you repay us after we let you monsters live among us? Not once did we ask anything of any of you and you leave us here to die! What do you want from us? Why are you here?"

"Come with me," the doctor said grabbing her "I know who you are. You're not like those monsters. You were once like us, you know what it means to feel and taste. You're what I've been praying for, for years. I-"

"Please!" she interrupted "My friend Lucia is severely injured. Can you please help him?"

"I'm sorry." He said checking Lucia's pulse "We don't have the materials we need here. I don't have the materials to treat any of these people unfortunately. I tell them but they still won't give up hope. Every piece of equipment was destroyed when the X soldiers revealed their true rage to these people. They were built to protect us, but after they killed all of the corrects in the city they became selfish tyrants who wanted nothing but power. Now they rule the entire world. You have the seal of the X soldiers but I can tell you must be X-23. You're the only good one left."

"So because of these X soldier's stupid attacks you can't treat him?"

"Because we don't have any materials," he replied "I'm sorry your friend won't be able to survive much longer."

"Lucia please don't die," she cried tears dropping all over his body "Please! You were the only person, the only person who ever loved me. I know I didn't remember earlier but Lucia you have to live."

"Stop…ugh…using me as a tissue," Lucia said "Silly little girl, crying over a man that twenty minutes ago you couldn't even remember. Heh."

"Lucia!" she said excitedly "Lucia, how are you feeling?"

"I've felt better." He replied "But listen X-23, I heard about the X soldiers. Before I die I want you to promise me that after this you'll live a normal life. Don't let revenge over take you. Be happy, live long, and never forget me."

"Don't talk like that!" she said interrupting him "You're not going to die; we'll go back to the river after this. A-and we'll play in the river just like we used to right?"

"X-23," he groaned "I always wanted to tell you that I L…that I…"

"Lucia?" she screamed "Lucia's just playing with me isn't he?"

"I'll say a prayer for his passage," the doctor said covering his face with the sheet "I'm sorry X-23."

"Nooooooo!" she shrieked as he said the prayer "Lucia!"

When X-23 finally calmed down they buried Lucia right near the lake they used to play by. Even after everyone else had left she still sat on his grave crying non-stop. She counted every time they had ever played together, and stacked rocks near the lake. Not one memory of him was a bad one, in the midst of all her crying that one fact made her smile.

"You know what Lucia?" she laughed finally standing up "One day, me and you'll play in this river again. Yeah, I believe we will. Then you can tell me what you didn't say earlier. But on your blood, I will kill every last one of them. I know you said no revenge but I can't go on without it."

Chapter 2

"A new friendship"

"The wind is a blowing," she sang as she walked down the path by the graveyard "calling for me. I listen to it so sweetly. Why, oh why did it sing to me waiting so soundly."

"Now initiating sleep mode." A voice said as she sat on a broken and tattered bench "Sleep for 08 hours awake at 06 a.m. X-23 powering off."

"I wait for the time that I will fly," she continued closing her eyes "only there will my angel be."

"E-excuse me," someone said poking her "um… sorry but are you homeless?"

"Hmm?" she said sitting up studying the boy in front of her "You are Kaoru Binto son of the director of Pradentia high all boys year round high school, Akira Binto."

"I'm pleased that you know who I am," he said blushing "but why are you lying on this bench by the graveyard? I mean, it smells bad here don't you think?''

"I am not able to smell this thing called awful." She said sniffing the air frantically "I cannot compute this smell of awful, do you possess any data of it?"

"Any data?" he said looking at her weirdly "You must have some screws loose. Ah! That X on your suit, is that the mark of the X soldiers?"

"I am x soldier X-23," she said "the last of the X soldiers and the most advanced."

"Come with me!" he said pulling her along ''People will be swarming this city soon to get to you. The X soldiers will be hunting you also. This city isn't safe for our new savior, you need to hide and prepare for the battle."

"The battle?" she asked "What battle?"

"Look around you!" he said "This city is nothing but a battlefield. The buildings were burned to the ground, dead bodies all around, only a small piece of this city remains! Only the store, the minu mansion, and the school still stand. The school is still open, kids still go, but all you learn is the sound of gunshots and the victory cries of those monsters."

" What does it have to do with me," she said bitterly "You humans never wanted me anyway. You hated me, and tried many times to destroy me, why should I protect any of you? Let the army and the navy deal with this. I don't have any commands to protect this city. I have one objective and that's to kill the X soldiers I don't care what happens to the village."

"So I was wrong," he said letting her go "I told them X-23 wouldn't be built like them. I told the townsfolk that you once lived a life like a human's so I thought you would have a little bit of humanity in you to care about this little town. Well, fine we don't need you! If you want to be like them then be my guest . Just don't come here ever again after you do."

"Any other data you can give me about this town?" she said ignoring him "It would help if I know the area."

"Your nothing but a cold piece of metal." He said grunting his teeth "All of you monsters are just alike."

"Then I will gather the data myself," she said raising her hand "No need to get any help from you."

As she raised her hand a red beam shot out of it and circled around the perimeter. It went to every corner of the village studying each person, place, or thing that came into sight. It came to a narrow cave at the edge of town and disappeared into the darkness. X-23 tried to get back into contact with it but it was as if it had disappeared off the face of the earth. But something about that cave made her sensors jump.

"There is a cave outside of town." She asked the boy as he angrily mumbled to himself "What can you tell me about it?"

"Cave?" he said thoughtfully "You must be talking about the sacred cave. The elders of the village say it was once a place of sacrifice for the gods. They used to take the healthiest women in the village and offer them up to one of the gods. They still do it every day. That's why you hardly see any young women in the village. It's so bad that many of the older women are still having babies."

"Gods?" she replied "These gods that you speak off were not on my sensors. I want to see these gods."

"You can't!" he yelled "You're the only young girl in the village now. And the only person that's my age. If you go into the cave you'll never come out."

"Exactly 1 hour and 13 seconds ago I was just a monster," she said "now I'm the most important thing to the village? I think I will pass."

"Okay," he said laughing "I apologize! Most of the men here have never even seen a young girl; could you at least meet some of the villagers?"

Before she could answer he pulled her along deeper into the village. As they moved further into it she noticed how this town wasn't as advanced as the facility they had kept her in. Their houses were made of wood and their school was huge but against her technology, they were nothing. The roads that stretched to the end of the town to the beginning with cars that were as out dated to her as the houses were. But one thing that popped out to her was the clothes some of the older women wore. They were beautiful and she wanted to have an outfit as soon as she could.

"I want those cloth objects." she said pointing at a shop "Do I have to blow the place of human shopping up to get them?

''Ack!" he said grabbing her arm "no, no you have to pay with money. It's green paper you get from a bank."