The next bus to get into Giga City was running late. A transerver would have been faster, if the two had known the proper coordinates. But their leader wasn't one to make things easy for them, so why would he bother to start now?

The Reploid twins were getting antsy, to say the least, the bodies they were in -bodies they haven't been in for quite some time- was only a temporary step down from the forms the world knew them as. It was a good cover at least... until their full powers kicked back in again.

The girl Reploid sat at the bus stop hugging herself in an act of protection, while the male Reploid paced impatiently, grumbling bitter and nasty words under his breath.

"I don't like these bodies anymore." the girl Reploid shuttered, holding herself tight as if she were cold.

"We're set for calibration next year." her brother smirked at her, "Perhaps he'll let you get in a new body too. Then again, he won't delete your memories of her no matter how hard you ask..."

The Reploid girl held herself tighter and shivered once again, alerting her brother that she wasn't fond of the subject in any form. He shrugged it off and looked up at the looming city, disguising itself as a mere cloud.

"If that stupid bus doesn't get here though, you might not need to worry about staying in these bodies." he then told her. "Always on time my ass. It's as if he tries to mock us every opportunity he gets. Why didn't he just give us the ability to Merge whenever like those brats? Or just teleport us there directly and skip all this nonsense altogether? If the transit takes any longer, our cover will be blown before we even touch the city's gate."

The girl Reploid looked up at the city and gave a rather slow blink up at it. "I wouldn't mind dying today." she mused in a distant tone.

"Because that body reminds you of her?" her brother huffed impatiently, tired of the reminders and his sister's moaning. "Get over it Pandora. What's done is done- and the more I hear you whine about it, the more I feel inclined to shut your trap forcefully."

"You liked her too," the Replois girl quickly uttered under her breath, "Everyone did."

The male Reploid said nothing further as they saw the bus come down. She had a point, but he wasn't going to admit that. Not willingly, any way.

. . .

"Merge! Merge! Merge! Merge!" Marino gleefully chanted to Thetis. The young Reploid fidgeted with the Biometal in his hands, shakily moving it back and forth in decision.

"Marino, don't rush him." Minas scolded like a mother. "For all we know, the Biometal could harm him. He… we are all taking a leap of faith with this. What if it really hurts him?"

"It won't!" Marino shrugged off with a wave of her hand. "Besides, isn't that why we decided to make sure the Professor was here?"

The Professor himself gave a rather affirmative huff as he adjusted his goggles. "In the best case scenario, if I can peel a Biometal off of one's molecular structure..."

'Aren't they a pleasant crowd?' Model L thoughtfully declared. 'Don't worry kid, even if they are. You've got this. I believe in you- they do too, really, they just have really odd ways of showing it.'

Thetis looked at the Biometal before looking up at his friends. She had a point; they were all here because they cared. They were all curious about what the Biometal could do. They were all secretly waiting for the moment when the Biometal turned on Thetis and killed him.

"Alright..." Thetis calmly declared, drawing in everyone's attention, "Let's get this over with. Biometal Model L, Mega Merge!"

The Biometal started to glow as she declared, 'Biolink established. M.E.G.A. System online!' Thetis opened the palm of his hand, allowing the Biometal to thrust herself into his hand for him to hold. The Reploid reacted to the sudden force by pulling her in, close to his chest as a wave washed over him. Thetis suppressed the urge to scream as the initial wave started to close in around him, like ice freezing over, before he opened his arm again to burst out. Smiling, Thetis looked to his friends as he tried to regain his composure from the odd rush.

Their looks of astonishment made the adrenaline in Thetis wear off far too quickly, which caused a chain reaction in his core that caused him to faint.

. . .

The sighs of relief let out by the two Reploids could have almost been heard miles away. Back in the bodies that gave them so much power to abuse, the two vowed to never go back to their old bodies again willingly.

"We will destroy him for this." the male Reploid told his sister as he helped her up. "But for now we have to keep this stupid charade up until we can catch him at a weak point."

"I know." the female agreed dismally. "I know..."

"Now we need to find that stupid Biometal." the male Reploid then said, standing tall in an aura of destruction as his systems finished readjusting to his powers. "And to show that thief what we do to traitors of Legion..."

Thinking of this, the corner of the male Reploid's lips started to form a cruel smile before he let out a nerve racking, and incredibly unsettling laughter.

. . .

It could have been argued that it was that very laughter that woke Thetis up with a start. Still Merged with Model L, Thetis looked around as his mind attempted a hard reboot on his surroundings.

"You nearly wiped your energy sources clean." Minas mused to him when he had turned in her direction. "The Professor had me create a new metal just for you and Model L!"

"Ohuh…?" the young Reploid slurred as he tried to comprehend things again.

"Give him some space Min." Marino snickered. "Jesus, the kid never gets to breathe on his own around here, does he?"

"Sorry..." the Reploid girl sheepishly muttered. "I have to take care of my brother you know..."

"Doesn't mean you should suffocate him!" came the playful retort.

"I'm fine..." garbled Thetis, "Just a… bit dizzy…? And… and a really bad headache."

"The new metal might take some time to get used to." Minas agreed. "How is Model L holding up? You two didn't separate when you fainted."

'I'm fine.' the Biometal said, 'I'm a bit worried about you though, Thetis. Merging really zapped out your energy, but your sister did make a pretty great thing that seems to regulate it better now. I know a bit about Merging with hybrids, but you truly were something else.'

"She's fine." Thetis told his sister and Marino with a lightly flushing face. "She really likes the new metal you made her."

"I made it for both of you." Minas smiled warmly. "It's kinda like a pact, a consummation of your combined wills and abilities."

'Don't make this gross. Please…?! I mean sure, he's a cute kid and all, but geez! I'm sorry Thetis, but I'm waaay too old for you. And if you are into that sort of thing- well, God help you.'

The Reploid let out a small chuckle as he turned to his sister.

"Thank you Minas." he graciously thanked. "I feel a lot better now, and so is Model L."

"If that's the case," Marino then decided as she walked toward the door, "Let's get going shortie. The day's almost over and we haven't even begun yet."

Thetis looked at the thief in confusion as Minas helped him get up. "Begun what?" he questioned curiously.

Marino looked back at him with a small tilt of her head and a wide, teasingly smile. "What else?" she told him. "I'm gonna help you train!"