[AUTHOR'S NOTE]

Hi! I'm back with 3 chapters this time! And I hope you'd enjoy what soon happens to Kana, Mehri, Arana and Oira in the future, as they continue their encounters with the Prez Corp family. Thank you for coming to read!

Chapter 11: Tearing Up

Dark night. Axl drove his van with Centauria in it at full speed back to the Corp. Iris' message of Lumine asking the three to be prepared sent ominous wavelengths going in his brain.

"Man, what is bro seriously doing …?" Axl felt that Lumine was going to enjoy whatever he was offering them – and it doesn't sound good. The white Reploid sounded savage, yes, that's the one.

"I think you're thinking too much about it, boss." Mehri commented. "I mean, this body is fixed for both of us; how can Kana even escape if she wanted? If your brother says it's possible, then it means that he's done it. We are very grateful, I can tell you."

"Did you two discuss this in your minds?" Axl asked promptly.

"Uh, yes. How perceptive you are, Axl." Kana replied this time. "We know we want to be separate, but if Lumine insists that we both work for you under this guise, that's fine. After all … we caused trouble back at the Hunter HQ, and you and him and Iris together worked to ensure our safety, especially after what happened, so … we don't mind whatever the deal is being given to us."

"Oh yeah … bro did say there's no going back after this." Axl recalled one of his words the other day. "But … I'm just worried about the context he said to 'be prepared'."

"What do you mean …?" Kana asked. "Yeah, what's that about?" Mehri asked.

"Sigh … m – maybe I'm thinking too much, like you said." Axl decided not to go into it. "Let's see what bro has to offer."

"I don't like the way he was trying to infer on something." Kana whispered. "Yeah … but what could possibly be so distressing though?" Mehri said. "Hmm … no idea …" Kana shrugged inwardly.

The journey back to the Corp manor was quiet. They got out of the van at the manor's entrance. Iris was there waiting for him, frowning.

He went up to her, and she hurriedly whispered something into his ear. Axl's eyes widened. Iris shook her head. Axl groaned. Centauria hadn't moved an inch when Axl rushed towards Iris, and she merely watched the small drama between them.

"Uh, my ears are hearing something … Iris said 'it has to be done this way for them'." Kana muttered. "And … Axl is saying 'let's … let's hope they can stand it'!? Huh!?"

"Oh dear … hush, let's just keep quiet and see it first." Mehri thought back.

"W – we're going to a place close to where you two trained to be one." Axl said. "Iris says your new bodies are there, the arrangements are all ready and you have to accept it but … I was so fearful of this kind of thing. C – come. I hope you're ready."

Mehri and Kana were jointly stunned with what they heard. Could it be as bad as Axl thought it was? They hoped not. Centauria hurried to Axl and they walked off.

They went past roads they were unfamiliar with. Kana recognized some facilities on and off. She felt they were getting closer and closer to the moment of truth. Mehri simply calmed her mind and rendered it empty, so that she could accept any possibility.

They entered the premises, were led straight down a slanting corridor, and then … voila. The lab was very spacious, having numerous machines all by the sides, even computers.

"Whoa!" "Ah!" Mehri and Kana gasped upon registering what was in their sights. Right in the center of the lab … was a huge machine holding up a replica of the Centauria body (except, its green colour had a sort of sheen to it). Wiring from the computers to the centaur body's open hatch and through the horned helmet flashed white and blue occasionally.

Axl and Iris walked over to Lumine. They nodded once. Axl was quite uncomfortable.

"That … that is my face?" Centauria walked up to the body and gazed at the sleeping face.

"Welcome. This is the surprise. I am sure you will be delighted." Lumine was already waiting for them in the lab, sitting on a grey stool and flanked by newer gen researchers behind him.

"Is – is this going to really be our new body? But … what about the separation?" Kana asked.

"Yes, ladies, this newer gen body belongs to both of you. This is your default Reploid form, which I expect you to be in when you're working with Axl." Lumine continued. "And … you two can even separate from this form into how you two originally looked like – except the systems are newer gen; in that form, you can eat drink wear human clothes, just like us."

The newer gen researcher unveiled a hologram for Centauria to see. The animation shows Centauria briefly flashing in white, the centaur being splitting into two, and there was Mehri and Kana as how they remembered they were. The animation also showed Mehri and Kana swapping between Reploid and human forms. Oh, how beautiful they looked in the human guise.

The animation also showed Reploid Kana and Mehri glowing in white, then merging and their forms turned back into Reploid Centauria. Their serial numbers were almost identical to symbolise this lifelong union – NGC-0000001.1 and NGC-0000001.2.

"Obviously, you two have to split or merge back together in a sort of private place before you go about freely to your duties. So please be careful." The researcher commented.

"O – of course! For sure!" "N – no problem." Kana and Mehri replied.

"Now … we have a problem." Lumine got up. "In order for me to install both of you into this body, or bodies … we need to isolate the ID chips from you. No machine we have is capable of isolating Kana from the primitive system of that body. No machine, except … yours truly."

The white Reploid's eyes flared red, and both his hands flared a fiery purple.

"Huh!?" "What!?" Centauria retreated back a little from Lumine.

"Guys, if we need to do this" – Iris rushed to them, with Axl following behind, and tried to hold them on the spot – "Lumine has to forcibly remove your ID chips from your body and take them fresh to the computers to transfer you over very quickly! No resistance is allowed! It'd be very painful, because we don't want the primitive system to retaliate and cause you two to die!"

"Correct. It's the only way. If we were to operate on you two slowly, the chances of death are far higher than if I were to do this myself." Lumine elaborated.

"But – but … is there really no other way to do this?!" Kana shrieked in fear.

"You're going to stab through my brain?! Why must it be that scary!?" Mehri protested.

"Girls." Axl's calm voice stopped them. "We're here for you. That's why we're helping out. We're here for you."

Axl's right hand reached up and held Centauria's right hand, squeezing it tightly. The girls were stunned on the spot. The emotions running through their minds were all over the place. Their eyes quivered a lot.

"The researchers helped me understand the primitiveness and thus fragility of your current body, including all its wiring and internal structures. That's why I'm confident that in my hands, you two will be safe. The price is … just bearing with a lot of pain. A LOT. You'd feel like dying, but it's only for a few seconds." Lumine said.

"Please … girls, you're so close to being back to normal. We're doing all we can to make sure you're alright." Iris said softly.

"No worries, I'm here for you. As your boss, and friend." Axl squeezed her hand tightly.

"I … I've never had any experience like this before … Mehri, you're the head of us! Do we go through the pain or … do we stay like this? As much as I don't like the pain, the new body …" Kana whined.

"Me – me neither. I don't want to die too … but … our boss' boss is the one who knows what to do … and … Iris and Axl do care for us … so …" Mehri thought inwardly and processed it all very quickly.

"L – let's do it! I don't care! We're almost free! Bear with me, friend!" "G – got it, friend!"

"Do it! We agree to it!" Centauria voiced.

In that instant, Axl and Iris retreated. Centauria was wrapped up in highly-restricted purple energy. The white Reploid dashed to the centaur Reploid, had the energy on his arms flare even more furiously than normal and instantly cut Centauria in half, from face to tail.

Mehri's face was frozen in that stunned look. "There we are." Lumine remarked. His right hand threw aside the inner circuits behind her face and pulled a blue ID chip out of the brain core. His left hand sliced through the centaur body's wiring, punched through and pulled out an orange ID chip.

"Do it! Now!" He used his energy play to deliver the ID chips to the chip analyzers far behind him.

"G – got it, sir!" A researcher said. The computer uploaded the Reploid souls from the chips and sent the souls straight into their new vessels in the newer gen Centauria body.

"KANA!" Mehri screamed as she felt her entire disembodied being zoom like lightning through the wiring. "MEHRI!" Her friend could only scream as well, the horrid feelings overwhelming her.

"IT HURTS!" "I KNOW! HANG IN THERE!"

The original Centauria body exploded, but because it was wrapped in Lumine's energy play, everyone only saw a quick flash of white light. The light subsided, only scrap metal was seen inside the purple energy orbs. No more smoke. Lumine dissolved the energy, and the scrap metal came falling down.

"Someone clean these up. We have no use for it." He said. "Yes, sir!" Some janitors came over.

The Reploid siblings stared at the computer. Mehri was uploaded to the ID chip in the front body, Kana to the hind body ID chip. One … two … transfer complete.

"And then?!" Axl turned around. The wiring split off from the newer gen body. The centaur body hatch closed. The eyes on Centauria turned from grey to red.

"AH!" "AH!" Sudden screams from the newer gen Centauria. She tried to squirm around, but the machines were holding her down so tightly that there was no trouble at all.

Gradually, Mehri and Kana came to their senses. "Ah … ah … whoa … the pain … it's gone?" "Oh … thank goodness … wait, this feeling … why is it so … welcoming?"

Kana's two visions were just like before. She knew everything of this body, no unfamiliarity at all. Mehri looked around and glanced at her lower torso. She felt everything was just the same, she felt Kana inside her. They were mutually receptive of each other. And then … instant calmness.

"Is it over …?" Centauria spoke. "Yes, it is over. Well done, you two." Lumine gestured.

The machines released Centauria. She was pacing about the place like normal. No flawed body movement. Mehri felt she was working with Kana just fine, and vice versa.

They recognized a certain feature embedded in their system. They agreed to activate it. Centauria flashed in white briefly, and before they knew it, they were separate. Their own Reploid forms as they knew it before stood before Iris and Axl.

"Congratulations!" Iris said and applauded. The researchers applauded as well. Axl smiled weakly.

Kana and Mehri looked at one another. Their hands reached out to one another. The grip was solid, they could feel one another's solid presence – not just mentally and through mere wiring.

"We … we're back …" Kana couldn't help but cry first. "I know! It's so good to see you!" Mehri too burst out crying. They fell on their knees and embraced each other, sobbing to their heart's content.

"Axl, you know what to do." Lumine said. "I have to go attend to other matters." Axl nodded.

The researchers and Lumine left the chamber. Iris held tightly on Axl's left arm and smiled widely at him. "I'm so glad they're back to normal." "Yeah … me too."

The siblings looked on Kana and Mehri consoling one another, in this blissful evening.

Fast-forward to 2 days later. Axl's room. It had 3 resting pods now. The clock ticked 5 am. All the resting pods injected waking programs into the Reploids, and everyone woke up.

"Ah …" Axl came out from his pod, and watched Mehri and Kana come out of their pods. "Morning, Kana. Morning, Mehri. How was your rest last night?"

"It was great." Mehri stretched herself. "If only Sue wasn't so crazy and tough with her game playing last night, I think game time would've been better … but anyway, I'm fine."

"Oh man …" Axl sighed. "Bro really made sure everything was good for you …"

He flashbacked into what happened that day and yesterday.

Axl explained that Kana and Mehri were to stay with him as part of an 'extended family'. Lumine even prepared the extra resting pods that evening itself before shredding through their body.

The girls sobbed and sobbed, and they smiled a lot. No words were said at all. That night, the rested in their pods, and the following morning, they awoke with Axl and decided to jointly hug him.

Axl was all like "Yeow! What's this for!?" and Mehri was like "Thank you for helping us all this while!" and Kana was like "We really appreciate you being with us from the start!" and Axl was like "O – okay that's enough! Ow! You're crushing me!" Somewhere along those lines.

They never forgot that gentle arm squeeze Axl gave to them as Centauria. It was only now that they've fully calmed down that they finally express their feelings of gratitude.

Axl laid out some rules Lumine gave – around X and Zero, they were to be strictly Centauria; around the family, they could be any form they wanted, joint or separate; around Axl in his Reploid form, they should be in Reploid form; around him in human form, they could be in human form as well.

That was the basics. It could be flexible. Depends on how they meet with others.

At the dining room, Kana and Mehri bowed deeply to Axl's brother, saying a loud "Thank you!" to him. Lumine tiredly gestured along the lines of "It's fine, it's fine" and they began experimenting with their new bodies. The tastes of human cuisine was amazing, beyond either's imagination.

No wonder Axl and co loved doing this. So this is how it felt as a human ability.

Sue came around, and they dined and gave toasts (with glasses of milk) to one another. They made fun with one another, to the joy and amusement of Axl and co.

Whoops, time to go. Axl, Mehri and Kana swapped to their human forms and escorted Sue off to her college. It was a quick walk from the Corp. The two registered the way. The two happily waved at Sue while the latter waved back cheerily. Sue vanished into the sea of humans.

Axl glanced at their human forms. Kana looked like a professional clerk – in that grey jacket, white blouse, grey skirt and low-heels-shoes – and Mehri looked like a female version of himself, except with cooler-looking colourful blouse, sweater-jacket, sneakers and dark-blue-flexible jeans.

"Urgh … where does bro get their fashion anyway? Why do they have to look so cute …" Axl shook his head to himself to get rid of his blushing face.

The three walked off to a quiet corner, swapped their Reploid forms, teleported to the garage of the farming company, and Kana and Mehri jointly agreed to their merger (the mechanisms were in their heads). They flashed in white, their forms merged, and then Centauria was formed.

"Phew … I'm glad bro didn't put that transfer function into both of you. I don't want to have more Reploids inside my head …" Axl sighed.

"You're talking about that ability Iris and Lumine had, right?" Kana asked. "No, our systems don't have that ability of flexible location. We're stuck in our own bodies."

"Oh man, don't talk about transfer anymore … when he 'killed' us and transferred us … I don't want that pain anymore …" Mehri said. "S – shall we get to work?"

"Yes. Can do. The workers will be here soon." Axl re-swapped to his human form.

The rest of the day was simply farmwork farmwork farmwork and accompanying Axl accompanying Axl accompanying Axl. There were occasional breaks, account consultations with the staff, and more midway snacking. Centauria pouted that she didn't get to serve Axl like an attendant.

Oh, and X and Zero came for a surprise visit.

Kana and Mehri were even more cautious than before. They stayed off snacking just in case anyone might spot them snacking (preferring to impress everyone that their newer gen systems were not like Axl's at all), they stayed stoic all the time.

When the workers were busy fanboying and fangirling out at X and Zero, Centauria bent over to Axl so that Mehri and Kana can quietly consult Axl.

"It's weird. Why did Lumine give me fighting abilities?" Kana whispered. "Now I find myself having a Buster and the ability to wall-climb and dash … that's new for me."

"I don't know." Axl shrugged. "You might as well ask him. What about you, Mehri?"

"Uh, I got back my skills and equipment from when I was a Hunter, but I can only access them when I'm separate from Kana. In this form, we can run and dash, have an improved and stronger Centaur Flash and Arrow … oh, and I can charge up my Buster shots like when I was a Hunter."

"Ah … hmm. Perhaps … for the same reason dad gave bro his Paradise Lost skill, bro gave you two some abilities?" Axl shrugged. He didn't answer anymore. The girls were left wondering what Paradise Lost was for a while before they agreed to leave their ignorance of the topic be so.

Hours later, X bade Axl and Centauria farewell ("… Centaur Woman.") and invited them to come to the HQ sometime soon. They teleported off.

"We feel hesitant about going to the HQ. We don't want to show our face there. What if someone recognizes us? I mean, X nearly recognized Mehri's face, and that Red Planet chef Arana outright did …" Kana consulted with Axl.

"Uh … I still don't know. I will let you two know. Besides, we can always deny it if they say this is Mehri. And both of you just keep up the one identity act." Axl replied.

"I agree." "Wheee." Axl was briefly taken aback by Kana's rejoicing before he focused on work.

Evening came. Axl bade every worker farewell while he closed the company from the inside. He cautioned that on and off they would go for snacks before the main dinner, but today was not that day. Kana and Mehri groaned in protest, having desired to savour more human tastes.

"That's not all the human world has to offer. We can go places some other time." He replied.

They teleported off to Axl's room after Axl assumed Reploid form. Centauria separated into the girls again. It was dinner time. A luxurious treat for Kana and Mehri. Everyone else smiled nicely when they watched the two enjoy dinner.

"That was amazing … will the human race ever cease to amaze me …?" Kana said.

"True. But I feel so stuffed … I don't want to eat anymore for now …" Mehri said.

Both girls reclined in the living room, while Iris went back to her room, the servants cleaned up the dining room and Axl simply stood at the windows looking out to beyond Corp walls.

"I'm going up." Axl said and walked upstairs. Kana and Mehri decided to follow him.

"Hey, bro. How's that whole Reploid reinstallation thing going on?" Axl came to Lumine on the 2nd floor. "And … dare I ask how was your work for today?"

"Ah, of course." Lumine smiled. Kana and Mehri simply followed behind Axl. They peered at Lumine's computer. "Overall … my work is going on just fine. I have successfully gathered about 70 percent of all old batch Reploids, reinstalled them in newer gens, and seemed they all took the explanations for the current state of the world and human-Reploid relations well. No opposition."

"You're sure you're not being too hard on them …?" Kana asked meekly. "I mean, they went through the whole process of debating, understanding and accepting facts like how Axl and Iris did us, right?"

"Both of you took all night to understand everything, I made it happen in 5 minutes." Lumine snapped his finger. "And … tell me, Mehri. What about the Reploid 'A' of yours?"

"H – huh?" Mehri did not expect him to talk to her. "Uh … I'm not sure …"

"Uh, what's going on?" Axl interjected. "Oh it's nothing, she consulted me that day about Reploid reinstallation, something about a hypothetical friend who she believes deserves the more 'honest' 5 hour talk instead of the 'brutal' 5 minute implantation. Assuming, Mehri reaches to them before I do."

Lumine simply gave a light smile. A smile of secret talk and symbols, and more importantly, a small smirk with cunning in it. Mehri clicked her tongue. He knows, she thought to herself.

"When I find the time, I will be able to meet 'A' and talk to her. If that fails … I will consult you again." Mehri simply answered. "Ha. Wonderful. Make sure you do before I do it. I believe Axl has impressed on you how … lacking I am in the mercy department." Lumine simply said.

"Y – yes, sir." Mehri answered. Kana tugged on her arms behind her.

"Bro, don't scare them. They're our extended family." Axl nudged him. "You weren't like this to Sue when you brought her into our fold, right?"

"She was out of that ridiculous 'Right Axis' group by that time, so I didn't need to … do subtle hints. Now, if you'd excuse me … I need the next few hours to myself. I need to figure out how to manage the humans' management of our environment and more recycling of natural resources."

"Man, he is scary." Kana uttered when they were in Axl's room.

"Bro is bro. He loves dad the most compared to me and sis." Axl sighed. "Well, not that I love dad any less." He went to his desk, grabbed 3 cartons of juice he long took from the kitchen and gave the girls each one. "Tasty apple." He remarked.

"It is …" Mehri commented. "Delicious …" Kana finished hers the fastest.

Axl put his empty carton aside. Kana and Mehri were exchanging looks. He didn't know that Kana was nudging her head towards Axl. Mehri got what she meant. They nodded.

"Axl." Both of them said together. "Thank you!"

"Ah!" Axl nearly jumped. "D – didn't you two just thanked me this morning?"

"Not enough apparently." Mehri happily answered. The girls giggled and walked over to Axl. Mehri hugged him from the front, and Kana hugged them both from behind.

"Oh girls … I get it already … but … I think this morning's was good enough." He sighed.

"Not enough apparently." Kana answered. The girls giggled even louder.

The three Reploids stood still. Both Kana and Mehri had troubled faces on while they hugged him. Tears would've come out easily if they tried, but they didn't. They were just so thankful for Axl's emotional and instructional support when they were stuck as Centaur Woman.

In real life, probably no one would try to help them, instead merely be satisfied with directing them to the proper chains of bureaucracy and Reploid management, even if they were at fault at snooping on Axl and getting involved in that accident. Still, they ought not be treated that way.

Well, Lumine tried to help, but largely left Axl to do it as their 'boss'. And he passed that job. He helped them stand back up properly.

"Alright … I'll grant you two that much." Axl sighed and let them squeeze him tighter.

"Yaaay." The girls uttered together. They shared a short but intensely meaningful moment with him.

He'd have to take note of that forever. A group hug of cherishing once every while wasn't too bad, he supposed. He savoured it.

Suddenly, the word from downstairs was that Sue had just returned home. Axl's eyes widened. Mehri and Kana let him go. They rushed down to greet Sue, and would be involved in another game time for the night.

Back to the present day. The three were about to exit Axl's room when its door was opened first by Sue. Everyone was surprised.

"There you are!" Sue started. "I just want to say – try not to do anything tomorrow! Keep your schedules off! Axl, you too! I'm planning something for all of us!"

"Aw, come on!" Axl groaned. "I still have to manage the company!"

"Just this once!" Sue pouted. "By the way, I hope you two enjoy yourselves staying here. And … Axl's mine. Don't think of taking him away from me." She said childishly.

"I – I wasn't thinking of such a thing!" Kana said defensively. "Yeah, he's our boss and dear friend, for having treated us well all this time. How can we treat him with disrespect?" Mehri answered.

"I think that's not what she meant, you two … anyway, what is so important that I have to put off work and sales pitches to the other human agriculturalists?" Axl sighed weakly.

"Ehehe. You'd see, Axl. I'll let you all know." Sue smiled. "I really want everyone to be there."

[AUTHOR'S NOTE]

And so it moves on. What could Sue be planning?

About that part of Lumine tearing through Centauria's old Robot Master-ish body to save their ID chips - this came from my own rationalizing from seeing all the bad guys in any Megaman games be defeated/destroyed. When the last energy meter runs out due to the main character of any Megaman games landing the final hit, I think it means their body no longer stands the pressure, and it blows up, taking along the ID chips (which contain a robot/Reploid/whatever's soul) with the carnage, hence the 'death' of any robot/Reploid/whoever in these games. So, all Lumine has to do is insta-retrieve the ID chips and then transfer Kana and Mehri our to their new bodies. That's how I see it anyway.