A.N. No one reviewed.. Sniff oh well…

0014 blinked lazily at the creature before them.

"What the hell IS that?!" Touma demanded, tightening his hold.

"It's.. It's another cyborg." 003 confirmed. All of them with the exception of a very tired 0014 and Touma had taken fighting stances. The cyborg was all mechanics, to human essentials about it. It was large as well.

But, what was peculiar was it's form, it had come in the form of a large praying mantis!

"I hate insects." 0014 muttered sarcastically. The new cyborgs head turned to her, and in a very mechanical voice it uttered something quite shocking.

"Subject: 0014, Orders: Bring back dead or Alive. You will come with me." It paused after each word and it's pinchers extended. Byaken growled, and Fang gently took Candy to another room, coming back to stand besides Byaken.

Almost in animalistic fashion 0014's lips slowly curled into a snarl and her eyes narrowed.

"Cloud?" Touma questioned.

"Hn." very slowly she moved, the insect's gaze never removing their eerie, glassy gaze from her. A silence enveloped the room until a low growl emitted from her throat.

"0014?" 007 asked in confusion.

"Why are you here?" she asked and in a low, menacing voice. The cyborg made a few computing noises.

"Here for Project 0014 and 0015, come back to lab for further analysis and testing." More computer noises followed.

"I'm sorry but we can't let that happen." 004 said with a smirk.

"00 cyborgs. Computing. Terminate is must. Mission is more important." The insect cocked it's head from side to side.

"I think it's thinking." 006 said jokingly. Suddenly, the insect's voice crackled and a new voice came on, making 0014 freeze, her eyes going wide.

"Did you miss me?" a dark voice said.

"0014?" 007 asked, confusion written on his face as Touma gently reached out and nudged her, he was surprised when she flinched and a low whimper came from her throat.

"0014!" 003 yelled, breaking free of 009's protective stance to crouch by the young cyborg now crouching, her animals nudging her on either side.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't feel so good…" came the barely audible whisper and she suddenly lurched to her feet, and 003 fell back in surprise.

"How can you be here?!" she screamed, mouth twisting up in snarls.

"What's going on?" 004 asked.

"Beats me, seems like she knows the bug thing?" 007 questioned back.

"Oh, my dear, I survived quite easily. How else do you think you and your precious little friend were picked up?" the voice laughed, haunting echoes filling the room as 009 quickly helped 003 to her feet.

"What's going on?" he asked softly.

"I don't know.." suddenly the quiet maiden's face contorted in pain as she tightly covered her ears.

"003!" 009 gently shook her as she went limp in his arms, writhing in what looked to be pain.

"The noise!' 003's breath came out even harsher as a little bit of blood began to come from the corner of her mouth and tears worked down her face.

"It hurts.." suddenly a loud snarl came from 0014's mouth, her face much more animalistic than any had ever seen. Byaken and Fang were on the floor, ears pressed down flat and growling in pained noises.

"STOP IT! Turn it off damn it!!"

"What do your friends not like the music I so kindly decided to play for them?" the voice inside the insect cyborg mocked. 004 pointed his handgun at the insect who began to laugh.

"What are you doing to them?"

"He's playing a loud high pitched music or something, it's jamming 003's systems and hurting the animals." 007 speculated.

"I'll turn it off!" 006 bravely stepped up to bat and blew a stream of molten fire at the carefully crafted insect.

But once the fire cleared it was clear it was useless and 006 took a small step backward.

He had barely singed the beast!

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure 007.." 004 trailed off, and set his face into one of determination as he began to shoot bullets through his fingers. The insect just laughed cruelly and let the bullets hit him!

"Is that the best you can do you pathetic cyborgs? Ha! Too easy!" the cyborg took a step closer, suddenly 0014's knees crumbled and she covered her ears, Touma was immediately by her side.

"Turn it off damn you!"

"Did I hear a please my pet?"

"Yeah, Pretty please with sugars on top ya god damn sicko!" a new voice shouted, and 002 crashed through the window, sending glass shards flying. He propelled himself toward the insect and held his gun.

"Maximum!" he yelled and aimed at a précised spot on the cyborg's neck. He shot and immediately 003 fainted, her hands sliding from her ears.

"Arg! Blast you 002!" from the insect antennae came laser beams that 002 easily dodged.

But it was only a distraction, and that became apparent when a pincher crashed into 002, sending his crashing through the wall.

"002!" 006 yelled, and the pudgy cyborg ran to his friend to see if he was all right.

"Ha, ha, ha! Foolish cyborgs!" the voice bellowed and 004 went down on his good knee, opening the other one with the missiles inside.

"Getting ready to fire!"

"Wait!" he stopped and turned to 0014 who calmly stood, Touma helping her support herself a little bit. Her breathing was harsh as she gently moved Byaken to the couch, while Touma moved Fang.

0014 stood, glaring with her hands at her sides.

"You will not ruin my life again you bastard." The beast chuckled.

"You think so."

"Oh I think so alright. First, you kill my mother, then you beat me near death and leave me to die! If that isn't bad enough now you're telling me you are the one who set the blasted fire. Well ya know what? There is only one thing I can say to you." There was silence, and she smirked.

"How can she be smiling after telling us that?" 007 whispered and 004 shrugged as 006 came in, helping a limping 002.

"All I can say is…. Thank you."

"What?!" 007 exclaimed, flabbergasted. The insect was silent.

"Yes, thank you daddy dearest for ruining my life and giving me the best friends I could ever have. For giving me Touma and most of all…. For giving me my freedom from you!" that's where she snapped and she charged forward, only to be knocked away by one of the pinchers.

"Ha, ha, ha! Is that the best you can do?" the voice bellowed, laughing as she skidded across the floor.

"You're so worthless it sickens me!"

"Cloud!" Touma started to run to her but she stopped him with her hands as she motioned for him to stop.

"How worthless!" she stood up, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and laughed. She started to laugh so hard tears came from her eyes.

"Do you really think you should be laughing at a time like this?" 002 asked, coughing a bit.

"Goodness you really are an idiot!' she laughed and held up her hand, which held a string.

"Have you ever heard of a distraction? While I was preaching to you and you were laughing I was communicating with 001 who told my buddy 009 what I needed him to do! You see, in the split second in which you hit my, 009 used his acceleration mode to attach a string to a bomb, which he had retrieved beforehand, so now, what I have in my string is this machine's lifeline…" she trailed off with a smirk.

"Who's the stupid one now? Don't both with this again, I'll be ready for you." She grinned.

"Say goodbye!" she pulled the string, hard, and the machine blew into little smithereens. 004 put a hand on her shoulder.

"expert thinking." He commented.

"Than- un…" she grabbed her chest and began to breathe harsher.

"0014?" he asked and 0014's eyes slowly closed to the halfway and she slumped on him.

"I.." her eyes closed and she fell forwards, 004 and Touma catching her at the same time. 004 kindly handed her over to Touma who gently felt her forehead.

"Cloud?"

"What's wrong with her?" 007 asked with a blink.

"Hm…" 004 gently felt her pulse and his eyes widened a fraction.

"Her systems are failing.." he trailed off as the door opened and Dr. Gilmore stood there.

"Success….oh dear. What happened?"

"Dr. Gilmore, her systems are failing." 009 reported and nodded his head over at 0014 who was gasping for breath.

"Hurry now, there is not time to loose!" he said urgently and led Touma quickly down the stairs.

"So.. who's' going to help me clean up this mess?" 006 asked suddenly and there was a collective silence and several annoyed glances.

"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood."

"It's o.k. 06." 009 said kindly and gently laid 003 on the couch opposite of the one Fang and Byaken were on.

"I'd say we earned a good rest." 002 commented as 006 helped him sit down.

"Man, that knocked the air outa me." He commented to himself.

You should all rest. I have a feeling this peace isn't going to last long.

001 said from his basket that was now sitting beside 003, courtesy of 007. There were a few grim affirmatives and suddenly Touma came back up. His face was grim.

"Is she going to make it?" 009 asked. He jus shrugged.

"It's a fifty-fifty chance.." he said sullenly, eyes downcast as he gently picked up Fang's head and lay it in his lap.

None of the cyborg noticed little Candy creep downstairs.

TBC

A.N. Review? PLEASE?