Harry: And we're back!

WB: And you say I make cheesy intro's. But moving on, Natsulo37, thank you.

Harry: You call dis collection a' summarized ramblin's a writing style? Oh boy...

WB: You're just begging for it. Anyways, yamiangie, Harry is just a made up character, a met, that I made. He's heavily based on the UnderNet Met from volume 3 of the NT Warrior magna.

Harry: L. Wulf, we got da names from oda fan fics, and from da MMHP, which is about as accurate as ya can git. If anyone knows where dey came from originally, let us know.

WB: And darkflame, if I uploaded a 40,000 word entry, do you think that anyone would read it? And this way I get to finish another story and have that to publish once this one ends. About the Ice Chip, why didn't X return the saber in X6?


Ciel pored over the information in front of her, trying to decide on the best plan for when Harpuia's attack came. Behind her, Merge fluttered about toying with the various pieces of lab equipment and machinery trying to keep himself occupied.

The blond scientist studied the layout of the surrounding area, if Neo Arcadia did manage to pierce through the Resistance's shield, then they'd be sitting ducks as one good bomb attack could destroy their generator. She wanted to have the best possible retreat strategy lined out, although she wished that it wouldn't come to that.

"X…" The blond thought as she tried to figure out the safest course of action. "I could really use your help now…"

But no response came to her mental plea. Not that Ciel could blame the Reploid, X had used a lot of his power to rescue them from the Dark Elf's clutches, and she wasn't sure how long it would be before he could return.

"I wish I had never accepted that assignment." The scientist allowed herself a moment of regret, "Trying to duplicate you was a bad idea, Copy X didn't have your heart or experience… forgive me."

"Ms.- sorry-, Ciel?" Merge's voice broke through the air.

"Merge?" The scientist turned to see the Cyber Elf hovering above a small square box. She recognized it as one of the projects that had slipped through the cracks of her research; maybe someday she could get back to it.

"What's this?" The Elf pointed to the black box, puzzlement written on his face.

"Oh, that?" Ciel studied the forgotten project, "Its something that Cerveau was working on at one point, it's just supposed to disable X-drones."

"Oh," Merge didn't look any less bewildered by the explanation.

As Ciel looked on, she couldn't help but chuckle a little; Merge acted so much like Passy when she was young…

Passy…

"Oh no…" The Elf's high-pitched voice erupted as he frantically looked around as if searching for something.

"What is it?"

"Mr. Dachu's coming!" The terrified Merge suddenly shot through the air and swerved behind a large crate resting on the floor. "Merge don't want to meet Mr. Dachu again… Dachu mean…"

"Dachu?" The word had hardly left Ciel's mouth before the door to her laboratory was thrown open so hard that it slammed into the wall adjoining it.

The green Reploid's face was flushed with anger as his eyes searched the room for his former Elf.

"Where is he?" Dachu demanded as he continued to scan the room in a vain effort to locate his 'property'.

"Where's who?" The blond scientist stood up and stepped away from her desk.

"Don't play games with me." The Reploid seethed as he gave up trying to find his Elf. "Where's that runt? I know you've got him, and I want him back!"

"I can't help you." Ciel stated boldly as she rested her hands on her hips, "You gave Merge to me and Zero, and I will not allow you to take him back."

"I gave- who to you?" Dachu's voice rose as the full impact of that statement hit him. "You mean that you NAMED the runt? Now you've ruined him even more! I'll have to beat that out of him as well as his disobedience…"

"You'll do nothing of the kind." The scientist shook her head, "Now, I ask you to leave, Merge isn't here, so your wasting your time looking for him."

"I don't think that that's the case…" The Reploid's voice turned sour as he proceeded to rush at Ciel.

A scream escaped from the human as Dachu raced in and sent her tumbling to the floor with a sweep of his arm.

"I'll teach you to steal from me!" The Reploid roared in fury as he glared at Ciel, who lay sprawled out on the floor. "Now, you're going to pay!"

"NO!" A tiny voice split the air.

Concerned for his friend, Merge rocketed out of his hiding place and hovered between the Reploid and the human, forming a Cyber Elf barrier between Dachu and Ciel.

"I knew that would get him," Dachu muttered under his breath.

"Don't hurt Ms. Ciel!" Merge continued to float between the two. "Merge won't let Dachu hurt Ms. Ciel!"

"Listen you runt." The green Reploid rumbled as an he snatched the Item Box hanging from his belt. His intent was clear, he wanted to imprison the elf inside the container. "You belong to me, and I'm not going to let you go so easily!"

"Merge not go with Dachu." The Elf shook his head; "Merge friends with Ms. Ciel now, and Merge not leave Ms. Ciel or Mr. Zero. Ciel and Zero nice, not like Dachu!"

Dachu lost whatever was left of his patience as he lashed out, trying to snare the Cyber Elf with his container. Merge tried to swerve out of the way, but he didn't react fast enough, and as a result he was scooped up into the container. Dachu didn't waste a second in slamming the lid down, and trapping his Elf inside of the dark interior.

"No! Merge don't like the dark! Let Merge out!" The Elf's voice pleaded from behind the closed box.

Dachu ignored Merge's pleas as he moved to tower over Ciel, who was just getting to her hands and knees.

"You stole my Elf." The Reploid muttered, "Now, you'll pay the price."

"NO!" Merge screamed from his prison, "Leave Ms. Ciel alone!"

"Or else what?" The green robot asked.

"Or… or Mr. Zero will knock you silly!" The Elf shouted.

"Zero? Were is he?" Dachu glanced around; "I don't see him anywhere."

"I'm right here."

"What?" The Reploid spun around, to see Zero standing in the open doorway, his Buster at the ready.

"You know." The hunter's face was emotionless as he pointed his gun at the Reploid, "In all my two hundred and fifty years of existence, I can't remember a Reploid half as annoying as you."

"Me? I'm in the right!" Dachu lifted his Elf Container up into the air. "You stole this Elf from me! I just came to get him back!"

"Sure you are."

A muffled explosion flooded the building.

As Dachu collapsed to the ground, the Elf Container slipped out of his grasp and crashed to the floor. The force of impact shattered the container into thousands of small pieces.

The freed Merge quickly flew over to Ciel, and did his best to help her to her feet.

"Ms. Ciel alright?" The Elf took the blonde's hand and tugged with all his tiny might, trying to help her stand up. "Dachu didn't hurt her did he?"

"No, Merge. I'm all right." Ciel finished standing up, and allowed the Elf to circle her in an attempt to verify that she hadn't been harmed.

Meanwhile, Zero had moved over to examine the downed Dachu, and his fears were confirmed. The Reploid was gone, the Hunter's shot had destroyed Dachu's DNA core, and without that, the robot would never 'live' again.

"Zero."

The Hunter turned to face Ciel.

"Thank you."

"I couldn't let him hurt you," Zero replied, "Not like I did… Iris…"

"Iris…? Who's that?"

"I wish I knew." The swordsman strained his memory, trying to figure out just who that was, but to no avail. His thoughts were cut off as Allouette came running into the room, with an exhausted Dande trailing after her.

"Ciel!" The blond Reploid girl raced in and threw her arms around the human, "Oh, Ciel, you're all right! I was so worried…"

"I'm fine, Allouette," The scientist returned the embrace, "I'm fine."

"Dande, give me a hand." Zero jerked his head to indicate the destroyed Dachu. In response, Dande assisted the Hunter in removing the demolished robot.


Neo Arcadia.

X ghosted through another wall leaving the building behind and putting more speed into his flight.

How this guy had found him, he'd never know, but at the moment, he didn't care.

The Reploid-turned-Elf glanced back over his shoulder, to see that annoying purple robot still giving chase. The robot called himself Vile GA, and was almost as tall as a standard Reploid, his legs had been colored a dark brown, while the rest of his body was purple and styled to resemble a cloth suit. While his appearance was comical, the Beam Saber in his hands was all business.

Behind him, a window shattered into a thousand pieces as Vile GA went crashing through it.

"Come now, X, you can't run forever."

X didn't reply, but swerved through another wall into another building. However, this time he flew upwards, straight through the ceiling and up into the second floor, he repeated this maneuver climbing higher and higher and hopefully giving his hunter the slip.

But it was not to be.

The second that he burst through the roof and up into the open night air, Vile GA came flying out of nowhere, his Saber extended.

Original X twisted and held his breath as the blade whistled within an inch of his face, but it passed him by harmlessly.

"You cannot withstand our might." Segres appeared on the roof, with his synthetic hair flapping in the breeze.

"We will bring you to our master." Lion VI teleported in, facing his prey.

"Would you tell me just who that is?" X took stock of his situation, and it wasn't good, he was facing off with three other skilled Reploids, not the best odds.

"Of course, Harpuia would like a word with you." Lion VI replied.

"That's a lie." The Elf stalled for time as he decided on a course of action; it was risky but better than just standing here waiting to be caught. "Harpuia would never order Segres to attack Neo Arcadia just to find me."

"My, aren't you the detective." Vile GA raised his saber, "Enough talk! Let's get him!"

"Not if I get you first." X closed his eyes, and summoned the powers within himself.

A blast of intense light erupted from the Elf, blinding the robots as X made his move.

They never knew what hit them.

Vile GA rushed blindly towards the spot that X had been occupying, lashing out wildly with his Saber, after a few swings he connected with something. Thinking that he had found his prey, he struck out with insane fury.

"Hey! Lay off!"

"Segres?" Vile GA blinked as his vision began to clear.

"What'd you think you were doing?" The midget robot asked as he too began to regain his sight. "I'm not X!"

"Then, where did he go?"

"Through me…" Lion VI's voice came through the air, as the last of the light faded away.

Segres and Vile GA turned to see the arrogant Lion VI clutching his left shoulder with his right hand.

"X ghosted right through me." The mace-carrying robot muttered, "And took out half of my circuitry in the process. When we find him…"

"Enough," Vile GA took charge, "Segres, locate X on the scanner, we must bring him to our master. There is no time for petty squabbles."

"What the-?" Segres examined the scanner in his hand; "X isn't registering…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the scanner won't pick him up anymore." The scientific robot looked over his device. "X destroyed it."

"Our master will not be pleased." Vile GA muttered, "Let us go."

End Chapter!

WB: Rotten place to stop, eh?

Harry: Up next, war breaks loose!