Sorry for the massive delay in gettingthis chapter done. >
Begin Chapter!
"Is everything in order?" Harpuia traded looks with Fefnir and Leviathan.
"We're set." Fairy Leviathan nodded. "Fefnir and I will keep an eye on the drones while you feed the DD containing the Elf into the satellite system."
"Merge does have a name!" A high-pitched voice exploded from the Data Disk hidden in Harpuia's palm. "Merge's name is Merge, not 'Elf"!"
"Noted." Harpuia shook his head in slight annoyance. "Merge, remember to stay quite. We can't afford any mistakes to give us away."
"Merge know, Merge not slip up."
"And that includes talking." The Thunder Guardian finished up his instructions.
Not another sound came from the Disk.
"El- Merge, do you understand?"
More silence.
"Merge," Fairy spoke up, slightly concerned over the sudden silence. "Merge! Are you there?"
A sigh slipped from the disk followed up by a hasty sentence. "How Merge supposed to keep quiet and answer?"
The three guardians stifled their groans of annoyance.
"Very well then, let us begin."
With those words hanging in the air, the three guardians stepped forward into the Sat Recon Room. As they had expected, about a dozen or so mechanical robots were dutifully watching their instruments and checking the information pouring out of the intricate satellite system.
Not one of them so much as looked at Harpuia, Fefnir or Leviathan.
"This is going to be easier than we thought." Fairy Leviathan muttered in uneasy disbelief.
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Zen'an was almost convinced that his vision receptors were malfunctioning, the events he was witnessing were so far removed from reality that it his vision being impaired was almost a plausible theory.
The Guardians were actually defying the Senate and aiding the rebellion.
Unconsciously, Zen'an tightened his grip on the ceiling. He had chosen the best spot possible for observing the treason playing out before him- he was currently hanging upside down on the ceiling. His clawed hands and feet easily latching onto the horizontal surface and helping him to defy gravity.
Craning his neck, the dark Reploid watched as the Thunder Guardian casually made his way over to one of the information terminals. Right on his heels, Fefnir and Leviathan followed the Green Reploid. Once they were in position, the Fire and Ice guardians turned around and started playing lookout.
Zen'an could just barely make out Harpuia shoving the Data Disk into the terminal.
Turning his Audio Sensors up to their full power and homing them in on his target, the Dark Reploid began eavesdropping on his unknowing victims.
"Do it, Merge." Harpuia cast a quick glance over his shoulder. The observation robots were still ignoring them.
"Right, Mr. Harpuia…" A tiny voice came from the terminal.
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"Aye, aye, aye…" Merge circled about quickly in an effort to regain his orientation. Things were so different in this computer, the information, the data, all of it was just swirling and dancing around him. Lazily the information cuddled and swept around him, beckoning for him to join it…
Hastily the blue elf shook his head. He didn't have time to get lost in the maze of information… but he felt so… full… so endless… it was like data was just spilling through him, satisfying him yet leaving him craving for more…
"MERGE!"
The elf blinked as he was jerked back to reality.
"Right, right. Merge looking!" The blue elf spun around, gathering the information around him like a cloak and using it to expand his senses. Within moments he had discovered the link to the satellite system and was tapping into it's awesome power.
Reality exploded around him…
Merge gasped as he was swept up and into a torrent of information. His senses were expanding and stretching out to cover the entire earth… He was limitless, endless… he could look anywhere and see anything he desired…
MS. CIEL!
Again Merge shook his head. He had to keep his focus, Ms. Ciel and Ms. Alia were counting on him…
Ms. Ciel… Ms. Alia… Slowly but steadily, Merge shifted all of his focus onto his friends. It was difficult, and almost painful, but the elf was able to gather the storm of information around him and pinpoint it's power on the task at hand…
Merge closed his eyes, letting his mind rocket the distance between his body and his friends. Water… sand… trees… Water… Fire… Lava… Ice… Water… More water… The Shuttle!
Merge almost popped his eyes open and nearly lost all of his progress as he 'saw' Zero's shuttle. From there he 'ran' forward, skidding past rocks and trees… grass…
MS. CIEL!
Merge fought to keep from screaming in joy as he 'found' Ms. Ciel and Ms. Alia.
Abruptly his body turned cold.
Reploids… Many Reploids… there was something evil about them… some kind of… opaqueness that was opposite the friendliness that Ms. Ciel and Mr. Zero carried with them.
The Reploids had found Ms. Ciel and Ms. Alia…
One of the Reploids raised his blaster and pointed it at Ciel's chest…
A shot tore free of the barrel.
"NOOOOOOO!" Merge jerked away, losing the connection that he had worked so hard to establish. The world turned crazy, whipping around him as his senses recoiled from the suddenly jolt and then tried to bring themselves back in line with his mind…
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Zen'an's eyes went wide as the Data Disk almost exploded out of the disk drive. So violent was the ejection that Fefnir had to grab onto Leviathan and knock her out of the way.
The wiry Reploid watched and listened as the three Guardians hastily conferred with each other. After a few moments of hasty debate, the three Reploids left the room, declaring their intention to go down to the hanger bay.
Silently, Zen'an dropped to the ground below. He quickly walked over to the nearby disk drive and began punching in a string of communication codes.
In moments, the hideous form of Weil appeared on the screen.
"Master Weil, the guardians know the location of our current enemies. They are in route to meet up with the resistance and most likely launch an assault on our enemies."
"Exactly as I predicted…" Weil mused for a moment. "Very well, continue to tail them, and keep me informed."
"As you wish, Master." Zen'an cancelled the connection and then burst into motion to catch up to the Guardians.
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Zero maintained his vigil on the roof of the Resistance's base. Ever since his encounter with that Ariel Reploid and Ciel's kidnapping, the Hunter had frequented that spot.
While his outer body was still, his inner mind was rushing about in a mad frenzy.
Memories. Fragments, bits, tantalizing threads… all of them there, yet hanging just beyond his reach.
It was almost maddening.
Again the Crimson Warrior let his mind run over the pieces of memories that had come back to him. Blood, Reploidic, but still blood. A face… brown hair…
Iris…
That name…
What did it all mean?
Colonel!
Zero blinked in surprise as the voice rocketed through his mind. The voice was familiar, fitting, it almost seemed to be a part of him…
"COLONEL! It's not too late! Stop the coup now!"
"I cannot."
"If that is your decision… Prepare yourself!"
A blade of yellow shot through the air, only to be met by a cool greenish-white sword. Slowly a form began to materialize out of the blackness… The owner of the yellow blade was tall, imposing, and sported white armor…
"Brother, no!"
Blackness.
It was all that Zero could do to keep from punching the floor in frustration. Again the memory had ceased, just as suddenly as it had come. It was there, he could feel it, but it refused to surface at his command… Questions began to fill his mind over what he had just witnessed.
Who was the owner of that yellow sword? And why did that first voice sound so… fitting?
A slight 'hiss' brushed against the Hunter's ear, interrupting his thoughts.
Instantly Zero's head was whipping around to find a Neo Arcadian issue shuttle heading in his direction from the east. They had company coming.
Unconsciously, the warrior's hand moved down to rest on his Saber.
Cries of alarm from the base alone began to drift upward to Zero. But the Hunter just stood there, resolute, as a trio of Resistance Reploids burst onto the roof and began mounting defensive weaponry.
"Hold it." Zero threw the words over his shoulder at the Resistance Reploids.
"What?" The lead commander looked up in confusion.
"You're wasting your time. They aren't here to fight." The crimson warrior turned his attention back to the rapidly approaching shuttle.
"How do you-?"
"I just do."
Zero never wavered as the aircraft swooped in and came to rest beside him on the top of the building.
Slowly the hatch opened, revealing Sage Harpuia, Fighting Fefnir, and Fairy Leviathan.
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Zen'an released his hold on the outside of the shuttle and hastily worked his way around so that the shuttle was between him and the other Reploids. Even though he couldn't be seen, he still like the extra protection.
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"Your elf- Merge claims to have tracked down Ciel and Alia's locations…" Harpuia commented as the aforementioned Elf drifted back over to Zero and Allouette.
"Claims?" Zero wasn't sure that he liked the way the Thunder Guardian had worded that sentence.
Harpuia opened his mouth to explain, but Fefnir beat him to the punch.
"The squirt says that he found Ciel out in the middle of nowhere." The red Reploid snapped in anger. "We looked up the coordinates that he gave and the only out there is a lot of water and that's it. All that trouble we went through was for nothing."
"You're sure?" Cerveau's right eyebrow rose in disbelief. "Merge has never been that incorrect in the past. He may be off by a handful of meters, but he's always in the ballpark."
"Then this must be a large ballpark." Fefnir growled back. "All of that was useless!"
"Enough, Fefnir." Harpuia dropped his hand on the Fire Guardian's shoulder. "The crux of the matter is that we still need each other- the Resistance has the best means of finding our attackers and we have the capabilities to make that means a reality."
"Merge sorry," The Cyber Elf dropped his head as the memories of the events that he had witnessed began to flood his mind. "Merge sure that he saw…"
"Saw what?" Allouette looked up as the Elf's voice trailed off. "Merge, did you see Ciel?"
"Merge… Merge did…"
"What was happening? Was she alright?" The young Reploid girl trained her gaze on Merge, her eyes pleading for answers.
"Ms. Ciel- Reploids… It…"
"Merge, what is it?" The small Reploid begged for answers. "What did you see?"
"Ms. Ciel… the gun… Merge…" The Elf's head began bucking about in overwhelming grief. ""Merge saw Ms. Ciel- then Reploids shot Ms. Ciel!"
A collective silence took hold of the Reploids as they digested this bit of news… and then the grip was broken as Allouette ran from the room, leaving a trail of tears in her place.
For a long moment no one moved as they struggled to accept the idea that their beloved leader, Ciel, could actually be gone forever. Even the Guardians seemed slightly downcast at the thought.
Abruptly Zero turned and left the room, heading in the general direction that Allouette had taken.
"It… can't be…" Cerveau's voice finally found his way out of his throat. "Ciel… she… no…"
"Gone… forever…" Dande whispered.
"How can we possibly continue now?"
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Allouette collapsed onto her cot, burying her face in the soft caress of the fabric. Tears were already staining the white sheets, the tears of a young Reploid girl who had lost her adoptive mother…
They were two separate… beings… Ciel was human, she was Reploid… yet… that difference seemed unable to destroy the bond they had developed. Ciel was her mother just much as if she were human, and now that she was gone…
What would happen to her now?
Allouette's eyes flooded anew as her trembling, spasming fingers brushed against the bunny doll that Ciel had made for her a few years back… It wasn't fair! Why did Ciel have to be killed? WHY?
A light touch appeared on her back.
Puzzled, Allouette turned her head… through the blur of water in her eyes she could just make out a pale face… two blue eyes… and what had to be a long ponytail…
"Zero…"
"It's all right, Allouette." The warrior's usually impassive mask had been discarded, allowing his concern to show. "I promise you it'll be all right."
"Zero, I- I-"
"Don't talk…" Zero whispered, "I understand, just let it out."
Allouette threw herself around the Reploid's neck, hugged tight, and let the tears allow the grief and sorrow to escape…
End Chapter!
A.N. Yes, I know we didn't really get anywhere in this chapter, but I'm going somewhere with this. With a little luck, we'll see some action in the next chapter. (Kudos to anyone who figures out the upcoming plot twist.)