"I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image." - Stephen Hawking


Whenever I was tired of my old, dusty apartment, I would always come to the lab to work, or sleep. It wasn't much help for my back, and it wasn't very clean, but it was my home away from home. The lab was a moderately large place too, so there was always room to do something. It wasn't like it was unusual to sleep there either, Genos and Doctor Kuseno lived in the lab. Not the laboratory part of it anyway, just the general facility. For sleeping arrangements, there were only two beds, and the one couch; I always took the couch.

I could have taken Genos's bed because he didn't necessarily need it, nor did he necessarily need sleep, but the doctor and I had him sleep in a bed anyway, because it didn't feel right if he didn't. Yes, he was a cyborg trained to eliminate another cyborg, however he was still human, and deserved to retain human qualities. That's why the doctor gave him biomechanic gustation and olfaction sensors (taste and smell respectively). Not to mention the whole, free will thing. Genos, as a cyborg, was vastly different from an android, and those human qualities were what divided the line between the two.

Even so, there were some human qualities that made dealing with him quite annoying. Like being late. I had thought after I left Saitama's apartment that once the special sale was done, Genos would be back for repairs on his endoskull. Thankfully, he wasn't missing an arm this time, so it made my job easier. But at the moment, it was nine thirty at night, and stores closed at ten. Saitama probably needed as much food on sale a possible, given the lack of it in his fridge, but he seriously couldn't have needed the full two and a half hours for it.

And so, waiting for Genos lead me to waiting on the couch, and wishing for a bed, in the lab because I was not going to wait until I got a call from the lab, in my apartment, walk to the lab, work roughly three hours on Genos's endoskull, faceplate, and hair, and walk back to my apartment. Not at this time of night.

I yawned again, stretching out on the couch, legs passing over the armrest. It was a small couch, and wasn't meant for sleeping, not by a longshot. My back was going to kill me at this rate. I briefly wondered, Genos really wouldn't mind if I took his bed for the night, would he? Of course, there was still a chance he'd be back in half an hour, but I was still tired from not sleeping well the night before. I swore I was getting insomnia.

The doctor himself was just about to doze off. He always slept early, ten o'clock on the dot. I wished I had been as lucky to fall asleep as quickly as him. Screw it, I thought, I was sleep deprived anyway, what was going to stop me from being comfortable? I threw the thin sheet off of my body and marched towards Genos's room.

Flicking the switch, I let my eyes roam on the things he kept. It wasn't much. Even so, it seemed sad. I'd known him for long enough that he did have a personality, albeit bent on revenge(although I couldn't say much, otherwise I'd be a hypocrite). His room didn't have knickknacks or doodads, or anything. It was simply a bed, and a dresser filled with his array of sleeveless shirts, pants, and shoes. If he did have anything else, then I wasn't focused enough to check; my eyes were drooping and the mattress was inviting me into sleep. I flopped on it.

As my head hit the pillow, which smelled distinctly like metal and synthetic polymer fibers, I was out like a light.


My hand trailed down the soft tufts of green grass, the plant feeling more heavenly than any other fabric I had ever encountered. Instead of pricking me like I had been expecting, I found the blades to be nothing but cotton-like, only better. I squeezed my hand around the material, picking it up, and playing with it in my cupped hands. I felt them, rolling them around each of my individual fingers. Satisfied with their fluffy texture, I placed them back with the other blades of grass, seeing the damaged roots reconnect with the ground almost magically.

As the wind drew across the twilight sky, I painted on a blissful smile, the cotton grass ruffling around my bare legs, and my white sundress tickling me along with it. Every breeze, every breath, every touch was filled with life and serenity. I let out a contented sigh. There were no words to describe how amazing this place felt. I gave no thought to what I might have done prior to being here. There was nothing to be worried about. Not here.

Turning around on my knees, the water skipped on its surface, cascading from a large waterfall filled with stunning dragons of various colours. The river had no end in sight, passing even the horizon. The dragons however, reminded me of koi fish, only more elegant and beautiful. My favourite dragon by far was the dark gray with shimmering blue stripes, claws sharp and clean. I looked back at the river, reaching my hand out to the couple on the other side of the large and long stone bridge, with a smile. They must have noticed the magical creatures in the water too, they were impossible to ignore. What I wanted to say was, "beautiful day, isn't it," to the two silhouettes across the bridge, yet no sound left my mouth.

I frowned momentarily, when my gaze was caught yet again by the gray and blue dragon, rising from the river with the sun shining off of the small droplets of its back. My breath caught from its beauty, and it attempted to cross the river. I knew I just had to follow it. Standing from my sitting position, I wiped the cotton grass sticking to my clothes and smoothed my dress out. Holding onto my straw hat to make sure it wouldn't fall off, I ran on my bare feet to the bridge. Cotton grass entertaining my toes, it took but a moment for me to reach the head of the bridge.

As I began to cross, the pitter patter of feet on stone seemed to draw the attention of a few new dragons, five in total. An emerald green and sapphire blue one which danced clumsily, a wise pure snow white one which rided the waters with grace, a metallic gray and ashen yellow one which was nudging my hand gently, making me pet its snout. And the last two. They were the most menacing of them all. A threatening poison purple, with eyes gleaming a threatening ruby red, and a golden dragon with scarlet red patterns. The purple, and gold and red dragons glared at each other, like they were battling one other with their eyes.

I felt like I was walking into something extremely dangerous. Stepping backwards in shock, the yellow and gray dragon was disgruntled at not being pet. Looking behind itself, it saw the two powerful dragons, and let out a roar to which the gold and red one smirked. The purple dragon glowered, but soon gained an idea, head bobbing upwards. Its head snapped my way, and it moved quickly like a serpent, ramming its head into the bridge. I jumped, my heart skipping a beat. It was trying to break the bridge?! It was trying to kill me!

Three of the five dragons shrieked; yellow and gray, white, and emerald and sapphire. I shook my arms frantically, losing my balance, and the three dragons raced towards me as I began to fall into the rapids. My hand touched the water first, and it burned like no other pain I had felt before. I cradled my hand when I realized I was no longer falling. I was on the back of a dragon, the gray and blue dragon which I admired so much. I smiled, tears suddenly appearing in my eyes. It was going to carry me to the other side. I was going to see the couple.

The dragons roared aggravatedly, and I turned to raise a hand towards them calmingly. Everything was fine now! The emerald and sapphire one thought differently, however, when it rammed into the gray and blue one's side, effectively having me fall once more. The purple dragon, seeing my vulnerability, flew at breakneck speed, and time slowed. The dragon opened its massive jaw, revealing its razor edged teeth, looking as sharp as swords, planning to either tear me to shreds or swallow me whole.

Time sped back up, and the white dragon rammed its head into that of the purple one's. It tried to whip its long tail back around to catch me, but it was too late. The yellow and gray dragon attempted to swoop down and reached out its short claw towards me. As I raised my hand, my back hit the water. And I fell.

"JADE!"

I opened my eyes abruptly, finding myself looking at the ceiling of the lab. To my right was Doctor Kuseno who had concerned eyes trained on me. I breathed heavily, feeling a dampness on my cheeks. I rubbed at my eyes. Was I crying? Then, those dragons and the river… It was a dream… I looked down at the rest of my body. I was laying in a bed, akin to those found in hospitals. My leg was in a cast, elevated, and I had gauze and scratches all over my body. It stung all over, particularly to the right of my stomach. "What happened…?" I croaked weakly, playing with the bed sheet in my hand. Cotton, I noticed.

Gravely, Doctor Kuseno answered me. "You've been unconscious for several days now," he shook his head, placing a hand to his temple. "I didn't know if you would wake up, but just at this moment you were thrashing wildly. Now, tell me, what caused you to act so violently while asleep?"

Part of me knew he already knew why, and just wanted to hear it anyway for the confirmation of it. I obliged, stuttering from the shock if it all. "I-I don't know, I had this weird dream," I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, noticing it was bandaged there too. Everything I was about to say was going to sound ridiculous. "A-at first, it started off all nice and pretty. I was in this field of soft grass, then there was a bridge a-and a river, and a couple on the other side, and d-dragons!" I rambled. "Then there was this dragon that I wanted to chase for some reason, and I went on the bridge, then this other dragon wanted to kill me, and for some reason the river water was boiling, and these other dragons wanted to save me, b-but I fell in the water anyway, and I think I drowned…" I coughed from how dry my throat was. The doctor handed me a glass of water, which I gulped down like my life depended on it.

He frowned, perplexed, then decided to change the subject after a small period of silence. "Haf notified me that you lost consciousness mid flight once the cyborg reached the town," I flinched instinctively, remembering how much firepower he used to blow up only one small piece of land. The doctor's frown deepened as he continued. "You were a several feet above the ground when you fell. You broke your leg, fractured multiple bones, you have a large gash resting over your pancreas to your pelvic bone, and other minor injuries." I moved my hand to my hospital gown, lifting it to look at where he said the gash was. There was a large bandage wrapped around it, about the size of my forearm. It was stained with blood, and would have to be changed soon. I cringed, able to feel blood flowing if I concentrated hard enough. I opted to ignore it, the best I was able to, anyway. "It might scar." He added.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered, looking down at my hands. "I got hurt because I was careless, a-and I worried you, a-and made you do all this for me…" I was shameful of myself. I had been an idiot, and now I was paying for it.

"Worried?" Doctor Kuseno laughed without a hint of humour. "I was downright furious!" His smile was unsettling and served to make me feel worse. Nothing to top it all off like an, " I told you so." I closed my eyes in anticipation, to hear it and feel like garbage, but it never came. Instead, the doctor looked at me with his kind grandfatherly expression, and said, "What matters most now, however, is that you are alive, and nothing makes me happier." He patted my good knee, his eyes twinkling.

I smiled softly, nodding in appreciation. I let my eyes trail around the room, and as I did, I noticed how much equipment was hooked up to me for support. It dawned on me; I really could have died an honest to God death. My life would have ended. In retrospect, I never really did have much of a plan for life. I only wanted to be a recognized engineer, and yet that was still a tough thing to become. Between not being taught the correct concepts, and not being acknowledged because of my youth, being what I wanted to be was hard. There had even been instances in the coffee shop when I wondered what kind of future I had in store if all I did was to sell frappuccinos, and to receive a barely livable wage.

It was ironic in a sense, that after a near death experience that I truly learned how much I wanted to live and have a future, whether it be good or bad. And Doctor Kuseno helped me learn that. He taught me everything I was missing in the sciences, everything that was incorrect. I owed him everything for more than one reason now. I owed him my life.

"How much longer do I have to stay in this bed? And how long will the cast be on?" The doctor chuckled. Knowing me well enough by now, he knew I wanted to get back to work no matter what, even at the cost of my own body. He opposed this many times, but he knew I was stubborn enough to drag myself to my equipment if I wasn't able to move around.

"I want you to stay in bed for another day or so, and the cast should stay on for six to eight weeks. By your standards, you want to be in a wheelchair now, and the cast will be on for six weeks only." Displease was written all over his face, because of course he wanted me to heal properly, and I didn't care if anything would scar. All that mattered to me was that I was alive.

I nodded. "So, I can get that wheelchair now?" I rasped, reaching for the glass of water again. Realizing it was empty, I frowned, but the doctor took it sighing, having exited the room for a few moments, and brought the chair along with a full glass in. I drank it as he placed the chair by my bedside. I thanked him. Carefully, I maneuvered myself to avoid further pain, it didn't work out too well, and landed in the chair, biting my lip to keep from crying out.

Doctor Kuseno hovered over me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm fine, I'm fine," I insisted. "Can you please take me to the lab?" I asked pleadingly, jutting my lip out in a pout for good measure. The doctor was very exasperated with me already, yet answered to my wishes anyway.

As he rolled me in the direction of the lab, I found I had a question I hadn't asked just yet, and wanted answered. Growing somber, I asked, "Doctor, the town-there weren't any survivors, were there?" I expected the answer to be like the previous time, no survivors whatsoever. It was hopeless, and I saw with my own eyes how much artillery the cyborg used. There was no way anyone would be able to live and tell the tale after all of that.

"One," he said. My head whipped around, straining my neck from how fast I turned. "There was one survivor. A teenage boy." It was a miracle. There was actually a survivor! It should have been joyous! I grimaced. But it wouldn't be joyous for him. He was the only living person after his town was destroyed. He must have had family and friends. He was essentially ripped apart from everything he'd ever known and thrust into this mess. Besides, who knew how injured and broken he was.

"He's here?" I looked at Doctor Kuseno expectantly until he nodded. I was curious, and sad, and I supposed I wanted to make my heart weigh more than it did. "Please, take me to him instead." He didn't turn back around to the medical wing like I expected. We kept moving on to the lab. Why were we headed to the lab? I asked the doctor.

He gave no answer, which unsettled me among my confusion. An uneasy silence. Upon reaching the lab, my eyes widened considerably. There was a teenage boy, like the doctor said, on an operating table. There were so many wires connected to his body as life support, and it looked so much more painful than what I went through. It made me glad I wasn't as hurt. He, on the other hand, looked horrible, burnt up and mangled. If the doctor hadn't told me he found someone, I probably would have wondered if what I was looking at was even human. It was too much…

I put up a hand to cover my mouth, bile rising to my throat. How could someone survive like that? Tears welled up in my eyes. This was what actually happened to someone. This was what actually happened to him. He looked tiny, like a kid. The amount of pain he'd gone through in an instant, and now turned to this; a body having second to third degree burns, and broken bones far beyond salvaging. How did the doctor expect to fix this?

Before knowing it myself, my hands lightly touched the wheels of my wheelchair, and rolled to the teen's side. His hair was coated in dirt and blood, skin horribly pale and covered in ash. "What's going to happen to him?" His breathing was ragged, and looked like it hurt with each inhale and exhale. I looked closely at his lips. They were turning blue and were chapped. There was the familiar beep of a heart rate monitor and my eyes followed to where it was coming from. His heart rate was as steady as it could be in his situation. The only consolation I could think of was that it wasn't flatlining.

I wiped at my eyes. Damn it, what the hell was this anymore? Why did I care? This guy shouldn't have been my concern… But all the horrors he had to witness, and the people he must have lost… Was it sympathy, empathy? I didn't know, I just wanted the aching in my chest to stop despite bringing this upon myself.

If I strained my ears far enough, I could hear Doctor Kuseno gathering equipment together. "Before he fell unconscious, he requested me," he shifted another piece of equipment, "to turn him into a cyborg."

A chill ran down my spine. "What?" I whispered. It was a desperate situation, I knew that! "He knows what he's asking for right? What if he turns out like the other one?!" But he could easily go mad like the other cyborg had.

"He won't, never worry." The tone in which he said it seemed like there was no room for argument. There was still more of this I didn't understand!

"But, doctor-!"

"I must work on the creation of his endoskeleton. Please don't disturb me during this time."

He shut me out. He wasn't going to talk anymore. I scowled. I looked towards the boy again. Turning himself into a cyborg… It was an extremely reckless choice of action. And yet, looking at him again, it was more of a matter of life or death. If he didn't undergo the operation, he would likely die, last minutes being of complete suffering, and if he did undergo the operation, he would be a cyborg, the same kind of thing which destroyed his everything. "You're an idiot…" I whispered shakily, feeling my heart drop to my stomach in misery. Gently, I grasped his hand in mine, hoping not to cause him pain in his sleep, and his fingers curled instinctively. I shook silently, tears dripping down my cheeks, and onto his him.

That was how I first met Genos.


There's something about being shaken awake that's entirely unpleasant. Whether it be the actual shaking or having your name called out multiple times, it's just annoying. The good doctor and resident cyborg knew I hated being woken up in general, and so left me to my sleep most of the time, unless something important was going on.

As it was, something important (repairs) was going on, and I was frantically being shaken awake. "Wake up."

I didn't react for a while until the shaking became more vicious. "I wish my arm was detachable so I could slap you with it," I growled darkly. Moving so I sat on the bed, I shook my hair out and ran a hand through it. Upon clearing my vision, I found Genos still in need of repairs to his endoskull and hair.

Ignoring my comment, he spoke. "Doctor Kuseno wants to commence repairs now, and wants you to lead the operation." I could hardly take him seriously. What anger I had previously about him getting hurt dissipated. He looked ridiculous.

In an attempt to smother my laugh, I coughed. "This has been, what? The fifth time he's wanted me to be in charge? Can't Doctor Kuseno do it himself?" I complained.

Genos frowned. "I've tried to convince him otherwise myself, but he's adamant on having you do this for some reason."

I hopped off the bed and groaned, stretching. "Alright, fine. Let's get it over with!" Like I had said earlier; the fifth time. I didn't know if the old man knew I valued my sleep preciously and wanted to get back at me for something, if this was supposed to be a, "learning opportunity," or if he was too tired to do it himself. In any scenario, although I was agitated, it made me kinda glad. Talking with Genos wasn't that bad among writing notes down.

As we walked side by side to the area of the facility I liked to call, "Genos's Repair Room," I wondered. "Hey, if I was crashing your room, where did you sleep?" I tried to play off as casual, hoping my expression didn't betray me. Out of context and with different wording, it could have sounded much worse, something of which I was very aware of.

"I took the couch." He said it so apathetically, like it didn't bother him that I knit my brows together. I was confused.

"Why didn't you just wake me up? I would have moved." Genos gave me a look. We both knew I was lying. "Okay, I wouldn't have, but still. The couch isn't comfortable, better me than you, yeah?"

He shrugged. "You looked comfortable where you were, there was no point in moving you."

I sighed. I had been comfortable, so why did I feel so guilty about it? I basically stole his bed, shouldn't he have been more angry? I rubbed the back of my head, looking downwards. He really could have at least moved me, I probably wouldn't have minded. And besides, if I didn't fit into that tiny thing called a couch, how did Genos? He was taller than I was. I shook my head. There wasn't a point into thinking too much about it.

Leading him into the lab, Genos started with the usual; stripping down and laying on the table. I picked up my clipboard and pen, ready to list down any injuries. The obvious one was the large hole on the right of his face (left on his side) where his eye was missing and where equipment was probably damaged, the left side of his faceplate was cracked, and then there was the entire different problem with his hair.

"You know," I muttered, checking over my list, "this would be so much more efficient if you just let the computers do their job instead of having me do this manually." The process would be faster, and would ensure Genos wasn't as damaged than me fiddling with nuts and bolts.

His eye narrowed. "You know why I don't want to be repaired by the computers." He was targeting Haf again.

"Yeah," I breathed, "I know." I needed a change of subject, especially if I needed another hour or so to sort all of the missing parts. "So what was it this time, a mutant flying pig?" I joked.

"His name was Carnage Kabuto." Knowing it was his turn to speak about whatever he desired, Genos carried on, clenching his fists. "Once Sensei and I reached the House of Evolution, I decided to eliminate the area in which they inhabited. The building did crumble, but they had a trap door. In entering it, I discovered two energy signals. Before I was aware, I was taken out easily," his voice became strained, laced with underlying agitation, "and shoved into a wall. When I was able to get out, I noticed Sensei had left, so I followed to where the energy signals gathered. I attacked Kabuto with the first chance I received, but it seemed to do nothing against him. In the end, he was able to blow away my final attack… I barely scratched him…"

As he spoke, there were a few words which I understood vaguely. The House of Evolution sounded familiar. Maybe it had something to do with a well known bioengineer? They did something with DNA, didn't they? I racked my brain for any scientist I could think of. I narrowed it down to three; Doctor Kuseno, Gero, and Genus. The good doctor obviously wasn't it, the same could be said for Gero. He didn't do genetic alteration. So all there was left was Doctor Genus. It made sense. He was a rumoured absolute genius, supposedly able to recover his own youth. Of course, it was a rumour, and I didn't care for it much. Other than Genus, there was something about this Kabuto guy and just hearing about him that pissed me off. Then again, this was the guy who hurt Genos, so it was justifiable.

"It was like with the mosquito monster, I underestimated my opponent's power. Had Saitama-sensei not been there, I would most certainly have been destroyed." There was nothing said after that, so I assumed he was done.

I frowned, balancing my clipboard over my stomach. He would have been destroyed, huh? I sighed. I wasn't about to go on a rant myself. Being angry or sarcastic wouldn't do Genos any good, especially if he was ashamed of himself after being defeated, and I knew he was. He was only trying to cover it up by boasting about Saitama. I tapped my pen against the board anxiously. "Well, I'm just glad you're okay, yeah?"

"Jade," he sighed, "you need to understand. This is the second time Sensei has saved my life. You and Doctor Kuseno have already restored my life to me. Later, Saitama-sensei saved my life, and has now done it again. Not only that, but he said something interesting back at the House of Evolution that had me thinking." He paused to take a breath. "He said that the power of human beings was that they can change themselves on their own." His breath hitched slightly as he lifted his arm up to gaze at it. "Was I perhaps too rash in choosing to become a cyborg?"

"That's not something you can beat yourself up over," I suddenly spoke up in a soft voice, yet clear all the same. Genos's arm dropped as he looked my way in anticipation. "You were near death, you said it already. Doctor Kuseno was the one to save your life that first time, and if you hadn't chosen something, you would have gone through a slow death. Just because you're a cyborg now too doesn't make you any less human. You've just got to depend on the doctor and me to help you with whatever you need."

The atmosphere was still quite somber. Well, if anything was going to bring Genos's spirits back up… "Look, I probably shouldn't be telling you thin in case Doctor Kuseno wanted to keep it as a surprise, but he's got a new pair of arms in development, and let me tell you they look nasty! There are so many new augmentations in this pair, it'll definitely make you stronger. I can't guarantee how powerful you'll really be, but I'd bet with those bad boys, you just might be stronger than Saitama!" I finished with a pleased grin. I wondered how much trouble I'd get in for telling him. I probably stole all of Doctor Kuseno's thunder.

"Wow…" Genos breathed.

"Although, I've gotta say," I chuckled, shaking my head at myself. "You must want some sort of bromance with this guy if all you're going to do is talk about him when you come back for repairs!"

His expression changed in an instant as he glared at me with the darkest of expressions.

I ruined the moment. I totally ruined the moment for the guy that I promised myself wasn't going to be sarcastic with. I laughed hysterically, supporting my weight on one of the back tables. "Whoo, anyway," I redirected my attention. I still had a job to do, after all. "I think I've got everything listed down. I just need Haf to perform a scan if you don't mind."

He was still peeved with me, that much was apparent, but he allowed it anyway. "Alright, Haf, if you will," I said, hand once again to my ear piece. I waited for the light to enter from the ceiling, but it never came. I frowned. "Haf, what's going on, bud?"

"Is something wrong?" Genos asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Haf?"

After moments of waiting, Haf finally chimed in. Not from the lab's speakers which was peculiar. They knew Genos was in the room and most likely also wanted to know was was going on. No, instead Haf was on my earpiece only. "Ma'am, there seems to be an error in the projector's system. I cannot access the lights, nor can I access the computer mainframe."

"What about the equipment, does any of that work, your access or no?"

"They are not functioning, no."

I cursed under my breath. This wasn't good. All of the equipment we actually had to repair Genos was compatible with the facility's computers, so we had them connected at all times. Of course, we never had the computers operate the equipment because Genos wasn't comfortable with it, however, they wouldn't function properly unless they were connected. Since that was the case, I wouldn't be able to repair Genos.

Briskly, I walked to a computer, trying to log in. Entering the password easily, I was confronted with a large, "ACCESS DENIED," banner.

"What the hell…?" I muttered. Nothing like that had ever happened before. I never needed a second attempt. I entered my password in again just to be certain. The same result.

"What's going on?" Genos asked, walking up from behind me, clothes back on.

I shook my head. "I don't know, the computer won't let me log on. It's weird." I hummed, thinking about what we could do. "Can you get the doctor? He must know something."

He nodded, walking back to the section of the facility Doctor Kuseno should have been in. As he did that, I attempted to enter my password a few more times. None of them worked, even when I tried my sub-accounts. I ruffled my hair. This was ridiculous! Why didn't any of them work?! "Haf, can you try and get through with my phone? Go through the internet, then access the router and see where you can go from there. If it's some sort of malware, slip by as undetected as possible."

Haf notified me they were going to start as soon as possible, though it would take some time. In waiting, the doctor and Genos entered the room at a hurried pace. They both knew something was wrong. Extremely wrong.

"What's the problem?" Doctor Kuseno asked.

"Haf can't access anything in the lab. Lights, computers, tools, anything! I tried getting on the computer, but it keeps denying me access." I grumbled. There was never a time when trouble shooting was needed, especially not by the doctor. I could usually handle this myself.

He typed in his password easily, but the same banner came up. "That's strange…" He murmured. Again, and again, no matter how many time he tried, it was always the same result.

During the time Doctor Kuseno got frustrated as well, Haf finally notified me what was happening. As they spoke in my earpiece, my eyes widened. Genos noticed, and immediately asked what was wrong. I never thought it would happen, especially to us. The doctor looked my way as well with alarmed curiosity.

Despairingly, I whispered. "We're hacked."


So, how about that? What do you guys think? I think my favourite part of this chapter to write was the dream sequence with the dragons. It has so much more symbolization than you guys might know. Of course, the full meaning of it won't come until much, much later! Until then, feel free to guess who those dragons are. This is also part one of two in this first original arc. I don't know if this really qualifies as an arc if it has two chapters detailing it, but I do write a pretty moderate amount. Unlike the anime, Genos is not comfortable with being repaired by the computers, if I haven't made that obvious enough, but it will be fully explained in the next chapter. I was planning on getting the next chapter out in two weeks, but that might not be possible because I do have exams. Other than that, tell me your thoughts on this chapter! I would love to hear them!

Thank you to those who reviewed for the last two chapters, you are amazing! There was this one I would specifically like to point out from Knight of elves. The part in question, "I would love to have her create a drone or some thing similar that would allow her to witness all the events that occur in the OP-man world." You almost predicted what my plan was! Of course, Jade will have more than enough chances to witness the canon OPM events. Do with that what you will.

Reviews are love and motivation!