*listening to Bluemenkranz to say anything, but held up a sign that said* "Erica will find something…surprising on herself. A lot of things. Enjoy."

Disclaimer: I own none of these guys – EVER.

"So you're telling me that Church possessed Sarge for you guys to get in, got Tex out, and then you made a plan to make Sarge do Caramelldansen to distract them, while you and Tex escaped?"

I nodded to Lav's summary of what happened for the past hour. "Yup."

It's been a while after we rescued Tex, and she stuck around to wait for Church to return from the 'dead' to talk to him – 'Speaking of which, where does Church go afterwards?' I thought randomly to myself. 'Do AIs need to recharge somewhere?' – and, once again, me and Mikey cleaned his armor before I got Lav to help me clean Mikey's. To distract myself, I told Lav and Mikey of what happened at Red base while they were distracting the Reds.

Anyway, I got done with my story around the same time that we finished cleaning Mikey's armor. "There you go," I said as I tossed away the now useless rag. "All clean!"

"Oh, thank you!" I could hear the smile in his voice. "I gotta say, that this was the best day ever… well, besides Church dying and all."

"Speaking of which," Lav looked over to where Tex, "she's been sitting there practically all day."

"I guess she's waiting for Church to return to the world of the living," I 'guessed'. "But, I dunno when that guy will appear again." I added with a shrug.

Lav then looked up. "Well, I don't think he'll pop up anytime soon," he said. "'Cause the sun is setting." What?

I looked up as well, to see that he sun really IS setting. What the hell?! "What the fuck?" I let out, pointing at the sky. "But…But…! Did we really waste an entire day doing all of this?!"

This is-! But-! I didn't even notice! What the fucking hell?!

"Uh…you do realize you're on an alien planet, right?"

…

I looked over at Lav after he said that, my arm lowering and looked back up. "…Oh."

I…uh, I forgot about that…

…Not to mention that I'm a machinima based on a popular game, more than 500 years into the future…

"You really need to be up to date, Erica," Lav said, his arms crossed.

"…Right, um…I'm just tired," I muttered. "It's been a long and crazy day for me – I can't even tell you…"

"Yeah, I hear you," Lav nodded.

I looked back up at the sky again. "Well, I guess I can call it a night I guess," I muttered. I then looked over my armor. Do I…sleep in this or something?

…No fucking way – this armor is too bulky, and probably uncomfortable. I wanted to know how to get this off…but I can't trust Lav (because, well, you know), and Caboose got here at the same time as me, so I don't think he also knew what to do. So my only choice is…I looked over to Tex. 'Well, here goes nothing,' I thought as I made my way over to the Freelancer.

"Whoa, wait a minute! You got a death wish or something?" I heard Lav call out to me.

"I just need to ask her about something is all," I called back. "Something I can trust her with!" I proceeded to ignore what Lav has to say, heading over to Tex with a purpose.

Before I knew it, I was standing at a safe distance from the AI. "Uh…hey Tex." She didn't make an indication of hearing me, even as I stood there for a while. So I decided to try again. "Uh…can I ask you something, Tex? Something that we ladies can talk about?"

I waited again for a response. I had no idea how long it took, but finally, Tex turned her head to me. "What do you want?"

I was nervous to say the least, but I cleared my throat, mentally preparing myself…

"Say, uh, Tex? Could you help me out with this armor?" I asked her after a few moments. "The sun is setting and I'd like to get into some…comfier clothes. Please?"

Again, it's hard to tell what she's thinking or what her expression is with that helmet on…but, then again, she's probably a robot, she might now have a face…

"You don't know how to get out of your armor?" I'm back from my thoughts when I heard Tex asking me that. She sounded…incredulous when she asked me that.

"Uh…" Is it bad that I don't? "…Not really…"

Tex looked over at me for a moment…before sighing. She turned and walked by me-

"Whoa!" I yelped out when I was suddenly jerked to follow her. I looked down at my arm – when did she grab my arm? "Hey! Where are-? Geez!"

I was half-led, half-dragged to the inside of the base, only stopping to pick up the bag Tex had gotten for me (and I honestly forgot about it. Whoops) and continuing into the base. We went through a few corridors before we ended up in one of the rooms. I looked around – I don't remember seeing this room…

But then again, Tex just put in a code for that special key pad outside of it (and I did notice that keypad but I didn't pay much mind to it since I don't know the code).

She lifted me up like I weigh nothing (then again, she's a robot), showing me the room. "Now, since we have armor that weighs half a ton, they're calibrated to be fitted onto a person they were designed for," Tex explained to me, "And because of that, they're too heavy for humans to lift and take off on their own."

I was about to say something- but then a question hits me. "Wait, so why are we given super heavy armor in the first place?" I asked her – we're just simulation troopers (I'm here now, so I might as well consider myself one too)! "Are we really at war with each other?!" But…deep down, I think I knew the real answer.

We're just help for practice – simulation soldiers have no skill in an actual war. Some are just too lazy, some are stupid, some have poor leadership skills, some have poor survival skills…or some just don't give a damn about war. I don't give a damn about it either – because I thought war is just…pointless. Fighting for land, money, among other things…they seem significant at first, but as it goes down in history, and we learn it…we then realize that most of it was just pointless. Meaningless bloodshed that painted the Earth red since the dawn of time. And as we grew in intelligence, we find other means to destroy ourselves…

Isn't life precious? I know we all die someday…but why go with violence? Why the meaningless fighting? The only time we unify is when our race is in danger…and in this timeline, they all unified when the Covenant attacked humanity. It lasted for so long, and so many lives were taken – both human and alien. All for technology that we have no right to use?

We may have been 're-claimers' as the Prometheans have titled us…but do we really deserve to go out further than our world? The Forerunners have started this…will everything end with them as well…?

I was (literally) jerked out of my thoughts, and head, "Hey, you heard me?"

"Huh?" I smartly let out. "Wha? What are we talking about? I was lost in thought."

Tex let out a sigh. "In short, yes, you are at war, but you needed all the practice you'll need to take each other out," she said.

"…Oh," I let out – though, inside, I was mentally shouting, 'Bullshit! That's bullshit and you know it Tex!'

"Now," she then dropped me on my feet (though I swayed a bit to keep my balance), "Go in front of the computer, put your feet on those circles and spread out your arms."

I looked back at her with a blink then looking over at a screen on the wall in front of me. Then at the circles on the ground in front of it. Uh…

"Hey!" I yelped out as I was shoved forward. I glared back at the Freelancer then back forward. "Okay, okay… I'll go. Geez…"

I stepped onto the circles and held out my arms. "Okay, now what?"

Suddenly the computer flashed before me and it ran numbers and words that I have no hope of ever memorizing quick enough. Then, these two…machine things came up from the panels on the floor and grabbed me by the arms and legs and lifted me up. "Uh- Ah!" I yelped out as I was suddenly taken under.

"What- what is-?! Oh my god! Oh my god! Stop! Stop it-! Dah! Is that supposed to touch there?! Eeeeeh!"

Finally, it was over, and I was hoisted back onto the ground…and I fell onto the ground – armor-less instead of the black under suit underneath it. "Ugh…"

"…Should you really make those sound effects?" Tex asked me after a few moments.

"…Shut up," I muttered as I lied there for a bit.

Finally, I slowly pushed myself up and I stretched, hearing the bones of my spine pop. "That…was unpleasant…"

"Well, that's how everyone – including the Spartans – take their armor off," I nearly jumped when I heard Tex talking. I looked back, as she added, "Of course, the Reds and Blues don't have the luxury of having a lot of people taking their armor off. So, machines are built in their place."

Huh – Project Freelancer must've been really cheap…

If they had more funding, would all of this be averted…?

"That's so cheap…" I muttered.

I looked back up to Tex. "Anyway, can you leave? I don't undress in front of other people."

Tex stared at me. "Even in front of other women?"

"Hey!" I yelped out, covering my body. "I'm very conscious of my…body…"

Tex noticed me trailing off. "…Is something wrong?"

I didn't answer as I looked over my body. What the-? What happened to my bod?

I know I'm not proud of what my body is like – I'm fat, but NOT as fat. I'm a weird skinny fat – fat on my stomach, biceps, and thighs, with bits of it on my forearms and my calves (since I run around too much to build a bit of muscle there).

They're…missing! Gone!

I looked at Tex. "Uh…excuse me!" I blurted out before I hightailed it towards the bathroom.

I didn't hear Tex, but my mind was set on finding a mirror.

Finally, I found the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.

I could hardly recognize the young woman before me.

My hair is still the same color, and so are my eyes…but I noticed an odd red ring around my pupils after I looked closer. And there's this strange dye on my hair mixed in with my hair – it's a red dye, but when I felt it…it feels like hair, not dye. Also, my face is flawless. No scars, no blackheads, pimples…and I hardly had any fat there as well.

I backed away. What-what the hell happened to me?!

"…Something must be wrong if you looked like you can't recognize yourself," Tex stated.

I didn't acknowledge her. And it seems my body decided to do something on its own.

I fainted.

~o~

I felt an odd sensation. I felt that I was…someplace, but I don't know what.

I opened my eyes – and regretted that decision. I hissed as bright light hit my retinas and I quickly closed my eyes. Wha-what the hell is that?! I squinted my eyes open…and I saw the lights doctors used for surgery. The hell…?

I tried to move, but to my horror, I could hardly move my body. Or even my neck when I tried to crane my neck down to look.

I began to hyperventilate as instinct began to kick in, my body beginning to struggle. But they were limited as I felt metal bindings on my arms, legs, neck, even around my abdomen.

Footsteps reached my ears and I looked back up at my 'kidnappers'. Three heads appeared, but I couldn't tell what their faces look like – they were wearing a type of helmet.

"…more stable… proceed with…experiment," I thought I heard one of them say, but I could hardly hear them with the way that I'm having a- oh yeah, it's a panic attack. Fucking hell, I'm having a panic attack! Oh god, oh god – what are they going to do with me?! What are they-?!

Oh. Something went into my system.

My eye lids are getting heavy.

'Don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep!' My mind begged me.

'Hey, it's getting harder to stay awake, boss,' I said right back.

'No don't! You can't fall asleep! Who knows what they'll do to you!'

'I…'

'Stay awake!'

'I…'

'STAY AWAKE!'

'I…can't…' My body succumbed to the drug in my system, and I closed my eyes…

"She's asleep. Let's proceed with creating number zero."

I found myself staring at the ceiling above me. I was lying on a bed, blinking up at what's above me.

Slowly, I pushed myself to sit up and looked around. This…isn't my room.

I let out a sigh. "I was hoping it was all a dream…"

"What was all a dream?"

"Son of a bitch!" I yelped out as I jumped- and fell off my bed. "Oww…"

Slowly, I pulled myself back onto the bed with a groan. I looked up to the source, seeing Tex leaning against the wall. "…How long have you been in here?" I asked her. Don't tell me that I had been out all night…

"Eh, just a couple of hours," Tex shrugged. "Tucker and Caboose just ate and lounging around."

"…Oh," I let out as I pulled myself to sit on the bed, cross legged – I'm now wearing a tank top and some shorts, and I noticed my glasses on the small table next to the bed I'm in. I picked them up and placed them on. "So you're the one who put me in this, right?" If Lav was the one who'd undressed me…

"Well, I can already see that Tucker is perverted," Tex admitted. "He kept hitting on me after I undressed you and placed you here. He's pretty stubborn, I gotta tell you."

"Yeah, Lav seems like a kind of person who won't give up," I let out, looking down at my legs.

…Even my hair on them is gone…

"So what was that all about?" Tex then asked me. "With you fainting and shit?"

...SHIT.

I looked up at her, nervous. "Uh…that is to say, um…" How can I tell this to the most dangerous Freelancer/AI with an aggressive AI used by her?

…Though, I think she's more suspicious of me now since I fainted back there…

"…Would you believe that this body in front of you isn't always like this…?" I tentatively asked.

Tex stared at me. '…I am so dead…!' I mentally whimpered, feeling my heart pound rapidly. 'I am so fucking dead!'

"I see."

…Huh? "What?" I let out, surprised. That was…that wasn't a response I expected.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still not sure if you are who you claim to be," Tex explained, "But from your actions in the afterhours, and of this moment, you're just…confused. So…give it to me straight: you have no idea WHY you're here, right?"

I stared at Tex for a few moments. I'm wondering if I should answer her question with honesty – but…this is Agent fucking Texas. The Beta AI. She lived part of her life as a lie…so…

I thought over my answer carefully. "…Well, to be honest, no. I was at home, and then I went to sleep; though, when I woke up, I ended up on the Pelican with Mikey. I don't know how I got on there – I'm not even a real soldier. My eye sight is horrid, I have flat feet, and I don't have any real training on martial arts and fire arms…hell, I don't even have intel AND medical training."

I sighed. "Just…WHY am I here…?"

The two of us are enveloped in silence, as I just sat there. A part of me is waiting anxiously on what Tex might say.

"...Well, we're all here for one reason or another," Tex finally said. I looked up at her. "But you have to figure out why your here on your own."

I frowned and crossed my arms. "That didn't make me feel any better..."

Tex shrugged. "Well, this is reality, you just have to make the best of it."

I let out a grunt. "Anyway, I gotta get something to eat now," I said as I stood up. "I can't stay in here, hiding, you know?" Plus, I haven't eaten a thing since I got here.

As if on cue, my stomach growled.

It's weird that I didn't feel hungry until I thought of that...but that's probably from all of the things that were happening today (At least, that's what I'm thinking).

I looked down at my assets. "But, uh, I gotta put on a bra."

"...What size do you wear?" I looked over at Tex when she asked me that when I began to try to rummage in the bag.

"Uh...why?"

"I just brought a bunch of them in all sizes," Tex simply answered, shrugging.

I looked down at the bag, then unzipped it and turned it upside down. I shook it a little...and all sorts of colored bras in varying cup sizes fell onto the floor, along with underwear and some other casual clothes. I stared.

I picked one of them at random to see if there's a tag to see what bra size this is; and I quickly found it - it's a 32 A. "...This could take a while..."

And it took a while indeed. I found a couple that are my size and toss away the others I don't need.

...And the pile of bras that I don't need is a pretty big one.

I held up one of the bras in my size. "Okay, I guess I'll wear one of these."

I then went under the blanket and put it on - yes, I am THAT self-conscious about my body. At least whoever did...THIS to me kept my bodice the same.

"There we go, all better," I let out, flinging the blanket off of me.

"...You really are weird," Tex commented as I got up.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty self-conscious, as I said," I admitted, doing some stretches.

But as I stretched out my right arm, using my left hand to help, I then noticed something...odd on the right shoulder of my arm.

It's... a tattoo. A tattoo with the double digits of '0'.

"Where'd I get this tattoo?" I muttered to myself, looking over at it.

"What'd you say?" Tex asked.

I glanced at her. I was half tempted to ask her...

But I decided not to. "It's nothing," I said, lowering my arms. "Anyway, later." I then walked out of the room, intent on getting some food.

...And a part of me is gleeful that I can finally see Lav and Mikey out of their armors!

Sklee.

As soon as I walked in, I noticed two people I didn't recognize. One of them is a dark skinned male with short, dark brown hair and brown eyes, and wearing an aqua colored tank top and a pair of shorts (and I gotta say, he's pretty good looking). Another is a young man - probably a couple of years younger than I am - with cropped blonde hair, brown eyes, and wearing a simple blue shirt and baggy pants.

They were sitting on the couch, watching a bit of TV. The kitchen is at the other end of the room, and I looked back at the men. Well, I can't be seen, so I better sneak past them...

...Well, try to anyway. I'm not that great at stealth.

But, dammit, I need to eat!

Looking over at the two men, and back at the other door, I slowly made my way over to the door.

I was halfway there, and I thought that I could manage this-!

Until, I have no fucking idea how, but I missed seeing the small, square table with a small vase on top of it - because of that, the corner of it hits me on my side.

"Fucking shit-!" I yelped, holding my side- then I fumbled as I tried to save the vase that wobbled around a bit far much to the side. I grabbed it-

But it somehow slipped through my fingers and shattered on the ground.

My eyes were comically wide at what I had done. But...

"...Please tell me they didn't hear that..." I muttered, glancing over at the two males.

Sure enough, they did. The dark skinned male shook his head at me. "You're pretty clumsy, you know." His voice sounds...familiar.

Then I scolded myself for being slow for not realizing it sooner. "Lav?" I blinked, stunned.

"Hi Erica!" ...And that was Mikey just now. I really am slow...

"Uh...hey Mikey," I greeted back.

Lav looked over at me. "Huh, so this is what you look like without your armor. You filled out pretty good."

"Hey, eyes off me," I scolded, crossing my arms.

"Are you okay, Erica?" Mikey asked me. "Tex told us that you fainted some time ago and said we shouldn't disturb you."

"Yeah, but Tex has been in there for a while," Lav added, before he raised an eyebrow. "Is she...like, cheating off of Church by checking you out?"

I sputtered. "Wh-what?!"

"I wouldn't blame her," Lav continued shamelessly. "I mean, you've got a great figure. Your boobs are a good size, and so is your hips. Now, if you have a pretty big ass, then you're set. Guys would be all over your ass. Bow Chicka Bow Wow."

...I tried to cover my (admittedly big) ass. "Shut up..." I uttered, my cheeks red.

It will be okay Erica, just ignore the pervert – you've done that with a lot of people in the past, you can still do it now.

And so I quickly took off to the kitchen, ignoring Lav calling out to me.

I couldn't help but feel like that I've forgotten something.

~o~

Stand on top of the canyon, she stared down at the Blue base – or more specially a small tablet screen that shoes the infrared forms of the inhabitants within it. One in particular is scurrying away as another tried to go after the other…the person scurrying away had a part of her right shoulder outlined in a number.

Both digits is of the same number: 00.

She heard the comm. go off in her helmet and answered it. "This is she." A pause. Then: "Yes, Number Zero has been acumilated into the Blues. The idiots at Command have gotten suspicious, but couldn't confirm that she isn't one of them." Another pause, then she sighed. "Fine. I'll keep an eye on her for a little while longer. Yes. Right, over and out." She hung up and stared back at the Blue base.

"...There was supposed to be only seven," she muttered to herself. "Why is there a person with the number zero?"

She has been wondering about that since they got her out of the lab. What sort of power does she have?

Reluctantly, she has to continue monitoring her - she has to keep the AI and Project Freelancer in the dark about this...

Hmm...what do you suppose is happening here?

I'll betcha a lot of you are wondering how Erica could see the tattoo and the others can't? I won't reveal! :3

Here's hoping you guys will review! Positive ones, thank you.