Everything was beeping.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, as she found herself roused from stasis. It wasnÆt the worst of feelings, since she at least was still inside her hostÆs bodyà the only problem, this time, was that she felt nervous. She had been feeling like that for a good while, actuallyà but now, after she had heard that she and the rest of them were going to what was probably the most dangerous mission theyÆd be in, she couldnÆt help it; she was nervous.
After allà they werenÆt just going back to a scarier place than the one called Neo Arcadia, from where she had been rescued by the Resistance, but it seemed the fight was going to be worseà much worse than before. Even the fight against that man, Phantomà it seemed to be much deeper than that one, even though she, like the others, were.
Zeroà that name was one she thought of with fervor, remembering how he had saved her. It hadnÆt been so long agoà but it sure felt like it, and she appreciated it. She had found it strange that he hadnÆt chosen to use her abilities yetà but well, she didnÆt mind, really. Better stay alive and healthy, and being able to watch Zero fight, than sacrificing herself permanently.
As of now, she thought they were probably coming close to whatever æendÆ this mission was coming, according to the others. It had been a lot of time since the mission had started, enough that her short nap, started a few minutes after the mission, was over before she was finished. Some of the others seemed worried, even if she didnÆt understand why exactlyà but then, eventually, a sound similar to shutters opening and closing sounded around them, and ZeroÆs systems indicated they were in a large room now.
On the other side of the room, they could see the Elf-devouring bastard, Omega, clad in that humongous golden armor. She had been witness to his transformation, so much time agoà and she had to admit again, he was frightening. The huge, golden armor he wore, the two gauntlets that hovered by his sides, acting like hands, the large crimson saber in his backà the blue designs through his gray body, pulsing with energy, and yetà for some reason, she thought he lookedà familiar. She didnÆt know why exactly, but it was justà
ôIs that Omega?ö one of the few Cyber-Elves who had joined them when they were in the previous area asked, and she turned to look at him. He was among the last to join them, a small, round clock-shaped male Cyber-Elf, with a red body and yellow bells sprouting to the sides. The two clock hands looked like a moustache, but they looked more masculine than of some of the others.
One of the blue ninja Cyber-Elves, who had been there for longer than either of them, nodded. ôYesà that is Omega, alright. He was the one who was in that missile, wasnÆt he?ö he replied, turning towards his ætwinÆ, who held a sheathed sword on his hands.
ôIndeed he was. It is hard to believe that people like miss Ciel are from the same species as the man who created himàö he grunted, patting the hilt of his sword. The look both of them gave the abomination was deeply enragedà
She squealed, when she felt the energies coming from them. Those twoà even while they were in that ærestrainedÆ space of theirs, they still could emit Cyber-Elf energies, something most of them couldnÆt. The electric blue, bit-shaped electronic wings they hadà indicators of the æHackerÆ variety, and yet, it was unnerving.
To the sides, a few other Cyber-Elves were glaring at the creature as well, their energies flaring up. The small female began to take scared steps back, hiding behind another of the newcomers, a short and thickly-built green female Cyber-Elf, her covering being a jumpsuit. Three patches of green hair emerged from the top and sides of her head, shaped like meatballs, and she had a green nurse hat. On her hands, a thick syringe with the Red Cross symbol attached to it was held, though barely, due to her companionÆs swift movements.
This called the attention of another Cyber-Elf. ôEnough of that.ö
One of the blue Cyber-Elves turned towards him, glaring. ôOh, who are you to tell us that, huh?! WeÆve been wanting to finally get our chance to give that bastard some what-fors at last, and now you tell us to calm down?!ö he snapped, gripping the twin knives in his hands. The Cyber-Elf stepped closer, and the odd lighting that somehow illuminated their Cyberspace æroomÆ seemed to focus on him, somewhat surprising her.
Like the other mature Cyber-Elves, this one was not garbed in a single outfit, although hisÆ looked rather odd; it wore a single red jumpsuit, with the torso, arms, and head clad in metallic armor. A Cyber-Elf symbol stood on his chest, and from behind, two blue wings similar to the ninja Hackers remained still. A flowing red wave of hair trailed after him, and he had a two-bladed sword in his left hand, with buttons on each blade.
ôYou are frightening the others. I suggest you all stop yourselves, before more trouble comes,ö he alerted the other Cyber-Elves, who glared at him with some spite.
ôWhy, youà why do you keep bossing us around?!ö one of the shorter Cyber-Elves snapped at him, his own knives looking ready to attack. However, two loud noises came, as two other Cyber-Elves surrounded them. One of them, a large, fluorescent slime, allowed its long and thick tail to keep the ninja surrounded, while the second one, about the same height as the others, was a furry mammal with spots covering his fur, a feline tail stretched in a ready position. Both of them had the same symbols, but their wings were green and similar to lamps, unlike the others.
A glaring match started afterwards, the ninja Cyber-Elves looking from the red-garbed Cyber-Elf to the slime to the mammal. Eventually, one of them, who also held a sheathed sword, lowered it and took a less offensive position.
ôWe shouldnÆt be fighting each other. Omega is out there, and master Zero needs as much help as he can get. Cottus, Malphas, let us make contact with him and offer our power as an aid,ö he said, motioning towards two of the blue ninja Cyber-Elves. With a single jump, they took to the air, approaching the æceilingÆ û in reality, a portal to ZeroÆs systems, which would allow them a chance to possibly help him.
The knight Cyber-Elf sighed, as he lowered his two-bladed sword. ôThose threeà what a mess they are,ö he muttered, turning towards the two girls. ôAre you okay?ö
While the green Nurse Elf gave a æhmphÆ full of contempt, she slowly hovered from behind her, not managing to face the knight Cyber-Elf. ôY-yes, sirà weÆre fine. Those three, they justàö she replied, quietly. He looked her over, before turning towards the others.
ôBalette, Putite, the two of you can calm down. I donÆt suppose theyÆll be much of a problem anymoreàö he said, before walking away. ôWe had better keep our eye on Omega, however. Master Zero may need our aid in this battleà and even those of us who cannot do much should be ready to do whatever it takes.ö
The way he said ità it was very serious and, indeed, he looked fairly grim. The third newcomer approached her, a small red Cyber-Elf with a capsule in her hands and a nurse hat, pink heart-shaped wings on the back of her body.
ôUmà is he okay?ö she asked the other Cyber-Elf, who nodded.
ôYeah, he is. HeÆs just a Knight Cyber-Elfà thatÆs why heÆs feeling that way.ö The red Nurse Elf blinked, not knowing what to say, so she went on. ôThe Knight Cyber-Elves are meant to fight against enemies that Zero may find in his missions, sacrificing their energies to kill all they find. Against Reploids, however, theyÆre too weakà Hammer Cyber-Elves would be better, but Zero has never used them as far as weÆve seen him.ö
The red Nurse Elf looked at her in awe, before turning around. Three large, golden-armored Cyber-Elves were standing there, waiting for a command, their massive weapons û a mace, a hammer, and an axe û set down and ready. However, inside their helmets, it was obvious that their feelings were those of, simultaneously, worry and resignation. Worry, for they had not been used on any foe so farà and resignation, since that had been precisely what had happened.
ôThem?ö she asked, before turning back towards the other. ôThey look kinda scary to meà but they also are still here. Why?ö
ôDonÆt you know anything?ö the green Nurse Elf asked, in a grumpy voice, and they turned towards her. ôHammer Cyber-Elves are only good to bash things, and despite this guyÆs stature, IÆm pretty sure heÆs only wanting to see what that giant will do, before he needs to smash it to bits. Who knows, maybe heÆll use them if he canÆt hurt him enough!ö
ôI donÆt knowàö a small, bee-shaped Cyber-Elf flied by, the green wings indicating its Animal state. ôZero has never used any Cyber-Elf in the past monthà and research indicates that he has never used them, either. That is strange, I know, butàö
ôEh?!ö the green Nurse Elf asked, surprised. ôThatÆs so weird! Why didnÆt he use your powers yet?ö The other Cyber-Elf shrugged, not sure of how to answer her question. Before she could rant on, however, sparks flew around them, surprising the Cyber-Elves.
The red Nurse Elf who had approached them screeched, hugging the other Cyber-Elf, and nearly squeezing the lifedata out of her. ôAAAAHHH!!! WHAT IS GOING ON?!ö she screamed, as both of them fell to the ground, sparks flying around and tremors now shaking the room.
ôIt-it seems master Zero has been harmed!ö another of the red Nurse Elves stated, grunting as she tried to keep herself off the cybernetic floor. ôVery severely, for the damage to have been felt even hereà Omega must have struck him!ö
ôBut how?ö the small Knight Cyber-Elf, who had joined them just as soon as the other two, asked her. ôMaster Zero has the Ultimate Boots, the Charge Helmet, twelve EX Skills, and he surely has fought against more enemies than we can possibly count! How can he have taken a heavy hit?!ö
ôMaster Zero may be the strongest man in the worldàö one of the remaining ninja Cyber-Elves reckoned, as he stood his ground despite the electricity around them. ôBut even so, his reflexes can only go so far. Without our aid, he simply lacks the ability to detect how an attack will comeà he canÆt fight against the bastard Omega without a handicap like this!ö
ôBut the bastard has the power of the ultimate Cyber-Elf with him!ö a different Cyber-Elf, a small box with the blue wings and a very small body under its square head. She had come to know this particular Cyber-Elf to be a female, but she didnÆt really remember her name û not that she had a chance to remember now, what with this attack. ôThe Dark Elfà their powers combined are absurd! We canÆt possibly hope to win without our help!ö
Despite the combination of pain and distress she was feeling, howeverà the small Cyber-Elf struggled to get up, despite the flare of electricity that had just ran through the floor around them, and pulled the red Nurse Elf off her, panting somewhat.
ôNoà Zero can do thisàö she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, but the Cyber-Elf to her side managed to pick it up regardless.
ôYouà you really think so?ö she asked, receiving a blink in response. ôYouà think master Zero can stop him, without our help?ö
She took a breath, noticing the sparks had finally died down, before nodding. ôY-yesà I have faith in ZeroÆs abilities, and I know he can do thisà heÆs defeated Neo Arcadia twice already, and has felled enemies that even we consider mythsà he is capable of doing this, and he will stop Omega again!ö
ôYou sound awfully confidentàö a rather sarcastic voice sounded from behind, and as she turned, a monkey-like Cyber-Elf with green wings was looking right at her face. ôFor a shrimp, you sure believe that master Zero will succeed. But whatÆs with calling him just æZeroÆ, anyway? HeÆs our master, we owe him our lives, and so we should respect him for that. Stop acting so foolishly and start respecting him, as well.ö
The way he spoke was irritating, as if the fully-matured Cyber-Elf was superior to her for some unknown reason. ôI can respect Zero without having to call him æmasterÆ all the time, unless you forgot he has told several of us already to stop referring to him as such?ö she snapped back, annoyed by his attitude.
ôWhy, you!ö he snarled, angry. ôWhat kind of Cyber-Elf do you think you are, nurse? Show those who are superior to you some respect, or-ö Whatever threat he was going to do to her, it was interrupted by a blinding flash of light coming from outside, and the Cyber-Elves turned towards the large æscreenÆ that showed them the outside.
In there, they saw the transmutation of OmegaÆs body, from a hulking, yet still reasonable large demon Reploid, into a monstrosity of titanic proportions, to the point where the ground they were standing uponà it simply could not resist the brunt of his weight and size, and collapsed underneath him, leaving only half of the room they were inside for Zero to maneuver. Three heads crowned the being, both of the additional ones looking awfully familiarà as did the two weapons he bore.
On the left side of the body, colored mainly in blue, the eyes that stared at them, coldly, were the same as Copy Xà down to the helmetÆs shape and the lack of feelings. The huge Buster he bore had a muzzle with a diameter as large as ZeroÆs height, and it was preparing to charge again. The central body was white, looking like a mix between the Dark ElfÆs physical form and OmegaÆs body, with three horns sprouting from its head û one forward, two to the sides, in the same colors as each part.
The scariest part, however, was the right sideà which looked too much like ZeroÆs body, holding a gigantic version of the sword Omega previously held. The shape also reminded them of ZeroÆs very own Z-Saber, and the idea of facing thatà even she felt a creeping chill going down her virtual spine, and she took a step back.
ôThat bastardàö she muttered, but she didnÆt finish her thoughtsà as tears would be falling down her face, if she were in true physical form, she would have snapped about how he was trying to use mind games on them, and how it wouldnÆt work on herà but her emotions were too aflame, even in this half-corporeal state, and she would rather be able to let these calm downà but why did seeing that make her feel so awful?
The battle outside started not long after, with the Cyber-Elves trying to pay as much attention to it as possible now. They were leaving the dialogue for later, watching Zero dodge a humongous swipe, or jump over a charged plasma blastà evading a series of plasma shots that pursued him, or lasers fired from the eyes of the beastà
And yet, they could feel the damage piling up, regardless; even if Zero was, indeed, skilled enough to dodge most of the attacks, he was being worn down, even if he was doing even more damage to his opponent than he was receiving. It seemed to be a battle of attrition, mostlyà but eventually, Zero seemed to get the upper hand, after draining a Sub-Tank. Slash after slash, shot after shot, it was eventually his victory that cameà and the Cyber-Elves were all but ecstatic, seeing the explosions that were coming from the demon ReploidÆs body. The red nurse Cyber-Elf from before hugged her tightly again, crying out in joy, and even she couldnÆt help but smile back as well.
ôZeroàö she whispered, almost ready to come out and speak to him, even from thereà but a sudden rumbling, that had managed to affect their room as well, turned the joy into distress.
ôWhatÆs going on?ö one of the other Cyber-Elves asked, a female this time, even if she had no idea of what that one was. Her mind was shaken too, and she could barely standà the rumblingÆs effect had been too much for them. Slowly, she forced herself to stand up, and look at the screenà
ôWhat the FUCK?!ö
Even if she didnÆt manage to see who it was who said that, she had a feeling sheÆd agree with that Elf in a millisecond. As the explosion was clearing, a new form was revealedà a horribly familiar, yet still disgusting form.
ôNoà that canÆt beàö she whispered, fearful now. White hairà crimson and black armorà pale, cruel faceà no matter how much she tried to fight it, pain was coursing through her heart, even as that bastard Weil was telling everyone the truth behind them. ôThatà that canÆt be Zeroàö
ôWereà were we all used by a fake?!ö the monkey Cyber-Elf snapped, irate. ôI canÆt believe this!ö
ôàso, heÆs not the true hero?ö the last of the ninja Cyber-Elves asked, surprising everyone. ôSo we were all taken by a fake who probably is just as bad a person as that bastard, if he kept telling everyone that lie?!ö
This seemed to continue on with the others, as more of the Cyber-Elves seemed to be sharing the same opinionà but despite that, she couldnÆt agree with them. She didnÆt believe Weilà she couldnÆt; he was saying that Zero, one of the greatest people in the world, one of the saviors of the Resistanceà that he was no better than they, because he was just a clone?
That wasà that simply wasà
For a moment, she thought about remaining silentà but then, the knight Cyber-Elf who had first spoken, recently, seemed to sigh and lower his own weapon, a sad look passing through his eyes. That was too much for her to bearà and so, before she realized it, she was screaming.
ôWhat is WRONG with you?!ö she asked them, clenching her small fists. ôI canÆt believe the nerve of you all, in believing a lie that was made by the creator of the Elf-devouring bastard?! Are all of you so stupid and na´ve, that youÆll fall for the first lie that he tells you lot?! Is that what all of you were reduced to?!ö
Seeing the lot of Cyber-Elves was stunned, all eyes on her, made her feel more nervous and aware that she might be breaching a barrierà but she didnÆt care; right now, she just had to keep on talking. ôIÆve spent the past few weeks living here, after Zero came to help us allà and IÆve heard all sorts of comments about him; youÆve complained about not being used, about how strange Zero is, about how he has struggled so hard against foes he has no chance to beat without your helpà do any of you ever feel happy with anything Zero has ever done?! Do you ever feel pride of knowing that you are being protected by someone who is doing his best to save us all, no matter the cost, even going out of his way and risking his mission to fight someone like that scary guy, Phantom, just because one of us thought there was something weird with the Neo Arcadian Cyberspace doors? Do you?ö
Taking a breath, she glared at them again. ôI may not be the most powerfulà the bestà or even the most desired of Cyber-Elvesàö she said, trying to keep her stead as long as possible; she couldnÆt let herself down nowà ôBut even so, Ià I still am glad that Zero has dedicated his time to take care of me, allowing me and all of us to stay with him in this chamber, free from the confines of the Disks we were imprisoned in before, and allowing us to have Energen Crystals so we can grow stronger, even if he doesnÆt need our helpà he still cared about us, and did his best so that we wouldnÆt have to suffer further! Why do you want to suffer so much?!ö
This made the knight Cyber-Elf truly turn towards her, his eyes showing an emotion she hadnÆt seen yetà at least, not directed at her. She wanted to look at him more, to try and understand what that wasà yet, the more she felt his eyes were focused on her, the more she did not want to face him. She tried to look towards any of the other Cyber-Elves, anyone else, anyone at allà
ôIà I donÆt care what any of you say, anymore. If you all want to curse at Zeroà want to ignore all the good things he and the Resistance have done for usà then I donÆt care. IÆm going to keep my faith on Zeroà as I know heÆll win for us. I know it.ö With that, she started to walk away, ignoring everyone else, just trying to head where she knew they couldnÆt reach her.
She never had the chance, however.
ôWait.ö
That single word was more powerful than any replies or counters she had expected, as she froze in her steps. Behind her, she could hear the shuffling of his movements, as he was standing up and lowering his weapon. Her unneeded breath was stilled, as she tried to not let her nerves affect herà and failed considerably.
ôYou are rightà we were wrong in doubting master Zero, since he is the one who rescued us.ö The knight Cyber-ElfÆs voice was calm and definitiveà and the other Cyber-Elves were looking at him now, as well. ôMaster Zeroà it shouldnÆt matter whether he is the original Reploid or not, since either way, he is the savior of our race, and the person who has been taking care of us ever since we were released from those disks. To betray him nowà thatÆd be beyond cowardice.ö
Footsteps approached her now, quiet and calmly, and she couldnÆt help but turn around. The knight Cyber-Elf was now just behind her, kneeling down and putting his weapon on his front, similarly to a bow. While he did not say anything, she knew it was an important thing to him, probably coming from his programming, and she had no idea how to respond to it.
Before she could, however, an alarm started to ring, even as the room started to shake and tremble again. æ[WARNING: Energy amount decreasing at a rapid pace. Medical treatment required]Æ the warning blared, over the screen, and they saw Omega hopping onto the air, twice, and doing a spin in mid-air. Various energy blades flew from the bastardÆs Z-Saber, which he had been using since the start of the battle, and it seemed Zero had barely managed to dodge it. æ[Remaining energy: 12%. Damage to armor: 40%. Damage to Weapon Technique Learning System: 40%. Damage to Weapon Systems: Z-Buster 19%, Z-Saber 27%, Shield Boomerang 65%, Recoil Rod 53%. Extended damage to weapon systems may cause permanent damage or destruction.]Æ
That was a bigger trouble for them now, as Zero was obviously tired, while the bastard wasnÆt even sweating. They heard the sound of his hand clenching the Z-Saber, the grunt he managed to say, as his last Sub-Tank was drained and his energy was recoveredà but the only thing that was healed was his energy.
The battle raged on, and they were almost frozen in place, as they watched Omega continue his berserk attacks onto Zero, slashing and shooting him with both his weapons. Zero was trying his best to defeat him, they knewà but now their hope was slowly diminishing, as more warning messages came to their systems. When Zero tried to change into the Recoil Rod, hoping to catch the bastard off-guard, he barely had time to strike against the energy wave that pursued himà only for his own weapon to lose the battle and shatter, forcing Zero back to the ground and unable to block the blast from colliding against him.
This only pleased Omega more, as the bastardÆs grin indicated. He went on for another attack, which they realized as being that one where heÆd smash onto the ground, creating the pillars of light around his body. Cries of fear came from the Cyber-Elves, while she herself had lost her speech, and Zero barely managed to dodge away from that strike.
ôBastardàö he cursed, but the slur in his voice worried him; a quick scan indicated that he had taken some damage on his vocal processors, and there was some fluid build-up in his throat. æDamned bastardà Cerveau spent so much time building that weapon, and he shattered it in one strikeà that definitely means IÆll kill him!Æ
Shortly after, he saw Omega coming in close, pulling out his Z-Saber again for a dash attack, and Zero decided to stop him from hitting. Dropping the smoking remains of the Recoil Rod, he switched to his Shield Boomerang, from its position on his left arm. Omega just grinned, before slashing at himà again, and again, and again, not leaving Zero a good position for a counter-attack, but he kept on blocking. All he had to do is wait for the charge to be finished, and then heÆd slice the bastard in half, without any troubles-
ôHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!ö Omega suddenly laughed, before a powerful slash collided against the Shield Boomerang, splitting it to pieces. ZeroÆs eyes widened, before the slashÆs strength sent him flying backwards, his legs being struck by another attack.
ôNO!ö she cried out, as the new warning messages came to their screen. æ[Recoil Rod activity terminated. Shield Boomerang activity terminated. Damage to left arm: 45%. Damage to legs: 56%. Foot Chip Systems deactivated; resetting to Regular System. Remaining energy: 65%.]Æ
ôThat bastardà he managed to destroy both of master ZeroÆs weapons, in such a short amount of time?!ö the leader of the ninja Cyber-Elves snapped, as they heard the approaching footsteps of the bastard. ôAnd even the boots master Zero has are now out of powerà that just isnÆt fair! Master Zero ought to have allowed us to help himà he needs our help!ö
ôNoàö she whispered, sniffing non-existent tears, ôhe is going to make ità he will winàö The Cyber-Elf glared at her, but as they returned their attention to the screen, they saw Zero finding a breach in OmegaÆs defenses, immediately attacking him with fervor. Slash after slash after slash cameà but the reflection of his eyes, visible on the metallic surfaces of his opponent, indicated a mix between hatred and coldness.
ôI donÆt care if youÆre my real body or notà IÆm not going to lose to you!ö he snapped, before jumping onto the air, switching for the Thunder Body Chip. That next strike was sure to leave him stunned at the very least, and if he could hit his energy coreà
Omega, however, managed to recover in time, immediately pointing his Buster arm up and at ZeroÆs head. The single shot he fired wasnÆt very strongà it was a single plasma bullet, not even remotely powerful enough to harm Zero seriously.
But Zero did not need to be harmed seriously, in these conditions.
The shot collided against his helmet, barely avoiding the crystal in his forehead, and caused an explosion to course through both his body and the Cyberspace room the Cyber-Elves were in. As he cried out in pain, falling on the ground weakly, even louder warning messages appeared in his systems, forcing him to look at them.
æ[Head Chip Systems deactivated; resetting to Regular System. Body Chip Systems deactivated; Elemental Chip data lost. Weapon Technique Learning System deactivated; EX Skill data lost. Remaining energy: 64%.]Æ were the multiple alerts, and while the Cyber-Elves were stunned at the severe losses, she fell down to her knees, in disbelief.
ôZeroàö she whispered, closing her eyes. The energy counter started to go down again, however, and they heard the sounds of that frantic slash attack againà as Zero was being mercilessly pummeled by Omega, his systems all approaching shutdown state, and even the Cyber-Elves felt the lights around their room start to dim.
ôSo, this is itàö one of the Cyber-Elves said, in a depressed tone. ôMaster Zeroà he wonÆt be able to pull through this. He failedà and weÆre all going to die, no thanks to him.ö
She glared at him, but it was obvious he didnÆt care, too busy with his incoming death to do so. ôIf he had just stopped being stubborn, and had allowed us to help himà if he had allowed our sacrifice to matter for him, instead of wasting his life in a lieà then we wouldnÆt be about to die right now! If we are all going to die, then it had better be by doing the things we do best, rather than by being trapped in this room forever!ö
ôS-shut upàö she tried to say, but words were failing herà and slowly, as Zero struggled to get up again, his energy coming so close to critical level, she realized what the whine that was coming from outside was. It wasnÆt the sound of ZeroÆs weapons being chargedà it was the sound of OmegaÆs.
That attackà they had seen it before. Omega was going to fire two fully-charged plasma blasts from his busters, before using his own saber to fire off an energy waveà a wave that would undoubtedly slice Zero in half, given his current conditions. Howeverà the fact that all these attacks were made of raw energy, unleashed upon Zero, stuck to her mindà and a plan began to be formed.
æCan I really do it?Æ she thought, as she looked back and forth between the screen and the æexitÆ, biting her virtual lip. æCan I possibly do thisà even despite what I just told everyone, can I still do this?Æ
However, the look in OmegaÆs eyes, and the faint reflection as she saw he wasnÆt shooting yet, only to give Zero a semblance of hope, which was consuming himà that steeled her towards it. She jumped up, ready to fly outsideà when she heard the same sound as before, of an approaching personà and she knew who it was, even with as much focus as she had.
ôYouà youÆre not really thinking ofà are you?ö he asked, rather nervously. Despite the fear she felt, she nodded and made to turn towards him, even with her haste. ôBut yetà how can you go outside?ö
ôZero isà his systems are already under enough strainàö she confessed, fighting the urge to give up, ôand he probably is trying to reroute enough energy to sustain himself. He may be unable to maintain the locks on our abilitiesà and much as he may have protected me, this timeà IÆm the only one who can protect him.ö
He looked at her, sadly. ôYou do know of your state, right? If you use your powers now, thenàö he asked, and she nodded.
ôI know the risksà but I canÆt lose this chance. I want to protect Zero no matter whatà and this is the only chance!ö she told him, only to see him nod as well.
ôVery well. Then IÆll go with you,ö he said, in a resigned tone. To her look of surprise, he continued. ôI am a Hacker Elf, still. If anyone can help you get there, I suppose that should be me. My abilities ought to guarantee your successàö
ôàthanks,ö she whispered, only loud enough for him to listen, before turning around again. ôThenà letÆs go, Kyniteàö With that, the two of them flew away, ignoring the othersà like they had been doing before. When one of the Cyber-Elves tried to follow them, however, Balette dashed in front of them, pushing them all away.
ôWhat the-Balette, let us through! We must help master Zero, as well!ö one of the ninja Cyber-Elves spoke, readying his weapon. However, the leopard Cyber-Elf stood there, not allowing them access.
ôI donÆt suppose you understand why he allowed her to go through, regardless of everything else, do you?ö he asked, watching them for an answer. One of the other Nurse Elves, a small female with a golden outfit and hair, holding an energy capsule on her small hands, decided to talk then.
ôShe wants to help Zero at the cost of her life, but that isnÆt different of what we doà but she said before that we should be glad that she doesnÆt have to æwaste her lifeÆ in her role. IsnÆt thatà strange?ö she asked, in a shy voice. Balette smiled.
ôIndeedà for every other Cyber-Elf, that would be strangeà but not for one who, like her, would only die in pain.ö His response surprised the group, and he glanced at the parting two. ôHer roleà is to serve as a protector. If master Zero was to take damage, she would have to bear the brunt of it, suffering while he took no damage, and giving him health from the damage she took. I can see why she would be afraidà after all, unlike us, her existence will always end in pain.ö
ôThatàö the gold Nurse Elf whispered, looking back at the disappearing traces of the now-gone Cyber-Elves. ôThat means she is actually going to dieà even though she is afraid of it?ö The nod she received in response probably would have muted her, otherwiseà but she couldnÆt stop speaking now. ôSheÆsà very brave.ö
ôBrave?ö one of the other Cyber-Elves asked, and she saw it was a small Metool-shaped Cyber-Elf, with a different face, however. A few of the other Cyber-Elves seemed to understand her, at least, even if the others shared the same feelings as this one.
Still, she simply nodded. ôYesà I think sheÆs brave, in doing that. After allà her reason is the strongest out of all of them.ö
While the Cyber-Elves continued their discussion, Zero was finally standing up, wincing from the pain. He didnÆt want to, but it had been too strong an emotionà and even now, as he tried to take a stance, he could see the murderously hateful eyes of Omega looking right at his core, savoring the suffering he was going through. Having just now recovered his grip on the Z-Saber, he was steeling himself for his own attack, ready to dodge the moment Omega attackedà that is, if his dash systems were still working; the lucky hits he had taken were a toll on his bodyà he didnÆt want to try his luck further with anything the bastard clone could ruin.
Stillà he knew he couldnÆt lose here, he wasnÆt afraid of fighting to the death against any enemies he had to faceà but for the first time in what possibly was a while, Zero couldnÆt think of a way out of this situation. He had faced dangerous enemies, had fought and defeated one of the most dangerous Mavericks in the past several times, and had been on the brink of death as many times as wellà but he was trapped; he couldnÆt move out of the way fast enough so that all hits would miss, Omega would shoot faster than he could if he even tried to pull his Z-Buster away, and jumping was out of the question; the two shots were always fired in a pattern that led into a trap, so if he tried to jump over them heÆd be unable to dodge the last oneà
Eventually, however, the bastard Reploid from Hell grew tired of this game of waitingà and the murderous smile he bore became even more wicked, if that was possible. ôZeroà DIE!!!ö he cried out, before the first shot was released.
At that moment, he felt a burst of energy coming from his body, before a Cyber-Elf materializedà a small, blue-clad female Elf, with a red symbol protected by a yellow marker. Two green wings sprouted from her back, and under her blue nurse hat with a red cross and a yellow rim, bits of blue hair were revealed. Covering each ear was a small yellow antenna, and from underneath them, a stethoscope was lying against her body.
Her emotion was quite serene, as she looked at him, giving a small smileà but then, she turned towards Omega, a green glow surrounding her body. The first attack collided against her with strength, pushing her backwards, but she resisted, and even turned the entire blast into energy for her consumptionà a fact that indicated her body wasnÆt just fully material, nowà but that she had also activated her powers.
Zero was surprised at seeing that; he hadnÆt expected any Cyber-Elf to be using their abilities, since he hadnÆt given any command for it. Checking his systems, he noticed a message indicating that æMiallaÆ had been activatedà but he hadnÆt! He didnÆt understand how that was possibleà but enough was enough; he couldnÆt let that continue!
ôNoà donÆt do this! You donÆt have to!ö he grunted, even though only half of it actually sounded reasonable; his processors were still strained, and he coughed up more fluid in the process, but it was obvious regardless that he didnÆt want her to sacrifice herself for him.
If his words were supposed to stop her, however, he failed miserably. Instead, she just flew forward again, trying to collide against the next shot that came shortly after, allowing the energy to make contact with her only to absorb it, but it was obvious she was feeling hurt and exhausted from ità every passing second seemed to make her body paler, and she was panting, something Cyber-Elves just didnÆt do.
ôDIE!!!ö Omega repeated, pulling out his own saber and doing a forward slicing motion, letting the hypercharged plasma blade energy loose in the shape of a slash aimed straight at them. Zero flinched, expecting the blade to just slice through her and proceed to damage himà but as the energy slash came closer to her, she just closed her eyes, nodded to herself, and faced the attack with a peaceful smile in her lipsà
A second before being struck with the most damaging attack she could possibly imagine.
The scream she gave then was loud and painfulà incredibly so. She lost any sense of self, as she felt an impossibly high amount of pain tearing her body in half and neatly sending every single inch of her existence into waves of horrible feelingsà and yet, even through the spasms and writhings of pain, she still could feel life flowing through her bodyà which was all she needed, in fact.
Breathing uneasily, she turned towards Zero, opening her eyes slowly. Her smile came back to her, as she noticed he was unharmedà her plan had, indeed, worked out. Struggling to get up, she allowed her last tears to flow down her pinkish cheeks, while trying to approach the still weak Zero.
ôWhy?ö he asked, though the tone he used was full of uncertainty. ôWhy did you do that? You didnÆt need toà I didnÆt order you toàö
As the light surrounding her body was becoming faint, Mialla took a deep breath, knowing she didnÆt have much of a choice. She couldnÆt tell himà but she could still save him. And, as it wentà this was the best way to do so.
Her smile became sadder, as she looked into ZeroÆs eyes one last timeà and then, she flew right at him, the quiet sound of her crying mixing with the one of her wings and movements, and she hugged Zero, trying to transfer all her energy into him.
ôI know IÆm not the strongest, the best, or the most attractiveàö she whispered, trying to speak to herself as she could, ôand using my own abilities is much more painful than any of the others, which is why I donÆt want toà but even if I canÆt stay with you as I want, Zero, then I want to at least know I did something for youàö
Her hesitation was clear in her words, even if she doubted Zero was even listening to herà but despite that, she kept on crying, for the next few moments, all the while pouring her energy into his body, supplying him with the energy she had absorbed from OmegaÆs attacksà and more.
ôYouàö he whispered, surprised at the actions the Cyber-Elf had takenà but it was the smile she was giving him that surprised him the most; he didnÆt understand why she acted like thatà so, while Omega stared at them, in a mix between surprise and hatred, he just stared at her. That attitude was too different from other Cyber-Elves he had seenà she had disobeyed him in order to fulfill her duty, and yet that duty was much worse than the other Cyber-ElvesÆà because, while theirs did not necessarily depend on being harmed, hers was; she had taken the hits for him for a reason, he supposedà but the only reason there was had to beà
Eventually, the last bits of energy flowed from her body into hisà and the pain didnÆt go down; instead, it continued, as the tip of her feet, protected by the blue jumpsuit, started to melt into pure, raw, and incomplete data... a process of decay that spread slowly over every inch of her body, cracks of light appearing over her skin as her colors were finally dissipating themselves. She struggled to maintain her grip onto Zero, for the very last instantsà but if not for the fact that he held her tight, then, she would have released him and fallen.
Zero could only watch, barely noticing that his systems were once again at full power, and a confirmation that his dash systems were working fineà a mix between sorrow at an unnecessary loss and anger at the one who had been responsible for that, and who had been responsible for so much tragedy alreadyà
Finally, she closed her eyes, with her last breath, before her face became bits of data and started to disappear, becoming nothing. Zero kept his gaze on that direction, for a moment, keeping the Cyber-ElfÆs appearance in his memory.
Then he looked at Omega, gripping his Z-Saber tighter, and dashed towards the bastard Reploid, decided to kill him at any cost. While he cried out a scream of hatred, Omega grinned maniacally again, and readied his own saber for the battle, intent in finishing Zero once and for all.
At the same time, inside of the Cyberspace room, Kynite slowly hovered back down, a rather depressed expression in his face. ôSoà she really did it,ö he whispered to himself, trying to not look at the screen anymore, despite the feeling he had.
æHow I wish I was a Fusion ElfàÆ he thought to himself, angrily, cursing his inability to join her. æAll because master Zero decided to change my ability, tooà even if it isnÆt truly his fault, I canÆt stand this lossà not only she was one of the most interesting Cyber-Elves I ever met, but she also was the first one who I met, so long agoàÆ
While, on the outside, the battle between the Crimson Demon and the Crimson Hunter progressed, with a clamor unequaled by the others, he allowed himself to burrow into his own feelings, ignoring everyone else.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, as she found herself roused from stasis. It wasnÆt the worst of feelings, since she at least was still inside her hostÆs bodyà the only problem, this time, was that she felt nervous. She had been feeling like that for a good while, actuallyà but now, after she had heard that she and the rest of them were going to what was probably the most dangerous mission theyÆd be in, she couldnÆt help it; she was nervous.
After allà they werenÆt just going back to a scarier place than the one called Neo Arcadia, from where she had been rescued by the Resistance, but it seemed the fight was going to be worseà much worse than before. Even the fight against that man, Phantomà it seemed to be much deeper than that one, even though she, like the others, were.
Zeroà that name was one she thought of with fervor, remembering how he had saved her. It hadnÆt been so long agoà but it sure felt like it, and she appreciated it. She had found it strange that he hadnÆt chosen to use her abilities yetà but well, she didnÆt mind, really. Better stay alive and healthy, and being able to watch Zero fight, than sacrificing herself permanently.
As of now, she thought they were probably coming close to whatever æendÆ this mission was coming, according to the others. It had been a lot of time since the mission had started, enough that her short nap, started a few minutes after the mission, was over before she was finished. Some of the others seemed worried, even if she didnÆt understand why exactlyà but then, eventually, a sound similar to shutters opening and closing sounded around them, and ZeroÆs systems indicated they were in a large room now.
On the other side of the room, they could see the Elf-devouring bastard, Omega, clad in that humongous golden armor. She had been witness to his transformation, so much time agoà and she had to admit again, he was frightening. The huge, golden armor he wore, the two gauntlets that hovered by his sides, acting like hands, the large crimson saber in his backà the blue designs through his gray body, pulsing with energy, and yetà for some reason, she thought he lookedà familiar. She didnÆt know why exactly, but it was justà
ôIs that Omega?ö one of the few Cyber-Elves who had joined them when they were in the previous area asked, and she turned to look at him. He was among the last to join them, a small, round clock-shaped male Cyber-Elf, with a red body and yellow bells sprouting to the sides. The two clock hands looked like a moustache, but they looked more masculine than of some of the others.
One of the blue ninja Cyber-Elves, who had been there for longer than either of them, nodded. ôYesà that is Omega, alright. He was the one who was in that missile, wasnÆt he?ö he replied, turning towards his ætwinÆ, who held a sheathed sword on his hands.
ôIndeed he was. It is hard to believe that people like miss Ciel are from the same species as the man who created himàö he grunted, patting the hilt of his sword. The look both of them gave the abomination was deeply enragedà
She squealed, when she felt the energies coming from them. Those twoà even while they were in that ærestrainedÆ space of theirs, they still could emit Cyber-Elf energies, something most of them couldnÆt. The electric blue, bit-shaped electronic wings they hadà indicators of the æHackerÆ variety, and yet, it was unnerving.
To the sides, a few other Cyber-Elves were glaring at the creature as well, their energies flaring up. The small female began to take scared steps back, hiding behind another of the newcomers, a short and thickly-built green female Cyber-Elf, her covering being a jumpsuit. Three patches of green hair emerged from the top and sides of her head, shaped like meatballs, and she had a green nurse hat. On her hands, a thick syringe with the Red Cross symbol attached to it was held, though barely, due to her companionÆs swift movements.
This called the attention of another Cyber-Elf. ôEnough of that.ö
One of the blue Cyber-Elves turned towards him, glaring. ôOh, who are you to tell us that, huh?! WeÆve been wanting to finally get our chance to give that bastard some what-fors at last, and now you tell us to calm down?!ö he snapped, gripping the twin knives in his hands. The Cyber-Elf stepped closer, and the odd lighting that somehow illuminated their Cyberspace æroomÆ seemed to focus on him, somewhat surprising her.
Like the other mature Cyber-Elves, this one was not garbed in a single outfit, although hisÆ looked rather odd; it wore a single red jumpsuit, with the torso, arms, and head clad in metallic armor. A Cyber-Elf symbol stood on his chest, and from behind, two blue wings similar to the ninja Hackers remained still. A flowing red wave of hair trailed after him, and he had a two-bladed sword in his left hand, with buttons on each blade.
ôYou are frightening the others. I suggest you all stop yourselves, before more trouble comes,ö he alerted the other Cyber-Elves, who glared at him with some spite.
ôWhy, youà why do you keep bossing us around?!ö one of the shorter Cyber-Elves snapped at him, his own knives looking ready to attack. However, two loud noises came, as two other Cyber-Elves surrounded them. One of them, a large, fluorescent slime, allowed its long and thick tail to keep the ninja surrounded, while the second one, about the same height as the others, was a furry mammal with spots covering his fur, a feline tail stretched in a ready position. Both of them had the same symbols, but their wings were green and similar to lamps, unlike the others.
A glaring match started afterwards, the ninja Cyber-Elves looking from the red-garbed Cyber-Elf to the slime to the mammal. Eventually, one of them, who also held a sheathed sword, lowered it and took a less offensive position.
ôWe shouldnÆt be fighting each other. Omega is out there, and master Zero needs as much help as he can get. Cottus, Malphas, let us make contact with him and offer our power as an aid,ö he said, motioning towards two of the blue ninja Cyber-Elves. With a single jump, they took to the air, approaching the æceilingÆ û in reality, a portal to ZeroÆs systems, which would allow them a chance to possibly help him.
The knight Cyber-Elf sighed, as he lowered his two-bladed sword. ôThose threeà what a mess they are,ö he muttered, turning towards the two girls. ôAre you okay?ö
While the green Nurse Elf gave a æhmphÆ full of contempt, she slowly hovered from behind her, not managing to face the knight Cyber-Elf. ôY-yes, sirà weÆre fine. Those three, they justàö she replied, quietly. He looked her over, before turning towards the others.
ôBalette, Putite, the two of you can calm down. I donÆt suppose theyÆll be much of a problem anymoreàö he said, before walking away. ôWe had better keep our eye on Omega, however. Master Zero may need our aid in this battleà and even those of us who cannot do much should be ready to do whatever it takes.ö
The way he said ità it was very serious and, indeed, he looked fairly grim. The third newcomer approached her, a small red Cyber-Elf with a capsule in her hands and a nurse hat, pink heart-shaped wings on the back of her body.
ôUmà is he okay?ö she asked the other Cyber-Elf, who nodded.
ôYeah, he is. HeÆs just a Knight Cyber-Elfà thatÆs why heÆs feeling that way.ö The red Nurse Elf blinked, not knowing what to say, so she went on. ôThe Knight Cyber-Elves are meant to fight against enemies that Zero may find in his missions, sacrificing their energies to kill all they find. Against Reploids, however, theyÆre too weakà Hammer Cyber-Elves would be better, but Zero has never used them as far as weÆve seen him.ö
The red Nurse Elf looked at her in awe, before turning around. Three large, golden-armored Cyber-Elves were standing there, waiting for a command, their massive weapons û a mace, a hammer, and an axe û set down and ready. However, inside their helmets, it was obvious that their feelings were those of, simultaneously, worry and resignation. Worry, for they had not been used on any foe so farà and resignation, since that had been precisely what had happened.
ôThem?ö she asked, before turning back towards the other. ôThey look kinda scary to meà but they also are still here. Why?ö
ôDonÆt you know anything?ö the green Nurse Elf asked, in a grumpy voice, and they turned towards her. ôHammer Cyber-Elves are only good to bash things, and despite this guyÆs stature, IÆm pretty sure heÆs only wanting to see what that giant will do, before he needs to smash it to bits. Who knows, maybe heÆll use them if he canÆt hurt him enough!ö
ôI donÆt knowàö a small, bee-shaped Cyber-Elf flied by, the green wings indicating its Animal state. ôZero has never used any Cyber-Elf in the past monthà and research indicates that he has never used them, either. That is strange, I know, butàö
ôEh?!ö the green Nurse Elf asked, surprised. ôThatÆs so weird! Why didnÆt he use your powers yet?ö The other Cyber-Elf shrugged, not sure of how to answer her question. Before she could rant on, however, sparks flew around them, surprising the Cyber-Elves.
The red Nurse Elf who had approached them screeched, hugging the other Cyber-Elf, and nearly squeezing the lifedata out of her. ôAAAAHHH!!! WHAT IS GOING ON?!ö she screamed, as both of them fell to the ground, sparks flying around and tremors now shaking the room.
ôIt-it seems master Zero has been harmed!ö another of the red Nurse Elves stated, grunting as she tried to keep herself off the cybernetic floor. ôVery severely, for the damage to have been felt even hereà Omega must have struck him!ö
ôBut how?ö the small Knight Cyber-Elf, who had joined them just as soon as the other two, asked her. ôMaster Zero has the Ultimate Boots, the Charge Helmet, twelve EX Skills, and he surely has fought against more enemies than we can possibly count! How can he have taken a heavy hit?!ö
ôMaster Zero may be the strongest man in the worldàö one of the remaining ninja Cyber-Elves reckoned, as he stood his ground despite the electricity around them. ôBut even so, his reflexes can only go so far. Without our aid, he simply lacks the ability to detect how an attack will comeà he canÆt fight against the bastard Omega without a handicap like this!ö
ôBut the bastard has the power of the ultimate Cyber-Elf with him!ö a different Cyber-Elf, a small box with the blue wings and a very small body under its square head. She had come to know this particular Cyber-Elf to be a female, but she didnÆt really remember her name û not that she had a chance to remember now, what with this attack. ôThe Dark Elfà their powers combined are absurd! We canÆt possibly hope to win without our help!ö
Despite the combination of pain and distress she was feeling, howeverà the small Cyber-Elf struggled to get up, despite the flare of electricity that had just ran through the floor around them, and pulled the red Nurse Elf off her, panting somewhat.
ôNoà Zero can do thisàö she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, but the Cyber-Elf to her side managed to pick it up regardless.
ôYouà you really think so?ö she asked, receiving a blink in response. ôYouà think master Zero can stop him, without our help?ö
She took a breath, noticing the sparks had finally died down, before nodding. ôY-yesà I have faith in ZeroÆs abilities, and I know he can do thisà heÆs defeated Neo Arcadia twice already, and has felled enemies that even we consider mythsà he is capable of doing this, and he will stop Omega again!ö
ôYou sound awfully confidentàö a rather sarcastic voice sounded from behind, and as she turned, a monkey-like Cyber-Elf with green wings was looking right at her face. ôFor a shrimp, you sure believe that master Zero will succeed. But whatÆs with calling him just æZeroÆ, anyway? HeÆs our master, we owe him our lives, and so we should respect him for that. Stop acting so foolishly and start respecting him, as well.ö
The way he spoke was irritating, as if the fully-matured Cyber-Elf was superior to her for some unknown reason. ôI can respect Zero without having to call him æmasterÆ all the time, unless you forgot he has told several of us already to stop referring to him as such?ö she snapped back, annoyed by his attitude.
ôWhy, you!ö he snarled, angry. ôWhat kind of Cyber-Elf do you think you are, nurse? Show those who are superior to you some respect, or-ö Whatever threat he was going to do to her, it was interrupted by a blinding flash of light coming from outside, and the Cyber-Elves turned towards the large æscreenÆ that showed them the outside.
In there, they saw the transmutation of OmegaÆs body, from a hulking, yet still reasonable large demon Reploid, into a monstrosity of titanic proportions, to the point where the ground they were standing uponà it simply could not resist the brunt of his weight and size, and collapsed underneath him, leaving only half of the room they were inside for Zero to maneuver. Three heads crowned the being, both of the additional ones looking awfully familiarà as did the two weapons he bore.
On the left side of the body, colored mainly in blue, the eyes that stared at them, coldly, were the same as Copy Xà down to the helmetÆs shape and the lack of feelings. The huge Buster he bore had a muzzle with a diameter as large as ZeroÆs height, and it was preparing to charge again. The central body was white, looking like a mix between the Dark ElfÆs physical form and OmegaÆs body, with three horns sprouting from its head û one forward, two to the sides, in the same colors as each part.
The scariest part, however, was the right sideà which looked too much like ZeroÆs body, holding a gigantic version of the sword Omega previously held. The shape also reminded them of ZeroÆs very own Z-Saber, and the idea of facing thatà even she felt a creeping chill going down her virtual spine, and she took a step back.
ôThat bastardàö she muttered, but she didnÆt finish her thoughtsà as tears would be falling down her face, if she were in true physical form, she would have snapped about how he was trying to use mind games on them, and how it wouldnÆt work on herà but her emotions were too aflame, even in this half-corporeal state, and she would rather be able to let these calm downà but why did seeing that make her feel so awful?
The battle outside started not long after, with the Cyber-Elves trying to pay as much attention to it as possible now. They were leaving the dialogue for later, watching Zero dodge a humongous swipe, or jump over a charged plasma blastà evading a series of plasma shots that pursued him, or lasers fired from the eyes of the beastà
And yet, they could feel the damage piling up, regardless; even if Zero was, indeed, skilled enough to dodge most of the attacks, he was being worn down, even if he was doing even more damage to his opponent than he was receiving. It seemed to be a battle of attrition, mostlyà but eventually, Zero seemed to get the upper hand, after draining a Sub-Tank. Slash after slash, shot after shot, it was eventually his victory that cameà and the Cyber-Elves were all but ecstatic, seeing the explosions that were coming from the demon ReploidÆs body. The red nurse Cyber-Elf from before hugged her tightly again, crying out in joy, and even she couldnÆt help but smile back as well.
ôZeroàö she whispered, almost ready to come out and speak to him, even from thereà but a sudden rumbling, that had managed to affect their room as well, turned the joy into distress.
ôWhatÆs going on?ö one of the other Cyber-Elves asked, a female this time, even if she had no idea of what that one was. Her mind was shaken too, and she could barely standà the rumblingÆs effect had been too much for them. Slowly, she forced herself to stand up, and look at the screenà
ôWhat the FUCK?!ö
Even if she didnÆt manage to see who it was who said that, she had a feeling sheÆd agree with that Elf in a millisecond. As the explosion was clearing, a new form was revealedà a horribly familiar, yet still disgusting form.
ôNoà that canÆt beàö she whispered, fearful now. White hairà crimson and black armorà pale, cruel faceà no matter how much she tried to fight it, pain was coursing through her heart, even as that bastard Weil was telling everyone the truth behind them. ôThatà that canÆt be Zeroàö
ôWereà were we all used by a fake?!ö the monkey Cyber-Elf snapped, irate. ôI canÆt believe this!ö
ôàso, heÆs not the true hero?ö the last of the ninja Cyber-Elves asked, surprising everyone. ôSo we were all taken by a fake who probably is just as bad a person as that bastard, if he kept telling everyone that lie?!ö
This seemed to continue on with the others, as more of the Cyber-Elves seemed to be sharing the same opinionà but despite that, she couldnÆt agree with them. She didnÆt believe Weilà she couldnÆt; he was saying that Zero, one of the greatest people in the world, one of the saviors of the Resistanceà that he was no better than they, because he was just a clone?
That wasà that simply wasà
For a moment, she thought about remaining silentà but then, the knight Cyber-Elf who had first spoken, recently, seemed to sigh and lower his own weapon, a sad look passing through his eyes. That was too much for her to bearà and so, before she realized it, she was screaming.
ôWhat is WRONG with you?!ö she asked them, clenching her small fists. ôI canÆt believe the nerve of you all, in believing a lie that was made by the creator of the Elf-devouring bastard?! Are all of you so stupid and na´ve, that youÆll fall for the first lie that he tells you lot?! Is that what all of you were reduced to?!ö
Seeing the lot of Cyber-Elves was stunned, all eyes on her, made her feel more nervous and aware that she might be breaching a barrierà but she didnÆt care; right now, she just had to keep on talking. ôIÆve spent the past few weeks living here, after Zero came to help us allà and IÆve heard all sorts of comments about him; youÆve complained about not being used, about how strange Zero is, about how he has struggled so hard against foes he has no chance to beat without your helpà do any of you ever feel happy with anything Zero has ever done?! Do you ever feel pride of knowing that you are being protected by someone who is doing his best to save us all, no matter the cost, even going out of his way and risking his mission to fight someone like that scary guy, Phantom, just because one of us thought there was something weird with the Neo Arcadian Cyberspace doors? Do you?ö
Taking a breath, she glared at them again. ôI may not be the most powerfulà the bestà or even the most desired of Cyber-Elvesàö she said, trying to keep her stead as long as possible; she couldnÆt let herself down nowà ôBut even so, Ià I still am glad that Zero has dedicated his time to take care of me, allowing me and all of us to stay with him in this chamber, free from the confines of the Disks we were imprisoned in before, and allowing us to have Energen Crystals so we can grow stronger, even if he doesnÆt need our helpà he still cared about us, and did his best so that we wouldnÆt have to suffer further! Why do you want to suffer so much?!ö
This made the knight Cyber-Elf truly turn towards her, his eyes showing an emotion she hadnÆt seen yetà at least, not directed at her. She wanted to look at him more, to try and understand what that wasà yet, the more she felt his eyes were focused on her, the more she did not want to face him. She tried to look towards any of the other Cyber-Elves, anyone else, anyone at allà
ôIà I donÆt care what any of you say, anymore. If you all want to curse at Zeroà want to ignore all the good things he and the Resistance have done for usà then I donÆt care. IÆm going to keep my faith on Zeroà as I know heÆll win for us. I know it.ö With that, she started to walk away, ignoring everyone else, just trying to head where she knew they couldnÆt reach her.
She never had the chance, however.
ôWait.ö
That single word was more powerful than any replies or counters she had expected, as she froze in her steps. Behind her, she could hear the shuffling of his movements, as he was standing up and lowering his weapon. Her unneeded breath was stilled, as she tried to not let her nerves affect herà and failed considerably.
ôYou are rightà we were wrong in doubting master Zero, since he is the one who rescued us.ö The knight Cyber-ElfÆs voice was calm and definitiveà and the other Cyber-Elves were looking at him now, as well. ôMaster Zeroà it shouldnÆt matter whether he is the original Reploid or not, since either way, he is the savior of our race, and the person who has been taking care of us ever since we were released from those disks. To betray him nowà thatÆd be beyond cowardice.ö
Footsteps approached her now, quiet and calmly, and she couldnÆt help but turn around. The knight Cyber-Elf was now just behind her, kneeling down and putting his weapon on his front, similarly to a bow. While he did not say anything, she knew it was an important thing to him, probably coming from his programming, and she had no idea how to respond to it.
Before she could, however, an alarm started to ring, even as the room started to shake and tremble again. æ[WARNING: Energy amount decreasing at a rapid pace. Medical treatment required]Æ the warning blared, over the screen, and they saw Omega hopping onto the air, twice, and doing a spin in mid-air. Various energy blades flew from the bastardÆs Z-Saber, which he had been using since the start of the battle, and it seemed Zero had barely managed to dodge it. æ[Remaining energy: 12%. Damage to armor: 40%. Damage to Weapon Technique Learning System: 40%. Damage to Weapon Systems: Z-Buster 19%, Z-Saber 27%, Shield Boomerang 65%, Recoil Rod 53%. Extended damage to weapon systems may cause permanent damage or destruction.]Æ
That was a bigger trouble for them now, as Zero was obviously tired, while the bastard wasnÆt even sweating. They heard the sound of his hand clenching the Z-Saber, the grunt he managed to say, as his last Sub-Tank was drained and his energy was recoveredà but the only thing that was healed was his energy.
The battle raged on, and they were almost frozen in place, as they watched Omega continue his berserk attacks onto Zero, slashing and shooting him with both his weapons. Zero was trying his best to defeat him, they knewà but now their hope was slowly diminishing, as more warning messages came to their systems. When Zero tried to change into the Recoil Rod, hoping to catch the bastard off-guard, he barely had time to strike against the energy wave that pursued himà only for his own weapon to lose the battle and shatter, forcing Zero back to the ground and unable to block the blast from colliding against him.
This only pleased Omega more, as the bastardÆs grin indicated. He went on for another attack, which they realized as being that one where heÆd smash onto the ground, creating the pillars of light around his body. Cries of fear came from the Cyber-Elves, while she herself had lost her speech, and Zero barely managed to dodge away from that strike.
ôBastardàö he cursed, but the slur in his voice worried him; a quick scan indicated that he had taken some damage on his vocal processors, and there was some fluid build-up in his throat. æDamned bastardà Cerveau spent so much time building that weapon, and he shattered it in one strikeà that definitely means IÆll kill him!Æ
Shortly after, he saw Omega coming in close, pulling out his Z-Saber again for a dash attack, and Zero decided to stop him from hitting. Dropping the smoking remains of the Recoil Rod, he switched to his Shield Boomerang, from its position on his left arm. Omega just grinned, before slashing at himà again, and again, and again, not leaving Zero a good position for a counter-attack, but he kept on blocking. All he had to do is wait for the charge to be finished, and then heÆd slice the bastard in half, without any troubles-
ôHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!ö Omega suddenly laughed, before a powerful slash collided against the Shield Boomerang, splitting it to pieces. ZeroÆs eyes widened, before the slashÆs strength sent him flying backwards, his legs being struck by another attack.
ôNO!ö she cried out, as the new warning messages came to their screen. æ[Recoil Rod activity terminated. Shield Boomerang activity terminated. Damage to left arm: 45%. Damage to legs: 56%. Foot Chip Systems deactivated; resetting to Regular System. Remaining energy: 65%.]Æ
ôThat bastardà he managed to destroy both of master ZeroÆs weapons, in such a short amount of time?!ö the leader of the ninja Cyber-Elves snapped, as they heard the approaching footsteps of the bastard. ôAnd even the boots master Zero has are now out of powerà that just isnÆt fair! Master Zero ought to have allowed us to help himà he needs our help!ö
ôNoàö she whispered, sniffing non-existent tears, ôhe is going to make ità he will winàö The Cyber-Elf glared at her, but as they returned their attention to the screen, they saw Zero finding a breach in OmegaÆs defenses, immediately attacking him with fervor. Slash after slash after slash cameà but the reflection of his eyes, visible on the metallic surfaces of his opponent, indicated a mix between hatred and coldness.
ôI donÆt care if youÆre my real body or notà IÆm not going to lose to you!ö he snapped, before jumping onto the air, switching for the Thunder Body Chip. That next strike was sure to leave him stunned at the very least, and if he could hit his energy coreà
Omega, however, managed to recover in time, immediately pointing his Buster arm up and at ZeroÆs head. The single shot he fired wasnÆt very strongà it was a single plasma bullet, not even remotely powerful enough to harm Zero seriously.
But Zero did not need to be harmed seriously, in these conditions.
The shot collided against his helmet, barely avoiding the crystal in his forehead, and caused an explosion to course through both his body and the Cyberspace room the Cyber-Elves were in. As he cried out in pain, falling on the ground weakly, even louder warning messages appeared in his systems, forcing him to look at them.
æ[Head Chip Systems deactivated; resetting to Regular System. Body Chip Systems deactivated; Elemental Chip data lost. Weapon Technique Learning System deactivated; EX Skill data lost. Remaining energy: 64%.]Æ were the multiple alerts, and while the Cyber-Elves were stunned at the severe losses, she fell down to her knees, in disbelief.
ôZeroàö she whispered, closing her eyes. The energy counter started to go down again, however, and they heard the sounds of that frantic slash attack againà as Zero was being mercilessly pummeled by Omega, his systems all approaching shutdown state, and even the Cyber-Elves felt the lights around their room start to dim.
ôSo, this is itàö one of the Cyber-Elves said, in a depressed tone. ôMaster Zeroà he wonÆt be able to pull through this. He failedà and weÆre all going to die, no thanks to him.ö
She glared at him, but it was obvious he didnÆt care, too busy with his incoming death to do so. ôIf he had just stopped being stubborn, and had allowed us to help himà if he had allowed our sacrifice to matter for him, instead of wasting his life in a lieà then we wouldnÆt be about to die right now! If we are all going to die, then it had better be by doing the things we do best, rather than by being trapped in this room forever!ö
ôS-shut upàö she tried to say, but words were failing herà and slowly, as Zero struggled to get up again, his energy coming so close to critical level, she realized what the whine that was coming from outside was. It wasnÆt the sound of ZeroÆs weapons being chargedà it was the sound of OmegaÆs.
That attackà they had seen it before. Omega was going to fire two fully-charged plasma blasts from his busters, before using his own saber to fire off an energy waveà a wave that would undoubtedly slice Zero in half, given his current conditions. Howeverà the fact that all these attacks were made of raw energy, unleashed upon Zero, stuck to her mindà and a plan began to be formed.
æCan I really do it?Æ she thought, as she looked back and forth between the screen and the æexitÆ, biting her virtual lip. æCan I possibly do thisà even despite what I just told everyone, can I still do this?Æ
However, the look in OmegaÆs eyes, and the faint reflection as she saw he wasnÆt shooting yet, only to give Zero a semblance of hope, which was consuming himà that steeled her towards it. She jumped up, ready to fly outsideà when she heard the same sound as before, of an approaching personà and she knew who it was, even with as much focus as she had.
ôYouà youÆre not really thinking ofà are you?ö he asked, rather nervously. Despite the fear she felt, she nodded and made to turn towards him, even with her haste. ôBut yetà how can you go outside?ö
ôZero isà his systems are already under enough strainàö she confessed, fighting the urge to give up, ôand he probably is trying to reroute enough energy to sustain himself. He may be unable to maintain the locks on our abilitiesà and much as he may have protected me, this timeà IÆm the only one who can protect him.ö
He looked at her, sadly. ôYou do know of your state, right? If you use your powers now, thenàö he asked, and she nodded.
ôI know the risksà but I canÆt lose this chance. I want to protect Zero no matter whatà and this is the only chance!ö she told him, only to see him nod as well.
ôVery well. Then IÆll go with you,ö he said, in a resigned tone. To her look of surprise, he continued. ôI am a Hacker Elf, still. If anyone can help you get there, I suppose that should be me. My abilities ought to guarantee your successàö
ôàthanks,ö she whispered, only loud enough for him to listen, before turning around again. ôThenà letÆs go, Kyniteàö With that, the two of them flew away, ignoring the othersà like they had been doing before. When one of the Cyber-Elves tried to follow them, however, Balette dashed in front of them, pushing them all away.
ôWhat the-Balette, let us through! We must help master Zero, as well!ö one of the ninja Cyber-Elves spoke, readying his weapon. However, the leopard Cyber-Elf stood there, not allowing them access.
ôI donÆt suppose you understand why he allowed her to go through, regardless of everything else, do you?ö he asked, watching them for an answer. One of the other Nurse Elves, a small female with a golden outfit and hair, holding an energy capsule on her small hands, decided to talk then.
ôShe wants to help Zero at the cost of her life, but that isnÆt different of what we doà but she said before that we should be glad that she doesnÆt have to æwaste her lifeÆ in her role. IsnÆt thatà strange?ö she asked, in a shy voice. Balette smiled.
ôIndeedà for every other Cyber-Elf, that would be strangeà but not for one who, like her, would only die in pain.ö His response surprised the group, and he glanced at the parting two. ôHer roleà is to serve as a protector. If master Zero was to take damage, she would have to bear the brunt of it, suffering while he took no damage, and giving him health from the damage she took. I can see why she would be afraidà after all, unlike us, her existence will always end in pain.ö
ôThatàö the gold Nurse Elf whispered, looking back at the disappearing traces of the now-gone Cyber-Elves. ôThat means she is actually going to dieà even though she is afraid of it?ö The nod she received in response probably would have muted her, otherwiseà but she couldnÆt stop speaking now. ôSheÆsà very brave.ö
ôBrave?ö one of the other Cyber-Elves asked, and she saw it was a small Metool-shaped Cyber-Elf, with a different face, however. A few of the other Cyber-Elves seemed to understand her, at least, even if the others shared the same feelings as this one.
Still, she simply nodded. ôYesà I think sheÆs brave, in doing that. After allà her reason is the strongest out of all of them.ö
While the Cyber-Elves continued their discussion, Zero was finally standing up, wincing from the pain. He didnÆt want to, but it had been too strong an emotionà and even now, as he tried to take a stance, he could see the murderously hateful eyes of Omega looking right at his core, savoring the suffering he was going through. Having just now recovered his grip on the Z-Saber, he was steeling himself for his own attack, ready to dodge the moment Omega attackedà that is, if his dash systems were still working; the lucky hits he had taken were a toll on his bodyà he didnÆt want to try his luck further with anything the bastard clone could ruin.
Stillà he knew he couldnÆt lose here, he wasnÆt afraid of fighting to the death against any enemies he had to faceà but for the first time in what possibly was a while, Zero couldnÆt think of a way out of this situation. He had faced dangerous enemies, had fought and defeated one of the most dangerous Mavericks in the past several times, and had been on the brink of death as many times as wellà but he was trapped; he couldnÆt move out of the way fast enough so that all hits would miss, Omega would shoot faster than he could if he even tried to pull his Z-Buster away, and jumping was out of the question; the two shots were always fired in a pattern that led into a trap, so if he tried to jump over them heÆd be unable to dodge the last oneà
Eventually, however, the bastard Reploid from Hell grew tired of this game of waitingà and the murderous smile he bore became even more wicked, if that was possible. ôZeroà DIE!!!ö he cried out, before the first shot was released.
At that moment, he felt a burst of energy coming from his body, before a Cyber-Elf materializedà a small, blue-clad female Elf, with a red symbol protected by a yellow marker. Two green wings sprouted from her back, and under her blue nurse hat with a red cross and a yellow rim, bits of blue hair were revealed. Covering each ear was a small yellow antenna, and from underneath them, a stethoscope was lying against her body.
Her emotion was quite serene, as she looked at him, giving a small smileà but then, she turned towards Omega, a green glow surrounding her body. The first attack collided against her with strength, pushing her backwards, but she resisted, and even turned the entire blast into energy for her consumptionà a fact that indicated her body wasnÆt just fully material, nowà but that she had also activated her powers.
Zero was surprised at seeing that; he hadnÆt expected any Cyber-Elf to be using their abilities, since he hadnÆt given any command for it. Checking his systems, he noticed a message indicating that æMiallaÆ had been activatedà but he hadnÆt! He didnÆt understand how that was possibleà but enough was enough; he couldnÆt let that continue!
ôNoà donÆt do this! You donÆt have to!ö he grunted, even though only half of it actually sounded reasonable; his processors were still strained, and he coughed up more fluid in the process, but it was obvious regardless that he didnÆt want her to sacrifice herself for him.
If his words were supposed to stop her, however, he failed miserably. Instead, she just flew forward again, trying to collide against the next shot that came shortly after, allowing the energy to make contact with her only to absorb it, but it was obvious she was feeling hurt and exhausted from ità every passing second seemed to make her body paler, and she was panting, something Cyber-Elves just didnÆt do.
ôDIE!!!ö Omega repeated, pulling out his own saber and doing a forward slicing motion, letting the hypercharged plasma blade energy loose in the shape of a slash aimed straight at them. Zero flinched, expecting the blade to just slice through her and proceed to damage himà but as the energy slash came closer to her, she just closed her eyes, nodded to herself, and faced the attack with a peaceful smile in her lipsà
A second before being struck with the most damaging attack she could possibly imagine.
The scream she gave then was loud and painfulà incredibly so. She lost any sense of self, as she felt an impossibly high amount of pain tearing her body in half and neatly sending every single inch of her existence into waves of horrible feelingsà and yet, even through the spasms and writhings of pain, she still could feel life flowing through her bodyà which was all she needed, in fact.
Breathing uneasily, she turned towards Zero, opening her eyes slowly. Her smile came back to her, as she noticed he was unharmedà her plan had, indeed, worked out. Struggling to get up, she allowed her last tears to flow down her pinkish cheeks, while trying to approach the still weak Zero.
ôWhy?ö he asked, though the tone he used was full of uncertainty. ôWhy did you do that? You didnÆt need toà I didnÆt order you toàö
As the light surrounding her body was becoming faint, Mialla took a deep breath, knowing she didnÆt have much of a choice. She couldnÆt tell himà but she could still save him. And, as it wentà this was the best way to do so.
Her smile became sadder, as she looked into ZeroÆs eyes one last timeà and then, she flew right at him, the quiet sound of her crying mixing with the one of her wings and movements, and she hugged Zero, trying to transfer all her energy into him.
ôI know IÆm not the strongest, the best, or the most attractiveàö she whispered, trying to speak to herself as she could, ôand using my own abilities is much more painful than any of the others, which is why I donÆt want toà but even if I canÆt stay with you as I want, Zero, then I want to at least know I did something for youàö
Her hesitation was clear in her words, even if she doubted Zero was even listening to herà but despite that, she kept on crying, for the next few moments, all the while pouring her energy into his body, supplying him with the energy she had absorbed from OmegaÆs attacksà and more.
ôYouàö he whispered, surprised at the actions the Cyber-Elf had takenà but it was the smile she was giving him that surprised him the most; he didnÆt understand why she acted like thatà so, while Omega stared at them, in a mix between surprise and hatred, he just stared at her. That attitude was too different from other Cyber-Elves he had seenà she had disobeyed him in order to fulfill her duty, and yet that duty was much worse than the other Cyber-ElvesÆà because, while theirs did not necessarily depend on being harmed, hers was; she had taken the hits for him for a reason, he supposedà but the only reason there was had to beà
Eventually, the last bits of energy flowed from her body into hisà and the pain didnÆt go down; instead, it continued, as the tip of her feet, protected by the blue jumpsuit, started to melt into pure, raw, and incomplete data... a process of decay that spread slowly over every inch of her body, cracks of light appearing over her skin as her colors were finally dissipating themselves. She struggled to maintain her grip onto Zero, for the very last instantsà but if not for the fact that he held her tight, then, she would have released him and fallen.
Zero could only watch, barely noticing that his systems were once again at full power, and a confirmation that his dash systems were working fineà a mix between sorrow at an unnecessary loss and anger at the one who had been responsible for that, and who had been responsible for so much tragedy alreadyà
Finally, she closed her eyes, with her last breath, before her face became bits of data and started to disappear, becoming nothing. Zero kept his gaze on that direction, for a moment, keeping the Cyber-ElfÆs appearance in his memory.
Then he looked at Omega, gripping his Z-Saber tighter, and dashed towards the bastard Reploid, decided to kill him at any cost. While he cried out a scream of hatred, Omega grinned maniacally again, and readied his own saber for the battle, intent in finishing Zero once and for all.
At the same time, inside of the Cyberspace room, Kynite slowly hovered back down, a rather depressed expression in his face. ôSoà she really did it,ö he whispered to himself, trying to not look at the screen anymore, despite the feeling he had.
æHow I wish I was a Fusion ElfàÆ he thought to himself, angrily, cursing his inability to join her. æAll because master Zero decided to change my ability, tooà even if it isnÆt truly his fault, I canÆt stand this lossà not only she was one of the most interesting Cyber-Elves I ever met, but she also was the first one who I met, so long agoàÆ
While, on the outside, the battle between the Crimson Demon and the Crimson Hunter progressed, with a clamor unequaled by the others, he allowed himself to burrow into his own feelings, ignoring everyone else.