Metempsychotic

Evolution Requires Sacrifice

           

Fourteen years ago, Girouette believed that he would never see her again and assumed she had died.

Aile was there alright, her hands were tied behind her back and ankles were tied as well to prevent her from running away. Giro didn't have to look far to locate the dog as well; it was being held by one of the three Reploids present and seemed to be disabled for the time being. Knowing that the two seemed alright otherwise, Girouette turned his attention to Aile's abductors. He instantly recognized Serpent, the head of Slither Inc. But the other two Reploids he didn't recognize; something about them did strike a cord in Girouette. But what was it?

"I want my dog back!" the poor girl pleaded.

"Your dog? That's all?!" the younger, male Reploid darkly laughed. "Ha! Pathetic! Is he all you have, you pitiless orphan?"

"Yes!" Aile declared hopelessly. "He's my friend. Ever since Over-1 left, Rush is all I have. Please! I'm begging you!"

The Reploid snickered at her before bending down, pointing the scythe at her neck. "I don't think you've begged enough." he growled at her with a twisted smile. "Let me know if this hurts!"

Girouette promised to himself that he wouldn't get into a major fight until Vent came, but this was dire.

"Let the girl go." Girouette demanded, pointing the zetsaber at the three Reploids. "And her dog."

The Reploids slowly turned their attention to him. Two of them were physically not much older than Aile, it seemed, and they seemed awfully familiar too. The girl Reploid in particular seemed to make Giro remember someone, but who?

"Don't I know you?" Girouette asked curiously to the younger looking Reploids. They paused for a moment before the female Reploid spoke up.

"Juno." she announced carefully, articulating every syllable as if it were a song. A whole range of clarity filled Girouette when he realized who they were.

"You met him before?" Serpent inquired to the younger Reploids, not out of curiosity, but more of wanting to be in the loop.

"Not in the flesh." Prometheus snickered. "But we've heard stories; too many of them in fact. How do you think we knew he was the Red Mega Man? We had more than enough help identifying him beforehand."

"She only gave you that information because she trusted you." Girouette darkly told him, who then shrugged as if it were nothing. Serpent was starting to grow annoyed.

"Enough talking," he demanded, picking Aile up roughly by the elbow, making the girl give a small yelp of surprise. "I need the password for Model Z immediately, and if harming this child is how I'm going to get it out of you, then so be it!"

Girouette took stance to fight. "Not if I have my way with it." he smoothly declared before leading the first attack. Now if only the rest of the fight could have gone in his favor...

. . .

Vent's timing was either too late, or just in time. Girouette had fallen, face down on the pavement and not giving a sign of life. Near him, Vent knew, was Crea, who wasn't responsive either. A deactivated Treble was in the arms of a young looking Reploid girl; she was sitting calmly on some staff thing that looked like a rather large magical girl wand.

"Ah, you've come." a voice said in front of Vent, snapping him out of thoughts. "Model X, the blue Mega Man. It's time to see you in action."

Vent looked up at the speaker as he did something kind of command and Giro started to shift. Slowly standing up on shaking legs, Vent noticed with horror that Girouette's eyes were blood red.