Metempsychotic

Minor Setbacks

One last carefully timed slash at Protectos's head and the Pseudoroid split open like a melon. With a rather earsplitting screech, Protectos started to combust, making Vent take cover as the debris started to clear. Carefully, the boy picked up the data disk from inside what little remains of the Maverick's body and looked for the other portion of Model P's data.

"Did you find Sis's data disk?" Prairie unexpectedly asked Vent over the headset, scaring the boy for a moment. He clutched his heart in defense, as if it were going to jump out of his skin right then and there. "The scanner indicates that you're very close to it."

"Yeah, I already have it." he replied, taking a moment to breathe. "Are you able to see the other Biometal half around here too? I can't see it."

"You can't?" Prairie inquired with a hint of surprise. "Hmm... are you using a Biometal?"

"Uh... yeah." the boy agreed, a moment of sass not lost on him. "I used Model H. Aile has Model P."

"Switch to Model Z," the commander suggested, "He should be able to see the data and keep hold of it until you meet up with Aile again."

Mumbling his doubts, Vent did so and was shocked to discover that she had been right. The little speck of data fluttered over to him and was absorbed by Model Z's armor.

"It worked." Vent marveled.

"Good." came the pleased reply. "I'll let Aile know that she can do the same with Model X. Please don't forget to bring the data disk back to HQ."

"Already coming back." Vent promised her before ending the communication link.

. . .

Meanwhile, Aile was just finishing off the Pseudoroid she was fighting as well.

"Hah..." Hurricaune wearily snickered, "Not bad... Quite the heroine aren't you?" Then the weasel-like Pseudoroid let a rather pleasured sigh as its body started to combust. "Do whatever you want with the people in the next room," it told Aile, "It won't matter anyway. Cyber Elves exposed to data on fear are the key to reviving Model W- it's awakening will still come to pass!"

Cackling, and giving in to its damage, the Pseudoroid then exploded in a bright light causing Aile to cover her eyes.

"Aile, can you hear me?" Prairie soon resonated through the headset as Aile uncovered her eyes to see Harricaune's remains. "Aile, please respond."

"I'm here Prairie." Aile said into her headset after confirming the connection. "What's up?"

"Vent and I discovered that since you do not have Model H with you, you are unable to see its other data half."

"And that's good news, how?" Aile then questioned with an arch of her eyebrow.

"It's not." Prairie informed her. "But Model X is able to see the data and temporarily collect it for us. I believe it has something to do with Model X's connection to the other Biometals- a part of him is already in them, so they recognize it and react accordingly. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I suppose." the girl agreed, "So that means I need to switch to Model X to collect the data?"

"Yes." came the affirmation. "Once you collect it, you and Vent will rendezvous in the lab and Fleuve will allow the data to be placed in the proper Biometal."

"That sounds... complicated."

"It's only a minor setback." the commander claimed as if it were nothing out of ordinary for her. "Remember that there are captives in the next area- you must free them before reporting back to HQ or your mission will be considered a failure."

"Of course Prairie, doing so now." Aile confirmed before closing the line. After that, Aile switched over to Model X and instantly saw the data that Prairie had been talking about as it floated over. The data lingered at her fingertips and remained in her palm enough for Aile to tilt her head at it.

'Do you like it?' Model X wondered to her before he absorbed the data for safekeeping.

"It's just data." Aile shrugged as she started to make her way over to the next area.

'But it scared you- I could feel your heart stop for a moment when you came in contact with it. It made you think of something.'

"It did not." Aile defied while going through the door that held the prisoners behind a locked jail cell.

'Aile, you can't lie to a Biometal. Let alone to your own-' the Biometal abruptly stopped, as if the next word had been blocked. Aile, who was looking over the cell's lock to determine its complexity, stopped what she was doing.

"My, what?" she questioned, feeling slightly suspicious- but the Biometal didn't answer. In her mind, she saw Model X just stand there in a daze while Model P gently pushed Model X to the side, making Aile switch Biometals without input.

'I'll help you unlock the cell with the captives.' Model P then offered in a distant tone. 'Just follow what I instruct you to do, understand?'

Confused, but otherwise willing to finish the mission, Aile nodded and did what Model P instructed her to get the captives out of the cell. Soon enough, they unlocked the door and Aile looked in at the prisoners. Not long after that, she was attacked by one of the Reploids inside.

"You'll never take me alive!" the Reploid bellowed at her. Aile remained where she was unmoving as she waited for the Reploid to notice that she wasn't going to hurt him. When the Reploid realized that Aile wasn't doing anything to harm him, he jumped back a little in surprise.

"You're not one of them?" he questioned, sounding even more surprised. Aile glared at him- the Reploid took it as an answer. "Oh thank goodness!" he then declared, "We were just about to become Cyber Elves!"

"Wait..." Aile requested. "What do you mean by 'become Cyber Elves?'"

The Reploid looked Aile up and down. "You're really not one of them, are you?" he then questioned, mostly to himself before shaking away the thought. "At any rate, those other guys were trying to steal our memories and change us into Cyber Elves. They were also trying to scare us before we changed. I've seen... others change into Cyber Elves, one-by-one. Geez, if you hadn't come along, I'm sure they would have done away with even more of us."

"So that's how they were able to create so many of them..." Prairie's voice resonated through Aile's headset. "They're even crueler than I imagined."

"My name's Leonardo by the way." the Reploid then said to Aile, holding out his hand for her to shake it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Aile agreed, accepting the handshake. "Are there any other prisoners with you?"

"Oh yeah, tons of them!" Leonardo agreed. "I'll go get who I can find!"

"Thank you." Aile thanked with a smile as Leonardo went to get other survivors.

"As soon as the survivors are together, we'll send the people back to town." Prairie then instructed over the headset. "Thank you for saving them Aile."

Aile smiled to herself: she could do these missions by herself now. And no matter what Vent said, she was going to take on the next mission alone too.