“Cause and Effect”

---------------------------

Man has always aspired to become God, to know anything and everything about his existence. But what price comes with omnipotence? The truth. And that loss of ignorance changes his life forever.

What if you were part of something so much larger or insignificant than your own life? What if you found out? What if you knew then that you had to sacrifice yourself in order to make it all right once again?

...

“Look at your feet child,

this is the path you have been walking

Look at the path before you child,

That is your future.”

---Kiroro, “Mirai e” (“To the future”)

...

Toy studied his computer screens in the private silence of his dark throne chamber. Red arrows were slowly snaking their way across the continent of Shirinkusu, destroying everything in their path. The Prophet. The madman was slowly making his way towards the WNHR, taking all resources for himself. Soon, there would be nothing left of use. This unexpected variable in the equation might prove to be a strong nuisance after all. Action needed to be taken.

“Vomisa,” he whispered to the void, and the reconstructed drone suddenly materialized in his room upon command. The kinetic weapons system on the previous version had been abandoned in favor of the usage of a plasma energy drive, allowing the unit nearly limitless weapons and shield power within particular limits. A long, scythe-like blade extended on the forearm of the soldier reborn, ending near his spiked knuckles and reaching back towards his head, and four metallic extensions that resembled a spider’s legs grew out of his back in the form of a more advanced maneuvering system. Vomisa Mark II was the technical superior of his predecessor. However, there was no sparkle in this one’s eyes. Only the dead stare of loyalty. The previous owner of the name had so much more spirit, so much more potential, but that was not what Toy needed now. Time was growing short, what he needed were soldiers who were sworn to only his name. The upgraded Akuma chip had been used. Necessity called for it.

“Yes, Toy-sama,” said Vomisa dully.

“Contact Yoshiki,” said Toy. “The forces of this Prophet are growing far too quickly. They must be stopped. Inform him that this is a necessary priority for him to attend to if he is to continue to expect my assistance in his business.”

“Yes, Toy-sama,” said Vomisa, and was gone in a flash of blue sparks that were quickly consumed by the shadows. Yet, the emperor felt no solace. What of Edge? He was growing stronger as well, no doubt being taught by that fool, Clef.

He unconsciously ground his right armrest to dust with a careless tap of the hand. Everything would be so much easier if they could all simply be eliminated, Clef if nobody else. But that would never happen, would it? Or could it? Edge was growing unstable as of late, the poor boy did not seem to be able to compensate for the toll the cruel world was working on him. Had his lessons with the others not been working? Maybe he was having second thoughts. At any rate, he was in a transitional stage now, questioning himself and his mission. Did any of the others see it? No, they all suspected him of something they were not aware of. He would be the most vulnerable of them all, the easiest to manipulate for his own purposes.

Perfect.

Edge would be the tool used to bring about the death of a dream. It had to be done. Even if this plan didn’t work, time was growing short, the “Sueno Program” would activate soon. He could afford to attempt an early shut down.

Toy rose his hands delicately into the air and began to weave the invisible lines of pure information into a form. This would be the poor boy’s demise.

Kichigai. Madness.

...

“Ne, Edge, are you okay?”

Edge abruptly rose out his moment of brooding, raising his eyes to watch Yoshime’s hair fly free against a backdrop of speeding landscape. It had been almost a full day since they left Dollet, but the memory was still burned in his mind. He had been thinking about Adam again, about what the angel had said. What did he mean that he was “not ready?” Not ready for what? Acceptence of that horrible rage that hid within, something that posed a danger to everybody around him? No human would ever, could ever do that, could they? No creature on the face of the earth would ever want to admit to themselves that they are so horrible and terrifying in nature. And what if they did? What if they had to? Would they want to live knowing that they were so repulsive, even to themselves? Would death be better, taking away one’s entire existence to beautify the lives of the ones you care about?

Would he be better off dead?

“I’m fine,” he said heavily. “I just wonder how much more it’s going to take...”

“Eh?” questioned Yoshime. “What are you talking about?”

Edge heaved a sigh as he traced his finger on the side of the hovercraft.

“I’m... getting tired of all this fighting, this life. That’s all I’ve ever done, throw myself into the hopeless battle that seems so far away. My goal, the Temple of Ordeal, is still far from my sight. Maybe it doesn’t even exist. So everything in between now and then seems futile.” He looked up into her eyes. “Is this how hard it’s always been for you?”

Yoshime blinked for moment before smiling and scooting closer to him.

“Don’t be stupid. You’re so selfish.”

“Eh?”

“I know things have been tough lately,” she said. “Like this Prophet guy, you’re probably wondering how he’s related to you, right?” Edge nodded silently. She didn’t know about his madness yet, did she? “And I know it’s taking a lot longer than we had hoped to find the Temple of Ordeal. We’ve already had to sidetrack so much. But it’ll all be worth it in the end. So many people have it worse off than you or I because they don’t even know how to fight. The government beat it out of them a long time ago. You’re lucky. You still have spirit left to spare.”

“Spirit,” echoed Edge. And he had just been so incredibly willing to give up the other day--- what a laugh. Was he really so eager to fight, or was it just that twisted facet of his soul? Ironic, the part of him so full of vigor was the part he didn’t want.

He turned his head away to stare at Valkair’s Orb resting on the floor of the hovercraft, a huge ball of glass that would supposedly grant him his wish. It was a tainted relic, the toy of the Demon God himself. Yet, they planned to use it for nobler purposes. It almost seemed like himself at times.

“You’re something special,” said Yoshime. “You can fight back, you can strive to reach your goals, to satisfy your needs, to find happiness. A lot of people can’t do that anymore. They would take one look at life and shrink back in fear, afraid that it would merely wound them deeper.”

“You never thought like that?” he asked.

Yoshime weakly smiled.

“I did, once,” she said. “I was very young then, but I realized that nobody was going to serve me up life on a silver platter. I had no mother, no father, nobody to provide me with anything. So I decided that I had to strike back and make my own path.”

“I see,”said the young boy. His own path? But was his ‘own path’ worth it when it took in the lives of so many others? Yoshime, Double, Kouryuu, Iesu, Zero, Terpfen, Clef, Asimov... they could have been searching for their own happiness. All this time, they were sacrificing a part of their lives so that he could live his own.

“Yoshime,” said Edge slowly. “Why are you helping me?””

“Eh?” said Yoshime blankly.

“Why are you helping me in my personal ordeal when you could be satisfying the needs of your own life?”

Silence. And Yoshime looked up towards the heavens as she hummed in thought. Her eyes searched the skies for an answer, and slowly floated back down to earth when they found it.

“Because,” she began, then turned her gaze back towards the green-haired mech’s. “Because I want to.” She took his hand into her own. “Because I know that deep down inside yourself is something special, something that hasn’t been corrupted like the rest of the world. I know how... horrible my life was, how I was forced to grow up fast just so I could survive. How I let myself give in to things no human being should have to do or face, just for the purpose of preserving myself. I don’t want that to happen to you.” She smiled up at him. “In this world, on this planet called Akuji, I’ve seen nothing but violence, anger, and sadness. I want to believe, maybe even for just one second, that I can help keep a sliver of the sun shining through those dark clouds. Now, is that so far fetched, is it?”

Edge merely looked into her deep blue eyes, becoming lost in their sparkle. So that’s what he was to her. something more than just an android…

“No,” he whispered. “Of course not.”

...

“Captain, the targets are moving into position. Squad groups three, four, and six are ready to attack.”

“Good. We’ll take them easily.”

“Are you sure about all this sir? I mean, if the story about Dollet was actually true, then aren’t we a little unprepared for this type of confrontation?”

“Don’t worry, as long as you stick to the strategy, everything will be all right. It’s all part of the plan.”

...

“Don’t you ever do anything besides act like a paperweight?” said Double behind the steering wheel. Behind him, Terpfen merely looked down with his usual facial scowl.

“I do not understand,” the huge mecha said dully. “My computers are constantly analyzing the surrounding area for any possible dangers to this craft and its passengers.”

“Guh,” grunted the assassin. “You truly are dense. All you ever do is stare with that stupid ‘I’m-too-cool-to smile’ expression on your face.”

“You’re not really one to talk,” grumbled Kouryuu beside him. “Besides, he doesn’t have a corazon chip. What do you expect him to do?”

“I don’t know! Something! Anything!!! It’s just so boring watching that big idiot stand there as if he was rooted to the spot!”

“No need to start launching your usual vulgarities,” said Kouryuu firmly.

“And why not?” said Double. “It’s not like he can compute derogatory definitions and retaliate!” He suddenly leapt up in his seat to confront the walking nuke behind him, forcing Kouryuu to leap forward and grab the steering wheel lest the vehicle spin out of control. “How do ya like how that shit works, you little son of a---”

Terpfen merely looked on passively, his gaze never wavering once as he carefully listened to his companion’s tirade.

“--- and eat it too!!!”

“HEY!” shouted the rebel. “Quit screwing around!”

The killer laughed as he bounced back into his seat and Kouryuu launched a hefty punch into his right cheek. He merely laughed harder as his amorphous form absorbed the blow.

“You idiot!!!” roared Kouryuu. “You could have gotten us all killed!”

“But I didn’t!” grinned Double. “You’re so wound up sometimes, you need to learn to relax more often! I bet your joints are so tight that I could stick coal up your butt and get diamonds in three hours flat!”

“You little...” she growled, beginning to draw her blades. However, she never got a chance to use them.

The air suddenly shimmered 500 meters in front of the hovercraft and two suits of power armor slowly stepped out of thin air. Their dark hue glinted dangerously in the sunlight and the huge railguns mounted on each of their shoulders quickly primed themselves for the preemptive strike.

“Dimensional cloaks,” said Clef, suddenly popping his head into the front seats. “Makes them undetectable to most radar, invisible to sight. Strange to see them used here though, I don’t ever recall any of Akuji’s countries making use of the system except for Kei-Shu. SenShuBaan authorities would never allow the use of such equipment.”

“So this is a trap,” said Double grimly. But who could it be? No time to worry about that, first thing was to get a way to neutralize the immediate threat. “Edge!! We need a shield, now!”

Fragment shells launched themselves from the gun barrels of the power armor, but they exploded against a gravity barrier that the young boy had quickly erected instead of the hovercraft’s hard metal. As the suits scrambled to reload, the wall of blue energy lowered itself and two golden bolts of heat burned their way through the units’ heads. Double slowly brought the hovercraft to a halt besides their fallen opponents as Asimov, still radiating his golden aura from the blasts he had fired off, leapt out to check the downed threats. As Zero, Double, Kouryuu, and Terpfen dismounted from the craft, the former servant of Toy rose from his inspection.

“Empty,” he said blandly. “Must have been controlled by an outside transmission, obviously no more than a diversion.”

“We’ve been suckered,” spat the assassin, his body suddenly bristling with shinning blades. Something wasn’t right here, but the culprit couldn’t be the SenShuBaan government. They usually didn’t result to these kind of guerilla tactics. But who would, especially against a group of heavily-armed mecha such as themselves? Any band of miscellaneous theives was usually smart enough to stay away from mecha, especially those with government brands. Were they dealing with an underground force here, and if so, what were their motives?

The air around the group began to distort like stones disturbing the tranquility of a pond, and a ragtag band of soldiers began to pour out from the atmosphere. Their armaments were simple in nature, composed of everything from shell guns to crudely constructed blade weaponry, but their sheer numbers offered the largest threat. Among them, one man stood out in front of the rest. He was dressed all in black, a leather jacket that trailed down to his feet adorned his shoulders with loosely fitting slacks upon his legs. A thin pair of shades covered his eyes, his face obscured by short bangs that cast longs shadows over his features. In back of his short hair was held the hilt of a huge steel blade that was supported by a shoulder strap. As the man slowly dismounted the huge sword, he revealed its huge rectangular end, a semblance similar to that of a meat cleaver.

“Gared,” a soldier said softly, and the man in black curtly nodded. He swung his hilt around to the side of his head, aiming his sword-edge at the small band of travelers in the center.

“Leave at least one of the mecha living,” said the man. “As for the humans, kill them.”

On an unspoken signal, all of the soldiers dashed forward at once, tightening their ring about their prey in a very systematic, very planned formation.

“Too many of them!” cursed Edge, his hands flaring with energy. Soldiers and bullets were suddenly jerked back in midair all around them as the green-haired cyborg created a strong gravitational field outside the circle, isolating himself and his associates in the middle. “We have to get out of here!”

To his surprise, a couple soldiers began tearing through the invisible barrier, continuing their onslaught.

“Disruptor suits,” said Clef to Edge’s side. “Rumored technology, said to kill off most energy transmissions before they can affect the user, your gravitational field in this case. Too risky to try to overload them here without harming your allies.”

“They’re prepared for us,” said Kouryuu. “They knew where we were coming from, they had a diversion set, they’ve got us completely surrounded. Do they know who we are? Is that why they’re after us?”

“Ch~!” cursed Double, cutting down a nearby attacker. “How could they?! As far as I know, only the WNHR has even a clue of our identities!”

“Incorrect,” said Clef. “I believe our little confrontation at Dollet has somewhat made ourselves public to the world. And while names might have not been given, I’m sure that any witness could easily point out the ‘saviors’ who battled the mysterious clone of Edge.”

“But it hasn’t even been a day yet!”

The child’s eyes narrowed as swung his head about to the assassin.

“You’d be surprised how fast good information travels. Once it reaches the people with the right agendas, the following actions that occur are out of our control.”

Edge threw his arms to the sky, raising huge ripples in the ground that jolted his opponents off their feet. If he couldn’t use his powers directly, then he would have to use the environment to his advantage. However, there was only so much he could do before the sheer volume overtook what little control he exerted. Swinging himself about, he created a thousand tiny vacuums in the air, churning up the atmosphere until a huge tornado was tearing through the soldiers. It rippled through their numbers, growing bigger and bigger as it through both men and vehicles into the air. Too many attackers at once and too close proximity to risk trying much else. He didn’t even know their identities.

Kouryuu parried a thrust to her right and whirled about just in time to cut down an opponent from her left.

“We can’t keep this up forever!” she yelled. “We need an opening!”

“If you’ll take off your pre-caution measure, I believe my nuclear devices can clear us a path of escape,” said Terpfen over the roar of his gatling gun.

The rebel grimaced as she considered her options. Was that the only answer? Edge was usually their trump card in the heat of battle but his powers were being compensated for at the moment. They had no way of dealing with such a large army of opponents, sans Terpfen. Human death, regardless of who it happened to be, was something she had tried to avoid all her life as a rebel. That was what she fought for, against the cruelty that the government impressed upon the people. But was it worth her petty cause to allow their own demise? They could not hold out much longer; they were designed to fight battles, not wars. Unless they wanted to die, then they had no choice.

“Damnit!" she spat. “Human protection command temporarily eliminated! Just clear a path out of here!”

“Yes, Kouryuu,” said Terpfen, not even a gleam of satisfaction appearing on his face. Holding his arms out, three glowing orbs, pockets of nuclear power, began to swell out of the air.

“Edge!!!” she shouted. “Put another shield up! We need to protect ourselves from the blast!”

A protective dome of shimmering energy unfolded itself around the group, even though a multitude of personas swept through it to carry on their assault. Terpfen’s spheres slowly floated outside the bubble, sparkling and churning with the reaction that was about to begin. Kouryuu bowed her head and closed her eyes in silence. They were no better than those who had caused the Cataclysm...

When Kouryuu opened her eyes though, their attackers had backed away in a temporary retreat. There seemed to be some kind of commotion among the ranks outside the shield, an argument of sorts between Gared and a stranger. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She had no idea why their mysterious assailants had ceased fire, but the assault had stopped and there was now no need for an excessive extermination plan.

“The nukes!!!” exclaimed Kouryuu. She glanced upwards to see that Terpfen’s orbs of death were still floating high above, swirling and morphing in their color. “Stop the reaction!!” she yelled. “They’ve stopped attacking, we don’t need to kill them off!”

Terpfen clasped his hand into a fist and the three floating time bombs of death abruptly winked out of the atmosphere, their chemical components broken down and disbanded into harmless elements. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She did not need an excess body count held over her head today.

On the attacker’s side a tall man in a white silk shirt and indigo jacket argued with Gared. His long, purple knives of hair waved angrily as he backhanded the commander across the face, sending him to the ground with a bloody lip. Gared did not rise back up to retaliate, instead accepting his punishment and bowing his head in shame. The newcomer merely spit on him in disgust as he turned on heel and marched towards Edge and his group. Eyes lowered, he addressed Kouryuu first.

“Excuse me,” he said in a deep voice. “Apparently my associate did not realize the importance of the people he was attacking, the champions of Dollet. I apologize for his actions.”

“Champions?” said Double. “What are you talking about? Who the hell are you anyways?”

“Forgive me,” the man said with a flourish, his long hair obscuring his facial features. “I suppose you haven’t heard of your newfound fame yet. It spread quite quickly actually, how the group of renegade mecha turned back the tides of a mysterious new army of genocide. Consider yourself famous, my friends. As for myself, my name is Fumiya Sang-Wu.”

The assassin’s eyebrows lowered in a vicious frown and Fumiya returned the gesture with an equally menacing stare.

“Ah,” he said. “I see that there is at least one cultured veteran of subterfuge and crime to already hold my family name against me.”

“What is he talking about?” asked Edge blankly.

“Enter the Sang-Wu family,” mumbled Double, half to himself and half to his friend, all while maintaining his dead stare. “Yoshiki Sang-Wu, the largest underground crime lord in this star system, if not beyond that. Wanted dead in every known country and sub-system in the region for his illegal activities, there have been literally thousands of attempts by both government agencies as well as headstrong mercenaries to bring in his head with none of them succeeding. You name it, he’s done it. Drugs, guns, contraband. Even mecha and large-scale military weapons, all to the deepest planets in the far corners of the galaxy. Some say he even traffics technology unheard of on this planet. Another rumor says his influence even penetrates that of the WNHR government, though they wouldn’t dare admit it. Easily labeled the most dangerous man alive. And if I’m correct,” He pointed to Fumiya. “---then you are his one and only son.”

Fumiya let out the slightest hint of a smile as he applauded the assassin’s speech.

“Interesting,” he commented. “That you would know so much, of course. To my knowledge, even that of which you have just stated is highly classified information in any country on Akuji.”

“I know,” said Double. “And with all that in mind,” His arm suddenly shot forward in the form of a quickly extending blade, the point resting gently on Fumiya’s throat. The crime lord’s son didn’t even flinch. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

The man casually waved away soldiers who had leapt up at the peril to their commander and addressed his opponent with a curt smile.

“Because you haven’t heard the other part that isn’t kept locked up in the government vaults,” he said. “Haven’t you ever wondered why you’ve heard nothing of my involvement with my father’s criminal activities?”

Double grumbled a bit under his breath in annoyance.

“I admit,” he said. “I have found that a bit unusual...”

“That’s because I despise the old bastard. I disowned him a long time ago because I hated the way he wanted to ruin my life with his petty business and hierarchy. I hated his ruthlessness, his cruelty, the way he had no respect for any living creature but himself. It was disgusting and I wanted no part of it when I came of age to help deal with his agenda. Thus, I ran from my so-called home and dedicated my life to dismantling my father’s empire of hatred with my own band of mercenaries, the group you see before you today.”

“So instead of attacking Yoshiki, you decide to attack us instead?” mumbled Kouryuu in offense.

Fumiya’s eyes pointed daggers in her direction as his head whirled about.

“I assure you, miss,” he said in controlled anger. “That was a complete mistake. Even we need to make a living, so to speak, so we make an effort to steal and pilfer the supplies we need from those who are the most corrupt; the government. In this case, my associates spotted your government-make mecha and mistook you for a potential target. We do not attack civilians.”

Double reluctantly lowered his arm, letting it retake its original form.

“I suppose an opponent of Yoshiki wouldn’t be worth killing,” he said slowly. “Even I would appreciate that man’s downfall. But how do you plan to make up for the damage done to our ride? If it weren’t for your group of minutemen, we’d have probably already reached the next town by now.” He motioned behind him where the old government hovercraft lie riddled with bullet holes and huge dent marks from stray debris.

“Don’t worry, I’m not totally destitute,” said the mercenary arrogantly, turning around and motioning for the group to follow. “I owe you enough for the mistake. I think a short stay at my personal headquarters, complete with full repairs for your vehicle, should make up for the blunder. If you still don’t trust me then walk off in your own direction. Otherwise, follow me.”

He casually walked off as the rest of the soliders gathered up their belongings and began to trek off into the dusty landscape.

“I still don’t trust him,” said Double as he watched Fumiya pass by a now heavily-chained Gared. He winced as the purple haired man took the time out of his way to launch a gut punch into his officer’s stomach, the latter spitting blood as a result. “There’s something about him that I don’t like.”

“But we don’t really have a choice,” said Asimov grimly. “Without transportation, we surely won’t reach any place of civilization before our supplies run out. And while that may not mean that much to us, Yoshime and Iesu will not survive the wait.”

Yoshime pondered the situation only for a second before hefting her rifle over her shoulder and walking after the self-proclaimed mercenary.

“Then we follow this Fumiya guy,” she said resolutely. She added a wink over her shoulder as she walked. “Besides, he’s already seen what we can do to him if he turns on us. I doubt he’ll try anything irrational.”

Edge merely shook his head.

She was always so optimistic.

...

Finished.

“Yujin, come,” whispered Toy’s soundless voice across the void. The air rippled before his cold throne and blue sparks discharged from the atmosphere as the general’s dark cape of swirling indigo materialized into the room.

“Yes, Toy-sama,” said Yujin as he bowed. “What is your bidding?”

“Looks like your luck has improved,” said Toy as he uploaded his newly woven program into Yujin’s memory banks. “Here’s your second chance. Edge and his party have taken refuge with Yoshiki’s son, you’ll find the coordinates in the package I just gave you. You’ll also find a special program of which I have just completed writing. You are to manually upload it into Edge’s system and only Edge’s system. It will not work with the other androids.”

“What exactly is this program supposed to do?” inquired the officer. “I thought that I was going to have my own chance at the renegade unit, not upload some virus into his system to kill him.”

“I assure you, it won’t destroy him. However, it will scramble his brain enough for you to control him for the time being with rudimentary mental commands. Use that to your advantage. Remember, you yourself cannot kill Edge, otherwise all of my plans with have been for naught. Once the deed is finished, you may deal with him at your leisure.”

Yujin cocked an eyebrow in curiosity as he stood in his place.

“Why has it always been so essential that Edge create his own downfall?” he said. “You didn’t seem this concerned on the instance of our first encounter.”

The air radiated with a silent stare of resentment from Toy’s throne.

“Situations change,” said the emperor coldly. “Presently, Edge’s death would solve nothing, perhaps make the condition worse than it already is.” A chilly flash of plasma dashed across his face, illuminating his dark eyes for a mere second. “Do not question my methods, Yujin, lest it become necessary for me to impose severe restrictive measures upon your being.”

“Of course not, Toy-sama,” said Yujin humbly. “I was simply curious, one of those more human traits that I seemed to have picked up.”

A blue sparks picked up and swiftly carried him away on wings of invisible air.

...

“That bastard...” hissed Yujin through clenched teeth. Kissing all that ass and for what?! To plant a mere program? That wasn’t what he wanted! He wanted to take Edge’s puny head and have the pleasure of crushing it with his own bare hands. And so what was all his training about to amount to? Nothing!

He stopped in the hallway and forced himself to take a breath. No, he couldn’t lose it now, he was getting too close to his goal. He couldn’t possibly dare to oppose Toy, his life wasn’t worth a mere rivalry, now was it? All he had to twist the rules about to his favor. So what could Toy possibly fear if ALL of the Edge unit’s pitiful allies died? Nothing. And so all he had to do was make sure they all died before he took care of Edge himself. Simple enough.

Yujin reached out into the light energy spectrum, grasping the sparse rays that lit the hallway and turning transforming then into solidified bolts of death. He chuckled softly. Yes, killing them all was the answer.

Perhaps he would even enjoy this.

...

“I thought that this guy was supposed to be just a simple rebel,” muttered Iesu nervously he transversed the futuristic hanger bay of Fumiya’s underground facility. “He has a freakin’ empire down here!”

“It’s still very little compared to what Yoshiki has,” said Double grimly. “Fumiya must be insane to embark on such a lunatic quest.”

“Only as crazy as the one we’re going on,” said Edge as they approached Fumiya’s office, their host bidding them to enter. Inside was a large, round conference desk as well as enough seats to accommodate all, though the majority of the mecha chose to stand while Yoshime and Iesu rested their tired feet.

“WAI~!” shouted Zero happily as she jumped into the air, prepared to plop down into a chair.

“Zero, don’t!” shouted Kouryuu. “That’s not going to support---”

A loud crash resounded throughout the room as the pigtailed girl’s body crushed the seat and landed on the furnished floor with a loud thud. She rubbed her rear end in a semblance of pain as she stood up once again.

“Are you okay?” asked Asimov in concern, helping her up.

“Un!” said Zero happily. “That was kinda fun, let’s do it again!”

With that, she hefted a very surprised Asimov over her head and tossed him at the nearest chair before crushing another one herself.

On the other side of the room, Fumiya merely watched the random display of destruction in silent venting.

“Well,” he said, drawing the rest of the group to a less noisy sector of the room. “While they’re having their fun, there are some very important matters that I would like to discuss with you, one of them being your corazon chips.”

Kouryuu raised a defensive eyebrow at the mention of the unit that gave them each life. “What about them?” she asked.

“First of all, I’m sure, as veteran warriors, that you are all quite aware of the destructive capabilities this chip has when applied to a cybernetic soldier.”

“More than enough,” said Yoshime. “But what’s your point?”

“My point is this,” said Fumiya. “My father has began to make use of corazon chip mecha in his armies. In recent skirmishes with his guards, my own ground troops have confirmed this information to be true. With his resources, you can easily imagine what this could lead to.”

“Nobody knows what the exact size of Yoshiki’s empire to be,” said Double tightly. “But at the bare minimum, it must span at least the full reserve level of the WNHR, and that’s the smallest estimate any expert would dare make.”

“Yes,” continued Fumiya. “Even the government has not yet fully exploited the possibilities of full corazon chip combat, but I’m sure you’ve already seen what a few units could do in the Dollet incident. Imagine that many troops a dozen times over in the hands of a madman. Frightening, yes?”

“Quit with your theatrics pretty boy and get to the point,” said Yoshime bluntly.

The mercenary gave a short laugh before continuing.

“My point is this. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were some way to disable the corazon chip?”

Double gave a grunt of disapproval.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” he said roughly.

“I mean if we could find some way to overload the chip programming, rendering the central unit as inanimate and harmless as a rock,” said Fumiya with a smile. “Applied to my father’s selfish plans, perhaps we may even be able to put an end to his tyranny once and for all. Beyond that, we could also apply such a technique to the world governments, taking and redistributing power back to the common citizen.”

“Interesting,” said Kouryuu, absently rubbing her chin. “Such a device could have great possibilities.” Double just kept on cursing to himself. “But how could we create such a thing?”

“I’m afraid that’s where you come in,” said Fumiya. “You see, my own group of researchers have already been working on such a project for many years, keeping the possibility of corazon chip warfare in mind. They are nearing the final stages of development and design but they lack the essential information to complete the plan, and that can only be gathered from a real corazon chip. We have tried to gather as such in the field and on the black market, but capturing an enemy soldier with its chip intact has proven beyond our capabilities. And the market, while tending to be quite free with other supplies and services, is impossible to exploit because apparently those chips and anything related to them are the only thing that the corrupt government inspectors do look for.”

“And so you want one of us to give you their chip,” said Double flatly.

“Precisely,” said Fumiya. “Although I’m afraid that it would be a grave sacrifice since the information extraction process will most likely destroy it in the process. I know it’s a lot to ask for, but it is a forfeit that would not be made in vain. Think of the possibilities.”

“The lives that could be saved,” said the rebel, lost in thought.

“Indeed. I know of no other source from which I could possibly recover a chip myself and I have already heard of your noble actions just inside the border. I ask for much and I shall reciprocate your contribution to the best of my ability, but please, do not force yourself to decide now. Talk it over between yourselves before you make any final choices.”

“One corazon chip,” said Yoshime to herself. Exactly how much worth did one chip hold? How much precious humanity?

“WAI~!!!” shouted Zero as she broke off half of the conference desk and tossed it at Asimov’s head playfully. A vein bulged from Fumiya’s head as he fought to restrain himself. In the end, tolerance gave way to sheer annoyance.

“WILL YOU PLEASE STOP DESTROYING MY FURNITURE?!” he roared, and Zero backed down with hurt eyes. However, before Asimov could rise up in fiery protection for the object of his affection, the mercenary suddenly doubled over and violently spasmed to the ground, his body flaring with a faint aura of fire.

“Fumiya!” said Edge worriedly, but the quivering man waved him back. Drawing a syringe from his coat pocket, he quickly flicked off the needle cover and plunged the sharp point into his forearm vein, letting the medicine take it’s course. He sighed with relief as his adrenaline level quickly dropped and his body was overcome with a cooling relief.

“It’s just my sickness,” said Fumiya, still breathing heavily from the sudden outbreak. “Nothing to worry about, a chronic thing, very annoying. One of the few reasons why I don’t participate in my own battles very often.” He smiled warmly and flourished his hand. “But please, don’t trouble yourself with me. Make yourselves at home and consider my offer.”

Silence hushed over the room as each mech, while considering their own individual thoughts on the proposal, awaited the final movement of the one who led them. It took a moment for Yoshime to realize that they meant herself.

“Thank you,” she finally said, and rose stiffly from her chair before turning to walk out the door.

...

“I don’t like any of this,” said the killer bluntly. He, Kouryuu, and Terpfen had taken a long route aside to watch the mercenary’s legions madly scramble about in an effort to organize the huge stock of weaponry confiscated from a recently captured storage vehicle. “Shutting down the corazon chip, might as well just kill us all! I don’t trust anything that has the potential to put me out of commission.”

“You’re not seeing the big picture here,” said Kouryuu gently. “You and I know better than the others what destruction the corazon chip can wreck. We’ve seen it with our own eyes from our own government. As much as I revel in my own existence, my life is not worth the lives of many. Think of it. Yoshiki Sang-Wu's threat taken care of, the world governments detained, the people liberated from their poverty and enslavement! Even such a possibility is worth the sacrifice.”

“But what if it’s all a lie?” growled Double. “Do you honestly say you would trust a crime lord’s son so quickly? Remember that a slick tongue is just as dangerous a weapon as a sharpened blade. I don’t trust the bastard any farther than I could throw him. There’s something about this whole thing that stinks.”

“Like what?”

He fixed a hard stare at her as he gathered his thoughts.

“Where does this Gared character fit in? Fumiya didn’t seem to hold much of an opinion of him back in the desert, but why keep him in such a high position of rank if that’s true? A rather unsafe tactic for a commander to make. Also, with the attack, how could they mistake us for a government convoy of any sort? Less than 10 rag-tag mecha and two children, hardly your usual assembly escort. Doesn’t that seem a bit strange?”

“Everybody makes mistakes,” said the rebel, and threw the assassin a sidelong grin. “Besides, you’re also talking about a ‘child’ who totes around high-pressure-illegal-to-civilians rifle at all times.”

“True,” muttered Double. “Still, I don’t like it. He invites us down here and then immediately throws this proposal at us. Maybe it was just coincidence. I mean, if all this talk of our fight with Prophet at Dollet has gotten around that fast, maybe Fumiya is sincere in his offer. But it doesn’t make any sense in my book...”

She gently rested a gauntleted hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe you need to learn to trust a bit more,” she said.

“Ch~!” he cursed, brushing aside the comment. “Hardly, that just gets you into more trouble.” He glanced up at the towering Terpfen and nudged him in the ribs. “Hey! What do you think we should do, you walking tin can?”

“Whether or not Fumiya Sang-Wu’s plan works, I will not be affected because of my lack to possess a corazon chip,” said Terpfen, turning his head to address the one who asked the question. “It would be illogical for me to produce an answer.”

...

“Is this seat taken?” asked Iesu as he walked over to Yoshime’s table in the base’s makeshift cafeteria.

“Nah, go ahead,” said Yoshime as she took a huge bite out a fresh ham and cheese sandwich. “I’m so glad this place has real food. I was getting so sick of living off of travel rations!”

Iesu laughed as he dove into his own selected dish.

“So what are you going to do about that Fumiya guy?” he asked. “His offer seemed pretty tempting---”

“Nothing,” she interrupted, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “As soon as our hovercraft is fixed I’m going to thank him and leave.”

Iesu blinked for a moment in the following silence before resuming the conversation.

“What’s the matter?” he asked. “You don’t trust him or something?”

“It’s not that. It’s just that I don’t want to intervene in the decisions of Edge or any of the others. If they want to do it, they will. If not, then we’ll move along just like we always have.”

“What are you talking about?” laughed the cross bearer. “They’re machines, they BELONG to you! I mean, you have a chance to change the government once and for all, to make things fair again! Why not take it?”

She fixed a resentful glare on her companion. He didn’t see it, did he? No, of course not. How could he? He had never talked to any of them, shared with any of them, argued with any of them, cared with any of them.

“They are not mine, Iesu.”

“Of course they are!” he said brightly. “Just as much as your gun or computer is!”

“My gun and my computer do not think,” said Yoshime as she took a deep breath. “My gun and my computer do not talk to me like real people and possess their own opinions. They do not argue with me when they disagree with my ideas, nor to they try to lend their sympathy when I am feeling sad. They do not have that life that Edge and the others possess. That warmth. That heart. That soul.” She looked deep into the boy’s dark eyes with her own shimmering pools of blue ocean. “They are just as human as you and I and that is why I will make no decisions for them.”

Iesu just stared at her as she resumed eating her sandwich as if nothing had ever come between them.

Just as human.

Nonplused, he pushed his sandwich to the side.

He was no longer hungry.

...

Stars slowly dotted the purple sky like a million little lights of hope. The mountains became the set of a gigantic stage, adding a scintillating ambiance to the scenario. And far below, two actors, Zero and Asimov, sat above Fumiya’s underground compartments and watched the mysterious play unfold.

“Beautiful, isn’t it,” she said, snuggling against Asimov’s shoulder..

“Ah,” he agreed, staring upwards. It was sort of like the vision of the clone wars he had seen in his youth except that this ballad was one of peace and serenity. No violence, no blood, just peace. Why couldn’t life always be like this? He cast a secret glance at the immature young girl that clung to his arm with such affection. Sure, that arm was probably missing some its necessary mechanical fluid solutions to function properly, but there was something so very warm about the way they were now that he didn’t want it to change.

Never again, all that blood. And yet, who did he hold on his arm? A D_E_V_I_L, one of the very ones he had watched dance their dance of death in Toy’s viewing window. So if he knew that she, Zero, was capable of that evil which he so hated, why did he protect her? He looked at her again, her wide child-like eyes admiring the sea of lights above. That was why. Because she was still so innocent, so untouched by all that hate that had corrupted himself. Even though there existed a side of her that killed and lusted for hate, she was unaware of its existence. And why couldn’t there exist such a child in the universe, one unscathed by life, one whose happiness came from ignorance? Yes, he would protect her. She meant that much to him...

“Ne, Asi,” said Zero suddenly, causing him to turn his head in worried caution. “What do you want to do when you grow up?”

Asimov blinked in blank confusion. Grow up?

“Eh?” he said blankly.

“You know,” said the Demoness, and she swiveled about in her seat to place her eyes on his. “Grow up, like get older and stuff.” She grinned happily. “I know what I want to do! I wanna be one of those people who make DC games and stuff! Maybe design the next FVor something. It’ll be great! Except we’d have to put Lion back in because he’s just too cool to leave out and stuff... but oh well, I don’t think anybody would mind! Everybody likes Lion! At least, in my time they did.” She plopped down once again after her brief rush of excitement, contenting herself with snuggling into Asimov’s shoulder again. “So what about you? What do you want to do?”

Asimov just smiled to himself. Just like a child.

He took a deep breath and for once tried to dream up a future filled with happiness.

“I have always toyed with the notion of becoming a magician.”

...

A tapping of metal on metal echoed softly throughout the hanger bay as Edge walked out on the balcony high above Fumiya’s bustling soldiers, its gentle noise easily drowned out by the shouting and moving of heavily machinery down below. To him, the only thing that his audio receptors picked up was the dull hum of silence, the thoughts within his mind.

Was what Fumiya said true? All this violence, this hatred, this sadness, all of it could be stopped--- or at least lessened--- by the sacrifice of a single corazon chip? That would be so wonderful, so much less death and destruction. Maybe it could atone for that which he had already committed.

He looked down at his own hands as he leaned on the railing. Hands that had been stained with blood. Human blood. Tears of the soul. And here he was, fighting for something that was so damn far away, something that might only be a legend for all he knew. It was all so futile. It wouldn’t matter if it was just himself, but who had he dragged along? Why did they follow his inane quest? No, some of them had little choice for their fates had already been tied to an allegiance with Yoshime. But why did she follow him anyways? Or Kouryuu? Iesu? Clef? What made him important enough to risk their lives for?

“Damnit...” he muttered. “I’m so useless.” He was one of those horrible creations who so easily spilt blood, one of those monsters whom Fumiya had talked of stopping. So horrible, B_A_K_E_M_O_N_O.

A monster.

Who had he hurt already? Kouryuu’s rebels upon their first meeting. Innocent WNHR soldiers and staff who had never even known his name. More military personel during the Shirinkusu raid and at the SenShu Baan border. Probably even some stray civilians who hadn’t been able to flee in time in Dollet. People he had never met, people he would never know, whose lives certainly had more value than that of his own... his own, a horrible killing machine of death.

That day had hurt the most, fully realizing his bloodlust for the first time, surrendering to it because he knew that was what he had to do to save himself and his friends. The ease that it came to him, the welcoming grace with which he embraced its fiery warmth. It was strong and full of vigor. It made him feel good. He hated it, hating loving that ugly, corrupted power, that primal state of mind, that fear. Could he hurt Yoshime? Could he loose himself in that rage, loose his command perimeters, and wound her? Kill her? Kill his friends? Kill an innocent?

Edge stared over the balcony with dead eyes. He was going to hurt someone in his stupid quest. Maybe he should be the one to hand over his corazon chip, to make a sacrifice to save the world...

...

Clef lazily waited in the shadows of one of the lower hallways as he stared at Edge brooding over the balcony high above. What was that child thinking? Certainly something unfavorable to his true destiny, something that would cause an unneeded problem. Hadn’t he learned anything yet? Then again, recent events were sure to have left some sort of traumatic mark on his being. Meeting a mentally unbalanced clone of oneself typically does not leave a favorable imprint.

His eyes narrowed as Edge rested his head on the railing. Surely, change would be needed, and soon. Otherwise, the boy might do something that could endanger them all.

...

Fumiya blew out a thin stream of smoke as he turned the used cigarette in his hand to one side. The elaborately decorated room he was in, full of fine carpets, chairs of polished wood, and a few other luxaries that were priceless in today’s world, had been left untouched by his newfound and very destructive guests. After all, his personal office was not worth dirtying for a couple of ragtag travelers.

“Excellent,” he whispered from his chair, abruptly whirling about to address a shady man who sat opposite his business desk. “The infamous ‘heroes’ are now in our custody and barely a casualty to pay for the prize. As for yourself, you played your part with a perfect sense of pathetic loss, definitely one deserving some reward.” Fumiya leaned across his furniture to offer his guest a cancer stick from a fancy cardboard box.

“Thank you,” said the shadowed man as he accepted one from Fumiya’s fingers. “How did they react to your offer?”

“Nothing yet,” said the mercenary in disdain. “But that’s to be expected. After all, it is asking a lot from them. They are a chivalrous bunch though,” He added a cruel smile. “I think they’ll come around in the end and see things my way.”

The shadowed man chuckled softly.

“And how is your sickness today, Fumiya?”he asked wryly.

“Acted up a little during the conversation. Nothing worth worrying about though, especially since I’ll soon be cured anyways.”

“Hmm, yes indeed,” said the shadowed man, leaning forward to reveal the grinning face of Gared’s sunglassed profile. “Apparently, everything’s going exactly to plan.”

...

End “Cause and Effect”