Two Times, One Sword (Closed)

"Man what was his problem? Talking to you like that, you should have killed him!"

"I don't think Master Gin would have been to happy about that." The general continued to her room, but passed by the recovery room first. She walked in and saw that Waru had awoken in his bed "You always end up here after every battle, why is that I wounder?" she taunted.

"Because I'm always the one who has to carry the team whenever things get rough, its rather annoying." he rolled his eye.

"So how bad is it this time? That was quiet the attack you made."

"My Padnose Gem almost shattered, and my Zea Gem is badly cracked. So not an ideal situation."

"You my friend are what we call a glass cannon." she chuckled.

"Do not mock me human! If it were not for me we could have lost everything! Leave me!"

"Geez Waru calm down I-"

"I said leave!" he shouted.

"FINE!" she turn and stormed out.

"Wow two for two huh? Whats with everyone tonight? We should be celebrating!."

"Whatever I'm over it, I just want to go to bed and sleep."

"HEY BLONDIE MOVE IT!" a voice shouted from behind her.

Katsumi turned quickly "Excuse me!" she yelled. She saw what appeared to be Neza running right for her. *WHAM!* she smacked right into Katsumi knocking them both down.

"What the fuck I told you to move! Don't you know who I am!" Mei quickly got back up, and Kat did the same.

"Well you certainly not Neza!" the general shouted.

"Are you blind you dumb bitch, of course I am!" she folded her arms and smirked. "Who else would I be?" An icy sting quickly rushed up her legs, stopping her where she stood. "How dare you-"

"SHUT UP!" kat shouted. "First of all you're clearly made of flesh, Neza is a golem. Secondly your vocabulary is far to uncontrolled and pigish for you to be Neza, and thirdly-" she drew her sword and brought it to Mei's neck. "The last time Neza insulted me I taught her a lesson she wouldn't forget. So if I had to hazard a guess you're that strange double of her's possessed by her guardian spirit. Am I right or should I just kill and forget you?"

Fear shot down Mei's spine "No please! You're right I am Mei... I just want to get out of here. I can't stay here!" she shouted.

"Why?"
 
"Why..why..." Mei stammered, her eyes looking at the sword at her neck. She clenched her eyes.
"Out with it." Kat replied coldly.
"Neza, that's why!" Mei blurted. "She's not who I thought she was."
"Oh?" Kat replied, coyly.
"She killed Hotaru. Didn't even hesitate. Just grabbed the gem and crushed it to dust!"
Kat was taken slightly aback by this, but she kept her outward expression smooth. It was expected Hotaru's and Neza's rivalry would come at an end. More details were needed before she made her judgement. Neza dying, however, was her preferred outcome. "What does that have to do with you?" Kat sneered, sheathing her sword. However, the ice rose higher to Mei's waist, in a show of contempt.
"Everything!" Mei rebuked. "She acts nice now, but it's all fake. Once she decides I'm an obstacle, she'll kill me like Hotaru. Please, you have to let me go."
"Hmm... no."
"You can't leave me like this!"
"I can, and I will. You insulted my intelligence with your poor Neza impersonation. I also don't help the weak. Whatever feud you have with Neza is not my problem."
"I just want to go far away from here, that's all. You won't have to see me anymore."
"Point taken." replied Kat. "You must really hate Neza."
"Yes, I hate her!"
Kat smirked. "Bye." She briskly walked past the frozen in place Mei. Mei looked at the shadow as Kat walked past, realizing that a golem was behind her the whole time. Mei squirmed in place, but never looked behind her, refusing to meet who she knew it was.
 
Himura walked down one of the medical wing halls, and finally stopped in front of a door. He paused for a moment to compose himself, trying to prepare himself for what was coming. He opened the door and walked in with a smile "Hello Hotaru how are you feeling? Heard you took quite the beating." he flipped through a chart with her repairs listed.

"Feeling is irrelevant, but all systems are nominal." the golem said coldly. She sat on an examination table in a medical smock , her bright orange hair popping against her tanned body.

Himura raised an eyebrow walking closer "Hotaru are you sure you're okay?" he looked her over.

"All systems nominal." she replied again.

"I know you're one for jokes, but you can drop the "mindless golem" act." concern creeping into his voice. She only sat there staring at him. "Hotaru?" he titled his head, and then the realization hit him. Quickly he popped open her Zae Gem container and much to his confusion his fears were true. "What happened to your gem?" he asked frantically.

"Which gem?"

"Your Zae Gem!" he yelled. "Why is it a fragment!"

"It was her punishment." Gin stepped through the door. "I grew tired of her constant failure, just like how I grow tired of yours Himura." he shogun looked down on the scientist.

"You can't just do that! Hotaru and the other generals are are special in how they are designed! If you take away the soul you take away their power!" Himura yelled.

"Do not lecture me on power!" Gin roared. "Do not tell me how to lead my army Himura especially when you are part of it. Do you not think I can just go out and find another fire wielder? I just captured a school full of elemental upstarts, so I have the pick of the litter."

"Yes but you can't build them! I've seen what happens when you try to make golem Gin, it ended up in a terrible half human half demon hybrid. One you still don't have to courage to kill because you still love her."

*WHAM!* Gin buried his fist into Himura's face sending him to the ground... hard. "You would do well to remember your place fool! Need I remind you I hold your only way back home, and your way back to your family." he kicked him in the ribs. *CRACK!* Himura felt the stabbing pain of broken bones fill his sides. He scrapped the scientist off the ground, picking him up by his shirt, and brought him in close. "During a battle with Yori this one obtained a form I had never seen or felt before, you are to figure out how she did it and how to make it happen again. Do I make myself clear?" he growled.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes... asshole." Himura smiled.

"RAAH!" the shogun through him to the ground, and kicked him once more before taking his leave. "You're lucky we captured the stone." he growled.

In a pool of his own blood Himura sobbed.
 
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"Hold still."

Mei expected anger, frustration, hate. She didn't know what Neza was feeling from the sound of her voice. It equally frightened her. She struggled to break the ice by herself, but her weak body was held in place.

"I said don't move!" scolded Neza.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mei said. "Leave me alone." She felt guilty about what she had said, but was confused as the emotion emerged. Wasn't she justified? Neza was dangerous, and killed when it suited her best. Mei had also run away. That should've made her sentiment obvious.

"Just keep looking forward. Don't. Move. A muscle."

She heard the sound of Neza's scorpion tail rising, of metal plates lightly clicking against each other, before stopping at about chest level. There was a long silence between Neza and Mei. Mei looked forward, keeping her posture straight. In a split instant, Mei could hear the sound of displaced air as Neza's scorpion tail shot towards her back. Mei closed her eyes.

The encasing ice shattered violently. Mei's legs buckled as the weight of the ice both binding yet supporting her became like snow around her. She pressed down on her feet to remain standing, though she realized that some of the ice was still holding her down. Mei's sharp clawed gold golem hands were doing quick work with the remaining ice, quickly but chipping away at it with only as much force as was required. Mei rubbed her eyes, clenching them. She was weary. She didn't want to stand. It was as though she was fading out. The tail... gone? Mei shook her head. Imagined.

"There." said Neza.
"You know I still hate you, right?" replied Mei, still not turning around to Neza.
"Yeah."
"Well, thanks, I guess. For freeing me from the ice, that is."
"You should get medical attention."
"What the hell for?"
"Freezer burn."

'Freezer burn' must've been another one of Neza's future-isms, a natural slip of the tongue, reminding Mei that Neza really was alien, a machine person as far in the future as her civilization was in the past. Though Mei managed to infer what Neza had meant. Cold could do lots of damage to flesh legs. Mei wondered if there was a word opposite to 'jang'; such a word suited this moment more than simple sadness or grief. She was out of energy, unable to think. She wanted to lie down and sleep forever. She still had no idea who Neza could turn into at any moment. Mei seethed as she started to limp forward. That burning feeling that Neza was alluding took over her legs and feet. Mei raised her hand preemptively.

"Don't you dare help." Mei demanded, again refusing to turn her head back.
"Alright."
"Ow, shit!" Mei exclaimed. Her leg muscles had been pulled, the pain very sharp. Neza walked up to her side, and Mei turned to re-iterate what she had said before, but realized Neza was walking towards a group of three iron golems in front of them.

Stand aside, Gold Golem. Himura has requested for us to detain the woman. said the lead iron golem.
"On what grounds?" replied Neza.
One count of impersonation of a high ranking official. One count of reprogramming a golem beyond scope of its programming.
"How in the hell?" said Neza. My door guard was reprogrammed? "I'll take her to Himura."
Not negotiable.
"My rank outstrips yours?" replied Neza.
Rank-based override expressly forbidden. Stand aside.
"At least let me carry her instead. You can form around us. If Mei can reprogram one iron golem, she might be able to reprogram three. Gold golems are more advanced."
Logical. This gold golem will assist us.

"I still don't want your help." Mei whispered.
"The alternative is one of those big guys dragging you on the ground by one leg like frozen meat." Neza whispered back.
 
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"Okay let's try this one more time." Himura sighed. He had patched himself up, luckily his ribs were just cracked so he could at least continue his work sitting down. A few home made pills eased his pain as well. "What is your name?"

"This unite has been designated the title of Hotaru."

"What happened with during your fight with the samurai known as Yori? Master Gin said you put on quiet the display."

"I fought."

"Yes I know that, but what happened during your fight?" he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Would you like to know the exact strikes I used?"

"No no ugh. Gin said something happened during your fight something extraordinary, Hotaru. What. Happened."

"I felt a power like no other." the feeling returned to her voice. "A flame lit deep inside me, I'm not sure if it was because of his music or my needing to see Hideo again."

"Hotaru?" Himura got up from his chair wincing as he did so. "Hotaru is that you?" he walked closer.

"I remember this intense need to see Hideo, and willing to do whatever it took to see him again. That feeling engulfed me and twisted my shape into something new... something more powerful." she seemed unfazed by the mans words like he wasn't even there.

"Hotaru!" he shook her.

"Hello father how can I be of assistance?" her voice revered back to the mechanical and cold.

"Damn it..." he sat back down in the chair, only to here the room door open. Three iron golems, a gold golem, and Neza walked in "What going on here? Why is Neza being held captive... you!" he pointed to the front most iron golem. "Report, what is the meaning of this?"
 
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"False: This is not Neza. She is the one known as Mei. She is also the one who reprogrammed one of the iron golems. Laws dictate that she should be executed.

"No such thing will happen. You iron golems leave, the gold one stays." he sharply motioned to the door. The iron golems did as instructed and left. "Neza come here please." he turned his attention back to Hotaru. Mei slid out the Neza's arms and started to walk toward Himura. "No no not you, you can have a seat on one of these beds. I'll patch you up in a second, but I need the real Neza." he pointed to the gold golem.

"Yes father." Neza ungracefully stomped toward the doctor.
 
Neza saw the Hotaru body on the operating table, as emotionless as a cheap android with a hard plastic shell, basically like a doll.

"What can you tell me about Hotaru?"
"I don't understand." Neza replied. "Why --"
"I'm asking the questions." Himura growled.
"Yes, father."
"Something wrong with you too?"
"I just want to finish what I have to do so you can take care of my sister. That thing on the table isn't Hotaru. I have a fully functional Zae Gem. She doesn't. She's toast. Don't know what else to tell you."
"That's better, but not the answer I was looking for." commented Himura. "What was Hotaru like, before this?" he pointed to the golem on the table.
"A fool, as always." said Neza. "Made a spectacle out of a fight against Yori for no reason at all. Hotaru was wasting energy just to light up the sky, letting the music completely take her over."
"Music, of course!" Himura gasped. "She had once been a great fire dancer. Did you know that Neza? Obviously she has close ties to music! Music has been proven to decode memories." Himura looked a bit more excited, on the cusp of discovery. "Do you know which songs were played, during the fight?"
"I do know, but I don't have them." said Neza. She caught on that Himura was trying to reach the mind of the husk on his table, but there wasn't a mind there. Just a husk. She crushed the Zae Gem decisively. She didn't like thinking that Himura was wasting his time on a dead lead.
"A minor setback." Himura snapped his fingers. "I wonder if I can perhaps reproduce them from recordings."
"Now can you help my sis?"
"Yes, fine."
 
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He turned his attention back to Mei, and began looking her over. "You know you really need to be more careful with your body, I haven't had a proper chance to study it. What's your name?"

"Mei." the young spoke.

"Will I am Himura-"

"You you will also accept Himura, I know. I've been with Neza for a very long time."

"I see. Well you haven't sustained anything to serious, though you have minor frostbite on your feet. I recommend sleeping with a fire at the end of your bed, but don't keep it to close. However sleeping with a tail might be a bit uncomfortable at first, I'm sure you'll get used to it." he smiled. He turned back to Neza "I start work on your body tomorrow, for now I suggest that you keep your inaction with the troops to a minimum, golems can be easily confused if presented with a complex problem such as yourself. "I would take this time and just realx, we are in the celebrations of a victory enjoy it while it lasts."
 
"Celebrate?" Mei piped up, then snorted. "Killing your own teammates part of it?" Mei was staring at Neza as she said it.
"As I said before, I had no choice." responded Neza.
"You did it?" uttered Himura.
"You did have a choice." said Mei. "You did. You could've said no to crushing her heart. You could've tried to bargain. And none of it would've happened if you didn't set her up!"
"There's no compromise with Master Gin." said Neza. "I've already explained this to you. It was either her or me."
"Is that why her body's on that table?" accused Mei. "She's dead, but your god still wants more." She started to sob.

Mr. Himura stood in silence, looking at both Neza and Mei. His head started to sink, fatigue setting in, but also in veiled agreement to Mei's statement. His god of sacrifice didn't think of keeping Hotaru alive to extract her secret before having her executed.

"I couldn't avoid the troops." said Neza to Himura. "They brought up charges."
"What else did you do?" Himura accused. "You think just because you're outside of battle you can do whatever you want?"
"Not me." said Neza. "Mei. One count of impersonating me. One count of reprogramming a golem beyond the scope of its original programming."
"It was you?" Himura said in disbelief. "How? No, first, tell me how I can find the defective golem. It needs to be fixed right away."
"No." replied Mei.
Himura pressed his lips and pinched the bridge of his nose, before waving off his sudden rise in anger. "What did you say?"
"Mei, if you cooperate, you know that Himura would be happy to drop the charges." Neza actually sounded concerned. "He would even make sure nobody else knew. Nobody else needs to know. Right?"
"Yes." said Himura sternly. "Master Gin especially doesn't need to know."

Mei realized at that moment just how quickly the situation had escalated simply because carelessly spoke about the situation as it was, in that she hadn't been fooled that this was a celebration. It was as though they were seated together with a large feast before them, but nobody was eating or laughing. All of it was fake. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, croaking. Her mortal shell tensed in on itself, still weak from being frozen in ice.

Himura's entire face seemed to open; the tension set in anger lifting from it. His expression was now calm and relaxed. "I apologize. It's been a very long day, as it probably has been for you. All you have to do is point me in the right direction, and I'll do the rest. You need sleep."
Mei squeezed her eyes shut. "No, I can't."
"A defective golem can cause a lot of damage." gently stated Himura. "It could even hurt someone."
"Was Hotaru defective?" replied Mei.
"Listen to reason." pleaded Neza. "Hotaru and the golem aren't the same. It's the Zae Gem that --"
"I can't let you hurt my brother!"
"Your ... brother?" said Neza in disbelief. She cupped her head in her hand, tried to focus, in shock. She felt the need to cry, but couldn't, not with this golem body."I've always looked out for you, cared for you. We bonded as sisters. Now you decide to make a thing you've known for half a day, your brother?"
"You broke our bond when you set up and killed Hotaru."
"I did it for us, for our survival!" said Neza. "Master Gin sent us on that mission so that one of us would die. When that didn't happen, he chose to dispose one."
Mei sat silent, her entire body closing from the world, with arms across herself to hide, her head downcast in pain.

"I would repair the golem." corrected Himura. "Your modification is the thing that's hurting it. Without stable loops, its logic circuits will degrade and it will break down. Before then, with the power you have vested to it, it can cause a great deal of damage, alone or with a group, converted with the sub-program you wrote. I'm not exaggerating. If it decides to override other golems, it can, right now, no restrictions. I don't think I need to tell you what kind of chaos would result from a rogue golem army. That is the truth, the full truth, nothing held back."
"He wouldn't do that." cried Mei.
"I have to be sure. I don't follow" The god of sacrifice. "Master Gin blindly. Neither does Neza. We're expected to come to quick decisions that produces expected results. That doesn't mean, however, that we take those decisions lightly. Never lightly."
Mei appeared to register, but looked at Neza again, trying to futilely pierce that gold golem's gaze.
"Perhaps you two just need some space for now." said Himura. "Being wound up won't help. Neza, you're free to go."
"I have your word you'll take care of Mei?" demanded Neza.
"Yes. I'll have one of my tinkerers construct a simple heating unit for Mei for her feet, and convert a spot for her to rest in."

Once Neza had left, Mei jumped towards Himura and buried her face in his chest, tears staining his work clothes.
 
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  • Himura was unsure of what to do, but slowly his arms wrapped around Mei "You've been through so much..." he cooed.

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    Neza walked out of the examination room with her head hung low. She brought her hands to her face and inside she wanted to scream. She hated this awful gold prison she was forced into, and it had only been a day. She longed for her old body... her original body. She missed it's arsenal, it's power, the sens of confidence that came with it, but she lost that frame. He claws ran across her chest where her Zae Gem was housed, the thought of becoming a doll like Hotaru was chilling.

    "Uhhhhhh!" a faint voice drew the golem back to reality.

    "What is that?" she followed after the voice.
 
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"Why did I think it was a good idea?" Mei cried. "Stupid!"
"You couldn't have known the implications."
"Yeah?"
"You saw a golem bound by its programming and you wanted to free it."
Mei buried her head more into Himura's shoulder. "Yes."
Himura gently grabbed Mei's shoulders and gently moved her away. Mei turned so she was sitting beside him.
"I should go." said Mei.
"Run away?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to. Your face."
Mei realized that her face was still wet with tears. "There's nothing for me here." said Mei. "I can't change anything."
"It's more difficult to see change when you're part of it. While it's true that we are all in some way bound by programming, gradual change still shapes us. It's all a work in progress, and work still needs to be done. You've shaped the golem, but it still needs your help. Do you understand?"
"I think so, yes."
 
Neza moved down the hallway following a series of what could only be called moans. The sounds lead her up to the next level of the castle, right in front of a large door. "OH GOD MASTER GIN HARDER!" could be heard from the other side, a voice in pure bliss.

"Wait is this Gin's room?" Neza whispered to herself.
"Hideki yes! More! AH!" a female voice called. If Neza could blush she would.
"OFF YOU DAMN WOMAN!" *THUMP!* something hit the ground hard.
"Master Gin I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."
"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" he shouted back. "GET OUT!"
"Please no I-"
"Get out before I run you through you damn fool!" the door flew open and out stumbled Katsumi half naked. Her hair was a mess and she had scratches running down her back.
She took notice of the golem "What are you looking at!... Why are you even here, you weren't summoned." she hurriedly put her clothes on.
 
Neza stood silent while in the golem body, putting herself at attention. She didn't want her movements to betray who she actually was; an enemy in a gold golem body. Katsumi slapped her clothes back onto herself very quickly.

"Know what? Don't even care. Move out of my way."

Neza moved the side of the hallway, and saluted with a clenched fist at her chest. Katsumi sighed, scratching her hair and scoffing as she passed. If the gold golem body had lips, it would've betrayed the giant smirk imprinted on Neza's soul.

This information could be used to set Katsumi up to the chopping block. It was true that she had set up Hotaru; hook, line and sinker. Hotaru had given her the information to destroy her. Neza had to think about how she would use this information carefully. Using it as part of simple blackmail wouldn't work. Maybe the others already knew and didn't care. Besides, Katsumi wasn't one to simply fall victim to words. She'd certainly fight. Neza's first lesson entombed in ice proved that Katsumi gravely understood her image as leader had to be maintained through any means.

Frustration took root in her mind. She knew she wasn't being creative enough. No new insights came to mind in how to destroy Katsumi with this new knowledge. Her thoughts were clouded by Mei. Neza had to make up off the cuff excuses for Mei, who didn't understand. Her poor, naive sister wasn't like Katsumi at all. Katsumi understood the importance of rank; she was in Master Gin's bed. Neza didn't think Mei would ever trade her body for rank.

Though Mei could be violent, she was honorable and loyal, and that blinded her. She thought of Hotaru as an ally, though they never directly interacted with each other. She made friends with a golem and called it her brother. They had shared so much together. Mei had been there from the beginning. She taught her to stand in a groundless world, offering friendship. Brought her out of her own mind, and out of the shadow of her previous life, twice. Went to hell and back, facing Death, emerging with the Husk Stone, dead-lifting Neza with the muscles of a newborn. It was unbelievable how quickly her decision to kill Hotaru, though rational, seemed to undo all that. All that anger felt compressed in her skull, but also, a deep sadness.
 
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"Neza." a low growl came from Gin's room. She turned her attention and a sense of overwhelming evil washed over her.

latest


"You're not allowed up here. You know that."

Suddenly a sword came spinning out the room with lightning quick speed. *SHING* *CLANG!* Neza quickly found one of her arms beside her. "The next will be your chest. AWAY WITH YOU!" he roared.​
 
Mei rubbed her eyes, feeling a warmth at her feet. She had fallen asleep. When? She didn't remember. She had liked it there, that emptiness. She didn't dream; she didn't know her last dream. Spirits didn't dream. The first night in her new body had been hell; pain surged through her new muscles that had strained to carry Neza from hell, and in fighting the gold monster Neza had quickly become. This was the first time Mei had slept soundly, had felt... peace. She got up quietly from the 'bed', which turned out to be a firm operating table, partially re-purposed. A heater at her feet, just as Himura had said.

She got up slowly, her foot dangling off the ground long enough for circulation to come back to her leg. The more she moved, the more she realized the tingly feeling across her whole body. It quickly subsisted as she moved towards the closest doorway. Peeking around the door, she saw that Himura was at his workstation, slumped, head buried in both of his forearms.
 
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Neza quickly bowed "I'm so sorry Master Gin" she picked up her arm and ran off.

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Mei's stirring waked Himura "Hm what?" his head popped off the desk. He scrambled to look like he wasn't sleeping, quickly sitting up in the chair, though it was clear that he was still half awake. "Mei uh.... you shouldn't be out of bed.... mmmm." he shook his head a few times to try and wake himself up. "I need to.... study you... see what you are.... what are you doing?" he blinked his eyes a few times, but it was clear that sleep was winning the battle. "Guards!" he shouted, two iron golems squeezed into the room. "Um... make sure she doesn't leave the room.... and no talking to her." he shook his head again.
 
Mei's face went pale when Himura had given her order, aghast.

"No, wait! Please!" she pleaded. Her response had been delayed, from the shock of it. One of the golems had covered her mouth with the bulk of its heavy hand. It took its orders to the extreme - there was no talking to her. There would be no talking at all. Mei's stifled scream resonated through the cold metal of the iron golem's hand, which started to constrict around her. The golem didn't explain what it was doing. There was to be no talking. Mei searched for sign language, but the other golem was motionless. The only motion was the hand grinding her jaw.

This golem wouldn't be swayed by reason. The loose order assured that. There was only one gamble left to take, an implicit act of compliance. A tear rolled down her face and her protest stopped. Once the grip had loosened an inch, Mei pulled back with such force that she stumbled onto the ground immediately, and even then she scrambled to the closest corner as quick as she would have in a sprint.

The clenching hand stayed suspended there, unmoving. The two golem guards were like statues. She had overcome one before, because she had made a personal bond. These golems were unlike her brother. It was difficult for her to conceive that her brother could've once been so cold. Like Neza. The two golems in essence were each other's spotter, without doubt by design. If it was hinted one started to turn, the other would enforce the silence. The upraised hand closed, and it went back to the golem's side. What Mei had seen through that mindless action was the very symbol of tyranny, so effortlessly displayed. She dared not move anymore. Moving could become a gesture, a form of talking.
--

Keiichi moved through the halls. It was constantly being fed orders from a central controller. It was only now that it realized just how much it hadn't thought before. What was once autonomic, such as marching in a straight line, was a conscious effort. He had quickly adapted to hide its imperfections from the wandering eyes of the gold golems, but it wondered how long its charade would last. The news already broke that there was a defective among them, and that any oddities were to be immediately reported.

It was expected to act perfectly, but it was in that knowing that it must act perfectly that contradicted his prime directive to survive. It thought of Mei. She had given it awareness. It had orders, but what was he going to do? He. A defect. Gender-based pronoun for genderless being. The name.

HACKER SECURED blared in his news feed. Golems were to change their priorities, doubling their effort to search for imperfections while they worked, for the chance to spot the odd golem out. He was in even more danger now. He thought of Mei. Secured... trapped. Like before, when he had been a guard. The cycle repeated itself.

"Out of my way. I'm bleeding here."

Keiichi moved to the side, facing the wall. When Neza moved behind him, he took a small glance at her. She was now actively tracked as a Gold Golem ever since the initial incident had passed, virtually marked in the golem's augmented reality. She had been the object of Mei's poor imitation. What was the connection? Keiichi trailed her. His job log entry flashed from green to yellow, warning that his job queue was now about to be out of sync. He forwarded a task to the central controller: Assist wounded General. Complete fabrication. Neza ordered no such thing.
 
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Himura quickly stood up from his chair "Blasted piles of scrap, be careful with her!" he yelled. He ran to her "Get out, stand guard outside!" he scolded. The golems stood there for a second considering the order, before leaving. "Mei I'm sorry the big ones are pretty heavy handed and dumb. They can take orders a little to literally, are you alright?" he offered a hand to help her up. "I meant you no harm in my orders, I only gave them to loosely." his voice was soft and warm. "I know your probably afraid of what I'm going to do to you, but I promise it will go by quickly." he pulled out a small wrapped candy and offered it to her. "You remind me much of my daughter." he smiled.

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A few gold golems surrounded Keiichi, and them came a brass golem "Unit what are doing, you are out of sync with your current queue. Prepare for full system scan."
 
"Complying." responded Keiichi. He had to think about what he had sounded like before Mei's gift. The statistical likelihood that he would have to undergo such a procedure was high. Golems, no matter the metal they were composed of, were predictable. This was by design.

"This is highly irregular." stated the brass golem, holding a bulky, beeping device with an antennae. "Initial scans have all come up positive."

Keiichi felt relief. It couldn't understand it, like the fear from before. Before the Awakening, he only understood these things to be simply words, reflected in the faces of his victims. He tried not to think about it, but he had computer-based memory. There was no forgetting it. Deletion too, was out of the question, though he could delete his memories, just like he had created a bogus return class in his subsystems that seemed to have the scanner completely fooled. Guilt was another thing he had to come to terms without, though how culpable was he, mindless? The golems before him weren't as mindless, but they didn't feel like he did.

"The scanner must be faulty. You will be brought to the foundry for further analysis."

Keiichi understood the implications. Further analysis always meant taking him apart piece by piece, then throwing the circuit boards into a shredder. They didn't need a reason like finding a change in his programming to do it. Any strange behavior was eliminated on sight. Fixing a golem was mainly for Generals only. The rest was reusable scrap metal to be recycled.

He bolted in the other direction, but his heavy frame wasn't as fast as a gold golem's. He was already going full speed when the other gold golems gave chase, with the gold golem switching the device into transmission mode and relaying orders into it. Turning corners was out of the question, crashing through walls. The rubble crashing down slowed down the gold golems, but only by a fraction. He started blaring a simple high frequency code, for any iron golems in his vicinity to recognize the Rank of the transmitter. Meanwhile he repeated the simple order, laced in the code: HALT GOLD GOLEMS

Iron golems were the only ones that needed to recognize rank. Such a code was too simple for gold or brass. The iron golems would recognize his rank as the Clone of Master Rank, Free Will, but would they follow? He heard a crunch of metal behind him. Iron golems had smartly started to beeline down corridors when they heard the transmission. However, it was only by luck that their timing was accurate, as iron golems charged the gold ones like they were sac'ing a football quarterback.

Keiichi immediately terminated his transmission after that, but he instantly regretted what he did. He only ordered the golems to recognize Rank, not save and store rank and ID number. However, that was no guarantee. There was no victory in this. He felt bad. Why? His failure? No. It was more than that. He had used his power to bring others to his defense, overriding their programming, taking control of them. They weren't autonomous like he was, but it still didn't make it right. They would be scrapped. Mei was still in trouble, too. He had to run in the opposite direction. What good was Free Will when he couldn't use it right?

His job order queue was now blaring red. His mind scrambled in panic, somehow back in the room where Mei was held prisoner, by Neza. He thought of Mei, of how she talked him into his enlightenment. Now it was obvious.

"Cancel all jobs." Just like Mei to cast aside orders.
Specify unit.
He provided his unit number. The red was washed away.
"Set a new unit number to this unit. Set schedule to be editable. Set variable In_Sync to Always."

Jobs he chose went to beginner tasks, as if he had come out fresh from an assembly line. The one great thing about iron golems were that they were unexceptional. Nobody would know the difference. What he didn't know, however, was that he had been 'tagged' while he had been scanned. It wasn't software based, but a physical change at the spot where the brass golem had scanned. He hadn't noticed; he didn't know. The scanning had a dual purpose, by the genius of its inventor, Himura. It imprinted minuscule amounts of a radioactive isotope.
--

Mei looked up in horror at Himura, looked at the candy, then back on the floor. She slapped the candy from his hand.

"Like your daughter? You would cage her, study her, leave her with machines that could kill her?!"

She realized how stupid the comment was. He could order the golems to do his bidding. She also ruined a chance to bond with her new captor. I used to be a warrior. Now I'm just a prisoner. Better to have died and ceased to exist than become a spirit. Was she really that much of a coward, or did she have purpose? She found Neza and thought that was her purpose, and for a while, it was. She had also tried to make Keiichi her purpose.

"It must be nice, to have a family." Mei said, sadly. She also had her tribe, once upon a time. She also thought of Neza as her sister, and Keiichi as her brother. They were both doomed. Neza damned herself, and Mei doomed Keiichi with faulty programming.
 
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"Mei I'm not caging you, why so dramatic?" he chuckled a bit. "Though that sounds like something my daughter would say." he picked the candy up from off the floor and offered it again. "Truely I mean you no harm, well I might have to take a bit of blood but that will be the extent of it." he smiled at her. "I mean I have better things to do then study a body I already know will be a one for one match with any other body. I don't want to keep you here anymore then I already have, so will you please help me out and hop up on the table?"

*BZZZT!* "But Father I am already on the table." Hotaru spoke from under a sheet.

Himura sighed "Hotaru power down."

"Yes Father." she said and powered down.

"Sorry, I still haven't repaired a lot of her. A couple of faults sparks and she turns right back on." he said to Mei. "So what do you say? The fast you help me here, the faster I can get you back to Neza." he smiled at the young woman.

*Boom!* The door burst open and two gold golems ran into the room. "The defective one was spotted, but we lost him. A pack of iron golems has started a riot in one of the halls, requesting shut down of those units." one spoke.

Himura rushed to his desk and got out his tablet. A couple of red circles could be seen flashing on the screen. The selected each one of them and shut them down completely, locking them out of the system. "Take Katsumi and find the defective one, I want all exists sealed." he ordered. He looked to his screen again tapped a few buttons and shut down all iron golems. "Your search should be quick and easy, when you find it bring it back to me."

The two golems bowed and ran off. Himura closed the door and returned to Mei "I wouldn't worry about your creations Mei. I'm not going to hurt it, now where were we?"
 
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