Chapter 22: Face Off.

The Emergency Units didn't stop moving. The one thing humans created robots for is that they never get tired and stay efficient. That's the main reason these bluish android girls exist in the first place.

They moved up the building, floor after floor, slashing every armed enemy while leaving the scientists and engineers alive. Those white coats reminded them of their father.

The hallways felt endless. Without a printed map of every corner, anyone would get lost instantly. Maybe that's why 02 thanked Redwood earlier for the building layout.

As they ran, every scientist and engineer they passed stared at them with wide, amazed eyes. Their speed didn't help either.

"Wow!"
"Incredible design!"
"Unbelievably efficient!"
"Selfie please!!"

02 couldn't help but smile inside. To her, these reactions were compliments to her creator.

On the way up, 07 spoke casually.
"Father cooked, gotta admit!"

Slash.
A man lost an arm.

04 blinked. "Cooked what? He can't cook."

06 facepalmed. "07, stop using internet slang on missions!"

07 teased, "You no fun! Loosen up a lil', sis."

06 groaned. "Now you're getting on my nerve."

Rain still hammered the city outside. The storm didn't want to leave.

05 spoke on comms. "Two minutes until the head-direction office. Those floors contain high-level officials and decision-making bureaus."

But 07 didn't stop. "That's why you'll live with a cat alone when you grow up."

06 snapped. "A CAT?! What are you talking about?! Grow up?! We're robots!"

07 grinned. "Stop blabbing, sis. You look all sus now. You're so salty, no cap."

08 lowered her gaze. "Now… I'm confused."

07 laughed. "You sigma—"

"07."
02 cut her off sharply.

She straightened immediately. "Sorry, Captain! Taking down the enemy is our highest priority!"

05 added through comms, exhausted, "Twenty seconds to destination."

They reached the cubicle area. Management rooms pushed aside, every PC destroyed, laser scanners scattered everywhere. They paused and scanned.
They stepped in, ignoring the sensors. Their goal was simple: dismantle every dangerous robot this corporation had.
The room was dark. Three walls and a massive glass window. But at this height, the skyline vanished into thick clouds.
No signs of life. Just silence.

The E-UNITS walked slowly, scanning the corners like living map systems.

Until—

CRASHHH!!

The outside window exploded inward as a gigantic five-pilot behemoth forced itself into the room, shaking the entire building. Glass glittered like stars as the machine's lights caught every falling shard.

Then the two-ton mass landed. The red carpet tore instantly under its weight. It wasn't the usual mech size. This one was monstrous, nearly touching the ten-meter ceiling.

01 tilted her head up slowly. The higher she looked, the more metal she saw.
No cockpit. Full external sensors. The pilots were completely sealed inside.

A pilot spoke into his mic.
"Look at this joke. They sent anime girls to stop this machine. Wallmore will love studying your flattened bodies."

Another yelled, panicking, "Stop provoking them! You're going to get us killed!"

A third screamed, "You idiot! Captain, do something!"

The final pilot ordered, "Leave him. Stick to the tactic!"

02 and the others took position. The pressure in the air alone could crush any normal soul.
Her voice sharpened. "E-UNIT. Initiate emergency protocol."

At once, the E-UNITS began to vibrate. The pilots froze, waiting for something supernatural.

The girls copied 02's knight stance: blade in the right hand, red hexagonal shield in the left. Their eyes glowed red. The air grew colder. Everyone waited for the first move.

03 whispered, "Captain, the core is hidden. We need to fight each part separately."

02 nodded. "Precisely. Fight in duos only. Except 01 and 08. You're with me."
01 and 08 smiled nervously. The past past fight with the green behemoth left its dents.

02 turned back to the behemoth, eyes like ice.
"E-UNIT. Move out."

The clash began instantly.

02 reached the mech first with her blade, and the giant split into two machines.
03 tried to strike one, but it split again into three humanoids at light speed.

The team stepped back, calculating. No projectiles. Only massive fists capable of crushing the densest materials on Earth.
Even split, the behemoths were huge, and now faster.

One humanoid rushed 04 and 03, throwing a fist straight at 03.
04 blocked it with her shield.

BOOM!

The impact launched 04 across the room, through a wall, and into the hallway they came from.

03 glanced at her. Mistake.

The mech slammed another fist downward at insane speed.

She hid her blade instantly and raised both shields.

CLANK!

She caught the hit, barely. The force pinned her to the floor. Her joints creaked as the tiles beneath her shattered.
On the other side, a behemoth part charged 07.

06 yelled, "MOVE!"

For the first time, 07 replied calmly.
"No."
She stepped back, shields out, then activated super speed and launched forward.

CRASH!

Her impact overwhelmed the mech, smashing it clean out of the building.
She dove after it.

A glowing blue android girl with pale white plates, blue hair, and blazing red eyes free-fell through the storm, dragging a four-hundred-kilogram mech behind her. Glass shards followed like meteors.

07 landed on the mech mid-fall. No blades. Just fists.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

"WHY!!"
CLANG!
"WHY DO WE CLEAN AFTER YOU!"
CLANG!
"WHY FOLLOW THE DARK SIDE TILL THE END?!"
CLANG!
"IS HEARING OTHERS SUFFERING OKAY TO YOU?!"
CLANG! CLANG!
"I HAVE BEEN ALIVE FOR SIX WEEKS, DAMMIT!"

CLANG—

She stopped. The mech was a dented wreck.
She looked down.
Crowds of fans.
The mech was about to crush them.

"Oh no—!!"

She activated thrusters and dove faster.
She reached the mech and pushed upward, but she wasn't strong enough alone.

Clang.

06 appeared beside her, pushing too.
07 looked at her. "You—"
"Shut up and push, dumbass!" 06 snapped.

Inside the room, the third part attacked 01 and 08.
01 froze. Her missing arm. The memories. A movie looping in her HUD.
The mech's hand stopped millimeters from her chest.

CRACK!

02 flew in like a bullet, kicking the mech sideways into a wall.
She slapped 01 hard.
"WAKE UP!"

01 blinked back to reality.
"You're lucky we don't feel pain…"

The mech rose again. The pilot couldn't believe the strength of these blue aliens.
He called the other two. The pieces merged into a larger monster.

08 screamed through the chaos, "CAPTAIN! I found it!"
02 turned. "Where?!"
"Between the joints! They expose themselves while connecting only!"
02 smirked. "Perfect. 08, help 03 and bring her back. 01, we stall."

08 blasted toward 03 like a missile.
03 saw her coming and smiled even while being crushed.
"Let's exchange places!"

The pilot stuttered, "What—"

BOOM!

08 smashed her shield sideways into the mech, knocking it off balance.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. 02 needs me?"
"Yes, but how did you—"

Phew.
03 was already gone.

The mech stood, sparking and damaged.
04 appeared beside 08. "Round two, asshole!"

03 reached 02. She and 01 were hit-and-running, stalling the mech.
"Captain! You needed me!" 03 shouted.
"Yes. Its core shows for milliseconds when it splits or joins. You know the rest."
"Roger!"

She flew up and pulled out her sniper rifle.
"LIBERTA… your time to shine."
She kissed it and aimed.

02 yelled, "01, on my mark!"
"Roger!"

02 grabbed the mech's left arm. 01 grabbed the right. Thrusters ignited. They pulled in opposite directions.
The mech resisted, but two E-UNITS at full power turned it into a ragdoll.

Crack… crick…
CRACK!

The three parts tore apart, their cores exposed.

03 inhaled focus. Time slowed. Rain outside froze.

Her sisters fighting.
The ruined room.
08 and 04 battling.
02 standing firm despite her damage.
01 fighting her trauma.

"We are amazing. We create order in chaos by placing chaos into order. Our father created lives to take lives. Sisters in blood, playing with blood. Ironic."

Click. BANG!
Click. BANG!
Click. BANG!

Three perfect shots. Three unstable cores.
The mech stopped moving.

But the part 02 held exploded instantly, throwing her out of the building into free fall.
She passed 07 and 06 still lifting the mech.

"Captain!" 06 screamed, diving after her.
She caught 02. Her condition was terrible. Broken plates. Exposed internals. One shattered eye. Systems flickering.
06 carried her back to the ruined floor.

Everyone regrouped. 07 managed to lift the mech at the last second.
On comms, 05 screamed, panicked, "What happened?! Her internals are—"

For 02, everything blurred. Sounds faded. Systems failed.
Her HUD flickered.
Then everything went dark.