Clone Girls

“This is…”

Ticia had a hard time believing what she was seeing. What waited for her group at the end of the hallway was a huge space in which ruins of a town laid under the light of an artificial sun.

Ticia was overwhelmed for a few minutes. Not because of the artificial sun, she had seen such things back in CI-3 after all, but because of the remains of the town.

The overall impression this underground ghost town left was one of a town which had suddenly been abandoned after a great disaster. 

This place had clearly been looted beforehand. Signs of struggle were present everywhere, with skeletons, rusted weapons and other pieces of machinery Ticia could not identify laying around here and there in various states of decomposition. Fragments of windows, buildings and other diverse objects were also spread all over the ground. The buildings also had traces of fire, cracks and broken windows, yet not one of them would lose to the most beautiful buildings of Borkian Prime…

Clearly, this place had been frozen in time, but in another meaning than a literal freezing. Rather, this place was warm…

“Whoa… There’s so many lost technologies lying around…”

Ticia turned to her left at the mumble. Laura was in a similar state than her, although her star shaped pupils sparkled, showing the excitement the woman had over this place. Ticia could not help but smile wryly, thinking that Nia, her beloved tech-maniac of a daughter, would also have a similar look on her face if she were there…

“Stay alert. We don’t know what could be coming…” Chloe warned, and for a good reason. While they advanced through the hallway, they had met several small groups of sentry clones. The foreguard of their group dealt with them quickly, but it was still something to be worried about. 

The enemy's activity seemed to increase as they went further in, a clear sign that their opponents now knew that something was going on. The group's casualties remained extremely light thanks to the lack of proper command skill on the other side, but the increasing encounter rate with clone sentries made the group extremely wary. While they had not met enemies at the entrance of this ruined underground town, there were high chances of clone sentries being around somewhere…

“It’s strange that we haven’t been ambushed here…” Laura remarqued. 

Ticia agreed. Their group just came out of a hallway, which despite being of considerable size considering prior hallways they had been through, was a small space which reduced their maneuverability. It was perfect for an ambush. 

Chloe seemed unsurprised however.

“Typical radicals.” She snorted. “Most of those guys only know how to open their mouths and speak obscenities, they’re not military men.”

She concluded by adding that they left this place undefended either out of pure blind confidence that nothing would get through the first positions or because the very idea of making an ambush here was suggested by either a clone or a half-blood and as a result got rejected by those prideful people.

“But then again, I’m not gonna complain about their blunder. What’s a miss for them is a lucky opportunity for us.” Chloe then added, shrugging it all.

“Right. But since they still sent sentries our way, they are most definitely aware of our presence. We should expect some sentries to come our way soon.” Ticia said, adding her opinion. Chloe nodded in agreement and crossed her arms.

“Those things aren’t a problem, we’ll deal with them with ease. We should remain careful of the loyal regs and half bloods though. If they take command and attack us with a big group, then-”

“We’ll get in trouble.” Ticia finished Chloe’s words, making the woman nod. 

“We can’t just continue to advance as a whole unit either. We need to secure our path so that we don’t get ambushed on the way back and cut off from all help. As such, we need to leave some of us here to establish a defensive perimeter while the rest of us continue ahead. That, or we could wait for reinforcements from above before continuing…” 

Chloe then looked towards Ticia. 

“What do you think?” She asked. She seemed to have already come up with their next plan of action, yet asked Ticia her thoughts directly.

“First option. We can’t risk standing still.” Ticia answered immediately, which made Chloe nod in approval.

“Good. I’m of the same opinion. Let’s do it like this then.”

“Wait, what about my opinion?” Laura interjected. She had been right next to the two of them this whole discussion, shifting her gaze left and right as Ticia and Chloe spoke in turn.

“Do you have something to add?” Chloe asked, her tone less friendly than it had been with Ticia just now.

“Well, no, but actually yes. It’s just… Somehow, I couldn't butt in between the two of you?” The red haired girl said, letting out a short awkward laugh. Both Ticia and Chloe remained speechless, which caused Laura to clear her throat, now embarrassed. 

“Anyway. I just wanted to say this is my time to shine.”

“And by that you mean?” Chloe asked a bit harshly. Though her expression was still hidden behind the helmet, Ticia somehow knew she was frowning.

“My vision.” Laura replied cryptically, a mysterious smile on her face. 

While Chloe remained suspicious, Ticia sighed. She knew what the Phillian noblewoman ment.

“What’s the current situation?” She asked directly. Laura slightly glanced towards the town, her star shaped irises glistening for a short moment before she faced back Ticia.

“Small groups moving around here and there, probably patrols. No movement is coming towards us yet.”

“...Can you see the whole town?” Chloe suddenly asked. It seemed like she had been able to guess Laura’s specific trait.

“Nuhuh.” Laura shook her head. “I’d say only two thirds?”

Ticia nodded. That was already good enough.

“Should we eliminate the patrols or avoid them?” She asked Chloe.

“Avoid. We shouldn’t waste precious ammo on puppets.”

Chloe’s statement held some truth. Since the clone’s armament was reliant on what they could bring on themselves, they had to be careful of their consumption. Ticia and the ECGs were on the same boat for that matter. Since entering this place, Ticia had already emptied half of her ammunition stock. 

“But avoiding them is gonna be a pain in the ass.” She remarqued, sighing as she crossed her arms. “Not only that, they could just surround us once we get spotted.”

“Mother, allow me to share my opinion.” Bronz suddenly spoke up, directing the three’s attention towards her.

“Speak up, Bronz.” Ticia said with a nod of acknowledgement.

“We should create one more group that should focus on getting rid of those patrols as stealthily as possible.”

“It’s not a bad idea.” Chloe commented, but you could see in her tone that she was expecting more details than just this, which Bronz tactfully gave her.

“But how are we gonna share intel?” Ticia asked her daughter. “It’s not like Laura can be everywhere to provide our enemies' positions.”

“...We can just take one out.” Bronz answered with a dead serious tone, looking straight at Laura who, at her words, yelped and hid in a hurry behind Ticia.

“T-Ticia, help me!?”

“...Bronz is only joking.” Ticia lied. Her daughter seemed dead serious to her. She wondered since when this daughter of hers had become so hostile to Laura…

“It doesn’t sound like she’s joking…” Laura retorted, which got her a stronger glare from Bronz. Worse, Chloe also seemed to ponder on the option.

As Ticia was wondering how to handle this situation, Rebot-ia spoke up.

“If Miss Laura grants me access to her eyes, I could process the data and simulate the patrol’s paths. It won’t be perfect, but I’m confident of an eighty-five percent ratio.”

“It’s worth the risk.” Chloe said out loud.

Feeling the threat to her eyes being over, Laura released a sigh of relief.

“Connecting my eyes to someone else always leaves a bad tingling feeling, but it’s better than the other option…” She said the last part while glancing towards Bronz, whose gaze still remained on her as if she wanted to say something. Laura then looked towards Ticia with a pleading look, which made Ticia sigh. She did not know why Bronz disliked Laura, but it appeared she was not the only one as her other daughters also seemed displeased with the woman.

“Good job Bronz.” She praised Bronz, which proved enough to shift the ECG’s attention away from Laura and soften her mood. Ticia could not help but think her daughter was a bit too simple minded.

“Mother, as the one who suggested this part, I would like to be put in charge.” Bronz requested. Ticia first glanced towards Chloe to see what the woman thought about it.

“I’m fine with that and so will the other clones. You’ve already proven your worth as a commander.” The woman said, giving her acknowledgment to Bronz with a shrug, Bronz saluted in reply before looking at Ticia once again. 

Even though she received the approbation of Chloe, Bronz would not act on her plans without her mother’s approval.

“...Very well.” Ticia gave the green light. She wanted to respect Bronz’s choice. “Take thirty eight of your sisters with you. Make sure to prioritize your safety.”

“Understood Mother!” Bronz saluted once again, this time with more energy. She seemed delighted, which made Ticia smile a bit as a result. She did not know the details of her daughter’s plan but Ticia had already decided that she would rely on her daughters more. Entrusting some missions to them despite the risks was proof of that. Besides, Bronz was confident enough to make Ticia believe whatever her plan was would work out well.

“I’ll leave my robots here. They’re not exactly the stealthiest soldiers…” Laura added, and once Chloe organized the rest of the clones into three groups and all info about the town had been shared, the ‘perimeter clearing’ and ‘advance recon’ parties both entered the town…

 

***

 

Bronz’s group advanced at a quicker pace than Ticia’s. Her objective was simple: Getting rid of as many enemy patrols as possible!

This is a matter of the security of Mother, I cannot fail!

That was the reason why she suggested eliminating the surrounding patrols. Not because she wanted to secure the zone, but just because she wanted to reduce the dangers surrounding her mother.

As such, she was delighted when her mother accepted her suggestion. She quickly picked up half of her sisters to accompany her and together with Chloe’s soldiers, they departed immediately after receiving the information from Rebot-ia.

Their first target was patrolling on one of the adjacent streets from the one they were currently on. Bronz had decided to intercept them at the next crossway.

Her authority between her sisters was undeniable, so no one commented on her choice while the other clones that accompanied them did not object. That in itself was a bit strange to Bronz. Compared to them, the ECGs were as good as babies, so she was expecting some of them to argue with her. That was not the case however, which left Bronz wondering whether Chloe had ordered them to follow whatever she said or because she and her sisters were ‘higher beings’...

It’s probably a mix of the two. 

At first Bronz was startled by the reaction the clones showed towards her, but then she realized… This mix of emotions they showed, it was similar to one she and her sisters felt towards their older sisters, the Null CGs…

To Bronz and her sisters, the Null CGs were unreachable beings. They could not go against them if not ordered by the superior entity that was their mother. Even with the development of their emotions, they still felt that way.

I’m quite proud to be the one who has the most authority after them. Bronz could not help but feel proud of herself.

The hierarchy between the ECGs had never been set in stone. The reason why Bronz had been put at the head of the ECGs was because of Ria, who back when they were created, promoted each ECG with a namecode finishing by 1 as leader of ten member squad as was tradition. Bronz, being the one bearing the first number, was put in charge of all ten squads and as such took orders directly from Ticia and the Null CGs.

Bronz dutifully did her job as temporary commander and successfully accomplished her first task. Once they had rescued their mother however, Ticia did not question their command structure, which left the ECGs wondering what to do. It was Ria who once again stepped up and told them she was content with the current command structure. This was further strengthened when Licia added her own seal of approval, while the remaining Null CGs did not express opposition. Having received such approvals, the ECGs did not question the command structure anymore.

Things changed a bit when they had a chance to become one of the Null CG’s bodyguards though and the ECGs were filled with a yearn to prove their valor to their prime sisters. However, while some ECGs tried to make themselves noticed by their older sisters, Bronz did not do so. 

She was quite satisfied with her current position, which allowed her to have close contact with her beloved mother. Licia and Ria also consulted with her often, which filled her with confidence. Finally, while Rika was nothing more than her mother’s ‘ally’ in her eyes in the beginning, Bronz had come to understand that she could learn a lot from the woman and ended up consulting her quite often to improve her knowledge and commanding skills.

Her efforts had not gone unnoticed. She had been granted a name by her mother, and her position of authority had been cemented at the same time.

She was filled with pride about her achievements. Her sisters, albeit envious, were also happy and proud of her, but most of all, she felt her link to her mother had grown stronger and that Ticia had grown more affectionate towards her.

Mom does go a bit too far sometimes though. The envious looks of the others stung…  She smiled bitterly, remembering how Ticia wouldn’t let go of her hand just because she enjoyed seeing Bronz embarrassed. She enjoyed such moments, yet those emotions often conflicted with her own pride and the attitude of a mature and dignified commander she wanted to show off.

 Still, she would never give her place to her sisters, this was her own selfishness.

Besides, it’s not like it’s all well and good… She sighed as she thought of her mother’s tendencies. She might have received her first wave of strong emotions when she saw her mother rush head first at the head of their formation, pushing her own security behind the one of her own daughters. 

It made the ECGs feel complicated. On one side they were touched by their mother’s actions, but on the other, they felt distressed. Protecting Ticia was their one and only goal in life, but what were they supposed to do when the person they were supposed to protect ordered them to let her lead the charge because she’s worried about them?

Ria had been clear on such matters: they should disobey Ticia’s orders and protect her no matter the situation. Licia had also expressed such a desire, albeit in a less forceful manner as she added she ‘kind of understood their mother’. This in itself caused a small argument between the two eldest Null CGs, but that was a story for another time.

Bronz agreed with her older and superior sisters, that is why she tried multiple times with the help of Fana and the others to make Ticia change her mindset, but Ticia never really gave up. She would nod and accept to back down under the covers of her daughters, only to shove herself back where the action was the most intense before Bronz or Fana could do anything.

In a way, this boosted morale for the ECGs, but Ria had consulted Bronz in the past about a certain worry that might prove fatal to their mother and even themselves: the attachment Ticia had for them all. 

The second oldest Null CG feared that their mother would not be able to support the loss of one of her daughters, hence her dangerous behavior at times.

Unfortunately, Ria’s worries ended up manifesting themselves during this expedition.

Out of all of us, it had to be Jinxy… Bronz thought, a sharp pain emerging in her heart for a moment. She had identified this to be a form of sadness called ‘mourning’.

She never thought she’d feel like this. Bronz and her sisters were prepared to die and had been ‘formatted’ to not feel anything about their sister’s death to avoid incidents. The reason why she ended up feeling like this was because Ticia and most of the Null CGs had actively made them develop their emotions, which could have ended badly if not monitored well. Should they make a mistake on that front, the most law abiding Null CG, Lidia, would harshly reprimand them. 

While a sermon from Ria was something all of them expected, the seventh Null CG had also expressed to Bronz in private that should one of the ECGs ever endanger their mother in any situations and prioritize emotions over rationality, she would personally ‘take care’ of said clone girl…

Just thinking back on the glint Lidia had in her eyes when she told her that, Bronz shivered a bit… While Bronz was in complete agreement with Lidia and warned the other ECGs to act on ‘rationality’ only, she could not help but be scared of exactly what the seventh Null CG implied when she said ‘take care’ as the world was extremely vague, though she doubted Lidia would go as far as killing one of her sisters. It would only incur Ticia’s wrath and sadness after all, and neither side wanted this. 

Fortunately, the health oriented Nicia made sure to check on their mental state very often, but aside from her, none had been more helpful than the eleventh Null CG: Ticinia.

Thanks to her ability to see emotions, the twin tailed girl had been able to detect the surge of emotions within her little sisters and helped the ECGs to gauge them in a ‘human but controlled way that would avoid any chances of acting purely out of emotions’.

If not for Prime sister Ticinia’s guidance, one of us might have lashed out this time, including myself. Bronz thought, grateful to the sometimes elusive eleventh Null CG.

But back to Jinxy. Her untimely demise had been a rude awakening shock not just for Ticia but for all the ECGs. Combined with what happened to the two ECGs in charge of the twins, It was a blatant reminder that despite all the love and care they received from their mother as well as their top of the notch equipment, they were still liable to death.

For the ECGs, the most honorable way to die was by serving their mother. Jinxy was, despite being the clumsiest, the most loved of the group by not only their mother, but also the youngest Nul CG, Vinia. Jinxy had always been a special case. Her small misfortunes had caught the eyes of all the Null CGs who had a various range of emotions towards them as a result. The attention she received from the healthcare oriented Nicia due to this even made Fana jealous! 

Still, when the moment came, she did not hesitate to ensure the life of her own mother who had decided to help her and pushed her to safety, even if it cost her her own life.

Jinxy died in the most honorable way. Let us remember her sacrifice and stand proud of her accomplishments. Bronz repeated to herself. She had said those words multiple times not only to herself but also to her sisters. Despite that, all of them still felt something out of place, and the ECGs settled with a weird mood.

They had consulted between themselves at the time about what to do, but did not speak out to their mother, more worried about her mental state. This place had proven more dangerous than anticipated and most of them were of the opinion that they should leave. 

Bronz and Fana were part of those who wanted to continue, but did not voice it out because their mother had already made a decision at that time. In their minds, while leaving would be the safer option, they felt like they would regret it in the end. This place had the answers their mother had been searching for. Should they retreat and come back at a later date, those answers might have already disappeared by then.

That woman would have taken it for herself, I’m sure… Bronz’s gaze became sharp as she thought about the red haired woman from the empire.

Bronz did not trust Laura. She seemed too suspicious to her. How could one person be so friendly on their first meeting? Why would you even bother with ruin explorations when your own country is bordering a civil war? Bronz could not get a hand of that person’s true personality, nor her motives. She remained a source of potential danger for Ticia in her opinion and as such, she wanted to separate her mother from the woman.

Not only that, or perhaps more importantly, that woman was clearly trying to flirt with their mother! Bronz and her sisters had seen through the look Laura gave Ticia and did not miss the faint blush appearing on her face each time. She clearly was ogling their mother! 

Indeed, Ticia and her daughters had good figures and the ECGs had long learned to ignore the envious and sometimes lustful stares directed at them, but when it came to those directed at their mother, that was the one thing Bronz and her sisters could not tolerate!

How dare she take advantage of mom when she’s emotionally weak!? Unforgivable! I won’t accept it, only the general is allowed to approach mom! Wait… is she?

“Commander, we have reached the enemy's location.” One clone said, breaking Bronz out of a chain of thoughts about what exactly was the relationship between Ticia and Rika. She nodded, acknowledging the report.

“Sister-”

“Honorifics, 041.” Bronz cut out her second in command for this operation. While she had been quite lax with her sisters when it came to military etiquette, she estimated that they should still go by it while on a mission, moreso when they were accompanied by strangers.

“...Apologies, Zweite sister." ECG-041 corrected herself, using the appropriate title Bronz had earned ever since receiving her name. 

This title anchored her status as second only to the ‘Primes’. She was the only one to have received it. 

Within the operational structure set up for the clone girls, five honorary titles had been created. Prime (first), Zweite (second), Trítos (third), Quartus (fourth), and Cúigiú (fifth). Fana, Breesse and Jinxy had all received the ‘Cúigiú’ title as none of them were supposed to lead troops.

Although mostly honorific, each of those titles could give a degree of authority to their holders in situations of need.

These titles were reserved to clones who received names. A-4 was the one who came up with this system, apparently keenly aware in advance that Ticia might name her daughters without much of a thought and jeopardize the preplanned chain of command as a result. Licia and Ria then used this system and granted those titles to their sisters after the naming ceremony. 

“Are we going to use ‘that’, Zweite sister?” ECG-041 asked, showing to Bronz a short metallic tube.

“Yes.” Bronz answered shortly, unhooking from her belt the same metallic tube. “Once the enemy enters your sight, throw your ‘pilum’.”

Bronz had been worried of armored threats coming their way one day. Unfortunately, the ECGs did not possess any anti-personnel weapons that could penetrate thick armors or energy shields. She wanted to remediate this problem, but did not want to rely on Borkian technology.

This is why she had requested Nia to build a cheap disposable weapon as a complement to the ECG’s arsenal. The ‘pilum’ was an experimental weapon the tenth prime sister had built for her and her sisters based on what Bronz had in mind and while it was still a prototype untested on the battlefield, prior tests had shown positive results.

Now’s the time to test it.

Bronz activated her energy shield in hoplon mode. She then pushed a small button on the tube in her other hand, which caused it to grow in length. One extremity of the weapon became thinner at the end and ended with a hard, sharp, black spike.

Her group reached the intersection. Just as predicted, a group of five clones wearing armored skinsuits faced them. Within a few milliseconds, Bronz and four of her sisters at the front assumed throwing positions and threw their pilums with all their strength. 

Once within the air, a fuze activates at the end of the javelin-like weapon, making it gain momentum with a silent detonation. The pilums reached their targets before said targets even had the time to react. With a small crack, the pilums pierced the armor plate protecting the chest of the clones, where their heart was.

“Guh! Ugh…”

Out of the five of them, the one at the center reacted differently from the others. While the four other clones silently tried to aim their weapons at Bronz and her group, the one at the center showed emotions. A mix of surprise and pain apparent in his voice.

His struggle did not last long and the man fell a second later, followed by the rest.

The clones accompanying Bronz and her sisters closed the distance with the now fallen clones, weapons pointed at the bodies, before checking them.

“The targets have been neutralized.” One declared. “Just as we feared, one of them was a reg.”

Bronz nodded, satisfied with the outcome.

As expected, it’s quite useful for dealing with people wearing armored skinsuits in silence. Perhaps it could even deal with tanks or large groups of enemies if a charge of explosives was set at the end of it… She thought, already having some ideas on how to improve the weapon.

“Let’s not stay idle for long. On to the next target!”

““Understood!””

After Bronz’s declaration, the group began moving again towards the next five men patrols. 

Each time, Bronz used the same tactic, which proved itself to be efficient. It was a good thing she had trained her sisters in the art of javelin throwing during their way there on the spaceship. Every pilum they threw reached their targets.

Three patrols… Five patrols… Ten patrols. Bronz’s killing streak kept going up without facing much resistance. 

She still had an ample amount of pilums since each ECG had five pilums on them. Once throwed however, they could not be reused. The javelin was a one use type of weapon which, once it pierced its target, would have its thin part bent, making it quite difficult to remove it from its target. 

This was a concept added by Nia. The idea was to make each shot, even if not fatal, count and make the life of the enemy harder. So while it removed the option to salvage the weapon after using it, it also avoided any enemies to just throw back the javelin towards the ECGs.

Bronz’s group never stopped. They needed to deal with as many patrols as possible within the small margin of time where their data was still useful. They advanced with a trot, but made sure not to overdo it. The ECG’s armors weren’t designed for long runs and were quite heavy after all.

And it’s about time they notice us…

Just as Bronz and her group had finished eliminating their twentieth patrol, a group of clones emerged from a street crossing ahead of them. They immediately began shooting at them.

“Turtle formation!” Bronz yelled, and the ECGs gathered all around her, their energy shields in scutum mode either placed in front of them for those on the front or above their heads for those in the rear. The rectangular shields allowed great defensive capabilities against volleys of laser beams when they took part in this formation. The other clones retreated behind them for cover as they fired back at their enemies. Bronz only hoped the enemy clones did not have explosives or grenades though, because this formation was not made to counteract such weapons.

Their enemies advanced, not taking cover and only firing their weapons at them while on the move. Bronz could guess this group was only composed of sentry clones, some of them wearing armored skinsuits while others nothing more than a dark military uniform. This force was probably a stopgap force that had been assembled in a hurry to counter them.

“Second to fourth rows, pilum in hand!” She ordered from the middle of the formation.

“Pilum in hand! At the ready!” She heard ECG-041 yelled back.

“On my signal… Throw!”

“Throwing!” Was the answer Bronz got as a volley of about sixteen pilums flew in the air. They quickly reached their targets, neutralizing most of the sentry clones wearing armors. 

At nearly the same moment, some clones equipped with machine guns that had taken cover behind the ECGs fired volleys of laser beams to clear up any resistance. The ECGs at the front also provided support fire with their rifles, not having to bother anymore with how much noise they made.

Within seconds, all sentry clones were on the ground, either dead or bleeding out. This did not mean things ended here however.

Lazer beams suddenly came their way from another angle right the next instant. This time, it took some of the clones by surprise… even some of the ECGs.

“Guh!”

“Ow!”

The damage was relatively low, but some still let out groans as they got hit before assuming defensive positions and firing back, but just as they positioned themselves, another of laser beams shot towards them from another direction.

“Guh!” One of the ECG got hit on the shoulder several times. The armor she wore on her shoulder could not resist the continuous hits and detached itself, exposing the clone girl’s shoulder for a new laser beam.

Two of her sisters immediately assumed defensive positions in front of her, protecting her with their energy shields while the latter retreated while holding her wounded shoulder.

“Into the building!” 

Seeing that they were getting encircled, Bronz ordered the group to enter the building behind them for cover. The group entered the building in an organized manner, those already within firing at their enemies, offering valuable cover fire for those that were still outside.

Once all of them were inside, Bronz once again spoke up.

“Barricade the entrance for now! Don’t let any of them enter this place!”

The clones acted quickly and a defensive system was established. A group of clones took positions at every window to fire on their enemies. 

Meanwhile, Bronz went to the back. 

They came at us with a stronger force than we expected. It’s as if we’re moving just as they want… I need to think of what to do next.

The wounded had been pushed to the back for now. She needed to know how many of them there were and what to do next.

She saw about ten clones receiving first aid from a small team of clones. Among them were three ECGs. One was the one who got wounded on the shoulder while another one had a wound to her tight and the last one, more serious, had taken a hit to her stomach. 

All of them were clearly suffering, but none of them let their pain get the better of them and showed resolute looks.

“Twelve seriously wounded, four dead.” A voice said behind Bronz. It was the clone Chloe had put in charge. “The situation’s better now that we’ve taken cover, but this is only a respite. The ones that attacked us at the end were definitely regs. Middle and high class, and there’s more than I’d like.”

Bronz nodded in agreement.

We messed up. We should have been more careful.

“High class will have the advantage over us in the long term if they keep sending those things at us.” The man continued. “You and your sisters might be Eve class’s variants, but you obviously lack experience compared to the people we’re facing.”

Those words stung Bronz’s pride a bit, but now was not the time to be prideful. The man in front of her was more experienced than her, yet he still treated her as his superior, albeit a bit rudely.

“Your suggestions?” She asked him.

“We can’t stay here.” The man replied. “We found a backdoor to this building that leads to another street, we should use it to escape before they encircle us.”

“We’ll do that once the wounded have been treated then.” Bronz concluded before putting a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Keep an eye out on them, I’m going to observe the situation on the roof.”

“Roger.”

With that, Bronz took five of her sisters and went up to the roof of the building. She forced open the hatch that led to it, who did not offer much resistance. Once done, one of her sisters peeked her head out, before making an OK sign. They then all went up.

From the roof they could see what was happening. A force of about thirty clone sentries were advancing towards the building while continuously firing their weapons.

“Zweite sister, look to the sides.” One of the ECGs said lowly, keeping a low profile as she observed above the low wall of the flat roof. Bronz did as asked. She saw two groups on each side moving from cover to cover inside the nearby buildings.

Those aren’t sentries… Bronz thought to herself. Low…no, middle class? She guessed, though it was hard for her to get a grip of the similar yet strange feeling she felt towards other clones. It simply was too different from the feeling she felt towards her sisters to compare it…

“039, go inform the sergeant down there of what we saw.”

“Understood.” ECG-039 did as ordered and went back down the hatch as stealthily as possible.

Meanwhile, Bronz ordered the remaining ECGs to take out their rifles.

“Provide sniper support. 008, stay on alert and keep looking around for any changes.”

““Understood!””

Bronz herself began looking for a target. She looked left of her position, down the buildings that spread along the road. Her helmet’s HUD provided her with a better vision by modeling a sniper reticle, with a zoom added. Through it, she could see shadows moving about here and there within the buildings on the other side.

Not yet… Not yet… Now!

She pulled the trigger after a small moment of tension. Her shot hit the target straight in the head and the body fell to the ground. This made the shadows near the body stiffen up, something that the other ECGs did not miss. 

Two more shots were heard. One killed its target while the other wounded its own. Movements stopped for a while as a result.

Good. This should delay them for a bit. Just enough for us to get out of this bui-

“Zweite sister! Incoming enemies on our left!” ECG-008 suddenly yelled, forcing Bronz to look up. Just as 008 had warned, four enemy clones in armored skin suits were finishing to climb up the roof.

Shit! Bronz cursed. She turned around to face the new threat, but that time was enough for the enemies to finish climbing up.

ECG-008 was firing at them with a carbine, but one of the enemy had an energy shield in hand. He used it to block all shots before charging at her. The ECG rolled to the side, avoiding the hit, but this left her vulnerable. 

As she was about to fire at the side of the clone who had charged at her, a precise shot to her carbine disarmed her. She threw the now broken carbine and reached for her pistol, but as she pointed it towards the person that had just shot her, she received another shot. This time the laser beam went straight in between the armor plates, touching the ECG’s right wrist. 

“Guh!”

“008!” The ECG next to Bronz fired with her rifle at the man who injured ECG-008, but her shots were intercepted by the man with the shield.

Bronz and the others also began firing in support, while one of them tried to get close to ECG-008 and extract her. But ECG-008 herself had not said her last word…

She grabbed her knife with her left hand and activated the shield in hoplon mode before rushing at the man closest to her, but this time the fourth man intervened and shot three times at her chest. ECG-008 fell on the ground, groaning from the shock. This was enough time for the first man to approach her and knock her out with a hit to the back of her neck.

Bronz and her sisters froze for an instant when they saw this, but instead of taking advantage of this, the enemies just discussed.

“That’s some fierce siblings we have there.” The one with the shield commented.

“Fierce?” The third one laughed. “They still smell off that nutritious fluid! High class or not, they’re just babies!”

“Indeed.” The one who had neutralized ECG-008 said as he crouched near her and removed her helmet. “Baby or not though, keep your guards up. We got an Eve-class variant here.”

“Eve class!?” The first one sounded surprised, and he turned back to take a look, as if Bronz and her group did not exist. “Wow! It’s true! I thought they were all dead apart from Warspite…”

“Strange indeed… Did the genetic code leak out before the traitor destroyed the original sample?”

“Eh, who knows? It’s not our job anyway.” The third commented once again.

“Speaking of Warspite, don’t you think they resemble her?” The last clone who had remained silent up until now spoke up.

“Are you dumb? Of course they would resemble one another!” 

“No, I mean they share the same aura kinda?”

“It’s true that they’re quite intense. I can feel their glare even with their helmets on.” The one with a shield commented as the four remaining ECGs glared at them.

While the four clones seemed quite relaxed, Bronz and her sisters were calculating their next moves.

I don’t know why, but they did not kill 008. Are they trying to use her against us or do they want to capture us?

“Whatever you’re thinking right now, you should stop.” The one who seemed to lead the group said to Bronz. “Not only you, but we’ve also got the other groups.”

“What?” Bronz frowned, but then she realized…

Aside from the gunfire she heard from those beneath her, she also heard gunfire in the distance. One was far, coming from the direction Bronz and her group had come from, while the other was closer… to the left…

Mom! Bronz panicked for a brief instant,  upon which the clone facing her acted.

The one with a shield charged straight towards her.

““Sister!”” The three ECGs right next to her reacted on the moment, pushing Bronz to the side but taking the shield bash as a result. They got thrown away and separated, each one of them losing grip on their rifles.

Bronz regained her calm thanks to this and quickly raised her rifle, targeting the shield bearer, but moved a bit to the left instinctively, avoiding a laser beam coming from the second clone who was still laughing.

“Puhaha! Look, I don’t enjoy bullying babies, but look at you! How are you supposed to face us?”

“...” Bronz did not reply. She looked to her sisters. They were getting up, pistols in hand.

I shouldn't have suggested a split. She thought. She had not expected the enemies to be more than sentry clones as well as some low class clones. Apparently their enemies were better prepared than they thought…

Was this all a trap to lure us in then?  She asked herself, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to get an answer. Mother… We should have stayed together. 

She gritted her teeth, her head trying to come up with a plan, but unable to find one with satisfactory results.

…We don’t have a choice… She then settled on one plan of action. 

“...004, go down the hatch and relay to the others my orders: Leave all those that can’t move or slow you down behind and immediately go reinforce Mother’s team.” She ordered to ECG-004, who just so happened to be right next to the roof’s hatch.

“Wha-!?” ECG-004 was surprised. “Bu-”

“Are you disobeying right now!?” Bronz yelled back. “Leave! The three of us will take care of them!”

“Gh! Understood!” ECG-004 seemed to have swallowed a rock, but still, she obeyed and plunged for the roof’s hatch.

“Where do you think you’re going!?” The fourth clone raised his weapon and was about to shoot ECG-004 when a pilum suddenly pierced his right shoulder.

“Gah!”

This allowed ECG-004 to go down while Bronz began to shoot the one closest to ECG-008 with her rifle.

The clone with a shield then once again charged towards Bronz, but his charge got perturbed by laser beams coming from the other ECG. The clone then changed course and charged straight towards the ECG.

This allowed Bronz to move to link up with the third ECG, her closest sister, ECG-002, the one who had thrown the pilum. 

“Sister, here.” ECG-002 gave one of her pilum to Bronz, who grabbed it. Bronz herself had already used all her pilums, so she was rather thankful.

I can’t use it now though…

“Agh! Why can’t I get rid of that thing!?” The clone hit by the pilum yelled in pain as he tried to remove the pilum but to no avail. This was a chance Bronz would not miss and she fired at him with her rifle while the ECG next to her dual wielded pistols and fired towards the other two enemies that were within sight.

The man had been too busy trying to pull out the pilum that he took the hits cleanly. At first to the side and then right to the neck. He dropped dead the next instant.

One down. Bronz counted, now taking the pilum in her hand. Now-

*thuck*

““Eh?””

Right between her and her sister, a small round object landed. Bronz immediately understood what it was and her face went pale.

*Bzzzzt*

A strong electrical discharge bursted from the hand grenade the next moment and Bronz’s mind went blank.

The next thing she knew, she was laying on the ground. Her helmet seemed to have been removed from the shock, and red liquid dripped down from her forehead. Pain then erupted from all over her body. 

“...Ugh… 002…”

Bronz looked to her left. Her sister was lying there, not much in a better state than her. Her helmet seemed still in place, however the red liquid that was flowing from a crack on the side of the armor was more worrying.

She then looked to the right. She saw her remaining sister, ECG-007, struggling against the clone with the shield. Her armor had been battered and the ECG didn’t have her helmet anymore. The only weapon she had was her bayonet it seemed, which she had somehow ripped off from her rifle.

“Didn’t expect this, did you?” She heard overhead as two pairs of feet appeared in her field of vision. She looked up and saw the two other clones facing her.

“She should have though!” One sniggered. “Why wouldn’t we have grenades with us? Because nobody you encountered before had one? How stupid! We would have brought even more had someone not already raided the powder magazines!

“Quiet.” The other said before addressing Bronz. “Your resistance wasn’t pretty, but I gotta admit, you got us in the second part. 50/0296472 was a good companion of mine who stayed loyal to the head scientist to the very end. I guess this is where I part ways with him…” He looked into the distance for a few distance before looking back at Bronz. “Well, he won’t be alone. You’ll join him soon…”

“Wait, aren’t we supposed to keep her and the others if possible?” The second clone asked. “That’s what was requested of us by the head scientist right?”

“She’s too damaged.” The first one answered coldly. “It’s not worth putting our limited resources in just to patch her up, I’m sure the head scientist will understand. That, or Warmonger will convince him.”

“That Adam class huh?” The other commented, a complicated look on his face. “Is he allowed to do that?”

“He has the trust to do so.” The other replied. “So we’ll take the first one we neutralized as well as the one that is still resisting, as for those two…” He looked at Bronz with a cold look.

“Yes yes, I understand. I’ll take care of it.” The second said. The first one nodded and then began to leave as the second raised his towards Bronz’s head.

Bronz glared back at him.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. It’s not like I ever wanted to kill my brethrens, ya know? You just betrayed our valours as clones, that’s all.” He said, a look of pity in his eyes. “See ya.”

But just as he was about to pull the trigger, someone tackled him.

“Wha-!?” The man let out a surprised voice too. Unexpectedly, ECG-002 had rosen up!

“Do… Not… Think… I’ll allow you to kill my hardworking big sister! For Zweite sister Bronz! For Mother!” ECG-002 yelled as she used all her strength to push the clone towards the edge.

“She’s crazy!?” The clone yelled as he began to fall over the edge. To ensure she would take the man down, ECG-002 hugged the man and went down with him!

“002!” Bronz saw it, her sister’s determination as she resolved herself to die just to let Bronz live a bit longer.

I can’t just do nothing! I must at least help 007 get rid of one of her opponents! 

With sheer might, she raised her body. 

A weapon! Anything! She searched with her blurred vision if a weapon was near her. She found it in the form of a metallic tube…

Bronz did not lose any time and grabbed it before assuming a shaking throwing position…

…Only to find a metallic sole right in her sight.

“Bufuh!” Bronz was thrown over the edge by the strong kick she just received to the face.

So this is the end… She thought for a moment. There was no way she would survive a fall from this high, not with her injuries. What filled her mind right now was… disappointment…

I wasn’t up to the task after all… Mother… Prime sisters… I’m sorry, I have failed…

But just as she thought this was the end…

“Gotcha!”

“...Eh?” Bronz opened her eyes… only to see a familiar yet unknown face staring straight back at her from very close, a smile on her face.

“Is falling from high places something you girls like to do? I don’t think it’s a hobby your mom and grandmother would approve of, you know?” The woman said, shaking her head as she put Bronz down, before taking out a syringe. “I can understand though, I’ve done that myself quite a few times! Here, that should subside the pain. Compared to your sisters over there, you’re lucky! You don’t have anything apart from bruises!”

“Eh?” Bronz looked towards where the enthusiastic woman was pointing.

“Eh? Eeeeh? 002 and… Jinxy!?”

“Oh! so that one is called Jinxy! Quite an interesting name!” The woman replied with delight and excitement. “But 002? I would have expected Claudia to name them all…” She muttered the last part, which remained incomprehensible to Bronz.

At this moment, Bronz could finally see more than just the face of the woman. Her eyes widened.

Why does she look so much like us!? No, more importantly, she feels similar to Mom!?

“...Who are you-, no, what are you?” Bronz asked in a shaky voice.

“Me?” The woman looked surprised at first before making a reassuring smile. “I’m E-Whoah!?”

She got interrupted by a brusk move that perturbed her and Bronz’s equilibrium.

“Hey tin can! Watch how you’re driving, I’m trying to have an intimate family moment here!” The woman yelled.

“Waaaaaaah! We’re all gonna die! Commander! Please come pick me up, I’m scared!” A robotic voice replied.

That was when Bronz realized where she was… It was a hoverer car!? And they were getting shot from everywhere!?

“Agh! That’s it, you’ve all pissed me off.” The woman said angrily before rummaging through a bag at her feet. What she took out was… a multiple rocket launcher.

“Hehehe… You mess with my emotions, you get explosions!” The woman said as she leaned over to the side, rocket launcher on her right shoulder. “Time to go Boom Boom Boom ♪!”

Just as she said that, the woman fired. Multiple rockets went straight into the buildings where laser beams were shooting from and exploded, obliterating the beautiful and rich architecture as well as the enemies.

“There! Now we have fireworks! You can’t have a party without fireworks after all!” The woman said, puffing up her chest in satisfaction as she threw the now empty rocket launcher over the side of the vehicle while Bronz stared at her, dazzled.

…Didn’t mom say a similar line in the past? No, more importantly, she’s a battle maniac, isn’t she!? She’s worse than Prime sister Willia and Mom combined!

“Mh?” The woman seemed to notice Bronz’s somewhat horrified look. “Aw, don’t look at me like that. I’m not usually like that, I swear! It’s just… it’s been a while since I got the chance to exercise and… I guess I was a bit too overjoyed to meet you and your sisters…” She bashfully admitted.

“Why!?” Bronz could not help but blurt out.

“Well, you see-”

“It’s you!” The woman got suddenly interrupted.

“What is it this time!?” She yelled in anger.

“You’re the last Eve class! Warspite! Why are you here!?” The clone who had thrown Bronz over the roof yelled at the woman, no, the clone he called Warspite. Only now did Bronz realize the hoverer car had gone up to the roof of the building she’d been on.

“Annoying…” Warspite sighed. “The name’s Emily. I don’t like it when someone other than Claudia calls me by that nickname, and that’s because she wants to tease me ok?” She then looked at Bronz with a warm smile. “Hey little one, can I borrow that thing in your hands?”

“Eh?” Bronz was bewildered, but once she looked at her hand, she quickly understood. She still had the pilum in her hand somehow…

She gave it to Emily, who thanked her with a big smile on her face. She then threw the pilum with a casual move.

“Bugh!” 

It pierced straight through the man’s head, making Bronz open her mouth wide. Targeting the head with a javelin was extremely hard, yet this woman did it like she was throwing a piece of paper to the thrash!?

Just at about the same moment, ECG-008, who had woken up, threw a pilum at the back of the clone who was still battling ECG-007. ECG-007 took the opportunity to stab the bayonet in the neck of her opponent who was wailing in pain. At the same time, the hatch to the roof reopened. ECG-004 had apparently disobeyed Bronz’s order and brought back with her ten of her sisters.

Seeing that the biggest danger to the life of her sisters and her own had passed, Bronz let out a sigh of relief.

“Now we can go meet your mom and grandmother, right?” Emily asked Bronz, which caught her off guard.

Grandmother? Bronz frowned a bit, but decided not to comment, something was more important after all…

“004, 007, 008, sisters!” She called out in a commanding tone to her sisters who, albeit a bit tired, all stood at attention at her call. 

“H-hey, what are you doing?” Emily asked when she saw Bronz lean over the side of the hoverer car before jumping, landing straight onto the roof and making Emily panic. “Wait! I know I said you weren’t heavily injured, but you’re still injured!? Gah! Why do you have to be just like Claudia!? Hang on, I’m coming too!”

Emily jumped and landed right next to Bronz, just to see another batch of ECGs going up the hatch and gathering around Bronz. “Twenty… Twenty-five…Thirty-three little ones… T-too much…” She began having vertigo for some reason… 

Bronz ignored the woman, instead focusing on her sisters who were glancing confusingly towards Emily.

“...Hidden sibling?”

“No… Second Mother?”

““...””

““Nuhuh, too old in both case.””

“Gufuh!? I’m only thirty-two!”

“Grandmother then?” One ECG suddenly said while tilting her head.

“G-grandma!? M-me!?” This seemed a bigger shock to Emily than her age, and she became extremely flustered. “I-I mean, I wasn’t consulted on the matter before!? B-but, if that’s what you want…” The last part was nearly inaudible.

“Sisters, focus!” Bronz barked. “This is not the time to question this person’s origin! Besides, she can’t be our grandmother if Mother hasn’t said so!”

“Wha-!?” For some reason, this made Emily look depressed.

“We have a more urgent matter. Our plan failed.” Bronz said in a grave tone. Her sisters mirrored her expression when they heard that.

“Those who are severely wounded should stay behind and get treated immediately.” She declared. “The others, follow me. Mother is in danger.”