The thrum of heavy boots struck the tiles, intermitted by the clink of claws. Just as the rest of their gear had been optimized for the sub-dragon body, their talons could extend from their boots when they shifted.

eX-0281 kept his eyes low, watching the marching steps and any sign of a flicking tail. His gaze lifted upward, scanning the disorderly column of soldiers who rushed to the terminal.

The intercom was still blaring, "This is an emergency. I repeat: this is an emergency.”

While he followed the icy, blue wings of the other sub-dragons like a river, eX-0281 felt his mind glaze over and enter a fugue.

All of them were clones. Thoughts churned about his head, trying to figure out how many there were in total. Up to 10,000 he presumed, based on the available digits in their names. eX-0281 knew for certain that the Grandesia Power Company did not employ that many but assumed his same model might work for other corporations.

eX… he mused. Call him a tortoise, but he thought that 'eX-0281' had been a genuine name like how different cultures had different naming conventions. Stupid lizard brain.

He did not quite understand how he could be so foolish. eX-0281 did not feel particularly dumb; he felt that he could really think things through when he tried hard enough. He had just been… complacent.

But complacent he would be no more!

Nevertheless, his nerves made his tail twitch around irregularly, barely able to reproduce the pattern that eX-0704 had shown him. He would be kidding himself if he claimed not to feel scared. eX-0281 discovered that he was a cowardly lizard when acting against orders.

This was the most thinking that he had done for himself in a long time, perhaps ever.

His brain set alight when he recognized eX-0704 marching ahead of him, wriggling about his tail in the secret code.

Okay, eX-0281 thought. It's showtime.

How they would slip away, he had no idea. eX-0281 hoped that eX-0704 had a plan. This had been his proposal, after all.

In the disorderly line of soldiers, he gave a few beats of his wings to catch up. The two friends now moved side by side, impossible to tell if they glanced at one another through the visors.

Likewise, eX-0281 and eX-0704 sat next to each other on the train. If he could sweat in dragon form, he might just feel a few beads trickle beneath his helmet. They had not even done anything wrong yet, but it already felt intense.

The train clattered across the tracks as it did earlier today. The same announcement was made through their headsets.

“We are arriving to the west side of Reactor Central.”

Why are we going back there? he wondered. The analysis on the news echoed around in his head.

Diversion.

That was what the woman had done—created a diversion for something larger at play. The disco menace had heralded doom, and it seemed her plans were now being realized.

When the car jolted to a stop, the doors opened. The normally luminous city wreaked darkness.

Blackout.

A power outage across the Central Sector rendered his vision useless, even for a sub-dragon's superior, reptilian eyes. Pure, inky shadows awaited them beyond. The soldiers nearest to the door began to file out according to their orders.

Near the back of the car, all the sub-dragon soldiers got up save for eX-0704. His friend fiddled with something on his uniform and seemed to examine his gun.

By habit, eX-0281 had jumped up with everyone else. Immediately after, he sat back down and pretended to refasten his boots. His claws could not actually unsnap the clasps, too worried to hold his hands steady. Had he just messed up?

No one else around them seemed to care as they readied themselves and surged out of the train car. The last ones to follow, eX-0704 got up and so did eX-0281.

In front of the doors, eX-0704 suddenly lurched to the side and pulled the unsuspecting eX-0281 with him. "Shh."

He kept his jaws clamped tightly as he watched the doors slide shut. "Was it always that easy?" eX-0281 whispered. "All we had to do was stay on the train?"

eX-0704 shrugged, the tops of his spiked wings bobbing up with the motion. "I don't know. Would you ever have paid attention to what those behind you were doing?"

"N-No," eX-0281 admitted. After a few blinks of his double eyelids, he realized eX-0704's rationale.

They could escape from Grandesia Power Company easily because the two of them knew exactly how their soldiers thought. As simple-minded as they were, eX-0281 and eX-0704 did not need a mastermind scheme. All they had to do was avoid direct interference with the current emergency, and then they would fly under the radar.

At the very least, this would work to avoid the common grunts—all preoccupied at the moment. As soon as word got out about their defection, the higher ups would definitely come down on their tails.

With any luck, they should be long gone by then. eX-0281's heart pounded with the thrill of this new adventure. Hope was held within his breast, dreaming of a new day—a brighter tomorrow.

The train started up and carried them through the station, onto the next stop.

"We can ride this to the West Reactor, I think," eX-0704 said as he paced on the moving train. "If we get off there, we'll be close to the West Elevator Terminal. We should get out of Grandesia as quickly as possible, right?"

"Agreed," eX-0281 said with an earnest nod. "I was thinking the same."

While he stood there, holding onto a pole with one clawed hand, eX-0704 paced with hastened steps. "Don't just agree with me. I need someone to help me think! We need a good plan."

eX-0281 tried to offer, "I really do think it's a great idea—"

"We're clones!" eX-0704 cried. "We probably all think the same."

A hard lump slid down eX-0281's throat at the accuracy of that statement. Already, he had come to that conclusion himself. "But that's the point. We know how they think, so we know how to avoid the company and blend in."

eX-0704 had his head lowered, likely glowering behind the shiny, black visor.

"Um…." eX-0281 did not know what else to say. It was unlikely that he could come up with anything to contribute to the escape plan that eX-0704 could not already envision. "I'll try to be creative!" he said hastily.

The helmet of his friend began shaking. "Maybe we should just rendezvous with our squad. What do you think happens to defectors like us?" eX-0704 had slung his tail between his legs, wings folded into himself as he hunkered over his fumbling claws.

"I never heard of it before."

"Exactly!" eX-0704 cried. "They're probably going to dispose of us. You see how often our squad members end up dead on missions." Claws folded behind his back, he resumed his frenzied pacing once more.

eX-0281's head was starting to feel cloudy in his attempt to wrap his mind around all this. They needed to keep their morale high or else their mission would fall apart. "We're doing good so far!"

"Where are we even going to go?" eX-0704 asked.

"Away from here. We'll find someplace where we aren't disposable." That place would probably have to exist outside the City of Grandesia altogether, so eX-0281 said, "We just need to escape the city!"

Though he put it in simple terms, eX-0281 had no idea how they would do that. Never had he set foot outside the city before. In fact, it was rare enough for him to be stationed beyond the Central Sector. If they wanted to do this, they just needed to take things one step at a time.

Likewise, eX-0704 stopped spiraling with worry. Apparently that was all he needed for a pep talk because he gave a firm nod. "Right. Let's establish a party between the two of us."

Since the system had not registered a live conflict in the immediate area, the interface flashed with a notification on the screen.

Soldier eX-0704 would like to form a party with you.

Accept / Decline

eX-0281 flitted his eyes, thinking of the 'Accept' command.

An official party would link all relevant information. In addition to a communications channel and general data like the lifelines, eX-0281 would be able to toggle to eX-0704's status screen without performing a [Scan] on him.

To double check that the party had formed properly, he tested it now.

Member: eX-0704 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 100%

Discrete Parts: Right Wing (100%), Left Wing (100%), Tail (100%)

Mana Reserves: 10 Mu

Element: Ice

Just like me, eX-0281 mused. Only the number had changed.

The two of them were going to escape together.

"Hey 704, I know how we can get there faster," eX-0281 said, his tail lifting happily.

Per his suggestion, the two of them went on either side of the double doors. The tips of their claws dug into the seal at the center.

"On three," eX-0281 said. "One. Two. Three!" A big breath filled his lungs before leaning his weight back.

Both heaved with all their might and yanked open the locked doors with a snap. An alarm went off in the empty train car, screaming at the only two people there who were the culprits.

"Let's get out of here." eX-0281 stuck his head out of the door first and latched his claws onto the train's roof. Even through his insulated armor, the bite of the wind chilled his scales.

Without hesitation, he hauled himself onto the top of the train. It would serve as a launchpad to let them fly where they pleased.