When eX-0281 and eX-0704 heard the scream, they were naturally concerned about Charlotte.

"I'm glad we'll be going to help her," eX-0704 said.

"Me too." At the same time, some guilt weighed on eX-0281's conscience because only he possessed the battle assistant to tell him the full threat of the behemoth. "Do you remember that mutant we saw?"

"Yeah. How could I forget?" A visible shiver ran up eX-0704's spine.

"Well… I have some bad news. The behemoth stalker's description had a lot of scary stuff." eX-0281 started to rehash some of that to eX-0704.

It is rumored that the behemoth has [Death Premonition] and knows when it will make a successful kill or when the best choice is to bide its time.

"So," eX-0704 drawled out slowly, "the mutant let us go on purpose. But wait, does that mean it's never actually going to kill us?"

"I don't know. I didn't get a good answer out of Charlotte, but I also think she was freaking out back there…." It was not like they could ask her for clarification, given how she had fallen into even worse disarray. At a loss, eX-0281 scratched at his head and tried to think harder to assess the situation for himself.

If the end of the behemoth's description told him anything, it was that they could expect to face the monstrous foe again.

However, let it be known that the stalker behemoth is a persistent hunter and will never forget the scent of its target once it has begun a hunt.

"We should tell the Disco Menace," eX-0704 said.

"Definitely."

"Speak of the devil," a woman's voice cheered.

"Disco Menace!" they gasped in unison.

"You know, that's a really cute nickname your guys have for me. Just like you're Liz 1 and Liz 2." She jumped down in between them and threw an arm around each of their shoulders. While her smiling face turned either which way, she asked, "Which one of you guys is my Liz?"

"I told you," eX-0704 said, irate, "I don't belong to you."

"There's my Liz." She booped him on the reptilian snout with a single finger.

Part of his lip raised in a threat to show his fangs. "If you ever do that again, I'll bite off your finger!"

"Ooh, feisty are we?" The smile fell away from her lips as she cleared her throat. "Have you guys made up your mind?"

eX-0281 and eX-0704 leaned forward to look at each other. "Yeah. We're here to help."

"Good. I was counting on you guys. Time to head out." The Disco Menace got up without further ado and went to her hoverbike. "Sorry, I left you guys behind before. Marcel was in a lot of pain. He needed to get back here as quickly as possible."

"We could have used your help back there," eX-0281 said, trying to keep the hurt from his voice. When he thought back to how eX-0704 had nearly been eaten alive in the slime trap, never mind the stalker behemoth, he really despised the Disco Menace for abandoning them.

"There's something you should know about," he continued and started to divulge details about the stalker behemoth.

"Hold up. Hold up!" The Disco Menace leaned over the handlebars of her bike. "You're telling me that a stalker behemoth has begun its hunt on you guys…." Her knuckles pressed into a spot of her mask about where the bridge of her nose must be. "Ugh. Everything just has to keep getting worse."

eX-0704 piped up this time. "Do you still want us to come along? If you think we'll be more hassle than it's worth, I mean, we can always hang back."

"Ha!" Whatever spell had fallen over the Disco Menace, she quickly shook it off. "The stalker behemoth is hunting you guys, not me. This isn't going to affect me or Charlotte's mom as far as I'm concerned. The question is: do you guys still want to come along?"

eX-0281 and eX-0704 glanced to each other. Already, they had known that the Disco Menace would leave them behind in a heartbeat based on her previous track record. They were already prepared for that.

"Yeah. We're doing this for Charlotte." When eX-0281 nodded along, eX-0704 quickly followed suit.

"Of course you are," the Disco Menace grumbled under her breath. "Well, let's head out. Liz 2, you've got your helmet so form a party with me."

"Right." eX-0281 put on his helmet and shifted so that she could not see his lips curl in distaste.

The Disco Menace would like to form a party with you.

Accept / Decline

The transmitter at the nape of his neck was attuned enough to tell the difference between his visceral dislike for her and the actual command to accept.

Member: Victoria "Vickie" / "Disco Menace" [Human]

Vitality: 75%

Discrete Parts: None

Mana Reserves: 5,525

Element: Thunder

After all the time spent in the mana-rich environment outside Grandesia, eX-0281 figured that number must be her maximum mana reserves. Sadly, the [Scan] could only read the present mana levels in the body rather than the capacity of the ley system, but it was good information nonetheless.

Just a few thousand lower than the stalker behemoth, he mused. eX-0281 wondered if the Disco Menace could take it on, if she wanted to. She seemed like she could do anything but extend compassion to others.

"We'll travel together as long as the behemoth doesn't come," she announced. The hoverbike came to life and lifted up with its mana propulsion. When she took off down the street, the bike moved at a slow enough speed for eX-0281 and eX-0704 to keep up with their wings.

At the edge of town, they burst through the side of the [Purifier Net] and had the noxious air greet them from beyond. The acrid atmosphere struck them like a wall, and it only became more oppressive the closer that they got back to the city.

"Why is it," the Disco Menace's voice sounded in his earpiece, "that the two of you are willing to risk your life for somebody you don't even know?"

His wings jerked along with his spine, causing eX-0281 to slow down for a moment. "It's the right thing to do. Lottie's helping us."

"That's right." A tone of disappointment entered the Disco Menace's voice, as if she had any right to judge them. "You're just doing this because she can help you."

eX-0281 stammered an objection, but quickly fell silent. There was nothing that they had to prove to the Disco Menace, especially if she could not understand the difference between mutual aid and rote selfishness.

The landscape was quiet aside from the hums and revs of the hoverbike. With the [Scan] continuously activated, eX-0281 kept his eyes peeled for any monsters ahead of them. Most of his attention focused on eX-0704's path, terrified that he might stumble into a slime trap again or something worse.

The momentary peace lulled them into a false sense of security, and the Disco Menace kept trying to chat with them. She never struck him as the talkative type, but maybe she had some remnants of a guilty conscience after all.

"I-I feel bad for her. Lottie's too nice for her own good. If either of you think that you can get her wrapped up in your bullshit, you've got another thing coming."

"Oh yeah?" The spines along the interior of his helmet raised with the tension of the threat. For some reason, it made eX-0281 inexplicably angry. "No one is allowed to abuse her kindness but you?"

"That's right."

Genuinely, eX-0281 did not know how she could say something like that in such a smug way.

We saved Charlotte's life! Too peeved for words, he let the strangled, whiny grunt that was a sub-dragon's growl fill his throat. eX-0281 punctuated the point by snapping the chat channel shut. If the Disco Menace wanted to continually bother him, she needed to shout through their helmets and the whirr of her hoverbike.

Low enough to keep the conversation just between the friends, eX-0281 said to eX-0704, "She's probably going to get rid of us."

"She said that she'd give me a proper apology once this was over…."

"I don't like the sound of that."

eX-0704 ducked his chin, appearing a touch sad. "You're probably right. And I shouldn't care about getting an apology from her anyway."

"No. After everything you did, I'd want a bit of acknowledgement too." eX-0281 tried to reassure him that his feelings were natural, it was just the Disco Menace who could not regard anyone with basic decency.

While his attention was entirely focused on eX-0704 and the path that lay before him, a frigid chill washed over eX-0281 in a sudden onset.

"Liz 2," the Disco Menace was screaming. "Liz 2, open your fucking channel!"

The cold came on so suddenly and bore straight down to his bones. eX-0281 could not understand what was happening, but he could discern one thing: trouble.

Oh no. Whatever this is, it ain't natural.

Since all heat had been sapped from his modulated armor, eX-0281 had the physiological reaction of all lizards. A wave of sleepiness hit him harder than the cold wind. His run slowed down to a walk, and before he knew it, he had collapsed onto his hands and knees. As eX-0281 could hardly keep his eyelids open, he reopened the communication channel with the Disco Menace.

Her voice came over the headset, crisp and clear. "Liz 2, encase yourself in ice!"

But why? It's already so cold.

When eX-0281 tried to take in his surroundings, a scan finally picked up a patch of shadows darker than all the rest. Its movement varied almost like the stalker behemoth had wavered in and out of existence in its [Shadow Step]. An aberration had appeared, ripped away from the very shadows. It now sought to torment him as it hovered over his head.

"eX-0281, no!" eX-0704 could be heard shouting out of fright.

The creature manifested fully into existence, going from an ethereal form to a physical one. The [Scan] was complete, and the information screen popped up.

Target: Shadow Spectre (Corporeal Form)

Vitality: 100%

Discrete Parts: Mana Heart (100%)

Mana Reserves: 1,000 Mu

Element: Shadow

A pair of angular, glowing yellow eyes bore down on him through the darkness. As they brightened, eX-0281 felt the world fading as he was at risk of drifting off to sleep.