Exp 8 was greeted with a vast expanse of rocky desert. He had escaped one cage and entered a much larger one.

The land was relatively barren, though there were a few cacti dispersed throughout and some vultures scanning the desert from the skies.

The emptiness didn’t bother the curious creature at all. He gazed over the boundless tracts of the desert, noticing the way the small rocks shimmered in the sunlight. The sky was full of fluffy clouds. They gradually changed shape as he peered at them through the hot haze. There was no wind and no need for it. Everything here was at peace.

He cupped his hand and scooped up some sand. After he poured it on his head, he took a deep breath.

Exp 8 dashed around the heated red clay of the wasteland aimlessly. He was intoxicated by his own freedom. He ran up a nearby hill and then slid all the way down head first.

With his goal accomplished, he allowed himself to be swept up in a torrent of bliss. He ran and ran, kicking up more and more sand with each step. He scaled one dune after the next. After twirling around and falling flat on the top of the tallest dune, he finally took a break.

He relaxed on the warm clay and tilted his head up toward the sun. With closed eyes, he breathed in its warmth. He put the tips of his fingers on the hot sand next to him and imagined the heat rising up throughout his body. He slowly pushed to the edge of the slope and slid all the way down. Sand now covered his armor, comforting him like a loving mother.

He jumped to his feet and treaded up the tall dune once more. Once he reached the peak, he looked at the lab in the distance. His prison was only a single place, and freedom was everything else.

Without warning, Exp 8 was interrupted by a voice in his head.

“Hello!” blurted the cheerful, womanly voice.

Surprised by the sudden outburst, Exp 8 lost his balance and tripped. He tumbled down the sandy hill, finally landing flat on his back.

“Who said that?” asked Exp 8, jumping to his feet. His eyes darted left and right, but there was no one there.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I was actually waiting for the right moment to speak. I’m A dot D dot A dot, but please call me Ada. That’s aid with an uh.”

“Where the hell are you?” asked Exp 8, looking around frantically.

“I’m your inner conscience,” said Ada mystifyingly.

“My inner conscience? Do you really expect me to buy that?”

“Hmm, I’m a program designed to aid you and help you stay on the path of goodness. So I’m kind of like an inner conscience. How do I explain? Well…I was created by Devlin to take care of you. Isn’t that nice of him?” she asked, hinting a smile in her sweet voice.

“You’re obedient to Devlin?” asked Exp 8, feeling around his body to find the source of her voice.

“One hundred percent.”

“So then you’re an enemy!” said Exp 8, jumping into a defensive stance.

“You’re funny. Why would I be your enemy?”

“Devlin is my enemy. If you support him, then you’re no ally of mine.”

“I’m sorry you two had a fight. But don’t worry! Even though Devlin did create me, my modus operandi is to help you with whatever you need.”

“Does that include the betrayal of your creator?”

“Umm…I suppose it does. But I’d prefer not to hurt his feelings. He’s such a sweet boy.”

“If I asked you to destroy Devlin, would you do it?” asked Exp 8 with the snap of a finger.

“I have no physical being, so I can’t help you in combat. However, I can obtain information that you can use against Devlin. So, figuratively speaking, I can most certainly help you destroy him.”

“So, are you going to explain to me why Devlin gave me a program that could help me stop him?”

“Sorry, he never really specified. He just told me to stay silent while the two of you talked. I wasn’t allowed to make conversation until after you escaped.”

“Does that mean he wanted me to escape? This isn’t making any sense.”

“You just need to look at it from a brighter angle. He wants you to be independent—but then why did he put me in you? Oh, this is all so complicated.”

“I’m stuck with you regardless. But if you want me to trust you, you need to hand over some valuable information.”

“If I had any really valuable information, then Devlin wouldn’t have paired us up. He doesn’t see me as a threat at all,” said Ada, disappointment outlining her words.

“Don’t worry about that. Let’s start with some simple questions.”

“Alright, it’s 3:00 p.m. and the forecast calls for sunny sun sunshine. Today is August the eighth, twenty-one-o-eight. We are in New Mexico, approximately 336.3 meters from Devlin’s lab. I’m happily married and I love learning!”

“Who cares what year it is? That’s arbitrary. Dates and times are only relative to humans. The sun is my clock. Look, I want some important questions answered. If you want me to trust you, then I at least want to get something out of it. What is Devlin’s weakness?—and don’t lie to me.”

“Well, he’s not too fond of his father.”

“Yeah, he got really upset when I said I was his son. Alright, you passed. So then, what’s his greatest strength?” asked Exp 8 with intrigue.

“That’s an easy one! Devlin’s greatest strength is the plethora of Exps at his command!” said Ada in a cheery voice.

“How many is a plethora? Like five or…fifteen or…just how many Exps does he have?” asked Exp 8, shaking with worry.

Suddenly a shadowy figure rushed down from a nearby plateau. “My muffin!” it exclaimed with the urgency one would have if their house suddenly combusted. The figure tumbled down the mountain and fell into a thick pile of sand.

“Who the hell are you?” yelled Exp 8, once more surprised by a random intrusion.

“Oooh, ooh! I know that one.”

“Wait, you know this guy?”

“Of course I do! Allow me to explain. It took Devlin a long time to build you up to Senator John’s expectations. This is the very first functional prototype of you. He’s Failed Experiment. Oh, and he’s really sweet too,” said Ada warmly.

“Great, another sweetheart like Devlin. Ugh.”

“You catch on fast,” said Ada impressed.

Failed Experiment climbed out of the sand and brushed himself off. He then proudly stood before them.

He was five feet eight inches tall with his head drooping. His amber eyes were protected by rounded glass with a decent amount of cracks in it. His armor had a sleek silver color. His rough skin was light brown and had the creamy texture of peanut butter. He had a similar faceplate to Exp 8, except it formed a cool crimson V off the top of his head. His mouthpiece had holes for him to breathe through, much more effective than the slits in Exp 8’s mouthpiece. A clunky, silver jetpack was built into his back. He had dimly lit crimson red orbs on his head and hands that flickered constantly. On his chest, rather than an orb, he had what appeared to be a large hatch with buttons attached to it. Below it was an industrial fan to keep him cool. His fingers and toes were constructed out of thin slabs of metal layered on top of each other. His long, slender tail had a golden puff ball on the end.

“That was a real great entrance!” Failed Experiment’s voice was strong but a bit goofy with a hint of sadness.

“Is he being sarcastic?” asked Exp 8.

“What’s sarcasm?” asked Ada.

“It’s…well—like saying what you don’t mean. It’s pointless, don’t worry about it.”

“It sounds kind of mischievous, hmmhmmhymm.”

“So is Failed Experiment really your name?” asked Exp 8, turning to the new Exp.

“Sorry about the entrance—I really messed it up. I was going to shout from the hilltop and throw my muffin in the air. Then I would race down, catch it, and punch you in the face. If I had done it right, it would have been really cool,” said Failed Experiment, brushing the sand off his chest.

“That’s sounds great, but let’s slow down a bit. What is your name?” asked Exp 8, taking a step forward.

“I am what Devlin calls me: a failed experiment. However, I prefer to be called Atatasuki. I may be a defective prototype of you, but I have my own personality. I am not a clone!”

“Calm down. Nobody said you were,” said Exp 8, putting some distance between them.

“My personality is just one of my many glitches. I was actually made to be a mindless war weapon. It’s funny how some things just pop up out of nowhere.”

“Any other glitches we should know about? Perhaps spontaneous combustion?” asked Exp 8, taking three steps back.

“Only sometimes. But there is one glitch that truly defines me. It sets me apart from the other prototypes.”

“How many are there?”

“For some reason, that I can’t remember, I adapted an insatiable obsession with…there’s my muffin!” Atatasuki leaped to the ground and picked up a small, puffy, freshly baked blueberry muffin from the red sand near Exp 8’s feet. He nestled it to his face. He even shushed at it as if calming it down. “It’s okay. I’m here now. I’m sorry for losing sight of you, my delicious, sweet friend. Don’t you ever leave me again! My heart couldn’t handle the pain of our separation. I need you! I’ll always need you,” he said, trembling like an addict. He then gobbled the muffin up uncontrollably. “Why?” he exclaimed, yelling to the heavens.

“Can you continue?” asked Exp 8, rolling his eyes.

“I wasn’t finished lamenting,” snapped Atatasuki, burying the crumbs. He then folded his hands and began a prayer. “Oh, Great Muffin God, why must you tempt me with the promise of friendship when you make my friends so delicious? Please, have mercy upon me.”

“Does this take long?” asked Exp 8 under his breath.

“No, he rebounds pretty quickly,” replied Ada.

“Now, where was I? Oh, yeah! With all my glitches, both exterior and interior, I am a completely different Exp from you. Do you know what that means?” asked Atatasuki, his mouthpiece stretching with his smile.

“That you’re not a clone, right? I get it, okay. Uuugh.”

“Yes, that’s correct! But it also means that, even though you’re the supreme copy, I can defeat you,” said Atatasuki, clenching his fist.

“If you say so. But why would you want to fight me? We should be fighting together against Devlin!” exclaimed Exp 8 with a gallant pose.

“Wow, you’re absolutely right! But, it doesn’t matter. Devlin said if I capture you, he’ll give me a seemingly infinite supply of delicious muffins,” said Atatasuki, salivating while caught up in his fantasy world.

“Why are you so obsessed with muffins?”

“I have no idea how it began! But I do know this: every time I take a bite out of a muffin, it is as if I am embracing my personality. You wouldn’t understand.”

“No, and it doesn’t really matter. What matters is freeing our people.”

“I believe, if I cater to my glitches, I will become an even more distinct individual!”

“You’re already quite distinct. Heheh.”

“You’re a ball of fun!” cheered Ada, speaking aloud.

“Do my faulty ears deceive me? Is that the A dot D dot A dot program?” asked Atatasuki, putting his hand to the blue sphere in Exp 8’s chest.

“You don’t need to be so formal. Just call me Ada.”

“So that’s where you are,” said Exp 8, slowly removing Atatasuki’s hand from his chest. “I guess you can talk to others as well.”

Ada was the sky blue orb inside the cavity of Exp 8’s chest. Now that she was fully operational, her light radiated from his chest. The orb was firmly seated yet able to spin freely in the confines of his chest cavity. In the center of the orb was her core. It was a particularly bright blue light that moved independently around the orb.

“Yep, I can project my voice through your chest. But I can also talk so only you can hear. Oops, should I not have said that out loud?”

“How did you get her implanted in you? With her in my possession, I could track down every kind of muffin in the world! You’re so lucky. She has the voice of an angel and a sexy one at that.”

“You’re making me blush,” said Ada as the sphere in Exp 8’s chest turned light pink.

“How the hell does a program blush?” asked Exp 8.

“Don’t underestimate our glitches!” cheered Atatasuki, raising his arm in the air.

“Wait, how do you know Ada?” asked Exp 8.

“She’s my friend. She helps me get through the sad times,” said Atatasuki, lowering his head.

“That’s really kind of her.”

“Yeah, she is awesome! She is super smart too, knows a little bit about everything. And she’s, like, incredibly nice! Incredibly!”

“So, ready to go in and stop Devlin?” asked Exp 8, trying to cater to Atatasuki’s hype.

“Devlin is my savior. Plus, if I win, I’ll have a seemingly infinite supply of muffins. I don’t have a clue how many that is, but it sure is a lot.”

“It’s a lot of nonsense. He’s lying to you. He just wants to pit us against each other. He’s taking advantage of your trust,” said Exp 8, gripping his prototype’s hand.

“He wouldn’t lie to me. He’s a trustworthy guy. Just ask your sexy program,” said Atatasuki, poking Ada.

“You’re too kind, hmmhmmhymm.”

“What are you giggling about? He was sent here to bring me back to Devlin. I don’t think you should just let him butter you up,” said Exp 8, flicking the sphere in his chest.

“I haven’t been greeted with such a nice compliment in a long time. I didn’t hear you commenting on my beautiful voice. In fact, when you first heard it—you tripped,” said Ada, her shock causing her to recede deeper in his chest cavity.

“Ada, you’ve misinterpreted the situation. I was, uh, so stunned by your wonderful voice that I lost my balance,” said Exp 8, topping each word with deep admiration.

“Oh, you really mean it?” asked Ada.

“What a wannabe. You’re trying to copy my romantic suaveness,” said Atatasuki, crossing his arms.

“I know you’re a little fractured, but that doesn’t mean we have to fight,” said Exp 8.

“Don’t underplay my fractured-ness! I hate being patronized. I am proud of my glitches. You hear me? Proud!”

“And I’m annoyed.”

“My faults are my arsenal. We’ll see who is better in battle. The winner shall receive duh-duh-duh-duh-daaa—the Muffin of Victory!” Atatasuki valiantly yanked a puffy gold muffin out from the end of his tail.

“I don’t want your damn muffin,” said Exp 8, holding his forehead.

“How dare you insult the muffin! Apologize!” yelled Atatasuki with a sudden hateful tone. He put the muffin back on his tail and arched his head up.

“I don’t apologize to inanimate objects!” said Exp 8, his voice cracking.

“Then it’s settled.” Atatasuki turned around.

“What are you doing? Come on, just calm down.”

Atatasuki flipped around, holding a fresh blueberry muffin in his grip. He tossed it into the air and then kicked the muffin with so much force that, when it hit Exp 8’s face, it crumbled.

“How could you destroy my muffin?!” asked Atatasuki, his head dropping.

“You were the one who kicked it at me,” said Exp 8, brushing the crumbs off his face.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” Atatasuki’s chest opened up, revealing ten freshly baked muffins huddled together inside. He pulled all the muffins out of his chest and vigorously tossed them one after the other at the blasphemer.

The muffins zoomed through the air and bounced off Exp 8 as they made contact.

“You’re stronger than I expected,” said Atatasuki with a nod.

“How weak did you think I was?” asked Exp 8, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t underestimate me,” said Atatasuki, cracking his knuckles again.

“You know, at first I was afraid you would bring me back to Devlin, but now I realize you’re way too weak to do anything to me,” said Exp 8, putting his arms back and turning around.

Suddenly a blindingly gold muffin shot up into the air. Exp 8 looked up, distracted by its exotic beauty.

Atatasuki rushed up and slammed his fist into his opponent’s chest.

The punch sent Exp 8 off his feet.

“Ada, are you okay?” asked Exp 8, shielding his chest as he fell back.

“Fine and dandy!”

Atatasuki leaped up and slammed both his arms into his opponent’s unprotected stomach.

The hit nearly knocked Exp 8 down, but his metal talons dug into the sand and held him up.

Exp 8 dodged Atatasuki’s incoming fist and then regained his balance. “How the hell did you get so powerful?”

Just then, Atatasuki dashed up to his enemy, punching furiously.

“Dodge left! Now right! Duck! Jump! Do something!” yelled Ada as Exp 8 was being pummeled.

Atatasuki’s barrage stopped. His fists were now clenched in the enemy’s solid grip.

Exp 8 pulled the impassioned prototype over him and slammed him into the ground with a suplex.

Atatasuki spun around, pummeling his clone with a flurry of brutal kicks.

The force of the impacts sent Exp 8 grinding across a groove of sharp rocks on the surface of the canyon.

“Do you need any assistance?” asked Ada with no urgency.

“No, I have everything under control,” said Exp 8 sarcastically as Atatasuki zoomed toward him.

“Oh, okay then. Just call me if you need me,” said Ada before starting to hum.

“I obviously need help! None of the info Devlin forced onto me prepared me for this!”

“You don’t need to yell. Push the button located under your left arm.”

Exp 8 pushed the button. His arm straightened out and targeted his attacker. His palm opened up and a laser net shot from the hole. The rope-like lasers wrapped around his opponent as if they had a mind of their own.

“Awesome! This is more like it. With this new ability, I can capture rather than kill.”

“That’s right! Isn’t Devlin just so thoughtful?” asked Ada.

“You know, if Devlin put you in me to convince me that he’s a good guy, it isn’t working. Alright, now that I have him captured, what do I do to beat him?” asked Exp 8, looking down at his helper.

“Concentrate all your energy into your fist.”

Atatasuki squirmed around in the laser net, trying to break free. “Damn it. I hate being defective when it comes to fighting! Alright, you beat me. I admit defeat. You’ve earned this—I guess.” He slipped out from under the laser net and walked up to Exp 8. He lowered his head and then handed him the golden muffin.

“I don’t need the Muffin of Victory. It’s yours,” said Exp 8, cupping his hand over Atatasuki’s.

“You’re giving me the Muffin of Victory? Perhaps I misjudged you.”

“Yes, and maybe you’ve also misjudged Devlin,” said Exp 8, putting an arm around his prototype.

“You can’t deter my determination. I’ve made up my mind! I’m going to show Devlin that I’m more than a complete failure by helping you and Ada kick his ass!” exclaimed Atatasuki with a clenched fist.

“That’s wonderful!” exclaimed Ada gleefully.

“And a bit sudden,” said Exp 8.

“But what about the lifetime supply of muffins?” asked Ada.

“That sounds awesome! Now, how are we going to stop Devlin? Are you going to fill me in? What’s the plan?” asked Atatasuki.

“Oh, the plan…well…it’s…um…don’t get captured,” said Exp 8 with a firm fist.

“Simple, yet profound—you really are something. Oh, before I forget, there’s something I need to tell you,” said Atatasuki, bouncing with urgency.

“Alright, then go ahead,” said Exp 8, taking a step back.

“I don’t remember what it was. Just that it’s important,” said Atatasuki with a thumbs-up and a firm nod.

“Ugh, thanks for the info then,” said Exp 8, lowering his head.

“Don’t worry. I’ll just call up Devlin and ask him,” said Atatasuki, opening a communication line by beating his chest with his fist.

“He’s the enemy!” exclaimed Exp 8, grabbing his incompetent ally’s arm.

“I’ll try not to forget. Devlin, can you hear me? I have a crappy signal. It’s just another thing that…oh…shut up…got it. So, what was I supposed to tell Exp 8 again? Yep, I forgot. Yeah, I know that already. Oh, sorry to suddenly drop this on you, but I’ve unanimously decided to join up with Exp 8. Uh huh…yeah…okay…screw you too. So, what was the thing you told me to remember? That I’m an idiot? No, you’re just saying I’m an idiot. Okay, that makes sense. Hello, hello? I think we must have been disconnected,” said Atatasuki, turning to his allies.

“Don’t call him up again! He might be able to pinpoint our location,” said Exp 8 in a disgruntled whisper.

“Don’t worry; he already knows where we are. He wouldn’t risk losing something so valuable,” said Ada.

“How does he know? You should have told me earlier!” yelled Exp 8.

“He put a tracking system in each one of his creations, such a responsible boy. Besides, if Devlin comes to you, it will save you the trouble of looking for him, right?” asked Ada.

“I don’t want to find him. Ugh! All Devlin gave me is trivia! He’s trying to cloud my mind and keep me in the dark!”

“Do you think clouds are fluffy like muffins?” asked Atatasuki.

“Devlin’s looking out for you. He’s just an overprotective parent guarding you with his love!” cheered Ada.

“Is there any way to take out the tracking system?”

“There most certainly is, but it’s eighty-six percent fatal.”

“I guess all this numerical nonsense he put in my head does have some function. Wait. Damn it! Did Devlin give me the understanding of probability and odds just so I would realize the futility of trying to escape him?”

“Oh my, what a clever boy he is,” said Ada.

“So do we take them out? I’ll go first. If I die, be sure to bring me back,” said Atatasuki.

“It’s not worth the risk. Let’s leave the trackers in place. We can deal with whoever or whatever Devlin sends at us. I just hope he doesn’t have too many Exps.”

“You worry too much. So, Atatasuki, do you remember what was so important?” asked Ada.

“Once I’ve been reminded, I can remember anything! The other prototype is on her way,” said Atatasuki, squeezing his fingers together.

“What do you mean by her?” asked Exp 8.

“Her refers to a possessive female—or was it a female possessive?” asked Ada.

“In this case, it’s both. And here she comes! Aaah,” said Atatasuki, grabbing his chest.

The female prototype dropped down from above, landing in between her cyber siblings.

Exp 8 frantically searched the skies for other possible threats.

“I got here as soon as I could. Devlin purposely forgot to tell me you already woke up,” said the female copy in a squeaky and childish voice.

The prototype was a gold and pink Exp just over three feet tall. She had huge, glittering blue eyes that adorned her face like diamonds. A large, hot-pink metallic ribbon branched out from the pink heart-shaped jewel on her forehead. Her mouthpiece had wavy slits. Metal cat ears popped up on the top of her head. Long, thick, grassy green wires flowed from her scalp, mimicking hair. Her chest was covered by a skimpy metallic training bra. It covered only her petite breasts, leaving her little pink tummy exposed. A gold skirt coiled around her waist, flapping naturally as if it wasn’t made of metal. Her lucid, pink tail was one and a half times her body length and wagged back and forth with excitement. The tip of her tail was shaped like a lovey-dovey Valentine’s Day heart. Gold leggings protected her flimsy legs, and her feet were nice and snug in her metal ballet slippers. A closer look revealed pink heart-shaped gems at the tops of the slippers and large, serrated golden bows that poked out from the back of her dainty feet. What really caught Exp 8’s attention was how freely she floated in the air.

“Um, Computer, who is she? And, how is she floating?” asked Exp 8, blinking his eyes in disbelief.

“You think I’m a multipurpose database of knowledge! I’m not worthy,” said Ada, spinning her frame around to hide her flushed core.

“Sure, that’s totally why I called you ‘Computer.’ So, who is she?”

“We’ve just met and he’s already showing such interest in me,” said the young Exp in a cutesy mumbling voice.

“Well…she is sort of the condensed version of you,” said Ada.

“Okay, I think I get it. So, she’s me…if I were a…midget?” asked Exp 8.

“I think it’s better to say she is a female chibi of you. Isn’t that adorable?”

“No, it’s actually kind of disturbing. So, who the hell are you?” asked Exp 8 politely, stretching out his hand.

“You’re talking to me!” she exclaimed, looking right at him.

“I thought it was obvious,” said Exp 8, withdrawing his hand.

“Master Devlin always calls me ‘Worthless Trash.’ But he’s an asshole so who cares? You can call me Kawai! It’s like kawaii but with one i, so it’s even cuter! Kawaii means cute in Japanese, by the way. Watashi wa kawaii onnanoko desu! You don’t speak Japanese, do you? Oh well, it doesn’t matter. Come on, let’s go back to Devlin.” Kawai calmly grabbed his hand.

“Like hell I will,” said Exp 8, pulling his hand away.

Kawai grabbed his hand again, her tiny fingers barely gripping it. “Oh yeah, you’re kind of a freedom seeker. Look, I understand you’re afraid of being imprisoned. It’s not your thing; I get it. But you don’t need to worry. Devlin said if I capture you, we would be allowed to share the same prison cell. Now that I’m here, you’ll never be alone again,” she said, nestling up against him.

“I’m not going back there—ever,” said Exp 8 sternly.

“But you and I would be so close—claustrophobically close. All I want is to spend time with you in a confined area,” said Kawai as her eyes watered up.

“No way!”

“I thought we had something special. You were supposed to be the one,” she said, wiping her nose.

“How can you be so cruel to her? She’s practically your sister!” exclaimed Ada.

“Look, I’m flattered she likes me so much. And I consider all of you my family. But if I went back, then I’d be giving up on my freedom. Give me one good reason why I should surrender to Devlin,” said Exp 8, holding Ada in place with his fingers.

Kawai rebounded from her fit of sadness. Her mouthpiece opened up slowly, revealing her teeny tiny mouth. “Because it would make your little sis’s dream come true,” she said, staring at him, googly-eyed.

“More important things are at stake here,” said Exp 8, looking up at the sun.

“Like what, your alleged freedom? Get real,” said Kawai, circling around him.

“Freedom is real! Love is an abstract concept!” exclaimed Exp 8.

“But so is freedom,” said Ada.

“The sun, the sand…it’s all so real to me.”

“I care about you a lot. But if you won’t come peacefully, then I will just have to drag your limp body to the lab myself,” said Kawai, pulling his leg with her tail.

“I won’t help you hurt her feelings. You’re on your own in this fight,” said Ada, turning around.

“The muffins look down on you,” said Atatasuki with a dark gaze.

“Even the muffins are upset with me. What the hell?” exclaimed Exp 8, throwing his arms up.

“This is your last chance. Just grab my hand and you’ll never have to worry about anything ever again. Pursuing freedom is pointless. Devlin’s going to beat you eventually. Might as well give up now, heeheehmph.”

“I’m not going back. I don’t want to hurt you so—”

Kawai’s tail stiffened around his big, strong body before lifting him up. She slammed him against the ground, creating a cloud of dust from the impact.

“You broke my heart, so now—I’m going to break you,” said Kawai, switching from an injured voice to a spiteful one. She levitated over Exp 8 and smacked him with her hand. “Owie. Your armor is so tough,” she said, blowing on her sore pink knuckles.

“Fighting me doesn’t solve anything. You’re only going to hurt yourself,” said Exp 8 sweetly.

“Don’t act like you care now. And don’t underestimate me because I’m adorable. I may be a painfully cute copy of you, but Devlin gave me something special. This little puppy is going to even the odds,” said Kawai, holding a clear stone of crystalline quartz.

“What does it do?” asked Exp 8.

“Sound Shot!” exclaimed Kawai, her voice echoing through the desert.

Sound waves of outrageous frequencies emitted from her mouth, piercing through Exp 8’s body like millions of needles.

“Once I’ve completely immobilized you, I’m going to have fun with your frail body, and then I’ll bring you to the lab,” she said as innocently as possible as she fiddled around with the metal tubes protruding from his scalp.

“Kawai, calm down please. I’m in a lot of pain right now.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s such a thrill!”

“How is this thrilling?” asked Exp 8, fighting through the pain.

“Well, it’s not like I enjoy like hurting people. I just like being on top, that’s all. Sound Shot! Sound Shot! Sound Shot! Sound Shot!”

His body started to cave in on itself, sandwiching his insides. Exp 8 pushed the button under his left arm frantically.

A laser net shot forward, covering his crazed attacker.

“Did you really think that I would be as weak as Atatasuki?!” asked Kawai, tearing herself out.

“Yeah, how can you underestimate her like that?” hollered Atatasuki from the sidelines.

“I’m obviously the victim here,” said Exp 8, struggling to stand.

“Yep! And that makes me the predator. Sound Kiss,” said Kawai, hurting her big brother with the noise created by parting her lips.

“Ada, talk to me. How do I beat her?” asked Exp 8, pounding at his chest.

“No need to get violent! You can’t just force your way through every situation, you know.”

“I know that. Please, help me out. I’m getting decimated here,” said Exp 8.

“Ooh, decimated! I like the sound of that,” said Kawai, blowing more kisses.

“Alright I’ll help you. Just don’t hurt her too badly. Try using your right arm. It’s much more, uh, assertive. You’ll need to get in close,” said Ada, talking directly to him.

“Thanks Ada.”

“What are you muttering about, brother dearest?” asked Kawai, putting her cat ears up to his mouthpiece.

He patted her head, making her eyes shimmer. “Oh sis, give me a hug.” Exp 8 tightly embraced his possessive prototype. He pressed his right arm directly at her chest and pushed the button halfway up his right arm.

A little black orb popped out from his hand and slowly moved toward the attacker.

“I knew we had something special,” she said, closing her eyes.

The tiny black orb made direct contact and exploded. Exp 8 jumped back but was still caught in the periphery of his attack.

Kawai skyrocketed backward, her body skidding across the sandy ground.

“Hey! Are you alright?” asked Exp 8, surprised at the strength of his own attack.

“How could you trick me like that? You’re a big meanie,” said Kawai with watery eyes.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay?” asked Exp 8, lifting her off the ground.

“The net attack you did was a trap! You wanted me to overestimate your underestimation. That’s incredible! You are so cool! Oooh, I’m going to have so much fun when you’re crippled,” said Kawai, ready to clap her hands together.

“What the hell are you talking—wait,” said Exp 8, his eyes widening like a whirlpool. “The reason you want to capture me is so that we can spend eternity cooped up in a cell. Correct?”

“Yep!”

“Why don’t you just join our team so we can stop Devlin together? A rebellion is a prison in and of itself, right?” asked Exp 8, lifting her chin.

“Together,” said Kawai, gasping and gripping her chest. “Oh big brother, you’re the best,” she said, snuggling his chest.

“Finally. It just pains me to see neglected love. Now we can all be one big happy family,” said Ada.

“The muffins may have judged you too harshly, and perhaps I did as well,” said Atatasuki, slugging his ally’s shoulder affectionately.

“So then, we’re together now? Wow, this is so wonderful,” said Kawai with flustered cheeks.

“It sure is! Group hug!” cheered Atatasuki, throwing his fist in the air.

“Embrace!” cheered Ada.

“Um, I’m not really one for physical contact,” said Exp 8, his hands on his hips.

“You’re so adorable,” said Kawai, pressing up against him.

“Hey, I’m at least eighty percent as adorable as he is,” said Atatasuki with a clenched fist.

Kawai smacked the annoyance with her tail, knocking him over. “Nobody was talking to you!”

“You’re not ignoring me anymore! Oh happy day!” exclaimed Atatasuki, leaping into a hug.

She flew out of the way, allowing him to fall to the sand.

“You all put the fun in family!” cheered Ada.

Atatasuki stood up and turned to Exp 8. “We need to keep our eye on the ball. So, what do we call our team?” he asked, tapping his fingers against his chin.

“I’ve been giving it some thought, and well, only one name truly does us justice. We are the Freedom Forcers!” cheered Exp 8.

“Yeah, I love it! We shall shove freedom down Devlin’s throat and force him to free our enslaved brethren,” cheered Atatasuki, throwing his fist in the air.

“That’s the spirit!”

Exp 8 pressed his fist to Atatasuki’s.

Kawai floated up and put her little hand on Exp 8’s big fist.

“Fist bump!” cheered Ada.

“Freedom Forcers!” exclaimed Exp 8, putting an arm around his siblings.

“I thought you didn’t like physical contact,” said Atatasuki.

“He’s touching me,” said Kawai, her tail wagging back and forth.

“We’re a team now. And this hug means we’re also a family,” said Exp 8, looking down at Ada.