Catching this was pretty easy. He never actually answered my question. I nodded my head and tried again. "That's great. I bet you have the upgrade installed already. It will feel really good to make the memory chip. Where did you say you came from again?" I asked him. He flexed his arms and said "Yeah! Right after the 15th mission. It was installed really well. I haven't met an AEP unit yet, but maybe soon." He was actively avoiding the question. It was obvious he was hiding something. I rubbed the back of my head. "Sorry. I would love to help, but my friends came to me first." I said as I gestured to 01 and 03. They just glared at him. Both probably knew that he was up to no good either. His face fell after noticing them. "Oh? Do you think it will take long to help them? I really thought that you could help me." he asked me nervously. I shrugged. "Maybe. What did you want with me?" I probed. He quickly looked away. "I'm really embarrassed about this. I don't want to say it in front of others. Especially not... AEP units." he begged. I shook my head. "Sorry, but friends come first. They waited." I said.
It was then that 01 and 03 got between us. "Yeah. We've been waiting longer than you. AEP units always take the priority." 01 said with an entitled smirk. "Get lost! You're going to have to do whatever it is you wanted with him alone. Brianne is ours now!" 03 added very aggressively. The PEA unit looked from them to me. "It will only take a moment of your time. It's really important." he begged. I said "Listen. I understand that it is very important to you. It's not important to us. Tell us what it is, and we might be able to help. Otherwise, you are simply going to have to wait." He looked frustrated beyond belief and took out a gun. It was a specialized weapon straight from a clan lab. "I'm going to kill you here and now. I don't have time to wait for a petty conversation. Hits on human targets can't wait." he snarled. He was instantly destroyed. All of the clerics and paladins blasted him with their magic. I did not have to lift a single finger to eliminate him. I used my arms to bring 01 and 03 closer to me. "Obviously, we can't fight in here. Let's go elsewhere." They nodded. I walked to my cab. They went to their car.
Driving to a place further in the dessert, they pulled over to the side of the highway. I pulled over right behind them. Getting out of the car, I looked around. I could see a few mechanical monsters skittering around in the distance and doing random mob stuff. There were too far from us to draw aggro. I approached 01 and 03. They were at the hood of their car. I saw them rummaging around in their bags. When they pulled out the handcuffs, syringes and tasers, it made me nervous. I said "What are those things for guys!? I thought that we were having a couple of 1 on 1 matches." They both looked at me and smiled innocently. "These tools are for when we win this stupid fight you wanted, Brianne." 01 said seriously. "If I win, I doubt that you'll go with us willingly." 03 added. Neither of them were joking. If I lost to either of them, I was going to be drugged and trafficked to their clan building. I shuddered visibly at the thought of that happening to me. "Guys?" I asked them as I tried to stop the trembling. They both looked at me questioningly. "Can you destroy all those tools? They really scare me." I asked.
Even though I did not want to look weak in front of them, I could not stop the tremors moving through my body. 01 and 03 noticed and smirked. 03 picked up the syringes and 01 wielded the taser. They came closer to me. I took several steps back. Somehow, I ended up tripping over my feet. I fell on my ass. They were standing over me near instantly. "Brianne. Your heartrate is rising dramatically. Are you genuinely scared?" 03 asked me. He did not seem to fully buy it. 01 said "You deal with technology and beings that far surpass these trinkets every single day. How is this what terrifies you?" He had a mocking smile on his face. "You have never been forced into a state you could not escape before. You 2 are children compared to me. I'll tell you this: being taken against your will using drugs and shocks is sometimes seen as a fate worse than death." 01 and 03 shared a look. Neither of them looked too convinced by that. They knew they were superior beings. I still had to try. "If you ever really cared for me, get rid of those things. I'm serious!" I begged. "No. These will all keep you in line." 01 said.
