Copy anomalies in the XCP association

Chapter 6: Becoming stronger

"Oh, you sure are perceptive, Neo 4," F16 said, lowering his tone as he crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, but Neo 6 has earned enough merit to have breakfast in the mess hall."

Neo 4 clenched her fists in fury. Her voice trembled with anger.

"Oh, I see... you're telling me that the guy who let three teammates die on a mission has earned more merit than me?"

The tension was thick. F16 noticed it, but didn't back down. His polite expression vanished completely.

"Listen, Neo 4. Our mission is to contain or eliminate XCPs—not to save teammates. Neo 6 completed the mission. If you're that upset... why don't you earn more merit?"

Neo 4 was speechless. She could only watch as he walked away, leaving her there, alone and burning with frustration.

***

"Hey, you're not dead, right? Neo 7, wake up!"

The voice reached him through a fog, distant and muffled. Jasper was slowly regaining consciousness.

"Hey... Suse, did you kill him?" asked another voice, this one clearer.

Jasper opened his eyes and saw Neo 5. All of the Neos he had fought were there.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, trying to sit up, but his body wouldn't respond.

"Hahahaha, chill out, Neo 4, chill out. It's way past fight time now," Neo 5 said, his usual amused tone intact.

"Yeah, Neo 4, we already danced. Now it's time to sing," Neo 6 added calmly.

"It's 'we fight,' not 'calendar.' It's 'moment,' and it's not 'sing,' it's 'talk'..." muttered Neo 4, unable to stop herself from correcting them.

Still confused, Jasper slowly sat up on the floor, surrounded by the others.

"Well, that's better." Neo 4 looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry for hitting you so hard earlier... I didn't mean to."

"Haha, forgive her, Neo 7. When it comes to tests and fights, Suse gets way too competitive. But deep down, she's a good person. She just likes acting tough," Neo 5 explained with a grin.

"Suse? I thought we weren't allowed to use real names," Jasper said, now a bit more relaxed.

"Oh yeah, we're not. But we decided to use nicknames. Mine's Lin, Neo 4's is Suse, and Neo 8's is... what was it again?"

"Sea Rainbow," the girl replied in her usual peculiar tone.

"Yeah... 'Neo 8' fits you better," Suse said, offering a sly smile.

"And what about you?" Neo 8 asked Jasper, curious.

"Snow. That's what my classmates used to call me back in high school," Jasper replied, a bit embarrassed.

"Well, Snow, it's a pleasure to be on the same team. And with that said... lunch?"

Before Jasper could answer, Suse pulled out the apple, and with perfect precision, Lin cut it into four equal parts using her claws.

"Here you go, guys," said Suse, handing out the pieces.

Jasper couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. He didn't feel like he had earned it.

"Wait... doesn't the winner get to keep the apple?"

"Yeah, I won, and I got the apple," Suse replied as she bit into her share. "And since it's mine, I decide what to do with it. And I want to share it."

Jasper stopped resisting. He took the piece and began to eat. It was the closest thing to peace he'd felt since arriving here.

"Hey, Snow! What's your ability? It's cool!" Lin asked, excited.

"Apparently, I can copy other XCPs' abilities... but I still don't really understand how it works," Jasper admitted.

This was all new to him. He still didn't know what was expected.

"You should figure that out soon. We've got a mission in a week," Suse warned, pouring water for everyone.

"A mission?" Neo 8 asked curiously.

"Yeah. You guys are new, so I doubt they told you anything. But the Neo X squad's heading to the Old West. A dangerous XCP's been detected there," Suse explained in a more serious tone.

"By then, you'd better know how to use your power... because I'll be honest with you."

Suse stood up and gathered her things. Before leaving, she delivered one last message, cold as ice:

"You'll die."

The words hit Jasper like a freezing slap. He knew. Compared to the others, he was weak.

He had to get stronger. Fast.

"Well, I guess it's time to go too. Come on, Jasper. I'll show you how to use the teleporter," Lin said with a smile.

Jasper followed her, and on the way, she explained how the different areas of the complex worked, and how to get around.

"Well, here we are again," Jasper muttered to himself as he settled into his room.

With his phone gone, he had no one to talk to, so he opted for a shower.

"God, I'm starving," he complained, already sitting on the bed.

"At least I've got a video game console. I can play until I pass out."

He reached for the console—but froze.

A memory resurfaced.

His teacher's note. Suse's warning.

If he wasted time... he'd die. No doubt about it. He would die.

"I need to get stronger. I have to improve," he thought as he stepped out of the room again.

He couldn't tell what time it was, but he was pretty sure it was night. Unlike when he walked with F16, there were barely any people in the halls.

"There it is."

Thanks to Lin, Jasper already knew some key places. One of them was the training gym.

It might not help his powers, but at least he could work on his body.

When he walked in, he saw no one.

"Nice. A whole gym to myself. This is awesome," he said, smiling.

Clack!

But he wasn't alone.

A massive dumbbell dropped from the ceiling—160 kilos at least.

"What the fuck...?"

Jasper looked up, following the sound—and saw her.

V8.

She was hanging from the ceiling, training.

Unlike the first time they met, she now wore sportswear and oversized headphones.

"Oh... I knew I felt something unpleasant," the girl said as she landed gracefully in front of him.

"So it was one of those disgusting pests," she added coolly, pulling a towel out and throwing it around her neck.

She also pulled out a sports thermos. The weird part? It came from her hair.

"Good evening," Jasper said, trying to ease the tension.

"Yes. Goodbye," she replied casually, walking straight to the door.

"Miss!" Jasper shouted, stepping forward.

(I can't miss this chance...)

"I want to get stronger!"

He needed V8's help.