Vince sighed. There was no point in arguing. She was right. They had fought for their lives in the remains of Slither Inc.'s control center. "Alright, in that case, you can stay," he told Chêne. He looked over to Carrelet. "Could you just wait outside for a few minutes?"

Model ó spoke up. "We may not anything out of this with her here," it reminded.

"Frankly, Model Omicron, you need to explain to me what this is about," Vince retorted. "This was your idea, after all..."

Zexen continued to formulate plans on how to evade them, but frankly there was little he could do. He just sighed and sat back down in the seat, while the girl continued to speak to him. He closed his eyes briefly, then zapped them quickly open. "Didn't we just establish I was looking for field data?"

Chêne returned Shien's remark with a deadly glare; all this sudden stalling seriously tempted her to respond with a knuckle sandwich. For a moment, she felt inclined to give him the benefit of doubt, but it was clear that she was wasting words. When she realized, she had already closed her fists.

"I can't believe that I'm being asked to leave my room." Carrelet commented, but sighed. "OK, just don't make a mess here. And let me know if something's up." The Guardian replied before walking towards the door. He gave Vince another look before stepping outside. "I mean it." The door slid shut behind Carrelet, leaving Chêne, Shien, Vince and Model ó by themselves.

Chêne shut her eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to calm down. It didn't help too much, but at least she was able to contain her impulses; even though she could use the stress relief. The girl sat back down, and looked at Vince. "All right. It's just us here now." Her eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Model ó.

The detective adjusted his tie in slight irritation as Carrelet left. "This better be good, Model Omicron," Vince spoke.

"Just go ahead and pose the question," Model ó stated. "The term E.D.E.N. was a password that was used by members of the Armani family. It was a code of trust."

"Fine then," Vince said. He turned to Shien, looked him directly in the eyes, and asked, "Does the term 'E.D.E.N.' mean anything to you?"

EDEN!? Something inside of him snapped, as the voice echoed and etched into his mind...
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iUUc-drGG0 )

He could fully remember what happened....


"YOU LITTLE..." His father's words etched off, he jolted at surprise.

"EDEN.... Va bene?"
The man in the dark hood quickly ushered him by, while muttering a word and something Zemaru couldn't understand. They boarded the large ship, with several other dark-hooded beings crowded, his father becoming an ant in the crowd.

Zexen calmed down a little. Perhaps he could finally get some answers of his own. In a usual motive, people would become angry.. or even more frightened. Perhaps this Detective was trustable, despite being a chosen one.

"...That term has never had real value to me. But its sparked my memory."

For once, Chêne did not say anything. She gave Vince another look, wondering how he would respond to Shien's comment. This current situation was his idea, after all.

"I've been told that it's a code. A sign of trust," the detective explained. "Mr. Shien, whatever you're doing, you're doing it for a just cause, right? You're trying to solve the mystery of Anton Cordell and his Model Ws? Then we're all on the same side. The Guardians are investigating Mavericks and destroying Model Ws. If Anton Cordell is such a threat, then we currently share a priority." Vince paused for a moment. "You can trust us. So can we trust you? Can we share information about this threat and bring it down together?"

"If that girl can resist shredding me to bits for once," Zexen added, "I can try to cooperate." Something changed about this man's persona he gave off. It was almost as if Zexen felt a connection to this man.. or maybe, the biometal.

"Don't tempt me." Chêne replied bluntly.

"Well then," Vince said with a grin. "Do you mind if we let Mr. Carrelet back into his room and then share information?" Vince could tell there was a change in altitude. Had they already landed? Vince was satisfied with Shien's response so far. Model ó still floated in the air beside the Chosen One.

"He seems different now. I think he's sincere about cooperation," the Biometal told Vince.

"I'll try," Zexen responded thinking about his past a while longer.

"... What? Now I'm supposed to play the secretary?" Chêne snarled before standing up and opening the door. "Hey. We're done." She told her colleague, who was standing right outside as promised.

"Well, that was quick." Carrelet remarked as he entered the room again. "So, what's going on?" He approached the others with Chêne at his side; the height difference really stuck out with the two next to eachother.

"Sorry about all that," Vince told Carrelet. "But I think we may have an understanding now. We're going to exchange information." Vince's Biometal decided that it didn't need to say anymore at the moment, and hovered back into the detective's coat pocket.

He weighted his chances in the current situation. I can trust the Detective.... it's just Chêne and the other Guardians I don't want to trust. "Well, there's really not much more I can give to you that I don't already know. Cordell was inprisoned at the infamous Sawshank. I believe he also.."Zexen winced, thinking about injuries he'd sustained before,"..lost an arm before he was sent off to prison. Most likely, he'd have a large mechanical arm in place."

"Like that matters." Chêne folded her arms as she made the remark. "No one walks around without at least one bionic part these days. And if he was toying with Biometal, he doesn't deserve more pity than Serpent."

Carrelet sighed. "All right, I'll leave again to tell commander that we have an agreement. I'll be back in a moment... just sit tight in the meantime." Although the Guardian was visibly annoyed by all the walking back and forth, he still made his exit as he knew how important it was to update both Prairie and Fleuve about the situation.

Vince rubbed the back of his head when Carrelet walked off; he knew this entire thing must be frustrating, considering that they were taking up space in his room. The detective turned back to the others and spoke.

"I don't care if he's missing both his legs or if he can fly," Vince remarked, remembering an old story about a fearsome scientist from a long-past war. "I'm more concerned about what his Model W's can do and the extent of his research. For all we know, he could have created an entire set of Biometals from ancient Reploids using his knowledge of DNA Resurrection. That in itself would make him a high-priority figure in the 'Game of Destiny' we keep hearing about. He probably has connections with 'The Witch' and 'The Reaper.'"

Zexen listened to the Detective's assumptions. He still couldn't help but have a tiny smirk. He knew Cordell, and it just wouldn't normally be his style...but then again, with what Cordell wants, could it be probable? "The Witch and Reaper?" Zexen asked him, curiously. "You don't mean, Prometheus and Pandora, right?"

He knew all about them. It was valuable to study all aspects of your enemy, including the Game of Destiny most of the lessers kept blabbering on about.

"... How do you know about them?" Chêne had never actually seen Prometheus and Pandora; ironically, when the base was attacked by Serpent's forces months ago, she had just left the base for her regular training. When she returned, she had only seen the battle damage and the injured from the assault. She was upset that Prairie had not called her back when the attack started, another instance which strained their relationship further. Because of this, her only knowledge of The Reaper and The Witch came from hearsay and the limited details from the Guardian database.

Vince frowned again. "That is a good question," he spoke. "I've spoken with members of the Hunter's Guild before, and even they have extremely limited information about them. I don't even think they've heard their names before. Even I haven't seen them in person yet, and I'm one of those so-called 'pawns.'" Vince wondered how much Zemura Shien knew. He'd have to have an amazing array of investigative skills...

He held out his arms in a friendly gesture and shook his head left and right. "It simply wouldn't seem like Cordell's style. You see... I told you I've studied him extensively. That included his personality, antics, and habits. He's too smart to fool with something like the Game of Destiny." He paused. "Before you ask, I pick up on things here and there during my investigations.."

He wouldn't tell them how far into the Slither investigation he'd been when they blew his operation..

"... Is this some sick joke?" Chêne slammed one hand on the table. It was not Shien's attitude that annoyed her this time; rather, it was the outrageous statement that pushed her buttons. "You said that he altered Model Ws. That puts him neck deep in this sham that people call 'Game of Destiny'. Do you even know what it's all about?" She said with an aggravated tone. "Because if you did, you'd realize that those involved with Biometals will always bring death and destruction to everything around them. Biometals are a curse, and so are the Mega Men." The girl spared a glare at Vince as she finished her statement. "No exceptions."

Vince returned a frustrated glare to Chêne. She was still acting this way?

"Is that so?" he asked rhetorically. "Let me tell you something, miss Chêne. Remember when I told you about my encounter with a Model W and how it almost consumed my soul? My regular blaster couldn't even dent it. So how did I survive...?" he paused for a moment. His Biometal stayed silent, although he wanted to stop the Chosen One from overreacting... "Everything is an individual, including the Biometals. That same facility is where I found Model Omicron. It saved my life. It saved me from becoming another nameless casualty in this blasted 'Game of Destiny.' So when you say that every Biometal brings death and destruction, you are making a very naive generalization." He paused for a moment before adding, "I'm really not in the mood to continue a verbal tug-of-war. If you want to continue to insult me directly, you can do so at another time. Remember, you aren't the only one that's suffered from the existence of Model W." He then turned back to Shien, still frowning.

"As for you, I hate to say it but I share her sentiment in regards to Cordell. If he is using Model W at all, he must have some connection to Prometheus and Pandora. Even if he doesn't want to participate, I doubt the 'self-proclaimed voices' of Model W would just leave him alone. His knowledge could drastically affect whatever those two are up to. He's either too valuable or too much of a liability."

Zexen stood up, ready to shout at the girl. "You don't think I damn-well know that already?" He resisted the sudden hatred, and kept his mechanism on his arm sturdy. No need to over-react. "The Detective is right on one thing, there's more than just you that's suffered here." He sat back down, collecting himself.

He had been reminded of Province yet again. "As for Cordell, I think the term both would apply, here."

"All right." Chêne talked back to the two. "Now that the subject came up, we're going to straighten it out, right here, right now. And I don't care if you're not in the mood." She turned her attention towards Vince. "You say that your Biometal saved you. That's great, but here is a question; who are you saving? I'll bet that you think you saved our lives inside the ruins, and that you feel good about that. But what you're forgetting is that Biometals are all made from Model W data. Your 'Model ó' also exists because of Model W." She pointed at the pocket where Model ó was stored. "Even if the other Biometals don't create Mavericks like Model W does, they still draw Mavericks like flies to you-know-what. Whatever happened in the ruins was all because you guys had those Biometals with you!"

The girl made a step towards Vince. "And what do Mega Men do with the Biometals? You fight eachother, because that's how everything was set up. And you took the bait. It doesn't matter what you're fighting for, or if you're good or bad; you still fight and people get hurt. And those same people become food for that Model W. Also, don't talk like you know anything about me. If you think Model W is the only Biometal that brought me suffering, you're the naive one!" She then took a few steps to the side, as to open enough distance to look at the two. "It was another Biometal that ruined my life. I don't know what happened to it, but I know it's out there... and when I find it, I'll prove to all of you that I'm right."

Vince continued to frown. She was right. The detective had waltzed right into a trap earlier. But he was prepared for this rebuttal. If there was anything he was good at, it was semantics. He wasn't in the mood for this, and this was further feeding the fire.

"Hmph! We ultimately got attacked in the ruins because of your organization's initiation test!" he pointed out. "The mettaur we were supposed to capture --- Mr. Fleuve's mettaur --- was hacked by a Pseudoroid, and lured us into that trap." He paused for a moment. "And if every Biometal and Mega Man is a threat, why haven't you killed me yet? Or why haven't you destroyed Model Omicron?" He pulled the Biometal out of his pocket and placed it forcefully on the table.

"H-hey! What the hell are you doing?!" it yelped to its Chosen One.

"Go ahead then! Destroy Model Omicron! I dare you!" the detective exclaimed. "If you do that, you'll be ridding the world of one less Biometal. As far as I understand, I can only Megamerge with one, so you'll be booting me out of the Game of Destiny, and you'll be saving probably a few lives." The detective paused.

"Vincent Monteric Noire, I swear, this better be some sort of cruel joke!" the Biometal yelped again.

"But remember this," Vince continued, ignoring the squirming hunk of stone beneath his hand. "Each Biometal I've seen so far houses the soul of a forgotten individual. Do you really have what it takes to extinguish the soul of another being? Do you really have what it takes to kill out of blind hatred? If so, do your worst! But if you do, you are no better than Model W or any Mega Man who wishes to abuse the power of Biometal!"

Model ó stopped squirming. It had caught onto Vince's plan. He hoped the detective's bluff didn't leave it with a smashed face. Vince backed up and left the Biometal on the table. He crossed his arms, hoping his speech made the desired impact; to simply shut her up and end the argument so that they could move on. Shien's attitude didn't please him either. In truth, Vince just wanted to move on... And neither Zemura Shien or Chêne were being sensible enough for the ordeals they had to deal with in just one day.

Zexen tensed up, wondering how it would continue. "Are we finished? I've provided all the information you will ask for." He eyed both of them, sensing major conflictual desires. "Don't do anything rash."

Chêne was startled by Vince's reaction, enough to find herself speechless for a second. "... No, we're not done." She gritted her teeth as she snatched Model ó from the table, holding it with enough strength to crush a small rock; fortunately for Model ó, Biometals were stronger than stone. "Because now it's your turn to listen." She spoke to Vince. "First off, you just proved my point about the building incident. A Pseudoroid went out of its way to mess up that stupid test just so it could get you, is that right? Do you think that would've happened if you didn't have this thing with you? It never happened to any Guardian who didn't have a Biometal, so don't blame the Guardians for something you brought upon yourselves!"

"Second... Before you Mega Men came swarming at the door, there were only four. And I grew up with Giro, Vent and Aile; Mega Men or not, I know they're not bad people. But do you know what happened after the Biometals showed up? We lost our first commander. Giro died. The country was trashed by Serpent. And even with Serpent gone, nothing has changed. Vent and Aile come back beat up half the time, thinking that they're making a difference. But if they keep it up, there will be a day they won't come back." She kept her eyes on Model ó during the speech, almost as if she was talking to the Biometal specifically... but then she looked at Vince again.

"So, watch your mouth! I might have a short fuse and prefer act rather than tact, but I know what I'm talking about! Model W has a soul too, but that doesn't make it any less evil! These souls should never have returned as Biometals in the first place! This is our world, not the Biometals'! Our lives aren't toys to be played with in some sick game! So now that you gave me the chance, I'm going to destroy your Biometal and release its soul! Right here, right now!" She pressed the Biometal against the table with her left hand and drew her weapon, pointing the barrel right between Model ó's eyes at point-blank range.

This was not the reaction Vince had hoped for, but he remained calm. If he saw her even slightly squeeze the trigger, he would yell "Megamerge" to initiate a transformation. Model ó would be merged with him, and absent from the blast range. He spoke up once more.

"You're right. Model W does have a soul," he said. "I don't know who's it is, but it is clearly evil. But you must think for a moment. How is that any different from any human or Reploid on this planet? If there wasn't evil already, I wouldn't even be a private investigator." He paused for a moment, giving an indicative glance to Model ó that seemed to say 'be ready for anything.' "I've had a range of investigations over the years. Most of the time, it was a petty crime or perhaps an artifat was stolen from a museum. However, I've also had my share of murder cases. I often ask myself, 'why? How could anyone do something so terrible?' Because there are some people in this world who just do. Prejudice, jealousy, hatred, and mental instability... It's enough for one to lose faith in humanity." Vince paused again and looked down at the floor.

"I also ask myself 'what's the point?' Even after I put one criminal behind bars, another one will just take his or her place. Evil will continue to exist as long as people exist. So how do I go on?" he looked up again. "Because I have also seen compassion. I've seen good in people. And this is no different from any Mega Man or Biometal. Just as there are evil Biometals and Mega Men, like Model W and Prometheus and Pandora, there are good Mega Men, like Vent and Aile. Just like when Model W almost killed me, the individual you plan to kill right now showed compassion; it saved my life. As for Vent and Aile... You're right. There could come a time when they won't return. But is that any different than if I died trying to stop a serial killer? As far as I can see, that is a risk we are all taking, and it doesn't matter if you're a Mega Man or not. As a Guardian, you are putting your own life on the line to eliminate Mavericks and Model Ws. There may be a time when you might never return from a mission. And that almost happened today. If you're going to let the fear of loosing your friends get to you, why even put your life at risk in the first place? What would Vent and Aile do if you had died in the Control Center today? Why did you even become a Guardian?!"

OOC: Lumine told me that he would like us both to settle the current situation before posting Zexen's thoughts.

------

"... I..." Chêne moved her eyes between Vince and Model ó as she tried to continue her sentence... an effort that she found more difficult than she would have liked. "... I just want it all to stop." The girl slowly lowered her weapon, shifting her finger away from the trigger.

"Everything I lost... there was at least one Biometal in the middle of it. My parents... Giro. I don't mind being grazed by a Maverick, breaking an arm, being cut or burned in the field. I can take the pain. But losing someone dear to me... that pain just won't go away. That's something I'd never wish to anybody else, even my worst enemy."

Chêne lifted Model ó from the table and stared at it closely again. "I don't want to just fight the Mavericks. I want to make a world where I can sleep without the nightmares. A world where I can live without Mavericks breaking through the front door. A world where people won't need to worry about losing their family..."

The girl squinted her eyes as she felt them dampen again; her grip on the Biometal tightened as she silently shut her eyes and gritted her teeth before speaking loudly. "Argh! Why am I going all softie in front of you guys?! This makes me sick!" Chêne flung Model ó towards Vince before turning away from him and Zexen. "Don't you cheer up! I just can't bring myself to shoot a helpless target."

The female Guardian sighed in a tone of frustration, keeping her back turned at Vince and Shien as she wiped her eyes dry. It was convenient for her to justify sparing the Biometal that way, despite the fact that even she realized that was just an excuse. As a matter of fact, she needed some time to straighten out her thoughts.

Vince caught the Biometal, which by this point, had been gasping from the fear of being destroyed.

"Too... close..." Model ó said to Vince. The detective Mega Man stuffed his Biometal back into his coat pocket.

"A world without Mavericks, huh?" Vince stated. "A world where we don't need to worry about loosing our families. I think that's what we're all striving for. That's one of the reasons I became a detective. And if I remember correctly, that's the same reason that Vent and Aile continue to use their power..." he paused for a moment. He didn't know what to say next. Had he made his point? He thought he did. Chêne was now silent, wiping her tears away. Vince didn't want to say anything else that could potentially make her snap again.

"I know that!" Chêne replied, averting her gaze since she was still recollecting herself. "It just seems like you're all playing with fire, okay? If Vent and Aile come back with a beat up look because of trouble with Biometals again, what am I supposed to think?"

"Have faith in them," was all Vince could think to say. "If you don't have faith in their Biometals, at least have faith in Vent and Aile themselves. If they come back beat up, then it was their choice to go out into the field. It's their choices and their choices alone that drive them. They could have refused the power given to them. But instead, they chose to fight for what they believe is right. As their ally, and more importantly as their friend, you must believe in them. Friendship would be meaningless, otherwise."

Chêne stood motionless as she heard Vince's words, eventually turning her eyes to the detective once again. "... Do you think I should have faith in you, too?" Although she still had a frown, her voice did not convey the weight of anger this time; in fact, the tone was much lighter compared to her voice just seconds ago. That was a genuine question she needed an answer for.

Vince was surprised by this question. He blinked once, almost dumbfounded by the sincere tone in her voice. "That's up to you," he said. "We've only known each other for a day. I'm still practically a stranger. I can only say this: I'm a detective. I solve puzzles and put criminals behind bars. I try to save innocent lives. I won't ask for your faith. I only ask for your basic trust."

"... You did save my life." Chêne sighed. "All right, then... let's just say that I'm giving you what people call 'the benefit of doubt'. But I'm not going to say this about the others so easily. Especially that Watchbrat." The girl folded her arms as she finally turned around to face the others fully.

"Heh. Thanks... And yeah, I have my doubts about that Kiriyama kid as well," Vince admitted. "Oh well, we'll see how things go..." The detective then turned back to Shien. "So where were we?"

Zexen's head was drooping. Suddenly, it raised with a cocky smile on his face.
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6YwdreWfFs )

"I believe we were done," He nodded. "I've complied and told you all I can."

Chêne put her hands on her hips, facing Shien with an annoyed expression; the so-called investigator's indifference was irritating. Then again, the young Guardian had no reason to care about Shien's thoughts either. "That's up to my commander to decide." She responded with a cold tone.

Something's not right, Vince thought. Was this really all the information that Shien had? Or was this man who was claiming to be an investigator hiding something else... The detective sighed. "Fine then. I'm through with my questions for now," he said. "I think I'll go see if there's anything else I can help with..." He looked towards the door. He expected that Carrelet would return any moment now. He'd take that opportunity to leave the Guardian's quarters to head for the bridge... But this discussion about Cordell weighed on his mind.

What's the worst that could happen? he thought. If he resurrects a few dead Mavericks, we can just return them to their graves just as easily...

"I must ask that we remain in contact," Zexen handed his calling card to Vince. "If I ever need an extra hand, I'd like to do business with people.. I trust." He nodded. There was still something he wanted to tell Vince, but not here. Not now.

All that talk of biometals, and death really unnerved him. He couldn't wait to get out of here, and away from all of the government people.

OOC: Quick reaction.

The detective took Shien's card and stuck it in his right leg pocket, underneath his blaster's holster. It was then that he was once again reminded of Kiriyama's possession of it... Vince, however, pulled out two of his own business cards. He handed one to Shien and offered one to Chêne. "This is my contact information," he told them.

The card read:

Vincent Noire Investigation Services
Adress: 232 Area C-1, Cinq Ville
Contact Frequency: 225-687-0842

"I don't know how often I'll be here at the base," he said while shrugging. "Of course, I'll have to give one to Commander Prairie as well..."

Chêne did not respond to Shien's remark. It was evident that he trusted the Guardians as much as she trusted him, and that any further words from her would be a waste of oxygen. Therefore, she found it strange that Shien was willing to keep contact with Vince. Did he even know that Vince had just applied to become a Guardian himself...?

The girl briefly read Vince's card before pocketing it in her skirt. She made a mental note of how the address was conveniently on the way to the dojo she trained at... But now that Vince mentioned Prairie, she had realized that it had been quite a while since Carrelet left. What was taking the commander so long...? Well, wondering was pointless; there was only one way to find out.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to check why they're taking so bleeping long." As Chêne spoke, she walked away, opened the door and stepped outside.

[Continued in Corridors (Chêne)]

Now that she was gone, he grabbed Vince's fore-arm and brought him close, into whispering range. "Now that she's gone..... tell me what you know of E.D.E.N."

Vince was about to do the same thing that Chêne had done. But she left before the Chosen One could say anything. He had no choice but to stay and look after the other detective. However, he was caught off guard as Shien grabbed his arm.

"So you do have a secret agenda..." Vince commented while frowning. Model ó hovered once again out of Vince's coat pocket.

"I never really could get a full grasp on the Armani family's situation," it explained to its Chosen One. "But E.D.E.N. was a password that was spoken to ensure the trust between members of the family. They had to keep a tight grasp on their secrets, and there were few they could trust." Vince looked back towards Shien and relayed the Biometal's message.

"Model Omicron says basically what I told you already. E.D.E.N. was a password that was used between members of the Armani family. They had to keep their secrets safe, and there were few people they could trust. And judging by how you're acting, I'm going to have to guess the same applies even in this day and age."

"Was your biometal an ally of the Armani?" He asked quickly and without hesitation.

"Yes, I was," Model ó replied before Vince could even ask. Long past memories began to return to the gold-rimmed Biometal. Tragic memories. Bizarre incidents... "I knew a man named Price Armani centuries ago. I was one of the few outsiders that was privileged with their trust..." Vince turned to face Shien again.

"Model Omicron says he knew a guy named Price Armani centuries ago," the detective told him. "He was one of the few that could gain their trust outside of the family."

Shien's eyes grew large, and he chuckled. "You met Price Armani the first! He was the entire reason we live on today.." He studied the room for a split-second. "Before I tell you any further, I must leave this place. It's bugged."

Vince stared blankly at Shien. "Bugged? You're joking, right?" The detective found the notion absurd. Why would the Guardians bug this room? When would they have done it? Was Shien being cautious or was he overreacting? "Are you saying the Guardians bugged one of their own rooms?"

"I can't tell if he's bluffing or not," Model ó told Vince. It rotated around, surveying the room. "I don't see anything suspicious..."

Zexen scoffed at Vince's skepticism. "Of course I can't be certain," he added, "but it would be logical if they had interrogation areas to bug their sessions."

"You're overreacting," Vince said while frowning. "But fine. We'll talk about it later."