Accelerator

Chapter 43: MONO

Later that fateful day...

Everyone is currently forcing themselves up the last set of stairs, already almost at the top.

Kyoya: "(exhausted) Come on, we can make it..."

Chase goes up step by step, pouring every ounce of strength he has into each step.

Chase: "(determined) Come on! Just a few more steps!"

Chase arrives at the door to the top floor first, the others fumbling behind.

Julie: "(wheezing) Finally!"

They all face plant at the top of the stairs, Chase being the only one standing.

Chase: "(exhausted) We'll go in, smash MONO, then we're out of here!"

Chase bashes the door open to see the body still in the middle of the downloading procedure.

Chase: "What the hell?"

The others crawl through the door, recognizing the body.

Lisa: "Wait, we saw that thing in Sector D!"

They stumble onto their feet, suppressing any and all feelings of fatigue and nausea.

Hammerhead: "What the hell? How'd it get here?!"

MONO: "You have arrived too late."

The body is at 98.22%.

Julie: "We need to destroy that thing!"

Chase dashes for the body as the percentage continues to rise.

MONO: "You can't save the world. I was created to rule it, you cannot go beyond flawless programming."

99.02% and counting.

Chase: "I'll be the judge of that!"

He readies his plasma blades as he makes a swing for the cables.

MONO: "Upload comple-"

Chase slashes the cables, but the arms of the body spring to life and grabs him by the face.

Body: "... complete."

A shock is sent through Chase's body, causing his body to go limp.

Kyoya: "Ch-Chase!"

The body drops Chase to the side.

Body: "So this is what a normal body feels like."

It begins to move fluently like a human, it's eyes looking identical to a human's now, it's movements almost like a newborn.

Lisa: "M-MONO?"

MONO: "One and the same Lisa."

MONO kicks Chase to the side.

Julie: "How are you able to think for yourself?! Without those six you should be unable to comprehend anything outside your programming!"

MONO: "You see, those generators were also inhibitors. Each one was a lock on my true potential."

Hammerhead: "So when we dealt with Sector E..."

MONO: "That was when I started questioning everything about me, so I helped you in A, D, and C so I could achieve the being you see before you."

Chase is getting up, almost robotic with his movements.

Julie: "Get back!"

Julie shoots Chase in the back, sending him flying into the wall.