??? POV

I was fighting the Alterin, a horrible cross between a Crocodile and a Turkey, and losing. The others weren't faring much better. <Master, We may lose this one. these hybrid Alterins are stronger than expected. should we flee?>

"No maevis. Even if we die in the process, we must stop them."

I was only 17, i didn't wanna die... so when  The Beast was about to rend the cockpit in twain, I was crying and begging for a, miracle. And i got one. A Delicate looking machine, quadrapedal, ripped the beast into shreds... Then charge off to help the others. 

"Wasn't that 13???"

[Captain, report!]

"Oh, coms are back up! Director, how is unit 13 here? Who is piloting it?"

[Thats not important. Get unit 1 up, and go drag 3 and 5 back for repairs... And Rios? Don't do anything stupid.]

"Yes Sir!"

Hours later, The girls and I were in the hangar being debriefed, our units needed heavy repair... When a medical team led by The Director came in, along with two boys. The hangar behind us opened, and that sleek, white, Almost Dainty mech #13 came in. its shape was slightly different, Phase shift lv1 i assume, and above its unit number, 13, Were the words Sierra/Alexis, with the Second name blinking between purple and red. The mech lowered its body, and opened its chest, revealing what i at first thought was a small girl... until the burned clothing fell away. A boy. A boy that can pilot a Godslayer. But he had no coresuit... Meaning for that two hour battle, he was enduring excessive heat... all to save us. The two strange boys ram forward, abd helped lower the child out of the Machine... And Jenny, pilot of unit 3, screamed. "WHATS IT DONE TO HIM! HE'S ATTATCHED!"

It was true... the poor kids flesh had melted into part of thd machines Circuitry, but worse still were the cables and metal that looks like its been forcibly grafted onto his body... 

"Son of a bitch, the fucker enhanced him! Those are Neural link cables... Its even built him a Tail. Damnit!" I'd never seen Harrison angry at a machine before... The man usually treats them like his children, but he pointed a plasma cutter at 13. "LISTEN HERE, YOU VULPINE LOOKING BITCH! That kid better not die, or You're gonna be scrap metal, understand! for gods sakes, he's 13... Why would you harm a child?" I was even more surprised when Jenny's Mech,  unit 3, moved on its own. Shaped like an ape, it put a hand between Harrison and 13... the  the AI spoke.

<13, Why do this? Give me a reason.>

A cold voice echoed, heard by us with cybernetic implants

<My Name, Deneb, Is SIERRA. As for my actions, they are incomplete. My master is broken, wrong... He feels it, but won't admit... something is missing. Normally, one would be enhanced before piloting, but Master is unqualified for their surgeries... So i did it my way, with his consent. The nanites will complete the job.> 

Ive never seen a machine looking smug before... nor one look at the other like its insane.

<Mechanic, Director! I, Deneb, suggest This machine be tested for rampancy! She is clearly insane.>

A strange noise, like tiny drills grinding against rocks, filled the room... I felt Jenny and Nina grab my arms, and even the director stepped back. It was 13, Sierra... it was laughing.

24 hours later, facility medical room. Lexi POV.

I was in the coffin again. My body felt strange. Levi and Court were sitting nearby, Court was asleep, using Levy's shoulder as a pillow. Judging by his face, Levy's feelings hadn't changed with courts body. It didn't hurt to remember anymore, Sierra fixed it, disolved whatever was causing the block... As i watched, court woke up, and started to apologize, but levy made his move. I almost cheered, but a voice from the door made them both jump, and turn very red.

"Sigh, what a waste. I finally meet some cute boys and theyre Gay. Figures. You should probably know, according to the readouts, Your little friend here has been awake for some time."

They both hurriedly looked at the Medpod, only to see my hand giving them a thimbs up. Then the young woman introduced herself.

"Hello, Child, i am Capitan of the Phonix squadron, Erin Rios."

"The one in the Lion, right? We saved you."

"Indeed you did. But thats the last time. 13 will be temporarily incapacitated."

"WHAT? WHY? SEIRRA DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!"

"boy, Sierra as you call it, Injected you with nanites that are slowly altering your body at a cellular level... Not to mention the modification to your body"

"But i asked her to do that stuff! So i could pilot her properly. So what's the problem"

The director entered then.

"You melted, thats the problem... you were melted to the seat. She gave you mechanical grafts on your spine, plus A tail. and the worse part."

Levi came forward, and put his hand on my shoulder... "Lexi, Bro... Its gone. The nanites were frantically adjusting your insides, using genetic code to change you, because of that, at least according to that machine, and this one. But its gone, Bro..."

I realized what he meant... i then remembered the intense pain as it melted, and sierra Did what she could to minimize the pain.

But i was fine. Id never liked it anyway, it had always made Mama sad... 

"I don't care"

"Lexi, It's gone, man! You dont have one anymore..."

"Levi, calm down, let me try... he might be in shock." Court took Levis place. "Alexis, Your Penis is gone. Testicles too. due to the nanites and medipod, they saved you,  but... Well, The only way was to give you a sex change at a genetic level, and fire the regen Program... because its keyed for women only... Do you understand?"

"Course I do, i just dont care... i want my mech. Sierra chose me."

"Dammnit, Lexi, that thing turned you into a GIRL!"

"Isn't that fine?" I could see four shocked faces. "I mean, Mama had wished i was a girl, and i always dressed like one for her, then to remember her... And i never really felt like a guy anyway, to be honest i kinda hated it, all dangly and in the way... So I'm a girl now, changed on a genetic level? Im okay with that, and with the Cybernetic implants... And the Tail... So, Isn't it fine?"

Evidently, it wasn't fine.