=PROLOGUE A: IT ALL BEGINS NOW=

My third default option seems to be ‘sass’.

Cardinal when he’s in yet another life or death situation. (via limitbreakers)

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Sketch commission for my lovely friends! This is the third in a series of commissions I’m doing for them involving their AU crossover fanfiction, Allies Obstruct! It’s got robot, and robots, and smart scientists, and cool people, and despicable villains, and even a few OCs to boot (like Jack here)!

I’m also super excited to announce that they’ve started posting their fic so you can have a look at the intro here! Or say hi to them over on their RP blogs @codedhopes and @mowseries! 

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=INTRO A: COLLAPSING PEACE=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes & @super-tired-robot))

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[It is the year 20XX. Breakthroughs in robotic technology have ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity. Violence is confined to the Battle Colosseum, where robot combatants face off in spectacular duels. The sport has become a worldwide favorite, and elite competitors regularly rise to the challenge to garner glory… or else fall from favor.

Of all the world’s combat teams, the Mighty Numbers are recognized as the best of the best. The family was famous worldwide, and often attended exclusive events to defend their status. One such event—the Queen’s Tournament in England—had just come to a close. Now, the family was finally on the way home.]

Will: -Sighs as he looks at the folder full of papers- … (I don’t like working with sensitive material outside the office, but I should probably at least review some of these…)

[They had risen through the ranks and claimed their rightful status as champions and victors, but it hadn’t come without cost. The final match of the tournament had been held against team Greater Dusk: a notorious gang headed by an assassin.]

Will: -Pauses at the pile of newspaper clippings- (Oh, right… they must be interested in the coverage and how pervasive the search is…. I guess Avi put together these for their records.)

[The match had quickly turned from a touted title match to a deadly fight for their lives when most of the opposing team had become overtaken by a bizarre “berserker” mode, becoming insanely aggressive and losing their free will to the madness. The situation came to a climax when Dynatron, the electric diva, had been taken hostage by Bladeblaster…

…who was subsequently attacked by an inexplicable mysterious visitor.]

Will: -Frowns, flipping past printed copies of notifications from various federal authorities in London and New York, all of which were marked “VOID” by Shade’s Certified Assassins' League stamp- (At least everyone made it out safely…. Thank God Dynatron is alright. There’s no way they’ll ever find Tobias, and Kate is taking care of Jack even as we speak…)

[In truth, the young man who had intervened was not a Xelbot at all—but rather, a robot from another world entirely!]

Will: (Mikhail said that he had something to tell me about the finals… I wonder what it was?)

[For several years up to that point, the Mighty Numbers had been made aware of portals to other worlds. It was on one such fantastic adventure that they met a family of robots (known as “Robot Masters” in their native world) and become good friends.]

Will: -Snorts as he comes across these news clippings- (Oh, I remember this night... it's a little less than you TRULY deserve, Graham, so you really should be thankful—not that you're smart enough to figure out who really did this.)

Will: (At least they didn’t get in trouble. I’m glad Graham didn’t even try to pin that on us…)

Will: (Lord knows he’s been willing to do that every time else…)

[They had seen many adventures together, and it wasn’t only the robots who had made friends: the Doctors had, too. For the first time in ages, Dr. William White had made a friend—a human person he could trust…

…Well. About as much as he could trust anyone, other than his good friend and colleague, Doctor Soichiro Sanda, at any rate.]

Will: …

Will: (Ah, Kate’s notes! Oh dear—I think these are in code…) -Squints-

[The events of the Queen’s Finals (as they’d taken to calling the last four matches, and the championship match in particular) had left a lot of loose ends and many questions. The nature of the infected crosses that had caused the madness remained an uneasy mystery… one which had driven another friend of theirs to investigate the matter personally.]

[Unfortunately, he had only fallen into a sleep born of deep sickness, himself.]

Will: … (Still no word of Felix getting better. Oh, Felix… I do hope you are alright. Sounds like Jack is doing better, which is a relief. The poor man took a sawblade right to the spine when he stood up to his boss. But…) -Grips the paper tighter, pressing his mouth into a thin line- (I’m not sure if this bit about a “provider” is code…. If Bladeblaster was a CherryDyn construct, wouldn’t that company be their “provider”? That’s what it looked like when we investigated, at any rate. And…) -Narrows his eyes- (I really don’t like this bit about Bladeblaster apparently faking his death…. But of course it would be like Graham to cover his tracks like that, now wouldn’t it…)

[Tobias had made a public, international spectacle of himself. The Mighty Numbers had been bombarded with questions from all sides, not the least of which had been uncomfortable inquiries from federal authorities. Thankfully, the team’s sniper—Mighty No. 8: Countershade—was himself a member of the Certified Assassins’ League, and was able to pull some strings to get people to back off. He’d grown very tired and irritated in the process, though, as he’d been forced to take most of the heat… and was, as a result, openly short-tempered and snappy.]

Will: (I wouldn’t be surprised if he slept for several days once we get home… if it weren’t for the fact we have a match immediately after.) -Flips through the notes- —…

Will: -Stops and smiles at a picture of Beck’s birthday-

[The happy days with their friends seemed so far off after several months abroad. But soon they would be back home. They could celebrate missed birthdays, resume the friendly spars—after ending off on such a high note, with the exciting matches between Beck vs Echo and Cardinal vs Countershade!—and put all this gloomy mess behind them.]

Will: (I know how much the Mighties have been looking forward to bringing home the trophy, like they’d promised. I’m sure the Rebel Angels are excited, too….)

DING!

“This is your captain speaking. If you look out to your left, you can see the lovely New York City skyline as we approach…”

Will: (O-oh—) -Fumbles for phone- (Mother wanted me to call her as soon as we came stateside, even if it was an odd hour—) …

Will: -Mutters- Oops… forgot to charge, aheh… -Scratches head slightly, ruffling his afro- (With all the stress Dyna’s been under, I should have remembered to double check all the devices before landing. Wouldn’t be surprised if my laptop was drained as well…. I’ll have to recharge everything when we get home.)

Will: (Ah well! We’ll be home soon, at last! And that’s something to celebrate.)

[After all, they were more than a team: they were a family. And nothing could keep the Mighty Numbers down for long.]

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=INTRO D: COLLAPSING PEACE=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

//:LOG IN SUCCESSFUL. WELCOME, NO. Ø

//:LOADING FILES…

//:FILES LOADED. ENTER COMMAND PROMPT.

//:COMMAND> CHECK REVELATION.EXE STATUS

//:RUNNING…

//:CALCULATIONS COMPLETE. DATA HAS BEEN UPDATED, SAVED AND UPLOADED TO DESIGNATED PROGRAM. FILE REMAINS QUARANTINED. PROGRAM IS RUNNING NORMALLY.

//:COMMAND>PREPARE ENDGAME FILE FOR UPLOAD. DESTINATION: NBCA DATABASE SERVER, CHERRYDYNAMICS MAINFRAME SERVER, ALL

//:RUNNING…

//:ENDGAME FILE HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR UPLOAD. UPLOAD NOW?

//COMMAND>SET TIMER: JUNE 21, 20XX, 11:45 AM.

//:RUNNING…

//:TIMER SET. RUNNING SCAN…

//:WARNING: VIRUS DETECTED IN FILE! SOURCE: REVELATION.EXE. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO UPLOAD THIS FILE?

//:COMMAND>YES.

//:RUNNING…

//:COMMAND SET. ENDGAME FILE WILL UPLOAD IN: 24 HOURS.

//COMMAND>SEND MASS MESSAGE TO: DLN-001.5 [CONTACT: CALEB LIGHT], DLN-001 [CONTACT: ROCKWELL LIGHT], DWN-INFINITY. [CONTACT: MZ WILY]

//:ENTER MESSAGE…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

//:MESSAGE RECEIVED. FROM: Ø [CONTACT: RAY] SENT: 11:46 AM.

//: …Where should I begin…?

//: …Ah…right. I suppose an apology is in order, firstly…it’s been quite some time since I’ve spoken to any of you, and I’m sorry. Truly. Some of you are angry with me, I know, and it is my fault. I know I’ve been rather reclusive these last few months, and…there is a reason for it. Several, in fact, of which I will now tell you, the people that have made my wretched existence…a little easier. A little more…brighter.

//: …I have been working on several projects--this is what was eating up most of my time. One of which is looking for a more permanent solution for my deteriorating condition, caused by my lack of a central core. I have searched for many, many decades, and with the recently opened rifts that have appeared these last few years--the very same ones that have led me to you all--did bring up some new leads…

//: …But all I have found are…dead ends. EVERYWHERE I look only reminds me that I am cursed, and that nothing can fix me. That I...

//: I…I’m running out of time. It grows worse, my horrid curse…I am falling apart more rapidly, I must hunt more frequently…and…and the pains…

//: It hurts now. I feel as if I am rotting away from the inside out. It hurts…so much. I cannot…hold myself together for long…there is only…pain…hunger…pain…and hunger…

//: Ngh–!!

//: Hunger…consume…feed…! I can’t–need…more–!!

[…There is silence, it was as if the message was edited and continued much later…did she mean to send this before the virus had been released?]

//: Hnn...

//: I...I'm fine. I don't know for how long...I...

//: ….Do you see now?

//: I…I am not long for this world.

//:…This…world…

//: …This world. This cheap, thrill-seeking world, only caring about their advertised construct battles and those who provide it! As long as humans, the sinful ones, have that to entertain them…their precious Battle Colosseum…their so-called heroes…! They care about nothing else…

//: And it’s all because of them that I am this way. All of it. All of it. ALL OF IT. I would have never resorted to such disgusting ways of survival if it wasn’t for them! The NBCA, CherryDyn, and ESPECIALLY HIM…

//: I was doomed! Doomed from the start! Doomed to fall! Doomed to die! I...!

//: ...

//: …I refuse to leave this mortal earth…fading away in some…dark, lonely corner, amongst the filth and the departed…by my own hands…god, no. I won't--I can't subject you all to that. I can't let you watch me slowly wither and die when there's nothing to be done, I can't...I can't bear you to that pain.

//: No.

//: If I am to die…If I am to be sent to the Void, never to return…if I am to burn, burn in hell…

//: Then this world will burn with me. Along with all those who have wronged me. CherryDyn. The Colosseum. Humanity.

//: They will burn…they will pay for their sins…pay…in blood, in Xel…it doesn’t matter.

//: ...

//: Don’t bother trying to stop me. The rifts are beginning to close…as if the fates already know how this ends…as if they knew all along that this was my role to play.

//: …And no matter what happens, I…will be no more…

//: I just…

//: ….

//: I can’t…take this anymore. The endless slaughter…the constant…fear…I can’t…there is nothing…I can do…I can’t be saved, no matter what Beck says. No matter what...God...

//: Cale, my love...

//: …Caleb Light…my dauntless rebel…I love you so, so much. I gave you…everything I had left…everything that I am…and…you are the best–no…the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. My light in the darkness…my Mate…I’m so sorry I have to put you through this. I know...I can hear your words now, saying that I shouldn't do this, but you must understand--If I die--the people that made me what I am will go on to hurt countless others. It's not just vengeance, my Light--I want Justice. They need to pay, while I am still the only one alive to remember their sins. Please…forgive me…this...this isn't how I wanted it to end.

//: I love you.

//: Rock…MZ…I give you my blessings…focus on the future you have now, together…whenever you DO get married, eventually…that is, if you haven’t already. Don’t let me…ruin it with my acts of vengeance. Just…stay out of it. Please. This is more than just about me--CherryDyn is far, far more crueler than what I have told you. There are things that they do in the shadows that...

//: I swear, I will make them all pay for what they’ve done… As my last sin, as my last will…these humans will all die, like they should, and they will know what happens when they cross a predator…

//: …

//: I…don’t want to cut this short. But the wheels have been set into motion already. Even I couldn’t stop them if I wanted to. And even if I could…

//: ...

//: Days…hours…that’s all I have left…A week, at most. More if I can starve off the hunger right. If...if you do manage to come here, please be careful.

//: …

//: I’m sorry. This is probably the last you will hear from me. I...

//: I'm sorry I'm so sick...

//: I'm sorry I'm so broken, I...

//: I'm sorry. I'm sorry...

//: …Good-bye.

[END OF MESSAGE.]

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

{Titus, CA Colosseum June 21st, 20XX

11:40 AM}

[The day started out like any other.

Cardinal was excited. This was going to be his first time seeing the Mighties fight together. Finally, after all the long months of suffering and loneliness…]

Cardinal: (This is gonna be great…! Too bad Baron couldn’t be here. He loves a good battle royale!)

[It was all he could do to not go down to the locker room right this minute.

He’d waited all this time to see his friends again. Waiting a few hours longer wasn’t going to hurt him.

…Or so he thought.]

{Meanwhile…}

“Come ON, Beck! Hurry up, we’re gonna be late!”

“C-Coming, Cryo!”

“We’ve spent enough time walking down memory lane in the trophy room. We have to get to the arena before they call us out for our return debut match.”

“WE KNOW, Pyro. Jeezzz, calm down.”

“I believe he is only excited to be back in familiar stomping grounds. Isn’t that right, Bat?”

“TOO RIGHT, Brand!”

“Heh. We’re ALL glad t’ be home, yeah…. Ah’ look forward t’ givin’ ‘em all a good show.”

“MAN, I am so stoked for this! Hey, I hope they get my good side, ya know? Course, I look good in ALL angles.”

“…Avi not focused.”

“Mic is right. It’s time to get out there. Everyone! PLACES!”

[The team responded enthusiastically in unison.]

“YES SIR NO.1!”

[The crowd burst into cheers as the Mighties took their place on the field.]

Cardinal: -Whistles LOUDLY, pinging with excitement-

“Laaaaadies and gentlebots! Men, women, and children of all ages! Please put your hands together for your returning Queen's Tournament Champions, TEAM MIGHTY NUM—"

[KSSSSssssst…]

Cardinal: —???

[There was a disquieted murmur amongst the crowd. Cardinal suddenly felt grim.]

<DLN-000>: >Guys, I think something is…

<DLN-000>: > Something’s not right over here—

[sssKKKKT--]

[MN.1] //: Hnnk...I...I don’t…

[MN.7] //: -Suddenly horribly dizzy, what, what is—-

[MN.4] //: -Mic—Mic no like these new voices—-

[MN.8] //: -Ah'—Cards—CARDS—-

<DLN-000>: > ?! -Distressed data, CONCERN— -

<DLN-000>: > What is it? What's going on, Shade?

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: Guys?! What's going on, are you okay—?!

[MN.9] //: Why am I getting warnings from my—

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN—

[Chaos began rising as alarms started going off everywhere.]

Cardinal: !

Attention! Attention! This is Code Red! Please evacuate the arena calmly and quickly! This is not a drill! Please—

[Fights were starting to escalate within the crowd. Cardinal had instinctively shifted into his armor.]

[MN.6] //: nngh ow ow ow ow-

[MN.3] //: -Erractic buzzing and SCREECHING—-

[MN.2] //: Can't think—about anything—!

[MN.5] //: c-compromised, stand clear—

Cardinal: Guys?!

[WARNING. WARNING. VIRUS DETECTED IN SERVER. FIREWALL PROGRAMS HAVE FAILED.]

[Someone suddenly grabs at Cardinal—a civilian model, jaw open in a war cry, bathed in violet flames and unrelenting rage.]

Cardinal: !!! -Gives a backhand hit, jumping up high-

[He recognized those flames.

Those were the flames of berserk rage: a sick madness, one that deprives the victim of all reason and most free will.]

[Cardinal used Item-1!]

Cardinal: -Hovers in place, looking down at the sands-

[To his horror, he could see flickers starting to form around the Mighty Numbers.

It had been bad enough to see them amongst the crowd, with the world devolving into chaos.

To see them now, on his friends—]

Cardinal: NO!

[It was rapidly turning to the darkness of his absolute /worst nightmares/.]

[MN.1-8 HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH HARMFUL MALWARE. RUNNING XELFILTER.EXE FOR MN.9]

[The stands were a jumbled mess. The exits were jammed with people trying to escape, with fights and aggressive, infected Xelbots barring the way.]

Bat: Cowards...

Bat: Can’t even STAND THEIR GROUND!

Cardinal: [Glitch]—

[WARNING: MN.1-8 HAVE ENTERED FULL COMBAT MODE. RESTRICTIONS: NONE.]

<DLN-000 has entered Non-Lethal Combat Mode.>

[Without another thought, Cardinal swings himself over the barrier and into the sands, his whistle piercing through the air—]

Shade: -Winces—!- Hnn—! (Too loud—!)

Beck: —! Cardinal—!

[BLAM!]

[Cardinal’s shot intercepted Bat’s round in a high-blast of plasma cannon fire. This prevented the shot from reaching the crowds, but the round exploded in the air instead. Cardinal had to shield from the shrapnel.]

Cardinal: SHUT DOWN! SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY!

Bat: How dare you presume to give orders, you foolhardy DESERTER—

Cardinal: ! -Staggers back, taking a firmer stance- We can fix this! You need to trust me—!

Shade: -Pain, fighting off an urge to make him shut up- C-Cards…! Get…

Shade: GET LOST! NOW!

Cardinal: Not in a million lifetimes, Shade!

Brand: Can't you see that we're going OUT OF CONTROL, YOU RECKLESS DEATHSEEKER—

[And just like that, there were eight sets of eyes trained onto Cardinal.]

[He was surrounded.]

Beck: NO—!!!

[Things were spiraling out of control too quickly—they were all rushing at Cardinal, there was no way he would—]

<DLN-000 has entered Lethal Combat Mode.>

[He abruptly shifted into full armor and dropped to the ground. Pyro’s tackle missed, and he tripped up the team leader with a well-placed low kick before springing back to his feet, blasting away at bits that were trying to swarm him.]

[Cardinal used SUPER ARM!]

[WHAM!]

[Cardinal grabbed Pyro by the ankle before he could get up, and SLAMMED him right into Cryo before she could freeze him solid.

He sprung up in the air and landed right on Bat’s shoulder.]

Cardinal: -Aggressive data-

Beck: O~O!!!

[Meanwhile, all Beck could do was back away slowly, eyes darting fearfully from one sibling to another. Why was this happening? Why were they ACTING like this—?!]

Brand: Stop showing off and get OUT of here, before—

[There was an insanely mad cackle as Cardinal was lifted right off of the walking WMD, with Dyna coming down from the sky.]

Dyna: Szzo enthusiastic! You must have such intense energy!

Shade: -AaaAAUUGH DYNA—! DON’T—!!-

[Cardinal didn’t even seem to try and get out of it, just pulled his shield in closer with a grim expression while bits were weaving a web around him.]

Dyna: What’szz WRONG, Cardinal? Iszz the birdie unable to fly away from the web?

Beck: NO—!

[Cardinal abruptly smirked as Dyna loomed in closer. It was a dark smirk, and his eyes glowed red with cruel intent.]

Beck: —!!! (No—I know that look! That red color—don't tell me he’s—!)

[Cardinal was NOT infected… at least, no more than he had once warned long ago.

As a veteran Wilybot and soldier, he didn’t give his enemy any warning: not even a gloat of confidence.]

[Cardinal used LEAF SHIELD!]

[There was a piercing SHRIEK of pain on the part of the electric diva as a swarm of razor-sharp, leaf-shaped metal created a cloud of shrapnel around the Robot Master in question. Dyna backed away, giving off glitched scree noises. By this point, several of the other Mighty Numbers had vanished in the turmoil; it was at this point that Dyna herself took her cue to leave.

His victory was short-lived, however, as a red blur shredded the projectile shield into a fine mist, before placing his swords right against the prototype’s throat.]

((Pic—Cardinal v Brand))

Brand: -Seethes- How DARE you toy with us at a time like this!

[Cardinal was instantly gone, teleported across the sands to avoid incoming fire from above. Brandish moved quickly as well, but not quite quickly enough to avoid unfriendly fire.]

Avi: Awww, couldn’t you have held him a little longer, ninjabro? You know what they say—

Shade: -Struggling to retain self-control, even as he starts locking onto Cardinal’s signal- Avi, Ah’ swear if you PUN at a tahm like THIS—

Avi: “A bird in the HAND is worth two in the bush!”

[The sniper gave a cry of frustration and fired off a shot. This action seemed to somehow be a succession, a submission—caving in, weakening the resolve.

The shot was dodged easily, due to the interference that offset the sniper’s aim.]

Beck: AVI! BRAND! SHADE! GUYS! S T O P!

Avi: -Ignores Beck entirely- Watch where you’re pointing that thing! And don’t you tell ME what to do— I have plenty to say, and this time, nobody’s going to stop me!

>CROSS-REFERENCES IDENTIFIED: MONSTROPOLIS, DLN-008, DWN-014

Cardinal: -SURGE of aggressive data out of frantic dismay- Avi, DON’T—!

[The plane gave a click noise as he gave finger guns…]

K-PEW!

Cardinal: ! -SHIELDS-

[—which actually fired a pair of shots at Cardinal this time.]

Avi: Yeah, this has been nice and all, but I’ve gotta go to work! Seeee you on the air! Or see the replays of your dismantling, more likely.

Shade: -Snarls- Get OUT—!

[BANG!]

Avi: -AAAAAND that’s our cue BYE NOW— -

[Cardinal didn’t get time to object to this, as he had to teleport to avoid being cut in half by Brandish.]

Beck: NII-SAAAAAAAN!

[Brandish abruptly halts before finishing his next move, which allows Cardinal to get away.]

Beck: Brand! Please stop! I-I can call Dad, he can—

Brand: NO—!

[Brandish literally shakes as he steps away, gritting his teeth under his mask.]

Brand: I—can’t—

Beck: Nii-san—!

Brand: Get out of here, GO—!

Brand: NOW!

[BWIP!]

[And just like that, he was gone—]

Beck: BRAND—!

“Don't--Cards, m'beggin' ya, don't get close—”

[Beck whirls around to find Cardinal making close steps towards Shade, who was backing off with every step he took...]

Shade: S’ too late—! Get out, get out— take Beck an' get OUT—

Cardinal: I’m not leaving without you! I WON'T LEAVE YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF MONSTROPOLIS! The feds would—

Shade: Ah' SAID, take Beck an' LEAVE—

Cardinal: -Eyes full green and BLARING distressed data- YOU'RE COMING WITH ME, CONSCIOUS OR NOT—

Shade: AH' SAID LEAVE!

[CLICK—]

Beck: —?!

[Beck is suddenly starting down the red barrel of his brother's sniper rifle—he's frozen in place, out of shock and fear—]

Cardinal: —!!

Cardinal: NO—! SHADE! SHADE DON’T—!

[A red flash of light blinds Beck for a moment—it was Cardinal, teleporting in front of him to take the dart that had been fired at him instead—]

[Byuubyuubyuu…!]

Beck: ?! Cards?!?

[He isn't there anymore--he was suddenly gone, and that's when Beck realized that Shade had used one of his teleport darts--]

[Click.]

Beck: Wait, Shade, NO—!

[BANG—]

[S Y S T E M E R R ROR–S YSTEM E R R ROR–]

[MN.9 HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY HARMFUL MALWARE. PREPARING HARD RESET. ALL FORMS WILL BE LOST.]

“GUYS–NO–NOOO–!!”

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

=INTRO C: COLLAPSING PEACE=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

{Meanwhile, in England…}

[It was a peaceful evening as Jack and Kate entered the quiet flat.

The siren sniper gave a smile, her eyes hidden by the sunglasses she typically wore in her Civilian form.]

Kate: An’ here we are! Welcome to yer new digs.

[The recovering newbie fighter awkwardly made his way into the living room, looking around in awe.]

Jack: Man, it sure is nice to be out of the hospital…

[It was much nicer than any place he had lived before he joined up with Greater Dusk, that was for sure.]

Kate: Rent’s been paid for a couple months, so it’s all yours.

Jack: What? Aw, geez, Miss Eight—you didn’t have to do that—

Kate: Aw, maybe not, heh. But yew deserve something nice after all that happened. Give ya some time to let things calm down.

[Since he wasn’t sure how to respond to that, he just followed the tall assassin as she gave him a run-down of the place.]

Kate: This here’s the sitting room, Ah’ guess… bedroom’s over that way; careful about the shower, they have it kinda like a large version of a sink sprayer, real easy t’ get water everywhere…

Kate: -Walking into the kitchen- It’s all pretty small—but that’s standard for somethin’ in Britain.

[Inside the kitchen, there was a large box on the table.]

Jack: ? Uh—what’s in there?

Kate: Oh, just a lil’ somethin’ t’ get ya started. -Grins-

[Jack put down his suitcase.

Despite being a member of a (in)famous (and now banned) battle team, he didn’t really have many belongings. Only the changes of clothes that had been foisted onto him as part of the contract of being a team member… which he hadn’t been allowed to read before signing, of course.]

Jack: -Puts such thoughts aside for now- Let’s see what we’ve got here…

[Kate looked on with a relaxed smile, biting down on a dart as the clumsy combatant fumbled with the wrapping paper. She let him figure out a way to open it on his own; she was just enjoying the downtime.

It was something she didn’t get very often, with her job. Nor had she ever really had anyone other than family to spend it with. But Jack—Jack was different than the others.

As the sponsors were wont to say, he was “a good”—and he deserved nice things.]

Jack: Geez, whatever’s in here has some weight to it—!

[He heaves a large hiking backpack out of the box, looking more than a little surprised.]

Jack: A backpack?

Kate: -Gleeful ping- Yeah, that’s part of it, fer sure.

Jack: Looks like—is that a sleeping bag tied at the top?

Kate: Yup!

Jack: -Inspecting the outside- Wow, it comes with a water bottle and a compass…

[He unzips one of the compartments.]

Jack: Man, you really stuffed this to the gills. Poncho, first aid kit…

Jack: —!

[He pulls out something in clear plastic wrapping, with “Nighthawk Industries” printed on one end.]

Jack: AW SWEET COOL GOGGLES.

Kate: -Amused smile-

[He IMMEDIATELY puts those on—they fit rather nicely once he adjusted the strap—]

Jack: Dude—

Jack: These are like, perfect fit—

Kate: David had ‘em custom made. They’ve got lotsa functionality. Good for protectin’ ‘gainst rain an’ wind, a’ course…

Kate: -Puts her hand to her hip, grinning like crazy- But beyond that…~

Kate: Go look out the window, why don’cha?

[Jack glanced out the window in the kitchen, and Kate abruptly turned off the lights.]

Jack: !!!

Jack: ...? What's this—

Jack: —! OoooooOOHOHO THIS THING HAS NIGHT VISION—

Kate: Bingo~

Jack: So THIS is what the world looks like to you at night! (I feel so damn BADASS—)

Kate: -Turns the light back on- Neat, ain’t it? Lady Ky made those for ya—I put her contact info in yer phone in case you’d like another job of hers…

Jack: …? Uh… -What phone, we don’t have a— - Wait a minute…

[He eagerly starts digging through the rest of the backpack, pulling out the stuffing inside it as he went.

The top of the backpack was a nicely pressed set of casual clothes, shrunk to be airtight to pack in as much as possible. Underneath, there was a small bed roll, some blankets, and a travel/camping pillow.]

Jack: I’m surprised you didn’t put a whole tent in here, too…

Kate: Pup’s still workin’ on something that will fit but be spacious when you pop it out. He says you should just get a Spinarak an’ teach it Secret Power, an’ it’ll be even better than a tent.

Jack: Heh…

[Going through the pockets, he pulled out some maps, a small radio, a burner phone, and a wallet.]

Jack: ? -Peeks inside the wallet, curious-

Jack: !!! (That is—! A lot of gift cards! And–and cash, too?) You… -Kind of speechless-

[The sniper strode over and put her hand to his shoulder, giving a reassuring smile.]

Kate: One of these days, you’ll get outta here, Jackie. Be ready for a new life, what with GD not around anymore. That’s fer you to use t’ get around… pick out a nice ride of some kind, maybe, have a bit t’ eat an’ enough fer somewhere to stay… just until ya get yer footing. It should be good for a couple months once ya get stateside.

Jack: All this is…? (This is for me…?)

Kate: Our gift to you. | } Or… most of it, anyway. Still one more thing from Felix—he said it was important, but he’s still asleep… though his friend Piers is there t’ look after him. Ya might think of stopping by—it’s an easy shortcut to an’ through the Wilderness between worlds.

Jack: Wow, Miss Eight, I…

Jack: Honestly don’t know what to say…

Jack: -Gestures to the gifts all over the table- This is… -Gestures around the living room- All this is… man, it’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me, ever.

Kate: Aw, it’s the least we can do! Yer a good man, Jack, an’ well-liked. ‘m only sorry we didn’t get all this to ya sooner.

[She walked over to the freezer and pulled out a gallon of ice cream. Jack’s eyes lit up when he saw it—but even moreso when she opened the fridge and brought out some steak.]

Kate: Let’s forget talkin’ fer a while an’ eat. M’ starved.

[Jack was more than happy to oblige, and Kate leaned back against the wall as she ate an ice cream cone with her one hand.

It was so nice to see Jack in such good spirits and properly well off after all that he’d been through. Ever since she first got to know him, she’d wanted to help—she’d grown more and more concerned for him the more he talked about Greater Dusk, about the way the team had treated him. She’d grown convinced he was in a dangerous situation, but even she couldn’t have anticipated what happened next.]

Kate: (Hmmmn…. The finals…. Still don’t have a good enough answer on what those crosses were. Malware of some sort, that’s for sure, but…)

[It was a grim prospect that required further investigation. It may not be her world, but she’d grown to care for the people in it.]

Kate: (Coding like that could cause a lot of damage.)

[She squinted behind her sunglasses, narrowing her eyes in distrust.]

Kate: (Whatever mysterious “provider” Jack said Blade was talking to is -probably- stateside… just like Blade is, that damn bastard…)

[Jack had told her that Blade had turned up dead.]

-=-=-=-=-

Jack: They....They sent it back to CherryDyn for them to look over what went wrong with him.

Jack: ....They said they found nothin', so they patched him up and kept him in for observation.

Jack: ....Then...

Jack: .......

Jack: He's dead, man. Dead.

Jack: .......

Jack: I...they told me he was...

Jack: Freakin' tortured…

Jack: ......

Jack: -turns away-

-=-=-=-=-

[…Kate, however, didn’t buy it for a minute.]

Kate: (That’s too convenient… Something isn’t right, here…)

Kate: -Broods- (That worm isn’t going to escape justice THAT easily, no sir…)

[…She was almost tempted to see to it herself, when she did come across him. But no—he had too much to answer for, and she would have to keep her head high and not sink to his level by turning away from doing the right thing.

Didn’t mean she couldn’t have the satisfaction of imagining otherwise.]

Kate: …

Kate: -Frowns and sighs internally- (…Look at me.)

Kate: (Off of work for once, and saddling myself up with another “case” that needs someone who cares…. Maybe Sis is right. Maybe I am a workaholic…)

Kate: -Finishes off the ice cream- Jack— do me a favor an’ make another cone, please…

Jack: Yeah, sure thing—

[She rubbed what was left of her right arm thoughtfully as he prepared seconds for her.]

Kate: (Not even on a job an’ I’m out there thinking like a killer…. Gotta try to remember not to let myself grow that bitter at the world…)

Jack: …Miss Eight?

Kate: Hmm?

Jack: I’ve been… wondering something…

Kate: -Accepts the second ice cream cone- Yeah?

Jack: I don't know how to word this right, but...

Jack: ...Stuff like this is kinda your thing, I know, but...why go through all this for me? I mean—I'm not anyone THAT important, and on top of that, I'm a Cherry…

Kate: …Well…. Ya… ya always treated me like a person. Not very many people do. -Looks away in thought- ‘m just Fighting Mighty Eight to them— or Artemis, herald of death. Or just a pretty face with lots of money to burn.

Kate: That means something to me.

Jack:  ...Really, huh... (I guess, with what she does…)

[There was silence for a while as Kate finished off the second ice cream cone. This time, she seemed satisfied.]

Kate: Thanks for the help, Jack. I could do it myself, but it’s awfully messy, heh…

Jack: Oh, no problem.

Kate: -Turns on the faucet to wash her hand- Well, this was a nice evening. It was good to see you settled in.

Jack: Oh—are you headed off?

Kate: Yes.

[She wiped her hand on a dishcloth as best she could.]

Kate: Stateside.

Jack: Wh—You're going back to America? This soon?

Kate: I have some investigating t’ do, Jack…. Ah’ don’t think this is over yet.

Jack: -Internal groaning- (Agh, she’s probably right…)

Kate: Things may have died down, but… somethin’ is wrong over there, Ah’m sure of it.

Kate: -Turns to face him- Y’ need t’ lay low for a while, too. I hate t’ leave at a tahm like this, but the longer it waits, the colder the trail gets. You should be safe here from any prying eyes of this world—but just in case…

[She walks over and places something on the table.]

Jack: A… is that a taser?

Kate: -Momentary twitch of a smile- (…Figured you’d just hurt yourself with pepper spray, so…) Between that an’ yer Combat abilities, you should be able t’ hold yer own long enough to call for help. -Points over at the cell phone- Either ping somebody or—couple a’ contacts in there, just a call away.

Jack: I...um.

Kate: Yes?

Jack: Look, I appreciate the gesture, Miss Eight, just—do I really need this thing, I mean, it's a little much—

[The Mighty Number works her dart over to the other side of her mouth and tilts her head just so, giving the CDN a look that said otherwise.]

Kate: ....

Jack: …Right, stupid question—

Jack: Thanks, I guess...

Kate: Hmm hmm. Yer welcome. Ah' better git goin' nao.

Kate: Stay safe, Jack Parker.

Kate: I’ll be in touch when I figure things out.

Jack: M'kay. Don't go do anything too crazy, alright?

[She gave a characteristic grin, slowly fading away from sight. There was the rattle of the front door, and then she was gone.

Jack takes another fresh look around his new home, rubbing the back of his head quietly as he sinks down into the couch. He couldn't help but wish Miss Eight would've stuck around a little more, but it wasn't like he could stop her.

She's got her mind set on things for his sake, too.]

Jack: (…Guess I better start looking over this stuff…)

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

[A different story for every day of the month, perhaps—but never the chilling truth of what REALLY happened…

Such thing were best left upon the fringes of nightmares, right…?]

((Aaaaaaaaa thank youuu~~ <333 ))

-Amputation- 

Small request for @mowseries |  @sirensniper of the AU version of Countershade <:

I can never turn down MN9 related stuff, honestly. I love a lot of the designs way too much haha. Not super gory on this one given the robot in question is essentially made of nanomachines but aaayyyy!

---

=CHAPTER 10A: SNEAK INTO THE PRISON=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

((Briefing will go here))

[When Mikhail, Des, and Felix got there, The Mighty Numbers were gathered around the main screen, which had two live feeds.]

[One was of the main entrance of the CherryDynamics Factory, blown wide open. CherryDyn Models were pouring out by the dozens.]

[And the other feed...]

Speedy: Holy glitch is that a PRISON?!

Will: ....

Will: ...Yes.

Will: There's been a break-in.

Jaden: Seriously? At a time like THIS? Who would want to break INTO a prison?

Mikhail: ({—! No—! They DIDN’T—!}) Where are my sons?!

Jaden: Hmm? They’re still aslee— -Turns around-

Jaden: —!!!

<DWN-013 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

[His battle armor rapidly shifted into place. He looked scared.]

Jaden: HOLY glitch, Doctor WHY ARE YOU TIED UP—

Speedy: -Whirls around, shifting also and taking a defensive battle stance out of instinct as he speaks in alarm- Wait, what?!

Des: I'll uncuff him later!

Des: What is going ON?!

Call: CherryDynamic's Robot Factory has been mass producing infected models at an alarming rate.

Call: There has also been a reported break-in at the maximum security Prison, and all communication with them has been lost.

Call: CherryDyn Models have also been reported trying to swarm the Prison.

Will: . . .

Mikhail: What? Why? Who’s being kept there?

Will: ....

Will: Dr. Benedict Blackwell.

Mikhail: … What?

Mikhail: -Now just CONFUSED-  I though we discussed this a long, long time ago—

Mikhail: Who would want to go after him? This can’t be his doing. You said he’s been there for ages, and even Dr. Wily isn’t THAT patient! After Rock finally corners him a second time, he’ll only wait a few months before—

Mikhail: … (Wait— he… w-will…?!)

[He doubled over in a sudden, overwhelming headache, with the Robot Masters present doing likewise. Felix managed to catch Mikhail before he hit the ground, despite being alarmed and startled—but Jaden and Speedy were not so lucky.]

Will: --!!

Will: Mikhail--?!

Beck: Guys?!

Jaden: Ow… (Feel like I had the wind knocked right out of me…)

Mikhail: Ghh… gah… not this again…

Will: (--?? Again--?)

Mikhail: This… this happened… or will happen… before…

Felix: Side note—Master Desmond knows the truth now.

Will: ......I...see.

Des: ....

Will: (...Ngh...)

Speedy: Ugh, worry about Dad and what he WILL do in the future later—let’s deal with the now, what do we do?

Will: Mngh.... (....)

Will: (They're not going to like this.)

Will: We now have not one, but two major situations we must deal with.

Beck: So we split up?

Will: No.

Will: At least, not you, Mighties.

Jaden: …What? Surely you don’t plan to send us off away from them. -Looks over at Desmond nervously- What if we’re… stopped, and…?

Speedy: -Suddenly notices, and seems to freeze up, then look pained- We’re not gonna get experimented on, are we? The first time people took me apart for science was bad enough.

((Des reaction))

Will: That’s, um… not quite what I meant, you two.

Pyro: --?

Will: You're more effective as an entire team, rather than in two parts. Not only that, but you have the endurance and skill needed for combat on a massive scale.

Will: It's only logical that you all will be sent to the Factory. There's no telling how many infected models are on site.

Will: ...Not only that—

Jaden: But—!

Jaden: Doctor, that’s a contagion hazard! D:

Speedy: Oh, shut up, Beck’s on our side and you can tank anything anyway.

Jaden: Why take that risk, brother?! After everything that’s happened?! What do you think would happen if—! What would that do to them?!

Jaden: You and I are immune and make to take this sort of fight—we can handle ourselves! If we must split ways—

((Will’s response as to why not))

Will: As long as you do not let any infected Xel into your systems, you all should be fine.

Will: I'll also be implementing a prototype XelFilter.EXE program into our server before I go.

Beck: ....

Beck: Go?

Mikhail: {What?} Will, what— go where?

Will: ....

Will: CherryDynamics's Robot Factory is all automated.

Will: The way the system is set up, it can produce models with little to no human help.

Will: Because of this, any and all changes to their Manufacturing Operator Mainframe-- The M.O.M units...

Will: ...Must be done on site.

Will: Though a certain, mainframe terminal with the ONLY authorized access.

Mikhail: —…

Mikhail: And… you’ve already determined there’s no one else— that’s why it took time, even after I left…

Mikhail: …

Felix: (I hope he doesn’t demand to take Will’s place. I don’t know much about the machines of this world, but I DO know that he’s going to make himself sick if he doesn’t get some rest very soon.)

Mikhail: At least take the sensory defense mechanism with you, Will!

Mikhail: I’m begging you—

Mikhail: You and Sanda are the ONLY friends I have ever since we were relocated in the protection program! PLEASE don’t get yourself hurt!

Pyro: Father--

Beck: Dad, wait--

Mikhail: Boys!

Mikhail: There’s an American saying you people have. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”

Mikhail: He wouldn’t be doing this unless he knew it were the best option—we don’t have time for further delay! Mighties, Angels—get ready to go, you must act quickly!

Beck: ....

Beck: --But what about the Prison?

Will: Sanda's going there with Call.

Soi: Yes, of--

Soi: Wait, WHAT?!

Felix: -sNORTS-

Will: Sanda.

Will: I know I ask too much of you...

Will: But if someone is going after Blackwell, someone must go and ensure his safety.

Will: ...As well as get some answers, if any.

[Speedy gave a loud, annoyed ping of disagreement.]

Speedy: You want answers from him?

[He points at Mikhail (who is standing to the right of him) using both hands, without even looking over. He maintains eye contact with Will the whole time.]

Speedy: Try having him talk to the guy! We’ve more or less known for ages that Blackwell went nuts for the same reasons my Dad did! : /

Will: I will NOT put any more in danger than I HAVE to, Speedy.

Will: .....

Will: ...Soi...

Will: If...

Will: If you really don't feel like you can, I--

Soi: ....Ngh.

Soi: ...W-Well...Under the circumstances, I...Suppose this is the only way to talk to Blackwell...Hoorf...

Soi: A...Are you sure you don't want to swap missions? ^^;;;

Will: You want to go to a factory full of infected robots instead?

Soi: --....

Will: (...Besides.)

Will: (I would prefer it if I NEVER have to see or hear of Blackwell ever again for the rest of my life.)

Des: Are you kidding me--

Des: This is INSANE, you're civilians, you can't just--!

Will: On the contrary, Mr. Desmond.

Will: I am not as helpless as I appear to be.

Will: I have means to defend myself.

Des: --...

Will: Brandish?

Brand: --Yes, Father?

Will: Remember that box I gave you? Before you left to train?

Will: The wooden one.

Brand: Yes...?

Will: Please bring it to me.

Mikhail: I still insist you take the sensory device mechanism with you. >>

Will: I didn't say no, Mikhail. -Chuckles-

[Mikhail walks over and slings his arms over Will’s head to pull him into a hug—as much of a hug he can, given his current condition.]

Will: --!

Mikhail: Be careful out there, alright?

Will: ....

Will: Eheh....

Will: I will.

Will: I have the world's top fighting team on my side, don't I? ^^

Cryo: -YEAH I'LL PUNCH ANYONE THAT TRIES TO HURT NOODLE DAD-

Mikhail: -Grins, pulling his arms up and over again to release his friend- And then some. I think you will all be surprised at what Jaden can take and what Speedy can do.

Jaden: As long as Avi doesn’t get me caught in a crosswind unfriendly fire, I can take just about anything.

Jaden: …

Jaden: …I wish Cardinal could come with us.

Will: ....So do I.

[A moment later, Brandish returns with the box in question.]

[...It's a stained black wooded box. It almost looked solid with no visible way to open it.]

Will: Ah...

Soi: --!

Soi: Wait a sec...

Brand: ....

Brand: You told me to never open it unless I was in real danger.

Speedy: Bro, I’m pretty sure now qualifies. >>;

Will: Yes...

Beck: ?

Beck: But what's in it?

Will: Hmm...

[Will runs his hands over it, an almost...Far away look in his eyes.]

Will: (...I never thought I'd have to use this again.)

Will: (Or if I even... Remember how...)

Will: Soi...

Soi: --!

[The box suddenly opened--either by voice or by some hidden mechanic only Will knew, was hard to say.]

[Inside was some kind of...]

[... Rapier handle?]

Soi: (...You still kept that--?)

Speedy: …

Speedy: Is that a classy light saber, or—

Will: -Laughs-

Will: Not quite, but that's a good guess!

[With one hand behind his back, Will grasped the handle.]

[As if by magic, Xel began to appear out of the hole where the blade should Be--slowly settling into that very sharp steel-like point.]

Will: I must admit, I...

Will: ...Haven't quite fenced in a while...

Brand: ....

Brand: You knew how to FENCE and you didn't tell me--

Will: Eheh...

Will: Oops? ^^;;

Felix: …

Felix: -I want to spar—-

Brand: -So do I--

Soi: -SNORTS-

Soi: Ah, ah! I'd think twice if I were you!

Soi: -Pats Will on the shoulder- Will here won the National Collegiate Fencing Tournament for FIVE years running!

Beck: WHAT--

Will: I, uh...Eheh. That was college, Soi...

Soi: -STILL COUNTS-

Felix: And I trained under Proxan Warriors for five years, give—

[Mikhail gives a hearty laugh.]

Mikhail: You boys can have all the spars you could want once this nightmare is over. Felix, you and Brand are next, if I remember correctly?

Brand: -Winner gets to face Father-

Felix: -DEAL-

Mikhail: Go on. Go out there and end this, to make those happy days once again a reality.

Des: -You guys are NUTS-

Will: Mikhail...

Will: I trust you'll hold down the lab while we're gone.

Felix: -Brought back to the now at this- -Frowns- …

Mikhail: I’ll do my best. Mr. Desmond, will you help me with that?

Des: I...don't really have a choice...

[RING!]

Des: --? (That's my cell--)

Des: -Takes out phone--

Des: --....

Des: (Oh.)

[CALL FROM: MINNIE MOUSE]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: ???

Des: Uh.

Des: -Quickly moves to unlock the Doctor's handcuffs- I have to take this--

Des: Good luck!

[While Dr. White prepared the Mighty Numbers for a battle in an infected factory, Donald Desmond took a call from his boss on a private room on a secure line.

She was less than pleased.]

Minerva: THERE you are! Good heavens—we were starting to wonder if we’d have to promote your secretary!

Des: Madame President, I’m fine. >>;  Thing is, now we got a bigger problem...

Minerva: Besides the fact that the last I contacted you, you were going to arrest him, and the next thing I know, both the city where you WERE and the prison you were going TO were both under attack? -.-;

Des: ...No, that's pretty much it. -Sighs-

Minerva: -Also sighs and puts a hand to her face- Your colleague in the Department of Homeland Security is having a field day with all the work that’s been slammed onto him since this started. And now that the strongest prison we have has been compromised…

Minerva: The CIA are pretty certain foreign entities—primarily Russia and Japan, since that was the most intense focus—aren’t part of this, though that rather suggests this is homegrown, which isn’t much more reassuring.

Des: Besides the fact that we got civilians heading in both places, that is. -_-;;;; Dr. White and the MN Line is heading into the Factory while Dr. Sanda and his daughter are heading for the Prison...

Minerva: …

Minerva: I don’t like the sounds of that. (Can Dr. Sanda even handle something so dangerous?)

Minerva: Even with all nine of the Mighty Numbers, that still places Dr. White in extreme danger.

Des: He seemed pretty confident in himself, Min. …And he has some sort of Xel rapier, too.

[Minerva looked up.]

Minerva: Beg pardon?

Des: According to Dr. Sanda, Dr. White won the National Collegiate Fencing Tournament for five years in a row.

Minerva: …

[She gave a bit of an odd look, and didn’t speak for several moments.]

Minerva: …Well, if he’s certain, then. The factory is privately owned, however…

Des: They got a call from CherryDyn itself asking for help.

Minerva: … Really?

[She sounded exasperated on Will’s behalf.]

Minerva: Does Mr. Graham really think that they’d be so eager to help after all the scandal he’s tried to cause them?

Des: Well, apparently they agreed to help out, because of the emergency.

[Minerva sighed.]

Minerva: Alright, enough on that matter. As for the prison…

Minerva: Everyone on the scene is already doing what they can, and it’s DoHS’s problem if they need to prevent Dr. Sanda from entering, then. But why is he going there in the first place?

Des: I heard that it was to ensure that Dr. Blackwell isn't harmed...

Des: ....

Des: But I also heard something about getting some answers...

Minerva: …Now that’s suspicious. That was actually said directly?

Des: Yup.

Des: At first, I thought it was because Graham blamed him when the virus broke out, and wanted to ask him why, but...

Des: If Blackwell isn't involved, then why go though the trouble, besides ensuring safety?

Minerva: What did the others have to say to that?

Des: Doctor Cossack wasn't exactly pleased.... It was suggested that HE be sent to talk to Blackwell instead of Sanda.

Minerva: … What? Why on earth would they suggest that? .-.

Des: He's....older? I don't know.... (They said something about Blackwell and their father… sounded like they were referring to Dr. Wily, but why…? How does that connect to Cossack being able to get answers?)

Des: Still, it doesn't make much sense...

Minerva: …

Minerva: What even happened earlier today, Des?

Des: ...........

Des: >>

Des: ....

Minerva: I asked you to keep me posted, and you did—you said that Dr. Cossack was involved, that that had been confirmed, and he was stonewalling you. What happened in that interview?

Des: .....

Des: It's not really what happened in it, it's...

Des: It's what happened right after that.

Minerva: Elaborate.

Des: I can't.

[There was a moment of silence as Minerva Morandi gave her best educator’s stare of disapproval. Desmond scowled under the fierce power of a miffed teacher’s gaze.]

Des: It's....

Des: It's really hard to put into words, okay--

Des: I literally can't can't explain it without sounding...Uh.

Des: ....

Des: >>

Des: Really really crazy.

Minerva: -Raises an eyebrow- You’re stonewalling me? Really?

Minerva: Honestly, Donald—it’s not as if you’re going to say you discovered that Beck White is actually an alien from the moon running the Illuminati with a sock puppet as a mind control device.

Des: Okay, point--

Des: It's still hard to put it in a way that you'll actually believe it, Min.

Des: It's...

Des: ...Probably better if you saw it yourself.

Minerva: :T I can’t enter the city, Des. It’s been declared an area of emergency. That’s one of the reasons why it was so important to figure out WHERE you were—both of the options possible were bad. Even if I were feeling like humoring you, there’s no way the Secret Service would let me sneak over.

Des: Then you're just going to have to trust me on this one, Min.

Des: Look, you've known me for years, okay? I've been nothing but truthful to you, not because I'm the SECRETARY of DEFENSE, but because you're my friend.

Minerva: Exactly, so I don’t understand why you’re stonewalling me.

Minerva: You said Cossack was involved—how so?

Minerva: Is he relevant to this or not, Des?

Des: >> ....

Des: Just brace yourself for this--

[He pulled out the recording device that was used to record the interview.]

[Click.]

((descriptive text, flashbacks here; too sick right now to write it out))

Minerva: He surrendered— just like that?

Des: Yeah.

Des: Covering for DLN-008, I know he is.

Minerva: But that would cost him his life if he kept that up, and he clearly knew it!

Des: .....

Des: >>

Des: There's....A reason for that, why he covered for them.

Des: ....And this is the crazy part, Min.

Minerva: Sacrificing the well being of his daughter for another patient he isn’t related to? For charges amounting to what we send CAL missions out for? This better be good.

Des: ....

Des: After that...

Des: >>;;;

Des: I had a bit of trouble escorting the Doctor out of the room...

Des: The other Doctors, and the MN series--they weren't going to let me walk out of that building with him, that's for sure...

Minerva: —wait, what? Are you saying they threatened you?

Des: No, although White was really angry...

Des: Apparently, Doctor Mikhail had a watch that sent a distress signal based on his heart rate--to their server.

Minerva: … (Des… how could you have missed that? -Internal sigh- I guess we’re all only human.)

Minerva: Well. That would suggest that all his reactions were genuine, and not an act…

Des: True.

Des: ....

Des: . . . . .

Des: And then this...

Des: This man...

Des: -Again struggling to put it into words-

Des: Like something out of a book or something...

Des: He just raised his hand and NO one moved after that--

Des: I couldn't move--

Minerva: So you WERE attacked—

Des: No, more like restrained--

Des: And I wasn't exactly the primary target, I think...

Des: He had no weapon in his hand, nothing, it was like he...I don't know, stopped TIME or something!

Des: I could still think, but move? Nothing.

Minerva: What kind of Xelbot was he?

Des: I...

Des: I don't think he was one.

Minerva: …

Minerva: (There’s another human angle besides the four Doctors and Gregory Graham? That’s new.)

Des: ...He said his name was Felix of Vale.

Des: He said he brought DLN-000's new core replacement.

Minerva: …

Minerva: I taught the Xel equivalent of biology as a science unit for years.

Minerva: It… …doesn’t work that way.

Des: -Runs hand though his hair-

Des: Yeah. On Xelbots, yeah.

Des: .....

Minerva: …

Des: .....

Des: Min?

Des: The DLN line, the DWN line, and Cossack's line...

Des: ...

Des: The Doctor let me watch.

Des: I saw DLN-000 in repairs.

Des: He's not a Xel-Type Robot.

[A pause.]

Minerva: …

Minerva: -Puts her hands to her face- That… explains a number of things.

Minerva: (Such as why it was stated he ran on nuclear energy. Ugh, now the whole White House will have to be swept for radiation…)

Minerva: No wonder Cossack wouldn’t let us take him in for repairs. If the tech branch of HHS saw…

Des: Would have seen wires and fans and other things like that.

Minerva: Goodness gracious. That such old technology could produce something sturdy enough to stand up to assault from the world’s best security and arguably the world’s most dangerous long-range combatant, at the same time…

Minerva: Oh yes, that would have been very much of interest to a number of departments in the Pentagon. As we now know. >~> -Grrr-

Des: It...

Des: ....

Des: There was...

Des: The core that Felix brought--

Des: It was like...Like a rock of some kind...

Minerva: …?

Des: And when it was placed in--

Des: The damage started to repair itself.

Des: Without any of the Doctor's doing, it just...

Des: By itself.

Minerva: …

Minerva: I… -Trails off, brain buzzing with the inferred information of that statement-

Des: See what I mean now? (And that's not even the biggest part.)

Minerva: …I can see why the Doctor would want to protect such research development from being discovered, and why he might risk his life to do so. I can understand why he might cover for 000. And… if his sons are the same way, then I suppose for DLN-008 as well—all part of keeping his family safe.

Minerva: But… why tell you, then…? He was clearly willing to die for those secrets. And that’s still a possibility.

Minerva: It seems as if this Felix person’s arrival changed things, somehow.

Des: ......

Des: Kind of did.

Des: Ever heard of a place called Weyard, Min?

Minerva: … (Well, it’s certainly not a country or a major city anywhere in the world…)

Des: ...No, right?

Minerva: Not that I can think of…

Des: Well, me either.

Des: Apparently it's where the rock core--and I assume this Felix character came from.

Minerva: Could it be code, I wonder…?

Des: There's also the timestamps on the files sent to us, dated three months ago. About Cossack and his family.

Minerva: …

Minerva: —!

Minerva: Wait—three months?

Minerva: I thought something was strange—

[She looked down at a pile of papers, sorting through it to bring out a file folder. She opened it up.]

Minerva: It seems Mr. Cardinal Light went to visit the Colosseum several days before the files first manifested in the systems. That should have made it impossible for him to—…

Des: …

Des: Min…?

Minerva:  =.=“;;

Minerva: Stupid…

Minerva: Can’t believe we didn’t see this earlier…

Des: See what?

Minerva: -Exasperated- Desmond?

Minerva: I don’t think the KGB or FBI forged those papers.

Des: ! -Listens closely-

Minerva: Unless I am very much mistaken…

((Pic))

Minerva: /Countershade Arthur White/ did.

Des: . . .

Des: (Dammit—)

Minerva: I should have seen it—

Minerva: The Certified Assassins League has some rather broad powers of deception at their disposal due to the nature of their missions, and he’s one of the highest ranking members they have—

Minerva: 000 accompanied HIM to the Colosseum, went after HIM, SAID they were friends, CLEARLY knew him well—

Minerva: Gaaaah of course it was him, should have payed more attention to Occam’s Razor…

Des: -Uuuuugh-

Des: He must have pulled some strings...

Minerva: I’m not sure if anyone can even punish him for that, not unless they can prove it was treason. =~=; Since it was clearly in personal and public interest to keep the technology of the non-Xelbots secret, that would be practically impossible.

Minerva: -Sigh-

Des: .....

Des: >> (It makes sense why he had to get them, though...)

Des: The weird thing is...

Des: Before then, and all files pertaining, there's nothing else.

Minerva: That is disturbing, if nothing else.

Minerva: Those burn scars were real. He did get injured in a fire. He mentioned that he had been so injured as part of an abduction case. Something that serious should have been in multiple FBI files. The man was tortured by someone.

Minerva: The CIA can’t find anything from Russian data banks, either. Nothing. The Russians possessing such technology has never come up on your radar, either, or else we’d know about it—because that IS your Department, literally.

Minerva: It just doesn’t make sense, Des.

Minerva: There should be dozens and dozens of files on him, if he’s telling the truth: abduction case files, foreign Doctors, people under Witness Protection, completely different robotics technology, something—

Minerva: Countershade wouldn’t have provided papers for someone he didn’t completely trust, and he was hardly the trusting sort, 000 aside. (That’s a different topic.)

Minerva: That means that the lack of information is not because of the powers of the KGB to hide things being put into use—if they had been involved in any way, ESPECIALLY if Cossack had been a spy…. If Cossack is lying, I’m sure Eight would have found out. Found out and eliminated the threat, actually.

Minerva: It’s as if he’s both lying and telling the truth at the same time…. Which in turn means either all the departments here are lying or completely incompetent…

Minerva: …Or else… there just never was anything to find.

Des: …

Minerva: …Tell me, Secretary…

Minerva: Did the files get eaten in one of the cyberattacks this year? Or am I being lied to… again? …We, rather—

Minerva: …Or…

Minerva: Is there a different reason?

Des: .......

Des: Min....

Des: -Exhales-

Des: ....

Des: I'm going to repeat what the Doctor told me.

Des: I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself...

Minerva: … (It’s not like him to be this uncertain… it must really have been something very much conflicting in nature…) Go on, Donny.

Des: He said...

Des: ....

Des: >>

Des: (Ugh, what can I compare this to...)

Des: (...I got nothing...)

Des: ....

Des: "'The truth is you will never find records of us newer than five months ago. They don’t exist because we didn’t exist here until that point."'

Minerva: …

Minerva: -Very thoughtful- …

Minerva: …Are you saying…

Minerva: (To exist and not exist at the same time… records don’t exist because nothing existed to record, and yet they clearly happened…)

Des: ....

Des: As in.

Des: At all.

Des: -Pinches nose-

Des: And then that man named Felix said...

Des: "'Like the Doctor, I am another traveler through reality.' "

Minerva: …

Des: Look before you say any—

Minerva: Incredible.

Des: --...Wait huh?

Minerva: The existence of alternate realities as true realities rather than “might-have-beens” is one of science’s greatest daydreams. There’s a reason so much science fiction exists on the matter.

Des: -Yeah but it's fiction-

Des: -Or at least it was—-

Minerva: It’s a… fantastic— that is, relating to fantasy option, yes— but my alternatives are just as strange to accept.

Minerva: The entirety of the federal government, blind to something so large and heinous as an international abduction affair that nearly wiped out a family? The same government, lying about it and lying well? One of the best of the CAL falsifying papers for a spy?

Minerva: Those are equally as implausible, in my opinion.

Minerva: There’s also the matter of the dog to consider. That thing has abilities that no other animal has. DNA has no match.

Des: The dog--?

[She looks up with a smile.]

Minerva: Yes, the dog.

Minerva: -Whistles- Scout! Come say hi to Donny!

"RARF RARF RARF RARF--"

Des: --?????

Scout: -AFFECTIONATE HEADBUTT--

[Scout used HEADBUTT! Unfortunately, because it is a screen and Des is not actually there in person, it’s not very effective.]

Des: -WH--

Scout: : D!!!!!!

Des: -Oh iT'S YOU, YOU KEEP STEALING MY SUIT PINS-

[Minerva picked up the happy Zig and gave him a kiss.]

Minerva: Yes, who’s a good booooooy~

Scout: -ME, I AM THE GOOD BOY, THE GOOD BOY IS ME-

Scout: <3~~~

Minerva: < 3~

Minerva: -Gives scritches and looks back up with a smile- Whatever reservations I might have about the investigative branches of departments, I’m fairly confident in HHS’ ability to identify if something is a dog or a raccoon or not.

Minerva: They said something very interesting about his DNA—

Minerva: Now as you know, DNA is constantly changing in little ways, that’s how biology works. It’s part of microevolution.

Minerva: They said his DNA showed the capacity for what would be regarded as macroevolution—a radical change that completely alters the physical structure of the organism to the point where it’s classified as a new species. Which is not something that tends to happen on an individual scale.

Des: ...This little guy?

Minerva: Yes.

Scout: : D

Scout: -LICKS screen, hallo person, you seem nice-

Scout: <3

Des: ....So--what, he's some kinda alien dogcoon or something?

Minerva: -Laughs- Yes, that’s the best way to put it. He’s still very close to a raccoon, though. Not quite that alien.

Minerva: Biology not normally found on earth… technology never seen before… incidents with no records which have physical evidence of having happened… an eyewitness statement of someone I trust the most besides my husband and my parents—

Minerva: No, all that together suggests that it is more plausible and likely to be correct than any of the more conspiracy-leaning theories. It’s not an easy thing to accept, but it does have a lot of solid evidence and some strong theoretical evidence behind it.

Minerva: I think we only really have two options—that there is a large conspiracy pulled off on a scale that would be astonishing to work at all…

Minerva: …Or else there really has been an incident with an intersection between realities, small enough that one family who cares could try and keep it secret.

Minerva: To put it frank: I believe you.

Des: ....

Des: -Jesus Christ Almighty this is a RELIEF--

Des: -One because now I know I'm not crazy and two--

Des: -Two because you believe me--

Des: ---...

Des: Uh.

Des: You, uh, do realize this is gonna basically tear down years of security measures if there's other worlds out there, right--

Minerva: Yes. That’s a problem I’ll have to consider carefully.

Minerva: There is a unit of the FBI that goes out to investigate supernatural claims—usually there’s a malicious hoax behind it, sometimes innocuous as an accident, though, but yes…

Minerva: If this is not an isolated incident, there’s got to be someone in that department who’s noticed. They probably didn’t come forward because of the same reasons you were reluctant to speak, yourself.

Minerva: I’ll have the vet from HHS who worked on Scout make some discreet inquiries, and see if we can determine if this is a problem or not at this stage. If it is, then perhaps our “travelers” have more to say on the matter, or could help.

Minerva: You might have to question Felix later, from the sounds of it. We’ll have to see.

Minerva: I don’t like the sounds of this Dr. Wily character—he was reckless and capable enough to overpower a Doctor of great intellect and multiple strong sons, and in doing so, set out to create an international incident. The “charges” that Cossack alluded to… it sounds very much like it had to do with a close brush with war.

Minerva: I do not like that.

Minerva: And another thing, Des.

Minerva: He said a construct named Viper was part of it.

Minerva: Constructs are often named based on appearance, power, or both, especially Combat ones.

Minerva: We have seen the unexplained involvement of SNAKES before, recently, in matters of interest. Remember?

Des: . . .

Des: (Oh no...)

Minerva: Unfortunately, I suspect you WILL have to question Doctor Cossack again before everything is said and done—off the record, for at least one occasion.

Minerva: I noticed he is a master of exact phrasing. He also may know more about what happened with Jack than he’s said—and if not, he may be at least be able to identify whether or not the snakes found in the UK match Viper’s weaponry.

Minerva: The way he talked about Jack… I do think he knows more.

Des: Hmmm...

Des: Well, if anyone can explain what happened to Jack, gotta be one of the Doctors.

Des: Dr. Sanda still needs to be questioned, but...

Des: (That has to come A LOT later.)

Minerva: -Sighs, rubbing her temples- Yes…

Minerva: He is an American citizen, but he’s related to matters in your department, so you get lead point with that. DoHS was happy to oblige, given they have enough to worry about without adding on working with an agreeable Japanese Doctor.

Minerva: The DoD needs to focus on the international angle. HHS is working with the tech departments to keep Japan updated, as they said they would send help when it was safe—and now that we know Tobias Wily falls under your jurisdiction and not Homeland Security… DLN-008 is still a person of interest as a potential security hazard, and if we can’t question him directly, the Doctors are going to need to be more forthcoming about him.

Minerva: What do you plan to talk to Soichiro Sanda about?

Des: Jeez, that is IF Doctor Cossack will let me within five feet of him...

Minerva: …?

Minerva: What do you mean?

Des: Min, he covered for him.

Des: And honestly, someone like the Doctor with that many concealed weapons on him--

Des: -We had to question him in his PJs, and even then we STILL missed something he had up his sleeve—-

Minerva: …

Minerva: What’s all this about weapons?

Minerva: You didn't mention THAT—

Des: -Well, we were more worried about whether or not you'd believe us about the whole space and time thing, but--

Des: Two blades, a pistol, a taser, and some kind of panic button made to disable human and robots by sensory overlord... -That's how he put it at least-

Des: ...And the watch...

Minerva: … -Raises an eyebrow- Well someone’s sure prepared. Sounds like you on a camping trip, actually.

Des: I know—I said something to that effect, myself. -.-;

Minerva: I wonder, though.

Minerva: From what I understand, several things factored into Dr. Cossack’s behavior. First, a strong protective fatherly instinct for his children… and the DLNs as well, it seems.

Minerva: Second, a great and terrible fear based on his last experience with a federal government—his, specifically. It sounds like they were debating on giving him the death penalty, and it got close and bad enough that he came to terms with it and helped his daughter do likewise.

Minerva: And third…

Minerva: It sounds and looks like he hasn’t really eaten or slept for three days.

Minerva: All of that together makes for a much more aggressive man than you’d find under normal conditions.

Minerva: If he’s no longer tired, and can be assured he needn’t fear for his loved ones… he’ll probably stonewall you less. He seems pretty submissive when it’s for the good of others.

Minerva: …Alternatively… you could hold the interview when Dr. Cossack is sleeping. He didn’t look very well, he’ll probably be sleeping a lot once adrenaline wears off. (And if that doesn’t work, well. : / Protocol, I’m afraid.)

Des: ...Yeah, maybe when he's asleep...

Des: Poor guy needs at least a few days of sleep...

Minerva: I wonder what Sanda’s side to all of this is.

Minerva: Remember when we spoke to him? He seemed a bit desperate to spare Mikhail Cossack the worst of what could have been as an alternative.

Minerva: He might be willing to talk for Mikhail’s sake, if Mikhail is trying to take the fall for him for something.

[She crossed her arms with a frown.]

Minerva: We can’t avoid this, Des. And out of respect, we shouldn’t try to ignore the fact, at least not for any longer.

Minerva: It’s easy for the heart to be moved to compassion. It’s in our better natures. …That’s why criminals will try to make themselves appear the victim, in hopes to avoid justice. And in turn, why that cannot be allowed to interfere with the truth. Justice is blind for a reason.

Minerva: While the situation may be sympathetic, it unfortunately does not change the fundamental reasons why he is under arrest in the first place. In fact, it may only make it worse. 

Minerva: He is the authoritative force behind multiple unregistered, highly powerful, and apparently unsupervised Combat constructs who pose significant security threats. Conventional means of dealing with them may not even work, since they can heal themselves of all but the most grave of injuries—so there’s also no easy way to keep them in check.

Minerva: As for him—he is capable of working to defend himself with the means of force without using Xel, using and working with coding that can bypass traditional and cutting-edge firewalls alike. He’s also very clever, able to obtain well-hidden information even without going to illegal measures. He’s aware of government secrets that even we barely found out ourselves, and he has no problem stonewalling investigations. If he chooses to, he can avoid detection completely, even from multiple governmental agencies of several countries.

Minerva: He’s chosen to assume responsibility for the actions of his patients. That includes: two or three accounts of hacking through military-level security firewalls to disable them, two attempted murders and one additional threat thereof, one breaking-and-entering, and the destruction of federally owned property of national historic and cultural importance.

Minerva: Those would be bad enough for anyone: such a rap sheet would easily earn him a black spot-level mission to CAL operatives… one assigned top-rank member, multiple authorized mid-rank members, and League-wide requirement to any situationally capable member.

Minerva: But he isn’t even a citizen. That makes him a foreign threat to national security.

Minerva: If he continues to stonewall us at the rate and manner he’s been doing, it’s going to quickly cost him his life.

((transition))

((Desmond returns. If the lab is empty, then… at first it seems Felix is alone, but then one can spot Dr. Cossack sleeping on part of the console nearby. Felix has muted the sound, and is currently turning over a large, decorated card in the fingers of his left hand. He seems distracted.))

Felix: …

Felix: (Darkness covered the skies, and across the land, there were screams of agony, the despair of the dying.)

Felix: (I’ve seen this before…)

((Grave Eclipse))

Felix: …

Felix: (But…)

Felix: (Why did I see that again? Everything else I saw was related to the Robot Masters in some form.)

Felix: (If I was only seeing a collection of future disasters, the visions of the past should not have been included. And…)

[He looks over at Desmond with a judging frown and piercing gaze.]

Felix: (If it were related to future troubles in which they would get involved… why was this man absent? He said he was going to take in Master Cossack for questioning, but the way everyone was acting, and the fact he was bound…)

[His frown shifted again into an aggressive glare.]

Felix: (I do not like what that suggests.)

((Des reaction, such HOSTILITY, lawls))

Felix: I’d very much like to understand what is going on, but I doubt I will get a full answer. -Giving Des a sullen stare- It bothers me to see him so submissive about something he considers to be a threat to his life, and I don’t entirely understand what put him there.

Des: >>

Des: Believe me, I'm not very crazy about all this either.

Felix: I know. Master Cossack said that as part of speaking up for you. He certainly made an effort to do that, you know.

Felix: He specifically mentioned for his sons to be left asleep when he called for me to come over with Master Cardinal’s new heart. Combined with the fact you have all of his weaponry and he told me to leave mine behind, he’s trying to make sure that it’s understood he doesn’t intend to fight back.

Felix: Who /are/ you, Master Desmond? Why is he— and everyone else for that matter— so terrified of you?

Des: ....

Des: -Sighs, pinches the bridge of his nose-

Des: That may have something to do with the fact that I'm a important government official, Mr. Felix.

Felix: …

Felix: The military leader of an empire… | [ -Obviously less than pleased-

Des: >>;; Secretary of Defense. I'm hardly ecstatic over this, you know.

Des: Because I know he's covering for DLN-008.

Des: Dr. Cossack claims to have ordered DLN-008 to infiltrate the security of our nation's Capital Building--The White House. Among other things...

Felix: …

Felix: Do you know why he -may- —theoretically—be doing that?

Des: Know?

Des: I saw. -You were there when you did... that, on DLN-000-

Des: But I assume you primarily mean the other reason...

Des: Preventing that kind of tech from falling into the wrong hands, I assume?

Felix: That’s not what I’m talking about.

Felix: Let’s play “suppose this”, shall we?

Felix: Suppose you’re right, and he is covering for Tobias.

Felix: In doing so, he’s choosing to sacrifice himself, take on the punishment—or an equivalent—that would have fallen upon the child.

Felix: Any construct in their world, should they be captured alive, would have their code analyzed and rendered inactive in the long run, potentially partially active during experimentation. Barring or including that, if a body is left behind, it will be treated in a similar fashion. Such a thing has already happened once before, and was described as one of the more horrific sights the family has seen.

Des: . . .

Des: (That's BEYOND barbaric...)

Felix: Furthermore—

Felix: The secrets of that mind would be used to tap into the collective being that the family shares, and used to track down the rest, for similar treatment. And if they did manage to escape, they would still be subject to enduring either the memories or the lasting effects of the pain suffered in the dying.

Felix: None of us have any idea what would happen to Tobias if he were—hypothetically—responsible, found responsible, and captured as such.

Felix: Once a Robot Master’s code has been altered in a way that cannot be undone, then they—as they were—die.

Felix: That happens on occasion when they suffer greatly. Their mind comes to terms with such suffering, and they change. Just like we would. It is the death of innocence, and can be described as “dying on the inside”. It is why it takes them even longer than usual to recover from such things.

Felix: But if such a thing happens to their Awareness, then they are destroyed. Permanently.

Felix: Whether or not he is “covering” for Tobias, that is what he expects would happen if the boy—or any of the others, for that matter—were to be held responsible for high crimes against the state.

Felix: So. If it is the threat of death that is so very real for offenses that must be punished, what he’d be doing— regardless of whether it’s taking the blame for them, or else just preventing miscarriage of justice through misunderstanding and fear—

Felix: —is sacrificing his life to prevent a situation which would destroy at least one, potentially drive the others mad, and send several Mighty Numbers into such madness as well.

Felix: I cannot say what exactly happened, as I was barely conscious myself at the time. I remember him saying that they must have not been given word in advance because the military commander was trapped inside. He did ask to get in touch with somebody at your military headquarters, to try and figure out what the exact situation was.

Felix: That is all I really know. He started speaking in his own language at that point, and I was too weak to continue.

[He stood up, looking over at the Doctor.]

Felix: He is tired. So tired that he is very close to making himself very, very sick.

Des: . . .

Felix: He has overworked himself for several days with little rest and even less food.

Felix: In such a state, everything becomes darker, even one’s own actions and words. I’m not entirely sure if he could give an objective account of what he was doing, even though he clearly tried. If you want to get a more accurate and complete account, you won’t be getting it by taking him elsewhere.

Felix: You’ll only get it by stating your own intentions more plainly. And that includes what would happen to him or the others, should parties be found responsible for various events—including, but not limited to, what will happen to him as things are now.

Felix: If it is not your intention to kill the electric child if he is found guilty, you must say so. But do not lie to get him to talk, or it will end poorly for you. And everyone else, for that matter.

[A pause.]

Felix: He has chosen to submit to you. Therefore, I shall respect that.

Felix: He has chosen to surrender and clearly doesn’t want anyone else to risk or dishonor themselves by breaking him out of the peril, so I will honor that wish of his.

[He grabs the handcuffs that had been taken off of Mikhail earlier, and looks Desmond in the eyes.]

Felix: Understand we’d be having a very different exchange otherwise.

[The metal condenses and twists into a pendant showing the Venus tree.]

Des: --!

Des: . . .

Des: (Just what can't he do?)

[He changes it back just as easily, and tosses it to Des for him to catch.]

Des: ! -Whoa--kind of fumbles with it before grasping it fully-

Felix: I can tell that you have some interest in me, as you asked about me specifically.

Des: ....You could say that...

Felix: I can tell you this much; I have dealt with soldiers before, and I am well aware what consequences an empire brings down upon individuals it considers to be enemies.

Felix: However, all these people are my friends, and I try to help them wherever I can. If you are no threat to them, I will be fine with helping you and your superior if it is not something that is conquest or oppressive in nature.

Des: .... Noted...

Des: (He's right--we really haven't gone over what could happen since we were too busy trying to figure out what's going on--)

Des: (But now that we have some idea of it, well.)

Des: ....

Des: We do still have to question Dr. Sanda, if possible.

[Felix couldn’t help but snort at the mental image of that.]

Des: …?

Felix: I… apologize. It’s just that he is so… -ahem- …he’s very congenial in nature, and can display rather childish behavior when nervous or happy.

Felix: A lot like Avi and his mirror, actually…

[Felix sat back down, looking over at Mikhail again.]

Felix: Master Cossack wanted you to know the truth about the worlds primarily because he wanted you to realize that Doctor Sanda and Doctor White were not part of some conspiracy involving his cover. I think he was concerned that you would hold them guilty by association unless you knew where he really came from.

Felix: Doctor Sanda has little influence over what Mikhail says and does, and even less influence over what the Rebel Angels do.

[He suddenly cracks a grin.]

Felix: …As has been seen before.

[He shakes for a moment in silent laughter, coughing once before regaining composure. …Mostly. He’s still grinning, though.]

Des: . . .

Des: -Can't help but snort a little- I heard about that...

Des: I can hardly believe Eight got involved with DLN-000 in that massive... artwork mural, we'll call it...

[Felix laughs aloud at this.]

Felix: I’m not sure how you figured it out, but I can only imagine it became obvious once you considered their abilities and the animosity the family has with that company.

Des: (The use of spray paint at the Office was a pretty big hint, too…. And those pictures he left all over Kansas City, for that matter.)

Felix: -Covers his grin with a hand, trying to regain composure again- I think you’d understand better if you knew…

[At this point, he EASILY transitions to a serious demeanor again.]

Felix: …if you knew just how deeply affected they are by that company and what they’re involved in.

Des: ?

Felix: There was a very bad accident a while back involving supplies bound for both this lab and for the company.

Des: ...Right, the Highway Delta incident...

Felix: When that happened, it was actually Dr. Cossack who suggested making the donation.

Des: --! It was...?

Felix: Yes. He’s more familiar with sociopolitical psychology and the like, and he saw that that was one of the best ways to prevent the situation from being turned against them out of paranoia. And a good way to genuinely help.

Felix: From what I understand… things ended out bad enough anyway that it was obvious it would have been far worse if that measure had not been taken.

Felix: Countershade in particular was placed under a lot of stress, and it took some reminders from Cossack’s youngest son about who had the authority to investigate—something about a Federal branch specifically for that?—such a matter, and that the responsibility was to the state, and not to him.

Des: >>; (Right, the FBI…. I do remember hearing that the director was talking with DoHS about the ordeal.)

Felix: The Rebel Angels were concerned for a while if the incident might lead to anti-construct sentiment, the likes of which led to the dismal situation in their own world. Thankfully, that did not happen, but the threat from the company was far from over.

Felix: It became a point of interest again when they learned that the team of a rival assassin had ties to that company.

Des: (Greater Dusk again. Why is it that everything seems to link back to the Queen’s Finals?)

Felix: Now, with all of this in mind…

Felix: Consider that Master Cardinal and Master Countershade are very close to one another. Being forced to separate so completely and what felt a bit suddenly was… almost physically painful for them both, from what I understand.

Felix: I still don’t know why Cardinal gained that mischievous streak of his again—but it offered him a way to give them a way out of it that would remain something positive to look back on, no matter how long they were separated.

Felix: With the pain at hand and the suffering in the past to support it, I can see why Eight took him up on the offer.

Des: Hmm. (I suppose it’s relatively mild compared to what those two are capable of.)

Felix: -Shakes his head- I think you should know something.

Des: Yes?

Felix: You already know what Tobias is capable of, so there’s no use pretending he wouldn’t be able to do this…

Des: … (I don’t like the sound of that.)

Felix: After particularly nasty episodes, both Tobias and Mikhail—primarily Tobias—expressed a desire to see what information that the company was keeping secret. Despite that, they actively chose not to take the easy—and illegal—way of getting information, because it would be wrong to do so.

[He looks up at Des with a frown.]

Felix: They aren’t out to get people, Master Desmond. Even people they don’t like.

Felix: If you want my opinion, what you are dealing with is a very scared child and a worried relative who wants to protect everyone else. Handling the situation accordingly would be the best way to diffuse the situation from the tenseness that has built to a tangible fear. They mean you no harm, and are less likely to accidentally lash out if they do not feel so frightened.

[His frown shifts to a scowl as he looks away.]

Felix: I hope you give those notes special attention. I would very much like the company to explain why it is behaving the way it is. This is now the second time they’ve publicly placed the Mighty Numbers in a very bad spot. That suggests intent.

Felix: It’s been suggested that the disasters were—directly or indirectly— caused for THAT very reason— to destroy the reputation of the White family as a team and a force of justice.

Des: ....

Des: (CherryDynamics...)

Des: (You DEFINITELY are hiding something, that's for sure...)

Felix: While I’m not sure if that’s the case, I think the possibility needs to be treated seriously.

Des: We've been looking into it. These notes can give us the extra push we need to get though to their CEO.

Des: >> ....Never did say thanks to the Doctor, though.

Des: Could you tell him that for me?

Felix: Yes, though I hope you can tell him that yourself at some point. He does want to help. He blames himself for not learning more Xel coding before this started. : / -Looks over at the sleeping doctor- It has limited what he can do in helping fix the situation. All he was able to contribute was the effects the virus had on his own servers.

Des: Wait a minute—he kind of insinuated that his servers were… well, in a different world.

Felix: Yes, they are not located in this world.

Des: And they still got infected?

Felix: Yes. I’m sorry, I don’t really know all the details. If you really wanted to know about the virus, there are only two people you can ask at this point.

Felix: Tobias is one of them. He’s fought it three times now.

Des: Three?

Felix: Yes. The recent event that we spoke of earlier was the latest. But there was also the time he fought against it for control while trapped inside Avi’s body.

Des: ...

Des: (....Ack, right, Six's broadcast...)

Des: ...

Des: And the other?

Felix: As I explained… the RobotMaster Database: Cossack server was infected. The boys fought it off on an individual basis, and Dr. Cossack ensured that they were not overwhelmed in the process.

Felix: The Doctor was able to completely remove it from the servers, though I don’t know the details. When the boys woke up, they were fine—if feeling rather hot from the strain.

Felix: I don’t know much more than that; I had to hear the short version when I was caught up to speed before bringing the core over. If you want to know more details, you will have to speak to DWN-018. He is the head of the family in lieu of DLN-000, and would make the decision on whether or not to give you details… or even let you talk to Tobias directly, if he feels completely comfortable with it.

[He looked over at Mikhail.]

Felix: …In theory, Master Cossack may be able to say more. But as a healer, I insist he gets some treatment first—starting with rest. I used a sleeping cast Psynergy on him to make sure he actually got some sleep, and once that wears off, I will chide him into eating if I have to.

Des: I agree. The man looks like he might keel over any minute, I have no problem with letting him rest.

Felix: I was worried for a moment there that he would insist on going with Master White, or even taking his place entirely. Thankfully, I didn’t have to restrain him from doing so.

Des: >>;;;

Des: I still think it's absolutely off the wall--Doctor or no, he's still a civilian...

Des: ...I can only hope Doctor White knows what he's doing...

Felix: I had no idea he owned a sword. I wish he would have told me, I could have made him one for his birthday.

[He goes over to look at a screen listing status updates from the Mighty Numbers.]

Felix: I can tell you one thing for certain. There is not going to be much of the factory’s production line left after this.

Des: What makes you say that?

Felix: DWN-013’s main weapon consists of high-grade explosives, and he’ll be in Lethal mode.

Des: … (Why only mention that serial number? Mighty Number Five is a walking arsenal, and One is no slouch with explosives, either.)

Felix: You are going to see some of what the Wily Numbers are capable of, just as much as you will get to see teamwork in the Mighty Numbers outside of the arena.

Felix: Try not to see it as a threat. Jaden is even more submissive than Dr. Cossack. >>;

Des: (It may be a bit late for that, but at least that’s better than the alternative.)

Felix: …

Felix: I would have gone myself, but it’s going to be important that there are people here when Cardinal wakes up. He’s going to be rather frightened if this happens while the lab is empty, for reasons I explained earlier.

Felix: He’ll listen to you, though, since you are a military man of authority.

Des: .... I see. (Since he explained that they would literally be torn apart back in their own home, I can see why DLN-000 would think that, waking up in a lab environment alone...)

[Felix seems tired all of a sudden.]

Felix: I wish I could have awakened sooner. I saw that was going to happen… but I woke from the vision too late to make a difference.

Felix: (There are still things I saw that I do not understand…)

Felix: …

Felix: What happened, exactly? Not the fight, I know about that. But what happened that day? From your perspective, at least.

Des: -Completely stressed look-

Des: Well, I was... with Min, and one other female--our regular secretary--figuring out how to go about damage control and rescue... as well as figuring out what the hell happened at the military base...

Des: Suddenly, everything just--

Des: My walkie went nuts on all channels, the alarms went off, and we got locked in. I got notified through the channels that someone had infiltrated the House, and then...Nothing.

Des: Everything on the comms front went dead, and all I could hear was Eight's voice instead.

Des: ....Told everyone that he was in charge now, and that the first thing he would do as acting President was to up the security of the whole place. >>

Felix: (Interesting…) So…

Felix: Some of the security in place was not yours?

Felix: I wonder which parts and whose security Tobias actually ended up fighting. -Somewhat exasperated- This is relevant and should have been discussed earlier.

Felix: Continue.

Des: Since we were locked in and without comms, there wasn't much we could do except arm ourselves with what we had. Min was very angry, trying to call her children, find a safe way out of the House...

Des: ...A bit later, though, I could hear Eight talking with someone, and distant gunfire...

Felix: That would have to have been Cardinal, as he arrived earlier. Could you hear what he was saying, or just the tone and fact he was talking?

Des: ...I heard some of what DLN-000 was saying--not all of it, though, but enough to tell that they knew each other. As for Shade, I could hear him clear enough...

Felix: … -Wry smile- Was [color=brick]he[/color] taunting the [color=cadetblue]Hunter[/color]?

Felix: Somehow, that does not surprise me. He taunted Countershade when they fought before, after all.

Des: ...They fought before?

Felix: Oh, yes--it was a very good match, truth be told. And a highly anticipated one as well. From the beginning, ever since they understood one another, he wanted to have two spars.

[He sighed, and his smile faded.]

Felix: One mostly for show, and one to push each other to the limit. I believe there is a saying in your world that fits here...

Felix:  "Be careful what you wish for."

Des: . . . (I guess he got that other spar...)

Des: Jeez...

Felix: (I doubt Cardinal will have the strength of heart to fight again for some time.)

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

=CHAPTER 7A: RUSH INTO THE MINE=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

[SANDA LABS, MIDDAY...]

“Tracing....”

[ACCESSING DATA LOGS. PLEASE WAIT.]

[.....]

[ERROR--TRANSPONDER SIGNAL NOT FOUND. RETRIEVING LAST DATA TRANSMISSION...]

[.....PING!]

[LOCATION DATA FOUND.]

Call: Tracing...

[READING LOCATION DATA...]

[GENERATING COORDINATES....]

[CALL] //: -Mass Ping!-

[There was a response ping from most of the Rebel Angels—all other than Siamini, that is. (And Cardinal, of course.)]

<DLN-008>: > -Hazy data- ?

[MN.2] //: -Sleeeepy data, what's going on now--

[DR.WHITE] //: --! Call? What is it?

[CALL] //: I believe I have located Mighty No. 4's last known coordinates, Doctor.

<DLN-008>: > -PROCESSING…-

[There was a weak cross-reference with DLN-004 before all of the message came through the parser, and he got the “Mighty” part out of that sentence.]

<DWN-018>: >Where did he end up?

[DR.WHITE] //: !!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: Yeah, where?

[MN.6] //: -Whoa that was fast, Beckroni--

[CALL] //: The coordinates from his last known transponder frequency puts him in the northern region of Wyoming.

<DWN-018>: >Admittedly not where I would have expected him to end up; I was thinking Kentucky…

<DWN-012>: >Oh, don’t be dumb. What’s the point of going into a cave that’s already all open up?

<DWN-018>: >Well, Dad would have sent him there…

<DWN-024>: >Would you two be quiet, please?

[MN.3] //: ...Zzzo Earth bro is in a mine? Aszz in...

[CALL] //: Underground, yes. That is the most likely scenario.

[CALL] //: This mine has been in production since last year, and its depth would explain why MN.4's transponder has stopped transmitting data.

[DR.WHITE] //: Of course--he must be too deep...

<MC005>: >This does not surprise me. I rather expected this, from the start.

[CALL] //: However.

[CALL] //: Because No. 4's signal cannot reach to the surface, this also presents the scenario that he is in technological isolation, and that the virus may have not reached him if he was successful in escaping in time--

[MN.9] //: Wait wait wait--

[MN.9] //: Are you saying that Mic--Mic might not even be infected?

[CALL] //: There is a 23% chance that he is not, No. 9. Please proceed with all due caution.

[MN.9] //: Well-- Yes--

<DLN-005>: >I thought you said you were all there in the Arena?

[MN.9] //: But--If Mic buried himself underground fast enough, then maybe--!

<DCN-003>: >Either way, time to find, we get ready, yes good.

[MN.9] //: Right!

[CALL] //: I can only bring you as far as the entrance of the mine, No. 9. I suggest that we send Sunny as well, as are not able to transport directly underground.

<DCN-003>: > {It is time to get ready. MNN-005, please prepare for surface duty. Lady Sanda, are we cleared to enter the private property? What is the status of surveillance in the area?}

[MN.5] //: Locked and loaded.

[CALL] //: The mine has been evacuated--but it's surveillance has been rendered offline, thus we cannot determine what lies within. I have already made the arrangements as we were speaking.

<DCN-003>: > {I mean surveillance above ground.}

[CALL] //: We have visual of the mine entrance. Please wait...

[A screen appears a moment later, showing a rather large entrance--it was definitely big enough for someone like Mic to walk into...]

<DCN-003>: > {Who else has access to those feeds?}

[CALL] //: The owner of the mine and certain authorized personal that were on-site.

<DCN-003>: >Hmm.

<DCN-003>: > {Legal discussions about the video will have to wait. Can the surveillance detect signals as well?}

[CALL] //: They can. It is part of their security measures.

<DCN-003>: > {This is problematic. Father, did you ever make transponders for us?}

<MC005>: > {I’m sorry, son. I didn’t have the time for that. Are there any spare bracers around?}

<DCN-003>: > Nyet.

<MC005>: > -Audible sigh- {Right then.}

<MC005>: > {Just get ready. I’ll work with Tobias to see what we can do before sending you over.}

<DCN-003>: > {Affirmative. Lady Sanda, is there a working surface station on the property?}

[CALL] //: Fortunately, there is.

[MN.9] //: Sweet!

<DCN-003>: > {Good, that saves time in setting up a field station. Do we have the necessary keys to access the system?}

[CALL] //: I will request them from the owner and have them ready for you when on-site.

<DCN-003>: > {Acknowledged. Please adjust the Auditory Input setting in the Accessibility preferences in the system to allow for verbal interfacing.} -No hands, no problem-

[CALL] //: Confirmed. No. 9?

[MN.9] //: I've been ready for a while! Let's do this!

<DCN-003>: > {I will join up with you on the site. Please do not enter until I have arrived.}

<DCN-003 has left the channel.>

[DR.WHITE] //: Just please be careful, all of you--who knows what else is down there besides Mic...

[CALL] //: Preparing Xel Transfer...

[MN.1] //: Good luck, Beck. Bat...watch him for us.

[MN.5] //: Yes, sir. I got him.

[MN.9] //: Thanks, bro.

[MN.9] //: I'll bring Mic back--one way or another!

[MN.9] // (And hopefully without a fight...)

[CALL] //: Initiating Xel Transfer....

____________________________________

[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 4, SEISMIC, HAS LOST CONTACT VIA DATA LOSS--THIS MINE LOCATED IN WYOMING WAS HIS LAST KNOWN LOCATION.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVES: INVESTIGATE THE MINE AND RETRIEVE MN.4--PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM SYSTEMS IF INFECTED.]

[SUB-OBJECTIVES: RESCUE ANY TRAPPED MINE WORKERS, MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT.]

SYSTEMS READY?

GO!

[It seemed like a perfect, sunny midday once Beck touched down--an odd backdrop that he found rather unfit for the situation at hand...]

[It wasn't unwelcome, though. In fact, he took in a breath of fresh air before staring down the huge dark mouth of the mine entrance...]

Beck: (...I'm really glad Shade gave me Night Vision for my C-Visor...gonna need it here.)

[PING!]

White: Beck? Do you read?

Beck: Loud and clear, Professor!

White: Digger and Bat will touch down in a moment, so please wait until they arrive before you head in there.

Beck: Roger--

Beck: --!

[It took a while for someone else to arrive at the station.

And boy, was it a bit of an unexpected entrance.]

Beck: Digger?

Bat: .....So that's his full armor...

<DCN-003>: > {That is correct, my friends.}

[…He also… had a Xel signal?]

Beck: --?????

Beck: Uuuh--?

<DCN-003>: > {Tobias and Father worked to make a small transponder that would translate our signal into a Xel signal. FMN-009 made the finishing touches. I’m glad to see from your expression that it is working, but it is just a prototype.}

Beck: Wow...that's pretty neat for a prototype, though!

Bat: And handy. Saves the trouble just in case.

<DCN-003>: > {It would be best not to discuss it out loud.}

[He glanced around the station out of the corners of his eyes.]

<DCN-003>: > {We are being watched and recorded.}

Beck: --Oh--

Bat: Indeed.

Bat: Well, you're the one with the expertise in this field, soldier. What's our battle plan?

[Digger paced back and forth. He spoke sharply, full of focus—and void of humor. (Still, he did not speak with anger or accusation.) Oddly enough, he spoke perfect English—without an accent. It sounded very odd coming from him—as if he were using a different audio program.]

Digger: Gentlemen! Today, we go underground! This is a search and rescue mission. It is imperative to remain in contact.

[He turned to face Beck.]

Digger: MNN-009 will be entering the underground on his own to clear out any infected constructs. MNN-005 and I shall serve as the surface team. We will go down after Beck if the situation calls for it. In that case, DWN-013 and DWN-018 will serve as the secondary surface team. Should they need to go underground as well, DCN-000 and DCN-008 will be the tertiary surface team.

Digger: Mighty Nine, you will place the transponder lanterns at regular intervals on the right hand side of the paths you are traversing. They will help you to keep from getting lost, and will boost the communication signal that will allow for communication with the surface team and the lab as you go deeper underground.

Digger: Should we lose contact, please continue to place the transponders anyway.  If contact is not re-established within ten minutes, the surface team will come after you.

Beck: Put lamps on the right side, even if contact's lost--I got it!

Bat: Acknowledged.

Beck: --Wait, hold up...Snow's part of the third surface team...?

Bat: Keep in mind that he was built for any terrain, Private. He's an explorer.

Beck: Ah...

<DCN-003>: > {David was built to withstand extreme conditions. He’s also impervious to being crushed, but more on that some other day.}

Beck: (Crushed...ngh, don't like the sound of that...)

Beck: (At least the fact that there's back-up for the back-up is reassuring...)

Digger: And now, it is time for you to learn the top two rules! Ready?

Beck: Yes, sir!

Digger: Rule one!

Digger: Never dig straight down!

Digger: Rule two!

Digger: Never dig straight UP!

Beck: --I'm...pretty sure I don't have anything--or form--I can dig with right now but--got it!

Bat: One more thing.

Bat: Use my form carefully down there, Beck. Don't get trigger happy with that, ya hear?

Beck: Yes, sir.

Bat: Course...If you need to get physical with Mic, just don't land one where you'll end up caving in the place.

Beck: Right, got it....

Digger: Good. The lanterns are in the backpack over there. -Points- You have also been provided with basic rock climbing gear in your size.

Digger: There will be additional resources available to aid in rescue of other persons in the mine if they are encountered.

Beck: ....Huh....

Beck: The lamps look...kinda...uh.

Beck: ...Squaaaaare...?

[After a moment, Beck shrugs and inspects the contents of the backpack before slugging it over his back.]

Beck: Thanks, Digger!

Digger: … [sub]It was his idea, not mine, but…[/sub] You’re welcome.

Digger: That’s it for now. Set off when you are ready to go.

[Beck nods and flicks his C-Visor down, giving a salute to both Digger and Bat as he turns towards the mine entrance.]

Bat: Good luck, Private. Get him back for us.

((AND HERE A PIC OF BECK LOOKING DETERMINED))

Beck: You got it, Bat! -thumbs up-

[Digger was quiet, keeping his own thoughts on the matter private. He seemed eager to enter the mine himself, but determined to keep order of the situation. He turned his attention to checking the station.]

[With a final quick look to the cloudless sky, Beck hopped down a steep ledge before breaking into a full sprint down into the darkness....]

[C.VISOR: LOW LIGHT LEVELS DETECTED. NIGHT VISION ACTIVATED.]

Beck: --Hm?

[There was a faint glow coming from the walls as he tread forward, the lights put by the workers flickering every now and then...]

Beck: Looks like the lights are still working...

[Pulling a transponder lamp from his backpack, Beck placed it firmly on the right wall like he was told--it gave off a much better light than the mine's fixated ones, thankfully...]

White: Beck?

Beck: I don't see anything strange so far, Dad--but the transponder lamps look like they're working!

Beck: I'm heading down deeper now...

[Climbing down some ledges, being careful to mind his step--the general direction was definitely not straight down, like Digger had warned him not to do--but it was down nonetheless.]

"Bzzz..."

Beck: --?

Beck: Did you say something, Dyna?

[MN.3] //: What? No...

<DCN-003>: > {Is something wrong?}

Beck: I heard buzzing...

"Bzzzzzz..."

Beck: --! There it was again!

[MN.3] //: That'szz not uszz--

"BZZZZZZ...."

<DCN-003>: > {DLN-008 is currently resting.}

<DCN-003>: > {Computer, relay audio clip at 150%, please.}

"BZZZZZZZZZZ......"

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > {OKAY THAT IS THE SOUND OF A MINING DRILL.}

Beck: Wha--someone's still drilling?

[MN.2] //: ...Do ya think it's Mic?

[MN.1] //: Could be. Although I would expect him to be quite a bit deeper...

Beck: Maybe...someone left one on?

White: Mmm...

Sanda: Oof...I'd be careful about those--the last thing we need is unmanned drills running amok!

<DCN-007>: > {I knew you should have gone with him. Your Power Capsule—}

<DCN-003>: > -Uncharacteristically harsh- {No comments from you. Go away!} D<

White: ...Well, whatever the case, proceed, Beck...with all due caution. Just be sure to mind yourself, and keep putting out those lamps.

Beck: Understood...

<DCN-003>: > {If you can, scan for signs of stability in your area, as active drilling may make the ground unstable.}

Beck: Good idea...

[SCANNING....]

Beck: ....Yeah, it seems this passage over here is stable. Heading that way...

[One more lamp stuck to the right wall...]

"BZZ! BZZ!"

Beck: ...?

Beck: Uh--is it just me or did those sound a LOT closer--

"BZZZZZZ!"

[SHINK!]

Beck: WHOA--!

[Landing RIGHT in front of his toes was a small drill bot that looked similar to a screw--with a drill on its head, of course. It was long and thin...]

[...and it had familiar red rimmed, white eyes.]

Beck: --Wait, that's--!

White: It's...a CherryDyn model...

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > …Well they ARE an industrial manufacturing company. ¬ ¬

<DCN-003>: > Why is this a surprise?

White: Exactly, there's never just ONE--!

Beck: ......

[Slowly...the Mighty Number looks up.]

[And he is met with a several dozen pairs of the same, identical eyes, boring down on him from the ceiling.]

Beck: . . .

Beck: O_O;;;

"BZZZZZZZZZZZ!"

[MN.6] //: BOOK IT BRO!

<DCN-003>: > -WAIT, BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR FOOTING—-

Beck: AAAAAAAAH--

[SHINK SHINK SHINK!]

[He dashes forward as the enemy robots drill downwards, falling through the ceiling and onto the ground like daggers, drilling back into the earth when they missed...]

[...Only to chase after him from there.]

[BLAM!]

[Beck's default weapon manages to make quick work of a few--they didn't have a lot of durability, it looks like--but their sheer numbers made up for what they lacked.]

Beck: Too many, too many--!

<DLN-005>: >You should try freezing them in place!

Beck: --!

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]

[A flash of ice coats the area, and the drill bots that had given chase--or leaped from the ground to stab--had all but been frozen in their tracks.]

Beck: Whew...

[He didn't waste the opportunity--he absorbed their Xels, taking their Speed Absorption Boosts.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Yeah...they're infected.

White: Are you alright?

Beck: Uh-huh....

Beck: ....

Beck: (But this doesn't spell good news for Mic...)

Beck: Looks like the virus IS in the mine...

Sanda: Gnh...

Beck: Call? Can you pick up anything now?

Call: I am detecting faint signals ahead.

<DWN-018>: > …? Plural?

Call: Yes. I am unable to clarify them, but judging that there are CherryDyn Industrial models on-site, there will be more malfunctioning units ahead.

Beck: --Aw, man--I REALLY don't wanna fight another Round Digger...

Beck: No offense to Buddy, but he WAS kinda tough.

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > … -…Data, we’re just- -Gonna work on analyzing seismic measurements from the transponders placed down gathering data, yeah-

Beck: Um...a-alright...

[Just as Call predicted, there were more CherryDyn models--Luckily for Beck, none of them were Round Diggers, but some flying cargo bots and more drill models--they did help fill his Xel Stocks, for the most part.]

Beck: -MAN, these things are annoying, stop trying to STAB ME FOR TWO SECONDS--

<DLN-005>: > Yay~

<DLN-005>: > If you’re annoyed, you’re not scared!

Beck: -Hey Snow--sorry, trying not to get poked with a hole here--

Beck: --!

Beck: Uh oh....

<DWN-013>: >Uh…?

[...It was a dead end...or so it seemed.]

Beck: Uh...Digger? This way is blocked...and I don't see a way around it...

Beck: Should I double back and look for another passage...?

<DCN-003>: > Hmm. {Place a transponder down.}

Beck: Okay...

[He puts on right on the wall in question, lighting it up.]

Beck: Looks kinda different from the other walls...

<DCN-003>: > -PROCESSING…-

-PING!-

<DCN-003>: > {You may remove the transponder.}

Beck: ....Oookaaaay....

[He's a bit confused, but he yanks it from the wall and puts it back in the bag.]

Beck: So...?

<DCN-003>: > {The passage is merely blocked. It is stable enough for you to clear the rubble with the use of force. Please see the attached file for structural analysis on the weak points to aim for.}

Beck: Uh....and by force, you mean...

[MN.2] //: -OOO HE'S GONNA BLOW IT UP? COOL, WHERE'S THE DYNAMITE-

Beck: Hmm....

Beck: (One doesn't seem to fit this job...I need a controlled charge...)

Beck: ...!

Beck: I got it!

[MN.2] //: -DOES IT INVOLVE DYNAMITE-

Beck: Uh, close enough?

<DWN-024>: >Please tell me you do not intend to punch the wall.

<DCN-003>: > -Beg pardon, wat-

Beck: Uh...no, I don't have Mic's form, otherwise I'd charge through it...

Beck: But I do have this!

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

((pic))

<DLN-005 has left the channel.>

<DCN-003>: > -Ack, no—David, come back—- -SKULL—-

<DCN-008>: > {I’ll attend to him, carry on.}

Beck: --Whoops....sorry...

[MN.5] //: Private...

Beck: It's okay--! I'll scan for a weak point in the wall and fire one there--that way the whole thing will come down AND I'll save time and energy.

<DCN-003>: > {He’ll be fine, don’t worry. Just taken by surprise, is all. And da, that is the best course of action.}

<DCN-003>: > {The passage continues on the other side of the blockage.}

<DCN-003>: > {This appears to be the main pathway—exploration of branches is time consuming and increases the chances of getting lost, Major.}

<DCN-003>: > {Does that make sense?}

[MN.5] //:  ..If it helps get our brother back sooner, then.

[MN.9] //: Hokay, then...

[Beck carefully trained his arm at one of the scanned weak points at the obstruction, pausing for a few moments before...]

[CHUNK!]

[A projectile similar to Bat's own missile embedded itself into the wall, blinking with a steady pace.]

Beck: Charge set. Gonna get some distance first...

[After backtracking to a safe distance, he vaulted over one of the steel crates that carried minerals mined by the workers--before the virus hit, that is.]

Beck: 3...2...1...

Beck: -FIRE IN THE HOLE--

[BOOM!]

[A great rumbling sound followed the explosion, dust and rubble flying everywhere--]

Beck: -ACKPFFPH, bleh--

[MN.5] //: Private?

[MN.9] //: -We're fine, we just got dirt in our mouth--

<DCN-003>: > Well done! ^^

[Clearly, he appreciated a good explosion.]

<DWN-013>: > -Ping of approval also-

<DCN-003>: > {Onward! Onwards to victory!}

[MN.9] //: Yessir!

[Climbing though the destroyed rubble and though the now open passageway, Beck pressed forward.]

Beck: I wonder if Mic felt that...

Beck: (I wonder if he knows I'm coming...)

Beck: How deep IS this place...?

Call: I cannot give an accurate reading of the entire mine.

Beck: (...Meaning it's probably REALLY deep...)

Beck: ?

[The mine suddenly took a sharp decline--so much so that there was a ladder in place.]

Beck: Huh.

[Hmmm.

Jaden seems a little antsy at that.]

<DWN-013>: > Careful with the ladders.

<DCN-003>: > Remember to place a transponder at the start and stop of each base of the ladder!

Beck: Got it.

[Putting one down as he was told, Beck began to climb down.]

Beck: I thought it was bad to dig straight dow--

[Bzzzzzzz...]

Beck: ....

Beck: WHOOOA--!

[KSSSSSSSST--]

[ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

[MN.5] //: Private Beck?!

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck! What happened?!

<DCN-003>: > {It sounds like he slipped off the ladder and landed on his rear.} ?__?

[DR.WHITE] //: Please, respond--Say something--!

[Static.]

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck!

_______________________________

[A FEW SECONDS EARLIER, THE MINE...]

Beck: I thought it was bad to dig straight dow--

[Bzzzzzzz...]

Beck: ... (Oh no--)

Beck: WHOOOA--!

[Beck scrambled up the ladder just in time to avoid a massive drill barrelling down the mine at unsafe speeds, crashing and crushing anything in its path. It was covered in an all too familiar purple glow.]

Beck: (The drills ARE infected--!)

[KSSSSSST--]

Beck: Ow--!

[DR.WHITE] //: Be--what happe--

[A horrid screeching feedback filled his audio receptors, and he could just barely make out his father's panicked voice.]

Beck: Dad?

[DR.WHITE] //: Please resp--say someth--

Beck: Dad? Professor? Do you read me?! Dad!

[KSSSSSSSST--....]

[Nothing. Static.]

Beck: Bat--? Digger!

[....]

Beck: Anyone! Hello?!

[.........]

Beck: . . .

Beck: (Not again...)

Beck: -Sigh-

Beck: Well...No turning back now.

Beck: I've gotta find Mic! ________________________________

[MEANWHILE, AT SANDA TECHNOLOGIES...]

[ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

White: I don't understand, I thought the transponders would keep us in contact...

[There’s a whir of data from Digger, which is largely in Russian.]

<DCN-008>: > It’s more complicated than that, Doctor.

[Mikhail turns to face Will. In contrast with his good friend, he seemed remarkably unbothered.]

Mikhail: Working underground is not a straightforward process. There is a lot of signal interference due to the density of the obstructions between the output and the receiver. Slight disturbances can cause temporary loss of contact. These can clear up pretty quickly if loose rubble is moved or thick dust settles, William.

Mikhail: You must remember—signals don’t have the same open space to move through as they do in the open air of the overworld. It works more like neurons firing, as they hop from transponder to transponder. One break in the pattern could cause difficulty. Now, that could be because of something light, or something serious.

Mikhail: However, having two teams down in the mine complicates things. If the interference is light, it can be cleaned up in under ten minutes—that’s why there’s that wait time in place. With the situation the way it is, you don’t want anyone else heading down there unless you have to. If ten minutes go by and there’s still nothing from him, then they will go down to see what is wrong.

Mikhail: I’ve lost contact with my son down in the mines more than once before. He’s always turned out fine. And while Beck isn’t made specifically for the mines, he is a resourceful young man—and if he needs help, DCN-003 will be more than capable (and I daresay eager) to supply it.

White: ....

White: Yes, yes, of course... -Breathes-

White: (There's the first, second and third surface teams...)

White: (He'll be alright...)

Mikhail: Call, some hot drinks, if you please.

Mikhail: -Sits down in a chair, crossing his legs and bridging his fingertips together- I understand your concern, William. But we know that he will be alright—either through his own power, or through the assistance of the surface teams. Normally, we might be able to do something through technological assistance, but—this time it is different, this is more of a physical location-restricted sort of thing. So the best thing is to remain calm—as, if he hears some panic when he resumes contact, it could cause him additional stress.

Mikhail: So have something warm and try to loosen up a bit. Perhaps you can use this time to look at the readings from the transponders and what sort of data they picked up from the drills and other obstacles Beck encountered.

Mikhail: -Things will be alright, trust me-

White: -....Looks nervously at the clock-

[Nine minutes...]

White: ...Alright...

Call: Your hot drinks, Doctors.

White: -Thank you-

[His terminal is brought up via a Xel Holoscreen...]

White: Let's take a look here...

[Mikhail does likewise, bringing up a map of the mine as extrapolated via the data from the transponders placed down so far.]

White: .....

[White frowned.]

White: ...Drat...

White: Judging from the data, there were traces of the virus just where we lost contact...

White: They seem to be more abundant the deeper the mine goes, so far...

White: (Which means...)

Mikhail: That’s curious.

Mikhail: That would mean that everything is moving down toward a central location.

Mikhail: Normally, you should find more abundance closer to the source of an outbreak, with fewer cases as you travel to more and more isolated areas. This is the opposite, which is quite unusual…

Mikhail: There must have been a set number of cases at the mine, with everyone starting to burrow down at different paces. ?_?

White: Strange...

White: Why would they do that?

White: (...If Mic WAS infected when he burrowed down, we should see what Mikhail mentioned...)

White: (Was the mine already infected in the first place--?)

<DCN-003>: >Mmm.

<DCN-003>: > … {When I was… changed…}

<DCN-003>: > {I had to do something I didn’t like, but I wasn’t going to make it easy. I could cause plenty of disruption underground, though it wouldn’t actually affect anyone unless they came too close.}

<DCN-003>: > {There IS another reason.}

<DCN-003>: > {Mines are not completely isolated places, Doctor. News and data from the outside world does come there.}

<DCN-003>: > {If word reached them about not only Beck, but possibly Battalion as well—apologies, Major, but—if they somehow heard that either the government and/or Master Beck were coming after them…}

<DCN-003>: > {They could very well be running away because they are afraid.}

<DCN-003>: > {Possibly…}

<DCN-003>: > {Heading down toward somewhere, something, someone they felt could protect them?}

White: !

White: Seismic...

White: Of course--he's the main defensive wall for the team, it's only logical that one would want to hide behind him...

White: (But that only means Beck will engage even more opposition as he heads further down...)

<FMN-005>: > Of course they would, even Shade hinds behind Seismic… - -

<FMN-003>: > That’szzz becauszze he’szz the only one big enough to hide her~

<FMN-002>: > -YUP, SIS BE A TOL, GLITCHES-

<FMN-002>: > Yo. Noooooodle Daaaaad mirrorrrr -Flails-

<FMN-002>: >Becky will be FINE, I mean, he took all of us on, right? 88>

[MN.1] //: Two is right. He's come this far mostly on his own power.

[MN.6] //: -YEAH BECKO CAN TOTALLY TAKE ON WHATEVER'S THROWN AT HIM-

White: ...You have a point...

[Tick. Tock.]

Mikhail: Son. Your status?

<DCN-003>: > -Cheerfully- Preparations are being made! Syncing up with Major right now to find him easily if separated.

Mikhail: Good.

[MN.5] //: Commencing decent in T-Minus 3 minutes, sir.

White: Excellent...

[MN.5] //: Anything from Beck?

[MN.6] //: Not a peep, bro.

[MN.1] //: -What is going on down there...-

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > -Mildly AMUSED, somewhat condescending data-

<DCN-003>: > Have you ever worked underground, sir?

[MN.1] //: I--

[MN.2] //: EARTH BRO TOOK US TO A TOUR OF HIS MINE ONCE--before Becky and Shade were made, tho--

[MN.2] //: -IT WAS COOL AND NOISY AND I GOT A SILVER ROCK THING-

<DCN-003>: > The veins and arteries of the earth are as foreign and rugged as the heart of the ocean. I’m sure Lady Icesphere knows what I’m talking about, da?

[MN.2] //: -PING PING PING- Dude underwater caverns and junk are the COOLEST. WE KNOW MORE ABOUT SPACE THAN WHAT'S IN OUR OCEANS, BRO, IT'S TOTALLY SICK--

[MN.1] //: -Ow, our ears--

[…]

[…And then suddenly…]

[Sorrow….]

<DCN-003>: > -Sadly- {You would have liked him…}

[MN.2] //: --? -Wait, why did the mood nosedive all of a sudden--

[MN.1] //: ....

[MN.1] //: Diveman?

<DCN-003>: > -WHIRR WHIIRR- -Yes, that is how we know of the ocean, weh-

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Quietly- {It’s alright, son.}

Mikhail: {We just need to wait a little longer.}

Mikhail: {As soon as this situation is all over, we can finish repairs on Anubis… and then start rebuilding Jacques.}

Mikhail: ({I fear I may be doing other repairs before this is over, though…})

-PING!-

<RMDC>: > ALERT: TIMER FUNCTION HAS REACHED 00:00:00.

[MN.5] //: Alright, let's move o--Hey!

[Digger has already burrowed into the earth, “fist”-first.

WOW, does he work fast!]

BZZZZZZZZZ!

[MN.5] //:

-Whatever happened to leaving no soldier--comrade--behind--WAIT--

<DWN-018>: > -sNORTS-

<DWN-018>: >Why is he making his own path? Isn’t that dangerous?

Mikhail: -Hides his smile behind a hand- Well, no, not when the mine has already been geologically mapped for stability.

Mikhail: He’s taking the most direct path through the place to bypass infected areas and make it a smooth decline for his travel companion. If Seismic IS down there, besides—it may be a bit difficult for him to travel or be carried through the path that Beck had taken.

Mikhail: Apologies, Major!

Mikhail: He gets very enthusiastic about his work!

<DCN-003>: > -SINGING THE DWARVEN DIGGING SONG FROM DISNEY- -IN RUSSIAN-

Mikhail: He’s also trying to forge ahead for you! Just follow after him, he won’t go too far…

[MN.5] //: Roger that...

[DR.WHITE] //: Do be careful down there, son...

[They descended in an even pace, and eventually drew closer and closer to the area where Beck's signal was lost.]

[MN.5] //: Battalion reporting in. So far so good.

[There was the steady sound of Digger’s drills in the background. An almost soothing white noise.]

[—…which abruptly came to a halt…]

[MN.5] //: Haven't been able to get a hold of Beck, but we're around where we last heard--

[.........]

[MN.5] //: ...Wait a tic...

<DCN-003>: > {Stand back.}

[MN.5] //: -Sound of Bat's giant footsteps backtracking-

[DIGGER used DRILL BOMB!]

[There is a faint buzzing drill noise as something burrows deep into the earth…

Followed by a muffled shaking and a screeching noise that sounded a bit like a “-SPLAT!-” and an explosion mixed together, and then some angry muffled buzzing that sounded like a swarm of bees.]

<DCN-003>: > .-.

[MN.5] //: ???

<DCN-003>: > -THAT IS THE SOUND OF A LOT OF DRILLS COMING.-

[MN.5] //: !!!

[....Wait...]

[...There was another noise, if one listened hard enough...]

[It sounded like...]

[...Screaming?]

"aaaaAAAAAH--"

[MN.5] //: -WE KNOW THAT ALMOST GIRLISH SCREAM ANYWHERE-

[Digger fires ahead a bunch of Drill Bombs, and then practically swan-dives into the ground, all of his drills going at once to clear a path.

Everything that was coming up at them was taken out, the infected Xel burnt by the incendiary components of the explosion.

It abruptly opened up into the ceiling of another path, and Digger dropped down and moved out of the way.]

Digger: BECK!

[The path opened up to a complex system of tunnels, all filled with infected drills aimlessly drilling new paths and even running into each other.]

[Bat crashed downwards without another thought, aiming his missile silos at an oncoming drill.]

Bat: FIRE!

[BOOM!]

[The drill immediately shuts down from the damage, and the glow surrounding it fades off.]

"BAT?!"

[A voice cries out and echos through the tunnels, but it was hard to make out which direction it came from.]

"DIGGER?! IS THAT YOU?!"

Bat: PRIVATE!

"GUYS, BE CAREFUL, THESE DRILLS ARE INFECTED--AND OUT OF CONTROL!"

"WHERE ARE YOU--"

Digger: TCHAH! -Agitated Russian of mild annoyance-

Digger: {We have dealt with out of control mines before, BAD, BAD DRILLS TO DISOBEY—}

[He fires off more Drill Bombs in the direction of the largest cluster of wild drillbots.]

<DCN-003>: > -Ping- {Beck, it may take some time to catch up to you!}

<DCN-003>: > {You must continue your mission carefully.}

<DCN-003>: > {Once we determine your route, we will ensure no one closes in from behind.}

[MN.5] //: Keep pushing forward, Private Beck! We'll catch up soon enough!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: Got it!

[MN.9] //: Just look for the transponders! I kept putting them down so just follow them, okay?

<DCN-003>: > -Approval data- Da! {Good work, soul-cousin!} ^^

<DCN-003>: > {We shall find you—but first, an update—}

[He sent a burst of data that was a compressed zip file of the analysis that Will and Mikhail had been doing on the situation.

…Including the theory as to why they were encountering so many drills the further down they go…]

[MN.9] //: ....

[MN.9] //: Mic....

[MN.9] //: (I...I hoped you weren't affected by all this, but...)

[MN.9] //: (I guess that was a little too much to ask for.)

[MN.9] //: I'll be prepared for more enemies ahead.

<DCN-003>: > {Good man! Speak with you again soon.}

[At that point, there was only the data—faint as it was—traveling from transponder to transponder between them.

Oh well. At least it was like feeling someone was there at your back, which had to be more encouraging than the creepy loneliness from before.]

<DCN-003 to DR.WILL, MC005, MNN-ALL, RMDC-ALL>: > -Ping- Contact has been reestablished for now. 009 is continuing on due to the time constraints.

[DR.WHITE] //: -Oh thank God--

[MN.2] //: -SEE, WE TOLD YAAAAA-

<MC005>: > … Son… these transponder data from your location…

<DCN-003>: > Da, I’m afraid it is very windy and labyrinthian. There are many stray drills on the loose.

<DCN-003>: > I shall take some time to find a way through carefully that will ensure that we and they will not cause a cave-in.

<DCN-003>: >Beck is still on his own for now.

[MEANWHILE, DEEPER WITHIN THE MINE...]

Beck: BURNING--

Beck: SPIRIT!

[Another explosion rocked the mine's walls as another drill broke down to Beck's variation of his oldest brother's signature move. He took a moment to cleanse the drill as best he could afterward.]

[One infected brother at a time was enough to deal with--he didn't need the ones coming behind him to fall into illness, or worse.]

Beck: Hooo...

Beck: (Tired...)

Beck: (Sunny would REALLY be a big help right about now--)

[RRRRRR--!]

Beck: Waaah!

[Nine couldn't stand up straight as the ground--No, the whole mine started to shake to and fro, inciting a surge of panic and fear--]

[...But just as it came, it suddenly cut short.]

Beck: What the...

<DCN-003>: > -Muffled ping of inquiry-

[It appeared that the activity had shaken off some of the transponders…

…oh dear.]

[MN.9] //: Digger! Bat!

Beck: (Nnngh...)

[RRRRRR--!]

[Oh, gosh, another earthquake--!]

Beck: !

[BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!]

Beck: O.O;;;;;;

[...That...]

((Pic))

[...Was a BIG drill--]

Beck: ....

[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]

Beck: AAAAAAAAAAAAH--

[SMACK.]

Beck: --Ow--

Beck: --!

[Great. He's in the mineral deposit area. The passage was FILLED with crates of packed earth, and Brandish's form was simply too quick to navigate in such a narrow space.]

Beck: Aaargh!

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

[KERCHUNK!]

Beck: Out of my WAY--!

[BOOM!]

[As Digger and Bat closed in on Beck, they would find a trail of utter destruction left behind in the from of broken drills and rubble.]

[BOOM!]

Bat: I told him not to get trigger happy with that--

[BOOM!]

Bat: ... -Although we do appreciate his enthusiasm-

Digger: …

Digger: I don’t think that’s it.

Digger: He knows how nervous my cousins are about the use of explosives…

Digger: AND you told him not to go overboard.

Digger: So I don’t think he’d be doing that unless…

Digger: Unless he has to…!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: -STATIC, BUT THERE IS SCREECHING-

Bat: BECK!

Digger: !!! -TIME TO SCRAM—-

BZZZZZZZZZ!!!

[Bat wastes no time blasting through the rubble in order to get to his brother, who was in a bit of a...Well.]

[A rock and a hard place, to put it simply.]

[Beck outran the giant drill as fast as he could, but he soon came up to a dead end.]

Beck: No no no--!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!

bzzzrrrrr…

Beck: !!!

rrrr…

BZZZZZZZZZ—

RRRRWHRRRRRRRR—

[There is a flurry of pings that sounds like someone spamming the “send” button.]

Beck: -PING PING PING--

[B O O M--!]

[A series of chain explosions following—]

WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRR—

[C R A C K!]

[One side of the passage wall breaks down, and dust and smoke burst forth!]

"READY--"

[But in the smog, a distinct barrel shape--]

"AIM--"

BZZZZZZZT--

[Beck is knocked down and brought into the ground by a sudden tackle.]

Beck: --!!?

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

[KER-BOOM!!!]

[There was the sound of metal screeching to a slow crawl, fire, chaos--]

[KER-BLAM!]

[--Followed by another explosion.]

[Beck stops being carried downward.]

Beck: !

[In the pause, some glowing eyes blink.]

[…]

-Ping-

<DCN-003>: > HELLO, BECK, you are okay yes good ^^

Beck: DIGGERRRR--!

[PING!]

[MN.5] //: HOORAH!

[MN.5] //: Take THAT, you pathetic pile of scrap! I've met toasters who were tougher than that!

<DCN-003>: >Up we go~

[Beck is hoisted up through the darkness as Digger makes a path upward with his head and right carrying Beck in the crook of his left.]

Beck: -Man, am I glad to see you guys...-

[They come back into the tunnel, a few feet from where Beck had been.]

Digger: -Is now up in the open, puts Beck down- Hi. : D

Beck: BAAAT--

Bat: Private--

Beck: BAT--

[CLANK--]

[Beck runs into his brother with outstretched arms, affectionately hugging his leg.]

Beck: -Broooooo-  < 3

Bat: Heh.

Bat: Good to see ya still standin', brother.

Digger: Of course yes is YES GOOD very nice, yee. -Ping ping-

[He places his feet in a firm stance.]

Digger: Beck! Do you need some healing?

[He shakes open his arm, opening a port and drops out a few cans of some sort.]

[…They weren’t QUITE E-tanks…]

[One was some Xel stock, it appeared, and the other…?]

Beck: -AW YES-

Beck: -Grabs the Xel Cubes--

[XEL STOCKS REPLENISHED.]

Beck: ...?

Beck: What's this other one...?

Digger: That is what twin cousin found! ^^

Digger: Proven well work all organics and constructs also, yes good.

Digger: If you’re all better, spray it on your brother, da?

Beck: Ooooh...

Bat: Could use a top off. Gimmie that.

[Beck does so, spraying it in Bat's direction. He curiously started scanning it himself...]

[It seemed to be rather strange. A sort of liquid energy. Upon contact, it transformed into hardware replacement for the slightly singed soldier.]

Bat: Well, I'll be darned...

Beck: Coooool....

Digger: c:

Beck: Really gotta thank Siam for this stuff...

Bat: Private.

Beck: ?

Bat: I've cleared the way for you.

Bat: Haven't seen or heard from Mic?

Beck: No...

Beck: But we ARE pretty deep...

[Digger hums thoughtfully.]

Digger: Others, they told you to stay away, da?

Digger: If he knows, he may want to be left alone, or otherwise keep you at distance.

Beck: Yeah, but...

Beck: He'd at least say something, or, ya know, try to keep me away like you said...

Beck: I haven't even felt his signal, or... anything, really.

Beck: It's...weird... (And unnerving...)

Digger: Tsk.

Digger: When someone likes us wants to be left alone, we try to avoid being traced…

Beck: Hmm...

Beck: Do you think maybe something hap--

[RRRRRRRRRRR--]

Beck: -oH BOY HERE WE GO AGAIN--

[Amusingly enough…]

[Despite it jostling the others QUITE a bit…]

Beck: -AAAAAH, MY LEGS FEEL LIKE JELLO--

Bat: -Gnrh--

[…Digger kept a firm footing, and was not at all moved.]

Digger: {That registered pretty high.}

Beck: @~@

Digger: -Uuuup we pull the soul-cousin, by the crook of our arm-

Beck: Ugh...

Beck: That was so not a drill...

Digger: Nope! Drills make THIS noise.

Digger: -Drill twirl-

Bat: Sounded like it came from deeper in.

Beck: ....

Beck: It's gotta be him...

Beck: (I got this gut feeling it is...Don't know why...)

Digger: Hmm!

Digger: You get ever closer! -Chipper and cheerful- We have to clear a way back up and out.

Beck: Yeah.

Beck: ...

Beck: Actually, I think the thing that Bat blew up WAS the door...

Digger: Door?

Beck: Ya know, the--ya know what, never mind.

Beck: I'm heading in. You guys work on the exit tunnel for me and Mic, okay?

Digger: Da. Hup hup!

Bat: Sounds like a plan.

Bat: ... Don't give up, soldier.

Bat: Bring our brother back to home soil.

Digger: Oh, he shall!

Digger: Come, we must go. Not safe for us further down, much earth and hard hitting brothers!

Digger: BUT.

Digger: The smaller, they are quick and nimble and move better, da? ;D Like David~

Beck: Eheh...

Bat: Hmm. Too right, comrade.

Bat: Go get'em, Private Beck.

Beck: Yessir!

Digger: We go~

Digger: -Already starting to drill, WHEEEEEE-

Beck: ...Wow, he works fast.

Bat: You don't know the half of it...

[After salutes were exchanged, Bat--more or less tried to keep up with the happy-go-lucky drill bot. He wasn't exactly built for speed, himself.]

Beck: Heh...

Beck: (I'm glad they're here now...)

Beck: ....

Beck: -Intake of air-

Beck: Here we go...

[The passage went on for another while, the lights a soft red and blinking every so often--they seemed to be emergency lights, in fact.]

Beck: (...It's...)

Beck: (So...quiet....)

Beck: -Ngh, don't like it all quiet...-

[Not even crickets could chirp, deep down here in the earth…]

Beck: !!

[Then...]

[The passage suddenly opened up.]

[A lot.]

Beck: !

Beck: Whooooa...

[His voice echoed into the massive cavern, reverbing into the clearly natural cave--something this massive couldn't be made by human hands--although the lights put up on the walls suggested it was found, rather than made.]

Beck: (Huge...)

[...It didn't help that the atmosphere only made him feel smaller than usual...]

Beck: (...I kinda don't WANNA talk in here...)

Beck: (...It's kinda like--I dunno, something is telling me to be quiet...)

[WRRRRRRRRRRRR...]

Beck: !!?

Beck: Aw, come on--!

Beck: Getting really tired of all the giant drills--

[Sure enough, another drill was heading towards the younger Xelbot--although he wasn't too concerned, as there was plenty of room to avoid it--]

[RRRRRRRRRRR--!]

Beck: --!!!

[Two seconds later, the whole ground shook and Beck was launched at least 6 feet into the air!]

Beck: -WAAAH, WHAT IS--

[SMACK--]

Beck: -Muffled pained groans-

Beck: Guh...

Beck: M...Mic...?

[As his vision focused back, there was a loud crashing sound--]

Beck: !

[--Just in time to see the huge mass of Xel that was his brother wreck the same drill with one swift shovel punch. ]

Mic: GRRGH!

Beck: MIC! And still operational--!

Beck: -Oh man I am so glad to see you YOU'RE OKAY--

Beck: I mean, of course you are, like Dad said--

Mic: -STOMP-

[C R A C K!]

Beck: --!!!

[Oh dear.]

Beck: M...Mic?

[This didn’t look good.]

Mic: GRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

[Mic slammed his huge shovel claws into the ground, making Beck scramble backwards in fear of being caught up in whatever attack--]

[WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM--]

Beck: AAAH--!

[--which happened to be giant pillars crashing down from the ceiling, quickly boxing them in.]

Beck: Mic--!

Mic: . . . .

[WHANG.]

[Mic didn't say a word. Merely crashed his shovel hands together.]

[...As if he were a bull hoofing the ground before charging. ]

Beck: Ohhh...You too?

Beck: (I really hoped you weren't...)

[He sighed.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Then I'm sorry, Mic...

[SCANNING...]

Beck: But I got to take you down--!

[SCAN COMPLETE]

[MODEL NUMBER: MIGHTY NO. 4. CODENAME: SEISMIC.]

[HEIGHT: 280cm WEIGHT: 690kg XEL COUNT: 138,000,000]

((Boss pic))

[Seismic, the walking earthquake. Many have seen this usual gentle giant crush many opponents in the arena, but only when it was absolutely needed. ]

[The truth is, Mic was built to be a defensive wall for his other sibling teammates while they either set up, took cover, reloaded or just couldn't take any more damage.]

[And while Mic's defense was impressive enough, it was his inborn Power and control over Earth that made him a force not to be reckoned with...]

Mic: .....

[He could also be quick about it when he had to.]

[In an instant, Mic's feet transformed into tank tracks, and he charged so fast, it was almost as if there was a shell of energy around him--!]

Beck: --!!!

[Beck shot at him in order to get him to stop--]

[But they just bounced harmlessly off.]

Beck: Wha--!

[BAM!]

[Stars and static swam across Beck's vision as he was violently smashed across the room, hitting himself hard on one of the pillars that littered the place.]

Beck: -Disorientated Data--

Beck: Guuh...

[...Strangely, a second attack did not come.]

[It was only when Beck managed to regain some sense that Mic charged again.]

Beck: --?!

[THIS time, Beck jumped and dashed over to avoid it, tucking himself in to shoot at his brother overhead.]

[It seems like the shield did not reach Mic's backside--!]

Mic: -Ggrh--

Beck: (Sorry, Mic!)

[REXELECTION: BATTALION.]

[Beck planted a missile on the ground once he landed--]

[WRRRR--]

Beck: !!

Beck: ARUGH--!

[A sharp, splitting pain sliced through his side, narrowly avoiding the drill that shot forward from Mic via a strong Xel cable.]

[WARNING: XEL LOSS IMMINENT.]

Beck: --!

[The ground was stained with a glowing blue.]

Beck: (He got through my armor--?!)

Mic: GRRRRRRGH!

Beck: -GNH--

Beck: FIRE!

[BOOM!]

[The placed missile picked up on the command, and detonated, knocking both Mighties away from each other.]

Beck: -Ngh...-

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

[It was difficult to see where Mic landed, but judging from the collapsed pillars, he at least hit back hard himself.]

[ XEL ABSORBED. XEL COUNT NORMALIZED. ]

Beck: Stop it, Mic! Please! I don't want to fight you!

[.......]

Beck: Mic--?

[Why wasn't he--]

[C R A C K.]

Beck: !

[The whole floor gave away.]

Beck: WAH--

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

[As the floor collapsed to a lower level, Beck heard a loud buzz just below where he was hovering--]

[WHAP!]

Beck: --!

[It was another drill shot, but at a angle--in which instead the cable wrapped around Beck's leg instead of impaling anything--]

Beck: Hey--!

[YANK!]

[WHAM!]

[Beck was brought back down to the earth, slammed into the ground without mercy. He was hit so hard that he reverted back to his default form.]

Beck: -Nngh...-

Beck: -Can't...-

Beck: (If he keeps hitting me like this...)

[Mic rose from the ground glaring at Beck with darkened eyes, still not saying a word.]

((Pic))

Beck: (I'm not sure how long I can hold out...)

Beck: (Gotta...Gotta think of something..)

Beck: (I can't get through Mic's defense, so I gotta outsmart him somehow...)

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

Beck: (Gotta hit back where it hurts...)

[His skewed gaze sweeps across the room, until finally settling down on the fallen pillers...]

Beck: --?

Beck: (Wait--that's it!)

Beck: (I just gotta hit him with something bigger--)

Mic: RRRRRRRRRRR--!

Beck: MIIIIC!

Beck: Just hang on a little more--

Beck: I'll get you thinking straight, and back to the Professor, and everyone else!

Beck: I PROMISE!

Mic: -CHARGE--

[Beck leaves another missile in the ground before dodging, and then detonating it, making sure Mic got caught up in the blast--he had to at least chip away at his stamina before he could get this plan to work...]

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

Beck: Heeeeey!

Mic: --!

Beck: Up here! You can't touch me up here!

Beck: c:

[As expected, a drill shot attempts to hook onto him to drag him downwards--]

[He nimbly avoids it, and the other that soon followed it--he had two, of course.]

Beck: Nope! Try again!

Mic: RRRRGH!

[It goes on like this for a while, with Beck just avoiding the drill shots and taunting Mic to come after him...]

Beck: Over heeeere--!

Mic: RRRRRGH--

[SHUNK!]

[For some reason, the drill does not retract--?]

Beck: (Yes!)

Beck: You still got the other one, though! C:

Mic: -R O A R--

[SHUNK--]

Mic: --???!?

[Mic furiously kicked it in reverse once he saw that his drills were stuck into something metal, following Beck as he flew in behind him just out of his reach.]

Beck: Oops.

Beck: Are you stuck?

Beck: Sorry about that.

Beck: I kinda figured that I needed to get you to stop hitting me so hard?

Beck: It really hurt.

Mic: RRRRRRRGH!!!

Beck: By the way, uh.

Beck: You might wanna look at what you're pulling.

[He points up.]

Mic: ....!

[Creeeeeeeeeeek--]

Beck: SORRY, MIC--

Beck: See ya next fall--

[Beck speeds through the air out of the looming shadow of the giant pillar Mic had lodged himself and pulled out of alignment, tipping over just enough to--]

[C R A S H!!!]

[The resulting collision was enough to rock the whole mine, and even register as seismic activity on certain monitors.]

Beck: -COUGH, ACK, DIRT IN MOUTH AGAIN-

[As he lands, he uses his propellor arm to blow away the dust clouding his vision.]

Beck: Okay I may have over done that--

Beck: MIIIC?

Beck: Brooo?

Beck: Um...Mic?

Beck: Sorry about kinda crushing you?

Beck: Miiic--

[CRASH--]

Mic: RRRRAAAAAAARGH!

[An arm suddenly SHOOTS up from the earth, and Beck is pulled downward with a SCREAM.]

Beck: -SHRIEK--

Beck: -ZOMBIE--

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

[The arm retracts, only to reappear again to grab Beck's other leg--]

Beck:

-NO, STOP IT, HORROR MOVIE FLASH BACKS-- [REXELECTION: BATTALION.]

Mic: -REACH, MUST BRING HIM DOWN--

Beck: I SAID STOP IT!

[B O O M!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[There was a deep, deep rumble, and once Mic resurfaced, it was clear he took on quite a lot of damage.]

Mic: Rrrrgh....

[And running out of steam, to boot.]

Beck: (Almost--)

[KERCHUNK.]

Beck: One more should do the trick...

Mic: Rrrrgh...

[He was clearly in pain...]

Beck: .....

Beck: -Shuts his eyes---

Beck: Sorry, big brother...

Beck: Time to come topside.

[REXELECTION: DEFAULT.]

[BLAM!]

Mic: Rrrrgh--!

[WHUMP.]

[XEL ABSORBED]

[XEL QUOTA REACHED. XEL PURGE IS PRIMED AND READY FOR OVERDRIVE.]

Beck: So SNAP OUT OF IT--NOW!

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

[..........]

"Wow..."

"I-I can really have this?"

"Hmm hmm. Mic got special rock for you."

"It Quartz. ^w^"

"Wow...You always bring home so many neat rocks, Mic!"

"...But um...I got a question..."

"I know you got a rock collection and all, but--Dad says that some of the stuff from your mine is, like...Really expensive?"

"Why don't you sell them?"

"Mic do. Not all, though." "More important things than money. Mic like these rocks." "Why?" "They special TO Mic."

"They have special memories. ^W^"

"And Mic got special rock for special brother."

Mic: ....Rgh...?

"Aw, Mic...You really think I'm special?"

Beck: !!

"Hmm hmm!"

"Beck more special than any shiny rock on Earth!"

Mic: ...?

Mic: Beck...?

Beck: BIG BROTHER--

Mic: Ow...

Mic: Why... Why Beck HERE...?

Mic: ....Why Mic here--

Mic: -Why do we feel hurt all over??? Ow--

Beck: MIIIIIIC!

[CLANK--]

[Instead of answering his brother's confused questions, he simply glomped into his fallen form, looking even smaller next to his giant sibling.]

Beck: -MIIIIIIIIIC--

Mic: ?????????

Mic: -...Wait, we are underground, WAS THERE A CAVE IN--

Mic: Is--Is Beck okay?

Beck: -Sniff-

Beck: Y-Yeah.

Beck: I'm okay...

Mic: -Nnngh--

Mic: M...Mic can't move--

Mic: -What happened, why can't we remember the last week--

Mic: Beck--shouldn't be here, it dangerous--

rrrrr…

Beck: !!

Mic: ? -Drill?-

RRRRRR…

RRRRRRRR…

“aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAA—”

[WHANG!]

Mic: OW--

Digger: @.@

Mic: .....??????

Mic: D--Digger?

Mic: Why Drill Brother here--

Mic: -What is going ooooooon-

Digger: …

Digger: -Perks up- HELLO YOU BETTER?! YES GOOD—

Beck: YEAH I DID IT--

Digger: -Civ form now, patpat as sprawlhug-

Mic: -Oh, okay, hugs now, apparently-

Mic: -No objections here-

Digger: MAAAAJOR YOUR BROTHER BETTER NOW YES GOOD

Bat: -From farther up the tunnel- HOORAH!

Bat: MIC! YA HEAR ME?

Mic: -PING!-

Mic: -Baaaaaaat-

Bat: NICELY DONE, PRIVATE!

Beck: ^.^

Bat: DON'T WORRY, SOLDIER, WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO RETRIEVE YOU!

Mic: -Again, confusion, but we're going to assume there was a cave in so, okay-

<DWN-018>: > Nice of you to make such a nice path to get through.

<DWN-018>: >We should be down in a few minutes. I’ll carry you out.

Mic: -PING, okaaay-

<DWN-018>: >You’ll have some proper rest. And plenty of companionship.

Beck: Yeah...

Beck: -Hooof, we're also gonna rest on top of Mic bro- -Is very sore-

Digger: HOKAY THEN, yes good—

Digger: OH! Any news of Felix? Is he better?

<DWN-018>: > …

<DWN-018>: > One thing at a time, cousin. =__=

<DWN-018>: >We’ll get you both back, and worry about the other rescues later.

Mic: --?????

<DWN-018>: >So everyone hang tight.

Beck: Got it!

Beck: Try to relax for now, okay, bro?

Mic: -Deep rumbles of thought-

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

Writer Journal Entry

{Wednesday, September 25th 2019T}

//This blog is going to be repurposed to be a story-oriented blog. The characters from sirensniper will be moved over to join the crew on @mowseries.

This is a placeholder style announcement. Proper explanation and frills will come after I have things set up.

Not sure how much good this will do, given it’s about to be buried under nearly 200 more posts.

—T.

---

=CHAPTER 4C: AVI’S NEWS REPORT=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

{The Meadow}

[The sun beats down relentlessly as the eldest three Mighty Numbers listened to a story and ate ice cream.

It was a new day; a quiet one, after such a tense battle the day before. And while all the malware had been purged… there were other problems to worry about regarding Avi and Tobias.]

“The thing that causes us to age the most intensely is being witness to suffering and understanding that we’re responsible for it…"

[The magnetic field shifts somewhat as Nico gently came down from the roof and hovered over.]

Nico: …the second is seeing others suffer and being unable to either prevent or assuage it.

Nico: -Touches down- Honestly… it was all a bit inevitable once he started the process of getting through his denial. : /

Pyro: !

Dyna: Nico...!

Cryo: -SHOVES MORE ICE CREAM INTO MOUTH, WAVES-

Nico: (It’s just that he’s blaming himself instead, which… isn’t really a whole lot of progress…)

Dyna: .........

Nico: -Tired smile- Hey guys.

Nico: I am so glad to see you guys again.

Pyro: Trust me, the feeling is mutual. | ]

<DWN-018 to MNN-001>: >And while I like the ladies just fine, I am ESPECIALLY glad to see you Pyro, my stars—

[MN.1 to DWN-018] //: Eheh....

[MN.1 to DWN-018] //: I...I was the first to be rescued. It certainly helped the others...

Nico: I dunno about for you guys, but it’s been about a MONTH on this end.

Pyro: --?!?

Dyna: wait what--

Cryo: -W H A T-

Mari: ...Yeeeeaaaaaaaah that...

Nico: Time does tend to pass a lot quicker here for some reason, though, so… yeah.

Pyro: I...

Cryo: Bros it's only been about--heck not even A week--

Mari: It's been a total of--maaaybe 5-6 days?

Nico: Boy, is there a lot that Nineteen has to share with you guys. I wish we had better news, but our research projects hit a grinding halt when the plague hit. We might have made the breakthrough by now, but all of our supplies got raided.

Pyro: -IRRITATED HUFF- Cardinal...

Nico: Yeah. He kinda… ran off with, well. Everything?

Pyro: | [

Pyro: ........

Pyro: -Siiiiiiigh-

Nico: And left me in charge, it is so hard to keep a bunch of anxious Wilybots together, man—

Nico: I really hope to get sign of him soon. I have an idea of where to start looking, but it’s not very likely he’d still be there. And even if he were… =___=; I’m no tracker, like [color=blue]he[/color] is.

Nico: Shadow might be able to find him, but… he went Offline shortly after you blocked Cossack, Py. I can only assume he had been talking to Brand and it was something Brand said? Because it was an Emotions.exe -induced Stop error, which wasn’t something he’d ever had before.

Nico: Please tell me you’ve gotten word on the two wayward crimson clad, yellow scarved night walkers.

Pyro: ....No.

Cryo: We...don't know where either of them are. I mean--now that Avi's not sitting on the signals--tracking will be easier...

Dyna: -Data, maybe when Hoverbro wakes up...-

Nico: …

Mari: Buuuuut Cardinal turned off his transponder--

Nico: -Kind of just… turns to the side at that, a neutral kind of cold thoughtful… much like Cardinal used to be about something he didn’t like-

Nico: …Right… Aviator…

Nico: You guys might wanna let Cossack and White do some debugging.

Nico: …actually wait, now that I think on it, I haven’t seen Cossack all day…

Ambassador: Yeeeeaaah that’s probably where he is right now.

Nico: Mmrrph.

Nico: …

Nico: I don’t think it would be a good idea for Aviator to see us for a while.

Pyro: .........

Dyna: But--

Pyro: No--he...he's right.

Pyro: Avi...

Nico: He saw too much and Turbine /said/ much more.

[His eyes flare solid green for a moment and he hovers in agitation, looking cross.]

Nico: His threat rating got jacked all the way to BLUE, for life’s sake—!

Nico: Ugh, it’s going to take FOREVER for Siam to fix that in the database at this rate!

Cryo: (B...Blue...?)

Pyro: . . . .

Dyna: (Avi--thiszz iszz going to be zzso HARD on him...oooooh you zzstupid bi-plane, why do you have to be ZZSUCH a blabbermouth...?)

Nico: And he’s not the only one.

Dyna: ....?

[As if in a horror movie, the line suddenly is overcome by echoing pings as the others all give their input, Online or not—]

>DEATH WEARS [color=cadetblue] BLUE [/color]

Dyna: --!

Pyro: (Shade...)

[There’s a sudden fear spike, followed by an abrupt silence, and then irritation.]

<DWN-019>: > -PING!- Alright, what is it NOW, Nico—

<DWN-018>: >Have you even bothered to look out the window, dude?

<DWN-019>: >That doesn’t answer my question! I’m really busy right now, I don’t want you going and causing additional nightmares in the Second Gens, it’s bad enough already!

<DWN-018>: > …Yeah, I’ll just get straight to the point. The Whites are here.

<DWN-019>: > … OH! Oh, gracious me, I’m so terribly sorry—

[MN.1] //: It's fine, Siam. Good to hear from you again.

[MN.3] //: -BZZZ, HI SIAM--

[MN.2] //: Yo.

<DWN-019>: >I already sent over my analysis to your father. For now, I’m focused on a new project. I don’t think I can be of much more help except as a lab rat, with all of you—and I apologize for that. I just don’t know enough about Xel and coding with it.

<DWN-019>: >I’m returning my focus to the energy projects. Lord knows we’ll need the results soon enough, whenever we DO manage to find him…

<DWN-019>: >How is Turbine doing?

Nico: …

<DWN-019>: > … -REALIZES HIS MISTAKE- -DATA AAAAAAAA I AM SO SORRY IT’S JUST THAT—-

<DWN-019>: > -Gah, 19-G, go fix that in the database, will you—-

[MN.1] //: -deeeeep breath-

[MN.1] //: Still in Deep Sleep Mode. Father is already working on repairs.

Nico: -Facepalm- When was the last time you ran a Deep Sleep cycle?

<DWN-019>: > Oh, don’t you lecture me on that.

Nico: …Not since last night, when we got the data dump, clearly. Please have at least ONE of you do that. Like, now, please.

[There’s some strange abstract data for a while. Nico takes the time in the silence to set up a grill and start making hot dogs as the others finish off their share of ice cream. After a while…

…Gemini himself comes outside.]

Gemini: Sorry for the delay. I am not easy to set into Sleep mode when working on an active Analysis command.

Gemini: -Sits down- I need to talk to you about Aviator, though.

Pyro: .....Yes.

Dyna: .....

Cryo: -Hoverbro why did you have to be such a huge jerk...-

Pyro: -Hush--

Gemini: Hmm? No, no, not Turbine reborn—Aviator. …The two are both relevant in this particular discussion point to start off with, I suppose, but.

Gemini: What do you know of what happened in the beginning? Not just regarding Aviator—regarding what happened over here and between us, in general.

Pyro: .....

Pyro: I had--well, we were informed of after we were rescued by Beck--

Pyro: The virus had infected all the servers--including the RMDC. It...sent you and the entire line into Lethal--to us, it looked as if you were ALSO infected--

Cryo: But--it, like...didn't...

Dyna: ..........

Dyna: And then--Avi...and Toby...

Gemini: …

[He’s quiet for a while before he speaks.]

Gemini: We were in Lethal when things happened because we were terrified, and saw an active threat. To you, to us…

Gemini: Snow had thrown a temper tantrum that could have killed the flora around here if he hadn’t been shut down on emergency. Tobias had been… well, more on that in a moment. Dr. Cossack felt threatened, and Shadow had fainted because he first came to know despair—he’s still getting used to emotions overall, you see, so he’d never felt that before.

Gemini: In short, we were in Lethal because Tobias had been attacked to the point where he went Offline.

Gemini: …The virus itself just gave us… nightmares and fevers, really.

[He looks up for a moment with a steady gaze.]

Gemini: I’ll spare you technical details. Suffice to say, the conflict of Awareness and Emotions alongside the Lethal mode has already been a point explored very thoroughly in our own world.

Gemini: But.

Gemini: There is already so much suffering and anger and fear and hardship that we put up with and deal with… that it really doesn’t drive us mad. The Awareness function cannot be overridden that way, and so there is no loss of control.

Gemini: -Dryly- You could say we’re permanently infected, in a sense. There’s always that resentment lingering in the darkness, and I admit—at times, it can be a challenge to accept what happened and let it be.

Pyro: (Resentment...)

Dyna: -bzzzzzz...-

Cryo: ......

Gemini: It is possible to lose oneself in the moment—it’s happened plenty of times. But it’s really… just a way we’re more human than anyone will ever readily admit, to be honest, when you consider the context…

Gemini: With us—all in all, in the long run—the pain had driven us to mourn, not to lash out. So… it didn’t work. Other than to, quite frankly, [tick] us off.

Pyro: ...-Arches eyebrow-

Cryo: -She can't help but snort at that, heh--

Gemini: -Interlocks his fingers and peers over them- Now, as for Turbine and Tobias…

Gemini: That’s where things start getting “interesting”.

Gemini: Tobias is particularly sensitive to wireless signals. He has to be, to compensate for the electrical fields that he himself puts out—and the fields he would have been in, working in a power plant.

Gemini: Perhaps the virus recognized that Tobias had once spread terror, himself—albeit unwittingly. Who knows?

Gemini: In any case, it tried to take control over his body, too. Truthfully, if that HAD succeeded, it would have been beyond disastrous—given that we have a hive-mind of sorts, and Tobias is the master of the database, inside and out.

Pyro: --....

Dyna: -Bzzz bzzzzzz tobyyyyyy--

Gemini: I’m not sure exactly how that would have played out, but you can bet it would have been unpleasant and that things would be much worse for you all right now—but thankfully? …It didn’t go very well for Turbine.

Gemini: Unfortunately, it didn’t go well for Tobias or Aviator, either.

Gemini: Do you remember what Cardinal said about ways to fight off possession?

————————

“In that case, causing an information overload is the best option. For us, that would involve opening the floodgates of the database with cross-references at full volume: sensory data, memory, emotions, the works.”

————————

Pyro: ......

Pyro: --.....!

Pyro: He--Avi-- no--

Dyna: .....!!!!

Gemini: …In this case, it wasn’t actually on purpose.

Gemini: You see, for us? Such things are always active in the background. Anyone hooked into the system the way we are constantly gets distracted by little “oh, this reminds me of that” sort of things.

Gemini: We’re different enough that it usually doesn’t actively require much effort to spare you guys from that—except when we’re upset enough to be actively broadcasting it, in which case it requires a LOT of effort.

Gemini: Turbine was trying to reach not only control of Tobias, but also of the server itself—and that was the worst mistake he could have made. Because… he succeeded in getting access to the feeds. He never got any further, because…

Cross References...memories...

Cryo: --!

Pyro: Avi--...

Pyro: Avi.... saw them, didn't he...?

Gemini: …yes. Yes— he saw. I’d estimate, oh—

Gemini: Around 35-40 active cross-references of violence, death, fear, and pain?

Gemini: Not even just from us—there were some from Felix, too, due to the nature of certain Writer-scroll uploads—

Gemini: And keep in mind, this IS a full sensory experience and ALSO all playing at once.

Pyro: . . . .

[There are tears starting to well up in Cryo's eyes--and Dyna was clutching ever so tightly on her cloak.]

[Pyro...was silent...]

[MN.3 to MN.6] // A-Avi...?

[MN.6 IS CURRENTLY IN DEEP SLEEP MODE.]

Gemini: It was bad enough to break past Turbine and get to Avi, from what I understand.

Gemini: Furthermore—just because the communications were broken off… that doesn’t mean he’s no longer connected to our feeds. He’s particularly subject to whatever cross-references Tobias might make, since, well…

Gemini: Yes, Six did get access to our feeds through Light Eight, but…

Gemini: …Tobias’s system responded by rewriting itself to receive information from a Xel chassis and the correlating database system.

Pyro: What--?

Dyna: --He rewrote himself...?

Cryo: B...Bro....

Gemini: If it had kept going? He would have been ultimately possessing Aviator, probably having to battle the virus itself in the process for control.

Gemini: It stopped short of that because they all fainted from trauma, of course, but—

Gemini: There was a part of him left behind, meant to get data from Avi, so that coding was still active within Six even though you were all cut off from the RMDC main server.

Pyro: .....

Dyna: D-Doeszz that mean there'szz a part of Avi in Toby too...?

Gemini: Well…

Gemini: …Er.

Gemini: When…

Gemini: …

Gemini: Let me…

Gemini: … … …

Gemini: So. When Nine purged the virus, he also ended up purging the bit of DLN-008’s coding that was in Avi, which returned Tobias’s Awareness coding to a proper state, allowing it to function again. …That should have meant he came back Online, which he DID…

Gemini: …But he was getting data from Avi’s chassis, still, so… it kind of disoriented him and freaked him out to “look down” and see nothing but sky.

Pyro: He was seeing through Avi's eyes...?

Dyna: -Oh gosh oh gosh that must have been terrifying--

Gemini: Dr. Cossack went over to help Dr. White this morning in, er. Untangling their Awareness and sensory coding and the like.

Gemini: You really, really don’t want to be connected into our hive mind long-term, -Suddenly grave- especially not now.

[His eyes glowed a more intense shade of icy blue for a moment, and—

Fear.

Stifled, but strong, VERY strong— FEAR.]

[It was wordless but there was this semi-hysterical mantra of “the hunter, the hunter, tHE HUNTER!” that seemed to echo— at least in that brief moment before Siam regained composure and cut off the broadcast.]

Pyro: …....

Dyna: ....And...and Toby--he'szz gonna be OK, right--ZZSince Becky fixed the coding thing zzso...

Dyna: T.. they'll both be OK, right? N-Not right away, I know that, but--

Gemini: Well. Tobias will have aged quite a bit. -Closes his eyes, seeming a bit older, himself- He didn’t quite understand until that day just how much he had actually terrified people when he took control of the broadcasts. Honestly, he didn’t understand! He was very confused as to why they were scared and ultimately hostile in a lethal manner.

Gemini: Their coding will be fine, but Tobias… probably will be like he was when we first met all of you. The guilt he carries… it’s the heaviest of all of us, I’m afraid, even above Cardinal’s. Tobias’s actions directly influenced why the Blue Menace came to be—AND why Wily went insane, subsequently becoming evil (which in turn resulted in greater hostility and determination to exterminate the likes of us)—and he knows it.

Dyna: . . . .

Dyna: (Toby...!)

Pyro: -Time to wrap an arm around spark sister, there there, we know.-

Gemini: He may not wake for… some time. -Drums fingers on table, looking down as Nico passes out hot dogs- It…

Gemini: … It honestly all depends on what will happen now.

Gemini: Will your world panic, as ours did? If that happens… -Trails off-

Gemini: -…well, suffice to say, he wouldn’t be the only one who’d stay Offline-

Gemini: …However… should…

Gemini: …should things… not fall to that darkness, there is…

Gemini: -Looks up, now quite… excited, almost?-

Gemini: There is a breakthrough on the horizon.

Gemini: However dark that cloud that Turbine cast, the silver lining may just be as bright as the moon—

Gemini: A working bit of AI_DWN_OS functioned long-term in a Xel chassis.

Pyro: ....!

Cryo: ....Wait, what?

Pyro: A piece of their coding WORKED in a Xel frame, Cryo--

Gemini: Our being isn’t in hardware, it’s in SOFTWARE.

Cryo: ...oh OH OH--

Cryo: -Right cuz we got cores and stuff that's our everything--

Gemini: The bridge does exist! And it works! All we’d have to do is find a way to make it work in a fully stable fashion, and… well. It certainly would solve a LOT of problems and stave off intrusive questions if we were able to use Xel chassises when on your grounds!

Gemini: -Absentmindedly, out loud- He just has to actually survive long enough to come back, and it could save his life…

Gemini: -Aaauuugh we are just SO CLOSE TO FIXING EVERYBODY one way or another, we can FEEL it—-

Pyro: ....

Pyro: Well...

Pyro: If anyone can bridge the gap at this point--it'll certainly be you and the Doctors.

Cryo: Yeah, and then you guys can be all fancy and cool like us--

Dyna: -Oh we are so going to take Toby on a tour when he'szz better--he just haszz to get better--

Gemini: There there, Lady Dyna—he will recover, given time. He is just weary in soul, that’s all.

Gemini: But you all have taught us what “hope” is in the past, and as Cardinal once… o-once said…

[ “HOPE lives”]

<DWN-019>: > …It’s what made us truly live, once before.

<DWN-019>: > I really do believe it can do so again.

Pyro: ....heh...

Cryo: Yeah, bro--Beck's gonna fix everything, I know he will--!

Dyna: -HE'SZZ ALREADY BROUGHT HALF OF USZZ HOME, HE CAN DO IT--

Pyro: ...Yes--he will.

Pyro: He's come so far already...

Gemini: For the time being, though—it’s probably safest to let Tobias sleep. :’D;

Gemini: He, ah… well. He’ll not be in a very good mood at this stage if he is woken up, and… as extremely tempting as it is, I really don’t want him forcing his way into CherryDyn to see what the Cracker man is hiding…

Gemini: It’s hard enough with all the moving pieces, we don’t need to add more—

-PING!-

>P I N G.

Pyro: ...?

Dyna: ??

<FMN-006>: >HELLOOOOOOOOO DREAMLAND can you guys hear me—

<FMN-001>: > Please be SERIOUS, Avi—

<FMN-006>: > -HEY, trying not to panic here, bro—-

<INQUIRY FROM: DWN-009>

Nico: -Astonished- Nine got rebuilt?! Since WHEN?

Cryo: Hey, it's the mirror fam--!

Pyro: Metal...?

[A surge of notifications as the Second Gens and the Cossacks came Online.]

<DWN-013>: > -AUGH sudden headaches—- Nnngh…!

<DCN-007>: > {Don’t answer it, it’s a trap!}

<DWN-012>: > -Data, ANGRY—this is HIS BROTHER—- Not your decision to MAKE, you /derivative/—!

<FMN-003>: > OH GOSH ARE YOU GUYSZZZ OKAY—

[MN.1] //: Well--

[MN.2] //: UM, YEAH, SORTA, ONE SEC SIS--

[MN.3] //: -CONFUSED DATA, WHY ARE YOU GUYS FREAKING OUT--??-

> -PING!-

[Collectively, the DCNs send over a picture of Metalman in full armor and a scrolling list of how many of the Robot Masters were killed by the Metal Blade (and oh, also that he cross-references with Bladeblaster as a result—)]

<DWN-012>: > Yeah well SCREW YOU ALL SO HARD— he is my brother and he taught me why humans are fragile, HE’S THE WHOLE REASON WE ARE P A C I F I S T S—

[MN.3] //: -BZZZBZZZZZZZZ-

[MN.2] //: -ooooh boy this is not gonna end well--

<DCN-007>: > Which he did by giving you all the gory details—!

<DWN-012>: > -Aggressive data!-

<DWN-012 has left the channel.>

<DCN-007>: > -Russian shouting- {Get back here before I arrest you for treason, dammit—}

<DCN-007 has left the channel.>

<DCN-008>: > … -Siiiighs- I’ll be right back.

<DCN-008 has left the channel.>

<FMN-006>: > Uhhhhhh…

<FMN-006>: > [sub]is this a bad time[/sub]

[MN.2] //: -That depends, Goosey--

[MN.1] //: -Looooong Sigh-

[MN.1] //: (What does Metal want in a time like this...?)

<FMN-006>: >WELL mostly we just wanted to check in with you guys—I mean man, serious memory fuzz over here but we know it was bad—

<FMN-002>: >HEY. HEY OTHER US FAM DUDES. HAVE YOU SEEN HER.

<FMN-005>: >You know that’s the WRONG question to ask—

<FMN-002>: >FINE THEN HAS ANY FOOD GONE MISSING, [GLITCHES], PLEASE SAY YES.

Gemini: …

Gemini: -nope. NOPE. NOPE NOPE NOPE OFFICIALLY TOO MUCH TO DEAL WITH RIGHT NOW—

<DWN-019 has gone into dual Deep Sleep mode.>

Gemini: Zzz.

[MN.1] //: .....

[MN.1] //: ............

[MN.2] //: Wait Shadesis isn't with you guys--?!?

[MN.3] //: --OH GLITCH--

Nico: -Facepalm- Glitchfrag it—

<FMN-002>: >WHAT YOU MEAN SHE ISN’T WITH—WHOEVER THAT WAS, THAT ONE CHERRY DUDE THAT SHE WAS ON PROTECTION DETAIL FOR?

<FMN-007>: > -Why are you STILL yelling—-

<FMN-001>: > Not again… -I may not remember the details but I know the first time was hard enough—-

[MN.1] //: Jack?

[MN.3] //: We haven't zzseen him either--

[MN.2] //: DIDN'T WE LEAVE HIM BACK IN ENGLAND--??

Nico: Give me one moment… -Gritting teeth-

<RMDC>: > LATEST ENTRY FOR FILE ON: CDN-7037 <RMDC>: >TIMESTAMP: ERROR <RMDC>: >LOCATION: WILDERNESS, FELIX’S HOLLOW

Nico: -AUGH, FANTASTIC—-

[MN.2] //: What WHAT IS IT BRO--

Nico: Okay, so—

Nico: We had a BUNCH of presents to give out, we had to leave before we finished with Brand’s, and there’s still Avi and by now plenty others, I’m sure—

Nico: Felix was keeping track of it all because let’s face it, he gives out like half of it? By the way, Beck left his Xel swords here.

Nico: Well, Countershade: Ladies Edition had also left some stuff for Jack there too, and I know Snow also had something to give him—

Nico: But more importantly—

Nico: From the Wilderness, you can travel ANYWHERE!

[MN.2] //: W H A T.

[MN.3] //: Wait then that meanszz--

<DWN-018>: > -DOCTOR COSSAAAAAAAAAAAAACK—-

[MN.1] //: -NO NOT H I M TOO--

<MC005>: > -Ping-

<MC005>: > What is going on over there?

[MN.2] //: Lots of things, Noodle #2--

[MN.1] //: -FACEPALMS-

[MN.3] //: -BZZZBZZZZ--

[MN.2] //: -I think things just got slightly worse--

<MC005>: > -Clearly putting this on speaker- …Judging by the fact that both of Nineteen are in Sleep mode, that is certainly possible— I’d appreciate being told why.

[MN.1] //: Doctor--have you or anyone in the Meadow seen either Carmen or Jack?

<MC005>: > …

<MC005>: > -Sounds as if he’s turned aside to talk to someone else- …There did seem to be a lot more food missing than usual at one point, and we are missing a small cooler…

<FMN-004>: > Not Sis. :T Sis eat, no take.

<MC005>: > …Wait. You’re…? And she’s not with you?

<FMN-007>: > No, she is not.

<MC005>: > What do you remember?

<FMN-002>: >NOT MUCH, RUSSIAN NOODLEO.

<MC005>: > -Russian curse phrase, conveniently not one loaded into the data banks!-

<MC005>: >Lady Shade has the willpower and focus to take advantage of the unstable nature of spacetime between worldly dimensions. And unlike the rest of you, she also had motive that would drive her to DO so, even while infected!

<FMN-001>: > Are you saying she’s STILL SICK?!

<FMN-009>: > But I C U R E D HER!

<MC005>: >You don’t understand—!

<MC005>: >She was in two places and times at once, because she was just that driven to do so—

<MC005>: >Within your timeline proper, she is healed, yes, but she also left that before that happened, so any place outside of there…! You have to handle that separately!

<FMN-006>: > -Hoo boy not again…-

[MN.1] //: Ngh...!

[MN.2] //: - AAAAAAAAAAAH-- -

[MN.3] //: AND IF SHE'SZZ ZZSICK THEN--JACK--

Nico: -Double facepalm- As if Cardinal being gone weren’t bad enough. At least Cardinal can handle himself in a fight!

<FMN-003>: >Um, broszzz…?

<FMN-003>: >And szzisses?

<FMN-003>: >Can I juszzt szzay szzomething real quick?

[MN.1] //: ...Yes?

<FMN-003>: >Unlesszz thiszz Cherry REALLY doeszz szzomething incredibly dumb, well. She’s not going to have been hunting him down. -Bzzapzap- I mean. She waszz on hiszz protection detail, even. She’szz really big into that. Bzzzz… moszzztly she gives jerkszz a really hard time, you know? Like. Even nutszzzo, why hunt the Cherry? I don’t think szzo.

Nico: But we haven’t seen her, so she must be up to /some/thing…

[MN.1] //: .....

[MN.1] //: But if she's not hunting Jack, then...

Nico: But she doesn’t know anybody else!

<FMN-001>: > …

<FMN-005>: >Well, that’s not quite true. ?_? There was that one cheating swine that ruined the finals for you guys, for one—I believe she actually shot him in the—

Nico: … Uh.

Nico: okay what—

Nico: His file lists him as… DEAD?

<FMN-002>: > …

<FMN-002>: > -[REDACTED!]-

<FMN-006>: >LEEEEET’S not get too crazy, uh—lemme see that file—

<FMN-006>: > …Man, this was ages ago. If she’s still out there, she’s up to something else, assuming she was even involved in this to begin with? [sub]Doesn’t quite fit her style, anyway…[/sub]

<FMN-001>: > Does she know anyone else?

Nico: … Well, she got ahold of our databases at one point and read up on stuff, so I guess she has heard of other people…

Nico: But who would be important enough for her to hunt down?

[MN.1] //: . . . . .

<MC005>: > …

<MC005>: > Dear God.

<FMN-001>: > What?

<MC005>: > Gravecrasher.

[MN.2] //: .......

[MN.3] //: The...the guy that...?

<FMN-003>: > …???

[MN.1] //: .....

[MN.2] //: Mirror Fam?

[MN.2] //: .....

[MN.2] //: Shade...Shadebro...lost his arm in a different way than your Eight.

<FMN-003>: > …

<FMN-001>: > -THIS does not bode well-

[MN.2] //: Long story short--

[MN.2] //: THIS guy was responsible.

<FMN-002>: >Okay. Yep. YEP. HE’S XELSTAINS, OTHER ME. 88’D If she’s really gone after him then we’re too late by now.

Nico: Way to be at least willing to try and stop it…!

<FMN-002>: >Magnet dude, I’m just being realistic here—Sis was angrier about that incident and the aftermath than just about anything else—

<FMN-002>: >Well, other than the whole VOTING thing, I mean—

[MN.1] //: ......

[MN.1] //: Wait...

<FMN-002>: >Hmm?

Nico: …I don’t get it. I thought you guys got to vote at a certain age?

<FMN-002>: > Huh? No, not voting rights—

<FMN-002>: > I mean, you know, we voted on whether she was gonna be a babbu sniperbro or Snipersis. c::

<FMN-002>: > AND GIRL POWER WON THE DAY, YEEEAAAAAH

Nico: …So what does that have to do with her being angry, then?

<FMN-002>: > ‘cause it wasn’t UNANIMOUS like it SHOULD have beeeeen—

[MN.3] //: ......It wasn't?

[MN.2] //: Wait--If YOU guys voted for girl--and knowing us, I bet Mic and Bat didn't care...

<FMN-004>: > Mic no care. ^w^

<FMN-005>: > … -Sarge was wise enough to know it’s not a good idea to start off on the wrong foot with an assassin if you want a prayer of being backed up by them at the front lines-

[MN.2] //: Aaaaand knowing how we drive Pyro and Brand up a wall--

[MN.1] //: -_-;;

[MN.2] //: That makes the deciding vote--

[MN.2] //: ....oH--

<FMN-006>: > :^D

<FMN-006>: >I THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE LIFE INTERESTING?

<FMN-003>: >You were tired of being bosszzzzed around by uszzz and HOPED you could bosszzz around a YOUNGER SZZISTER. Nope~

<FMN-003>: >But that’szz okay, we love you anyway, Helicopterchoppers~

[MN.2] //: c::

[MN.3] //: ~~<3

<FMN-006>: > ^.^

<FMN-006>: >But yeah oh man, it was GREAT! We got along pretty well more or less as soon as she could adjust her settings so things weren’t constantly turned up to 11.

[MN.1] //: (I can see why--knowing that he was the one that ultimately decided on her gender...)

[MN.1] //: ........

[MN.1] //: But....

[MN.1] //: I imagine not so well with Brand.

<FMN-007>: > …

<FMN-007>: > Not…

<FMN-007>: > Not even close…

[MN.1] //: -Sigh, yup, just like our own Seven and Eight at first...-

Nico: …Uh. Just how BAD are we talking, here?

<FMN-007>: > …

<FMN-001>: > …

<FMN-001>: > …Bad enough that she shut herself in her room for several days without a word.

Nico: …I’ve SEEN her eat.

Nico: Or rather, I’ve seen what happens WHEN she eats, because she’s always stealing our stuff when invisible—

Nico: Dude, what the glitch did you say that would put her off food for that long?! ._.;;;

<FMN-007>: > I…

<FMN-007>: > I told her she couldn’t handle being a professional assassin because she was too sheltered, and too young.

[MN.1] //: ........

[MN.2] //: Bro you what--

[MN.3] //: -WINCES-

<FMN-007>: > She just—! ANNOUNCED it out of nowhere at dinner one night, she was already on her second mission, even!

<FMN-007>: > She was just—I didn’t think she really understood, she was so young, and so… …overconfident in her abilities…

[MN.1] //: (Ah--Cocky--Shade was like that too, before...)

[MN.3] //: -Jeezzz, though--really, bro? I juszzt--wow.-

<FMN-001>: >Nngh… well, back then, she didn’t like being a “team” player necessarily… she wasn’t very good at waiting for backup…

<FMN-001>: >We weren’t too keen on her being like that in a situation where people were going to actually try and kill her.

[MN.2] //: .......

[MN.1] //: (—...Shade--either you really WERE that confident in your abilities, or...)

[MN.3] //: ..........

[MN.2] //: What about Big Bro--? Did SHE get along with you?

<FMN-001>: > …Not necessarily. Er…

<FMN-003>: > -sNORT- Hee hee…!

<FMN-003>: > -Starts cackling- She waszzz nervouszz of him for quite a while, hee hee—!

<FMN-003>: >Alwayszzz szzoo SZZTERN and commanding and— -WITCH CACKLE- SHE KINDA NAILED HIM TO THE FLOOR THAT ONE TIME—

<FMN-001>: > =_____=;;;

<FMN-001>: > [sub]… thought… -grumble mumble- piggyback rides…[/sub]

<FMN-003>: > -PYRO-SHAPED DENT IN THE FLOOR FOR DAAAAAAYYYYYSZZZZZ- -LIKE, IT WAS LITERALLY THERE FOR A FEW DAYS-

<FMN-005>: > -AHEM. EXCUSE ME, C.O., BUT I NEED TO GO LOSE MY SRS FOR A MOMENT OVER THERE. PERMISSION TO BE EXCUSED?-

[MN.2] //: -SSSNNORT-

[MN.3] //: -CRACKS UP--

[MN.1] //: -Ow--

<FMN-001>: > -Facepalm and a sigh-

<FMN-001>: >It… that wasn’t her fault, she didn’t mean to cause damage.

<FMN-001>: >She… rather had a hard time relating to most of us for quite a long time.

<FMN-001>: >Why, we didn’t even see her at all for nearly a year, once she came Online.

<FMN-001>: >We got along better once she… recovered from the incident and… well, also mellowed out.

[MN.1] //: ..........

[MN.3] //: -Oh no--

[MN.2] //: You mean when she...

<FMN-001-007>: > …

<FMN-001>: > …She just… came back one night.

<FMN-003>: > Szzzcreaming.

<FMN-007>: > …To this day, all we know for sure is that she was alone and outside.

[MN.1] //: ......

[MN.2] //: ...Sis...

[MN.3] //: -So that's why she makeszz up zzstories...-

<FMN-001>: > …Yes.

<FMN-001>: >She got tired of inquiries, so she gave what was obviously a lie, just to be left alone.

<FMN-001>: >Over time, I guess that became her way of… taking control of it, somehow.

<FMN-001>: >Either she’s sworn to secrecy because it was an official mission, or…

<FMN-001>: > …she got in over her head with something so horrific she refuses to speak on it…

[MN.2] //: . . .

[MN.3] //: ......

[MN.1] //: God....

[MN.2] //: .....Do ya think....

[MN.2] //: Someone was responsible--like Gravecrasher...?

<FMN-001>: > …I don’t know. I… I-I d-don’t think so, she…

<FMN-001>: > She can be reckoned quite beautiful, but she wasn’t hurt… other ways…

[MN.1] //: ......................

[MN.3] //: ZZZSo what--is she just chilling out in some place??? Who ELSE would she...

<FMN-006>: > …Well, she just has this thing against dudes in general, I mean—some of the guys in the arena were real jerks until I showed them the glory of the sky! :^D

<FMN-003>: > Yeah, by szzztringing them up a flagpole in the middle of the practiczze field by their underpantszz. c:

[MN.1] //: . . . . .

[MN.2] //: NIIIIIIIICE.~

[MN.3] //: -PINGS OF APPROVAL-

<FMN-003>: > -AND THEN HE SANG THE NATIONAL ANTHEM BUT AS A PARODY and Sarge was sZZO MAD until he learned the context, at which point he provided szzome BACKGROUND PERCUSSION WITH BOMBSZZ~-

[MN.1] //: -........nope, he lost his straight face--

[MN.2] //: KYAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--

[MN.3] //: -OH Y E S Z Z THAT IS GOOD--

<FMN-001>: > …Heh…

<FMN-001>: > -Slight sigh- I almost wish…

<FMN-001>: > …

<FMN-001>: > I’m not really sure where she might be, but…

<FMN-001>: >…Maybe your Aviator knows.

[MN.1] //: ....Maybe.

[MN.1] //: It'll be a while before he awakens, though...

[MN.3] //: Yeah...

<FMN-001>: >Mmm…

<FMN-001>: >Well, he’s probably the most likely person she would have talked to, other than this… Jack fellow…

<FMN-001>: >Unless she also talked with her sisters.

<FMN-006>: > I dunno, Bonfire—she plays her cards real close to her chest, since that’s usually the only way it works before you or Brand scold her.

Nico: …Avi WAS blocking the signals, though… maybe she complained about that.

<FMN-006>: > yyyyyyeah I could see her doing that

<FMN-006>: >Well… hey! Maybe with the feeds back up, she’ll turn up soon? :^D

<FMN-006>: >Or at least you could find that Jack guy—before he gets in over his head. Man, I wonder where he ended up…

<FMN-006>: >I mean—she only knows so many people—just a few rivals, some coworkers, the family, and 7037, man.

[MN.1] //: Jack--gah, he's certainly brave, yes, but...

[MN.2] //: Guy was a Civvie--and it's SO messed up out there, yo...

<FMN-001>: > Can he really handle himself? …I’d worry for whoever were against him, if not…

<FMN-001>: >She can be very unkind in Defensive mode, and that’s on a healthy day…

<FMN-006>: >By the way. Where is everyone else?

[MN.1] //: Beck's in repairs--Sanda's doing those--and Father and Dr. Cossack are both working on Avi and Tobias.

[MN.2] //: Call's, uh...ya know, doing her thing and data analysing...pretty sure she's still awake--then again, she doesn't sleep...

Nico: Who’s “Call”? ?__?

Nico: This is the second time you’ve mentioned her—

[MN.2] //: --CRAP--

<DCN-003>: >COUSIN I THINK SOMEONE IS CALLING YOU.

Nico: … -Narrows eyes- That’s not going to work a second—

<DCN-003>: > NO REALLY, ALNICO, SOMEONE IS TRYING TO REACH YOU IN THE LAB.

Nico: This had better be good… -Hovers off-

[.........]

[MN.2] //: -Why do we ALWAYS forget about the whole Call thing UUUUGH WE'RE SORRY--

<MC005>: > It’s alright, one of these days we’ll just have to sort that out…

<MC005>: > The Second Generation constructs appear to have dispersed… Nineteen is in Sleep mode, and Shadow is still Offline… -Sighs-

<MC005>: > He’ll likely stay that way until Brand has recovered again.

<FMN-001>: > Wait.

<FMN-001>: > You mean he’s still out there?! ALONE?!?

[MN.1] //: He hasn't been located yet, Avi was--

[MN.2] //: Mic and Bat are still sick too...

<FMN-004>: > Uh-oh. :E

<FMN-007>: > … -Dare… dare we ask if…-

<FMN-007>: > … -Nnnngh of course—of COURSE, because he can turn INVISIBLE, just like she can, augh-

<FMN-001>: > … -Well THAT explains why the “fun sized version of male!Shade” is also nowhere to be heard in this conversation-

<MC005>: > -Small sigh-

<FMN-001>: > …Well. I suppose for now, all we can ask is that you keep us updated.

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