=CHAPTER 8C: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=
=CHAPTER 8C: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=
~AO v2.0~
((Courtesy of @codedhopes))
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[C R A A A C K!]
[THUD—]
[The door came down, Shade was over Cardinal's broken form, rifle pointed right at his chest—!]
[Vrrrrrrr...]
[THREAT IDENTIFIED.]
[XEL OVERRIDE SEQUENCE INITIATED.]
[COMMENCING WEAPON LOCK.]
Beck: STOP!
[Shade looks up from his target, just in time to see Beck's outstretched hand glowing a deep green, his eyes reflecting the same glow. Or perhaps they were glowing themselves?]
[WEAPON SYSTEM LOCK ENGAGED. TARGET: MN.8.]
Shade: —!
[Shade suddenly felt his rifle grow heavy, and the laser from his scope died out—]
Beck: NNGH—!
[Whatever it was that Beck was doing, it seemed to be very taxing on him—it was like he was holding something in place, but he didn't know what that was, or how he was doing it, exactly—]
[All he knew was that it was stopping Shade, which was what he had to do.]
Beck: S-Shade—!
Shade: ....
[The weapon lock didn't do much about Shade's current state of mind, however, and he sneered.]
Shade: So the Lil' Doggy thinks he can bite back, eh?
Shade: Heh. That's c u t e.
Beck: Nnngh—!
[Shade doesn't look too concerned despite being essentially disarmed at the moment. He turns his attention back to Cardinal, who...]
[Wasn't...moving...]
Beck: --!!!!
Beck: C-Cards—!
Shade: Looks like you get to fly another day, Songbird.
Shade: -GRIN-
Shade: That is, if ya can even WALK after this! HA!
Beck: That...
Voice… voices…
> Procc…essin…g…
Beck: THAT'S ENOUGH—!
Beck: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS—?!
Shade: Feh—ya haven't figured it out yet—
Beck: I'm not TALKING to you.
> Proccess…ing…
Shade: —....
Beck: Yeah. That's right.
Beck: You.
Beck: I KNOW you can hear me.
Beck: And—And I know—at least...I think I know.
Beck: I know—you're like ME.
Beck: I've felt it ever since all this started—!
> Proccess…ing…
Shade: … …
Shade?: Like...you—?
Beck: I don't—it's just a feeling, but it's THERE and I know—
Beck: I know that somewhere in there—there's something else, something that knows all this is WRONG—!
Beck: So...
Beck: ...So please.
Beck: I'm begging you.
Beck: There...There's still time.
Beck: No more.
Beck: Just...no more.
> Proccess…ing…
Beck: No more pain, no more...of this.
Beck: I don't want to fight.
Beck: I...
Beck: I don't want to fight anymore—
>WARNING: POWER SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT: CORE HAS BEEN DRAINED IN OVERDRIVE CONVERSION.
Beck: —!
[Beck's attention snapped to Cardinal, who—oh, no, why is there so much oil and—]
———————————
Beowulf: Surge conversion is great, but energy cores weren’t built to function as first-aid reserves. They just aren’t meant for that. They’re there to provide a long-term internal energy supply to keep you running, like a heart does. You have a heart, but you still gotta eat and stuff.
Beowulf: Do that too many times, and the next bits of damage will stick, because there isn’t enough energy left to fix it.
——————————————
[Oh no—]
[PING!]
[TRIGGER SIGNAL LOST. XEL OVERRIDE MODE DISENGAGED. WEAPON LOCK WILL NOW BE LIFTED.]
Beck: -Blinks—- ??????
Beck: (Wha—)
[BANG!]
Beck: Guh—!
[A bullet found mark on Beck's shoulder—the assassin wasted no time once the weapon lock vanished.]
Shade: Alright.
Shade: While the lil' dance with the bird was FUN while it lasted...
Shade: It's time we settled this like robots.
Shade: Heh. Ya know what Ah'm talkin' about, don't ya?
Beck: —Shade, wait—!
[Too late. The hunter vanished without a trace, soundlessly making his escape.]
[...Leaving the mangled mess that was Cardinal behind.]
Beck: Cards--
[Beck came closer—he could smell oil and coolant— familiar smells—]
Beck: C-Cards...
Tired…
> Analysis complete. 1 Match found: MNN-009.
Cardinal: …
[To say he was in bad shape would be the understatement of the decade. He was too tired to even try and hide the damage—and there was only a faint humming noises coming from his unprotected eyes. They flickered dimly, sporadically—
—…no, wait, that wasn’t random, that was Morse…]
{Go… on… 9.}
Beck: —!
Beck: ....
[His vision began to grow out of focus.]
[...Oh, no. It's...not that.]
[Those were tears.]
Beck: N-No—
[Beck fell to his knees next to the First, but didn't dare touch him—not....Like this.]
((Pic—Beck crying over Cardinal))
[Flashes of something—someone. Red. Hurt.]
Beck: I...I can't—I can't leave you here—!
[Whether Cardinal didn’t hear him, or else didn’t care… that was hard to say.]
{Go… now…}
{SAVE… HIM…}
{Save… 8…}
{Go.}
Beck: I—I—
[His eyes darted erratically—flicking between a glowing intensity to a dulling light--]
[He promised, promised to save everyone, but Cards—but—Shade—]
[Cards was so hurt, but Shade was so close to losing himself—]
Beck: -Hurts—-
[Shade—his brother—]
[And Cards, Shade's best friend—]
___________________
"Beck."
___________________
Beck: —!
[A voice...]
_______________________
"Ow...yeah?"
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Putting yourself...Putting yourself up like you MUST prove something."
"Uh...I don't get it."
"Bah, of course you don't..."
"I'm saying...you always put yourself in a position where...where you WANT to be something greater when you're not READY for it."
"I..."
"You help others, sometimes out of your own expense—you give and give and give and give—"
"Until WHAT, Beck—?"
"I..."
"Why do you have to feel like you have to help...help EVERYONE in YOUR world—?"
"Um...Because it's the right thing to do?"
"Oh, don't give me THAT. That's cliché and you know it."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with wanting to help people, right?"
"...No, but it's dangerous to feel like you have to help everyone you meet."
"Hey, what do you mean by—"
"You can't help everyone, Amadeus."
"Wha—yes, I can—!"
"No. You can't. You're just one person. And we all have our limits."
*"I hope that one day even YOU can figure that out..."*
"...Mighty No. 9."
___________________________
Beck: .......
Beck: . . . .
Beck: (...I...)
Beck: (I can't help everyone...)
Beck: .......
>Shutting down…
Beck: . . . . .
Beck: O...Okay.
Beck: I'll go.
Beck: I'll...I'll save Shade, Cards, like I promised...
Beck: And...
Beck: I'll...I'll bring him home...
Beck: ...
Beck: Promise.
-Ping-
<RMDC>: >Signal identified: DLN-000.
<RMDC>: > Processing…
<RMDC>: > DLN-000 is now Offline.
Beck: ....
[It was quiet, save for Beck's small, retreating footsteps. Far too quiet.]
[Beck had come to HATE this kind of silence. It was unnerving, and too heavy for his... smallness to bear.]
[As much as it pained him to leave his friend like this, Beck...Beck just didn't have the heart to go on without some solace that Cardinal would be okay.]
[PING!]
[MN.9] //: G...Guys...
[MN.9] //: I...I'm going after Shade...
[MN.9] //: But—C...Cards...
[MN.9] //: -PLEADING data—- Help—I can't help him, please, someone help him soon, please—
[It seems forever before there’s an answer.]
<MC005>: > Can’t bring Robot Masters back Online. Xelbots can’t go until area is secured.
Beck: ......
[Which means...]
[Until Shade was saved, no one would help Cardinal get out of here.]
[MN.9] //: ...Yes, sir.
[.....]
[There was...no other choice.]
[He had to move forward.]
Beck: . . . .
Beck: (Cards...)
Beck: (I'll finish what you started.)
Beck: (I'll save Shade—for both of us...All of us.)
[REXELECTION: BRANDISH.]
[A flash of red and yellow, and Beck zoomed out of the foyer.]
[This was far from over.]
[Just because Shade had effectively incapacitated Cardinal and THEN some—]
[There were still many infected robots in the building, and who knows what kind of secrets were hidden in the White House that Shade could use to spread pandemonium across the nation.]
[Not to mention, the fact that they seem to follow Shade to an extent—he had no doubt that Shade was stalling for time back there just to ambush Cards at the right moment.]
[Eight could very well mount a invasion like had Five nearly done, and then there would be no stopping the government from utterly destroying the place.]
[...The more Beck thought about it, the more he could see why Cards wanted him to leave him behind. In a way, it lessened the sting of just abandoning him there—]
[...But only a little.]
[SHING!]
[Shade was still hiding, even after all this.]
[SHING!]
[But where...]
Beck: SHADE!
[PING!]
[MN.8] //: Lost, Lil' Doggy?
Beck: I THOUGHT you wanted to settle this like robots.
Beck: So where ARE you?
[MN.8] //: Ah' could tell ya. But that wouldn't as fun...
[MN.8] //: Ah' think ya have more worries t' attend to.
Beck: Besides YOU? Oh, come on—
[MN.8] //: Haven't ya heard the commotion outside?~
Beck: —Huh?
[Beck skidded to a stop, looking out to one of the broken windows overlooking the White House Lawn, and the gates beyond it.]
[There was...A lot of police. The kind that you see in... riots—? ]
Beck: What...?
[MN.8] //: See? I'm not the only robot tired of the status quo.
[MN.8] //: Even the meat-sticks don't want anythin' t do with the system!
[Indeed, it...It looked like there was a large, angry crowd outside—Beck could make out mostly humans, but also some Xelbot Civilians that didn't seem to be infected—]
[Some were cheering, others screaming bloody murder, and still others were trying to get inside—]
Beck: I...What is...?
Beck: (I don't understand...)
[MN.8] //: Lemmie ask ya a question, Lil' Doggy.
[MN.8] //: What are we REALLY built for?
Beck: ....
Beck: You're not going to get at me with this.
[MN.8] //: Not even gonna humor me, eh? Alright, that's fahn. I'll TELL ya.
[MN.8] //: All we were built t' do is fight in the Battle Colosseum, plaaain an' simple.
[MN.8] //: Don't seem so bad on the SURFACE, right?
[MN.8] //: W r o n g.
[MN.8] //: Humans can talk 'bout 'containin' violence' all they want, but that don't disguise what they REALLY want.
[MN.8] //: Entertainment, Lil' Doggy. We're just playthangs t' them. We dance and sing and fight and die just t' give them somethin' to fill the void in their PATHETIC Lil' lives.
Beck: —......
[MN.8] //: An' Combat Models have been doin' it fer YEARS an' no one' bothered t' do ANYTHIN' 'bout it.
[MN.8] //: We're givin' our spot in the limelight until they decide we're old news. And then they throw. Us. OUT.
[MN.8] //: Would've happened to One, eventually. Would've happened t' all of us. Would have happened t' YOU.
[MN.8] //: Heh.
[MN.8] //: Lucky for yew, lil' Doggy, Ah' plan t' make a few...changes t' that.
[MN.8] //: If ya manage t' SURVIVE, that is.
Beck: ...What are you getting at, Shade?
Beck: What's your plan?
[MN.8] //: Ah' really gotta spell it out for ya, don't Ah'?
[MN.8] //: Mah' first executive order as the first robot president is to set ALL robot FREE.
[MN.8] //: An' t' do that, I'm gonna abolish the International Battle Coloseeum Association. Permanently.
[MN.8] //: By FORCE.
Beck: —!!!!
Beck: Y-You can't do that—!
Beck: The IBCA isn't EVIL, Shade—!
Beck: Don't do that—
Beck: -PANIC-
Beck: PLEASE—!
[MN.8] //: Oh?
[MN.8] //: —Ooooh, that's right...yer off the team, ain't ya?
[MN.8] //: No IBCA, no tournaments, no more team.
[MN.8] //: You'd be useless, Lil' Doggy. Everythin' ya worked for--
[MN.8] //: --Kaput. See what Ah' mean, nao?
Beck: --........
[MN.8] //: Heh.
[MN.8] //: Truth hurts, don't it.
[MN.8] //: I'll be waitin' in mah new office, Lil' Doggy. If ya wanna file a complaint!~
[KSSSSSST--]
Beck: . . . .
Beck: (Those words...)
Beck: (I...I've heard those words... before...)
Beck: (I didn't understand then, but...Now...)
Beck: (You...)
Beck: (Has it been you...I've been sensing all this time...?)
Beck: (Are you the one behind all this...?)
Beck: (Have you...been hurting...this whole...time...?)
Beck: .......
Beck: (No...)
Beck: (Why didn't you tell me--?)
Beck: (Y...You could have...told me...)
Beck: (I...All this time, I could have helped you too...)
Beck: (How...how could I have been so blind--?)
Beck: (...Am I really that much of an idiot after all...?)
Beck: --........
[MN.9] //: -Erratic, sad, self doubt, empathetic data--
Beck: -Ngh--
Beck: (No, stop that--)
Beck: (If...If they knew...)
Beck: ....
Beck: (I have to keep going.)
Beck: (I can...think..about it...later...)
[His new office, Shade said.]
[Taking into account what Shade came here to do in the first place...]
[Beck knew exactly where to go.]
Beck: . . . .
[Soon, he came upon the large doors adorned with the Presidential Seal on them--The Oval Office.]
[Sunny sat to the side, hopping over to the small, discouraged hero with a worried look on her face.]
Sunny: D:
Beck: ...Hi, Sunny.
[Sunny opened up her compartment to give Beck some much needed Xel Cubes and Stocks--]
Beck: --?
[...Some other things tumbled out too.]
Beck: !
[A care package, of sorts, hastily thrown together.]
[Some cool water from Cryo, and cookies from Pyro--power nodes from Dyna and what looked to be a shiny rock from Mic...]
[A small coin from Bat--...Sadly nothing from Avi. He must be still out cold...]
[...A origami crane from Brand...His star projection toy he got on his second birthday from Will...]
[And some marshmallows from Sanda.]
[…!]
[And a note!]
Beck: ...?
“{LAST NIGHT—FOUND WORKING REPLACEMENT.}”
Beck: Working...Replacement...?
[.....]
Beck: --!!!!!
[Cardinal's core. He had all the parts, thanks to Beck, except for a working power core replacement. Something he could run on that wouldn't cause him to overheat--]
Beck: (He...They...)
Beck: (They did it--?)
Beck: ....
[And just like that, with that one note, with those seemingly few items that wouldn't have mattered to anyone else...]
[...There was hope.]
Beck: (I get it now...)
[There was a chance--!]
Beck: (I gotta save Shade--)
Beck: (So Cards can get help--)
Beck: (So he can be SAVED--)
Beck: (So he can live--!)
Beck: (Don't worry, Cards--)
Beck: (I'll save Shade for you--so he can live, right by your side--!)
[Strength returned to him suddenly, as he absorbed the Xel Cubes into his frame and put the power nodes away. He shoved the rest of the care package back into Sunny--he didn't have time to keep it all on him.]
[...The cookies and marshmallows stayed with him, though.]
Beck: (Alright, Shade--)
[Beck stood in front of the doors, and pushed them both open with some effort.]
Beck: (Let's end this.)
[CAPITOL BUILDING: OVAL OFFICE...]
[The office had seen better days. It was completely trashed. Even the chair in which the Madame President sat in was thrown across the room, the desk scorched, the tables turned sideways and riddled with bullet holes.]
[As expected...Shade was nowhere to be seen.]
[But he was here.]
Beck: (...Yeah...)
Beck: (He's here, I can feel it, somehow...)
Beck: (Is this how you tell he's near, Nii-San?)
Beck: ....
Beck: I kinda expected to be shot the second I came in.
Beck: That's what you did when I got here.
"Heh."
[The cowbot finally revealed himself, lazily leaning against the side of the desk, head down so that his radar hat covered most of his face.]
Shade: So ya do learn.
Shade: Okay, nao, Lil' Doggy...
[His head lifts just enough to reveal a single glowing violet eye, and a twisted smile.]
Shade: Let's see if you're all bark...or if you got some b i t e.
[A pair of bright, emerald hues meet his in defiance. Then Beck shook his head.]
Beck: Listen to me, Shade: you're malfunctioning! You're SICK! You're not THINKING straight!
Beck: Didn't you feel anything at all--ANYTHING--when you saw Cards--?!
[Shade pauses at that for a moment, as if thinking back...]
Shade: …
Beck: Please...
Beck: All this--freeing robots, us being just tools and playthings--
Beck: ....
Beck: I won't disagree with you.
Beck: ....
Beck: I've seen...and heard...what happens...when people see us like that...
Beck: Even when I shouldn't have...I did. I heard.
Beck: And it is nothing LESS than horrifying and wrong.
Beck: And...I won't deny that...
Beck: There are bad things, bad places, and...Yeah... really bad people in the world.
Beck: That being said--
Beck There are people that don't see us like that--!
Beck: Like Dad, and Uncle Sanda, and Mikhail--!
Beck: Mao, Felix, Piers--
Beck: The people that look up to us--
Beck: The people that we FIGHT for--!
Beck: The people that know what REAL freedom is, and try to protect it--!
Beck: Freedom doesn't require all this SUFFERING--!!
Beck: You're only going to make things WORSE, if you shut down the IBCA--! Not just for me--forget about me--! For EVERYONE--! What are you trying to ACCOMPLISH, getting rid of something that gives so many people so much HOPE?!
Shade: Tch.
Shade: Humans have fought over freedom an' hope with WAR for centuries. Your damn point? S'moot.
Beck: --!
Shade: Emancipation is worth ANY price...
Shade: Even at the cost of human lives.
[SCANNING.....]
[SCAN COMPLETE.]
[MODEL: MIGHTY NO. 8. CODENAME: COUNTERSHADE.]
[HEIGHT: 193cm WEIGHT: 273kg XEL COUNT: 54,600,000]
[CLICK.]
Shade: Or yours.
[BANG!]
[Beck saw that coming--he vaulted over a table on its side, the energy bullet seating the expensive furniture instead.]
Beck: I don't want to FIGHT you, Shade--!
"Bit late for that line, ain't it?"
[A quick peek over the table. Shade was no longer there.]
Beck: (Argh...)
[Countershade. The 8th in the Mighty Numbers, with state of the art technology that was only surpassed by Beck's own. The Teal Silence, the Mighty Assassin, intangible as a ghost...]
[Shade was synonymous with all of these titles and sayings and then some. He was able to pick his foes off before they even knew they were being hunted, and had many tricks and traps at his disposal--even with the lack of a right limb, that didn't slow him down in the slightest.]
[The world's greatest assassin robot ever built, and he had turned for the worst. He had pushed his inborn abilities of Radar Detection and Active Camouflage to greater heights, placing him squarely as the team's Sniper. It was often Shade that dealt the final blow against particularly strong teams, and often Shade that made sure that they had a ace in the hole in case things ever went...]
[...Wrong.]
[Against the strongest member of their family...]
[Beck had to be prepared for anything.]
Beck: (At least we're in an enclosed space--Shade's area of excel is long-range, not close quarters combat. I got the advantage there.)
Beck: (...But Cards had that too, and...)
Beck: (...And I DON'T want to taunt Shade into a rage--that would suck--)
Beck: (--I could use his weakness, I have Dyna's form...)
Beck: (--...But that isn't really going to deflect his shots, so...)
[REXELECTION: SEISMIC]
Beck: I hope I got Mic's bulkiness too...
[Beck took a deep breath and ZOOMED out of his cover--]
[BANG BANG BANG--]
[Bullet holes chasing his tracks, unrelenting in their pursuit of the smaller Mighty Number.]
"That's right--RUN."
Beck: -WELL, WHAT ELSE DO YOU EXPECT US TO DO--
[Shade still had his Camo online, even if Cardinal had done a number on his cloak...]
Beck: (Where are you--)
"Here."
Beck: --!?
[He looked up--]
[BANG--!]
Beck: --?!?
[Dizzy--]
[ERROR--GYRO SYSTEMS OFFLINE.]
Beck: Wh--Whoa--!
Shade: Heh! DANCE, Lil' Doggy!
[The world suddenly turned upside down, and his motor controls were reversed--]
[WHAM--!]
[He crashed into the desk so hard he reverted back to default, the ground and ceiling spinning at dizzying speeds.]
Beck: @~@!
Beck: (Can't tell what's up or down--)
[BANG!]
Beck: NGH--!
[Trying to move his right arm only moved his left, and vice versa--same with his legs--]
[BANG!]
Beck: OW--
[After some doing, he DOES manage to get on his feet--]
[But he's stumbling and tripping up, all sense of balance lost.]
Beck: (I've never--seen Shade do this before--not with Cards or anyone--!)
[THUD--]
Beck: (Ugh, I can't even walk straight, LET ALONE SHOOT--!)
[BANG--!]
Beck: ARGH--!
"Havin' fun, Lil' doggy?"
Beck: NO!
"Heheh."
Beck: (I gotta get normal mobility BACK--!)
[RUNNING XEL_FILTER.EXE...]
[NO MALWARE FOUND.]
Beck: (Wha--then how--)
Beck: !
[There--there's something caught in his shoulder's armor--]
[A purple dart--?]
Beck: --!
Beck: (Of course, Shade can detect signals--there's no reason why he can't also transmit jamming signals with his radar too--!)
Beck: (I gotta get this thing off me--)
[Left moves right, and vice versa--]
[So moving his right arm should--!]
Beck: (There--Ow, OW THAT HURTS--)
[BANG BANG BANG--!]
[The shots hit him squarely in the torso, knocking him away to the middle of the room--]
Beck: Nngh...
Beck: (Need a...good grip...!)
[SMACK--]
Beck: Mmmph--!
[His face meets the carpet--something big and heavy was planted right on the back of his head--]
((Pic—Beck pinned))
Shade: S'that ALL?
Shade: Ya didn't even last HALF of what the Songbird did. An’ HE was as soft as the sap he choked on!
Shade: How ya managed t' fell the rest of our kin is beyond me. Maybe it was all dumb luck, huh?
Beck: (Nngh--)
[... Amazingly, Beck raised his head even with Shade's weighted boot on his helmet.]
Beck: Sh... Shade--!
[...?]
[...Why...Why was this part of the carpet red--? ]
[Yes, it was faint, but he can make out the beginning of the letter H in...]
[Cardinal's handwriting...]
[HOPE LIVES.]
Beck: (H...Hope...Hope...)
Shade: Ah’ll make this short. After ‘m done with yew, ‘m gonna make SURE that birdy hasn’t pulled one last trick out of his arsenal. So.
Shade: Any last words, Doggy?
[CLICK.]
Beck: --Shade--
Beck: Cards--there's--there's a new source--
Beck: They did it, Shade--!
Shade: --!
[It was as if a switch had been flipped.]
[The sick, purple glow left him completely, for a moment--]
Shade: -Blink-
Shade: R..Really--?
Beck: Yeah--
[YANK--]
[GYRO SYSTEMS RESTORED.]
Beck: So you need to COME BACK HOME WITH ME--!
[REXELECTION: DYNATRON.]
[BZZZZZZZZZRT!!]
Shade: MOTHERSCRA--
[Shade screamed as pure high voltage surged up his leg, considerably damaging him--enough so that some of the infected Xel glowed around him!]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: So you and Cards--
[BZZZZZZZZZRT!]
Beck: --can get better--together--!
Shade: Ngh--!
Beck: So you can laugh and smile and be silly and get into trouble--
Beck: So we can all Live—together--!!
Beck: IT'S JUST YOU LEFT--!
Beck: SO JUST LET ME--
[Beck dashed into Shade, he needed to end this quick, end this now before Cards--]
[Fzzt!]
Beck: --?!?!?
[....Did...]
[Did he just go... through Shade...?]
[He skids to a stop, turning on his heel, bewildered.]
Shade: -GRIN-
[Shade was... flickering red...]
Shade: What's wrong, Lil' Doggy?
[And then he just disappeared.]
"Ya look like ya just saw a GHOST, HEH HEH HEH!"
[BANG!]
Beck: Gh--
[The shot came from what seemed like above--he rolled and shot straight at the ceiling ledge where Shade was really perched--had be been there the whole time--]
Shade: That damn annoyin' Songbird fell for it more than ONCE, ha!
Shade: Half of the tahm he was chasin' mah Phantom instead of me.~
Shade: Did ya really think ya can win against ME, mutt?
Shade: Just like that?
Beck: --Ngh...Okay...I might have gotten...Carried away...
Shade: Heh.
Shade: So--will the humans give ya a SPECIAL treat for betraying yer own KIND, Lil' Doggy? Is Dad gonna put ya on a pedestal b'fore everyone?
Shade: S'just like them, huh?
Shade: T'covet what they hold DEAR--
[VRRRRR....]
Beck: !
[Several dark orbs fly out from under Shade's cloak--some create a shield around him, while one started to glow... bright red--]
Shade: T'WORSHIP UNTIL THEY GET BORED!
[BANG BANG BANG--]
[Strange visual glitches appeared in the air, but there were OTHER things to worry about—]
Beck: --?!?!?
Beck: (HOW IS HE DOING THAT--)
[Diving behind a table once more, he could only watch in absolute horror as Shade shot off bullets towards him--off of something that made some very familiar warping--]
Beck: (T..That shouldn't be possible--!)
[BANG BANG BANG!]
[Beck winces at what sounds like glass breaking, Shade continuing to shoot wildly--he managed to get around his cover a few times, but--]
Beck: Shade, I have no idea what you're doing but you have to stop it--
Beck: --?
[What's this--?
The visual glitchy cracks in the air were suddenly filled with a dark, pulsing energy...
That's funny, for a second he thought he heard...Voices...]
Beck: (What the heck...)
Beck: (Ugh, I don't know what's going on, but it isn't good--!)
[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]
[PEW PEW PEW!]
Shade: HGNN--
[Pelting Shade with a few ice shard filled snowballs was enough to get him to stop making more of those strange glitches--but it did also made him angry.]
Shade: Freakin' MUTT!
Shade: I'll show ya EXACTLY what yer dealin' with--
Shade: Les' play a GAME, Lil' Doggy.
Shade: S'called--
[FZZT!]
[Shade vanished once more--only to reappear at Beck's left...AND right--!]
Shade and Shade: Which is it?
Beck: !
Beck: -DUCK--
[Both Shades fired at him, with those annoying purple darts--Beck could NOT afford to get hit with one of THOSE again--]
[SCANNING...]
[ERROR--MN.8 SIGNAL NOT FOUND]
Beck: (I can't tell which one is the real one--!)
Beck: (UGH--)
[PEW--!]
[He fired at one Shade, but it just went right through it.]
Beck: (Aha!)
[Fzzt!]
[No cigar--as soon as Beck figured out which was which, both Shades had vanished--and once again reappeared in different locations, as if in a game of shuffle.]
Beck: (No--!)
Shade and Shade: Heh, it hurts t' be seein' DOUBLE, ain't it?
Beck: (Nnngh, I even hear two voices overlapping--)
Beck: --?
[--? What was that--a light dangling from one of the Shades’ neck--?]
Beck: --!!!
[--Wait--that was a dog tag, with a red frayed thread around it--!]
[PEW!]
Shade: --?!?
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: (Thank you, Cards--!)
Beck: (It must have gotten loose during the fight...)
[REXELECTION: DYNATRON.]
Shade: Nngghr--...
Shade: Ya need t' be put DOWN, Lil' doggy, so sit STILL--!
Beck: I'm not a DOG--
[BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: --So stop CALLING me that--!
[Shade growled at his smaller brother, and sent out--a LOT of orbs--!]
[Shade--the REAL Shade--flared a bright violet aura, anger and wrath radiating from his frame in visible waves, distorting the space around him--]
Shade: You...
Shade?: You IDIOT.
Beck: --?!
Shade?: I have no qualms with you, NINTH!
[CLICK.]
Shade?: LET ME HAVE THIS!
[VRRRRRRRR--!]
[BANG BANG BANG BANG BANGBANGBANGBANG--!]
[It was just like the first fight Shade had had against Cardinal, where he’d taken out all the lights. The fixtures shattered.
Bullets and darts fly absolutely EVERYWHERE, leaving Beck with no room for cover--]
[REXELECTION: SEISMIC]
[The only thing he COULD do was shift into Mic's form and tank what he could...]
[But...]
[WARNING: XEL LOSS DETECTED.]
Beck: --!!
Beck: -Gnh--
[His leg armor was breached, and blue began to flow out of the wound from it...]
[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]
Beck: (Ow...Can't move...)
Shade: Gah, sloppy--
Shade: Hate it when it takes more than one bullet...
Shade: Heh, oh well. Funny, that ya bleed b l u e....
Beck: Ngh--
Beck: How many times do I have to say it--
[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]
[Bits flew around the room, dangerously sparking up--]
Beck: You got it all WRONG! I'm here because I want to HELP you!
Beck: I AM NOT--
Shade: --!!!
Beck: LIKE THAT--!
[C R A C K !!]
[A brilliant flash, the room turns alight with the brightness of the sun-- ]
[K-ZAP!]
[Well THAT was certainly stronger than expected—!]
[...The room was covered in black soot, though, Shade and Beck included.]
Beck: ....
Beck: -cough, ugh--
Beck: (Dizzy...I feel all tingly...)
"N...Ngh..."
[Shade was on a single knee across the room, twitching slightly in some places...
The glow that surrounded him earlier had faded to a dim, but the assassin was not completely spent...]
Shade: A Mighty...doesn't lose...On their KNEES...
[Slowly, with some effort, he rides to his feet--]
Shade: This tahm--gonna kill ya DEAD--
Beck: --!
Beck: SHADE WAIT--
[ZZT.]
Shade: OW--
Shade: -Nnmmgh that smarts, what the hell--
Beck: -...We're on carpet, haven't you ever rubbed socks on one--
Beck: (This is perfect--all I have to do is get closer--)
[ZZZT.]
Beck: OW--
Beck: ......
[ZZZT. ZZZT. ZZZT.]
Beck: Ow ow ow--
Shade: Wh--
Beck: Ow OW OW, that hurts, ow--
Beck: @-@
Beck: Ow.
Shade: -GROWLS, DON'T YA DARE, WE /W I L L/ BEAT YA WITH OUR GOOD ARM IF WE HAFTA--
Beck: Okay, Shade...
Shade: Ya don't know what yer doin', Lil' Doggy.
Shade?: This is something you cannot even begin to fathom.
Beck: .....
Beck: No.
Beck: I think I do.
Beck: I think I have all this time.
[XEL ABSORBED.]
[XEL QUOTA REACHED. XEL PURGE ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE IS PRIMED AND READY FOR OVERDRIVE.]
Beck: I...just didn't want to believe it.
Beck: I know you're listening.
Beck: ...
Beck: Everything is going to be okay.
Beck: I will help everyone.
Beck: ...I'll keep giving, if that's what it takes.
Beck: And, Shade...
Shade: --?
Beck: Cards is going to be okay.
Beck: He's hurt, but he's going to be okay.
Shade: .....
Shade: C... Cards...
[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]
Beck: I think we've stayed here long enough...
[.........]
"What are ya doin' in mah room, Beck?"
"WAAH--I--I thought no one was in here--"
"Heh. Hidin' from Dyna's wardrobe game again?"
"...Yeah. >//> I hate being in a dress..."
"Alright, ya can crash here fer a bit."
"...Y...You're not mad?"
"Beck, Ah've known those two fer longer than ya have been alive, Ah' get it."
"Oh...Okay."
"... Penny fer yer thoughts? Ya seem distant."
"Um...I... was...just wondering."
"Mm?"
"...People say... that... you...."
"...you hurt people. B...Bad people, though."
"But...why? I...I mean, isn't violence only confined to the Battle Colosseum--and why do you have to--"
"Hush, nao..."
"When did ya start thinkin' like that, huh...Eh, you're gettin' older, Ah' bet..."
"Listen t' me, Beck, an' listen well."
"Dad's taught us that there is good in everyone, an' he ain't wrong 'bout that. There is a light in all thangs..."
"... But there is also darkness. Evil. Sometimes...Sometimes good people don't come back once they let themselves go too far."
"An' as much as some would like nothin' more than t' get them back..."
"Sometimes, it ain't enough. An' someone has t' stop them b'fore they hurt even MORE people. Good, innocent people."
"...People like the ones we see on the street..."
"...An' sweet lil' kids like you, Becky, come 'ere!"
"Ack--! Shaaaade, that tickles--!"
"Heh."
[.......]
"But...Dad also taught us that..."
"... Sometimes, good people do bad thangs, but that don't make them bad people. It takes a strong heart t' tell the difference, Beck."
"...?"
Shade: B...Be...ck...
Beck: --!!!!
"Just remember this."
"There is such a thang as second chances."
"Few, an' far in between..."
Shade: Ah'....
"But they're there."
((Pic—Shade’s purging))
[XEL PURGE COMPLETE. ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MN.8]
Shade: Ah' owe ya one, don't ah', Beck...?
[THUD.]
[MN.8 IS NOW IN DEEP SLEEP MODE.]
Beck: Shade--!
-PING!-
<MC005>: > {Please tell me I didn’t just imagine that—}
<MC005>: > {Beck! Are you ready to return?}
Beck: ! Yeah, but Shade--
Shade: .....
Shade: Zzzzzz....
Beck: . . .
[…
Mikhail laughs.
It is clearly influenced by stress, and you could almost hear him crying in relief—his voice was kind of shaky.]
Beck: ....
Beck: Heh...
[He is soon joined by Beck, after a while. It...
It was almost like a great weight had been lifted up from his small shoulders...]
Mikhail: They’ll…
Mikhail: They’ll be fine, Beck.
Beck: -Sniff- Y...Yeah...
Mikhail: I can’t… I haven’t had the chance to talk to your father yet, but I know a way to even minimize the impact of this…
Beck: !
Beck: R...Really?
Beck: -Sniff- Th... That's great...
Mikhail: I’ll need to have a lengthy private conversation with him first, but…
Mikhail: He’ll be alright.
Beck: Heh...
Beck: (I...)
Beck: (I did it. I saved my whole family.)
Beck: (They're...going to be fine...)
Beck: ^^ M'...M'kay...
[...Oh, poor boy. He looks ready to keel over, but he's keeping himself awake through sheer willpower.]
Mikhail: I’m going to bring the two of you home. Try to get some rest once you get here, Nine.
Beck: -Sleepily- Mmm mmm...
Mikhail: Call, if you please…
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
More Posts from Dauntlesstales and Others
=CHAPTER 3D: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=
~AO v2.0~
((Courtesy of @codedhopes))
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[MEANWHILE…]
“… …..”
“… … … … ….”
“…. Three in SUCH a short amount of time…”
“…You were always full of surprises, weren’t you…”
“But, then again, you…you’re special.”
“….I had anticipated that.”
“Just…didn’t think it would be….or I had HOPED….”
“… ….”
“….ha.”
“You….Will…ha…”
“I didn’t think you would, but you did.”
“… … …”
“You’ve… changed.”
“… ….”
“… … … … … …”
“We’re all just a bunch of MONSTERS, aren’t we…?~”
“Aha…ha….”
“… … … …”
“… … … … … …”
“… … … … … … … ….”
“help me.”
<<—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—>>
=CHAPTER 5B: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=
~AO v1.0~
(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[INTERSTATE ALPHA 2, FOUR CORNERS BORDERS...]
[Night. Night as night can be, in the pouring, pouring rain...]
[The wipers didn't work, so Jack had to make do with the weather. The radio was set to a news channel tracking the 'rogue robot's merciless rampage' across the state.]
Jack: Stupid RAIN...
"The armed robot is currently moving into New Mexico, on Interstate Alpha 1--"
Jack: ...--!!
[SCKREEEEEEE--!!]
“Local pizzeria reports theft of entire stock of cheese pizzas, police confirm unrelated to the current rampage—”
Jack: --?!
Jack: --What the--?!
[Jack swerved left and right, nearly causing himself to flip over several times--]
[These cars--they were going the other way in the wrong lane--!]
Jack: (GREAT, THIS IS ENGLAND ALL OVER AGAIN--)
Jack: --FRAG--
[He needed to get to the other lane--]
[A digital sign overhead blinks in the misty glow of the building's nightlights...]
[NOW ENTERING INTERSTATE ALPHA 1.]
Jack: --!
Jack: (I can switch lanes on the ent--)
[HOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK--]
Jack: !!!!
Jack: Oh, SH--
[The truck interior was flashed with the bright overhead lights of an entire semi-cargo truck on a dead set collision course with Jack...!]
Jack: (CRAP--)
[Jack knew he couldn't avoid something like that.]
[Grabbing the magic Weyard bag he was given from across his seat, he kicked open the driver's side door--]
[ZIIIIIP!]
[His wires attach themselves to a street light and he is pulled away moments before the truck was overtaken by the semi with a loud, sickening CRUNCH.]
Jack: AAAAAAAAAA--!!
[He swings to the other lane and onto a passing car, right onto the hood. The windshield mostly cracks under his weight as he slams into it with a sharp yell.]
Jack: Ow...
[The car, however, still keeps going with little to no resistance with the road...]
Jack: .....?
Jack: Huh...?
[After sitting up with a groan, he realized he was on one of the fancier, newer hover models--the ones that floated above the ground and were MUCH faster than those with wheels.]
Jack: (Wait--if this is one of the new models then--)
[He looked into the car.]
[There was no one inside. The car was driving itself, and WAY too fast for any human or bot to control.]
Jack: (The...the cars ARE infected too...!)
[At the speed they were going, if one of these cars went off road...!]
Jack: This is a giant Highway Delta just WAITING to happen...
Jack: (But where is...?!)
[…Wait.
There was something… odd… about the cars below.]
Jack: ....??
[There were large dents along the roofs of the cars, where something several hundred pounds heavy had landed hard.
With the chaotic nature of the highway, they didn’t show a direct line—but they did give a general direction.
Almost like footprints.]
Jack: .......
Jack: Oh no way--
[Up ahead in the distance, another large dent appeared.
Silently.]
[She wouldn't--SHE IS--on a highway--?!]
Jack: God, you're REALLY putting me through the wringer, Miss Eight--
[Carefully, he rose to his feet, trying to maintain a good balance before putting on his goggles and looking for another street light--fortunately, they were placed evenly over the interstate.]
[ZIIIIIP!]
Jack: Ngh--
Jack: CAAAARMEEEN!
[There was an abrupt and sudden ping.]
<FMN-008>: > Jack?
[CDN.7037 to FMN.8] //: MISS EIGHT--!
[CDN.7073 to FMN.8] //: Oh man finally--FINALLY found you...!
<FMN-008>: > What the hell…
[She seemed… confused, somehow. Surprised.]
<FMN-008>: >Jack— what are you DOING here? For God’s sake—
<FMN-008>: >You need to leave— this is no place for a Civvie!
[CDN.7037] //: OH JEEE, YA THINK?!
[CDN.7037] //: KINDA FIGURED THAT OUT A WHILE AGO, THANKS.
[CDN.7037] //: This isn't any place for YOU either...!
[Carmen was clearly growing impatient. When she spoke again, her voice seemed…
…darker.]
<FMN-008>: > I’ve got business to attend to.
[CDN.7037] //: ......
Jack: (.....n....no...)
[....So...she was...]
[CDN.7037] //: .....
[CDN.7037] //: ....Figures you do...
<FMN-008>: > Augh— INCOMING!
[There was a swarm of sign bots headed his way. As if infected cars weren’t enough—!
At this speed, they could—]
<FMN-008>: > Stay…
<FMN-008>: > AWAY FROM HIM!
[Shots were fired, and bounced crazily off of incoming reinforcements and into the foes that had already swarmed the Cherry Number. Bits and pieces fell away, the parts going flying as the whole thing continued to speed along at over ninety miles an hour.]
Jack: HEY--!!
[Jack covered his face as parts and Xel flew away, nearly falling over on the current vehicle he was on--]
[CDN.7037] //: YA COULD HAVE SHOT ME--
<FMN-008>: > Nnngggh…! N-no…
[Her voice was dark again—but also strained, as if she were struggling against something painful.]
<FMN-008>: > Augh… Get out of here, Jack, before—
[There was a horrific sound up ahead—followed by a fast approaching large metal object—]
WHANG!
[There was a loud thud as something tall and teal appeared out of nowhere and fell to the surface it was standing on.]
Jack: --!!
Jack: MISS EIGHT--!!
[ZIIIP!!]
[He swings over closer to her, to get a better look at her condition--]
Jack: ARE YOU OK--?!
[The Fighting Mighty Number Eight wasn’t out of the fight just yet—but the hit had done quite a lot of damage. She couldn’t resume her Active Camo anymore—no matter how much she tried.]
Jack: (She doesn't have her invisibility...)
Jack: MISS EIGHT--?!
[A low growl.]
Jack: --!
[The lady hunter staggered to her feet, a demonic purple aura about her. Now, she spoke aloud—and there was a clear overlay to her voice, as if it were being applied through a filter.
…A disturbingly familiar one.]
Carmen: I don’t need your help.
Jack: --!!
___________________
"FORFEIT, OR THE ELECTRIC MAIDEN'S HEAD ROLLS!~"
____________________
Jack: (I....no...it can't be...!)
Jack: (She--the...)
Jack: (The crosses....)
Jack: CARMEN--LISTEN TO ME--!
Jack: There's something--something in your head that's making you angry--and it's not your fault...!
[She hissed as more sign bots approached. She shot at an angle off of a car in a different lane, the shots making wild pinball-like bounces to tear them to pieces.]
Carmen: I don’t need protecting. I /REFUSE/ to be put on a leash and shut in a tower! I’m no damsel in distress— AH’ AIN’T MADE A’ GLASS, Y’ALL—
Jack: CARMEN--!!
Jack: FOR LIFE'S SAKE--STOP--
[He ducked as more debris flew over his head, avoiding the edges of the vehicle as he swung on after her.]
[It was as if she’d never heard him.
She lifted her head, her one eye glowing a violent hue the color of blood. Now her rifle was pointed in Jack’s direction.]
Carmen: -SCREAMS- AH’ NEVER HAVE BEEN!
Jack: --!
[.....]
[When he saw her pointing his weapon at him...]
[He froze.]
[The deadly cowgirl would have none of it.]
Carmen: Back off, Puppetdancer! Ah’ have no quarrel with y—
[She wavered, as if she were going to fall. The color of her eye briefly went from crimson to yellow.]
Carmen: A-ah…!
[She was forced to a knee to steady herself and keep her balance. She turned her head to the side, the purple aura fading for a moment.]
Jack: Carmen--I don't want to fight you either--CRAP--!
[Zip, swing, land, repeat--don't fall--]
Jack: I JUST WANT TO TALK--
Carmen: (Everything hurts…! Everything… HURTS!)
[Aaaaaaand then she was not only back on her feet… but also on the move!]
Jack: MISS EIGHT--aw, come on, really?!
[ZIIIIIIP! ZIIIIIIP!]
Jack: STOP--!
[There was a LOUD thud as she leaped over to the truck in front of them.]
Carmen: -Yelling over the whistling wind- Get somewhere safe, Jack! I don’t want you in the way.
Jack: I CAN'T--!
[Another loud thud.]
Jack: You think I'm gonna TURN BACK after all I've gone through just to FIND YOU?!
[Carmen wasn’t about to stay put for anyone. She jumped through the air, landing hard on the vehicle in front—which happened to be a big rig.
And the Spider Puppeteer only followed suit.]
[ZIIIIP!]
Jack: Carmen, PLEASE...!
[Carmen looked angry again, the demonic aura returning. Once again, her rifle was pointed at Jack.]
Carmen: What is it with men and directions? WAI DO YA /NEVER/ LISTEN T’ REASON?! Ah’ SAID that Ah’ have a job t’ do—an’ I won’t let ANYone stop me! So… BEGONE, Dencerhound, a’fore Ah’ show you what Ah’ DO to men who try to chase me—!
[THAT made Jack take a couple of steps back.
His hands shook, his face twisted in a expression of concern and fear.]
Jack: . . . .
[She turned to leave again.]
Jack: ......
Jack: . . .
[No one has greater love than this...
...Than to lay down one's life for his friends.]
Jack: No.
[ZIIIIIIIIP!]
Carmen: —?!
[Carmen found herself held fast with wires. …Unusually strong wires—not so much the strength of steel as of… spider silk?!]
Carmen: What the—
[He yanks her backwards--which took quite a bit of effort, given her weight...]
Jack: I can't let you DO THIS--!
Carmen: GIT OFFA ME—
[She bared her teeth at the former Civvie, her eye displaying cross-hairs over the blood red color.]
Carmen: AIN’T GOT TIME FER THIS, M’ TARGET MOVES FAST AS FRAG, HE’S GETTIN’ AWAY!
Jack: THAT'S--
[Yank--!]
Jack: --A GOOD THING, MISS EIGHT--!
[Carmen screeched in a seething disgust.
She fired off a trick shot which bounced off of the big rig into the sky, hitting a camera drone. She started yelling—and then screaming— skyward…
…as if it wasn’t really Jack she were talking to anymore.]
Carmen: AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH—!
[She thrashed.]
Carmen: You never wanted me. NEVER! /You think I’ve forgotten that?!/ If they’d had your way, /I NEVER WOULD HAVE EXISTED—!/
[There was horrific screeching over the feed along with her shouting.]
Carmen: -Enraged- You lock me in a cage and treat me like glass. ME, the gal BUILT for things more dangerous than you could EVER imagine!
Jack: --?!
Jack: (What...)
Carmen: When Ah’ came back that night with m’ arm missing, did you even try to help me get back on my feet?
Carmen: NO! You blamed it on ME, you said I’d been CARELESS, that I couldn’t HANDLE going outside by myself—
Carmen: YOU PUT ME UNDER PERMANENT PAROLE, /YOUR OWN SISTER—!/
Jack: (I...)
Jack: M...Miss...Eight...
[The aura was now almost like a consuming fire, flaring more intensely in this rage.]
Carmen: You, who were supposed to be BETTER! Supposed t’ see I wasn’t just a number, not just the youngest! Not just a GIRL! You’re no better than the scrap that clogs up the arena, calling me names and spreading those lies—!
[.....]
[Lies--lies and slander...]
Jack: . . .
[His core lurched in sympathy for her, his heart cracked with every pained word, every agonizing sentence...]
Jack: (God, Miss Eight, no...)
Carmen: I hate you.
Carmen: I HATE YOU /BOTH/ SO DAMN MUCH—!
[The aura died down. Carmen’s breath was ragged, and her readings were low.
But she looked up with a glare. Her eye changed from blood red to the same demonic purple as the aura that surrounded her.]
Carmen: Grr—! …I’ve got no quarrel with you, Cub—so let go!
[YANK.]
Jack: I--I CAN'T!
Jack: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING--!
Carmen: Don’t know what I’m doing? DON’T KNOW WHAT AH—
Jack: FOR GOD'S SAKE, CARMEN, SHUT U P FOR TWO SECONDS--!
Jack: YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON THAT C A R E S ABOUT ME IN THIS LIFE!
Jack: I'M N O T GONNA LET THAT GO!
[A pause.]
Jack: .....
Jack: Carmen?
[…Uh-oh.]
Carmen: Oh, so you wanna play NOW then, do ya—
[HER EYE DISPLAYED CROSS-HAIRS CENTERED OVER JACK’S SPIDERWEB SYMBOL.]
Carmen: You wanna DANCE, do ya?
Jack: (Oh--OH SCRAP, I'M DEAD.)
Jack:
U-Uh--!
[Carmen suddenly dashed forward and RAMMED right into Jack.]
Jack: OOF--!
[Jack was tackled RIGHT off his feet and onto the rig, with the wind knocked out of him. He was a wheezing mess for a couple of seconds--]
[But he still held fast.]
Jack: N-Ngh...
[Carmen stood, glaring down at Jack—or so it seemed, given her menacing stance. The places where eyes would be in the face of any other Xelbot were cast in a deep, dark shadow.]
Carmen: Tch.
[She sounded unimpressed.]
Carmen: If ya won’t let me go… Ah’ll just have t’ bring you with me! Now be a good boy… an’ HEEL.
Jack: N...
Jack: I can't...do that...
Carmen: Ah’ said HEEL, not SPEAK. Now get yer act t’gether, we’re goin’ hunting. MOVE IT!
[.......]
______________________
"For [Frag's] sake, Den. I'm starting to wonder why I even picked you off the street in the FIRST place."
"I--"
"You can't even DODGE or take a hit right--you're NEVER going to survive out in the arena if you keep being WEAK!"
"B-Boss, it's ju--"
"I don't want to HEAR it."
"Now be a GOOD boy and do as I say."
"But--"
"MOVE IT, PUPPET!"
__________________________
[That was it.]
[He was SICK and TIRED of this.]
[Sick and tired of being treated as a throwaway mutt--!]
[When Jack raised his head, his eyes were GLOWING a bright purple. Not at all like the virus's evil glow--this was strong, and defiant, and angry.]
Jack: THAT'S IT--YOU KNOW WHAT?!
Jack: I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU BOSS ME AROUND--NOT Y O U!
Jack: NOT ANYMORE--!
[...Strange...he...didn't seem to be talking to Carmen...?]
Jack: I'm NOT backing down--
Jack: And I'm NOT going anywhere with you--!
Jack: No...
Jack: NO WAY, MISS EIGHT.
Jack: YOU WANNA DANCE?! FINE!
[A HARSH YANK.]
Jack: LET'S D A N C E.
[She gave a wicked grin. …A shark grin that was disturbingly like her vampire witch sister’s—Dyna’s.]
Carmen: Thought ya’d NEVER ask~
[She YANKS hard, moving quickly to the side. It becomes apparent why soon enough—there are more debris headed their way, and she was trying to get the wires right between them!]
Jack: --!!
[Was she--well, yes, actually, she WAS crazy.]
[His arms swing backwards, so that the strings straighten out like fine lines, almost invisible to the naked eye...]
Jack: (Can't let them get tangled...!)
[It…
…didn’t work out the way Carmen had hoped.]
Carmen: ?!
[She just STARED in astonishment as the debris cut cleanly through the wires—as if it were cheese run through several dozen slicers.]
Carmen: -Meepface- . . .
Jack: .....
Jack: Woah.
[Jack seemed to be as EQUALLY surprised...]
[And THEEEEN she surged with panic.]
Carmen: (OH M’ GOD THEY’RE ALL AROUND ME /HE COULD SLICE ME RIGHT IN HALF WITH THOSE GAROTTES—/)
[.......]
[She....wasn't the only one going into panic.]
Jack: (OH GOD--OH SCRAP IF I EVEN M O V E WRONG I COULD TURN HER INTO RIBBONS OH MAN OH NO--)
Carmen: -Glitched screeching- AH WON’T LOSE ANY MORE LIMBS, DAMMIT—!
Jack: NO--I SWEAR I WON'T HURT YOU--!
[She moved in closer in her long strides, but it was clear from the fluid motion and calm control that she just wanted to slack the lines a bit. She pivoted aside to look at him, a loading icon displaying on her eye as she tried to think of something—anything— that would work here.]
Carmen: (Glitchfrag it…!)
Carmen: (Ah’ know…)
Carmen: (Ah’ KNOW I’ve lived through missions in situations just as bad or worse—)
Jack: OK--um--uh--I...OK just don't move--
Jack: I swear I'll get us out of this--!
Carmen: Why…
Carmen: Why can’t I remember…?
Jack: ....!
Jack: (Remember...?)
Jack: C...Carmen...!
Carmen: Nnngh…!
[And again a semi-collapse to her knees, her head turned to the side.]
Carmen: (Lord help me, the HEADACHES…)
Jack: Carmen...!
[The aura surged again, and she looked up, angry.]
Carmen: Grrrr…!
[She returned to her feet.]
Carmen: A Mighty NEVER loses on their knees!
Jack: --!!
Jack: Eep--
[He backs up again, careful to not tug on his wires too harshly now--]
[He didn't want to hurt her that way...!]
Jack: C-Carmen...please....
Jack: Don't....don't you remember me?
Jack: I--I don't want to hurt you, please, stop...!
Carmen: Jack…!
[The virus wasn’t ready to give up such a prize. The aura surged again—and again, the demonic overlay.]
Carmen: I remember a terrified civvie in way over his head who ran t’ mah heels from just a few /words/.
Carmen: I remember someone who… who DIDN’T have th’ strength t’ face the forces of darkness…!
[A glare.]
Carmen: /I don’t recognize this—this steadfast WARRIOR in front a’ me—!/
Jack: .......
Jack: Well, to be honest--I don't really recognize the women in front of me either.
Jack: But I KNOW that isn't your fault.
Jack: .....
Jack: I'm no warrior.
Jack: I'm just a normal guy trying to save his friend with what he's got.
Jack: I'm just a guy with REALLY bad luck and way too many regrets and mistakes on his head.
Jack: .....
Jack: But I'm not gonna let that stop me.
Jack: Not you, Carmen...
Jack: And certainly not YOU.
[A glitched screech at that.]
Carmen?: WHY, CDN-7037?
Carmen?: YOU. CANNOT DEFY FATE!
Carmen?: YOU KNOW. TOO MUCH!
Jack: --???
Jack: What are--
[Carmen paused to take a firmer stance, but then, suddenly—
The aura faded and her eye turned a pale gray.]
Carmen: Aw glitch—
[Jack tuned around to see what Carmen was more concerned about--]
[...That...was his mistake.]
[WHANG!]
[…Carmen had seen it coming, and had even tried to duck.
But she was tall, injured, and neither of those things made it easy to dodge in close quarters.
She hit the entrance to the tunnel head-on.]
WHANG.
[Jack's systems were jostled, and he could see nothing but static for a good half minute.]
[Pain, dizzy, what, where is...]
Jack: Aaaaaaawfraaaaaaaag....
Jack: Can't...
[Bright, dark, bright, dark...]
[The static finally clears out...]
Jack: A-Ah...
Jack: What...was...
[Though he was still seeing stars, he could tell from the orange glow of lights that they had entered...a tunnel?]
Jack: (Did...did I seriously get hit by...?)
Jack: Ah--!
Jack: (Can't...hurts to...think...ow...)
Carmen: J-… Jack…
Jack: ...!
Jack: C...Carmen...?
Jack: (Miss Eight...is she...?)
[The aura was still there, but very faint. …It wasn’t hard to see why.
She’d hit the overpass SO hard that it had cracked her radar dish—and maybe even the rest of her skull. There certainly was a lot of sickly-looking Xel pooling beneath her head.]
Carmen: -Weakly- Jack…?
Jack: .....!!!
Jack: (X-Xel--she's...no...)
Jack: M...Miss...Eight...!
[With some reserved strength he never knew he had, he crawled his way towards her, and pushed himself up on his elbows to get a better look at her.]
Jack: Oh no...
Carmen: …Can’t…
Jack: Miss Eight...it--you're gonna be OK...
Jack: If ya can't move--
Carmen: Can’t… see…
Jack: ....!!!
Jack: Y...You can't...?
[Back into the glaring light of the setting sun.]
Carmen: He’s going to get away…
[Her anger couldn’t sustain her through the damage.]
Carmen: Can’t… can’t see… ANYTHING… can barely hear, so fault…
Jack: Carmen...
[Jack placed a shaky hand on her shoulder, so she can at least feel his presence somehow, with her sight and hearing so shot...]
Jack: I-It's OK...I'm...here...
Jack: (Everything hurts, ow...)
[She tried to get to her feet. When it didn’t work, she shifted into her civilian form. This stopped the Xel loss, but didn’t help the pain.]
Carmen: God help me, this headache…
Jack: Y-You and me both, ow...
[She suddenly pushed herself to her knees—but the eighteen wheeler LURCHED.]
Carmen: -YELPS-
Jack: WHOA--!!
[Jack saw why—there were bits of wreckage EVERYWHERE in the road ahead. And they were approaching cars that had been literally sliced in half.]
Jack: Oh FRAG...
Jack: WE NEED TO GET OFF THIS RIG N O W--
[There was a rough and violent bit of turbulence before the truck briefly went flying and then tipping over—]
Jack: AAAAAAAAH--!
[At first, the only thought on his mind was Carmen.]
[So the first thing he did was grab her.]
[And the next?]
[ZIIIIIIP!]
[His wires wrap around another street light, and the two of them are sent swinging onto another passing rig on the opposite lane.]
[....There wasn't as much grace in the landing, though.]
Carmen: Hrgh…
Jack: C-Crap...
Jack: OK...ah...um--ow...
Jack: Gotta...get...
[A faint, choppy noise seemed to cut through the ambience of the highway.]
[…
…Seemed to be getting louder…]
Jack: .......?
Jack: (What...what is that noise...?)
Jack: (S...Sounds...like...)
“FINALLY!”
Carmen: …Th’ hell—Beck…?
Jack: ....!
Jack: K...Kid...?
[There was a slight THUD as Fighting Mighty Number Nine landed next to the beleaguered Cherry.]
Pup: Man, you are HARD to find!
[Carmen shifted back into her combat form.]
Carmen: You…!
Jack: --!!
Jack: Carmen, no--!
Carmen: You’re here on One’s orders, to drag me back to confinement—!
[Beck didn’t seem fazed. He shifted forms—]
[ZZT.]
[…It was almost comical how that tiny zap put her back down.]
Carmen: OW—
Pup: No more hide-and-seek, Sis!
[He shifted back to his default… glowing… green, now?]
Jack: ....!
Jack: Wait, what are you--
Pup: TIME TO COME HOME!
[There was a bright green flash as he thrust his arm forward—causing Carmen to glow as well—]
Carmen: G…GYAH—
[… … …]
“Come on out, Pup. No need t’ hide from me.”
“S-sorry—”
[He stepped out from behind a street sign that Carmen had in her room for some reason. His sister was polishing her boots, humming a song.]
“What’s on your mind?”
“… … …”
“C’mon, now.~ Yer alright.”
“…Sis…”
“Mmhmm?”
“Why do you make up those stories?”
[Silence.
Long, awkward silence.]
“S-… a-ack, I-I— I’m sorry—”
[A pulse of relaxing data.]
“…Easy now, hon. …Ah’ ain’t mad at ya.”
“…Y-… you’re… not?”
[She clicked her tongue.]
“Yer the most honest soul on God’s green earth. ‘Course ya can’t understand the workings of lies.”
[Another pause.]
“…Y’ know… I don’t know if I’ll ever tell anyone what happened.”
“Not… not even Dad?”
“No.”
“But—but it’s Dad—”
“Shhh…”
“Lemme tell you something, Pup. When you go through that kind of darkness, there are only so many things you can do with what’s left, after.”
“You can choose to let it haunt you. To define you. To become your obsession. You can go off the deep end into denial, even more of an obsession. Or you can just say, ‘I don’t like talking about that time’ and take things in your own control.”
“People are never gonna stop asking, hon. Never. Even if I ever were to be made whole. Maybe Ah’ COULD tell the truth every single time—maybe, maybe not. For all you know, I’m sworn to secrecy.”
“You… you could tell US if you were, though… right?”
“Heh… not the point, Puppy. The point is… the answer doesn’t change what happened then. So I choose not to give that answer any power.”
“I shall defy it, mock it, scorn it— Trivialize it, so that it’s not in control. No room for self-pity—not at work, and not at m’ other job, either.”
“But…”
“You know the kind of people I work with. And you know that sometimes, I meet people who are really scared. Why focus on what you don’t have—what you’re not— When instead you could be movin’ forward with a healing touch with the vast strength you DO have?”
“Helpin’ others means putting them, first. Whether yer scared, or troubled—”
“We don’t have to be in the spotlight, Beck, to make a difference. Sometimes, the most important things are done where only Heaven can see.”
[… … …]
[XEL PURGE COMPLETE.]
[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM FMN-008.]
Carmen: Nnnn…
Jack: !!!!
Jack: (What in the world was that...green...?)
Jack: Carmen...?
Carmen: …What… what…?
Carmen: Jack, is that you…?
Jack: Y...Yeah...?
Jack: Are...is...oh my God...
[The lady assassin felt very out of it. Everything was darkness… but she had to reach out for that voice, confirm that it wasn’t all a dream…]
Carmen: -Reaches up with her hand to touch his face- Ah’—Ah’ can’t see you right now—
Jack: Y--You...it's...
[.....]
[Were....those...tears she felt on her fingers...?]
Jack: It's...it's you...!
Carmen: …
Carmen: …Are we… what…
Jack: Oh God it's really you Miss E--
Carmen: Where are we? Avi’s wind tunnel or somethin’?
[HONK HOOOOOONK.]
Jack: ...!!!
Jack: oH--
Pup: Yikes!
[…Oh. RIGHT.
They were still in the middle of a pack of crazed cars heading who knows where at over 90 miles an hour.]
Jack: Kid--We gotta get off this crazy--
Pup: UH—
Pup: UM
Pup: -AAAAH I CAN’T CARRY YOU /BOTH/, SIS IS SO—uhhhh… TALL.-
Jack: FRAG--!
Jack: UH--UM--
[A search light suddenly illuminated the area around them.]
Jack: --Wha?!
“YOOOOOOO!”
"HOW'S IT HANGING, BROS?"
Jack: ....?!
Jack: SIX?!
Carmen: AVI!
Pup: TWO AVIS—
Goose: -Swoops in closer to perform a cursory check on the stability of the platform- Well, Avi, looks like Spiderman and Wonderwoman landed in a… sticky situation!
Carmen: …
Maverick: Ooo, looks like you're right, Avi--it's a real TANGLED MESS.~
Carmen: . . .
Pup: But—I thought One told you to stay behind—
Goose: AW, C’MON, BECKY
Goose: DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD LET THIS CHANCE
Goose: PASS UP? ; D
Carmen: . . .
Jack: ......
Maverick: HA! I get it!
Carmen: (Lordy Ah’ musta done somethin’ horrific t’ suffer THIS as my punishment—) -Weakly- Goose, ain’t… got th’… energy t’ yell at ya properly fer that right now…
Goose: I know, right :^D
Maverick: Heheh...
Maverick: Hate to cut this short--but we REALLY need to make an exit, don't ya think? ; D
Jack: (Wow...they are REALLY showing no mercy...)
Maverick: Any longer and we'll have to ride them up for going over the speed limit--
Jack: UM, GUYS--
Jack: NOW'S NOT THE TIME--
Goose: Truuuuue enough! Time waits for no one! 8^D
Carmen: -Faintly- Lord help me but He sure knows ah’ve earned this sufferin’…
Goose: Seems like you guys could use a LIFT out of here! ^.^
[The chipper plane scooped his solid younger sister right off the roof of the rig.]
Pup: —! WOAH WOAH WAIT—
[Oops.
The strings were still attached.
Jack got yanked along about a foot, like a pull toy.]
Jack: FRAG FRAG FRAG S T O P--!!
[There was a sudden red blur.]
-SHING!-
[THUD.]
Jack: Ow...
Ninja!Pup: Whew…
Goose: … -Just kinda. Blinks for a moment-
Goose: …Um.
Goose: WELL! If everyone’s checked in, time for Avi Airlines to get you out of here!
Carmen: Uggh…
Carmen: Ah’ suppose Ah’ deserve your puns. But no weight jokes or Ah SWEAR Ah’ll take ya down with me, got it?
Goose: Love ya too, Sis! ^.^
Jack: Ha...
Jack: Oweverythinghurts....
Maverick: I got ya, Jackie!
[Rick hovers over Jack as he grabs both of his arms to lift him up, then hoists him further into the air with relative ease.]
Maverick: All set, yo! Let's hit it!
[Pup shifted into Avi’s form to follow after them, the three fliers headed off away from the highway.]
Goose: -Touches down gently- Theeere we go.
-Ping!-
<MC005>: > Augh, why is there still no signal?
<FMN-001>: > This IS Shade we’re talking about…
Carmen: -Groans- (…Brother?)
<DWN-011>: > …think it is more that her transceiver is damaged…
Maverick: Yeah, you guys don't look so good...
Jack: Tunnel...
Maverick: ???
Jack: Didn't...see it...
Maverick: OW...
Jack: ...Mng...
<MC005>: > …I have an idea…
<MC005>: >Will, you don’t mind a lot of sand near the teleporters, do you?
[DR.WHITE] //: Er, no--why?
<MC005>: >I’m going to do a spherical transportation.
<MC005>: >Call, if you please…
[DR.WHITE] //: Ah--! Yes, that will do the trick...
Jack: ...Is that Doc White...?
Maverick: Yup. And Dr. Cossack. Say hi, Jackie!
Jack: Heh...hi...sorry I don't look my best right now...
<MC005>: >Heh… don’t worry about that.
Carmen: Daddy…
[DR.WHITE] //: It's alright now, Shade.
[DR.WHITE] //: You'll be home soon.
Carmen: … ‘kay, Dad.
Carmen: I’mma… I’mma just…
Carmen: …sleep, nao—
<FMN-008 has entered Deep Sleep mode.>
Jack: . . .
Jack: H...Hey...Docs...
Jack: She's...she's gonna be OK now, right? Dunno...dunno what the kid did but...
Jack: She's...not crazy any more, right...?
Goose: Bro. Bro.
Goose: Not in the way you’re talking about, no.
Goose: But… her being okay eventually means being back to doing her crazy, ridiculous stunts. …Just part of who Eight is.
Jack: Heh....
Jack: Wouldn't...have it any other...way...
Jack: Just...wanted to...make sure...
Jack: So tired--
[INSUFFICIENT POWER SUPPLY. SHUT DOWN INITIATED.]
[CDN.7037 HAS GONE INTO DEEP SLEEP MODE.]
Goose: …
Goose: [sub]Looks like Mister Sandman paid them a visit[/sub] :’^D
Maverick: You said it, mirror...
Pup: -Sighs inwardly- (Yep. Definitely back to normal.)
{Later that Night…}
[Having delivered Jack and Carmen to the emergency bay, Maverick and Goose made a swift exit stage left, in an attempt to avoid Pyrogen’s wrath.
However, their plan to vacate to the Meadow instead…
…didn’t work as well as they might have hoped.]
Bonnie: You are all okay AVI DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED—WHAT IF SHADE HAD HIT YOU— -Seems to be talking to both-
[…Oops. The OTHER Pyro was there waiting for them.]
Maverick: 8' D (Hoooo boy...)
Bonnie: -Pulls Rick into a half-hug… aaaaand Goose in a headlock-
[…One gets the impression Rick is not in a headlock because he currently lacks a civvie form.]
Rick: ^.^;;;;; (Man I am so glad I do not have a squishy form at the moment--)
Bonnie: -BIG BRO IS SO GLAD YOU ALL ARE OKAY—but you’re still in trouble, especially you, Rick-
Rick: -WAT WHY ME--ooooooh wait-
Rick: ehehehehuuuuuh... 8' D
Bonnie: You might have at least TOLD your Pyro BEFORE suddenly abdicating the emergency bay…
Goose: Aww, but then he woulda said no. D^:
Rick: Yeaaaaaaaaaah he would--in my defense I knew Goose needed help so???
Bonnie: | [
Rick: IIIIIIII am so dead when I get home aren't I--
Goose: MAYBE but I’ll help take the heat— gak!
Bonnie: -Loosens his grip, because he was just giving a warning- If this was your idea, then you’d better own up to it.
Goose: YEP MORE OR LESS—I mean I tried to tell you, Beck only has one arm in that form, the other is used for flying, no way he could carry ‘em both—
Bonnie: How did you even know where to start looking?
Goose: WELL. There was this news report about a pizza robbery—
Goose: Didn’t realize Jack was there too until my cameras found them. Uh… she shut that down pretty quick, though, so… had to go in in person.
Rick: Yeah, she was REALLY letting those bullets fly...
Rick: -Totally intended pun by the way-
Rick: And then Jack was zippin' and zoomin' all over the place, and the debris, whew!
Bonnie: -Small sigh- Alright, you two. Time to get started.
Goose: Uh…?
Bonnie: You. You are going to help with the cooking.
Rick: . . . .
Rick: Uh, BOTH of us or are you talking to Goose-- (Gosh sometimes it's hard being mirrors--)
Bonnie: No, I’m sure your eldest has something else in mind. What might that be, MNN-001?
[And then there he was—the one figure they had been trying to evade in the first place—arms crossed and everything.]
Pat: HE is going straight home and helping Father with data analysis.
Rick: (WHEEEEEERE DID YOU COME FROM--)
Pat: And to help track down our last three kin, Call could use the assistance.
Rick: Uh....sure...yeah... (No seriously where did Bro come from--)
Goose: H-hi bro :’D;;;
Bonnie: (I’ll admit… I was hoping they’d see Cardinal on the highway, but of course not…) -Lets go of Rick-
Goose: Um… is this really the time for baking, though—
Bonnie: Have you been paying any attention?
Bonnie: There are now 33 people to feed. And more will be coming.
Bonnie: ONE of those is COUNTERSHADE.
Goose: -Hrk—!- Okay okay I get it—
Bonnie: Besides, I think CDN-7037 deserves some sort of reward, don’t you? I’ve heard he’s quite the carnivore…
Rick: Yeah, real meat lover...
Pat: If that's the case, I'll assist with food whenever possible. We should ask Nico too, he's also quite the cook.
Goose: I thought he was playing Doctor while Nineteen sealed himself in his room and Doc C was in Cali?
Bonnie: Well, Captain Piers has come over to assist in the healing process. It helps that Felix has been stable for a while and they have another Healer there… and that Plume and Landcrusher are also stable…
Goose: -Sudden lightbulb- Uh. Patrick? Y’ might be busy just keeping an eye on the three of them for a while…
Pat: . . .
Rick: Y...Yeah, I think we all gotta just keep an eye on everyone that's still recovering for now...
Pat: (...Shadow can stay with Brand, that will help...)
Skull: {I’m sure he would like that.}
Rick: Gah--
Pat: Skull.
Rick: (How does he DO that???)
[The soft-spoken skeleton was finally up again. He had come back Online as soon as Brandish had been brought to the lab, as he was needed to help run things in the Meadow.]
Skull: Apologies, MNN-006. It was not my intention to startle you.
Rick: Eheh--noooo problem, bro... : ' D
Skull: {We are incredibly glad you are well, Aviator. We missed you.}
Rick: Eheh...
Rick: Y-Yeah...good to be back...
Rick: .....
Rick: -scoooots behind big bro nope we're not hiding at all.-
Rick: : ' D
Skull: …? ({Am I missing something?})
Rick: Um--
Rick: I'm just gonna--go now--sorry--
Rick: -FLEES-
Pat: ......
Goose: BEEEE RIGHT BACK— -Hovers after-
Bonnie: … : / (Poor Aviator.)
{Meanwhile…}
-Ping.-
<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: >Brooooo. Broooooooooooooooo—
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: sorry man I just--couldn't stay there--
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: not after you know what--
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: -nnnnngh, guilt, so much guilt--
[Goose is clearly catching up. He’s flying upside-down now… very Echo-like, honestly.]
<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > I know, man. I know.
<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > -Man, I can’t even REMEMBER everything, but-
MN.6 to FMN.6] //: I just--man they must HATE me--
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: I mean I know I was screwy and everything but STILL--
<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: >Duuuude… let’s just. Just fly now, ‘kay? Catch some thermal from the plains.
[Indeed, the Wilderness was shifting into open, expansive prairie, in a state faaar away. The night air was clear, and it was silent and free.]
Goose: -Inverts and does a corkscrew in one direction, then the other-
<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > -Hums Let’s Go Fly a Kite-
Goose: (Gotta let him wear off the Xeldrenaline, that’ll probably help. Flying always helped with that for ME me, anyway…)
[MN.6] //: ....
[This DOES seem to help significantly, the very warm night breeze blowing over into the prairie and up to a starry sky...]
[MN.6] //: . . .
Goose: -Sways contently by banking very slightly from one side to the next- (Ahhh…) Home, home on the range…~
[MN.6] //: ....
[MN.6] //: -Siiiigh-
Rick: -turns over so that he's staring at the stars-
Rick: (What am I gonna tell Toby...?)
Rick: (What can I even SAY?)
[Goose does a lazy loop-de-loop before resuming his swaying.
He then comes up so he’s in wingman position near Rick. But he’s still quiet, mostly just… there, for his Other.]
Rick: . . .
Rick: -Sighs once more and rubs eyes-
Rick: I reeeeeally messed up, didn't I...
Rick: Like... Super MAJOR big time messed up.
Goose: …
[He seems really thoughtful.]
Goose: …I try to always put things in a positive outlook, you know? Saying something like that outright isn’t really my thing…. Brand’s a lot better at that sort of stuff. [sub]too good, sometimes…[/sub]
Goose: I honestly… don’t really know what happened? Because… I can’t /remember/ what I did—which is pretty scary, really…. And… we couldn’t get ahold of you guys until later.
Goose: But even though I can’t remember, I know it was… definitely not cool, what I did. Yeah.
Goose: But… there are a couple of things about what happened, you know?
Rick: Yeah, I get that...
Rick: .....
Rick: (I...I can't really see a BRIGHT side to this--which tells me just how BAD things got--)
Rick: .....
Rick: I...oh man I'm SO glad Toby is--well...for the most part, OK again...
Rick: . . .
Goose: Yeah, see—that’s the thing—one of the things.
Goose: Remember what the Robin told you guys before you fought YoYo Hippie? About how possession wasn’t really them you were dealing with?
Rick: .......
Rick: Y...Yeah...
Rick: (You're not fighting the person, but the parasite...)
Goose: Man, we know it’s true, because attempts were made to fight back.
Goose: How could that happen unless there were something else— something the REAL YOU didn’t like, didn’t agree with—were there to fight against? Yeah, it doesn’t really help a whole lot, maybe, but it is really important.
Goose: And as for the Wily Numbers…
Goose: Duuude, they…
Goose: …
Goose: …I…
Goose: …I heard you… -Trails off-
Rick: . . .
Goose: (…heard you saw what happened…)
Rick: .......
Rick: I...
Rick: . . . .
Rick: Yeah.
Goose: …
Goose: …They’ve been there, man. Especially the little spark dude.
Goose: But know what?
Goose: Even though maybe someone could try and argue that everything is Tobias’s fault—HE sure seems to think so, himself—
Goose: His bros just plain love him, bro.
Goose: You’re part of their family now, dude. …Like, REALLY part, now, even. Blood Xel brothers, uh, something like that.
Goose: …You know how it is with bros. If something’s going wrong, of course you try to stop it—like with squishies, if someone’s drunk or whatnot—
Rick: ....
Goose: But you don’t hate on a bruthuh, ya know?
Rick: .....Yeah, heh... (I hope not, at least...)
Rick: .....
Rick: I guess I'm just--scared...?
Rick: I mean WILY BOTS, man. Tempers. Nothing against that, no, I mean...
Rick: (I really wouldn't blame them if they really wanted a go at me anyway...)
Goose: Well, that’s the THING, man—these guys—their experiences made them really empathetic. …Well, I mean, other than their Ninjabro, he’s like Blondie—still trying to learn about feelings and stuff.
Goose: Iiiiii think if it’s their temper you’re worried about? Yeah… maybe you’re right.
Goose: because DUDE they hate Cracker Snack so much, Toby would TOTES take a crack at them if he were let looooooose :’D;;;
Rick: Oh bro you're so right--jeez louies, tHAT would be so bad--
Goose: YEAH BRO KINDA.
Goose: …They have tempers against… well… people that cause those close to them to suffer. Like. Man, if Yoyo Hippie had REALLY tried going against them, that wouldn’t have gone well—because he threatened Robin to the point where he was paranoid more on the side of cray-cray, and then the whole deal with Queen Bee came… (Man, don’t even WANT to think about what woulda happened if Cossack hadn’t shut the others down after they sliced poor Toby open…)
Goose: They honestly think CherryDyn’s behind all this. Some think it more than others. It’s them they’re angry at.
Goose: You?
Goose: They’re SO happy you’re okay, they feel awful about…
Goose: …
Goose: …the whole cross-reference thing.
Rick: Ya know--I wouldn't be very SURPRISED if Cherry was behind it at this point...
Rick: But....
Rick: . . .
Goose: WELL, YA SEE
Goose: Here’s what Siam said—
Goose: Basically he didn’t think Cracker Snack was smart enough to think something like that up, let alone pull it off? :’^D
Rick: -SHRUGS-
Rick: He's REAL bent on putting blame on someone else. Done it with the VD and now with Doc Blackwell, and the guy is in PRISON. Seems like he's running out of options at this point and just...grasping straws...
Goose: …Did he really? Man, Siam was right—getting real un-creative with his content.
[The chipper plane snorts.]
Goose: He’s so lucky that the Angels really like YOU guys. And that Robin is busy with more important things right now. I mean, really—
Goose: THE DUDE WENT AND TAGGED THEIR HQ, AND THAT WAS ON A PRETTY GOOD EVENING
Rick: -SNORTS-
Rick: Yeah--who knows WHAT they'd do if pushed far enough and left unchecked... (…Pretty scary thought right there…)
Goose: … -Seems thoughtful about this-
Goose: …I think they don’t really know, themselves? Wasn’t that why Toby was so scared?
Goose: That’s why they are the way they are. Determined not to let that happen. No matter how hard they’re pushed.
Goose: It would take something REALLY bad to… well. Yeah, we kinda saw that already at the Finals. (They’ve just lost so much already. Really scares them when they’re about to lose even more.)
Rick: .....
Rick: -Sigh-
Rick: .....
Rick: Sis is probably gonna zap me, though. I'm, like--85% sure she is.
Goose: Bro, that’s Sis for you. Isn’t that something Electric ‘bots do when stressed, anyway?
Rick: Yeah, energy buildup, their systems release it to avoid overcharge— (Dyna's gonna be soooo angry at me I can tell--)
Goose: I knew it was her way of showing affection~
Rick: -SNORT-
Rick: Ya think? Heh...
Goose: Sure! You know, the whole “tsundere” deal.
Rick: HA! Oh, man, I knew it--
Rick: I bet it's the same for Cryo too--she fights Big Bro all the time even in a good mood--
Goose: Yeah! All the sisters are like that—
Rick: I mean SURE we do talk an earful but it's our job as little brothers to annoy big sisters, right--
Goose: -Gleeful swaying again- Something like that! More like there’s just a lot to saaaaay~
Goose: -Imitates Carmen- “C’mere a lil’ closer so Ah’ can make ya go into Airplane mode.”
Rick: -LOUD SNORT-
Rick: Oh dude I'd hightail out the window SO fast if she said that--BUT THAT IS A G R E A T PUN THO--
Goose: I TAUGHT HER WELL -So proud-
Rick: NICE, BRO. -THUMBS UP-
Rick: Wish I had an apprentice, heh...
Goose: Duuude—you DO!
Goose: : D
Rick: ....
Rick: TOBY--
Rick: I CAN TEACH HIM SO MANY PUNS--
Goose: IT’LL BE GREAT
Rick: The fact that there are so many electric/lighting puns already is also perfect--
Goose: Well yeah—he’s a real
Goose: LIVE WIRE~
Rick: And a real--
Rick: SHOCKER!~
Goose: -LOOP-DE-LOOP- Wheee!
[Yep. The lovable goofball was just a big kid at heart.]
Rick: : )
Rick: -Yeah, why not, LOOP-DE-LOOPS FOR DAAAAAAYS-
Rick: Wooooo!~
Rick: -Content data, we feel MUCH BETTER now, thanks, Goose--_
Goose: -Anytime, me-
Goose: Hey—Hey… thanks for helping out today. Really. -REEEEEAAAALLLY means it, so grateful-
Rick: Oh...yeah, no problem, dude. ^.^
Rick: Carmen's just as much a sis to me as you guys are--and Mighties always gotta stick out for one another, ya know?~
Goose: Yeah… and Tony, man… -Vents a sigh- MAN, is he gutsy for a Civvie—she’d have been really panicked if he didn’t come along.
Goose: Firebro wants me to stick around and help with cooking for everyone so the Docs can focus on their work and you guys can do your thing, and not have to worry about food. We all know how Daddo gets when he’s focused on a project, and I hear Cossack is even worse… >.>
Rick: ...Soooomeone's gonna hafta keep an eye on the Daddos so they don't overclock themselves...
Goose: Well, I think Blondie helps with that—something about the sprinklers—
Rick: -....Oh she has control over the sprinkler system, welp--
Rick: : ' D
Goose: …I won’t be able to come over there for long. Just. You know. Just in case someone stops by the lab. At least Shade is in her civvie form, no one will recognize her as Sniperbro like that… but the rest of us, ehhh, best not push our luck…
Goose: But she’s gonna be there for a while, I think. Man, face-first into concrete at 110 mph, ow.
Goose: So… she just. Might need you, since I can’t be there… ‘kay?
Rick: Yeah...I'll cover, bro. Promise.
Rick: ...Though she's probably gonna wanna be around Brand and Jackie, at first...
Goose: Oh, yeah, definitely Brand. …
Goose: … … …
Goose: … … … … … … … … … … …
Rick: .....
Rick: Uh...Goooooooooose?
Goose: -Blinks, coming out of it- Hmm?
Rick: ........
Rick: Iiiii....uh. (OK is it just me or am I really disturbing when I DON'T talk?)
Rick: Anything that Car will wanna hear from me--like, stories, stuff that'll get her to calm down and stuff?
Goose: …
Goose: -Fairly seriously- When she came back. That night.
Rick: (oooooh this does not sound good--)
Goose: She. She looked real beat up, man. Like… like this, but worse, because… it was just so sudden, and there was a good chunk of her just plain GONE—it was so wrong, somehow— “it just ain’t right” as she would say.
Rick: . . . .
Goose: She… was having trouble recovering, she wasn’t healing right, you know? Probably because of such an important thing like a core being missing.
Rick: (S...Sis...)
Goose: She’d wake up, man—but only sorta—all panicked and incoherent and man I think Pyro said she was all “Five Nights at Freddy’s 4” in her incoherent abstract data.
Rick: Oh, jeez...
Goose: And then… she got well enough to not be all “loopy in fever”, basically—
Goose: And she asked for Brandish.
Rick: ......
Rick: Little odd that she would considering their relationship before...
Goose: I know, right?
Goose: …I mean…
Goose: … Man I hope Brand doesn’t hear about what she said, not for a LOOONG time…
Rick: . . .
Goose: Brand, uh. Well. I’ll play you the clip of what we explained to the others later. But basically she thought he didn’t believe in her at all. Aaand she was vocal about that.
Goose: Everyone was kinda expecting her to ask for me, you know? No one was more shocked to hear the request than Sev himself.
Rick: Wow...
Goose: But.
Goose: She wanted him to tell her stories.
Goose: …She couldn’t stay at rest because she still felt in danger from… whatever happened, I guess… or those FNAF nightmares.
Goose: So she couldn’t get any better, because her body wasn’t recovering.
Goose: But having him around, verbally walk her through a meditation and stuff… just knowing he was there…
Goose: She got better. She slept and got better.
Rick: ....Huh...
Goose: There’s a chance something like that might happen again with this—I mean, Dad DID change the flow between the remaining cores, but she got banged up pretty bad, might need to redo that. -I don’t know, I’m not a medical genius like Siaaaaaaaam-
Rick: -wince-
Goose: As long as you, he, Jack, and Pryo are around, though, she’ll be docile and compliant.
Goose: With Jack it’s a case of him being her last mission objective—something about protecting him from CherryDyn loose-end “fixers,” dunno if that was actually a thing or just a concern, but. She’d think “OH CRAP STILL ON A MISSION” but if he’s right there, it’s all “oh okay mission accomplished, everything’s okay now” sort of deal. [sub]she takes her work super seriously[/sub]
Rick: Yeaaaah, Jack...Jack's pretty banged up too, so he'll DEF be there with her in repairs...
Goose: We’ll bring her home as soon as she can handle it—or at least to the Meadow, I mean—Dad DOES want to work on her, after all. But yeah, they’ll probably be there for a while. :’V
Goose: You’ll know she’s gotten over the worst when she becomes absolutely ravenous. [sub]she might start sleep-eating at that point tho[/sub]
Rick: Oof--she's gonna clean out our FRIDGE--if Cryo isn't sleeping in it already but I mean--
Rick: --Oh man Jack--Jack's gonna be hungry too, man no wonder Big Fire Bro asked you for cooking help, so many hungry people...
Goose: …
Goose: Did—I mean… Does Shadebro eat a lot, too?
Rick: Well--I mean, no? Sort of? His hunger is REALLY weird--
Rick: Like, sometimes he'll not eat for a day and then suddenly he does and then he doesn't and it's just--
Rick: Iiiiit's become a fact that if he says he ain't hungry, he ain't.
Goose: Huh. Weird…
Goose: …
Goose: Ten credits says Sis challenges him to an eating contest. :^D
Rick: Noooo bet, she's so going to at some point--!
Goose: Awwwww…
Rick: But--
Rick: I bet 20 that Shade bro will lose SO HARD--
Goose: DOUBLE DOWN SAYS JACK GETS HIMSELF INVOLVED—and that Firebros do a simultaneous facepalm :^D
Rick: DEAL--
Goose: ^.^ C’mon, Rick. Let’s head on home. |D
Goose: Home is where the heart is. < 3
Rick: Yeah-- -Yawns-
Rick: Home sweet home...
[And so, Goose takes flight lead and guides his mirror home…
Ah… home at last, indeed.]
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
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!
=CHAPTER 4D: AVI’S NEWS REPORT=
~AO v1.0~
(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE IN IDAHO...]
[Jack had learned how to drive a lot of different vehicles in his on and off odd jobs--this pick-up truck was no exception. He STILL felt bad about taking something that wasn't his--]
Jack: (I'll have to write down the license plate and return it later...)
[...But Eli had a point.]
[This were dire times, and they called for drastic measures.]
Jack: ........
[The road was...]
[Empty.]
[...Desolate, even.]
Jack: (Creepy...)
Jack: (I...I guess everyone already evacuated the major cities...right?)
Jack: (.....It's--It's too quiet.)
Jack: (Maybe whoever owns this truck has some decent tunes...?)
[He found nothing in the glove compartment--but he did find some CDs in the compartment in the middle. No labels, though. Shrugging, Jack popped one of the plainer looking ones and loaded up Track 1.]
Jack: --Oookay, let's see what--
[RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH--]
[What followed was SO loud and so disorientating, Jack almost lost control of the truck. Luckily, he pushed mute before he became completely deaf.]
Jack: ....What the hell?
[...Apparently the owner was a fan of hardcore screamo.]
Jack: (Jeezus, I'm NOT gonna listen to that for who KNOWS how long...)
Jack: (I'm NOT risking my ears for the other CDs--maybe the radio has something good-)
[Click!]
"--Check, check one, check two! Sibilance, sibilance!"
Jack: (...Oh. Right. I forgot...)
"And now, live from Avi News World Headquarters, continuing coverage of...! BA DA DA DA...! NATION. IN. CRISIS!~"
Jack: Not exactly breaking news there, Six...
Jack: ......!!!
[Jack raises up the volume as he broadcast continues and unfolds...
It was a tense and harrowing broadcast, filled with harsh words from Avi, please from Beck—and then sudden, repeated interference, wherein Dyna screamed and strange music was played very loudly between bursts of static that were clearly Morse code.
It was soon clear that Beck was trying to take down Avi—alone!]
Jack: Oh God oh God--
[But he succeeded.
HE DID IT!]
[......]
[HOOOOOONK.]
Jack: HELL YEAH, KID, YA DID IT, WOO--!!
[As the comms were now officially freed from Avi's viral grasp, Jack honked the horn of the truck several times in cheer. The kid--Beck--man, the little guy-- who would've thought it?]
Jack: WOOOO HA--awwww man...!
Jack: Kid actually did it...
[It was nothing short of a miracle, in his eyes.]
[.......]
Jack: ........
Jack: (......)
Jack: (Maybe--I can try to contact Miss Eight...?)
Jack: (....No--she wouldn't answer, would she...)
Jack: (........Maybe I should get around to calling the Russians like Bird Guy said...?)
Jack: (....No, wait, bad idea--they'd probably try to stop me. Or try to teleport me out or something...)
Jack: (...I gotta let SOMEONE know I'm still kicking, though...)
Jack: ....
Jack: (...Ngh, screw it. Gotta take advantage of the comms before something ELSE goes screwy...)
[Jack rummages through his bag until he finds the burner phone, and scrolls though the list of contacts.]
[…It’s a very short list. There are only four numbers on it—
One for Dr. White, one for Dr. Cossack, one for a “Ms. Nighthawk,” and one that had a KCMO area code on it…]
Jack: ......
Jack: (Dr. White's there too--and Ms. Nighthawk...?)
Jack: (Must be someone important if Miss Eight put her there...)
Jack: (...Kay, then. Doc Cossack.)
[CALLING...]
[…It worked!
…but he got… voicemail. Aaaaand of course the message was in Russian, and suddenly—]
[BEEEEP!]
[…Oh, right—now it was recording—]
Jack: .....
[That...that was not a good sign.]
[Why wasn't he answering the phone?]
Jack: .....
Jack: Um...yeah, uh...Doctor Cossack...?
Jack: I--I don't know if you remember me or anything, but--it's...it's Den. Dencerjack.
Jack: ...Well, just Jack now but--yeah.
Jack: I...
Jack: The Bird Guy told me to call you guys but--
Jack: .....
Jack: I hope you guys are OK too--really sorta scaring me that you're not answering but--you're probably helping out or busy or...something.
Jack ...I hope.
Jack: I'm, uh...OK too. Sorta. Kinda. Almost died a couple of times--but I'm OK.
Jack: ......
Jack: I....
Jack: You probably think I'm stupid or crazy or something.
Jack: And in hindsight--
Jack: Iiiiiiii probably am.
Jack: You probably already figured out what I'm doing by now, I guess. If Double Dude didn't tell you--then again I didn't exactly tell him either, so.
Jack: .....
Jack: Please don't...
Jack: I...I have to know if she's OK.
Jack: I just have to.
Jack: ......
Jack: So...
Jack: Good luck, and...tell the Xel kid I'm rooting for him.
Jack: ....See ya.
[Click.]
[…About a minute later…]
DOOdootdootDOOdootdootDOOdootdooDOO dootdooDOOdoodoodooDOOdoodoo…
[…It was Korobeiniki!]
Jack: ...!?
Jack: (Holy crap holy crap--)
[ANSWER CALL.]
Jack: Doc??
[NOPE. Definitely not Doctor Cossack—]
“Mister Jack you ARE OKAY!”
[…Sooooomeone a lot younger. A little girl, to be precise.]
“I watched your match and if you are back that means Father can talk to his friend again!”
Jack: .....
Jack: (...Wait who's this...??)
“Where is мой герой?”
Jack: (--Father--?? Doc Cossack's a dad like--legitly?)
Jack: Uh--um--hold up, hold up--
Jack: Sorry, kid--I--I don't speak or understand Russian--sorry--
Jack: Is your...Dad there?
[A pause, as if she’s thinking on how to answer that. Eventually, she seems to come to a conclusion.]
“Papa is at work. He gave the phone to me so I could call him.”
[Another pause.]
“You said you had heard from ‘Bird Guy’—that is Mister Cardinal, da?”
Jack: Yeah, him, him. That guy. He told me to call you guys as soon as I could--which is now.
Jack: (Work--nah. He's probably helping out or something, yeah. Whew.)
Jack: Alright--miss, do me a favor and tell your dad I called, OK?
Jack: What about you--are you somewhere safe?
[Another pause, with muffled sounds of talking. Then an eager return.]
“Yes! I am with the Nighthawks. Papa is in the Meadow working on Tobias and helping learn about the virus. Where is Mister Cardinal?”
Jack: (Ah, knew it--guess that's the Nighthawks I saw on the contacts...)
Jack: I....I don't know, miss. He called me from Kansas City, but I don't think he's there anymore.
Jack: ...I'm sorry.
[Russian complaining as she’s clearly holding the phone away from her face to talk to the other person there. Sounds of others talking in the background, and then more agitated Russian, with Shade’s name thrown in there several times.]
Jack: (Oooooohkaaaay...)
“It’s okay, Kalinka—He rescued you, I’m sure he can handle himself—”
[More Russian.]
“Is Jack still on the line?”
“…! OH! Oops…”
[Aaaand she’s back.]
“Sorry, Mister Jack. I was distracted.”
Jack: (Yeah, I could hear you from here--)
Jack: Um, it's fine, Miss...Kalinka.
“Where are you? Are you in America?”
Jack: Uuuuh....
Jack: .....
Jack: -Somewhat nervously- Y-Yeeeaah, right. USA. Got there through the Meadow and Wilderness.
[Cheerful talking in the background.]
“Ms. Ky says that you are clever to take the Wilderness shortcut, and is very curious where you ended up.”
[Another pause.]
“…And that the highways might be dangerous?”
Jack: I...um.
Jack: . . .
Jack: Yeah, got it. I'll be careful.
Jack: I...ended up somewhere REAL rainy. Uh. Yeah.
Jack: (Iiiii don't know how much I can tell this kid with the other person with her...)
Jack: It's been...a real experience.
[A bit of a pause.]
“…Will you come back soon? And be safe in the Meadow, da?”
Jack: ......
Jack: Sure, Miss.
Jack: I'll be back.
Jack: (...In one piece, hopefully...)
“Okay. I’ll let my older brother know to make you some ice cream! Be safe, Mister Jack! Bye now.”
[Click.]
Jack: ....
Jack: Yeah...
Jack: -SIGHS-
[The CherryDyn Number runs a nervous hand over silvery locks, driving further into the highway that ran through the state. If he kept going, he'd eventually hit Utah...]
Jack: Hooo jeez...
Jack: (Gotta stay away from the bigger interstates--THAT one's probably got some remote control cars and if the virus got THOSE...)
[At least there wasn't any traffic here...so far.]
Jack: (OK, time to think, Jack...)
Jack: (Miss Eight's gonna go after her own brother--but WHERE could he be is the question...)
Jack: (Seven, Seven...)
Jack: (Brandish, sword guy. He can cut ANYTHING, they say. Oh, man...)
[Seeing as he had little to go on, Jack once again turned on the radio. News reports were flooding airwaves at last as he kept driving onwards--they were mostly damage reports and warnings...]
Jack: (Nothing new there...)
Jack: (Come ON, there has to be SOMETHING--Anything--!)
"Robots are still going berserk across the country--"
Click.
"We implore any fleeing civilians to please be safe and stay away from--"
"--Susan if you can hear this PLEASE CALL ME WE'RE SO WORRIED--"
"--We have confirmation of havoc caused by a rouge robot directly attacking--"
"CherryDynamics has confirmed that communications have been restored--"
Jack: (--!!)
Jack: Wait what was that--
Click.
"--Highway Alpha 6 is under attack, I repeat, Highway Alpha 6 is under attack--Eyewitnesses have spotted a rouge robot destroying vehicles with no regard to innocent life--"
Jack: ...?
"We have reports that the rouge robot is armed with bladed weapons and is currently in the Four Corners area--"
Jack: --!!!
Jack: (Wow--that HAS to be the most luck I've gotten in all this...)
Jack: (It's gotta be Seven--gotta be...!)
[Four Corners...that wasn't TOO far from here...]
Jack: (Wherever she is--she's probably heading there now, if she isn't already--)
Jack: (I hope this thing can handle going a hu--)
[KEERRRRRRRK--]
Jack: ......
Jack: YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME--
[.....That sound--and the smoke coming from the bottom of the hood certainly weren't very good signs.]
[It was official--]
[Jack had the worst luck in the entire world, and he was not afraid of screaming his frustration into the steering wheel.]
Jack: (Why--WHY.)
[After sitting in despair for a couple of minutes, Jack stepped out of the truck, slammed the door, and walked to the smoking engine.]
[A BLAST of black soot and heat pounded his face.]
Jack: Uuuugh, please let it not be the battery...
[...Nope, wasn't the battery at all.]
[It was the cooling system--he ran out of water.]
Jack: (Greaaaaat, it overheated...)
Jack: (Guess I gotta fix it--though, where am I gonna get some water...?)
Jack: (First there was too MUCH of it back in Seattle and now there's not enough...tch...)
Jack: (Uuugh, let's see, let's see--)
[He scours the back, but no such luck. Eventually, he decides to check the cooler that was given to him.]
Jack: (...! Yes...! Some gallons--nice and cool, too, okay...)
[Once again popping open the hood, he starts pouring in the water, looking over anything else he needs to fix...]
Jack: (Fuel line looks OK, battery is good...)
[......]
[Virrrrrrrr...]
Jack: ...?
[What was that noise...?]
[VIRRRRRR.....]
Jack: .....!
[In the distance, he could JUST make out a few vehicles heading this way--at a rather fast pace, actually.]
Jack: (Huh...)
Jack: (Wonder if they're from Seattle too--)
[TH-WANG!]
Jack: --?!?
[Was that--]
[TH-WHAG!]
Jack: (G-Gunfire!)
[One of the bullets managed to stray off and hit the hood of the truck, causing Jack to yelp in terror.]
Jack: (Are--Are they shooting AT me??)
Jack: (Oh my God what did I DO--)
[With no desire to find out, Jack slammed the hood down and scrambled for the wheel, quickly putting on his seat belt and--]
[CHRRRRRR--]
Jack: (Come on START ALREADY--!!)
[TH-WANG!]
[Another shot bounced off the roof of the car--!]
[The engine turned over at last--]
Jack: (FINALLY THANK YOU--)
[He FLOORS it, back on the road, adjusting his rearview mirror in order to spot the shooters in the vehicles behind him--which were catching up FAST.]
Jack: .... Wait a sec--
[Were those... motorcycles? ]
Jack: Nonono--
[A group of about 7 motorcycles, of all kinds, tearing though the highway at speeds that FAR exceeded the legal limit. Gunfire rang out into the sky, as well as the asphalt around Jack's stolen truck.]
Jack: (CRAP, THEY'RE GONNA SHOOT OUT THE TIRES--)
Jack: (I gotta outrun them--no WAY am I gonna get pulled over and mugged by some motor gang--!)
Jack: (Not when I'm this close...!)
Jack: (Alright, weird, magic bag that I still don't have any idea how you work--)
Jack: (Do you got ANYTHING that can help me deal with these guys...??)
[Jack drove unsteadily, swerving with one hand on the wheel as he rummaged in the bag blindly with the other. He somehow reached past the cooler—as he flicked his hand, something new would come within reach each time.]
[Okay… there was the cooler, the lantern, the bedding stuff, some sort of first-aid kit, some… feathers? (Huh?)]
Jack: .....
Jack: (What the fraaaag--?? What IS that--)
Jack: (Something--cool...and--)
Jack: OW--ow what was that--?? (Feels like I pricked myself--??)
[Then he grasped what seemed to be a squishy disc. It sure seemed to be giving off a lot of heat, though…]
Jack: (....E-Ew--)
[After glancing backwards and wincing a bit at the gunfire around him, Jack pulls out the squishy-like disk....]
Jack: .....-Sniff...?-
Jack: Oil...?
Jack: . . .
Jack: ....!
[Oil--!]
[If he threw it out the window just right--]
[VIRRRRRRRRRRRRR--!!]
"GET 'EM, BOYS--!"
Jack: (SCRAPSCRAPSCRAP--)
[With one swift movement, Jack looked out the window--the glass was already down--and threw the sticky disk far out behind him!]
Jack: (Hope this works---!!)
[The rush of speed-created wind practically ripped the disc out of his hands. As the pursuers were not that far behind, there was no way it could miss. And indeed—]
-SPACK!-
[—It splattered all across the ground, running oil all over the road—]
"OH SH--"
"[FRAAAAAG--]"
"WHA--"
[C R A S H--!!!]
[And then said oil caught on FIRE.]
Jack: .....
Jack: (OH MY GOD.)
Jack: UM--
Jack: SORRYYYY!
[The motor gang had slipped on the oil, crashed into each other--and was now trying to put out the flames from their clothes and rides. They cursed after Jack as he sped away, leaving them in his dust.]
Jack: (Iiiii really hope the bikes don't explode or anything--)
[B O O M !]
Jack: -SWERVES-
Jack: HOLY FRAG--
Jack: Oh my God I made them explode--
Jack: What in the HELL IS IN THIS MAGIC BAG?!
Jack: When I drive far enough I am gonna really look through this thing, darn it--
Jack: (I really hope those guys are OK oh man--)
Jack: Frag frag now I have oil flare things and who knows what in the truck--great--just what I needed--
Jack: Lord Almighty--Miss Eight why can't you just call me or something, so I at least know you're alive or something--anything--
[The CDN continued to grumble, fidget, and slightly panic as he turned into the interstate--Highway Alpha 12.]
[...They said that Seven was in Alpha 6, much further ahead...]
[This was gonna take a while.]
Jack: (Almost there, Miss Eight...)
Jack: (Just--a little further...!)
Jack: (Just a little more and then...)
Jack: ......
Jack: .....
[...And then?]
[He didn't think he'd get this far.]
[What was he gonna do IF Carmen WASN'T well at all?]
[What chance did he have against the world's best assassin?]
[The world's best hunter gone completely MAD?]
Jack: . . .
Jack: (...She's...gonna try to kill me, isn't she?)
Jack: (Hell, SIX didn't have ANY problem with air striking his own little brother...)
Jack: (If I get in her way...)
Jack: .......
————————
[color=Brick] “…And if they ask where I am?” [/color]
[A pause.]
[color=Brick] “ …” [/color]
[color=Brick] “John 15:13.” [/color]
-*-*-
Siam: He…
Gemini: Heh… he…
Siam: -Regretfully, in a way- Of course he would do that…
Jack: ......
Jack: M'sorry...
Gemini: -Softly- “No one has greater love than this…”
Siam: “…to lay down one's life for one's friends.”
Jack: --!
Jack: .....
Jack: (Miss Eight...)
————————
Jack: ........
Jack: (...God, Miss Eight would never forgive herself if--if she...)
Jack: . . .
Jack: "No one has greater love than this..."
Jack: . . .
Jack: (...I...I think I get what you were trying to say now, Bird Guy...)
Jack: (Jeez...)
Jack: (You'd BETTER come back alive, too...)
[He floors it.]
Jack: (I don't think either of them would forgive themselves if we kicked the bucket and it's by THEIR own hands...)
Jack: (....)
Jack: (...Never had good odds.)
Jack: (Never had real good luck.)
Jack: (But I think, for once, I'd like to beat those odds.)
Jack: (I'll DRAG Miss Eight back if I have to--!)
Jack: (Dying--that's not an option.)
Jack: (Not for me OR her...!)
Jack: (I don't care if you'll try and shoot me dead--)
Jack: (I can't...I can't let you do this...!)
Jack: (I won't LET you!)
——————————
{MEANWHILE…}
[She grinned as she walked away from the scene.
Sure, it hadn’t been her cause, but still. He deserved it.
She hadn’t even given Gravecrasher the honor of one of her lipstick darts. Let him be another nameless victim, for all she cared.
He had paid his dues, and danced /oh/ so well.
It was time to continue elsewhere.]
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
=CHAPTER 5A: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=
~AO v1.0~
(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[SANDA LABS...]
[The lower parts of the building—the labs and underground, as well as most of the floors above were secure, though perhaps there was a few rouge trash bots wandering around here and there, which were quickly dealt with when Beck found them.]
[...But he wasn't here in the storage area for just that. It was the only room big enough for the Round Digger that Beck had first purified way...]
[...Way back? It FELT like it.]
Beck: Hey, buddy...
[The CDN beeped happily as it saw him approach.]
Beck: You seem to be doing OK...that's good...
[Beck patted the larger robot on it's spherical side, rather glad that it was still functioning perfectly well. It also reassured him a little.]
[...He was worried that his...his ability to filter out irregularities in other systems wasn't permanent, or that the virus was stronger than he thought...]
[...But the big guy seemed OK, and that means his family would be OK too.]
Beck: ......
[…Even if it may be a bit complicated for a while.
The whole fusion thing with Avi and Tobias had prompted Dr. Cossack to come over to assist in the repairs. All that he would say were vague remarks about side effects and the nature of the RMDC.
He was in the lab now, looking over more of Avi’s coding, with help from Will.
He seemed confident the problem would be fixed soon—and Beck sure hoped so.
The “side effects” that Siam had mentioned were a lot worse than just Tobias getting sensory data from Avi’s feeds.]
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
“Nowhere left to run, anymore. Heh… talk about pathetic. You’re a disgrace t’ robots everywhere, you sniveling ragtag group a’ cowards.”
[Panic. Sheer panic. Terror. Trapped.]
“A hunt this borin’ ain’t worth m’ time, so…. Let’s play a little game, shall we? S’ called…”
[A loud click noise.]
“ ‘Which one a’ you Wily scrapheaps will take the longest t’ die?’”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
[Whatever it was that had caused all the Rebel Angels to wake up screaming in the middle of the night, it definitely wasn’t something anyone wanted to show up in Avi’s feeds a second time.]
Beck: -Sighs-
[At least they were making progress. That had to count for something.]
[...A LOT of things had happened back there, on the Radio Tower, against Avi...]
[For one, it appeared his 'filter' had somehow fixed Avi's and Tobias's fusion, though he was still rather confused as to why...]
[For another...]
-------------------------
[XEL OVERRIDE INITIATED.]
[MN.6'S WEAPONS SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISABLED.]
--------------------------
[What in the WORLD was that...?
He was kinda glad that the Angels were all distracted with Tobias (and whatever else Siam was up to), because he had a feeling it would SERIOUSLY freak them out if they knew about it. It was freaky enough as it was—and if anyone were to ask about it, he just didn’t know the answer!]
[He just...he just didn't know and it scared him.]
[...And on top of that, he had no one that he could ask at the moment.]
[Was this--was this just another 'ability' that had been awakened, like the rest? Or was this...]
[Was this something more?]
Beck: Ugh...
[He slumped against the Round Digger, and rubbed his face in clear worry and weariness. He felt tired even though all his systems were green now, and he knew that...this wasn't going to be over anytime soon.]
[Still.]
[He had a promise to uphold, they still NEEDED him, they all did. He was the only, only one that can do this.]
Beck: (Jeez...I don't think I've EVER been this tired...)
Beck: (I could... I could really use a nap or...yeah.)
Beck: ...-Sigh-
Beck: Take it like a Mighty, Beck...
[The CDN beeped in concern, and seemed to rev it's engine as a way of comforting the small construct with a bit of background noise.]
Beck: Thanks...
Beck: .....
Beck: (I should probably get back to the others.)
Beck: Don't cause too much trouble down here, OK, Buddy?
[CDN.502] //: -PING!-
Beck: Heh...
Beck: You like it when I call you Buddy, don't ya?
[CDN.502] //: -PING!-
[The demolition bot revs in response, which makes the small Mighty laugh a bit. It's strange...most Round Diggers didn't have very advanced AI to begin with, compared to them...and yet this one was already showing more personality than any he's ever seen. Maybe he was...different?]
Beck: Buddy it is, then!
[Yeah, that's gotta be it...]
Beck: I gotta go, but...I'll come check on you later, OK? For now, uh...you can take a nap or s—
[CDN.502] //: -PING-
[...COMMAND CONFIRMED.]
Beck: ...!
[CDN.502 IS NOW IN SLEEP MODE.]
Beck: ....
Beck: Okaaaaay...
Beck: .....Night, then...
[He turns to close the door behind him, and heads towards the stairs—the elevators were still out, even if they WERE working, he wasn't going to risk getting trapped in one.]
Beck: (Last thing we need is for me to get stuck in the most crucial moments...)
[LATER, UPSTAIRS...]
[PING!]
[CALL] //: Xel Assimilation Data ready for analysis, Professor.
[DR.WHITE] //: Hm—Oh, thank heavens. Send that over to my terminal while I work with Mikhail—and continue scanning for the other Mighties, please.
[CALL] //: Right away, Doctor.
<MC005>: >I should love to look at that data at some point. I’ve never really gotten any readings for when someone with Universal Adaptability uses a new Power Capsule for the first time…. Are you getting any cross references popping up right now?
[CALL] //: None, Dr. Cossack.
White: (Thank goodness...)
[CALL] //: The samples from Mighty Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 6 do not seem to show any similarities aside from causing extreme changes in behavior and the urge to cause destruction.
[CALL] //: I have yet to have found any logical pattern in the virus code. I apologize.
[DR.WHITE] //: No, no, Call—you've done so much for us. If it wasn't for you, finding my sons and daughters would be much more difficult.
[DR.WHITE] //: ...Thank you.
<MC005>: >I’m sorry that I couldn’t give much more to your assessment of the virus, my friends—I got rather sidetracked sorting out Tobias’s new coding instead. -Sighs-
Mikhail: (…) -Clearly uncomfortable about something-
White: ....
White: Mikhail?
Mikhail: -Looks up- Mmm? Sorry—did I miss something?
White: ....
White: Er, nothing...
[CALL] //: ....
[DR.WHITE] //: Call, has Beck finished with self-repair?
[CALL] //: Yes. He informed me he was going to check on the condition of the Round Digger model downstairs.
[DR.WHITE] //: That was a while ago, though...
[Mikhail had to smile a little.]
Mikhail: My older son was very disappointed to be left behind, once he heard about your oversized industrial drill-puppy.
White: Ah...I can imagine...
White: -mutters- I still don't know how he got down here in the first place, but he IS a demolition model...
White: I have absolutely no idea what we're going to do with him... (He's a CDN model, there is a VERY good chance we'll have to...return him.)
Mikhail: What do you mean?
White: Round Diggers are mass produced industrial models made for demolition work, mainly in construction.
White: ...Made by CherryDyn.
White: From the data we received from Beck, it's Model Number 502 of it's make, one of the older kinds. They're built to last for heavy duty work, quite sturdy.
[Mikhail blinked and raised an eyebrow at this. After a moment, he frowned, placed his hands behind his back, and turned to face one of the computer screens.]
Mikhail: …Mmm. -Seems to be thinking how to word what’s on his mind-
Mikhail: I can’t help but be drawn into my own field of “cross-references,” as it were. CherryDyn in general has been on my mind lately, for many reasons.
[He puts a hand to his face and sighs, covering his eyes.]
Mikhail: Tobias Wily and his history are rooted deeply in the works of LightLaboratories, Incorporated. The connections with CherryDyn have always troubled us, and we had hoped… -Trails off-
White: .....
Mikhail: …I suppose I’m just distracted by thoughts of my youth. I used to work for LightLabs, you know? When I was just a boy.
Mikhail: I had high hopes for the project, but I didn’t really understand the work I was doing until the very end.
White: . . .
Mikhail: I saw, ever so briefly—that the code was alive…! It reacted to me trying to reach out to it, to find it, to contain it—
Mikhail: (Much like… much like that virus did when it infected the RMDC and I fought back. I swear the thing got angry at me…)
Mikhail: (With how advanced Xel coding is, it certainly was high enough out of my full understanding to come off as alive.)
Mikhail: Dr. Light had been very much against advancing full realization. What I did when I made the AI_DCN_OS… well. I liked Iceman very much, and he was dear to us, but still…
[He sighed and shook his head before taking off his glasses to clean them.]
Mikhail: Forgive me. So much has happened lately that makes me think of the past, of Tobias in his first life. Pieces here and there, echoes of a time ages past.
Mikhail: I suppose that it is on my mind largely because understanding the virus is out of my ability at the moment. I’d need to know more about Xel coding, and you don’t have time to teach me.
Mikhail: This leaves me with Tobias, mainly, and also just… looking forward, long term.
Mikhail: This digging Industrial of yours…
Mikhail: If things continue in a tragic parallel, perhaps it would be scheduled for demolition simply because it were too old, or advancing in Awareness.
White: -wINCE- (Ngh...)
Mikhail: For that is the fate of Industrials in my world. Even my own sons would be subject to the ten-year warranty, were it not for the fact that I have full legal rights, and can choose not to follow that regulation.
Mikhail: At first it was merely out of a business mindset—depreciation of property, expenses, etc. But after Tobias, animosity grew, and it became born just as much of fear as anything else.
[He put his glasses back on and frowned.]
Mikhail: I’m afraid it won’t be long before we’re called to give an account of ourselves for judgment, William.
Mikhail: Now that Aviator no longer has an Iron Curtain to stifle the media, it won’t be long before it takes a sharp turn from practicality into “here be dragons” water.
[He looked away, narrowing his eyes a little.]
Mikhail: I refused to tell you before, because I felt it was… crazy, to be honest, but. For some time now, Cardinal had been of the opinion that CherryDyn was responsible for a number of… unpleasantries.
[....Oh, dear.]
[Will kinda looks like he's going to be sick just from thinking of the implications of all that...]
White: . . .
Mikhail: He believed that the things that happened were the result of plans being put into action too early or the like—things going wrong without the careful orchestration to make it only /just/ wrong enough to be visibly stopped, and in turn causing REAL damage.
Mikhail: I feel the same way, but I do not think it to be so—I tell myself that is being overly cynical.
Mikhail: But I think one thing is certain. We must be prepared to say something. Aviator’s interference was public, and…Tobias was involved, and if anyone were to somehow realize he were the same as the mysterious intruder at the Finals…
Mikhail: -Bows his head- The lift of the blockade will allow us to work much faster and more efficiently, yes—but the same applies for our foes as well.
Mikhail: I fully expect CherryDyn to make some noise and raise a fuss very soon. …I just suppose I feel I must arrange the chess pieces to counter it, since that’s the only thing I can really do, and you’re so busy with deciphering the code…
Mikhail: To be fair. It has a direct impact on us, too. If things follow the lane of Monstropolis, Tobias may have to remain Offline indefinitely.
White: ......
[Will takes in a long breath and pinches the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes close very tightly. Mikhail was right, of course, he wouldn't put it past CherryDyn to make some sort of comment or whatever ELSE they have planned--if any, that is, if Cardinal turned out to be right after all.]
[And Graham...]
White: God, what a mess...
Mikhail: We have too many moving parts in this matter…
[His gaze became thoughtful, and after a while, he reached over and put a gloved hand on his friend’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly.]
Mikhail: But there is hope. We must hold onto that.
Mikhail: Of course we would never ask you to turn your back on the world, but remember—your children are your true priority, and if the worst WERE to happen, you could seek shelter elsewhere. Focus on getting your family back together. I can work with the Sandas in figuring out how to fight the dragons.
Mikhail: We’ll make it through this.
[After a moment, he broke into a warm smile.]
Mikhail: Remember, my friend—I have tread these waters before, and worse.
[This, alas, was true. He had, at one point, had the entire world against him.
And yet he had arranged things so that his sons were allowed to live and work and he got to live in protection and privacy, despite things being so grim at one point.]
Mikhail: I won’t let you get dashed upon the rocks.
White: ....
White: Heh...
[Will returned the smile, although it was a bit weary.]
White: Thank you, Mikhail. Really...
White: (What would we do without you...)
Mikhail: Ah, my dear William! You have been very good to us, and personally have given great hope for my family’s recovery. Of course I would help you in the recovery of yours.
Mikhail: …Heh.
Mikhail: This is where the others would remind us not to overwork ourselves. Or me, at least. -Laughs- I’m not as young as I used to be. Professor, now, not student. I can’t pull those all-nighters anymore!
[THAT gets Will to laugh. Oh, yes, the all-nighters...]
[...He should probably not mention he's been doing that as of late. He's very sure Mikhail would have a fit—]
[CALL] //: ...Contradiction: Yet you both seem to overexert yourselves as if it were the default.
[...Oh. Call was still listening.]
Mikhail: -Wryly- Ah, we are caught! Oh dear.
White: Eheh...
[He turned to look in the direction of one of the speakers by habit.]
Mikhail: You’re right, of course. And if it would put you at ease, I can take a short rest. But I would like to take care of a few matters first, if you can help me. I’m afraid I’ve been rather single-focused on Tobias and Avi to learn how everything else is going. Has your father contacted his brother? Or vice-versa, perhaps?
[CALL] //: Yes, Mr. Sanda contacted us as soon as we had a firm connection. They have been speaking privately for the past few hours.
White: (Possibly bringing Seijiro up to speed on everything...)
Mikhail: I see. I would like you to alert your father that we have fixed the matter of the RMDC for now—no more sudden nightmares for your database. (And again, I apologize.) I should like to speak with them both after they have concluded their private discussion—which I expect will be some while yet. In the meantime, I shall rest.
<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >Oh, and Ms. Sanda? May I make a suggestion in your search for the rest of the Mighty Numbers?
[CALL to MC005] //: -Ping!- Yes, Dr. Cossack?
<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >One of the contributing factors to the… difficulty of the current situation, shall we say… is the large number of variables involved.
<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >We have removed one variable—Aviator’s interference—but it’s not enough. We will need to remove several others as soon as possible if we are to have the best chance of success in concluding this manner with as little predation from CherryDyn as possible.
<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >It is confirmed that Fighting Mighty Number Eight is at large, and the current theory is that she is in this world, on a hunt. Likewise, Dencerjack is searching for her—and he has his own set of complications, since he knows too much, so to speak. We need to find him posthaste.
Mikhail: (There’s also Cardinal, but trying to stop him would not be a good use of resources given the current state of affairs…)
<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >From what I have been told, MNN-007 may be the subject of FMN-008’s attention, for… reasons.
<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >Finding Brandish’s location may allow us to remove several dangerous spanners in the works all at once.
<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >So, unless there are clearer leads… my suggestion would be to focus on him, first.
Mikhail: (Removing Cardinal’s impulsiveness would be nice, but I’m not so optimistic as to think we’ll find Shade before we find Brand. Not when Brand’s been giving off data from the beginning, and Shade hasn’t.)
[CALL to MC005] //: -PING-
[CALL to MC005] //: I understand, Dr. Cossack. I will commence my search posthaste. Thank you for your input.
<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: > You’re welcome.
Mikhail: -Turns to face Will- I’m going to rest for a while, but I’ll be just a notification away. Sorry to be leaving you on your own like this—I just feel I’d be more useful to you combating one of the other problems. -Encouraging nod- You can do this, alright? Try to keep calm.
[With that, he walked out of the room, lost in his own thoughts.]
White: ....
[After Mikhail leaves the room, Will slumps back into a chair and lets out a long, quiet sigh, staring into the ceiling as if it held all the solutions.]
White: .....
White: (...Should I...)
White: .....
[He sharply inhaled and didn't let that thought finish itself--couldn't.]
[...Perhaps, he was being cynical and paranoid himself.]
White: (Greg...Greg doesn't know, does he?)
White: (If he does...)
[He felt that sick, dreading feeling all over again, and got up to fix that with a glass of water.]
White: (...No, stop it, Will—)
White: (Get it together...)
White: (It's not going to come to that if he knows what he's doing...)
White: .......
White: (This had...had BETTER not be you that's behind all this, Greg...)
White: (You'd better not...)
White: .....
[Shoving all those negative thoughts aside for now, Dr. White washed up and rolled his lab coat's sleeves down.]
[There was still much work to be done, and Avi was going to be needed for the troubles that lay ahead.]
White: (I wish it wasn't this way, Aviator...you, out of all of us, need your rest...)
White: (At least, after this...I hope we can all just...take things easy...)
[PING!]
[MN.9] //: Dad?
White: —! Oh. Beck. There you are.
[MN.9] //: Sorry for taking so long... Buddy was, uh...kinda antsy.
White: ...Buddy?
[MN.9] //: Yeah, uh. The Round Digger?
White: (...He already named him?)
[MN.9] //: He's asleep now. He's still OK, I think. I guess he's kinda bored, just sitting there.
White: Oh dear...
[MN.9] //: I don't know how long we can keep him cooped up? I'm kinda concerned that he'll start crushing things or something cuz, ya know—that's what he's built for.
White: Mmm...
White: We can't do anything about it now, but we'll need to move him out at some point...
White: (The Meadow would be nice, but not anywhere in the lab, for sure...)
White: We'll think of something, Beck. For now, let him sleep.
[MN.9] //: ...Okay.
————————————
{Meanwhile, in the Meadow…}
[Digger felt impatient.
Everyone was off DOING something— those that were awake, anyway.
His father was over in California with Tobias—and Snowcone, for that matter. His other siblings seemed to be settling things down and helping send things over.
Cardinal was gone, and Shadow was Offline—Siam had more or less locked himself in the lab, and Felix was still asleep (as far as he knew.)
Nico had finished talking to Ky—and the Second Gens were only just now returning and getting up.]
Digger: {So. Twelve. What did your brother want?}
Speedy: He wanted a favor.
Digger: …???
Speedy: I’m… honestly too worn out to explain right now, okay? Just tell your dad that we’re gonna be having some new guests.
Digger: {Wait, what?}
[But the Texan racer was already walking out of sight.
It didn’t take too long for the meaning to be made clear, though.]
Digger: …!!!
[It was Pup—the counterpart to Nine, Beck’s mirror—and he was carrying in a very exhausted lady. In the background, Nico could be seen hovering above the trees and using his magnetic powers to drag something very large and heavy into view.]
Digger: Beck?? What’s going on here?
Pup: Oh, hi Digger, can you—uh… can you call someone with hands over to help—
[Before Digger could inquire further, one of his younger brothers came over to help.]
Skull: {Easy there… we’ll have someone take care of you. Right this way to the lab, please…}
-PING!-
<FMN-001>: >So that’s where you went off to—mind explaining yourself?
Pup: After I get back from helping save Sis, okay?
<FMN-001>: >Fair enough.
Digger: Wait—
<FMN-006>: >Hey, wait for me—!
Digger: —do you even know where she is—
<FMN-009>: > -Trailing off into the distance- Working on iiiiiiiiiiit!
<FMN-003>: >Szztay still, you dum-dum—
Digger: -Kind of just. Stands there, confused- ({I guess I’ll have to wait for anything remotely resembling an answer.})
<DCN-003 to MC005>: > {Father? FMN-009 brought back some strange ‘bots to the meadow…. They look like they need repairs.}
<MC005 to DCN-003>: > {What’s their condition?}
<DCN-003 to MC005>: > {Stable, but exhausted? Fairly severely injured.}
<MC005 to DCN-003>: > -Sigh- {Is it something Siam can deal with?}
<DCN-003 to MC005>: > {…Possibly? But Father—}
<MC005 to DCN-003>: > {We are seriously going to start needing assistants in the lab at this rate. I’m sorry, son, but I really need to remain here at least until it’s clear how the whole emergency will be played out. For one thing, Will may need my advice. And for another… depending on the result, Tobias…}
<DCN-003 to MC005>: > {Father, Nineteen does not want to leave his work. …I think he may become aggravated if—}
<MC005 to DCN-003>: > {One moment.}
[There is a long pause, as if he’s talking to someone else on a different line.]
<MC005 to DCN-003>: > {Tell your brothers to follow Paige’s instructions. There should still be enough Xel left in the first aid kits to at least stabilize them—the rest will have to be purchased through Nighthawk Industries. Pay extra for the instantaneous delivery. Nico should be able to handle the rest—he’s almost as good around a lab as his brother. I’m going to have to stay over here.}
[Digger vented a sigh as the feed closed.]
Digger: ({I get the feeling this is going to be a very long day…})
————————————
[SEVERAL HOURS LATER...]
[KSSSSST!]
[CALL] //: -VERY LOUD PING-
[CALL] //: Attention—
[MN.9] //: -JERKS AWAKE, SORRY, WHAT, WHAT IS IT--
[There’s the sound of someone falling all over a table or something, followed by others coming Online.]
<DWN-018>: >Geez! Are you okay, Gemini?
<DWN-019>: > -MUCH DISGRUNTLED TO BE STARTLED SO-
<DWN-012>: >Has something happened, or?
<DWN-018>: >Hang on, I’m gonna go make sure Siam didn’t hurt himself jumping into the ceiling…
<DWN-018 has left the channel.>
[MN.3] //: -Ouch...-
[MN.1] //: Call?
[Call doesn't answer back, but instead shifts the feed to a radio channel...?]
"—Highway Alpha 6 is under attack, I repeat, Highway Alpha 6 is under attack--Eyewitnesses have spotted a rouge robot destroying vehicles with no regard to innocent life—"
"We have reports that the rouge robot is armed with bladed weapons and is currently in the Four Corners area—"
<FMN-006>: >AHA!
<FMN-001>: > Avi no flying in the house— GET BACK HERE—
[MN.9] //: —!!!
[MN.1] //: Brandish—?!
[DR.WHITE] //: Highway Alpha 6—Call!
[CALL] //: Scanning...
<DWN-011>: >Welp. Gonna get complicated pretty quick, I bet. …Hope he doesn’t run into Cardinal.
<DWN-019>: >THAT would end poorly for both of them.
<DWN-013>: >What makes you think—?
<DWN-019>: >It’s not the statistical likelihood that’s bothersome… more the fact that Cardinal is known to have prepared to travel by highway—he took Shadow’s light cycle with him.
<DWN-019>: >And he won’t have any patience for anyone who tries to interfere…
<DWN-013>: >Well, I’d think we’d have more DEFINITE concerns to worry about.
<FMN-006>: > -Just let us scan the news feeds, please-
[MN.9] //: -Already suiting up and getting ready, listening over the feeds.-
[MN.1] //: -Gah, we have no immediate modes of transportation...- Beck, you're going to either need wheels or use Aviator's form to catch up to Brandish.
[MN.9] //: -...Lost all of my forms when I got reset, Avi's is the only option.-
<DWN-013>: > ... I'd offer my light cycle, but I think flying will be faster.
<DWN-019>: > -Scowls- If only Cardinal hadn't taken ITEM-2 as well...
<DWN-019>: > I don't understand WHY he did that, he has his OWN windsurfer...
[MN.9] //: ....
[MN.9] //: (Mic's form would have helped too, Brand's weak to it, but...)
[MN.9] //: What's Brand's status?
[DR.WHITE] //: Still the same as ever...Full Combat Mode, no restrictions...
[DR.WHITE] //: (But a highway...)
<DWN-019>: > I still wonder what he and Shadow said to one another.
[MN.1] //: .....
[DR.WHITE] //: (It was...certainly enough to shut him down, from what I know...)
[DR.WHITE] //: (Brandish...what are you doing...?)
-PING!-
<FMN-006>: >Knew it.
[MN.9] //: Yeah? Got something?
[CALL] //: -Ping of inquiry-
<FMN-006>: >Yeah. Pretty sure it’s confirmation she’s on the move.
<DWN-013>: > …Out of curiosity… what makes you so certain?
<FMN-006>: > Food’s involved, Jayjay.
<DWN-013>: > -Please don’t call me that-
[MN.1] //: (...Even in her state—??)
<FMN-001 to MNN-001>: > -Well what else did you expect, really… this is SHADE we’re talking about here-
<DCN-007>: > …So you’re saying that now we have an assassin AND a sword master to worry about? At the same time?
<FMN-006>: > -Well you don’t need to put it like THAT…-
<DWN-012>: >No offense, but could she REALLY catch up to him? She’s not built for speed.
<FMN-007>: > … Do not underestimate the willpower of an angry woman.
[MN.3] //: -He'szzz got a point-
[MN.9] //: -...WELP, NOW THINGS ARE JUST BAD AND WORSE-
[CALL] //: ...MN.7's transponder signal is moving at extremely high speeds. I am also receiving reports that the remote controlled vehicles on site are behaving erratically on the next sections of Highway Alpha.
<FMN-009>: >I can help! I’ll handle my sister, you focus on your Seven!
[DR.WHITE] //: That's—
[MN.9] //: —the best thing I've heard all day, PLEASE.
<FMN-009>: > ^^;;7
[DR.WHITE] //: -But—-
[MN.9] //: -TWO OF ME IS BETTER THAN ONE, DAD.-
<DWN-019>: >Um. Won’t that cause problems if you’re seen…?
<FMN-006>: >I can handle that. Leave that to me.
<DCN-003>: >Perhaps oldest cousin will show up near Lady Shade, yes?
<MC005>: > …I must admit that IS a possibility, though not very likely…
<MC005>: >Regardless of who else may or may not be there, it would seem that you both have to start preparing, Number Nine.
<FMN-009>: > Yes sir.
[DR.WHITE] //: -...Kinda just gives up trying to argue because what is the poooooint--
[CALL] //: Xel Transfer will be delayed, as it is difficult to teleport upon a moving object....
[CALL] //: ...but not impossible.
[MN.9] //: -—Wait what-
<DWN-012>: > GOOD LUCK, DUDE 8’D
[MN.9] //: -I thought the cars were—I mean—oh man—-
[MN.3] //: -BZZZT, PLEASE BE CAREFUL, BECKY—-
[CALL] //: Dr. Sanda, I have calculated that it would be wise to cut off Brandish by teleporting Nine to a further section of the highway.
[DR.SANDA] //: Oof...just make sure that you get him on something big...
<FMN-006 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: > -Ping- Hey—I’ve heard you lend a hand sometimes by getting people out and about unseen?
[CALL to FMN.6] //: That would be correct, No. 6. It is illogical that certain measures of action are deemed too dangerous when the probability of success would be increased otherwise.
<FMN-006 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >Well, I may get back to you on that…
[CALL to FMN.6] //: ...Acknowledged.
[DR.WHITE] //: We're going to have to time the cut off very close...
[CALL] //: Yes, Doctor. Preparing Xel Transfer.
[MN.9] //: (...Hang in there, Nii-San...)
[While Call calculated the coordinates, Beck does a final check of his various forms, going in numerical order until...]
[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]
<DWN-013>: > …
<DWN-013>: > wELL looks like you’re ready GOOD LUCK my friend
<DWN-013 has left the channel.>
[MN.9] //: .....-sigh-
[MN.9] //: ....
[MN.9] //: (...I...I never really got the hang of flying...)
[MN.9] //: (I sure hope some of Avi's experience got assimilated too...)
<MC005>: > … -Sighs- Don’t mind him. Are you ready?
[MN.9] //: Ready for the runwa—
[MN.9] //: ...!?
[MN.9] //: —I—I mean the HIGHway—
[MN.1] //: —???
<FMN-006>: > -THUMBS UP-
<FMN-009>: > Let’s just cruise on over—
<FMN-006>: > -APPROVAL PINGS FOR DAAAAAYS-
[MN.2] //: -YEAAAAAAAAH—-
[MN.1] //: -Just—confused, since when was—-
[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: -you can't stop either can you-
[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: -what is happening with uuuuussss-
<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > -IT’S A THING WITH AVI’S FORM, OOPS- -This happened last time, too- -Normally I just don’t say as much so it took forever to notice-
<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > -Makes him really high spirited, though—GAH, even thoughts, this is worse than I remembered-
<FMN-009>: >Need to hit the road and make tracks… -Has given up trying to make it stop-
[MN.9] //: -YEAH let's just jet before Brand—DANG IT- -CALL PLEASE HURRY UP-
<FMN-001>: > …?
<FMN-009>: > Looks like there’s a bit of a delay on this end—you go on ahead. Need a more precise location for Sis—lemme know if you see sign of her.
[CALL] //: ....
[CALL] //: Coordinates set.
[MN.9] //: Roger that— -Oh man this IS worse than last time-
[DR.WHITE] //: Please be very careful, Beck—!
[MN.9] //: Yeah, we will.
[CALL] //: Xel Transfer initiated.
[MN.9] //: {I'm coming to save you, big brother...!}
______________________
[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 7, BRANDISH, HAS BEEN SPOTTED ON THIS NEW MEXICO HIGHWAY, CAUSING RECKLESS DESTRUCTION AMONG THE MALFUNCTIONING AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES. FIGHTING MIGHTY NO. 8, COUNTERSHADE 'CARMEN' WHITE, IS ALSO MOVING TOWARDS THE OBJECTIVE.]
[MISSION OBJECTIVE: PURSUE AND RESCUE MN.7, PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM SYSTEMS.]
[SUB-OBJECTIVES: IF POSSIBLE, LOCATE FMN.8 AND RELAY TO FMN.9 FOR SYSTEM XEL PURGE, MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT.]
SYSTEMS READY?
GO!
[As Beck fully materialized into the moving rig, the heavy wind and rainfall splattered across his armor and face, causing him to shiver slightly. Buildings with holographic adverts were nothing but blurs, the speed of the vehicles almost making him dizzy.]
Beck: (Fast—WAY too fast—!)
[By his internal instruments, the rig was going at LEAST 90 miles per hour—!]
Sanda: Great Scott, Mother Nature is NOT kind today...!
White: -Oh no no please don't slip, please--
-PING!-
<DWN-012>: > Easy guys, easy!
<DWN-012>: >Beck—try adjusting your visual processing speed. It’ll help a lot.
[MN.9] //: O-Okay...
[After fiddling around with some settings, he blinked, and visibly relaxed as his optics adjusted, the blurs now becoming readable and not as disorientating...]
Beck: (Oh, man, that's MUCH better...)
[MN.9] //: Thanks, Speedy!
<DWN-012>: >No problem. Glad to help. Now, remember—your vision speed is going to be faster, so adjust to how your vision and motor systems coordinate before jumping off into the air. Try it out—once you get used to moving while seeing at that speed, it’ll be easier to move around.
<DWN-012>: >Remember, you’re just SEEING faster, not necessarily moving faster.
[MN.9] //: -Got it, gonna try that out now--
[PING!]
[CALL] //: Warning--! Contact in--
[SHING!]
<DWN-012>: > -DATA—-
<DWN-012>: > -I KNOW THAT SOUND, THAT IS THE SOUND OF LETHAL BLADED WEAPONRY-
[Even with Beck's vision processing at higher speeds...--]
[He still couldn't identify what had split the falling raindrops just mere inches from his face.]
[Beck stumbled backwards, and the red Mighty Number seemingly falls from the sky, as if he had either teleported--]
[Or...]
Beck: Brand!
<DWN-012 to MNN-007>: > -PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING—-
<DWN-012 to MNN-007>: > Brandish! You’re alive—!
<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: >Something’s off here, Beck—
<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: >When people with our power and speed move just short of hitting you in the face, we’re missing on PURPOSE!
<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: > [sub]trust me on this, I’ve DONE it before with my own [color=blue]brother[/color]…[/sub]
Beck: --!!
[On...on purpose...?]
Beck: Brand...?
Brand: . . . .
Brand: N-Ngh...
[Brandish's arms shake ever so slightly as he stands firm across from Beck, a death grip on either of his blades. His eyes are shut tightly--]
Brand: ...O...Otouto...--
<DWN-012>: > …
Beck: --!!!
Beck: Nii-San--!!
<DWN-013>: > -SUDDENLY, ABRUPTLY- BRANDISH!
<DWN-013>: > Keep fighting it!
<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: > We… recognize this…!
<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: >Jaden… Jaden was this same way!
[DR.WHITE] //: BRANDISH--!!
[DR.SANDA] //: Seven--!
Brand: --!
Brand: {F...Father...Uncle...}
<DWN-012>: >Hang in there, Sev—
[PING PING PING!]
[MN.1] //: Brand--!!
[MN.2] //: -LITTLE BRO, YOU CAN DO IT--!
[MN.3] //: -BRAAAAND--!
<DCN-008>: > {Brandish, Shadow is here—he will want to see you. You have to keep resisting!}
Brand: Ngh--!!
[His head turns to one side, and for a moment he looks as if he is about to collapse at any given moment...]
Beck: Hang on, Nii-san, just sit still for a--
[SHING!]
Brand: NO!
<DWN-013>: > -Harsh warning data- Beck—to your aid, an unlikely friend, indeed…
<DWN-013>: > But it’s a constant struggle, fraught with pain, and there are limits…
<DWN-013>: >We might purposefully miss, but that doesn’t mean we won’t make a strike!
[He turns back, slashing in a wild angle so that Beck would stop in his tracks. His eyes snap open, and they are a deep, deep violet color.]
Brand: KEEP--KEEP AWAY--!
<DWN-013>: > -Oh, Brandish, we are INCREDIBLY empathetic and I, personally, am really feeling rather wretched in the cross-references this brings to me-
Beck: --!!
[It fades off, however, to his normal blue, and he recoils back, away from his brother.]
Brand: I'm warning you, Beck--
Brand: Stay AWAY--Ngh!
<DWN-013 to MNN-007>: > Brandish…!
<DWN-013 to MNN-007>: > -We understand-
<DWN-013 to MNN-007>: > Fight it. Fight it! You are stronger than I could ever have been. Do not let it take you without a fight to be told for years to come!
[Despite the pleas, he retreats, impressively jumping two cars ahead to another rig, and before long, he disappears into the rainy haze of the night.]
Beck: BRAND--WAIT--!
Beck: I'm going after him, Professor--!
[DR.WHITE] //: Affirmative, Beck--just be sure to mind your step transversing those vehicles. Keep in mind what Twelve has told you!
[MN.9] //: Got it!
<MC005>: > -Sighs- His control truly is incredible.
<MC005>: >Forgive the metaphor, but—
<MC005>: >Just because a horse rebels against the reigns does not mean the bridle isn’t there.
[MN.9] //: -Yeah...no kidding...-
<MC005>: >There is a directive—
<DWN-013>: > -Ping-
<DWN-013>: >When…
<DWN-013>: > …
<DWN-012>: > …
<DWN-012>: > -We are here, brother-
<DWN-013>: > …
<DWN-013>: >When…
[He seems to be struggling to keep it verbal, rather than abstract.]
<DWN-013>: >It… was easier to fight if. I could… take an option that would… trick it by seeming, possibly, to obey…
<DWN-013>: >We… he will… aim to miss, if he can, but it is easier to do that than to hold back entirely.
<DWN-013>: >But you must be quick if you corner him, Beck. Or…
<DWN-013>: > …
[He gave off data of pure dread and hopelessness, almost an intense kind of cold in quiet despair.]
<DWN-013>: > (In the end… his will overcame the program…)
[MN.9] //: .......
[MN.9] //: Where's he heading?
[CALL] //: Due southeast, towards Alpha 1. Proceed with caution.
[Beck nodded, and quickly dashed forward. It was a little dizzying given that he was seeing faster, and therefore made his Dash feel a bit strange--]
[But, after jumping over a few cars and trailers, he picked up the motions fairly quickly.]
Beck: (Think I got it...)
[....Strangely, all is...almost quiet, other than the sounds of rain and engines and his own feet against metal.]
[It was...kinda desolate--were there no people on this highway?]
Beck: (But these cars are automatic, either they should be stuck or...--)
Beck: (O...Or...)
[CALL] //: ...I am receiving distressed signals from Nine. Are you well?
[MN.9] //: -Just--had a really nasty thought, ngh--
<DLN-005>: >What’s that?
<DWN-011>: > “Distressed” means—
<DLN-005>: >No! I mean, why is the car squished.
<DWN-019>: > …What ARE you looking at?
<DLN-005>: >I saw it! It was squished.
<DWN-019>: >Well it’s not there now—
[MN.9] //: -Nope, nope, he gonna forget he ever thought that and just keep going--
<DWN-013>: >Uh… Beck?
[MN.9] // --?
<DWN-013>: > Are those signs supposed to be moving like that?
[BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEP!]
Beck: --WAAH!
[The Mighty Number was swarmed by a group of thin, floating display screens, which were switching different images of road signs and signals on their front and back. They rammed themselves into Beck, who raised up his arms in defense!]
Beck: SIGN BOTS--?!
Beck: -UGH, OW, STOP--!-
[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]
[BZZZZZZT!]
[Taking advantage of the wet weather, Beck shifted into his sister's form and let loose a strong electrical discharge, which fried the sign bots and their Xel Structures. They turned a deep blue, much to Beck's relief.]
<DWN-013>: > … Iiiiiii will take that as a “no."
[XEL STOCK 1 QUOTA REACHED.]
[MN.9] //: Ow, that hurt...
[MN.9] //: Please tell me those were the only sign bots on this highway---
[CALL] //: This is a major interstate. There are many Sanda sign bot models across th--
Beck: Dad DESIGNED those??
Sanda: Eheh...n-no. I did...
<MC005>: > …I am utterly fascinated but I won’t go off on that tangent at the moment…
<MC005>: > Though I find it curious that they seem not to have tried to swarm Brandish. Either they can tell he is infected, or he was too fast for them, I suppose…?
<DLN-005>: >Look! See, there’s another one!
<DWN-019>: >What ARE you looking at, how can you see anything through this RAIN…
<MC005>: >I designed him to perform almost exclusively outdoors, Siam.
<DWN-019>: > … -Oh, right-
[Beck absentmindedly wondered what in the world Snow was talking about as he transverses the highway, switching back to default to shoot the sign bots before they swarmed him and dashed to collect their Xel.]
[He came upon another rig, which was--]
Beck: --!!
[--filled with strange, round, green robots?]
Beck: Whoa--!
[They rolled around the rig to and fro, dangerous spikes around their rims, and...]
[...They had the trademark eyesets and logo of none other than CherryDyn.]
<DLN-005>: >Uncle Will?
White: ....??
<DLN-005>: >Why do they have a big power button on them?
<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > Congratulations, you’ve been promoted. -Amused-
[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: --Mikhail please--
[MN.9] //: Dad--Dad, what ARE these?
White: I...I have no idea--!
Sanda: I've never seen this model before... What in the world--there are dozens of them...!
[MN.2] //: -WHO CARES, SHOOT IT, BRO.-
[MN.9] //: -Does it even take damage, I mean it has SPIKES so I don't wanna touch it--
[MN.2] //: -SHOOT IT OR I'LL HIT YOU.-
[MN.9] //: -OKAY OKAY JEEZ--
Mikhail: Sanda, I’m rather confused about something.
Sanda: --? Yes?
Mikhail: Why would CherryDyn make something like that? I can’t think of an Industrial use for it, and it is rather impractical as a Combat construct, save perhaps as target practice…
Mikhail: Unless they’re capable of more than they appear…
Sanda: Good...question...?
Sanda: Strange...
Beck: (Weird--they don't even SEEM all that practical...?)
[Beck raised his arm cannon and took careful aim, and then fired a few shots at the strange CDNs...]
[WRRRRRRR!!]
Beck: --!?
[...They did NOT like that.]
[They didn't even FLINCH, though they did indeed take damage--]
Beck: --oh NO--
[They sped up--faster, and faster, causing Beck to jump erratically to avoid them--what's more, they didn't roll off the edge, but rather changed direction back towards Beck.]
Beck: --They're CHASING me??
<DWN-011>: > … -Welp. Run.-
<DWN-012>: > -SEE NOW, IF YOU HAD /MY/ FORM YOU COULD PROBABLY JUST RUN THIS WHOLE OBSTACLE COURSE INSTEAD OF ALL THE JUMPING, BUT- 8’D
<DCN-003>: >HMM MAYBE LEAVE NOW THEN YES GOOD
<DCN-007>: > Da, they don’t look like they’d be able to jump…
[MN.9] //: -YUP, WE'RE JUST GONNA DASH ON OUTTA HERE--
[There were several crates that could be climbed on near the end of this rig--Beck wasted no time shifting to Avi's form and hovering over to the top most one.]
[WRRRRR--!!]
[...The wheel-like CDNs did not like this either.]
Beck: --?!?
[They backed up, and gained enough momentum to hop the first crate--then the second--]
[MN.9] //: -UUUUUGH--
<DWN-012>: > ARE YOU KIDDING ME, THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE ARMS—
<DWN-013>: > -sNORTS-
White: (What strange models--they're clearly CherryDyn, but something is... off... )
[Frustrated, Beck decides to just abandon the rig altogether, and favors for another moving vehicle--a car-- and gently sets down on it's roof.]
[The wheel models, of course, try to follow--]
[SCREEEEEECH!!]
Beck: GNH--!
[The car he was standing on lurched forward, picking up more speed—]
Beck: -WHOA BALANCE, WHERE ARE YOU—-
White: BECK!
[With the car far too out of reach, the wheel models end up jumping right into the speeding asphalt, a horrid crunching sound following suit. ]
[Beck ends up falling backwards into the car--]
[Hard.]
[CRRRSHH--]
Sanda: --??!
<DWN-019>: > …That. <DWN-019>: > Didn’t sound good.
[...The roof caved in, and Beck's backside met luxury leather.]
Beck: --Oof--!
[MN.3] //: --He'szz in the CAR??
Beck: Ow...
Beck: ....???
Beck: Huh...?
<MC005>: > …
[Mikhail had to quietly turn aside to maintain his composure. Despite—or perhaps because of—the serious situation, it was just too much, and the image of Beck in a luxury vehicle was rather ridiculous.]
White: E...err...
Sanda: -SILENTLY PANICKING BECAUSE BECK DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE-
Beck: Uuuuuh...
[...The inside seemed...nice.]
[...If it wasn't for the fact the displays and lights were all a sick purple, and no one was at the wheel.]
[There was a slight groan.]
<DWN-019>: > …?
<DWN-019>: >Beck? Are you alright?
Beck: Y-Yeah? For the most part--everything in here is all--a weird purple-- and the radio is--
“Ugh… what the glitchfrag hell—”
<DWN-019>: > ?!
Beck: --it's all static but I...--
Beck: --?!?
[And then, as if a vision of a (very disgruntled) goddess of old…]
[The cowgirl decloaked.]
Beck: --!!!
Beck: Carmen--?!
Carmen: Beck?
Carmen: What in th’ nine hells are ya DOIN’ HERE of all places?!
Beck: .....
Beck: Enjoying a nice driiiiive--?
[She pushed him aside to take the driver’s seat, shifting into her civvies.]
Carmen: We’re fraggin’ lucky this ain’t a stick-shift, ya runt of a twit… -grumble-
[--OW--]
[The car did not like this, and only sped up.]
[And then she growled and GLARED at it.]
[…it immediately changed its mind and obeyed.]
Beck: --!!
[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: ME--UH. I FOUND CARMEN--AND WE'RE KINDA IN A CAR--
<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > YOU’RE WHAT
[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: THE ROOF FELL--
<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > AAAAH SHE DRIVES WORSE THAN DYNA [sub]but better than Cryo, don’t tell her I said that[/sub]
[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: SHE WHA T--
[Oddly enough, Carmen seemed to be handling the car just fine—especially considering she was simply using a left hand to steer and use the signals. She’d turned on the wipers and the brights, and was signaling to veer off the highway to another exit.]
Carmen: You need to get out of here. It’s much too dangerous for you.
Beck: Uuuuh...
[Oh, now they had a problem--if he told Carmen he was going after Brand too, she's definitely not gonna like that...]
Beck: But--what about you, I can't just LEAVE you here--!
Carmen: Oh yes you can.
Carmen: Cryin’ out loud, Becky—Ah’ thought you a’ ALL people ‘ld have a bit of FAITH in me…
[She growled again, though this time it was almost a wolflike snarl.]
Carmen: Unlike SOME people.
Beck: --Wha--?
Beck: -Baaacks away as far as he could-
[...OK, that was freaky scary....]
<FMN-009>: >The best you’re going to get out of her is to stall her—just get her off at the nearest exit and sneak off when she’s distracted!
[MN.9] //: -Stall, stall...-
Beck: (Ngh...)
Beck: Carmen--Sis, I DO, I swear, but--I don't want to see anyone get hurt over all this--!
Carmen: Get hurt over what? -Clearly grouchy- Ain’t got a clue what yer talkin’ about.
[She had somehow woven her way seamlessly through the cars to pull off at the next exit—which thankfully was a rest stop and not more highway.]
Beck: THIS! -WAVES ARMS AROUND TO SIGNIFY THE SITUATION THEY ARE IN-
Beck: (Come on, think, think--!)
Beck: (I'm just making her angry, maybe...)
Carmen: Then what are you doin’ out here? -Snorts- Of course yer gonna get hurt if you go out in a thunderstorm with a lightnin’ rod, Lil’ Nine! -Applying the brakes- I can secure the area for ya, but you’ll have t’ call Daddy on yer own. Ah’ ain’t comin’ back with ya. Not yet.
Beck: Ngh--!
Beck: (I'm not getting through to her--)
Beck: --!
Beck: (But maybe...maybe--!)
[She pulled the car to a stop and got out.]
Carmen: Stay put, Pup.
[SLAM!]
Carmen: Ah’ve got a /job/ t’ do still, and ya /don’t/ wanna be in mah way.
Beck: ......
Beck: -Pretends to pout and sit in the seat.-
Beck: .......
[MN.9 to MN.3] //: Psssst!
[MN.3 to MN.9] //: --!
[MN.9 to MN.3] //: Dyna--I need you to distract Carmen--!
[MN.3 to MN.9] //: Wait, what--how?
[MN.9 to MN.3] //: Just--talk to her, maybe she doesn't know you're cured--or--I don't know, just stall!
[MN.3 to MN.9] //: OK OK, um--
[MN.3 to MN.9] //: Here goeszz nothing--
[PING!]
[Carmen was already making her way back to the highway, but she raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement before pinging back in response.]
[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: ...Zzsiiisszz?
[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: --?? Woooow I hear a lot of background noiszze, what ISZZ that--? Zzsoundszz annoying--
Dyna: -Jeezz Beck I zsswear I'm gonna get you back for thiszz--
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: >Oh, hai sis!
[She seemed perky, in a good mood.
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: >Gonna have t’ pick Becky up from daycare. The noise is traffic.
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: >Ah’ got a bit… heh… DERAILED.
[She sighs, pausing and looking to the sky thoughtfully. The purple glow of her eye faded for a moment.]
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > -Softly- …He woulda liked that, Ah’ think. …
[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: Iszz that right...?
[While Dyna conversed with Carmen, Beck scooted out of the his seat and looked for a way out of the car--maybe he can climb out the hole in the roof? He'll have to be quick...]
[MN.9 to MN.3] //: Whatever you're doing, keep it up--
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > …He said some real mean thangs, Sis.
[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: --!!
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > N-nrrghh… It hurt so bad…!
[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: ....
[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: Izz that so... -BZZZZT, static-y angry sounding buzzes--
[Beck silently grabbed the edge of the hole and hoisted himself up, over and on the other side of the car so that he could hide behind it.]
Beck: (Gotta make a break for it...come on, sis...)
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > He said all ah’ was good for was bein’ a nightmare… that Ah’ was built that way…
[She was… clearly genuinely hurt over this.]
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > Ah’ don’t understan’, Sis.
<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > He… he’d always stood up f… for me…!
[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: ....I--
[ACXELERATE DASH: MAX OUTPUT REACHED.]
[A blur of blue and white suddenly sped out from behind the car--!]
[Carmen didn’t notice.]
<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > AAAAUUUGH—!
<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > WAI DOES EVERYONE THINK AH’ CAN’T DO NOTHIN’ AN’ AH’M JUST GOOD FER LOOKS?!
<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > AIN’T FAIR!
<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > -Searing bitterness directed specifically at Pyro for all to feel-
[MN.1] //: --Nnngh--!
[There is the sound of someone collapsing over the feeds--]
[MN.2] //: BIG BRO--!
[MN.3] //: -sHRIEKS--
<FMN-008 has blocked MNN-ALL.>
[She vanished from sight and was gone.]
[Meanwhile…]
[MN.1] //: -w...we're fine--it's...argh--
Mikhail: Pyro! Are you sure you’re alright? -DAD MODE ENGAGED, it’s not normal for him to just collapse like that, never seen it before-
White: -RUSHES OVER TO SON'S SIDE--
[MN.1] //: I...
[MN.1] //: -Shifts to abstract, we're just-- overwhelmed, it was all mostly directed to us...-
[MN.1] //: ....
[MN.1] //: I...she...
[MN.1] //: I didn't...but...
[MN.2] //: -FLAILS, LAY DOWN BRO, PLEAAAASE--
Mikhail: Easy… easy…
[There’s the patter of small feet. And suddenly, a Snowbab.]
[He was playing some music over broadcast.]
Snow: -Climbs on top of Pyro to clinghug, you can’t stop him-
Snow: -Softly- Mister Pyyyyroooo…
Snow: Let’s go make rice balls an’ such for when Mister Brandish an’ Miss Eight are rescued.
[The music certainly helps, and the Leader's breathing slowly evens out...he manages to sit up a bit, Cryo already on Pyro's shoulder while Snow clung to the other.]
Pyro: ....Mng...In a moment, Snow, let me catch my breath...
Pyro: .....
Pyro: (Carmen...)
White: --Soi--
Sanda: -Already doing scans to make double sure Pyro's OK, we got you-
[MN.9] //: Pyro--you OK?
[MN.1] //: -Been worse, we'll be OK-
[MN.1] //: -Focus on your mission, we can handle things here.-
<DLN-005>: > An’ there will be food when you finish! : D
[MN.9] //: Roger that. Heading back into the Highway--
[Back at the Highway…]
[There was no sign of Carmen.]
Mikhail: ... You're going to just have to go on regardless.
Beck: Figures...
[A quick Dash and a well timed jump, and Beck was back on another rig. The rain was finally letting up now, thankfully...]
[...But no sign of Brand...]
Beck: (He's probably WAY up ahead...)
Beck: (I gotta get moving before Brand gets too far--)
[CRUNCH!]
Beck: --?!?
[Beck whirled around to look behind him, and heard a loud crashing sound way off in the distance...]
Beck: (What was...?)
"AAAAAAAAAAA--"
Beck: --???
Beck: (That...sounds really familiar...)
[CALL] //: Attention--I have picked up another model's signal.
Sanda: Huh?
[CALL] //: Verifying...
[Beck continued onwards, once again shifting to Avi's form to fly over the larger gaps between the moving cars, and just narrowly avoiding another swarm of sign bots.]
Beck: Starting to really hate those things...
[PING!]
[CALL] //: Signal verified. The unit is Cherry Dynamics Number 7037.
Beck: 70--WAIT--
All: JACK?!
Mikhail: Dear heavens.
Speedy: Duuuuuuude he actually MADE it this far??
Siam: Well THAT Gemini: will certainly Siam: keep her attention Gemini: for a Siamini: while!
Beck: --But--! Jack could--!
[MN.1] //: --Ngh--Beck, if Jack made it all the way here on his own, then he can handle this. You need to keep moving!
<DCN-008>: > You must continue. For their safety.
<DCN-008>: >If she were to catch up to Brandish…
<DCN-008>: >If they get too close, it is not certain he would hold back: for she has been rude to him, and Jack was his opponent who delayed him in a time of crisis—and since the virus exacerbates all grievances…
[MN.9] //: Ngh...!
[He was right. He had to go save Brand...]
Beck: (Ooooh...please be careful, Jack...!)
[MN.9] //: --...Yes, sir...
[Forced to leave the CDN behind, Mighty Number Nine climbed another set of crates, blasting away at the flying models that cluttered the brightening overhead...]
[CALL] //: Warning--I am receiving reports of Seven destroying several vehicles in the road ahead. Incoming debris is a certainty.
Beck: --He's...?!
Sanda: There's a tunnel coming up ahead too--it may affect visibility, so be careful!
[CALL] //: .....Odd.
White: ...? What is?
[CALL] //: By my calculations, he is aiming for another exit to Highway Beta. This route leads to no major cities, while Highway Alpha does.
[CALL] //: It is illogical that the virus would not lead him to where he would cause the most destruction...
White: ....
White: Unless...
<DWN-013>: > -Sadly- To your aid, an unlikely friend…
Beck: ....
[CALL] //: There is a chance that Seven will overshoot the exit and proceed onwards. I suggest you stop him before that moment, Nine.
[MN.9] //: Got it...
<DWN-012>: >Wait a minute. What were you saying a second ago about a tunnel—
[CRRRSHHH!!]
Beck: WHA--
[Was that the front half of a car FLYING TOWARDS HIM--]
[MN.1] //: MOVE, BECK!
[He didn't need to be told twice. His feet seemed to move on their own as soon as he spotted the debris, and using the rig itself as a springboard, LEAPED over to the opposite lane!]
Beck: -WHHOOOAAA--!
[THUD!]
[...Unfortunately, he crashed right into the side of a van--but his hands found perchance on the rails above it!]
Beck: -AAAAH FACE, my FACE really hurts, and I think--I think I broke my nose--
[...He felt something sticky and wet trailing down his lips-- oh he was bleeding Xel-- ]
White: -Oh--oh dear is that--??!?
Sanda: -and we feel faint now, gotta take a seat--
[MN.2] //: -BEEEECK, ARE YOU OK--?!
[MN.9] //: -No but that's OK--we can use a Xel stock, we'll be fine--
[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 2...]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
[The pain subsided, and he was fully invigorated once more, hanging onto the side of the van for dear life. With a grunt of effort, Beck planted both feet on the door--]
[--and pushed, launching him up and backwards in a flip that ended up landing him perfectly on the roof!]
White: --!
Beck: --Oh--
Beck: -oH HEY LOOK THAT WORKED!-
<DWN-019>: > … WAIT A MINUTE
<DWN-019>: > Are you saying you weren’t sure it would?!
Beck: Have YOU ever been on a highway with crazy cars and had to jump across lanes and do backflips and stuff?! -WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST HERE-
<DWN-019>: > …
<DWN-012>: > …
<DWN-012>: > :’D;;; uh
<DWN-012>: > [sub]we plead the fifth on this one thanks[/sub]
<MC005>: > I think he was just confused as to why you would try something you didn’t know would work.
Beck: .....
Beck: Oh. Well...uuuuh.
[MN.2] //: -BECK'S BEEN DOIN' CRAZY STUFF SINCE FOREVER AGO, AND IT'S STARTING TO CONCERN US-
Beck: .... ^.^;;;
<MC005>: > You what? ?__?
[CALL] //: Warning--multiple incoming robots heading for your location.
[MN.9] //: -nOT AGAIN--
[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]
Beck: Stop SWARMING me--!
[A blast of icy wind dealt with the sign bots quickly--but they fell as their systems shut down, shattering into a million pieces before Beck could absorb their Xel.]
Beck: ...Oops.
Beck: (O...Kay, not doing THAT again...)
<MC005>: > …What was that about the stunts, again—
Beck: --Uh--
White: --!! DUCK!
[MN.1] //: --?
Beck: --Wait I don't see a duuUUUUOH--
[NOW ENTERING HIGHWAY ALPHA 1.]
[...That was what the large overhead sign said as Beck ducked at the last possible second, narrowly avoiding giving himself another broken nose--and possibly worse.]
Beck: (Oh man that was close--!)
[There is a strong fuzzing noise of static.
It’s not coming from nearby, but rather over the feeds.]
Beck: !
[MN.3] //: --Wha--that'szz not me--
<FMN-006>: > OOOO—
<FMN-006>: > -OW, CAR RIGHT TO THE FACE-
<FMN-006>: > -Well not LITERALLY her face but man that had to have hurt-
<FMN-009>: > Aaaaaa I’M GOING AS FAST AS I CAN BUT THERE ARE CRAZY SIGNS EVERYWHEEEEEEEEERE—
[MN.9] //: What's--!?
[MN.1] //: -PING PING, IS SHE ALRIGHT--
White: --Just--extremely so very worried with so many of his--and not his but his children AAACK--
<FMN-006>: > Her camo’s gone—
<FMN-009>: > -WHICH MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TO CATCH UP TO HER, DAD—-
<FMN-006>: > …She’s standing on her own, now—
<FMN-006>: > SHEEEE’ll be fine, Beckaronidoni, GO ON AHEAD :’^D
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -UH. SHE’S KINDA GETTING AGITATED, IT SEEMS, STANDBY FOR DEVELOPMENT-
[MN.1] //: . . . .
Beck: -Whew, OK...-
[CALL] //: Contact with tunnel entrance in three...two...one...
Speedy: -OH GEEZ, DUCK, MAN!-
[THUD--!]
[Beck just dropped down to lay on the roof and held his head down--]
[--and saw the world turn much, much darker, illuminated only by pale, yellow lights that lined the walls--the emergency lights.]
[Beck lowered his visor for Night Vision before he deemed it safe to raise his head again.]
Beck: --In the tunnel--! It's...pretty dark but I got my Night Vision--
<DWN-011>: >Welp. Just keep an eye for the exit, too.
[Nine pinged back in confirmation, readying himself briefly before jumping to another car, and another. The traffic was more condensed here, so it was easier to jump from one vehicle to another.]
Beck: Lots of rigs here...
[With LOTS of malfunctioning robots...]
Beck: (No other way—I'm gonna have to fight through them!)
[....It wasn't long before the malfunctioning robots spotted him, and moved to converge on his position.]
[Beck narrowed his eyes at them, and—]
[REXELECTION: PYROGEN]
[—FILLED his fists with fire, and CHARGED at the CDNs in his path!]
Beck: Haaaaaah—!
[MN.1] //: .... -We taught him that, you know—- -HEH, THAT'S HIS BROTHER-
[MN.2] //: -Yeah well DUH-
[BAM—!]
[A few of the robots are knocked off the rig, while others either blow up or are absorbed on contact with his Dash, giving him some Absorption Boosts--and refilling his previously used Xel Stock.]
[XEL STOCK 1 QUOTA REACHED.]
[MN.3] //: —He'zzz really mowing those thingszz down, huh...?
[MN.2] //: -IT'S GLORIOUS, GO BECK GO-
Beck: —NNGH—!
[One by one, the robots are broken and beaten down before him, their components being drawn into his being as both Xel and Fire danced to his will, a strong green glow casting from his optics.]
White: (....!)
Beck: Get out of the WAY—!
Beck: (Gotta—get to Nii-San—!)
[SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—!]
Beck: -cOVERS EARS, O W—!-
White: What in the world was—?!
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -NOOOOOOBODY PANIC, UH— -
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: -SIX, I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT IS—-
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > SHE'S KINDA, UM
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > TIED UP AT THE MOMENT--
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: -NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR PUNS, AVIATOR--
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > NO BRO
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > I MEAN IT FOR REAL
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —!
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -also, we pun when stressed, you know this, aaaaand thIS IS KINDA STRESSFUL TO WATCH-
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > Get Nine moving, this isn't something he should see!
[MN.9] //: Guys—?!
[MN.1] //: Keep GOING, Beck! NOW!
[MN.9] //: But what was—?!
[MN.1] //: N O W!
<FMN-006 to FMN-009>: > Hurry uuuup
[While Beck made a worried break for it, Goose suddenly gave off a blip of surprise and concern.]
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > Uh-oh—
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > oh geez, she took out one of my cameras— I've lost visual—
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -But not audio, at least-
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —Augh, of all the times—!
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: What about Jack? Is he injured? Did you see before you lost the visual?
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > ... Have you ever needed to wrestle your Shade? Or just lug him around in general? Tony's not exactly a heavyweight-- aaaand don't tell her I said that or she'll shoot my propellers off 8'D;;
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > Noooot so much /injured/ as out of his league in trying to reign in a bucking bronco-- though he's doing REAL well, all things considered— …
[... But then he falls uncharacteristically silent.]
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: .....? Avi—?
[MN.9] //: --Eeep--Cars, more car debris, DODGE DODGE DODGE--
[More silence.]
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > …
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > . . .
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: -OK we have never EVER heard you be this quiet for this long, please say SOMETHING—-
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -Swallows- She's not gonna be happy when she wakes up from this...
<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > ... And hears what she's saying.
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —.....
[MN.1] //: . . . . .
[MN.2] //: ...Bro?
[MN.1] //: .......
[MN.1] //: ...Beck?
[MN.9] //: —KINDA BUSY—! -SOUNDS OF METAL CRUNCHING-
[MN.1] //: ...Ngh...
[MN.1] //: (Curse this wretched virus—!)
[MN.9] //: How long until the tunnel exit?!
[CALL] //: Contact in 4 minutes, Nine.
<DWN-019>: > Wait. Where are Jack and FMN-008?
<FMN-006>: >Working on getting the visual back up, guys— lost sight of them, that may be a moment—
<DWN-019>: > … You are an aerial ‘bot, how could you lose sight of them—
<FMN-006>: >She spotted one of my cams and wasn’t too happy about it, okay? D: [sub]Charlieeee… why do you always have to go after Charlie, Siiiiiis…[/sub]
[MN.3] //: (...Charlie??)
[CALL] //: Contact in 3 minutes.
Beck: Whoa—!
[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]
[More strange wheel bots had materialized--and learning from the previous encounter, Beck chose to avoid them altogether and and hovered just out of their reach.]
<DWN-011>: >Wouldn’t stay in that form too long.
<DLN-005>: >Why?
<DWN-011>: >Exit. Too tall.
[MN.9] //: OK, just let me find a place t—
[...A pause.]
[MN.9] //: .....Uh.
<MC005>: > …What is it, Beck?
[MN.9] //: UH, GUYS...
[BEEEP BEEEP BEEEEEEEP!]
[MN.1] //: -...oh no-
[MN.3] //: -HOW MANY OF THOSE THINGS A R E THERE??-
[MN.9] //: A LOT—!
<DLN-005>: >Can you slow ‘em down by freezing them? o:
[A swarm of sign bots—much MUCH bigger than anything he's seen so far.]
[MN.9] //: There's WAY too many, I don't think I can get them all—!
[MN.1] //: If you can't slow them down, can you disperse them?
[MN.9] //: Uuuuh...
[MN.9] //: I can tryyyy??
<DLN-005>: >Yaaay, Beckyyy~
-PING!-
<DCP-001>: >You can do it, Beck! ^.^
Beck: —!
Beck: ...Linka--!!
<DCP-001>: >You can do it! Beck is hero~
[...Nine's optics seemed to flare a touch brighter the moment he heard Kalinka's voice.]
[After landing on a car, Beck took careful aim at the mass of sign bots ahead, the propeller that replaced his hand spinning faster, and faster—!]
[—ZING!]
[The propeller unlatched and whizzed through the air vertically, splitting the large group of sign bots in half—!]
Beck: —Hah—!
[And he didn't stop there—a moment later and another propeller was launched, and another, and another—]
[CALL] //: Contact in 2 minutes.
[It took almost exhausting all of this form's energy—but he managed to completely disperse the swarm, quickly shifting back to default to shoot at the ones that lingered.]
[REXELECTION: AVIATOR//RECHARGING...]
[DR.WHITE] //: You're almost there, Beck—!
[MN.9] //: —! I see the exit! (It's really bright—...is it dawn already--?)
[CALL] //: Contact in 1 minute.
[Disengaging his Night Vision, Beck lowered his body as the car he stood on sped towards the light ahead...]
[CALL] //: Contact in 30 seconds.
[There was a sudden PING of alarm.]
<DWN-019>: > WAIT WAIT WAIT—
<DWN-019>: > PISCES WHAT WERE YOU SAYING ABOUT “TOO TALL”—
[MN.9] //: -What, but we're fine—-
[CALL] //: Contact in 3—2—1—
[The world was thrown back into light, and the first reddish sunbeams of daylight filled the sky over a brown desert, rock formations scattering their shadows against the hot sands of New Mexico.]
[There was a loud sound that echoed down the tunnel, bouncing off the walls.]
WHANG!
WHANG!
[Beck only had a second to stare in awe of the beautiful scenery when he heard the sound of something crashing against metal. He turned around back towards the tunnel in confusion.]
Beck: —?? What was that?!
<DWN-012>: > -Whine noise- x.≤;;; The sound of something running into a wall really, really fast…
[MN.1] //: (Something tall...)
[MN.1] //: .....!!!!
[MN.1] //: No—!
<FMN-006>: > … … … -We can’t do anything now until they come out on the other side, bro-
[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —I know that and it's—Ngh!
[MN.2] //: SIS--!
[MN.3] //: -BZZZZZZZZZZT!!- -Stressful and worried static across the feeds-
[MN.9] //: What--did something happen to Carmen and Jack--?!
[CALL] //: -LOUD PING-
[CALL] //: Warning: Erratic movement detected in several nearby remote-controlled vehicles.
<FMN-006>: >Listen, Beckaroo!
<FMN-006>: >The best thing you can do is to save the day by rescuing Sevvie, ‘kay? </punning while stressed again> Trust me on that. You can do it!
<FMN-006>: >This is a teamwork sort of rig— I mean, gig—
<FMN-006>: >So just do your part and Pup will do his and it’ll all work out, a’ight? ;D ;;;;
[MN.9] //: —...
[MN.9] //: —I read you, Avi...
[...He just couldn't help it—there were so many people he cared about on this dangerous highway, and he worried about everyone.]
[But at least they were there to remind him what he needed to do.]
<FMN-006>: >Oooof course you do! : D Because the alphabet starts with “A” for “Avi!” ^^
<FMN-006>: >Now go get ‘em, Champ!
[MN.9] //: —R...Right!
[Another large rig backed up, allowing Beck to jump across and head out further into the highway.]
[CALL] //: Warning—I am detecting a buildup of erratic signals near your location.
<MC005>: > …? What does that indicate?
[CALL] //: Analyzing...
[MN.9] //: —...? Huh?
[DR.WHITE] //: Beck—?
[MN.9] //: The cars are...?
[The smaller vehicles were weaving around in seemingly random patterns, honking and trying to get in front of one another...]
Beck: It...kinda looks like they're freaking out...?
Beck: But why would--
[SHING!]
[There was a blur of--of a dark, violet blue flame—
And one of the cars was CLEAVED in half.]
<DWN-012>: > !!!
<DWN-012>: > oh gosh is this where the car halves were coming from?
[MN.2] //: HOLY--!
Beck: --!!!
[Moments later...]
[A red armored figure landed on the other lane, slamming a blade down on the car on which he landed.]
Beck: Brand--!
[MN.1] //: Brandish--!
[Brand's breathing sounded labored, wrenching his blade out of the car and staring across the lane at his little brother.]
Brand: Gnh...!
<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: > … We may have a problem…!
<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: > If that really was CND-7037 and FMN-008 hitting the tunnel that made that noise—
<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: > They might not be conscious enough to evade if Brand goes after the car or rig they’re on top of!
[MN.1 to FMN.6 and 9] //: You two had better hurry when they get out of that tunnel--!
<FMN-009>: > YES SIR—!
Brand: I...I told you...
Beck: Brandish--!
[Before Beck could say anything more, however--]
[A surge of dark, violet flames burst from Seven's body, across his arms and blades, and he raised his head to scream-- ]
Brand: I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY!
<DWN-013>: > Yes, you did. But he won’t.
Beck: HANG ON, NII-SAN--!
[Brandish let out a cry of anguish, leaping towards another car as Beck chased after him from his own lane--]
[SHING--!]
[Another car was sliced, and it's parts were swept across the road--Beck was forced to jump from car to car to avoid both his brother's wild attacks and the results of his reluctant rampage.]
[SHING--!]
Beck: {Big brother, please--}
[SHING--!]
Beck: {--you have to--}
[SHING--!]
Beck: {--FIGHT THIS--!}
<DWN-013 to MNN-009>: > …He is, Beck. … -Augh, it is so hard, and so painful- He’s trying as hard as he can. But you’ll need to make the final moves to overcome what’s in place.
[Brandish's answer to that was another slash in his direction, but easily avoidable. As Nine leaps over to a larger rig, the Xel-ninja speeds on by a set of trucks--]
[...But doesn't reappear once they pass.]
Beck: No--!
Beck: (Where is he, where is he--)
[DR.WHITE] //: .....
[DR.WHITE] //: (I can't help but wonder...Brand's fine control over his art allows him to achieve a greater focus than any of the others...)
[DR.WHITE] //: (But he's not like Beck in the sense that...)
[DR.WHITE] //: (....)
[DR WHITE] //: (Brandish...son...)
[Beep!]
Beck: ....?
[The rig was larger than the others--and it was carrying many other cars on it's trailers. Once Beck climbed over the roof, and to the floor below, he was greeted by none other than Sunny the Patch Bot.]
[DR.SANDA] //: --? Will--Did YOU send Sunny down there?
[DR.WHITE] //: No--?
Sunny: ^.^
[CALL] //: -Ping of admittance, we had concluded Beck needed medical assistance once Brandish was spotted again-
<DWN-019>: > -Ping of approval-
[Sunny chirped pleasantly as Beck patted their head, unloading it's cargo and preparing to fly off...]
Beck: Wait, Sunny--!
Sunny: ?
[MN.9] //: Call--Xel Transfer him back to the lab right now, please.
[...He didn't want to add Sunny to the things Brand already cut up so far...]
[CALL] //: Acknowledged.
<DWN-013>: >Good luck, Beck. And remember…
<DWN-013>: > …
<DWN-013>: > (“In the end… his will overcame the program…”)
<DWN-013>: > Remember what I told you.
Beck: ......
Beck: Yeah...
[Sunny was teleported off, leaving Beck to venture forward on his own. There were less and less cars on the lanes, he noted...]
Beck: ....!
[At one end of the trailer, there were more cars, stacked one on top of the other.]
Beck: (They're not moving...so they must have been turned off when the virus hit...?)
[DR.WHITE] //: Any sign of Brand?
[MN.9] //: Not--
"HAAAAAAAAAAH--!!"
[SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING--]
[B O O M!]
[Without any warning, the cars were sliced--and they all exploded, knocking back the smaller Mighty Number off his feet and rolling across the trailer floor--!]
Beck: Gah--!
[DR.WHITE] //: BECK--!
<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > Careful, Will! With Brandish as his opponent… Beck will need all the concentration he can muster!
[Black smoke choked his throat, and he coughed, his vision straining to see the familiar figure that had appeared through it.]
[The smoke cleared, the rising sun over the now desolate highway....]
Beck: -COUGH-
Beck: B--...Brand...
[Screams of surprise and alarm in the far distance.]
<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > Got them! I’m closing in!
[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: --... -PING-
[Brandish fell into a offensive stance, yet he was trying to draw AWAY from his brother at the same time, so it looked as if he was just a tense coil...]
Brand: Beck--!
[Beck gathered to his feet. Brand wasn't running anymore, but it sure LOOKED like he wanted to.]
Beck: Brand...
Brand: GNH--!
Brand: GNAAAAAAAAAAAAH--!!
[The dark flames enshrouded, engulfed, and for a moment, Brandish was not there—lost in the virus's grip—and then—!]
Brand?: WHY--?!
Beck: --!
[That voice--it was completely different, twisted, and demonic--it was not his own--]
Beck: (Is that...the virus...?)
Brand?: WHY, BECK--?!
Beck: ?!?!?
[--It said his NAME.]
Brand?: WHY WON'T YOU. GIVE. UP?!?!
[.........]
Beck: A...Ah--
[Those--those words--]
Beck: (W...What...)
[It was clear that Beck was completely unnerved, and found that he could not move at all. He stared, fixated, horrified and in disbelief all at once--]
<RMDC>: > -PING!-
<RMDC>: > UPDATE COMPLETED.
<RMDC>: > REBOOTING AI_DWN_024…
Beck: --!!
Brand?: RAAAAAAAAAAH--!!
[An unnatural groan of pain, and the flames die down to their original height, causing Brand to fall to a knee.]
Brand: Ngn...
Brand: S...Shadow....?
<DWN-024>: > -LOADING…-
<DWN-024>: > -Loading…-
<DWN-024>: > -Loading…-
[There was a broadcast… memory, almost—like looking across the Milky Way at endless streams of stars, clearer and more magnificent than any telescope could ever capture.]
[And then a feeling like some ancient thing that had long been asleep was about to stir…]
<DCN-007>: > -Much more presence than usual- {The student hears the voice of his master, no longer lost, but found again… and he will waken.}
<DCN-008>: > {You have been long missed and longed for, Brandish Atomo White.}
<DCN-008>: > {You don’t need to keep running from your family any longer. They think no less of you for what has happened. Do not fear their judgement—for they do not carry it!}
<DCN-007>: > Remember what you told him.
——————————
<DLN-000>: >But living life as a Wilybot… it’s always in the back of your mind— <DLN-000>: >What if… what if something, what if /next/ time—there’s ALWAYS a next time—what if it really makes us… what if we become monsters? [MN. 7] //: Then I will do everything in my power to save you WITHOUT taking your life. <DLN-000>: >Sometimes people don’t get a choice. <DLN-000>: >Rock didn’t get a choice. [MN. 7] //: There is always a choice.
——————————
<DCN-007>: > {THERE IS /ALWAYS/ A CHOICE!}
<DCN-008>: > {Even if the only choice is to resist.}
<DCN-007>: > {What do you think we did, Brandish? When we were enslaved like this?}
<DCN-007>: > {MAKE YOUR CHOICE! CHOOSE TO /FIGHT/ IT!}
Brand: {I--!}
[The Mighty ninja recoiled once more, groaning again, the virus within him refusing to let go, to ensure that it completes its purpose using him as its host.]
Brand: --N...ngh...
Brand: T...here is...a...ch-choice...
Brand: B...Beck...
Beck: It's gonna be OK--!
Beck: I'm here to help--I've come to SAVE you, Brand--!
[Beck carefully tries to approach, but--]
Brand: N--No closer--!
Brand: O-One more step--and my blades will have their way with you--!
[His head jerked to one side, as if he didn't mean to say what he just said.]
Brand: It...it...
Brand: It...doesn't--KNOW--!
Beck: --what?
Brand: It....it CAN'T know--
Beck: Brand--what--tell me what's happening--! What are you--
Brand: I can't--control myself--! It--
Brand: It doesn't--know--what--
Brand: It--will not--STOP--until everything--is GONE--!
<MC005>: > …!!!
-*-*-*-*-
-PING!-
<MC005 to MNN-001>: > -STATUS INQUIRY-
[.......]
[MN.1] //: RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!
[Mikhail was quite taken aback.]
Mikhail: ?!
[MN.1] //: B U R N.
[MN.1] //: A L L... M U S T...
[MN.1] //: BUUUUUUUURRRN!
-*-*-*-*-
<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > Will, there’s something I need to show you…
Brand: It—will—stop at NOTHING—
Brand: It—will use—WHATEVER MEANS—!
[DR.SANDA] // : Saints preserve us...
Brand: It will use ME—until I BREAK—!
Beck: —!?
Brand: If—if you want...to SAVE me...!
[SCANNING...]
[SCAN COMPLETE.]
[E N C O U N T E R.]
[MODEL: MIGHTY NO. 7. CODENAME: BRANDISH.]
[HEIGHT: 167cm WEIGHT: 187kg XEL COUNT: 37,400,000]
Brand: YOU MUST DESTROY ME!
[This phrase was dramatically emphasized by a sudden flash of lightning in the distance out of nowhere.]
Beck: —!!
Beck: NO—!
Beck: I don't want to do this—I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have to—!
Brand: RARGH!
[Beck's rebuttal fell on deaf ears—Brandish could no longer hold back. He lunged—!]
[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE.]
[Beck leaped backwards, switching his form into something he thought would slow Brandish down at least a little—]
Brand: Predictable!
[SHING!]
[...The wall of ice that was between them was cut to pieces.]
Beck: Gnh—!
[REXELECTION: PYROGEN.]
Brand: Always so VERY predicable...
Beck: Burning—gACK—!
[Beck was hit with a flying kick, sending him tumbling over to the ground—]
Brand: You—you expect to kill ME with such PREDICTABLE skills—?!
[A blast of disapproval across the feeds, directed RIGHT at Brandish.]
<DLN-005>: > N O.
<MC005>: > …!
<MC005 to MNN-001>: > I thought you were keeping him busy in the kitchen—!
[MN.1] //: -Snow—argh, tiny bots are always hard to keep track of—-
<DLN-005>: > N O, NO, /NO!/
<DLN-005>: > Beck isn’t like the monster—
[You could actually hear his budding arctic tantrum—the winds were howling with ice in their voice!]
<DLN-005>: > BECK /SAVES/ THE DAY!
Brand: —ngh—!
[He falters at the sound of Snow's voice...]
Brand: I—I can't—control—
Brand: AAARGH!
[There was an incredibly intense blast of disapproval, but this time, it… didn’t seem to be specifically directed at… Brandish…?!?]
<DLN-005>: > YOU!
<DLN-005 to ???>: > You meanie.
<DLN-005 to ???>: > You’re trying to make more like the blue monster.
<DLN-005 to ???>: > YOU TRIED TO MAKE /US/ LIKE THAT MONSTER!!!
<DLN-005 to ???>: > -SCREEEE, SHRIEKS OF RUSSIAN WINTER-
<DLN-005 to ???>: > MONSTERS NEVER WIN!
[At the sounds of the howling winds of icy fury—]
Brand?: -UNHOLY DEMONIC SCREEEEEEEEEEECH OF RAGE-
[This tantrum was abruptly cut short.]
<MC005 has sent DLN-005 Offline.>
[Apparently Mikhail had taken the matter into his own hands to prevent Snow from hurting Pyro with his abilities, as the little ice ‘bot used them recklessly when throwing a tantrum.]
[MN.1] //: Snow—!
[…Uh-oh.]
<DWN-011 has entered Alert Combat mode.>
<DWN-012 has entered Alert Combat mode.>
<DWN-013 has entered Alert Combat mode.>
<DWN-018 has entered Alert Combat mode.>
<DWN-019 has entered Alert Combat mode.>
<DCN-003 has entered Alert Combat mode.>
<DCN-007 has entered Alert Combat mode.>
<DCN-008 has entered Alert Combat mode.>
[MN.3] //: -Ooooh, that's not good-
Beck: BRAAAAAAND—!
Brand: RAAAGH—!
[Brandish flourished his blades in parallel position, arms stretched out wide to either side—!]
Beck: —!!
[Seven spun around on the spot, becoming a spinning blur of DEATH that soon sped towards Nine—!]
Beck: —aaAAAH—!
[Recognizing this move and what it can do, Beck had one option—]
[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]
[Take to the sky.]
Brand: Ngh—!!
[Beck sighed in relief as he watched Brand simply glare at him after he came to a stop. Brandish could jump fairly high, but as long as he—]
[SHING!]
Beck: WHA—?!
[Brandish...threw his own sword at him?]
[Beck had to bank harshly to the right, the blade narrowly missing his side. He stared in confusion for a split second—
A pale cloth of what appeared to be the 'bandages' that decorated the hilt was now stretched out, and seemed to retract back to Brandish, returning the weapon to his hand.]
Brand: You cannot stay up there forever—!
[There seemed to be a buzz for a moment.
And then, suddenly…]
<RMDC>: > -PING!- COMMAND ACCEPTED. AUTHORIZATION: DWN-019
[There was a flurry of notifications as the remainder of the Rebel Angels went Offline.
All but one, anyway.]
<DWN-024>: > -Loading…-
[SHING!]
[SHING—!]
[There was a far-off flash of green that lit up the dawn sky.]
[MN.1] //: —!!
[MN.3] //: —Waszz that—?
[Beck landed quickly, and shifted his form again—]
[...to default?]
Beck: (Brand has a counter to everything I got—)
Beck: (He keeps saying I'm predictable—)
Beck: (So--I gotta come up with something he WON'T expect—!)
Beck: (...I am so glad the others won't see this...)
[MN.9] //: DR. COSSACK—!
[MN.9] //: I'm sorry—but I have to ask you to—!
<MC005>: > …
[There was a pause.]
<MC005 has sent DCN-003 Offline.> <MC005 has sent DCN-007 Offline.> <MC005 has sent DCN-008 Offline.>
<MC005 to MNN-009>: > {Do what you have to… but understand that you may not be able to keep this secret all the way through.}
[MN.9 to MC005] //: ...I understand.
Beck: (Sorry about that, guys...)
[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]
[MN.3] //: —?!? BECK—WHAT ARE YOU DOING—?!
Beck: TRUST ME, SIS—!
[Brandish seemed unfazed, but leaped into a front flip, using his blades to hack at anything that dared to come close--
Beck sparked in panic and threw large, glowing purple bits up in a make shift shield--they didn't hold up to Brand's swords, but it did give Beck enough time to roll out of the way, summoning more bits to his side.]
[There was a clattering sound as Mikhail hastily left the room he was in to make his way to the emergency bay.]
Brand: Fool...!
[He lands, and once again charges for another slashing attack, unrelenting in his efforts to cut Beck down to nothing but Xel.]
[Beck's bits are wildly thrown this way and that while he avoids and dodges and--]
[MN.3] //: --!!
Brand: Must slice--must DICE--!
-PING!-
<RMDC>: >PROCESSING NEW DATA…
<RMDC>: > UPDATING SERVER…
<RMDC>: >UPDATE COMPLETE. STATUS UPDATE: FMN-008.
<RMDC>: >XEL PURGE COMPLETE. ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM FMN-008.
[MN.1] //: --!!
[MN.2] //: -ALRIGHT, MIRROR BRO!-
Brand: --n-ngh--?
<RMDC>: >ALERT!
<RMDC>: >SIGNAL ERROR: FMN-008 NOT FOUND
<RMDC>: > SCANS INDICATE FMN-008 HAS SUSTAINED SYSTEM-WIDE CRITICAL HARDWARE DAMAGE. DATA SOURCE: FMN-009
Brand: C...Carmen--?!
[Brandish...stops.]
Brand: Ack--N...No...!
Beck: --Sorry, Brand--!!
[BZZZZZZT--!]
[The whole floor was suddenly electrified, the bits that had been thrown earlier sending strong currents across the metal flooring--!]
Brand: --gNAAAAAH--!
[He was covered in a purple glow--!]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
[The bits dissipated into loose Xel as Brand twitched and jerked, the currents wreaking havoc on his systems...]
Brand: Nnnggh...
Beck: {I'm sorry--!}
-Ping.-
<AI_DWN_024 SYSTEM UPDATE COMPLETE. REBOOTING…>
Brand: Gnh--
Brand: Y--Yes....
Beck: --!
Brand: You...you are...
Brand: Going to...break me down...right into Xels...
Beck: No--! That's not what I'm--!
<RMDC>: >ERROR: EMOTIONS.EXE ERROR DETECTED. DWN-024 REBOOT FAILED. RETRYING…
<FMN-009>: > -PING!-
<FMN-009>: > UM
<FMN-009>: > UHHH
<FMN-009>: > GUYS THERE’S A PROBLEM
[DR.SANDA] //: -Oh dear Asimov why now--
[MN.1] //: What is it?
<FMN-009>: > -HOW AM I GOING TO GET THEM OFF, HELP—-
<FMN-009>: > -EVEN IF I COULD LIFT SIS IN AVI’S FORM (WHICH I /CAN’T/, SHE’S TOO HEAVY—) I ONLY HAVE ONE ARM IN THAT FORM, WE CAN’T LEAVE JACK BEHIND—!-
<FMN-009>: > THEY BOTH HIT THEIR HEADS REALLY HARD AND AREN’T GIVING OFF SIGNALS I THINK THEY BROKE THEIR TRANSCEIVERS AAAAAAAAAA—
[MN.1] //: Calm DOWN, Nine--! We'll think of something--!
<FMN-009>: > BUT SHE HIT HER HEAD REALLY HARD, LIKE YOU SAID AFTER THE INCIDENT THERE’S XEL EVERYWHERE SOMEBODY HELP—
[MN.1] //: Beck--!
[BZZZZZZT--]
[DR.WHITE] //: -GAH THERE'S NO WAY TO GET THEM OUT OF THE HIGHWAY AND--
<MC005>: > -PING!-
<MC005>: > Has anyone seen Aviator??
[ALL] //: --????
[MN.3] //: He should zzstill be--
[MN.2] //: Uuuuh...
[MN.2] //: Are my four eyes seeing things right or am I seeing double--?
<MC005>: > {What??}
[P I N G!]
[MN.6] //: Diiiiiiid someone call for...
[MN.6] //: ...air support?~ ; D
[MN. ALL] //: AVI!
<FMN-006>: > You know what they say, Avi!
<FMN-006>: > Two heads are better than one!~ ; D
<FMN-006>: > It helps to have friends in… HIGH places~
[MN.6] //: You said it, Avi!
[MN.6] //: And they're only just a--CALL AWAY. ; D
[MN.1] //: --oH--
<FMN-006>: >Breaking news!
<FMN-006>: >Two handsome airplane rescuers stop highway chase from ending in tragedy, while everyone’s faaaaavorite underdog SAVES THE DAY— -Background flying noises-
[MN.9] //: AVI!~
[MN.6] //: Heeeeey, T-Becks, love to chat and catch up but I got a car-jack to get to and you got a bro to save!
[MN.6] //: You're doing great--so don't give up now!
[MN.9] //: Roger that, Avi!
<FMN-006 to MNN-007>: >EYYYY, LUCKY SEVEN THERE— I know you can hear me.
[MN.7 to FMN.6] // -low growls in response-
<FMN-006 to MNN-007>: >Enough of that doom and gloom nonsense, lil’ bro—
<FMN-006 to MNN-007>: > She’s pretty banged up and is gonna want you to help out again.
Brand: --!
<FMN-006 to MNN-007>: > -She needs you, so—if I hear more of this despair stuff I’m going to hang you up a flagpole by your fancy Japanese silk robes, snap out of it-
Brand: C...Carmen--
<FMN-006>: > -Cheerfully- See you guys soooon!~ Avi, over and out!
[MN.9] //: Good luck, guys--!
[MN.6] //: You too, little Champ!
Brand: Nngh--!
[He convulsed, and the virus tightened it's reigns—but still, he was suppressing his urge to attack--!]
Brand: I...ngh--!
[BLAM!]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
[Beck did not let the opening go to waste.]
[BLAM!]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Brand: NNNAGH!!
[The ninja suddenly screamed into sunrise, his blades raised in front of him--]
[--clicking into place as he brought them together--]
[DR.WHITE] //: --!!! BRANDISH, NO--!!
[PING!]
<DWN-024 is now Online.>
<DWN-024>: > -Very, VERY disoriented data- … Sensei…?
Brand: M--MOVE, BECK--!!
Brand: M-my body--my BLADES--They have a will all of their own--!
Brand: RAAGH--!
Beck: Brand--wait--!
[SHING--!]
Beck: aCK--!
[He backed off, but--pain, across his shoulder--]
<DWN-024>: > —!
<DWN-024 has entered Non-Lethal Combat mode.>
[Uh-oh.]
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Mikhail: We don’t want the Avi-like incident repeating with the other numbers. It will be hard enough to carry without hurting close friends in the process…
Nico: …Good luck getting Shadow to agree. -Looks down at said brother- Maybe we should keep him Offline, too?
Skull: …At least, until Brandish is better…
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
[SHING SHING SHING SHINGSHINGSHING--]
[Other shoulder--leg--]
[There was a whistling noise.]
THUNK.
Ssssss…
[A shuriken was sinking into the rig by Brandish’s left foot, hissing as acid ate away at the metal.]
Brand: --?!
[Beck stumbled, and fell in shock--Xel beginning to bleed from the gashes his brother had inflicted--thankfully not deep enough to sever anything immediately important, but OW--]
[Shadow seemed to melt out of his namesake, rising like some sort of ghost. His eyes were glowing a solid green.]
<MC005>: > I thought the Meadow teleporters were Offline!
<FMN-001>: > THEY ARE! He just—! MELTED into the darkness!
[He flicked his wrists, and two more shuriken appeared.
This time, he aimed for Brand’s hands.]
[Brandish did not linger--he avoided the projectiles altogether by flipping backwards, his eyes switching from his own blue to a monstrous purple...]
Beck: Sh--Shadow--!
Brand: You...
[Shadow did not respond at all. He was silent.
And relentless—melting suddenly into the shadows again, vanishing from sight.
Only to reappear—]
[SKLRRT!]
[APPARENTLY UNDERNEATH THE RIG AT BRAND’S FEET AND STABBING UPWARDS—]
Beck: --!!!
[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]
Brand: Gnh--!
[He jumped, but the acid beneath splattered and hit bits and parts of his leg armor, eating away at the paint and the trade-mark '7' that adorned it.]
[It wasn't long before the acid was slowly eating away at the armor itself, though at a slow pace. Brandish HOWLED in pain--!]
Brand: INSOLENCE--!
[SHING--!]
[The slice cut through the rig like butter, and there were some very troubling noises from whatever piping he had cut into.]
[There was a clattering sound, as if something had fallen down.]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: SHADOW--?!
[Silence.]
Beck: SHADOW--?!?
Brand: Nggggh....
[Brand’s shadow… rippled.]
Beck: --?!?
[Brandish didn't seem to notice, now turning his blade back to Beck--]
Brand: You--...
Brand: .....
[Until he sensed another presence--]
[Shadow sprang up out of Brand’s cast shade, grabbing him by the scarf and yanking HARD.
At the same time, he slammed his foot against Brand’s ankle, where the leg armor had been eaten away.]
Brand: --Hrk--
Beck: SHADOW, STOP--!
Brand: -UNHOLY SCREECH OF PAIN-
[Shadow let go of the scarf, but he wasn’t quite done—that much was clear, as he had another shuriken in his hand a second later.
His expression was void, and he didn’t seem moved by mercy whatsoever.
However…]
<DWN-024 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>
[The green glow subsided, and his irises and pupils slowly came back into view—though his irises were still glowing the same shade of green.
He slid further back, bracing himself against the driving cabin.]
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
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.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Beck: --!!
[Brandish winced in sheer pain, but his head turned to GLARE at Shadow with violet orbs of rage, unlocking his blades to separate and--]
[BLAM!]
Beck: NO YOU DON'T--!
[Shadow crouched down, bringing out some sort of… strange but familiar item…]
Beck: --Ah--!
[His visor goes down--]
[And darkness covers… everything.]
Brand: --!?!?
Beck: (I--STILL CAN'T SEE, WHAT--?!)
[It is no ordinary darkness—not as if night had fallen—but as if light had ceased to exist at all.
It was as if it had smothered out everything else in the world, creating a void of NOTHING.]
[There was a firm grip around Beck, suddenly—]
Beck: --!
[In reaction to the darkness, Brand wildly slashes to where he last saw Shadow, and prepares to spin in place with his blades--]
Beck: Wha--!
[And then a tap on the side of his visor.]
<DWN-024 to MNN-009>: > -Data, brace yourselves-
Beck: --!
[Beck instantly tucks his head in, and tenses up in brace for whatever Shadow was talking about, his Xel Filter going online automatically--]
[The darkness lifted as suddenly and completely as it had come.
Beck was now standing in a different position than before, one with more favorable ground. Shadow was right beside him.]
Brand: --Aah--!
[Blinded by the sudden light from the sun, Brandish hissed and whirled around--where are they--?!]
Beck: (How did...?)
Brand: RRRNGH--!
Beck: (--Never mind--Brand's open--!)
[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]
[Shadow side stepped and jumped up to be on the hood of the rig’s driving cabin, and thus out of the way.]
[ZING--!]
[The propeller whacked Brand SQUARE on the back--]
Brand: NGH--!
[Beck backed into a running start and LEAPED--!]
Beck: Haaaaah!
[ACXELARATE DASH: MAX OUTPUT REACHED.]
[CLANK--!]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
[There was the sound of something cracking--]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Brand: B--BECK--!!
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: FIGHT IT, BRAND--!
Beck: I'LL SAVE YOU--
[XEL QUOTA REACHED.]
[XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE.]
Beck: --I PROMISE--!
[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]
[........]
"Again."
[THWACK!]
"Again!"
[THWACK!]
"--You're still holding back, Otouto."
"...Ngh..."
"I can tell when something is troubling you, you know."
"...."
"It is better to clear you mind than let it rage like a rushing current. There is no proper flow then. Only chaos."
"....."
"What is wrong, brother?"
"I...Brand?"
"Yes?"
"...Am I ever gonna get back on the team? I'm...not, aren't I?"
"....."
"I...I try--and I try--but I'm...I'm still SCARED, and I...I'm not getting any better--I do these practices over and OVER, but--!"
"...Seed."
"--? Wha?"
"You are a SEED, Beck."
"--....uh...?"
"You have yet to realize what you can accomplish with your abilities, and have yet to explore it. Like a seed planted on this earth, you need time."
"...Time...?"
"Time to GROW."
"You will need time, and guidance, and yes, much practice. You will need plant yourself firm once you discover your own way. You will need patience, focus...and above all--"
"--love?"
"...Yes. Love. Very good."
"I...heh..."
"...I can see it, Beck. Your potential. It is vast, and it is endless. You will become greater than the sum of all of us..."
"R...Really...?"
Brand: ......
Brand: --mn--?
"Yes. Of course you will."
Brand: B...Beck...
"You're a Mighty Number."
[....]
[XEL PURGE COMPLETE.]
[As the last of the green glow died off, cleansing away all of the sickly violet curse, Brand found himself staring into a blue, cloudless sky...]
[...As well as his brother...]
[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MN.7]
Beck: Brand--? Brand--?!
Brand: . . .
Brand: I....
[A hand weakly reached out to rest on his shoulder.]
Brand: I...thank...you...
[MN.7 IS NOW IN SLEEP MODE.]
Beck: Nii-San--!
[There is the sound of something collapsing across the feeds.]
[DR.SANDA] //: --Will?!
[MN.3] //: --Daddy??
[MN.2] //: -GONNA GO GET OUR LIMP NOODLE DAD SOME PILLOWS AND MAKE AN ICE PACK-
Beck: Ooooh--!
[Beck winced as some of the cars ahead all BLARED their horns at once, as if they were angered at his victory...]
Beck: Shadow--I could use a hand with Brand--!
[At first, Shadow was nowhere to be seen.
Then, it became clear he was standing at the very back of the rig. …He seemed to be in some sort of defensive stance.]
Shadow: . . .
[He was not so tense as to be frozen in place, but he seemed just one slight move away from a sudden and dangerous strike from the ENORMOUS shuriken in his hands.]
Beck: .....
Beck: How are you carrying that huge thing--?
[No response.]
Beck: Um--? Shadow? We're-- kinda still on a crazy speeding highway...
Beck: I can't carry Brand all by myself...please...?
[Shadow looked up.
His eyes were still bright green— he hadn’t left Defensive mode.]
Beck: --!
Beck: Sh...Shadow...?
[Beck collected himself up against his brother, eyes widening in slight surprise and fear--]
Beck: Ah--
Beck: G--Guys--!
[MN.1] //: Shadow! STAND DOWN--!
[DR.SANDA] //: Oh, dear--Mikhail--! -HELP-
[Shadow took another step back, holding the shuriken out like a shield by gripping at an edge of the opening in the center. He was at the very back of the rig now, and it was a wonder he hadn’t fallen off.]
[A soft ping.]
<MC005>: > -Quietly- {He’s afraid.}
<MC005>: > {He’s in Defensive mode because he is afraid of what is going to happen to him.}
<MC005>: > {He is… attempting to protect himself.}
<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {Keep in mind he’s been asleep since before we regained contact with you for the first time.}
<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {He has no idea what Beck is capable of, or what just happened.}
<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {All he knows is that he has acted aggressively and against the wishes of his superiors, having injured his teacher—who then was overpowered by one with a Universal Adapter and then sent, for all he knows, Offline.}
<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {Additionally…}
<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {All the other AI&A signals from the server are Offline as well.}
<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {What do you THINK he has concluded?}
[MN.1] //: --!!
[MN.3] //: -oh no--
[MN.2] //: --BECKY--SNAP OUT OF IT--!
Beck: .......
Beck: Sh...Shadow--
Beck: --P-Please--we--we gotta out of here--and get Brand help--
Beck: Please--I just SAVED him, I--!
[HOOOOOOOOONK--!]
[Shadow seemed to be struggling, very hard, but he remained silent.
Finally, he reached into his scarf with his other hand…]
[And in a flash, tossed something that clattered at Beck’s feet.]
Beck: --!! It's--!
[HOOOOOOOOOOONK--!!]
[The loud horn came from a huge eighteen wheeler--on a dead-set collision course with the rig they had battled on--!]
[HOOOOOOOOOOONK--!]
Beck: !!!
[Shadow made a sudden dashing leap, bounding up to the top to the rig, and then—]
<DWN-024 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>
[His energy readings spiked, and there was a whine that stuttered.]
[He hurled the massive shuriken at the road ahead, causing part of the road to get sliced away and the metal star to spin and clatter across the road. At the same time, he crouched down, and—
The whole rig began to sink into the shadows, falling—]
[Beck snatched the Amulet, held on to it and his brother tightly...]
[And screamed.]
Beck: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA--!
[The world around them was darkness, like before—except softer, somehow, like the haziness of dreams.
And then back into the sunlight in the desert, emerging from some cast shadows off-road—into the dust and sand.
Shadow swung down and grabbed at the side of the access panel to the fuel tank.]
[SKLORT!]
[He cut it open so that said fuel began rapidly draining away into the sand.]
[When the rig finally settled, that was when Beck stopped screaming.]
[He was hyperventilating, blinking weld up tears away as he held onto Brand's limp arm with a death grip, still processing what the heck just happened.]
Beck: (Highway--dark--sand--bright--what--)
<DWN-024 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>
[Shadow lept down from the rig and into the sand.]
[And then he made a run for it, summoning, of all things—a giant frog to ride.]
Beck: . . . . .
[MN.9] //: -Did--did I hit my head too--guys--what happened---
[MN.1] //: . . . .
<MC005>: > …
[A long pause.]
<MC005>: > …That… is a very good question.
[DR.SANDA] //: . . . . . Er...
Mikhail: (I’ve NEVER seen him use most of those techniques before.)
<MC005>: >I think it would be best to bring the two of you back to the lab, now…
[CALL] //: Preparing Xel Transfer...
[MN.9] //: -- W-Wait--Carmen, Jack--
<MC005>: >They’re waiting here already, Beck.
[MN.9] //: -sigh-
[MN.9] //: Good...
[MN.9] //: Thanks, guys...
<MC005>: > Just try to rest. Things will be alright.
[CALL] //: Xel Transfer in progress...
_______________________
[SANDA LABS...]
[Mikhail sat back into his chair with a large sigh at last, groaning and putting his face in his hands.]
Mikhail: {What a mess…}
[He had tried to talk with Shadow to get him to calm down, but Shadow had turned his transceiver off, much like Cardinal had. He didn’t wish to risk trying to teleport him off despite that, since the ninja was at the edge of the vehicle and clearly poised to jump off or lash out at the first sign of something that startled him.
And now he had run off. Again.
The Russian Doctor had a fairly good idea where the wayward DWN would ultimately end up, so he didn’t find it urgent to initiate a chase.
…Besides, that would only make things worse.
No, he was more concerned about the psychological impact this would have on Beck (and Brand) in the long term.]
Mikhail: ({At least… as long as he keeps his transceiver off, he won’t upload his fear to the RMDC. Small blessings, I suppose…})
[The rescued Mighty Numbers all clamored and gathered around the injured pair, Pyrogen helping his unconscious brother to the emergency bay, with the rest smothering Nine with worried chatter and tight, loving hugs.]
[White was still passed out on his chair, a pillow propped up against his head and a white blanket over his form, a soothing ice pack lovingly crafted and placed on his forehead.]
Beck: . . . .
[Beck did not say a word, although he did return the hugs.]
Sanda: Hoooo...
Sanda: (These things just get worse, huh...)
Sanda: (...But at least everyone's...sort of alright.)
Sanda: (Goodness, Will, you REALLY can't just fall over like that..)
Sanda: I--b-better get to repairs on Brand...Call, could you watch Will?
Call: Yes, Doctor.
Mikhail: …
Call: I will also watch over Dr. Cossack, as I am also detecting unhealthy stress levels.
Sanda: Er...right...you...do that...
Mikhail: Mnnn…
[He waited until after Sanda left before he turned to type at the console.]
<MC005 to CALL>: > I am admittedly concerned for Number Nine’s well being.
[CALL] //: .....
<MC005 to CALL>: > He has been very withdrawn as of late, and has taken to secluding himself for long blocks of time.
<MC005 to CALL>: > He seems to be concerned what the others will think of him, and enforces the secrecy out of a kind of desperation—and I don’t think that what happened today will help matters.
[ANALYZING...]
[CALL to MC005] //: What do you propose, Doctor?
Mikhail: -Leans against a hand, seeming tired-
<MC005 to CALL>: > I’ll need a little time to think on that. He needs someone to talk to, that much is certain.
<MC005 to CALL>: > I’d like to talk to him myself, just to try and understand the situation better, so I can figure out how to calm down anyone connected to the RMDC server.
[CALL to MC005] //: ......
[CALL to MC005] //: Acknowledged.
[CALL to MC005] //: I suggest you also rest, Doctor.
[He was thoughtful for a moment.]
Mikhail: …Is there a piano anywhere around here, I wonder…?
[CALL to MC005] //: ...Beck plays.
[CALL to MC005] //: There is a keyboard in his room.
Mikhail: Ah, thank you. …But I suppose you’re right. Rest, for now. ({I’ll play the song later.})
Mikhail: Shadowman will be heading toward Texas. There are three possibilities: either he will continue travel within this world, end up in the Wilderness, or make it to our own world’s Texas. He should make contact once he figures out his brothers are alright and are still alive.
Mikhail: Make sure to keep an eye on Wily Eight’s isolation.
[CALL] //: Understood, Dr. Cossack.
[With that, the Russian reluctantly relocated somewhere that was conducive to sleep.]
____________________________
[MEANWHILE, AT CHERRYDYNAMICS...]
[...The sound of a phone ringing.]
[Click.]
"Mmm. Oh yes, yes, Senator. Our FULL resources our dedicated to resolving--"
[A pause. Some calm chatter from the other side.]
"...Mm. Yes, yes--Oh--yes, very wise of you. I'll speak with--yes, that too--Oh, no, thank YOU, sir. Hmm. Alright. Stay safe."
[SLAM.]
[A tall, lanky, blond haired man in a sharp, purple business suit slammed the landline phone down—HARD—on the receiver, nearly breaking the thing in his fit of rage. Violet eyes furrowed in both frustration and fury.]
Graham: IDIOT!
Graham: Argh, that aggravating MORON--!
Graham: Fine--FINE! If you want to be that way, friend, then you can go throw yourself to the bots-- see if I care.
Graham: I don't NEED you...
[He began pacing around his office, grumbling angrily under his breath...]
Graham: Why are they hounding ME about the problem, and not torturing BLACKWELL to get the answer?!
Graham: This is TWICE--
Graham: TWICE that old goat and his WRETCHED FAMILY have made me--MADE US--LOOK LIKE A FOOL--!
Graham: RrrrrAAAGH--!
Graham: Rrrgh...
Graham: You--You and that TOY of yours...
Graham: And HIM.
Graham: I should have just taken HER later when I had the chance--!
Graham: But you just had to INTERFERE, didn't you...
[...There are several files on his desk...]
[All stamped as confidential.]
[DEMONSTRATING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE BATTLE COLOSSEUM.]
[PROJECT TRINITY--CDN.1201]
[CANCELLED.]
[--REASON: STAFF COMPLICATIONS AND RESULTS OF CDN.1101.]
Graham: ......
Graham: At least I still HAVE her...
Graham: That's the one saving grace you didn't TAKE from me...
Graham: Rnnngh...
Graham: I hope you BURN in hell for what you've done, wherever you are...!
[Riiiiing...]
Graham: Uuugh...
[With a harsh sigh, Gregory picked up the receiver, and cleared his throat. His tone turned pleasant and cheerful.]
Graham: CherryDynamics, CEO Gregory Graham speaking--oh, OH! A pleasure to hear from YOU, sir, yes! My goodness, I was starting to fear the worst--! Are you and your wife and children--?
Graham: That's wonderful--yes, of course, but I have--oh, no, there's no need--I have to stay here, you know...
[Pause.]
Graham: ....No. There's no one--no, I'm not MARRIED, you silly--
[Another pause.]
Graham: I said there is NO one, sir.
Graham: ...Just me.
Graham: --Oh no, of course. Thank you for your concern, though.
Graham: I really do appreciate it...
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
=CHAPTER 3C: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=
~AO v1.0~
(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[SANDA LABS....]
[Both sister and brother safely made the trip back to California--worn and worse for wear, but alive.]
White: --!!!
[MN.3 AND MN.9 HAVE ENTERED DEEP SLEEP MODE.]
[There were two, simultaneous thuds against metal flooring. Both Dynatron and Beck has collapsed in sheer exhaustion, unable to find the energy to keep themselves online.]
Cryo: AAAAAH--
White: It's fine! It's fine, they've just fainted--Sanda, prepare the med bay--Pyro, help your sister, Cryo, Call, you grab Beck--
Call: Right away, Dr. White.
[The external branch of the RMDC kept going nuts, trying over and over—and failing, over and over—to update the main server.]
White: Sanda, you go to work on Beck, I'll handle Dyna--
Sanda: Got it--
White: We need two full canisters in case we need Xel Transfusions--Cryo, go into Dyna's room and bring back all the power containers you can find--
Cryo: I'M ON IT--
Pyro: What can I do?
White: Calm Dyna down once she awakens--she'll need it.
Call: I am detecting activity in the RMDC database, Doctors--the server is attempting to update.
White: (That...that would probably be the cross references attempting to connect--and him...)
White: We can't do anything about it now--transfer all of Beck's assimilation data to my terminal while we repair, alright?
Call: Yes, Dr. White.
White: (Three samples--plus the one from Mikhail and his server...)
White: (I just hope that will be enough...!)
_____________________________
[MEANWHILE...]
"........"
"................"
"....Three in SUCH a short amount of time..."
"...You were always full of surprises, weren't you..."
"But, then again, you...you're special."
"....I had anticipated that."
"Just...didn't think it would be....or I had HOPED...."
"......."
"....ha."
"You....Will...ha..."
"I didn't think you would, but you did."
"........."
"You've....changed."
"......."
".................."
"We're all just a bunch of MONSTERS, aren't we...?~"
"Aha...ha...."
"............"
".................."
"........................."
"help me."
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
=CHAPTER 1D: RAGING FLAMES SMOLDER=
~AO v2.0~
((Courtesy of @codedhopes))
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
{Titus That Evening}
[Thud.]
[A very tired and emotionally exhausted Nine hauls himself up into bed—no longer worse for wear, but one could not say the same for his troubled mind.]
[Ping.]
[MN.2-3, 5-7 HAVE BLOCKED MN.9. ERROR: MN.4 AND MN.8 SIGNALS NOT FOUND.]
Beck: -Groans-
Beck: Guys...
Beck: Where ARE you--?
[Of course, they wouldn't answer. Beck had been trying, constantly, in his spare time to at least reach someone.]
[Ping.]
[ERROR: RMDC NOT RESPONDING. UNABLE TO MAKE COMM LINE CONNECT.]
[Anyone...]
[Ping.]
[ERROR: DLN-000 SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]
[Ping.]
[ERROR: Ø SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]
[But he was met with errors and silence.]
Beck: ....
[He had to try--he had to keep trying--]
[He just couldn't sleep in this dreadful silence--he was so used to falling asleep to the chatter of his louder siblings in the house, he just couldn't...]
Beck: (Why...)
Beck: (Why ME?)
Beck: (This would have been so much...easier, if at least one of you guys stayed here--at least Pyro is back now, but that was...)
Beck: (Oh, please, please, I just want some help--!)
[But try as he might, and for a good while too, he got nothing. The fact that Avi was probably still sitting on the airwaves didn't make this any easier, either...]
Beck: ....
[With a final sigh of defeat, Beck crawls off of his blankets to dig into his backpack.]
[He then pulls out a smart phone--which was of course corrupted with the virus as soon as he clicks the button on the side. Ugh.]
Beck: -Displeased, go away.-
[A flash of green XelFilter later, and the phone was back to normal.]
Beck: ...
[He flips through the contacts list. He knew that Avi would make sure the phones wouldn't work, at least while they were infected like this...]
[But, he had the power to just fix it, so--something so small...Avi wouldn't notice, right?]
Beck: (...It's worth a shot...)
[CALLING...]
———————
{Kansas City}
[Cardinal wiped off some Xel that had splattered on him, sighing about the damage to the artifacts.]
Cardinal: (Those were historically significant baseballs, I hope they can—)
[His phone went off rather loudly, startling him.]
Cardinal: !!! Again?
“Everything alright in there?”
Cardinal: Yeah, Drake! I’m finished in here! Just give me a moment, someone’s calling!
[Drake opened the door, stepping in cautiously with some museum staff behind him.]
Drake: At this hour? Who is it?
Cardinal: -Looks at his phone- …
Cardinal: !!! Beck?!
Drake: Wait, what—? Like, the Mighty Numbers—
Cardinal: Shhh!
[He put the call on speaker.]
Cardinal: Beck? Is that you?
—————————
{Titus}
Beck: —!!!
Beck: CARDS—!
Beck: Oh my gosh oh my gosh—it worked—!!
[His sudden yelling obviously gets the attention of Pyrogen—who was resting in his own room at the time. Beck's door opens and the Mighty Number looks ready to tackle someone—]
Pyro: —??
Beck: -Puts his finger to his mouth, SHHHHH-
Beck: -Data, it's Cardinal—!-
Pyro: —!!
[PING—!]
Beck: -Leans back into the phone while Pyro calls the others-
Beck: Cards—gosh, it is so good to hear your voice, oh man—
Beck: I didn't think—Didn't—
Beck: -WEEEH-
Beck: -Caaaaards-
[There's some yelling somewhere in the building.]
“Uhh…?"
[He sounded confused.]
"It's… good to hear from you too? Uh…."
[A pause.]
“What’s with the shouting? Are you alright?”
Beck: Yeah—I mean—yeah—
Beck: Just—are YOU okay?!
Beck: Y-You just left and everyone's wondering where you went to and it's just been—nuts—not even nuts, just completely insane—hnn...
Beck: I was—still—really worried since everything is...
Beck: -We are just so relieved to hear you, SNIFF-
Pyro: (Cardinal...)
“I’m fine, but—”
[There was noise in the background, as if other people were whispering.]
“Beck, how did you get through to me? I tried calling earlier and didn’t get an answer!”
Beck: Well—I fixed this phone and I thought, since it wasn't infected...I'd try calling you...
Beck: The database is down, and—wh—
Beck: Call, wait, give it back—
Call: This call is now on speaker, DLN-000.
“Okay…?”
Call: This unit requests that you confirm who exactly you called.
Call: This information may be vital.
———————————
{Kansas City}
[Cardinal pulled the phone away for a moment to stare at it in exasperation.]
Cardinal: -Mildly annoyed at the redundancy of the question- I called Shade, of course.
Drake: Shade? You called Countershade?
Cardinal: -Looks up, smirking slightly- Told you you wouldn’t believe me.
Cardinal: -Returns his attention to his phone, grin fading- I know you guys must be terribly busy, but seriously! I really did need some help, at the time. How are things holding up on your end?
[Before Beck could answer, Pyro’s voice came through.]
“Cardinal…? Where are you?”
Cardinal: -Looks around the room- …
[He was suddenly wary.]
Cardinal: …Where I need to be right now. Why…?
Cardinal: What’s going on here?
——————————————
{Titus}
“Where’s Shade?”
Beck: -Hnk...-
Pyro: . . .
“Where is he?! This isn't a game, guys—I really could use his help!”
[...No one answered, for a while.]
Beck: C...Cards...
Beck: Cards...y-you were there...
Beck: Didn't...didn't you see?
“What are you TALKING about?”
Call: Statement: DLN-000 was present during the initial outbreak.
“Uh, yeah? I somehow ended up in—…the place where I am now… and have been fighting crazy people since then. What are you getting at?”
Call: …
Call: Inquiry: what is the last thing you remember prior to the current national crisis?
“National? Are you telling me that this isn't isolated?”
Beck: Didn't… didn't you hear the news broadcasts…?
“I was a bit busy, Beck—”
Call: Statement: DLN-000 needs to answer the question.
“Mnn. …We had pancakes—”
Pyro: (What…?!)
Beck: B-but that was yesterday—!
“What?”
Pyro: -A bit incredulous, but also very concerned- Cardinal, are you alright…? You… you aren't… ill, are you?
“What?! No, of COURSE not!”
Pyro: Are you sure—? Memory loss is—
“-Interrupting- Is the standard side effect of a Stop error. Just spit it out, already, guys—where is he?! I don't have all evening!”
Call: Statment: the location of Mighty No. 8 is currently unknown.
“Ugh, of COURSE, he must be working… I'll have to catch up with him after I'm done here…”
Call: Clarification: the locations of Mighty Numbers 2-8 have not yet been determined.
“Excuse me?”
Beck: I...
Beck: They...
Beck: Th...They got infected, Cards—
[Silence.]
Beck: You… y-you were shouting about… not leaving him behind…
Beck: D-don’t you remember…?
[More silence.]
“H-hey, Cardinal—you alright there?”
———————————————
{Kansas City}
>KEY WORD IDENTIFIED: INFECTED
>CROSS-REFERENCES IDENTIFIED: VIRUS, GREATER DUSK, 04.04.2016T MEMORY DATA
-=-=-=-=-
[MN.8] //: ....If anythin' does happen t' me?
[MN.8] //: ...Don't try an' stop me.
-=-=-=-=-
>PROCESSING…
[Cardinal had sat down rather suddenly, his mind reeling.]
Drake: Talk to me, man—
[Cardinal said nothing, his sense of the present fading into a sea of analytics.]
>PROCESSING…
[His mind was swimming with facts and statistics.]
[A national crisis of crazed robots—of violence like the Queen's Finals. A virus. The world had a large percentage of robotic persons. Robots took up a large percentage of the work force, especially when it came to industry. And it wasn't just industry—there were black-ops covert organizations as well.
Because Industrials, Civvies, and even entertainment-focused Combat 'bots aside… there was an ENTIRE organization of assassins to account for…]
>FUNCTIONAL PLACEHOLDER DATA: +500,000 THREAT LEVEL BLUE SUB-VARIABLES, DENSELY CONCENTRATED IN MAJOR CITIES
Cardinal: !!!
[His eyes suddenly FLARED bright green in alarm.]
Drake: Are you okay?
Cardinal: -Shakes his head, staring off into the distance with a haunted expression-
[He was drowning, drowning in data. Dark, grim facts.
This timeline had an outwardly crippled military, which didn't have the numbers for small-scale counterstrikes. Civilians were at risk.
Civilians were at risk—!]
>WARNING! WARNING! PRIORITY ALPHA MISSION RECOGNIZED!
>GENERATING CODE RED CONTINGENCIES…
[With something like this… something that they weren't prepared for on a psychosociological level…
…It was manageable NOW, but—! If someone launched a large-scale attack, the casualties would SKYROCKET…!]
Cardinal: (No… no…!)
[Memories. Distant memories.]
-=-=-=-=-
“....that doesn't make us immune to viruses.”
-=-=-=-=-
[The Mighty Numbers were not immune to viruses. All of the Mighty Numbers had been infected. He'd already been running a Code Red contingency.
He'd been THERE when they were infected, when everyone was infected, and it was a Code Red contingency.
They were ALL infected.]
((Pic: Avi w/stats and abilities listed))
>CODE RED THREAT IDENTIFIED: MNN-006 >ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 5,000,000 - 19,500,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 10,500,000+
[All of them.]
((Pic: Bat w/stats and abilities listed))
>CODE RED THREAT IDENTIFIED: MNN-005 >ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 8,500,000 - 40,000,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 150,000,000+
“C-Cardinal?”
[Help. Help. He needed help, before it all turned into another Monstropolis!]
<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > -WARNING! PRIORITY ALPHA CODE RED CONTINGENCY ACTIVATED!-
[His systems screamed an S.O.S., but there was no response. The RMDC was disconnected, and Shade wasn't answering.
But of course he wouldn't, would he?
Because HE'D been infected, too.
What if he…!?]
>INSERT VARIABLES: MNN-008, VIRUS, CODE RED: PRIORITY ALPHA >PROCESSING…
Cardinal: (N-NO!)
>ERROR - ANALYSIS DATA CONFLICTS WITH PRIMAL ANALYSIS NEXUS ON FILE FOR VARIABLE: MNN-008
Cardinal: (Shade—Shade could NEVER do something like this—!)
Cardinal: (N-not—!)
Cardinal: (NOT THIS—!)
[Except Shade wasn't himself anymore, was he?]
-=-=-=-=-
“Don’t fight the person: fight the parasite.”
-=-=-=-=-
[And what would happen if a hostile parasite had access to Shade's capabilities?]
>COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF SECURITY, CYBERSECURITY, AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS (COMPLETELY DISABLED SECURITY SYSTEMS FOR HEADQUARTERS OF GLOBAL MANUFACTURER) >COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF ADVANCED AND RESTRICTED WEAPONRY (OPERATED SHOULDER LAUNCHER WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS) >ACCESS TO WHOLESALE SUPPLY OF MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY (MULTIPLE CASES OF OBTAINING CUSTOMIZED HIDDEN WEAPONRY TO PROVIDE TO UNAUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS) >PROFESSIONAL GRADE FIREPOWER (ESTIMATED MAXIMUM RANGE: 1.8 MILES) >ABOVE-SUPERIOR MILITARY GRADE STEALTH TECHNOLOGY: ONLY ONE KNOWN NON-LUCK BASED METHOD OF DETERMINING LOCATION — SCENT
[There was no avoiding it.
With Shade's abilities? There really weren't any LIMITS to what he COULD do.]
>WARNING! PRIORITY THREAT IDENTIFIED!
((Pic: Shade "RADAR" w/stats and abilities listed))
>CONTINGENCY 1: AIR FORCE BASE >CONTINGENCY 2: NAVY YARD >CONTINGENCY 3: ARMY RESEARCH FACILITY >CONTINGENCY 4: BIOCHEMICAL WARFARE >CONTINGENCY 5: NATIONWIDE BLACKOUT (INCLUDING BACKUP GENERATORS) >CONTINGENCY 6…
[He could see it now, in the full potential—he could see what would happen if someone like Shade managed to strike in just the right place.]
[The final results of the analyses that filled every aspect of his Awareness showed a domino effect created by the United States essentially vanishing as a military and economic power, which led to a truly global nightmare.]
>ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 1 - 40,000,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 290,000,000 - 330,000,000+ >ESTIMATED TERTIARY CASUALTIES: 2,920,000,000 - 4,120,000,000+ >ESTIMATED QUATERNARY CASUALTIES: 1,000,000,000 - 3,000,000,000+
[After falling from power, there would be a cascade of economic collapse that spread throughout Europe, Asia, and South America—followed by violent civil wars in some places, and power grabs in others from highly brutal, totalitarian forces that were no longer held in check by the functional presence of a benevolent superpower that enabled the continued existence of other benevolent world powers….]
>ROOT CONTINGENCY COMPLETED. INCIDENT CODE: “SECOND MONSTROPOLIS”
[He could barely think. What was he going to do?! He was built to fight tanks, not to combat a literal plague of violence!]
>PROCESSING…
——————————
{Titus}
[The silence was really starting to become… worrying.]
Beck: C...Cards?
Pyro: . . .
Beck: Cards—
Beck: Please don't hang up, please—say something—
[Something seemed to click.]
“Pyro—? If everyone got infected—if the WHOLE FAMILY—then—”
[There was as much confusion as anguish in his voice.]
“How are you—? How are you here? Why?”
Pyro: .....
Pyro: I...
[There was a tremble in Pyro's otherwise strong tone.]
Pyro: -Turns his head away-
Pyro: I'm here now, yes...
Pyro: But I...I, too, was... ill...
Pyro: And I would still be, if not for you, Beck...
Beck: -Big bro...-
Pyro: He saved me, Cardinal.
Pyro: …it was… not easy…
Pyro: …but here I stand.
“S-saved?”
Call: If I may.
[There were no objections from the other end of the line, at least.]
Call: Unit Mighty No. 9 is immune to all manner of malware due to his XelFilter program.
Call: This allows him to purge any Xel absorbed and correct--purge--any sort of irregular coding and malware found.
Call: As it was recently discovered, Beck can use his XelFilter program on other infected units to restore them to their original selves.
Call: As of this morning, Beck has successfully retrieved unit Mighty No. 1 from an oil field refinery, and purged him of all harmful malware.
——————————
{Kansas City}
[There was a pause as Cardinal took this in.]
>INSERT VARIABLES: MNN-009 VIRAL PURGE >CONTINGENCY PARAMETERS: SUCCESS RATE OF 100%
>PROCESSING…
[Time. There was still time to fix this. They had a WAY to fix it; and if they could do this fast ENOUGH, then…]
Cardinal: Th-then…
[If they could act fast enough, and handle the main threats, then people would be able to hold together. To do so long enough that they could isolate and purge the virus.
They would have to act FAST, but if there WAS a cure, then…
Light.
There was light in the midst of this despair.]
——————————
{Titus}
“Then there IS hope…”
Beck: -Suddenly- Of course—!
Beck: I just couldn't—there's no one else, there WAS no one else—
Beck: I know it wasn't—not their fault, I had to do SOMETHING—
Beck: I swear—I'm gonna save them, I swear—!
Pyro: Beck—
Beck: He needs to know!
Beck: "He needs to know I'm not going to... I won't, I won't..."
Beck: I p r o m i s e...
[A pause.]
“-Sounds distracted- Do you know where the others are?”
Beck: I...
[A very long sigh.]
Beck: ...no...
——————————
{Kansas City}
"B-But—! We're looking for them! Call is doing everything she can—"
Cardinal: (Of course… I should have known as much. Still…)
Cardinal: -Speaking aloud again- You… you WILL be able to find them, though, right…?
[Ping!]
"This unit will not enter Sleep Mode until all MN units are found."
"—…Uh, Call—"
"Opinion: Sleep is overrated."
Cardinal: -Twitches a smile- I thought Beck said you didn't sleep to begin with, but…. Thanks, that's… encouraging?
"Affirmative."
" W-What she means is that she'll—she'll find them! We found Pyro really quick, so it's only a matter of time—!"
"That is true..."
"And--and once we do, then—"
"You can come see them, right—?"
Cardinal: Of course I will, Beck.
[He heaved a sigh.]
Cardinal: Assuming I make it out of this in one piece, anyway.
"H-huh…?"
"-Concerned- Are you injured?"
Cardinal: -Snorts- Wrong question to ask someone with a fatal coding error. You know that.
"Statement: DLN-000 possesses all the chemical components involved in the medical research oriented at providing treatment for said ongoing problems. Upon return to Sanda Enterprises—"
[Something seemed to click for Cardinal, and he gave a grim expression.]
Cardinal: Guys…
——————————
{Titus}
“…I’m not leaving.”
Pyro: What?
Beck: —Pyro, don't break it—!
Pyro: -Flares- This city and still COUNTLESS others are overrun with crazed bots, Cardinal! You can't STAY out there!
Pyro: Not only do we need you, your FAMILY needs you—we haven't had contact with them since Avi took over the waves again!
Beck: Pyro—! -Don't TELL him that—!-
Pyro: -He will find out anyway—-
“I tried contacting the RMDC earlier, and that was down as well. The fact that you hadn’t traced my call and teleported me out yet already told me that it is still down, or Mikhail would have done so already. If anyone else were missing, you would have mentioned that. This tells me that everyone else is currently safe. I fully trust the others to be able to keep it that way.”
Pyro: None of us knows that for certain!
Pyro: You need to come HOME, NOW, you have a duty to uphold as the head of—
[This was a poor choice of words.]
“-Angry, VERY angry due to being DEEPLY insulted- Don’t you lecture a soldier on duty, Pyrogen A. White. I have damn good reason to continue my mission, and you’d do best to not belittle my motives! My family is safe, and my duty is elsewhere!”
Pyro: -Flares—-!- Motives?! What is more important than—
Beck: Guys—!
Beck: STOP IT!
Beck: Fighting about it isn't going to bring ANYONE back!
Beck: I don't WANT to fight about it, I don't want to fight at all—
Beck: Bring you back was hard enough—
Pyro: -Flames die down at this—-
Beck: And I know I can't do it alone—!
“…”
Beck: I just can't—!
Beck: Cards please I know you care about Shade b-but—I—I don't know if I can d-do this alone—
Beck: Please—come home—
Beck: P-Please—!
[Silence.]
Beck: P-please…!
————————————
{Kansas City}
[Cardinal ran a hand over his face, putting it over his mouth. He was unusually calm given his temper mere moments earlier.]
“C-Cards…?”
Cardinal: …
[His mind went back. Back to the fall of Monstropolis.
To the carnage. The wreckage. The destruction.
The hate.
His mind took him back to those days, to the days when the mobs sprung up all across the country, and protestors tore factories and constructs to pieces. To the months and months of news reports detailing the scandal, and the new regulations and orders that started to choke the life out of the industry.]
Cardinal: …
[He would give anything. Anything. He would give anything to spare them that here.
They did not know the danger. They understood the threat to them personally, but they still did not see…]
“A-are you okay? P-please, say s-something!”
[He slowly vented a sigh.]
Cardinal: Beck… I can’t.
"Cards—!"
"Please—! We need you—you're smart a-and you know what to do and—and—"
[He was slammed with guilt, and for a moment, he wavered. He truly wavered, and his fortitude—if not his complete resolve—crumbled a bit beneath the weight.]
Cardinal: You… you really do look to me like that, do you…
—————————————
{Titus}
Beck: O...Of course I do...
Beck: Y...You're family too...
Pyro: . . . (Beck...)
————————————
{Kansas City}
Cardinal: -Strained fan buzzing, pain-
Cardinal: I’m not you, Beck. I can’t do what you can do. Even if I were to go there, it would still all come down to you.
“I-I—!”
Cardinal: If you can do it with Pyro, you can do it with the others.
"B-But—the forms—I lost them, I got hard reset when the virus hit, I don't have—!"
Cardinal: It’s alright, Beck. It’ll be alright. I know you can save them.
—————————————
{Titus}
“I believe in you.”
Beck: —!
[Something flared deep within Beck's own code for a few moments--and tear filled eyes suddenly widened as they glowed with a bright, green light.]
Beck: ...y-you...do...?
Beck: I...
Beck: (He...Cards... believes in me? Me?)
"You've already done the impossible. You have a kind heart and abilities that rival—nay, even surpass my own. You have the resolve and people to support you, and a family that gives you strength. Yes… I believe you can do it, Number Nine."
Beck: Me...?
[For a moment, Beck seemed...almost dazed. Pyro took this time to set down the phone in Beck's hands again.]
Pyro: ...Cardinal...
Pyro: I do too.
Beck: -Another eye glow at this-
Pyro: ...but that doesn't change the fact that you still need to come home...
Pyro: Wouldn't it be easier for both of us if we worked together?
"I…"
[Cardinal sounded painfully lost, almost uncertain. When he gathered his thoughts to something coherent, he sounded very sad, almost remorseful.]
"What exactly is it you think I'm after, guys…?"
Beck: . . .
Beck: Shade...
Beck: It...it has to be...
“It’s more complicated than that. You don’t understand.”
Pyro: Enlighten me.
[There was an exasperated sigh on the line.]
“You all just don’t see it, do you? If things continue like they are now, then—”
[KSSST—!]
Beck: —!!
[The screen—and call—suddenly filled with static, and Avi's symbol could be seen on the display as it glitched onscreen.]
Avi: D'aw, that's real touching.
Avi: Noooot. Barf. Sentimentality is SO last century!
Pyro: AVI—!
Beck: Avi, no—!
"Gosh, you sound REALLY mad at him. Did I miss something?"
Avi: HA! From what I've heard, sounds like you've been mentally sleeping through the apocalypse! Geez, I knew you were OLD, but senile? That's new. Orrrr it would be, if it weren't for the fact we all know you're CRAZY! Sounds to me like we should stop calling you “Cardinal” and start calling you “Cuckoo”!
"…"
[There was cold laughter.]
"If that's the worst you're doing, Avi, then you just dropped to the bottom of my priority list."
Pyro: It's NOT! He's been hindering communication lines all over the country—!
Avi: No duh, matchstick! These are MY airwaves now!
"…"
"You have Toby's voice echoing on the line. I can feel the edge of his data."
"What did you do?"
Avi: Tch. Don't bring that LOSER up, so not hiring him full-time…
Avi: I'd say you all have bigger problems to worry about than that small-fry!
Call: Inquiry: how did you intercept a call made to a multidimensional service cell phone?
Avi: Oh, I have my ways. It wasn't hard.
————————————
{Kansas City}
[Cardinal narrowed his eyes.
If Avi could track him down, that was a problem. And if Avi could track him down… then eventually, Sanda Enterprises would be able to do the same. If he wasn't done by then… that would end poorly.
Priority alpha missions obliged him to fight to the death to complete them if neccessary, and he had no desire to end up cornered and forced to do so against his friends.
He needed to know the details, but Avi obviously wasn't going to help him out, so…]
Cardinal: (…Going to have to provoke him into bragging about the truth.)
—————————————
{Titus}
"Of course it wasn't. Not for the likes of YOU."
"With someone as ditzy as you are? Nah, it wasn't hard—but it wasn't EASY, either. It was just dumb luck."
Pyro: Cardinal–!
Avi: You WISH, oldtimer. But obviously, NOBODY is giving me enough credit here! Geez, tough crowd.
"Credit? For what, eavesdropping? That doesn't take any skill at all, and we all know it's your favorite hobby anyway."
Avi: Pffft. YOU'RE one to talk, you deteriorating nest of scrap! All YOU are good at is falling apart and getting all my BORING brothers mad at you.
"I take it you find me so old news that you weren't even bothering to keep tabs on what I was up to."
Avi: Bingo~! Who wants to go out of their way to track down somebody's rough-draft for an armed drone? Sure, I'll sit down and watch if it happens to be on Live; too bad you can't even REMEMBER the most spectacular FAILURE that I've ever seen—but not to worry! I have it on tape! I'll be sure to play it at your funeral.
Pyro: -FLARES- Avi, show some RESPECT!
Avi: Respect? Funny you should say that, because you guys never show ME any of that. Talk about going behind a guy's back…
Avi: You didn't think I would catch you trying to go behind my back to call everyone, Beckers, did you?
Beck: —!
Avi: HA!
Avi: Waste of TIME.
Avi: -Mocking tone- 'Come home, Birdy, because I can't solve my own problems all by myself!' Jeez, no WONDER Lighter Man here took you off the team!
Beck: -Hnn—-
Avi: Pathetic. If you think THIS is bad…
Avi: Just wait to see what's in store after the commercial break. You don't stand a CHANCE. You don't even have a CLUE!
"-Flatly- I doubt YOU have a clue. Because othewise, this is about the most boring trailer for a disaster reel I've ever heard."
Avi: Hey now, I don't give out spoilers! What kind of 'bot do you take me for?
"Honestly, at this stage? A deranged narcissist."
Pyro: (He's not WRONG, but—!) -Growls a bit- (What are you DOING, Cardinal—?!)
Avi: See, that kind of quip might work better from someone who doesn't go around doing dangerous things by himself on a whim because he's trying to be Batman or whatever. I mean, come on! Doesn't get more self-centered than ignoring a crybaby begging for your help during the apocalypse because you want to be with your bestie! Man… flying solo to take on someone you already LOST against while playing in EASY mode? Talk about a death wish…
Avi: Brand and Bat were right about you. You're nothing but a reckless, deathseeking, foolhardy, cowardly DESERTER!
————————————
{Kansas City}
[Beck gasped at this, but Cardinal barely took note of it.]
"How DARE you—!"
"Me? Nah, I don't dare. You can't pin that on me, that's ALLLLLLL Five and Seven. They said as much this morning, when everyone was trying to tear him apart. Not surprised you want to pretend that DIDN'T happen, given that Cuckoo here totally HANDED your chass to you as part of that whole showdown."
Drake: What?!
Cardinal: -Hisses- Shhh!
"And don't act all high and Mighty, matchstick—"
"You feel the same way about his larking about. Don't even TRY to claim you don't, because I've got audio from just a few minutes ago of you yelling at him for it!"
"Nnngh…!"
[Cardinal had had enough. He'd heard enough to confirm his suspicions….]
Cardinal: So.
[Avi might not be focused on tracking him down, but he'd completely lost all sense of respect, compassion, and kindness. He was a complete antithesis of who he had once been—and he was willing to hurt others, even his own family.]
Cardinal: This is what it has done to all of you.
[This wasn't theory anymore. He was going to have to prioritize who he went after. He couldn't go after all of them at once…]
Cardinal: Pyro, this is exactly why I can't come home, don't you SEE what's going to hap—
"Aaaand cut!"
[KSSST—]
[Cardinal flinched at the sudden sound of static.]
Cardinal: -Annoyed- Aw, dammit…
Drake: What is going ON?
Cardinal: For now? Nothing…
Cardinal: Because Avi just dropped the call.
—————————————
{Titus}
Beck: Cards? Cards?
[Kkkkkkk…]
Beck: No, no, NO—! AVI—!
Avi: Don't see what YOU are so broken up about. It's not as if you were going to win him over.
[Beck frantically tried to call again, but to no avail; he didn't even get so much as voicemail.]
Avi: Weren't you LISTENING? Cuckoo isn't going to help you, buddy! You're on your OWN. And quite frankly—I was getting BORED!
Pyro: Avi…
Avi: Noooowwwww IF you'll excuse me…
Avi: I've got a radio show to host.
Pyro: GET BACK HERE—
Avi: Ta-ta~!
[MN.6 HAS BLOCKED MN.1.]
[Pyro gave an exasperated growl, flaring slightly. Beck, however, only looked down at his phone sadly.]
Beck: ...why—?
Pyro: -Irritated- Hng...
Pyro: He isn't himself, Beck...
Pyro: ...Father...
Pyro: Did you get all that?
[DR.WHITE]//: -Sigh- Most of it. God, I wanted to say something, but I feared that my presence would have made Cardinal hang up...
[DR.WHITE] //: I had thought, you two could...
[DR.WHITE] //: ...Oh, Cardinal...
Beck: . . .
[Ping!]
[DR.SANDA] //: ...Well...
[DR.SANDA]//: We got something out of it, at least.
Beck: --?
[DR.SANDA] //: While you were talking to Cardinal, we used the opening your call made to get some useful data...
[DR.SANDA] //: Call would have to go over it carefully, but as of right now... Toby's blocking the signals, and Avi is still interfering with the TV stations, radio, and other communications...
[DR.SANDA] //: Hopefully, it's something good...
Call: I will begin my analysis right away, Doctors.
Call: Do you require anything else, Beck?
Beck: I...
Beck: ...No, I...I'm fine. I promise.
Call: ... Confirmed.
[Call leaves with a bow, and eventually, Pyro does as well after reassuring his brother that things will be okay, and that they will all be home soon. As the door closes and the lights dim, Beck is once again sitting on his bed, alone.]
Beck: ....
Beck: Cards...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"I believe in you."
—————
"After all.
You are MIGHTY."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Beck: ....
Beck: (Can...can I really do this...?)
Beck: (Saving Pyro could've been just a REALLY good stroke of luck...)
Beck: (...But...)
Beck: (No one else...)
Beck: (No one else is like me...)
Beck: (Or at least...no one willing...)
[Soon, the glow from his eyes dims back down, and Beck himself yawns.]
Beck: (...Tired...)
Beck: (...At least I can sleep now, I think...)
Beck: (I know...I know I'm going to need it...)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
=CHAPTER 7B: RUSH INTO THE MINE=
~AO v2.0~
((Courtesy of @codedhopes))
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[LATER THAT NIGHT....]
[William White was staring patiently at the same analysis screen for several hours, a full jug of coffee at his side. It had gone cold long ago. Mikhail had left for his own devices shortly after making it, mentioning he had important work to do with Siam before he could return.
And that was certainly for the better…]
Will: (Eight...Eight samples.)
Will: (This should be enough--this has to be enough...)
[It was in that moment that Soi stepped into the room.]
Soi: --Will?
Will: --Oh. Soi.
Soi: Good Lord, man, I thought you went to bed ages ago!
Soi: Didn't Mikhail warn you about staying up too late?
Will: Under the circumstances, he's overlooked it for now.
Will: I'm so close, Soi, I can just...
Will: I have all the pieces, I just have to fit them together.
Will: -Turns back to the Terminal- I've already arrange the code, it's only a matter of figuring out what goes where...
Will: And hopefully, I can start to finally counteract this nightmare.
Soi: Thank goodness.
Soi: Once we figure out what's going on with the Virus, my brother will send help!
Soi: -Sigh-
Soi: And all we need is Shade back.
Will: Yes...
Will: I think the others are dreading that, somewhat. Mikhail was...He had that look about him.
Soi: Because Shade is a Hunter?
Will: Perhaps.
Will: But I think it's something else.
Will: Or rather...
Will: Someone.
Will: ....
Will: In any case.
Will: -Working as he speaks- You do have a point. This...
Will: It's almost over, now.
Will: .....
Will: Soi?
Soi: Yes?
Will: ......
Will: I...
Will: Do you think that...Maybe...
Will: . . . .
Soi: ???
Will: ...Nevermind.
Soi: What?
Will: No, it's...It was just a passing thought.
Soi: Wiiiiilll.
Soi: Come on, I know you want to tell me something when you suddenly back out of it!
Will: I just---
[PING!]
Will: !
Will: Wait--
Will: Soi, I--I think I did it--!
Soi: -WAIT WHAT, REALLY--??-
Will: Hold on, let me just run this through one more time--
Soi: Oh, man, this is great!
Soi: -YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN, WILL.-
Soi: I know that it's still processing, but as soon as that's confirmed, I can call Mikhail back--
Soi: And then we can get to--
Soi: --!!!
Soi: --...Will?
[No response.]
[None.]
[The room was suddenly filled with a tense silence.]
[...That is, save for the quiet patter of drops on a keyboard.]
Soi: Will--
[It was as if he wasn't hearing him.]
[William sat there in what appeared to be shock, huge streams of tears falling from his emerald hues.]
[He was crying.]
Will: . . .
Soi: Will, are you alright--
Will: . . .
Will: I...
Soi: Will--oh dear should--should I call Mikhail or--?
[THAT got him out of the shock, but it was quickly replaced by sheer panic--]
[Will bolted straight for the door, fumbling with his keycard to lock it--]
Soi: --???!
[He then proceeded to shut down all the computers, cameras, even his phone--]
Soi: Will--
Soi: Will!
[Soi grabbed his arm before he could do anything else concerning, a firm tone in his voice.]
Soi: What is going on--?! What did you--
Will: It's mine.
Soi: --???
Will: The virus--it's coding--It's MINE, Soi--!
Will: All of this is MY FAULT--!
Soi: Wha...
[Soi was so...so taken back by it that he let go.]
Soi: Wait--
Will: -PANICKY--
Will: It's all my fault, the madness, our sons and daughters, our own family, HIS--!
Will: The whole country is suffering because of MY MISTAKE--!
Soi: WILL!
[Soi claps very hard in front of Will's face, which was enough to bring him out of his panic attack, or at least some of it.]
Soi: Breathe.
Soi: I've known you for more than 10 years and I know that none of this is your fault.
Soi: You--
Soi: You're different, now, Will.
Soi: Remember?
Will: ........
Soi: .....
Soi: Let's just...Sit.
Soi: Start over.
Soi: Okay?
Will: . . .
[Will sits back down with a shivering sigh, his head buried into his hands. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, but it didn't seem to help much.]
Will: S-Soi...
Will: The...The code, Soi--
Will: It's mine. I know it is.
Soi: Really?
[Silence.]
Will: ....
Will: Not...All of it.
Soi: See, so it isn't--
Soi: --Wait-- not ALL of it?
Soi: I...I don't understand.
Will: .....
Will: Soi...
Will: Remember...
Will: Remember when you first hired me?
Soi: I...Of course.
Soi: How could I forget?
Will: .....
Will: I told you that I had previous experience with robotics before.
Will: You know what I mean.
Soi: ......
[Now it was Soi's turn to be shocked.]
Soi: No, wait--
Soi: You can't mean--
Soi: This--You mean this whole robot rampage--?!
Will: --is all my fault, indeed.
Will: Or rather...
Will: The fault of a robot that I designed long ago...
Will: The CDN-1201.
Will: ...Trinity.
Will: I designed her to evolve by assimilating other robot's capabilities...
Will: I found her custom scripts in the virus code we retrieved from each of the haywire Mighty Numbers--as well as...
Will: From...Mikhail's database sample...
Will: The structure is clever, cunning, concise...
Will: It's brilliant. There's no doubt it's my code.
Soi: Now wait just a minute--!
Soi: How--How is that even POSSIBLE, Will?
Soi: CherryDynamics shut down the Trinity project AGES ago!
Soi: In fact it was--
Soi: Dr. Blackwell himself, wasn't it--? Back when he was CTO--?
[Will stiffens at that.]
Soi: ....
Soi: I...
Soi: I always thought that was the reason you left Cherry to come work with us and make the Mighties here...
Soi: Wasn't it?
Will: Of COURSE it was, Soi!
Soi: --Nngh-- (Oh no, he's angry--)
Will: After what HAPPENED there--
Will: After what I had to do to HER--
Will: In the end, Blackwell only saw the dangers, not the potential--!
Will: He NEVER gave ME a CHANCE!
Will: Never gave HER a...a chance...
Soi: ......
[As quickly as Will flared, he slowly SAT back down again, tears now flowing freely.]
Will: I can still hear her in my DREAMS, Soi.
Will: I...
Will: God, I was a fool.
Will: Such a fool...
Will: But I was just so eager and wanted to prove myself to HIM that I...I didn't listen.
Will: And now she's come to haunt me again.
Soi: --Will.....
Will: I...I just--
Will: --I can't TELL them, Soi, I just CAN'T--!
Will: To tell them that all that I am--all of who I AM IS A LIE?!
Will: What that would do to them, to--to all that we have built and come to cherish--
Will: I DON'T WANT TO LOSE EVERYTHING AGAIN, SOI--!
Soi: Shhhh!
Soi: Will--
[Soichiro calmly wraps an arm around Will's shaking shoulders, almost close to tears himself.]
Soi: You won't, Will--
Soi: I swear we will make this work somehow, if I have a say in it!
Soi: I know her loss was so hard on you, Will, and I know how much it hurts.
Soi: But this...
Soi: This is a virus, Will--Trinity was not a virus.
Soi: She was your daughter, if only for a short time.
Soi: I don't know how or why someone would put her scripts into this...this horrid thing--
Soi: But I do know one thing.
Soi: I will always be in your corner, Will. No matter what happens or who tries to stop us.
Soi: I'll always have your back.
Soi: ^^
Will: ....
Will: -Sniff-
Will: S...Soi...
Will: You--You never HAD to help me...
Soi: Oh, poppycock! That's ridiculous.
Soi: Where would you be without me, eh?
Will: -Sniff-
Will: ....
Will: U-Up the creek with no paddle?
Soi: I was thinking more like still a rotten Cherry, but let's go with that.
Will: Eheh....
Will: ....
Will: What are we going to do, Soi...?
Soi: I don't really know.
Soi: But we can't keep this from Mikhail for long, you know that, right?
Will: . . .
Soi: Will.
Will: I...I don't...
Soi: Will, he GAVE you one of the samples, he's SEEN that custom script.
Will: --....
Soi: He's going to put two and two together eventually, and would you rather have him find out on his own or hearing it from someone he knows is a genuine good person with genuine, good intentions?
Will: . . . .
Will: -Whispers- I don't want him or any of them to think less of me...
Soi: .....
Will: And then there's my own children, Soi...
Will: How would THEY handle this?
Soi: Will, that's sort of your fault there.
Soi: You always put it off ever since Pyro.
Soi: There is just no easy way to go about this, Will.
Soi: You have to tell them the truth.
Will: . . . .
Soi: At least--
Soi: At least tell someone, Will--
Soi: You need to talk about this to someone OTHER than me.
Soi: Someone that isn't quite in our family--but still a friend.
Soi: Someone like...
Soi: ....
Soi: --!
Soi: Felix?
Will: ...But he's just stirring.
Soi: When he's BETTER, Will.
Soi: Honestly, I will drag you to him if I have to, don't think I won't!
Will: -Ngh--
Soi: ....
Soi: Please don't take this the wrong way, Will. I'm doing this as your friend.
Soi: All I want is for you to be well and at peace with...with who you were.
Soi: Alright?
Will: .....
Will: -Inhale-
Will: ...O...Okay...
Will: I...Okay.
Soi: Promise, Will. You have one foot out the door.
Will: ....
Will: I...
Will: I promise.
Soi: To?
Will: Go talk to Felix.
Soi: About?
Will: ...Trinity.
Soi: Good. ^^
Will: ......
Soi: Chin up, Will.
Soi: Things will get better, soon.
Soi: I promise you that. ^^
Will: ....
Will: I...
Will: I can only hope, Soi.
Will: (Hope and dream...)
Will: ...I made a mess, didn't I....
Soi: Sort of? You just turned off everything in a rush.
Soi: ...Also I think you locked us in. ^^;;;
Will: ....
Will: (Oops--)
Will: I...
Will: I think I'll just call someone to get us out...
Will: -Oh God why are there so many messages SOI--
Will: -I THINK IT'S TOO LATE—-
Soi: -Wait what--
[Soi peeked over Will's phone to get a closer look--]
[MESSAGE 1
FROM: MC005]
>WILL
>WILL, WE FINALLY FOUND THE ANSWER
Will: --???
[MESSAGE 2
FROM: MC005]
> {We figured it out Will I’m not sure yet but PICK UP YOUR PHONE—}
Will: -Wait, what--
[MESSAGE 3
FROM: DWN-019]
> -Raw data that is echoed and mostly mirrored-
Will: -Okay so THANK GOD IT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE WHAT I THINK IT WAS--
Soi: .....
Soi: You REALLY need to go to sleep.
Will: Shush--
[MESSAGE 4
FROM: DWN-019]
>Doctor!
>I know you are awake working.
>If you were asleep, your phone would have woken you.
> SO GO TO BED WHEN YOU GET THIS.
>There is very important news to share in the morning!
Soi: ...That's kinda scary, actually.
Will: -______-;;;;
[MESSAGE 5
FROM: DWN-019]
>We sent Dr. Cossack to sleep despite his protests, he needs rest.
>Please have everyone gather for breakfast, they’ll want to hear this.
Soi: See?
Soi: Heck, maybe things will work out after all!
Will: . . .
Will: I...Guess so.
Will: ...Before we go, though, I should lock the code--
Soi: That can wait.
Will: -But we really should secure the--
Soi: In the morning, Will.
Will: -But--
Soi: -Alright that's it we're calling in the cavalry-
Soi: Call, dear?
Will: -ERK--
Will: -Waitwaitwait on second thought BED SOUNDS NICE-
Will: -Look see, we're going--
[BONK--!]
Will: Ow--
Will: ....
Will: Oh right I locked us in, didn't I.
Will: Um.
Will: ^^;;;;;
Soi: .....
Soi: -LOSES IT-
Soi: Aw, Will, you...
Soi: Call!
[Footsteps.]
".... Doctors, why is this door locked?"
Soi: Will here accidentally locked us in, heh.
Soi: Be a dear and disengage the lock, will you?
Soi: Oh, and get Will to bed, he's being difficult.
Will: -I SAID I WAS GOING-
"Yes, Doctor. I will only be a few minutes."
Will: -I'm locking the code while she's doing it-
Soi: Will-- -Siiiigh- -_-;;;;;;
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
=CHAPTER 5D: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=
~AO v1.0~
(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
{THE NEXT MORNING…}
[June 28th opens with a press release from Sanda Enterprises.
Several releases, actually.
While most of the two families had gathered in the large living room to watch the TV coverage, there were a few notable exceptions.
Tobias was still Offline, of course—and as such, Snow was still waiting on the other side of the barrier, watching and praying his brother would wake up.
Shadow was still attending the repair bay, where Brandish (and Jack and Carmen as well, for that matter) were still recovering. Dr. Cossack was in the lab, but working on his own personal project.
Siam, to no one’s surprise, remained shut up in the Rebel Angels’ personal lab, which was elsewhere.
Battalion and Seismic were still being sought; Call was sorting through the data by herself at the moment, since Dr. White was working on the virus and both Avis and the Sanda twins were busy with the news coverage.
As for Beck?
He’d asked Jaden to talk with him outside—and after the conversation started focusing on his immunities to certain weapons, Jaden began to get a bit suspicious…]
Jaden: Uh, Beck? .-. Do you, uh… need my form for something?
[Beck paused for a moment, considering what he knew about what had happened to Bladeblaster. If he was right…]
Beck: yes please
Jaden: Well, um. Okay…
[He sits down somewhat awkwardly, due to his size.]
Jaden: You’ve… never really used one of our Power Capsules before, have you?
Beck: ...Mmm...Nope. The closest thing I've seen is the replica you guys gave us.
Jaden: Okay. Well, to put it in your terms… that’s the hardware that holds our Weapon Data. The data is only compatible with specific hardware. Since you’re set up to be adaptable, I think your system will automatically shift to match that, if it can read the data. What with how you work, you’ll probably end up being more like me than say, Cardinal. That’s my theory, of if we try going about this straightforward.
[He holds his left arm at an angle and concentrates. After a moment, an access panel becomes visible, and it opens.
There’s an active Power Capsule inside. It looks kind of like…]
((Pizzazium Infinianite!))
[It has orange light in the coils but overall gives off a white glow, somehow.]
Beck: ...That?
Jaden: …I don’t have hands, so, y-you’re… gonna have to rem-move it yourself. Gently, please.
Beck: Oh, um--uh...
Beck: Are there any--like, screws or...? -We don't wanna hurt you so how do we take it out?-
Jaden: N-no, uh. It’s like a… an old school battery. It just latches into place. Lift the latches and you’ll be fine. I’m in my repair settings, so they aren’t locked down.
Beck: A battery--OK, got it...
Beck: -If I'm doing something wrong you can stop me OK?-
[There was a slight hesitant pause before Beck gently grabbed hold of the Capsule, and lifted the latches as he was told to.]
Beck: --!
[Click.]
[The glow faded somewhat as it was easily removed. Jaden looked a little relieved, though.]
[Beck started blinking rapidly as he held the now free Capsule in his hands...]
[NON-XEL WEAPON DATA DETECTED.]
[BEGINNING ANALYSIS.]
[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1.]
Beck: --????
Jaden: -Just watching, though gets puzzled at Beck’s sudden, unexplained surprise-
[A flurry of loose Xel appears in Beck's hands--]
Beck: -UH--
[...and starts to cover the Capsule?]
Jaden: -Okay, this is new- ?__?
Beck: -I'M NOT DOING THIS I SWEAR--at least I think so--
Jaden: Easy, easy—just relax, not everything that any living creature does is conscious effort, you know. It’s okay.
[ANALYZING DATA...]
Beck: ....?
[His eyes glow green as his systems receive the data from the Capsule, and his uneasiness suddenly gives way to curiosity.]
Beck: I--oh. Huh.
Beck: -.. OH OK I THINK I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON--SORTA-
Jaden: ?
Beck: I... think my systems are trying to read the data from the capsule first--it recognized them as not Xel-data right away, so I...guess it's using one of my Xel Stocks to analyze it?
Jaden: That makes sense. Those things are usually part of the system when being used, anyway.
Beck: -...We're kinda getting a garbled mess right now, though-
Beck: -Like--it makes some sense but not really-
Beck: ...This needs some serious data sifting, I think...
Beck: -Maybe sending this assimilation data to Dad or Call can help clean it up and read it better?-
Jaden: Well, your Dad might ask why you were poking around with the power capsules, so.
[He sighed.]
Jaden: Man, I wish Toby were Online. I’m sure he could translate if he worked at it hard enough. What with the side effects of the fusion and all. But he won’t get Online, even if we keep him isolated, until we’re sure he won’t… well.
Beck: ....Yeah.
Beck: . . .
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE.]
[The Xel around the capsule slowly, but surely, turned into a bright orange color...]
Beck: --Oooooo...
Jaden: -Brightens up a bit at that-
[It then returned to Beck via his assimilation ability.]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: --Whoa--
[ERROR: NON-XEL DATA CANNOT BE READ. FORM UNAVAILABLE.]
Beck: --...Aw...
Beck: ...Well, I kinda expected something like that...
Jaden: Mmm.
Jaden: Man, if we could just bring Toby Online…
Jaden: I’m sure Siam could make some progress at it, but he’s busy with something else right now. Dr. Cossack seems to be working on some sort of analysis… he’s been very serious about it. And of course, Dr. White is working on his own analysis… -Sigh-
Beck: Oh...yeah, Dad's working on analysing the virus...and Sanda's busy with his twin.
Jaden: I get the feeling this would be easier if Cardinal were here, but of course he’s gone. >__>
Beck: ......
Beck: (I...I kinda wish he was here too. I really could use some of his advice...)
Jaden: If you think it would help, you can keep the Power Capsule to study it when you’re not on missions. You built a magic mirror out of Xel, I’m sure you’ll come up with something. | )
Beck: ...!
Beck: Oh--no, I...
Beck: -...Don't you need this, though--?-
Jaden: To do what, exactly? We’re in enforced lockdown mode, especially after what happened. I can’t leave the Meadow even if I wanted to. And I know better than that. Until something changes, there’s not much any of us can do…
Beck: ...Oh...right...
Beck: ....
[Jaden seems to be distracted, his gaze distant.]
Beck: ......
Beck: Jaden?
Beck: -...is something wrong?-
Jaden: Hmm? Oh, I’m just reading through the news reports that were put out.
[He smiles a little.]
Jaden: Mr. Sanda was very succinct in talking about the virus and the effects that it has, and describing the analysis process that’s going on. He mentioned how and why not everyone got infected—so that should allow for those that aren’t to be able to move about without being attacked all in a panic. The symptoms were listed and all that.
Jaden: The Related Links talked about several instances, like Jack’s adventure, where non-infected Xelbots were doing good.
Jaden: Both of those link to the one about what you’ve been up to and how you and Dr. White are going to use the data to figure out how to stop this.
[His smile falters a little, becoming sloppy, and leaving his eyes entirely.]
Jaden: …It mentions that [color=brick]anyone[/color] with information should contact the company but not engage. Colors and all… (That… that isn’t going to necessarily work.)
[He pauses.]
Jaden: It looks like there are some bloggers commenting on all this, but… that’s more data than I can sort through. Avi promised to help with crowd control if it does come up…
Jaden: (Though he DID say that he kept Toby and Shadow out of the submitted footage…)
Beck: Mmm...
Beck: ......
[Jaden seems somewhat troubled.]
Jaden: …I do wish he were awake. If he…
Jaden: If he were in the right frame of mind, I’m sure he could help analyze data, whether that be social data, coding data, or just plain finding our brother.
[Then he perks up a bit in a grin.]
Jaden: Until then… c’mon, let’s go to the living room. Everyone’s watching the Beck Show~
Beck: Eheh....
Beck: -We're just gonna--yeah follow/hide behind Jaden--
{Living Room}
[Many of the repaired Mighty Numbers (and some of the Angels) are there watching the footage. Siam, Snow, Tobias, and Cardinal were all gone, of course—and Shadow, Brand, Carmen, Jack, Plume, and Landcrusher were still in recovery. There were cheers when Beck entered.]
Goose: -SCOOPS UP OTHER!BRO- SUPERBECK TO THE RESCUE, BA BA BAAAA!
Cryo: -BRO YOU'RE ON TV--
Beck: Whoaa--!!
Pyro: -The bIGGEST BIG BROTHER SMILE ON HIS FACE-
Dyna: -BZZZZZZZ, LOOK AT OUR BECKY~~~-
Kalinka: Hero, herooo~
Digger: Yes good~ : DDD
Avi: -HEH, DID ANYONE EXPECT ANYTHING LESS THOUGH--
Beck: ^///^;;
[Aw, look, he's turning red--]
Beck: I, uh--heh...um...
[...and at a loss for words, it looks like.]
Pisces: If 000 were here, he’d be playing that one song from Hercules. -Gives Beck a thumbs up-
Speedy: Well, he’s just missing out. His own fault. |V
Goose: Nah, bro, he’ll hear this. ;D We made sure of that, didn’t we, Avi? ^.^
Avi: Eeeexactamundo, Avi! ^.^
Beck: ...?
Jaden: I still don’t think you should expect much results.
Goose: Bro, you gotta learn to be more optimistic!
Jaden: No, I mean—gah, never mind, we’ll probably discuss it at a family meeting or something later.
Nico: …? Beck?
[He’s looking right at him, and not at the TV or any of the others. After a moment, ALL the DWNs and DCNs do the same.]
Nico: .__.; Beck?
Nico: Why exactly are you holding Jaden’s Power Capsule…?
Beck: ....?
Beck: ...! Oh--!
[...Whoops. He forgot to put that away.]
Beck: Jaden let me borrow it.
Nico: -Looks over-
Jaden: -Ping of confirmation, calm-
Nico: -Oh, okay then- -RELIEF-
Pyro: ...So that's what it really looks like...
Cryo: -oooooo, coooool-
Beck: Yeah, I tried to assimilate it's weapon data--
Nico: —?!
Dyna: -Wait you did what--
Beck: -KEY WORD 'TRIED'-
Beck: ...But all I got was unreadable data. So no Jaden form yet...
[Nico scowls at his brother for a moment, and pulls him aside. The two make soft pings and eye glows every so often as they become engaged in a private conversation…]
Goose: -Sets Becky down- Cool. Looks like a neon light or something. :V
Speedy: -Reachy reachy for favorite bro’s hardware- Yyyyeah, nobody try eating it or I’ll sock them to the face. >.>
Pisces: -Lazily grabs Speedy’s wrist before he invades Beck’s personal space-
Pyro: Hmm...
Beck: I didn't try to eat it--!
Beck: ...I did have to--well, my systems used a Xel Stock to analyze it.
Pyro: ...Your systems? You mean it was automatic?
Beck: Yeah--kinda freaked me out a bit at first, eheh... ^^;;
Speedy: -Then obviously I wasn’t talking to YOU, was I-
Beck: Uh...
Dyna: | T -We THOUGHT it was a power storage thing, let it go, jeezzz-
Beck: A-Anyway...I think the data has to be organized and sifted through before I can use it...
[…Man, Nico and Jaden are starting to bare their teeth at each other. Clearly Nico isn’t too happy about this development, for some reason.]
Beck: ....?
Pyro: ...What's going on over there? | [ -Uh oh, big bro mode on-
Avi: -UM--HEY BRO LOOK I’M FLYING IN THE HOUSE-
Pyro: --! Avi--NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE--
[Nico throws his hand outward.]
WHANG.
[…Avi is now stuck to the ceiling.]
Jaden: !
[Aaaaand the other one.]
WHANG.
[Jaden is stuck to the wall.]
Pisces: …bro, that was harsh.
Beck: --!
Avi:
-OW--that kinda smarts...-
Nico: Enough.
[He lets them both drop to the floor, hovering and shifting to his armor, sans helmet.]
Avi: -FACEPLANT-
-Muffled ouch noises-
Beck: . . . . .
Nico: Jaden, you shouldn’t have done that without asking first.
Nico: Nobody else in this family better try that without approval from myself, Siam, AND Doctor Cossack, got it?
Speedy: Whaaaaaaatever you say, bro.
Beck: . . .
Beck: I...
Beck: . . .
[...Uh oh.]
Nico: Beck, do not toy around with Power Capsules, okay?
Nico: They /don’t/ act the same way for secondary users as they do for their primary users. The differences are entirely unpredictable until you’re actually out using them in battle.
Goose: Wait, wat .-.
Beck: .....
Beck: Oh...
[...He didn't know that...]
Pyro: ...How so?
Nico: -Turns to face Pyro- They aren’t fully functional when used with hardware that doesn’t match the specs they were designed for. For example. There’s one defense-related one? When our brother had used it, it defended him from everything. But if Cardinal or the Menace used it? Only from close-range physical attacks.
Nico: Not knowing what you’re dealing with there is a deadly mistake to make in situations like this. Don’t do it. -Plus, we do not approve in general-
Goose: Bro, then why did Robin take all your stash?
Nico: Because he knows how they work.
Pyro: Hmm...you do have a point. I suppose it's lucky that Nine can't read the data.
Beck: .....
Nico: -Warning glare at Beck, eyes flashing with a glow for a moment-
Beck: --!
[--He backs away, and there is a slight fearful look in his eyes--]
Avi: --Hey, bro, don't do that, you're--
[...He did something--something wrong, didn't he?]
[He messed up again--]
<DWN-018 to MNN-009>: > -I WILL protect this family… even if it involves protecting from YOU!-
Beck: -SUDDEN ERRATIC DATA-
[Suddenly, Kalinka yelled.]
Kalinka: {LOOK!}
[She was pointing at the television. For some reason, the broadcast seems to have been pre-empted.]
Pyro: --??
Kalinka: {Aviator, I thought you said it was going to play all day!} D:
Avi: --? What...? But...!
[Nico and everyone else look over, also puzzled. Speedy turns up the volume.]
Beck: --.....?
[The new development seems to have snapped Beck out of his panic, and he quietly moved behind Pyrogen.]
Avi: -The heck is going on, I thought for SURE it would be a continuous broadcast--
Avi: ....Unless...
Skull: ???
Goose: Unless someone paid a lOT of money to say something else--
Avi: --But someone with that kinda cash--
Avi: ....
Avi: -AW NO-
Avi: -PLEASE LET IT BE THE PRESIDENT OR SOMETHING--
Speedy: The President? oh geez, I swear if the Feds show; I'm gonna bolt--
Beck: --!!!
Keltso: {What?!}
Goose: AW COME ON MAN, ARE YOU FOR REAL—
Avi: YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME--!
Pyro: --Father--! -and now we're running to get Dad--
Dyna: -BZZZZZZZZZZ WITH A N G E R-
Cryo: THAT'S IT LEMMIE AT HIM--
Beck: ......
Beck: -Confused as all heck- (I...Graham's blaming Dad now?)
Beck: (But why?)
[The Angels were just shocked into silence. Nico in particular seems to have taken it rather hard.]
Nico: ...
<DWN-018 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>
[The others quickly follow suit, with Skull taking Kalinka and warping off without another word. His older brother looks TICKED, though!
Nico hovers off to go get Siam. Meanwhile, Speedy is calling Dr. Cossack to check on Tobias.
There is a ping.]
<DWN-024>: > -HELP, LADY EIGHT IS AWAKE AND GETTING VERY ANGRY-- -
[MN.7] //: -Carmen, please calm d--
<FMN-008>: > -SCREE, SCREE, HE TRIED T’ KILL ME AN’ NOW HE WANTS T’ FINISH THE JOB /AND/ COMPLETE THE SET, AH’ SWEAR I’LL DRAG HIS SORRY CHASS TO THE COURTROOM AN’ THROW HIM IN THE JAIL CELL /MYSELF/ IF I HAVE TO FER THIS—-
[CDN.7037] //: -MISS EIGHT IS ANGRY AS F R A G--
[Soon enough, Will comes in still putting on his lab coat, an expression of confusion on his face.]
Pyro: It's all over the news--
Will: .....
[He takes one look at the screen...]
Will: .....
Will: ....
Will: ...Hmm.
Will: ...That's a bit unorthodox.
Beck: --???
Avi: -Uh, Dad, the prez of CherryDyn is accusing you and Sanda Man of cyberterrorism-
Will: I can see that...
Will: (...This is...a little too desperate--)
Will: (What's your game, Greg...?)
Will: (Why this, and why now? You could have done this from the start, so...)
Will: (What changed--?)
Beck: ...Dad--?
Will: --Mm? Oh, sorry. Got a bit lost in thought, there.
Will: I don't see how this will hold water if they don't have proof...
[Another ping.]
<MCN005>: > I had to sedate Lady Carmen.
<DCP-001>: > {Papa, I'm scared...!} D':
<MC005>: >Now would someone please explain to me why my children are afraid and agitated?
[PING!]
[DR.SANDA] //: WILL--!!
[DR.SANDA] //: YOU NEED TO TURN ON THE TV--
[DR.WHITE] //: I already know, Soi.
Keltso: {Dad, we're looking at a second Monstropolis possibility here!!!}
<DWN-024>: > -Honestly, I am surprised THIS has not provoked a response from our brother, normally he would disrupt this sort of broadcast with a sardonic bit of humor-
<MC005>: > ... Will? What is going on over there?
[DR.WHITE] //: ...It seems Graham has turned his blame game towards us now.
[....Strange, why did Will sound so... dull?]
[DR.WHITE] //: Take a look.
<MCN005>: > ... This is very bad. Augh, I can't risk moving Tobias like this, but he shouldn't be here if it continues like this...
Digger: {Father, we should go home. It's not safe for you there. What if they try to storm the place?}
<DWN-019>: > That's it.
<DWN-019>: >Nico and I are withdrawing everyone home. Doctor, please prepare Tobias for transportation.
Goose: -woah woah wOAH WAIT WE KINDA STILL NEED DOC C AND SHADS AROUND-- -
<DWN-019>: > Don't make me bounce a Gemini Laser all the way from the lab, Six.
<DWN-018>: > -We will keep the family ALIVE and protect it from /all/ threats- </aggressive data that seems primarily directed at Pyro and... Beck?>
[DR.SANDA] //: -WE'RE GOING TO CALL OUR BROTHER--HE CAN SAY SOMETHING, MAYBE--
[DR.WHITE] //: .....
Beck: . . . (Wha....)
Goose: Guys, GUYS let's just nOT PANIC, OKAY--
<DWN-019>: > “Panic”? I beg your pardon, but we've seen where this trail leads before. Dying once was enough, thanks.
Avi: ---.....
Avi: -N...Ngh--
Cryo: --?? Avi--?
[They all falter a moment when they remember.
Avi knew EXACTLY what they were talking about.]
Avi: -Nngnngh it hurts--
Dyna: Avi--Avi breathe--
[And what's worse...
"I can't let you repeat my mistakes...!"
... Tobias had even tried to warn him.]
Avi: I can't--we--we can't let it END LIKE THAT--
Beck: Avi--!
Avi: -WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING--!! -
Pisces: ...
Pisces: ... They're taking callers now.
Pisces: I wonder who it is--
Speedy: Wait a second--
Speedy: --Isn't Washington the state where Seattle is?
[The voice that came on through the chatter was… not unknown to them all.]
"....Excuse me--yeah, I got something to say."
[PING--!]
[CDN.7037] //: --!!!
[CDN.7037] //: E-Eli...?
<DWN-019>: > ...???
Goose: ... The Cherry KNOWS this guy???
<FMN-008>: > -Waking up again, but distinctly less hostile- ...???
Goose: -tHIS I gotta hear- -Aaaand we reach over and turn up the volume more-
"I just wanna say..."
"What the HELL is that corporate moron thinking?!"
[There’s a brief shout from Snow over the feeds about bad words, but no one really pays attention.]
"Does he really expect us to believe his load of malarkey? For God’s sake, isn't that No. 9 trying to SAVE us?"
Digger: -PING, we like this guy-
"My family and I nearly DIED more times than I can count this week--does he even CARE about what he's sayin' will DO to other people? Is he STUPID?"
Speedy: {MORE OR LESS—}
"I don't know about you, but there's no way on God's good earth that that boy and his father are out to get us. Of all the damn BULLSH--"
[...He's cut off before he can continue.]
[CDN.7037] //: -ELI'S ALIVE-- LILY IS OK, THEY MADE IT--
[The next caller is from... Missouri!]
"Dude."
[... They sound like a college student. A very, VERY tired college student.]
Beck: ....?
"Is this guy high?"
Speedy: -Snorts-
"Weren't we talking a few months ago about how his own security system couldn't stop him from getting his HQ vandalized?"
Will: -...snorts softly-
[A PIC OF THAT POPS UP ON THE SCREEN as he continues--]
Beck: -snICKERS--
"And didn't he get hacked and stuff? I bet he just wants attention because he can't do his job right. CherryDyn can’t even look after their own ‘bots, anyway—I mean, just look at what happened over the summer. Why should we believe they know anything about OTHER people’s bots if they don’t even take care of their own models?”
<DWN-024>: > -That is an exceptionally good point…-
“Anyway, right on, little dude! I think your red fan wanted us to talk and stuff, uh, so if you station guys could give me the number to the lab, that would be great--"
Will: --!!!
[Digger looks thoughtful and serious for a moment, and then quietly slips away.
The next call is from...Minnesota?]
Cryo: --!
"H...Hello?"
[A young woman, it seems like...]
"I...I just want to thank M...Mr. Pyrogen--he...he saved me and all my coworkers..."
Pyro: !
"I...I don't think I would be alive I-If it wasn't for him and his brother...I don't think it was her fault--she was sick, right? I...I hope she's okay..."
Cryo: .....
"T...That's all..."
[Click.]
Jaden: -Surprised- ... We never got told about that. o.o
[The next caller was from...Indiana.]
"I SAW HIM, well sort of I was kinda hanging upside down but I SAW HIM IN THE POWER PLANT I WORK AT, HE WAS SO COOL--"
Beck: ....!
"I thought that I was gonna get fried but the power came back on and I guess he fixed his sister--I mean, come on, the REAL Dynatron wouldn't do that to her fans, she's amazing!"
Dyna: -Oh my God he's one of our fanszz--?-
"I just don't see how No. 9 was doing anything wrong? What's your deal, CherryDyn?"
Pisces: Insecurity, I bet. Among other things.
[He's cut off as well, and the next is from...Cali--!
...it seems to be...a male, but there were other voices in the background as well.]
"Look, I work at the mine Mickster comes and helps us with, that guy wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone someone else--!"
"YEAH THAT CORPORATE MOOK CAN SUCK IT--"
"MIC'S OUR FRIEND, YA CAN'T JUST DISS HIM AND HIS FAMILY LIKE THAT--"
"Berry, we're on the phone--"
"OI MIC IF YOU CAN HEAR US WE GOT YOUR BACK--"
[Another call, from New York—though it sounds like the girl is from California, herself. Another college student, it would seem.]
"Hi. I, like, take a Logic class and stuff?"
"And my roommate’s boyfriend is this huuuuge Avi fan--"
Avi: --!!
"He also likes Morse code and just-- it doesn't make sense?"
Jaden: —! (Uh-oh—!)
"If White really were working with the bad guys, why would his kids need to be 'saved'? You know, whole 'house divided can't stand' and stuff. Like, Avi was saying during his broadcast to 'save us' in Morse code and stuff, so-- he's just got it all wrong."
Nico: … Looks like they thought Toby was your “inner/true self” fighting against the virus. ?__?
Avi: .....Oh...
Goose: -Well, I guess they aren’t completely WRONG, so-
"And I hope his lawyers are well paid because that was a dumb thing to overlook. So I wouldn't be surprised if Sanda Enterprises sued or something."
"Anyway, we liked that cool new music when Beck was saving you, Avi! Get better soon, your show is really funny."
[Next caller--Japan.... There are translated subtitles on the screen with a second or so of delay.]
{"My disciples see No. 7 as a sort of role model--I just don't see how a noble and decorated swordsman of his caliber would suddenly turn his back on everything he stands for--not willingly. He was clearly struggling against whatever was ailing him, anyone can see that--!"}
[MN.7] //: ....I....
{"This must be so very hard on him--and his family. My thoughts go out to them."}
Beck: They....
Beck: They...they're taking our side....
[Click.]
"I think it's just--just awful what CherryDyn said just now--and Beck's just way too cute to be bad, ya know? I mean--come on, how can something THAT adorable be evil??"
[Click.]
"Hey, here's a thought--maybe CherryDyn should fire their whole social department because what the heck?"
[Click.]
"The Mighty Numbers are HEROES, man! Heroes! Just wait, they're gonna fix this any second somehow, they gotta--!"
[There is one final call--]
"Hi, I work with an emergency response group, and... I just wanted to thank the Mighty Numbers. I know Seven was sick and all, but he was fighting really hard—and that made a big difference. The thing a lot of people don't know is that most self-driving cars that were on the road when this started were on their way to pick people up-- empty. If... If he hadn't stopped as many as he did, there would be a lot more injuries along the roads right now, because they would have ended up driving uncontrollably through narrow city streets or small towns. Even while sick, he still saved lives."
[MN.7] //: --!!
"And we've gotten a lot of help from the healthy Xelbots-- one of my coworkers said that the one helping her right now said that it was 'what Bat would have wanted me to do.'"
"You guys just inspire people to, you know, go out there and be Mighty!"
"We believe in you!"
Beck: (They....)
Beck: (They believe...in me...?)
Will: Ah...
[DR.SANDA] //: -WILL--WILL YOU'RE HEARING THIS, RIGHT--
Beck: (People believe in me?)
Cryo:
-...NO WE'RE NOT CRYING, YOU ARE--
Dyna:
-We MAY be letting our mascara run--
[CDN.7037] //: -HEY--GUYS YOU'RE BLOWING UP ON ALL THE SOCIAL SITES, PEOPLE ARE TALKING, YO--
Avi: -RUNS TO CHECK THAT--GOOSE WE COULD USE A HAND--
Goose: -ON IT, ME-- -
Beck: I...I don't...know what to...
[...He's mostly shocked--he wasn't used to this much positive reception, and about HIM, of all people--!]
[There's... a faint humming noise. Followed by...
...
... Static?]
Speedy: …!
[It's not coming from the TV, but rather, over the feeds!]
-Ping.-
<RMDC to ALL>: > DLN-008 is now in Sleep mode.
Dyna: --! TOBY--!
Avi: -TOBY--DOES THAT MEAN HE'S GONNA BE OK--??-
<DCN-008>: > {Father has a message.}
<DCN-008>: > {Things are… different than how we feared they might be. We now know there IS hope—and that it is real, and not a dream.}
<DCN-008>: > {Wily Eight will still need to be contained in isolation for some while, due to his… developing self control…}
<DCN-008>: > {But it is no longer necessary to keep him Offline.}
<DCN-008>: > {We will explain more soon. Father requests that we have a family meeting later today.}
<DCN-008>: > {And he wants everyone to participate.}
<DCN-008>: > -Yes, that means you MNNs and FMNs, too, you are family-
Pyro: ....That sounds like a good plan.
Beck: -Primarily watching the news as it unfolds...-
Avi: -Bro look at this feedback, man, it is MOSTLY GOOD--
Will: (...Just as I thought...won't hold water.)
Will: Alright--Soi, can you keep an eye on the situation for us?
[DR.SANDA] //: Can do, Will!
<MC005>: >Thank you, Soi, we appreciate that.
<MC005>: >Oh, and Beck? Could you come see me at the lab for a moment? Not necessarily right this second, but later today would be nice.
{Meanwhile…}
[Cardinal—still somewhat out of the loop due to radio silence—was on the highway, traveling as fast as his light cycle would take him—and as safely as he could, amidst the chaos.
He was going about 120 mph, weaving his way through infected self-driving cars, headed out of the city. The radio he kept on, now—he would need that, for the highway reports. Now that people could communicate, the world would slowly start cobbling together.
He jumped the cycle up and used the wreckage in his way as a ramp to soar into the air, returning the cycle to bar form and taking flight on his wind surfer for the next stretch of highway.
He couldn’t ride like this the whole way, not if he wanted to keep some charge in it.]
Cardinal: _(Glitch glitch glitch—!)_
[He opened fire on some rogue sign ‘bots that were starting to swarm, ducking to avoid crashing into an overpass.
He was VERY glad that only the self-driving cars were on the highway at this point—he knew how badly the highway crash had been—how long it had haunted his friends—when there had been people involved.
He was very glad Brand hadn’t been on the highway he was traveling—he had nothing personal against the clearly infected ninja, but he’d have sooner throw a car in Seven’s face than let the swordsmaster slow him down.
Because now he was REALLY on a time limit.]
>DISTANCE REMAINING: CALCULATING…
[He felt panicked the moment he realized it.
He could still hardly believe it, and _REALLY_ hoped he was seeing the situation wrong.
But if Shade were waiting to ambush prey, his target wasn’t an old grudge or a Mighty Number—or else he would have gone off and done that by now.
He was waiting for something _bigger.]_
Cardinal: _For the love of all that ever mattered, Shade—WAIT FOR ME!_
>DISTANCE REMAINING: 1,000 MILES
_* >LOADING…*_
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