=CHAPTER 5D: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=

=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 1D: RAGING FLAMES SMOLDER=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers, @unluckyadept)

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

{BACK IN THE UNITED KINGDOM…}

Jack: .....

Jack: [Frag.]

[On the other side of the globe, a certain CDN was also on a solo mission on his own...

....Albeit with only half of a plan and only a few small details as to how exactly he was going to get back to the US of A. To find her.

[With MN.6 taking control of all airwaves and signals, simply teleporting there was out of the question. Most normal means of transportation would be very hard to get to at this point--without resorting to less moralistic means--and taking the long way would just take up way too much time...

With America quarantined, and with no easy way to contact anyone that could help him...

...Jack was running out of options.]

Jack: (OK, OK, just...think, Jack. Remember what the bird guy said...)

Jack: (He said that Miss Eight would go after people that did her wrong--that includes her brother, Seven--so I gotta find HIM first...but where the hell IS HE?)

Jack: (Plus, how the HECK am I gonna get to the States in the FIRST place? Nothing is working, no one's gonna listen, everything is SCREWY...)

Jack: (Think, you moron, think...)

Jack: ......

Jack: ......!!!!

"Head to the Meadow when you get the chance."

Jack: THAT place...!

Jack: Don't have any other options, anyway...

[A flutter of his trenchcoat and Jack's barrelling down the street with nothing but the clothes on his back.]

[........]

[In a distant dark alley, something long and metallic slinks away, its single red eye unblinking. It passes by an oozing pile of acid and green shrapnel, ignoring it entirely as it goes on its way.]

—————————————————————

{The Meadow}

[It doesn’t take long for Jack to arrive.

But he’s running so fast that he nearly runs right into the lab door.]

Jack: --!!!

[He--He did NOT expect that.]

[He manages to put on the breaks--but he still sort of bumps into the door hard enough to make a noticeable dent.]

[Within moments, someone opened the door, looking irritable.

…Except the same someone was also visible further back in the lab, looking confused.]

Jack: --!

Jack: ........

Jack: Um.

Siam: What are you doing raising a ruckus in the middle of the night.

Gemini: -Simultaneously, surprised- Jack?!

Jack: Hiiiiiiiii... -Waves meekly.-

Siam: Come inside before you wake the others up—

Gemini: We had just been calling you not too long ago! We weren’t sure what had become of you…

Jack: Okokok--

[Oops. Bird guy told him that these guys would call his landline or something--]

[Siam doesn’t really wait for an answer, more or less dragging Jack indoors.

There are numerous screens displaying schematics, blueprints, and massive amounts of data. There were several other Robot Masters hooked up to terminals, clearly in Sleep mode…

…though a few appeared to be Offline, including Snow and… Tobias…]

Jack: ......

[Jack put his hands in his pockets. The spark kid....]

[THIS was the guy that practically punched his ex boss in the face with a fistful of thunder.

And now he was basically down for the count.]

Jack: ..... -Exhales-

Siam: FMN-008 told us that she’d talked with you, and you had important information to share. What was she referring to?

Gemini: Are you alright? Do you need repairs?

Siamini: Where is she?

Jack: Nono, I'm fine--

Jack: ....

Jack: I...I don't know.

[This seems to break their attention span by making them both react with a mix of disappointment and acceptance.]

Siam: I had hoped…

Gemini: She’d talked more with you than anyone else, Siam: you were just the one most likely for her to contact to let you know she was alright…

[Gemini returns to his work at the terminal, while Siam starts going through some cabinets.]

Siam: Do you need answers, repairs, advice, a place to stay, some combination thereof, or neither?

Jack: ........

Jack: Uh. Well...

[Jack takes up a seat at one of the tables.]

Jack: .....

Jack: I...Actually came here to let you guys know some things, too.

Jack: ...About the crosses. And...

Jack: ......

[THIS gets their attention. They are alert, and communicating quite complex abstract data.]

Siam: We hope to Siamini: study Gemini: the code left behind when Siamini: the virus Gemini: infected our server and subsequently Siamini: the trail Siam: left behind when Siamini: Eight and Six Gemini: fused together.

Siam: Information on that could prove Siamini: highly Siam: valuable.

Gemini: …Although. You do deserve to know more of the full story behind what happened at the Siamini: finals… -Look(s) over at Tobias-

[He seems contemplative for a moment, and then he speaks up again.]

Siam: Whatever you have to say, I will likely turn my full attention to it.

Gemini: So it would be best to bring you up to task before that…

<DWN-019>: Thoughts?

Jack: ....

[....He did have questions of his own, yes...]

Jack: OK, alright...I guess that's cool.

[...He just hoped he was quick about it.]

[Gemini starts talking exclusively. The two of him suddenly look…

…emotionally tired.]

Gemini: From the start, you were entered into our databases positively. This is a rare thing, due to the nature of… our world, and the… paranoia that comes to those who live in fear.

Jack: (Rare, huh...)

Gemini: We did not understand why at the time, but the fact that it was was important—

Gemini: It meant you had done something to suggest you were not an enemy. Possibly even an ally. So… while our soul-brothers struggled on, we maintained insistence that they treat you gently, unless given absolute proof of reason to do otherwise.

Jack: .......

Jack: So, basically, you guys knew I wasn't a pain in the chass...

Gemini: Well…. You must understand, we were still very nervous. But what we’ve been put through…

[He shudders in unison.]

Gemini: We didn’t want anyone else to suffer that. And especially once David told us he’d seen you…. That let us know you were more like us. We wanted to help you out, but we couldn’t interfere. We did try to learn more, but it was no use. However. That changed on the day of the finals.

Jack: . . .

Gemini: Then. We knew for certain.

[A beat.]

Gemini: -Looks over at Tobias, venting a sigh- …Actually, we all went into Lethal at that point, not just Tobias.

Jack: ......Damn....

[If that happened then, he couldn't imagine what they were like when this all went down....]

Gemini: It was…

Siam: It was like seeing a brother die.

Gemini: My God help us, the cross-references…

Jack: . . .

Gemini: …Tobias always was the most like Father.

Siam: Cardinal, we were able to prevent because we were right next to him, but no one had been paying attention to Tobias….

Gemini: He’d blacked out after Dyna was taken hostage, from the weight of his own memories.

Siamini: -SIGH-

Gemini: He was so afraid after he was repaired, at…

Siam: …what might become of him, having lost control.

Jack: Poor kid...

Gemini: Having hacked.

Siam: Having attacked. He was once hunted as a terrorist, you know…

Gemini: The fear of the

Siamini: [color=blue] HUNTER [/color]

Siam: persisted with him long after Cardinal and Countershade became so close as to be interchangeable…

Jack: .........

Jack: (Bird guy and Eight...)

[He sighed again, looking in opposite directions.]

Gemini: It is hard to think back “that far,” for it seems a world away, now. But we were so focused on… finding out what had happened.

Gemini: After FMN-008 finally revealed her presence permanently, she spoke up further on your behalf and explained what she knew from her conversations with you.

Gemini: At the time, we were worried most about if we would be hunted as malfunctioning—

Siam: —insist they don’t punish /malfunctioning/ but—

Gemini: —not of the world—

[A garble of data, which quiets down.]

Jack: .......

Gemini: …We didn’t even have the chance to TALK the situation over with Dr. White and the Mighty Numbers, to figure out what to do about Tobias’s lashing out…

Siam: …Dr. White said he wanted to wait until they got back.

Gemini: We only saw them for a few hours before…

Siam: …before this.

Jack: .......

Jack: M'sorry.

[Siam starts pacing.]

Siam: It infected the server. Our server is connected to Sanda Enterprises; specifically, the server that houses Mighty Number memories.

Jack: .....The servers...

Jack: (So that--it wasn't the--!)

Jack: Hang on.

Siamini: Yes?

Jack: So...it infected YOUR servers...

Jack: ....

Jack: The virus....

Jack: It infected American CherryDyn servers too.

[The brother looks between himself, and then over to Jack with a frown.]

Gemini: …Jack, something you should know.

Siam: It would take a long time to explain all the details, but for a while now, Cardinal has been convinced that Gregory Graham had been planning to make a massive power grab, by means of setting up a crisis and solving it publicly.

Jack: --?!

Jack: What…? (He did NOT tell me that--)

Siam: He believed that the highway incident earlier in the year was the result of something in this plan going… wrong.

Jack: Wrong...?

Siam: The fact that Graham took the time during THIS disaster to—yet again, as before—publicly say “don’t blame me! Blame someone else!” does not help matters.

Gemini: -Dryly- Guilty conscience, perhaps?

Siam: Or just really bad lying?

Gemini: That’s what Cardinal believed, at any rate.

Siam: “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

Jack: ................

Jack: Jeezus....

[This...this was bigger than he thought.]

[Much, much bigger.]

Siam: That is part of why FMN-008 feared for your well being. Something went wrong again in the finals, clearly; something that had not been intended to be publicly known yet.

Gemini: If ever.

Siam: Likely never.

Jack: ...........

Jack: I....

[What in the world was going on now?]

[Could...]

[Could this be...just too much to handle?]

[Suddenly Jack felt like he was up against MORE than just a virus.]

Jack: .......

[A pause.]

Siam: To be honest, I’m not sure that it’s that level of conspiracy.

[Another pause, with only minimal hesitation.]

Gemini: …To put it bluntly…

Siamini: …Graham just doesn’t seem all that smart.

Jack: -....snickers-

Jack: Hehehehe....

Siam: Heh… well… ‘hem. -Slight grin- That’s a discussion for later, when Dr. Cossack is here.

Gemini: At any rate… -Siiiigh, and the good mood is lost- …When Number Six disrupted things…

Siam: …Tobias tried to talk things out with him.

Jack: ......

[Jack looks back to the spark bot.]

Jack: Take it that it didn't go so well.

Gemini: That’s one way to put it.

Siam: To put it simply… and since you have proven yourself, you may know this…

Siam: If Tobias were a traditional Xelbot? His secondary ability would be Communication.

Gemini: He has vast power in that area and maintains a firm control with great finesse— Siam: —but he is only able to do that because he is /sensitive/ enough to be able to pick up and send out such things.

[…Aaaaaaaand Number Six had taken over wireless communications…]

[Oh dear.]

Siam: …

Gemini: …

Siam: …Airman didn’t take too kindly to Tobias putting up resistance and breaking his monopoly.

Gemini: Light Eight tried to warn him…

Jack: ....

Jack: Oh my God...

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

“The reason the brothers got all hot an’ bothered is, well. -Shakes head, working dart over- Fact is…

They all have died at least once, each. Includin’ th’ kid.

Picked off one by one. By the likes a’ me. Me an’ Blaster both.

They’re purty sensitive t’ the idea a’ bein’ hunted again as a result. Some of ‘em saw or heard—definitely felt— others in their line die as it was happenin’, live.”

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Siam: -Flatly- He wasn’t prepared for the horrors that awaited him when he broke past the resistance.

Gemini: He didn’t take control, as he had been hoping for.

Siam: No. Hardly.

Siamini: His neural net got fused together and suffered the consequences that is to be a Robot Master.

Siamini: The suffering was FAR too much for him to handle.

Jack: ......

Jack: (Don't ask what he saw, don't ask what he saw--)

Jack: ......But he's still in control of the airwaves, isn't he?

Siam: -Holds a hand out to the side- He is now, yes.

Gemini: -Mirrors the gesture exactly- But for a few hours, he was not.

Siam: During that time, interdimensional and overseas calls were possible.

Jack: ......!

Siam: We managed to talk with them and let them know we were… mostly alright, other than what had happened to our electronic genius.

Gemini: Beck even… promised to save them, to give them the mercy our brother never showed us…

Jack: Wait— the kid that was on the bench in the finals??

Siam: He fought a Round Digger all by himself and disinfected it, Jack.

Jack: Wha--

Jack: He WHAT?!

[...Jack had NO CLUE just what Beck was capable of--now, at least.]

Jack: (Holy...that little kid against his whole TEAM...his family...)

Jack: (I know the kid is supposed to have some sort of special ability but--)

Gemini: Believe or disbelieve all you like, but I am convinced he is more than capable of fulfilling his promise.

Siam: Not that it will make it any less difficult or less unpleasant.

Gemini: Dr. Cossack assured them that Tobias would recover, and spoke that it be an example of why no one else should interfere—

[…aaaAAAAAAND NOW THE MIRRORED, DOUBLED FACEPALM.]

Jack: --?

Siamini: -Broadcasting- “NO ONE. ELSE. INTERFERE.”

Jack: . . . .

Jack: Uh.

Jack: . . . .

Siam: He turned off his signal we are nEVER GOING TO FIND HIM

Gemini: He’s MILITARY, he knows how to avoid being tracked and seen—

Siam: HE’S GOING TO GET HIMSELF KIIIIIIILLLLLED BY YOUR POLICE—

Gemini: -Nonverbal ranting, rant rant rant!-

Siamini: Cardinal went after Shade, we discovered TOO LATE!

Jack: (--WAIT A MINUTE.)

"He's not here, you've got no leads...time to move on."

[CALLER ID: KANSAS CITY.]

Jack: HOLD UP--

Jack: You're talking about the bird guy--right?!

Jack: He called me!

Siamini: !

<DWN-019>: > -DOUBLED DELUGE DEMANDING DATA-

[…More of the desperate than the angry kind, though.

He was clearly very worried.

…Very, VERY worried.]

Jack: OW OKOK--

Jack: Must've been when Six was down for those few hours--

Jack: The call came from Kansas City, but....

Siamini: -Seems… sad-

Jack: He wanted to know more about the crosses--I told him what I knew, and he told me to come here when I had the chance--and pass the info along to you guys.

[A soft sigh. Shuffling, looking away.]

Siam: …Did he have any message for us?

Jack: Uh...

[.....]

Jack: Something about the Bible...

Jack: John 15:13, I think...?

Siamini: …!

[…But the surprise soon gives way to clear sorrow.]

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: (Real deep stuff you're laying down here, bird guy...)

Jack: ......

Jack: Sorry I...I'm not much help...I...

Jack: (....REALLY hope you know what you're doing...)

Siam: -Weary… and sad…-

Gemini: -Just plain weary- No…

Gemini: It should have been expected and anticipated. We were not surprised. Alarmed, yes, but not surprised….

Gemini: It is the path he chose long ago, and none can deter it from him as long as he yet runs.

Gemini: He has made his choice. I only wish he weren’t so fragile…

Jack: ......

Jack: (Fragile...like a bird...)

Jack: (Flying solo for your friend, huh...)

Gemini: At least he took Jazz with him.

[Siamini lets out a long sigh.]

Siam: …That brings us up to the present, I suppose.

Gemini: Do you have any other questions we may answer?

Jack: .....

Jack: (Should I ask 'em if they can help me find Miss Eight? If they couldn't stop the bird guy, they'll DEFINITELY try and stop me....)

Jack: Uh...no, no--well, sorta. Do you guys got anything I can use? Like--supplies and stuff. Just to have on hand.

Jack: And...if you've heard anything from Miss Eight's family.

[Siam shakes his head, but Gemini nods.]

Siam: We have not heard from them yet, but we may hear from them within a week’s time. They are running on a different rate of time passage, so details may be different or confused. Time warps can fuzz the memory rather severely, as our own family can personally attest to. One remembers a general feeling, but not specific events…

Gemini: Oh, of course. Let’s see… if you’re on the move, a small radio would be good, so that you may stay informed while also keeping your own signal off the radar… -Starts going through the cabinets that Siam was looking through earlier-

Gemini: A compass and some maps will also help to that end. We have some extra.

[He brings those out and sets them on the table, while Siam wanders off. When he comes back, he has what appears to be a small cooler… or else a very large lunchbox.]

Siam: It’s not much, but with what you’re going through… lunch and dinner over the next few days to indulge in is the least we can do.

[There are sandwiches, sauces, ice cream bars, milk bottles, soda, even Xelpops in there!]

Jack: (....Holy crap FOOD. Jeezus, when was the last time I ate???)

[Jack starts folding the maps and stuffing the radio and compass in various pockets--he was still wearing his Greater Dusk attire, and for once he was glad the whole biker gangster style included lots of pockets.]

Jack: Thanks, man... (Oh jeez those sandwiches look so good right now.)

[…This doesn’t go unnoticed.]

Siam: Goodness. When was the last time you ate, Jack?

Gemini: I have an idea. How about I go make a dinner while you tell me what you have to say? Your choice—there is plenty to choose from.

Siam: Oh, I agree—a most excellent idea. What would you like?

Jack: .....

Jack: Dude--double dude-- I could eat a house, man--hamburgers--soda--do you guys have steak-- Chicken???

Jack: ....

Jack: ....oh right--

Jack: Please?

[Siamini chuckles at that.]

Gemini: I’ll go make the steak and potatoes. -Walks off-

Siam: We just had a taco night, so there’s no hamburger meat left.

Jack: -just--food--Ya know what we're gonna suck on a Xelpop while we wait-

Siam: We’re sorry that we couldn’t entertain you as a guest before now. Though David—Snow, that is—did mention meeting you.

Jack: --! Oh, the ice kid...

Jack: ....

Jack: His ice cream ROCKS, man.... Stuff in the store just falls short, Heh...

[Siam smiles at that.]

Siam: Ah, yes, I recall it being said he made several batches for you—one after the finals, for you to have in the hospital. We are very glad you’re better, by the way.

Jack: Ehehe...yeah, me too...kinda stinks being stuck in a bed all day, but the ice cream really helped...

Jack: One of the other GDs was even jealous, I think. Pretty sure he tried to jack it from me more than once, but the nurses are like hawks, double dude.

Siam: Heh.

Jack: ....

Jack: Dunno where they all went after we got released from the place... separate ways, I think.

Siam: -More serious expression now- What did they do with Bladeblaster’s core? Please tell me they locked it in a strongbox.

[.......]

[Jack's expression fell.]

Jack: .......

Siam: … -Cringes inwardly-

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.

Siam: … -Just closes his eyes and shakes his head slowly, his data suggesting a cold sort of discomfort-

Jack: .......

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

Jack: Freakin' tortured...

Jack: ......

Jack: -turns away- (Is it bad that I still think he deserved it?)

Jack: .... Dunno about the other GDs... I could... (I could be the only one left...)

[Siam put a reassuring hand on Jack’s shoulder.]

Siam: …Being a last survivor is hard, even when you don’t like the other members. (Lord knows how much it’s hurt our family.) But… you are welcome to stay here as long as you need, if that’s what you want.

Jack: It's just...kinda scary...

Jack: If it wasn't for Miss Eight...

Jack: .......

Siam: (This must all be so very hard on him right now, the poor man.)

Jack: .....

[Jack takes a deep breath.

As much as he REALLY did wanted to just lay low and hope this whole mess all blows over...

...He couldn't stay.]

Jack: Thanks, double dude...but I think I'm gonna just eat here a while before I head on out.

Jack: Should probably tell ya what bird guy wanted you to know about the crosses before I do, anyway...

Siam: Ah, yes… thank you, that will help.

Jack: Alright.... Where to start...

Jack: Putting them on when they weren't active--didn't do a thing. They were made of Xel, so I guess the crosses also had this REALLY tiny core to keep it together....

Jack: They just looked like freaky jewelry to other people. I didn't like it. Felt...wrong. That's why I always hid mine under my shirt.

Siam: …In what sense? Physically, or morally?

Jack: ....Both? The cross felt...cold. Like it was just pulled out of the freezer, no matter how hot it was out.

Jack: That and inverted crosses are USUALLY a bad sign, double dude. Have you SEEN horror movies?

[Siam gave a cold smile.]

Siam: One of my younger brothers was a snake. He had the same sort of personality your boss had.

Siam: I was hunted down and KILLED by my own brother.

Siam: Jack, my friend—

Siam: We LIVE horror movies.

Jack: . . .

Jack: -sweATS NERVOUSLY- (Ooooookaaaaaay.)

Jack: G-Got it...

[Siam’s expression softens, and he sighs, bowing his head.]

Siam: …I’m sorry. Forgive me.

Siam: …This is just all so very much like the darkest of our days, that which we had hoped to prevent from befalling your world… no matter what the cost to us may be. The panic, the hunt… and we could do nothing to stop it, and can do nothing to help.

Siam: …We have survived these last years by living with a man and a community of deep faith. -Looks over at Shadow, who is Offline… and in his civvies for once, his hands folded over to touch the crucifix he always wore-

Siam: When you threw the cross down in the finals, that did allow us to briefly see what it was. …The use of that symbol did not go unnoticed.

Jack: …

Siam: Our “youngest” brother believed the one behind it was trying to “play God” and was using that symbol on purpose, as a highly disrespectful mockery.

Siam: -Softly- I do not discount the notion.

Jack: ..........

Jack: (The Provider...)

Jack: .....

Jack: Well, whatever nutjob made those things did a REAL good job fragging shit up.

Siam: Let me show you what we saw.

Jack: Kay...

[A few clips briefly play.]

————————————

Tobias: I don’t understand—! What’s going on?!

[They all fell silent when a quiet voice spoke up unexpectedly.]

Mikhail: … -Quietly- Berserkers.

Cardinal: …! What?

Mikhail: In ancient times, there were men of great strength, warriors that were great and terrible. They could work themselves into a rage that made them almost seem to ignore their wounds in battle—a madness that they channeled with incredible force.

Mikhail: This is why there is the phrase “going berserk.” This is almost exactly what it means.

Mikhail: But to concentrate only on bloodlust, at the loss of sense…

[He adjusted his glasses, the light glinting off them in a glare that obscured his eyes.]

Mikhail: …Especially against tacticians, that can be a very heavy price…

——————

Cardinal: What does he think he is doing—?!

Shadow: He is no longer thinking at all, you fool!

[He pointed at the screen, barely even noticing he’d already called a Shadow Blade to his hand.]

Shadow: LOOK AT HIM! He is possessed by the madness!

Cardinal: Oh God—if he can no longer think, then that means…

Cardinal: He won’t care anymore about the rules!

————————————

Jack: (Berserkers...)

Jack: ...........

Jack: God, it must've been horrifying for you guys to watch...

[Siam winces, looking over at Tobias.]

Siam: The horrifying part was when Number Eight was gutted. My stars. It was just like the first time he died.

Jack: (.....Spark kid...)

Jack: ............

Siam: -Seems deep in thought- …The talismans…. Was Mikhail right? Did they… induce that berserker state?

Jack: ....You bet they did....

Jack: When they went active...

Jack: All I felt was rage.

Siam: …

Jack: All I felt was...this feeling to break things.

Jack: It was ALL I could think about...

Jack: All...I could think about was...

Jack: How much I wanted to hurt Blade.

Jack: .....

Jack: It was like... something just...took over and....and...

Jack: --....

Jack: I knew it was bad. I had this gut feeling WAY before the finals...

Jack: I knew.

Jack: So I fought back.

Siam: … -Focused but also thoughtful- … -After some hesitation…- …We know what that feels like. …You have our deepest empathy.

Jack: ........

Siam: We know that to fight it off is no easy thing. …You are a stronger man than you give yourself credit for, Jack. Not everyone has the will or stamina to do this.

Jack: .....

Jack: -Sigh- Double dude, I'm just a normal guy that wanted some extra cash in his pocket. Sure, I'm probably not such a piece of scrap, after all, but...

Jack: I'm not special.

Jack: I'm just...lucky, I guess.

Siam: -Gentle slight smile- I suppose. Having Lady Luck on your side is always nice. Heh… I wouldn’t have survived otherwise.

[It was at this point that the smell of delicious, glorious, tender S T E A K came drifting through the air—]

Jack: --!!!!!

[Jack shoots up into a straighter sitting position, eyes WIDE and eager--]

Jack: That--that is the most awesome smell I've ever--

[Gemini walked in with a platter. A platter with SO MUCH FOOD.

There was steak, there was loaded baked potato with extra toppings set to the side—

Corn, green bean casserole, a tall glass of cold milk, a small bowl of fruit salad— and some chocolate pudding with Oreo bits and whipped cream!]

Gemini: -Sets it down at the table- Sorry to keep you waiting.

Jack: . . .

[Jack might have kicked himself later for forgetting his manners--but he just dove into the most delicious food he's ever eaten in his entire life.]

Jack: -dATA, SO MUCH DATA, OH GOD THIS IS SO GOOD HE COULD CRY- -HOW ARE YOU NOT IN SOME FOUR STAR RESTAURANT SERVING THIS, DOUBLE DUDE-

[This pleased the twins greatly, of course. He wasn’t as talented as Nico (and knew it), but it was nice to know one could still do a very good job.

Gemini returned to the mainframe console, resuming his work, while Siam happily and absentmindedly hummed and wrote down notes on a yellow legal notepad.]

Siam: -Amused and pleased, yet humble- I learned cooking mostly from Señor Gonzales and from my immediately older brother, Alnico Wily.

Jack: -oh man this is so good awwww yessss-

Siam: I am most suited for lab work… Nico’s the one who’s truly the closest to a Domestic. We make large family dinners—pasta or casserole the most often. There are nine of us now, after all. Ten, when you count me twice.

Jack: -...we're nearly halfway done with this meal OOO MILK-

[Jack nearly cleans out everything on the plate--apparently he has a rather large appetite.]

Jack: Ooooh, maaaaaaaan...

Jack: -cannot remember the last time he felt THIS full-

[Siam takes the liberty of placing the (very few) leftovers in a container that Gemini had brought in earlier, and placing that in the cooler. Gemini cleared away the dishes, and Siam spoke absentmindedly, automatically dimming the lights a little and increasing the temperature just a little to help make the atmosphere more calming.]

Siam: We wish you the best as you go on elsewhere, though the invitation still stands if you change your mind. I do hope you come back soon at least once—I think Felix had a gift for you.

Jack: ...?

Jack: Uh...I think maybe I'll just pick that up on the way? Where is he?

[Hopefully he had enough luck on his side to get back to the States in time...AND in one piece.]

Siam: He’s out a bit further in the Wilderness. There’s a path that leads more or less right by his house. (Granted, his house is underground, but Captain Piers will be by the road, at least.)

Jack: Hmm. Got it--I'll head that way for now.

[Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Jack straightened out his coat and grabbed the cooler with his other hand, stretching himself out a couple of times--the doc said he had to often just to keep himself limber.]

Jack: Nnh....

[...Despite the looming danger in front of him, and what was yet to come...

...Strangely, Jack didn't feel all that worried about it at the moment. Maybe it was the food.]

Jack: ....

Jack: Oi—didn't catch your name, actually.

Siamini: DWN-019: Project name “Geminiman”. Artificial Awareness and Intelligence, Combat Class.

Siam: “Siam” is the name granted to me, after the old phrase “siamese twins”—which itself originated regarding such a pair from Siam, which is a location.

Gemini: “Gemini” is the name granted to me, after the legend of the twins who were given a place among the heavens as a stellar constellation in the sky.

Siamini: Collectively, most people refer to me as “Siamini”,

Siam: …though David has taken to calling me “Sam” and “Samini”. I suppose it’s easier on a child to use fewer vowel-related syllables…

Jack: .....wow.

Jack: Iiiii am just gonna stick to Siam and Double Dude, if ya don't mind.

Jack: Thanks for all the help.

[Gemini shrugs in a “I’m used to it” sort of manner, and Siam nods.]

Siam: Thank you for confirming where our oldest brother has been, and what his intentions are…

Gemini: …and that he is, in fact, aware and prepared to accept the hardships ahead.

Siam: And also for your information on the crosses. Thank you, truly.

Gemini: We all wish you the best. We may have more questions later, so… send word when you’re settled down somewhere safe, alright?

Jack: .....

Jack: Yeah. I'll...try.

[With that, Jack makes his way over to the door, opens it...]

Jack: .....

Jack: Double Dude?

Siamini: Yes?

Jack: If you see her...

Jack: ....

Jack: Tell her I just couldn't help it.

Jack: Keep in touch.

[....And out he goes.]

Jack: (Hang on, Miss Eight...)

Jack: (I'm coming...)

{THE WILDERNESS}

[...Jack never thought he'd find himself in this kind of situation.]

[Last week he was only worried about how the heck he was going to pay the rent for the flat, and what exactly he was going to do next in terms of finding another job--]

[Now he was venturing into god-knows-where across time and space JUST to get back home, which was in the middle of a cyber pandemic, all to see if the woman who saved his life was out there doing good or...]

Jack: ....

Jack: I'm fraggin' crazy for doing this...

[Yet he still ventured forward, down the path he was told to walk to retrieve whatever 'gift' this Felix guy had to give him, supposedly...]

[The weather was mild, at least—though it was still a bit too warm.]

[Evident by someone later along the path leaning up against a pillar made of ice.]

Jack: .....

Jack: ...?

Jack: (....That's...ice. but--it's warm out???)

[Confused and intrigued, Jack kept walking, approaching the stranger next to it. Maybe he knew where to go?]

Jack: Uh....'scuse me?

Piers: -Looks up- ?

[The man had golden eyes and aqua colored hair. The air around him seemed to be cooler and… gentler, somehow.]

Piers: I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met before. May I help you?

Jack: (...OK, I've seen people dye their hair some CRAZY colors but--)

Jack: Um--yeah, same here. CDN.7037, Designation 'Dencerjack'. Just call me Jack...

[His eyes keep glancing back to the ice pillar, wondering where in the world it had come from--this guy registered as an organic, but he was getting some weird energy readings from him too...]

Jack: Uh--I'm looking for a guy called Felix? The guys back at that Meadow told me he had something for me.

Piers: Ah… yes, that makes sense.

[He drew up to his full height, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword.

…Oh. A sword, okay then.]

Piers: I am Captain Piers of Lemuria—a Mercury warrior Adept. Felix is still locked in the cursed dreams… I fear that it is the current disaster which overtook him. However, he did have some gifts prepared before he fell ill. One of them was for you.

Jack: (....Uhhh.) Nice to meet you...

[There were so many things Jack wanted to ask about that--the sword, where the heck was Lemuria and what in the world was an Adept--but he didn't have the time...]

Jack: Yeah, things have REALLY gone down the drain, huh. ...Hope he gets better soon.

Piers: I believe he shall, but that may not be until the crisis has passed… -Small sigh- It is hard to say, outside of time, how long it may take.

[He held out a hand slightly as he looked to the side, and…]

[The Mercury Djinn, after appearing in a soft aqua light, looked at Jack curiously.

Or, as curiously as something with solid-colored eyes could look.]

Jack: ?!?

Jack: (What the fresh Xel is THAT.)

Piers: My good friend… please retrieve the gift for Jack, so that he may continue on his journey.

[The Djinn made the sound of a bubbling stream before floating off.]

Piers: -Turns to face Jack, looking at him thoughtfully before giving a gentle smile- I see others have supplied you for the journey ahead as well. I must say… it’s nice to start off a quest with something at hand.

[Jack just...stared at the otherworldly creature as it floated away, not sure if what he's seeing is actually REAL or if he has TRULY gone mad.]

Jack: Yeaaaaaah surrrrre....

[Excuse him, Piers, he's still new at this.

Piers moved away from the ice pillar and looked ahead down the path, pointing to the horizon.]

Piers: Keep your sights on that city, and you shall arrive where you seek soon enough.

[…WOW OKAY. There was a city there that was NOT there before—

—and what’s more, it looked familiar! It was definitely somewhere from Jack’s own world!

Jack looked to where he pointed--his violet eyes widening as he locked his gaze into something familiar in this huge mess of chaos--it almost felt relieving to see his destination at last.

...In fact...judging from the city skyline--it almost looked like...]

[..Seattle?]

Jack: ......

Jack: I REALLY hope it's not gonna be raining by the time I get there...

Jack: That city is almost ALWAYS raining, see...

Jack: (...It's better than nothing, at least.)

[Piers smiled a little.]

Piers: Do you have a poncho you could use? That’s what I’d recommend.

Jack: Uh....

Jack: ...Noooope. You, uh, wouldn't have that and anything else I can use...?

[Yeah, the more stuff he can get on hand, the better. He's gonna need ALL the help he can get if he's going to be tracking down Miss Eight.]

Piers: We can loan you something, yes. We won’t be doing any traveling ourselves for a while.

Jack: Cool, thanks...

[From another pocket, he pulls out a grape flavored Xelpop and plops it in his mouth.]

Jack: . . .

Jack: Soooo, that little floaty guy that just kinda...popped up from outta nowhere...

Jack: No offense, but what IS he?

Piers: Ah, that is a Djinn. Specifically, he’s a Mercury Djinn. They are manifestations of the elemental energy of Weyard, which is the world I hail from.

Jack: .....

Jack: Oooooooh...

[OK, this guy was from some other world--made a little sense to him, at least, since Miss Eight was from another world too--just some OTHER version of his own.

...It was still so strange, though. Things were like that ever since the holes to other worlds popped up around last year...]

Jack: (Weyard...sounds like some place in a book or something...)

Piers: We’ll be able to tell you more after your return. Are you traveling far?

Jack: --Well, THAT...depends...

Jack: (Depends where Miss Eight and her brother are gonna be squaring off, if they do...)

Jack: I--I'm just gonna go grab some stuff I left back home before I try and lay low for a while. Til' this all blows over.

[Yup. That was TOTALLY his plan.]

[Piers gave a soft snort.]

Piers: Jack, I am not going to try to stop you.

[He seemed more amused than anything else.]

Piers: Though your determination not to be derailed is both familiar and admirable, in its own way.

Jack: ....

Jack: Was it REALLY that obvious...?

[Jeez, he thought he was a better liar than that.]

Jack: ......

Piers: I’m a lot older than I look. -Amused-

[The Djinn came floating back. It was carrying what appeared to be a traveler’s backpack (of sorts) and a small present.

It set both of these down on the ground in front of the sheepish CDN.]

Jack: ......! (Little guy is stronger than he looks...) Thanks....

Jack: ...What's in the bag? -Proceeds to pick it up-

Piers: Traveling supplies. Mostly related to sleeping, though there’s a canteen and some medical supplies in there. I think the present is something Felix put together with the help of other people… possibly little David Cossack. Such a kind child, that one.

Jack: ....!

[The first thing he notices is the...wow there is a WHOLE lot more room in here than what it looks like on the outside—how is that even physically possible.]

Jack: ....

[He proceeds to stuff the cooler in it because NO WAY was he going to drag that thing the whole way.]

Jack: Kay--here's the poncho...bandages...sleeping stuff...

Jack: Aaaand let's see what's in the OTHER thing--

Jack: --!

Jack: AW SWEET COOL GOGGLES. Dude--

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

Jack: ...? What's this--

Jack: --! OoooooOOHOHO THIS THING HAS NIGHT VISION--

Jack:(I feel so damn BADASS--)

Piers: Ah, those must be from David, then! (My, a good bit of foresight.) He likes exploring.

————————

"I wanna be an explorer. Do you like exploring, Mister Jack?”

“Uh. Yeah--”

————————

Jack: -WHAT OTHER NEAT STUFF IS IN HERE-

[Some of the stuff was OBVIOUSLY from Carmen.

They were more… practically oriented, like a flashlight, some cash, a burner phone…

…A… taser?!]

[...Jack...]

[....starts to laugh.]

Jack: Oh, jeez, Miss Eight--you shouldn't have.

Piers: ? ? ? -Clearly confused- (What is /that/? I think that one item is a “phone”, but that last one… I don’t know if I’ve seen that before…)

[Jack decides to test out the taser by simply pressing the button--away from Piers and himself, of course.]

Jack: She's got a thing with tasing stuff--probably comes from her sis....

[THAT gets pocketed. He didn't know what kind of crazy stuff he'll run into out there.]

Piers: -OH okay, it has a Jupiter-based attack stored in it, right then-

[There appeared to be… one more item inside.]

Jack: ....?

[....What the... a ring? ]

Piers: -Looks QUITE surprised- So that’s where it went.

[He is suddenly very thoughtful.]

Piers: He must have seen that you would need it, and had it set aside for you to give to you…

Jack: ? You know what this is?

Piers: Yes. That’s a Cleric’s Ring: a rare artifact that prevents loss of control of your person.

Jack: .......

Jack: You mean-- this thing will protect me from the virus?!

[It takes a moment for him to understand that Jack was talking about the sickness that had overtaken the Mighty Numbers, but then he nods.]

Piers: Yes, that is exactly the idea. It only protects the wearer, however; it does not have an area of effect or the ability to be used as a healing talisman.

Jack: ...So it's just for me. Got it...

[Jack takes a few seconds to inspect the ring a little before putting it on. It fit perfectly.]

Jack: Wow...feels weird...

[...But in a good way.]

Jack: .....

[He lifts up the goggles so that they rested upon his head, and put the rest of his presents in the knapsack--which he slung over his shoulder.]

[...He REALLY felt like he was about to embark on some important journey, now that he thought about it...]

[...Probably because he really was.]

Jack: ...-Exhales-

Piers: Godspeed on your journey, my friend. Return home safely upon its completion—and may that be soon.

Jack: Thanks, Captain. Thanks for everything.

[He turns away, eyes set on the horizon, rain clouds already starting to form over the distant, war-torn city of Seattle.]

Jack: ....Godspeed...yeah...

Jack: (I'm gonna need all the luck in the world for this...)

[In an instant, he starts to sprint off. Might as well get a head start and run for it...!]

Jack: (Just a little further, Carmen...! I'm almost there...!)

Jack: (Just hold on until then...!)

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

This is a beautiful train wreck of dramedy. As some a’ mah friends say, “this can only end well.”

---

              white-bird-in-a-cage is five years old!

Five years ago, on August 7th, 2012, I made this blog under the url not-a-nobody. My preference was not available for another year, and I have been under that changed url ever since. Since then I have grown and changed, both as a person and a writer.

Naminé as a character is truly very important to me. No other character is more beloved. I first saw her in 2006 and I was immediately drawn to her. It is because of this girl with an angelic appearance that I got interested in Kingdom Hearts… without her I wouldn’t be here, or have met any of you. Seeing as how I’ve met my best friends on this blog, that’s really saying something. To me, Naminé represents hidden strength and the truth. She could’ve easily lied or not said anything to Roxas; she could’ve easily used him and Sora for her own gain; instead she not only spoke the truth, she fixed her mistakes. Naminé also defied DiZ and Riku to do what she felt was right, and even more awe-inspiring, she stood up to Larxene and Marluxia upon realizing her mistakes. It is never easy to stand up to your abusers and captors. For someone so small, Naminé has left an indelible mark on my life.

I’ve been in these groups: Kingdom Hearts Ultimate RP (KHURP for short), Pyreflights, Aeon Soul, Somnium Finite, and Crowned Kingdom. Each taught me something and introduced me to new friends. I’m happy to say that I’m still friends with people from each group!

Five years is a big milestone for me. At this moment I have 630+ followers, and I’m happy to have all of you on board! I never dreamed I would last this long; I have no idea what I was thinking back in that August before my freshman year of college, but it certainly wasn’t this.

I’ve been through a lot on this blog: group changes, friends and partners leaving and changing, being bullied (though thankfully that has long since passed), learning time management, and so much more.

I wouldn’t be here with you all. Obviously I could not possibly name everyone, past and present, but I thought I should show at least some of you my thanks. This is not a follow forever or a bias list; instead this is a thank-you post. Some people might get repeated because I couldn’t just leave them under one category. Oh, and alphabetical order because I like to have everything orderly.

I know why the caged bird sings - to those who have helped me grow, and who have supported me

@ainokizuato/@redheartedmage/@talesofmino/@talesofharima, @blitzballstar, @musicandlights, @noxtalgie, @parttimedeliveryboy, @radiantheart/@milessomnia, @thecentralheart/@vens-gonewiththewind, @the-lonely-soul, @the-sixth-apprentice/@unversed-nightmare, @unquenchedresolve, @xambiefoxx 

Memory… the cruelest and most beautiful of gifts - to those who have moved on; I miss you and I have not forgotten you, and I wish you the best 

@duelwielding, @parttimedeliveryboy, @screndipitouskxy, @thecentralheart/@vens-gonewiththewind, @the-sixth-apprentice/@unversed-nightmare

You’ve got the light to fight the shadows - to those who make every day here a joy

@ahmyhotdog, @ivory-paragon, @lazuliss, @professorxehanort, @radiantheart/@milessomnia, @redheartedmage/@talesofmino/@talesofharima/@ainokizuato, @thetaintedemotion, @unquenchedresolve, @valorhearted

Your House will be like your family - to my beloved Crowned Kingdom 

@ahmyhotdog, @chaoshearted, @cindythegreasemonkeygal, @dogstreetstyle, @heartseekingfreedom, @iokanchieftess, @lovelysweetxhart, @malevolentwind, @milleuda-folles, @professorxehanort, @radiantheart/@milessomnia, @redheartedmage, @somnusheir, @steelwolfgrey, @theicequeenslion, @thespellweaver, @thetaintedemotion, @unquenchedresolve, @valorhearted, @vespersung, @whitedressedoracle, @wingedcomposer, @xxpinkseeressxx

If only I had five lifetimes! - to my fellow Naminé blogs; I don’t follow or write with you, but we have all chosen a beautiful character, and I am glad you are here 

@fadxngmemcry, @frailwaves, @oblivion-witch, @namine-constellations, @noxtalgie, @reflechir, @scatteredcrayons, @sketchedinnocence, @paintedpaeonia, @p-aperr-oses, @vvatercolors, and those I cannot name because I don’t know who you are

Reader, I married him - to all 630+ of you, my Readers

---

=INTRO D: COLLAPSING PEACE=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

//:LOG IN SUCCESSFUL. WELCOME, NO. Ø

//:LOADING FILES…

//:FILES LOADED. ENTER COMMAND PROMPT.

//:COMMAND> CHECK REVELATION.EXE STATUS

//:RUNNING…

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

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

//:RUNNING…

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

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

//:RUNNING…

//:TIMER SET. RUNNING SCAN…

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

//:COMMAND>YES.

//:RUNNING…

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

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

//:ENTER MESSAGE…

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

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

//: …Where should I begin…?

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

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

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

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

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

//: Ngh–!!

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

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

//: Hnn...

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

//: ….Do you see now?

//: I…I am not long for this world.

//:…This…world…

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

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

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

//: ...

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

//: No.

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

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

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

//: ...

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

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

//: I just…

//: ….

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

//: Cale, my love...

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

//: I love you.

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

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

//: …

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

//: ...

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

//: …

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

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

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

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

//: …Good-bye.

[END OF MESSAGE.]

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

{Titus, CA Colosseum June 21st, 20XX

11:40 AM}

[The day started out like any other.

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

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

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

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

…Or so he thought.]

{Meanwhile…}

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

“C-Coming, Cryo!”

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

“WE KNOW, Pyro. Jeezzz, calm down.”

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

“TOO RIGHT, Brand!”

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

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

“…Avi not focused.”

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

[The team responded enthusiastically in unison.]

“YES SIR NO.1!”

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

Cardinal: -Whistles LOUDLY, pinging with excitement-

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

[KSSSSssssst…]

Cardinal: —???

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

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

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

[sssKKKKT--]

[MN.1] //: Hnnk...I...I don’t…

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

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

[MN.8] //: -Ah'—Cards—CARDS—-

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

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

[PING!]

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

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

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN—

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

Cardinal: !

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cardinal: Guys?!

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

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

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

[He recognized those flames.

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

[Cardinal used Item-1!]

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

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

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

To see them now, on his friends—]

Cardinal: NO!

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

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

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

Bat: Cowards...

Bat: Can’t even STAND THEIR GROUND!

Cardinal: [Glitch]—

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

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

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

Shade: -Winces—!- Hnn—! (Too loud—!)

Beck: —! Cardinal—!

[BLAM!]

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

Cardinal: SHUT DOWN! SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY!

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

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

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

Shade: GET LOST! NOW!

Cardinal: Not in a million lifetimes, Shade!

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

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

[He was surrounded.]

Beck: NO—!!!

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

<DLN-000 has entered Lethal Combat Mode.>

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

[Cardinal used SUPER ARM!]

[WHAM!]

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

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

Cardinal: -Aggressive data-

Beck: O~O!!!

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

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

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

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

Shade: -AaaAAUUGH DYNA—! DON’T—!!-

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

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

Beck: NO—!

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

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

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

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

[Cardinal used LEAF SHIELD!]

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

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

((Pic—Cardinal v Brand))

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

K-PEW!

Cardinal: ! -SHIELDS-

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

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

Shade: -Snarls- Get OUT—!

[BANG!]

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

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

Beck: NII-SAAAAAAAN!

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

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

Brand: NO—!

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

Brand: I—can’t—

Beck: Nii-san—!

Brand: Get out of here, GO—!

Brand: NOW!

[BWIP!]

[And just like that, he was gone—]

Beck: BRAND—!

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

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

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

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

Shade: Ah' SAID, take Beck an' LEAVE—

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

Shade: AH' SAID LEAVE!

[CLICK—]

Beck: —?!

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

Cardinal: —!!

Cardinal: NO—! SHADE! SHADE DON’T—!

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

[Byuubyuubyuu…!]

Beck: ?! Cards?!?

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

[Click.]

Beck: Wait, Shade, NO—!

[BANG—]

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

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

“GUYS–NO–NOOO–!!”

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

=CHAPTER 3B: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=

~AO v2.0~

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

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

[MEANWHILE, IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON...]

[Chaos still reigned over the rainy city as two super-powered, crazed Battle Colosseum bots waged war against each other--Plume, the exotic Hawaiian fire dancer with graceful agility, and Landcrusher, the giant German powerhouse with a knack for demolition.]

[While the untamed, no holds barred battle raged below, another crisis was unfolding high above the skyline, in the city's very own Space Needle tower...]

Jack: (Great, and just when I THOUGHT things couldn't get WORSE...)

Jack: (...The power had to go and cut out--!)

[This, of course, sent the group trapped in the tower into a panic--it was fairly dark out, now, and with little to no light...]

Eli: Everyone just CALM DOWN--

Jack: (Good thing these goggles have Night Vision--just gotta tie up this last knot...)

[Jack knew he couldn't quite get everyone off the tower one by one--and he knew that Plume wasn't going to last long against a heavy hitter like Landcrusher.]

[He had to improvise, and lucky for him, the Space Needle had just enough material for what he planned to do...]

Jack: Yo, toss me that tablecloth...

[The Space Needle didn't JUST have an observation deck--it was also a restaurant. The tables provided the flat surfaces he needed and the tablecloths made some nice makeshift rope once tied together...]

Eli: ....You sure this is gonna work?

Jack: Nope.

[B O O M!]

Jack: ...But we don't have much choice at the moment...

Jack: Hooookay...

[Now here comes the HARD part.]

Jack: The serving carts are all busted for the wheels...still need two more--

Eli: .....I can pop off the ones from Lily's stroller...

Jack: (Oh, yeah, the lil...)

[Jack looked back over his shoulder to the group of cowering humans--and Gwen, who was holding a sniffling baby Lily near her chest.]

Jack: ........

Eli: ......

Eli: We were...just on vacation when this happened.

Jack: . . .

Eli: .....Do...you know why they're all goin' nuts like that? …I think someone said something about a virus...?

Jack: Yeah--something like that. It infected all the servers--that's how it got into every Xelbot's heads.

Eli: Good God...who would DO something like that?

Jack: … … (Either someone REALLY pissed off, or messed up. Or both.) …Dunno.

Jack: Get those wheels--I'm gonna break open a window.

Eli: --?? Wait--why?

Jack: Ya see that building over there--the one with the bent flagpole?

Jack: I'm gonna swing on over there and finish off the rest of this pulley with the wheels and my wires--then we can start getting people on the carrier we made outta the tables and onto that roof.

Eli: Wait--but--

Jack: Yeah, I know, Landcrusher--that's why once you guys are all on that roof, I'm gonna distract him so you guys can haul chass and get to safety.

Eli: You?

Jack: ...Yeah. That is, if Plume isn't...

Jack: .......

Eli: ....She's, uh...really focused on ya, isn't she?

Jack: Iiiii am pretty sure that's the virus, buddy...

Jack: ....Look--you just try and keep everyone here calm while I go do my thing, OK? (Oh, yeah, it's my THING now--freakin' heck, never imagined THAT...)

Eli: .....I'll.....try.

[Jack turns away from the man to face another window, closest to the building they were aiming for, one end of the makeshift rope in hand.]

Eli: ...Hey.

[Eli threw a pair of small wheels at the CDN, who caught them after they hit his chest and bounced off slightly.]

Eli: ....Thank you.

Jack: Pfft--thank me after you're on that roof, alright?

Eli: Ha...yeah...

Jack: (....Kay--First the window--)

[He planted his boot firmly on the glass, getting a feel of how thick it was, before reeling back and striking it down--]

[Pop!]

[...It swung open with little trouble, as it turns out.]

Jack: (...Oh.)

Jack: (...I'm taking that as a good sign.)

[Snapping on his goggles, now, he calculated a direct path to the safe building--he'd have to freefall a couple of hundred feet to reach a viable swing point--]

Jack: ......

Jack: (Well it's not like I haven't done it before today but FRAG ME--)

Jack: (HOOOOOOKAYcomeonjackdoitforherdoitforthepeopleinhere--)

Jack: (ThereisaBABYinheremanDOIT--)

Jack: AAAAAAAAAAH--

[With a STARTLING yell, he jumped--!!]

"OH MY GOD--"

"WHAT THE--"

"HOLY--IS HE DEAD--?!"

[.......]

[Was he terrified?]

[Yes.]

[...But.]

Jack: AAAAAAAAAAH--

[ZIIIIIIP--!]

[....Fear has a funny way of turning into a thrilling adrenaline rush once you get over it.]

Jack: --HAAAAAAAHAHAWOO!

[Even HE didn't understand why--]

[Though that wasn't exactly on his mind, at the moment--]

[But, somehow, the more he felt himself being swung across, left and right, that rush of air on his face--]

[The less it felt like some life or death situation and more like a roller coaster or something!]

Jack: WOOOOOOO--

Jack: --OOOOOOOOH SH--

[BAM--!]

[While Jack was becoming quite acquainted with the innate powers his ability gave him--]

[Landing was...a learned trait.]

Jack: OWFRA--

[He rolled across the roof, bouncing one or twice before settling to a stop--a groaning mess, yes, and he was SURE something popped--]

Jack: OwcrapOW...

[...But all in all, he was still functional, at least.]

Jack: F-Frag that smarts--ow--

Jack: Nnngh gonna feel that in the morning--

[With some difficulty, he managed to get on his feet. He was dizzy, and somewhat dazed from the rush before--]

Jack: Uuuuugh don't feel so good...

Jack: (No--focus, damn it, need to finish this--)

Jack: (Where is that flagpole--)

[It was bent over in an awkward position--but in such a way that it was possible to attach the makeshift rope and wheels to complete the pulley system they needed.]

Jack: (Tie this--here--and put this there--get this wheel to spin and wrap the thing around that--)

Jack: (--SHIT HOW AM I GONNA LET ELI KNOW IT'S DONE--CAN HE SEE ME FROM HERE--??)

Jack: (--Waitwaitwaitdo I have anything in the bag here that can help me--)

Jack: (--FLASHLIGHT--well OK more like a lantern almost bUT I CAN USE THIS THANK YOU MISS EIGHT--!)

———————————

“Heh, yeah, Morse is a great thing t’ know. Some letters are easier than others. s’ like old school texting, ya know? Most people only know ’S.O.S’, but… in a pinch, using ‘G O’ or ‘O K’ or ’N O’ will work just ‘cause a’ context. Ah’ guess for most people, ‘yes’, ‘no’, an’ ‘help’ are all ya really need if things are so dire as t’ be usin’ it. Now, listen close—here are those letters for you…”

———————————

[After securing that last knot, he fumbles with the light, and after finally finding that darn--]

Jack: Hope you know what this means, Eli--

{G O.}

[........]

"HEY--HE MADE IT--! HE'S GOT A LIGHT--"

"But--it's blinking--?"

Eli: (Is he trying to tell us something--?)

"HEY WAIT, THAT'S MORSE CODE--!"

"HE'S SAYING GO--OH GOD HE DID IT WE'RE GONNA BE OK--!"

Eli: ALRIGHT, EVERYONE LINE UP--WE'RE GONNA GO TWO AT A TIME, WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST--!

[.........]

Jack: pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease--

Jack: --!!!

[The makeshift carrier starts to move--and it was holding--!]

Jack: YES!!

[Jack helps it along faster by moving the rope along, and helping the passengers off once they do touch down safely, then sending the carrier back to repeat the process.

It was nail-biting—watching the carrier move over the chaos below, and it looked as if it was going to fall on a few occasions—

Which wasn't much fun for anyone.

Jack didn't think he could pray any harder than he was now--heck, he wasn't even all that religious in the first place.

...But maybe Mikhail was right, about him being on Lady Luck's good side. Or there really WAS a God, after all.]

[Eli was the last passenger that survived the heart pounding trip--]

[--After every single trapped human before him went first.]

[Cheers! Cheers exploded over the rooftop, in the heart of destruction and crisis! Loud, joyous, HOPE--!]

Jack: OOF--!

[...Eli had collected Jack in a bear hug, muttering chants of thanks--and it wasn't long before he was crowed by the other rescued humans as well--]

Jack: (Getting--hard to breathe--)

Gwen: Oh, thank you, THANK YOU--!

"YEAAAAAH WE AIN'T GONNA DIE--!" "AAAAH WE'RE ALIVE THANK YOU--!" "YOU'RE MY HERO, MAN--"

Jack: Uh--you're welcome? ^^;

Eli: God, how can we--

[B O O M!]

"GNNNRRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Jack: --!!!

Jack: (...Landcrusher.)

Jack: EVERYONE HAS TO GET OFF OF THIS ROOF, NOW!

[Goggles on, time to roll--]

Jack: --?!

Eli: YOU'RE COMING TOO--!

[Several of the rescued humans drag him away from the edge, and start to lead him towards the door into the building--]

Jack: WAIT--STOP--!

Eli: No offense, Jack, but I ain't gonna let you throw your life away like that, not after this--!

Jack: BUT THEY'RE COMING THIS WAY ELI I GOTTA HEAD THEM OFF—

[There was what appeared to be a spectacular light show that was suuuuSPIIIIIICIOUSLY LIKE DYNA’S TRADEMARK ABILITY—]

[—which, after repeating itself, was followed up by some green flashes.]

Jack: —??!

Jack: What—?

[He was led away by the humans before he could see any more...]

Jack: (What in the world was—?)

[..........]

[The rest of it all seemed like a huge blur.]

[Once they had safely exited the building, the group mostly broke apart, scrambling for the cars left on the streets—the ones that had chosen to stick with Eli and his family, however, followed him down several blocks—]

[...to where they found a mostly functional van belonging to some cable company, with the keys still in the ignition.]

[Eli was planning to get as far away from the city as possible and—God willing—make it to Canada.]

Eli: ....What do ya mean you're not coming—?

Jack: --I can't...

Jack: ...Remember that person I told you about that REALLY wouldn't like it if I got killed or something...?

Eli: ...You were SERIOUS?

Jack: Listen I know that sounds INSANE but—!

Jack: I have had a REALLY weird day and frankly I would like nothing more than to get somewhere safe but I can't leave her out there.

[There was no telling where she was or what she could be up to. He had hoped Avi was lying—or exaggerating, at least—but he really couldn’t be sure anymore… and he didn’t care if he was in denial.]

Jack: I have no idea if she's OK or infected or whatever but wherever she is, she's probably ALONE and she needs SOMEONE and--

Eli: JACK.

Jack: --...

Eli: ......

Eli: Where do you think she is?

Jack: I...I don't know.

Eli: .....

Eli: Well.

Eli: You saved our lives—all of our lives.

Eli: ...Only fair that I pay you back in kind, somehow.

Jack: --?

Eli: Lemmie help you find a working car—at least to get you out of the city.

Jack: But--

Jack: It's not mine—

Eli: Jack. We're in the middle of a damn APOCALYPSE and you're worried about grand theft auto?

Jack: Well—but—

Eli: Enough of your whining—I'll be right back, Gwen, watch Lily—Come on, Cherry, before any more crazies show up.

Jack: Uh—I...um.

Jack: (...Iiiii am gonna regret this...)

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

=PROLOGUE C: IT ALL BEGINS NOW=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

White: MIKHAIL! IT'S HIM! HE'S ALIVE--!

Sanda: WELL DON'T JUST STAND THERE, WILL, ANSWER HIM--

[DR.WHITE] //: MIKHAIL--!

[The feed switched on.]

[…To utter chaos.

The whole family seemed to be there, Russians and Americans alike—the ground was coated in over an inch of solid ice, everyone was in full armor, and three of the brothers seemed to be out cold, sprawled as if they had passed out on the spot.]

[Siam is shouting, as usual.]

Siam: —OBODY PANIC, NOBODY PANIC

Digger: {HOW CAN YOU EXPECT US NOT TO PANIC}

Speedy: THIS IS MONSTROPOLIS ALL OVER—

Gemini: —! EVERYONE SHUT UP THE FEED Siamini: JUST CAME ON!

Mikhail: !!!

White: Mikhail!

Beck: GUYS--

Sanda: Y-You're OK--!

Mikhail: WILL! Thank God you’re alright! What is going on over there?!

Siam: -Talking over Mikhail- What is going on, first we got attacked from your servers and then—

White: We didn't--

Beck: EVERY ROBOT IN THE CITY AND THE COUNTRY IS GOING BANANAS AND I CAN'T CONTACT THE OTHERS AND I FOUGHT A GIANT ROUND DIGGER AND EVERYONE IS GONE--

Sanda: Beck--BECK, CALM DOWN--

Mikhail: {WHAT?!}

[Nico was silently screaming in alarm and panic over the channel. Even Digger—who rarely let his smile leave his face when he was in public—looked terrified.

And Speedy?

Poor Speedy was laying on the ground, curled up in full armor and clutching at his earcaps.]

Speedy: Oh God they’re all going to die

[Pisces was trying to comfort him, but it was in vain.

Everyone’s minds were drawn deep into the fall of Monstropolis—fire and smoke everywhere.]

Speedy: The people are going to kill them all they are going to dIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

[And he was screaming, screaming in agonizing despair.]

Speedy: {PLEASE HAVE MERCY PLEASE YOU HAVE TO SAVE THEM}

Beck: -Breathing HARD, the XEL around him reacting erratically-

White: Beck--BREATHE, just...!

Sanda: -tIIIIME TO LOCK ALL THE NON INFECTED XEL IN THE GIANT CANISTERS IN CASE BECK BREAKS DOWN-

[The others were really starting to break down as well. Mikhail was hastily locking the database to prevent a data overload the likes of which Avi had /just/ seen from being sent /Beck’s/ way as well.]

Jaden: -Groveling- I’m begging you not to kill them like that, please have mercy—

Pisces: -Just plain crying, on the inside-

Nico: Oh God help us— Beck, pLEASE, PLEASE DON’T KILL THEM—

[C R A C K]

Beck: -pANICKY NOW-

White: --!!!

Sanda: Ohno--

Mikhail: -SORRY, TRYING TO PREVENT THE SERVER FROM CRASHING-

[Mikhail was doing the best he can, yes...

...But Beck could HEAR the desperation in their voices, their screams, and recalling the stories he wasn't supposed to hear...

...Their voices rose and seemed to entrap him, PLEADS of mercy and terror, growing louder, louder, LOUDER--!]

[C R A C K!]

Beck: ENOUGH!

[THAT garnered an interesting reaction.

Skull created a barrier around himself and his family, while some of the others instinctively summoned weapons to their hands. The look in their eyes was wild—that of cornered, panicked prey.]

[The Xel within the large storage canisters in the lab BURST open, and both Will and Sanda threw up their arms on instinct, as if expecting a repeat of the LAST time Beck had lost his composure...]

[...But the wave of Xel never came.]

Mikhail: …?

[Instead...the Xel paused. Drew TOWARDS the Mighty Number, the same soft, green glow enveloping him...]

Beck: All of you be QUIET!

[Mikhail stands, placing a hand on Keltso’s shoulder as a signal to stand down.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Mikhail: … Incredible…

[XEL QUOTA REACHED. XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE.]

Mikhail: (Why, it’s like watching Felix…!)

Beck: .......

[ And as Beck stood there, eyes glowing a willful emerald green, coming to terms with what he just did and what was transpiring around him...]

[…Interesting…]

[The green glow seemed to calm the others.

Their own eyes /stopped/ glowing the panicked solid green they had been moments before.]

Beck: . . .

"...Haywire robots...in all 52 states..."

"IT'S BLACKWELL'S FAULT--"

"Hellllooo! Is this thing on?"

[…Screaming. Two voices, screaming in agony—]

“{PLEASE HAVE MERCY PLEASE YOU HAVE TO SAVE THEM}”

"You have tools of which this world--or ANY world--have only just begun to see!"

"USE THEM!"

"Come on--SNAP OUT OF IT--NOW!"

“Let me tell you something, Master Beck.

It is your heart and your build, your purpose, to help others. That is where your greatest power, I think, will always lie.

When you truly believe in your cause, the strength comes to you.

And after all.

You are Mighty.”

Beck: .........

[.....]

[Beck closes his eyes...]

Beck: .....

Beck: I'm...not going to destroy my own family.

[The Rebel Angels did a double take in alert surprise.]

Beck: No...

[When he opened them again--]

[They were a FIERCE bright green, shining with a will and determination that could only be defined as Mighty. ]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: (I feel like I’ve seen that look before somewhere…)

Beck: I'm going to SAVE them!

[Their eyes seemed glazed over.

…Clearly, this was going to take a moment to process.]

White: .......

Sanda: ........

Mikhail: -Sighs in relief and puts a hand to his face, finally coming out of an adrenaline rush into a hard crash-

Mikhail: …It may take them a few minutes to finish processing that data.

Mikhail: It’s just.

Mikhail: Barely within their comprehension….

Mikhail: [sub]{great heavens I am so tired}[/sub]

Beck: .......

White: .........

Sanda: ......

[......]

White: Beck...

[Mikhail is sitting down heavily, just listening for the time being as he gathered his thoughts.]

White: I...I can't let you go OUT there--

Skull: Nyet.

[They had finished processing, and were MUCH calmer now, if… weary and haunted.]

Skull: -Quietly- {Doctor, you must.}

Skull: {Unless you wish the likes of my [color=blue]cousin[/color] to be created to go in his place.}

White: ---.....

Sanda: .........

Keltso: {It’s true, Doctor. Your family, they are the strongest. Who can stand against them if they wish to fight, unless they themselves also use incredible force?}

Keltso: {Without you all to help keep order, it will fall to others who are…}

Keltso: {LESS compassionate.}

Sanda: .......

Sanda: Will...Will, they're right.

[Sanda turned towards his best friend, who had placed a hand on his son's shoulder...]

Sanda: There's...no other way...

Jaden: …Please…

Jaden: …Doctor, people are already panicked. Beck may be the only way to stop this from becoming a second Monstropolis.

Jaden: And… a-and it’s not unheard of for one boy to take on the world. And win.

Jaden: [sub]…And since he stays in his right mind, Beck’s far better than he could ever hope to be…[/sub]

White: ........

[He seemed--conflicted. On one hand--he SO DESPERATELY wanted to save his sons and daughters as well--]

[...But Beck was ALSO his son.]

[What if...?]

Beck: Dad...

White: ....

[Will kneels, looking at his son in the eye while placing his hands on both of his shoulders, now, almost identical green hues staring into each other.]

Beck: Dad...I...I'm not gonna lie. I'm scared.

Skull: …

Beck: And--to be honest--I...I don't even know if I can DO this...

Beck: ...But...

Beck: I gotta try.

Beck: Because--....losing...

Beck: ...everyone...

Beck: ....scares me WORSE.

[Speedy looks…

Heartbroken.]

Speedy: (…When it reaches that point…. It’s almost like life isn’t worth living anymore…)

Beck: Dad, I...I don't...I have to...I LOVE them, Dad, I have to TRY. I HAVE to.

Beck: They aren't--themselves, this isn't their fault--!

Digger: -Drills whirr in memory of his own brainwashed chaos- :’ (

Beck: I have to TRY and SAVE them, Dad! WHO ELSE WILL?!

White: . . . .

[Tears...]

Beck: Please...!

[......]

White: ....

White: Soi?

Sanda: ...Yes?

White: Please tell me the teleporters are still working.

Beck: --!

[…!!!]

White: We're going to need them.

[Mikhail stands abruptly, speaking sharply.]

Mikhail: {WAIT!}

[This startles his family members, as he’s speaking VERY sharply—with authority.]

Mikhail: {Will you can’t use the same frequencies as before—}

White: --Of course not--

Mikhail: {Avi has control over the signals, and if he interferes with THAT, it would KILL them!}

White: Yes--I figured that--we've seen his 'news report'.

Sanda: -tHIS IS NEWS TO HIM- WHAT?!

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: …He may be out of commission for a while, but I doubt it will be for long—

Sanda: Wait, what—

Mikhail: -Dryly- He made a critical mistake.

Mikhail: And paid… VERY dearly for it.

White: ....

White: ....So...the screaming--

Mikhail: Yes. That was the two of them.

[Toby was...offline--]

White: --!!!

White: He...no...

Mikhail: When he broke through—the cross that this family bears… was pressed onto HIS shoulders.

Mikhail: It was more than he could bear.

Beck: ----!!! No--! AVI!!

Mikhail: There’s a /reason/, friends, why we tried very hard to downplay what we’ve been through…

Mikhail: And, well. Now he knows. And he’ll remember it ever after, when he snaps out of it.

White: --.....

[His son....]

White: A-Aviator...

Sanda: -Places a hand on his shoulders-

White: .......

Beck: ...Dad...

White: ....-loooong sigh-

[White shakes his head and slumps down to sit on several boxes labeled with the Sanda logo, his hands on his face...]

White: My family...

[....It...]

[It was...almost like LAST time...]

[His family was....!]

Sanda: Will...

[Sanda walks over and sits beside him, an arm around his shoulders.]

Sanda: Will...it's going to be alright.

White: ......

Sanda: You've got me in your corner, remember? ^^

[Ah, there it is. That old Sanda positive optimism and charm.]

Sanda: I'm ALWAYS here for you, you know that!

Sanda: So of COURSE I'm going to help you!

White: ......

Sanda: What are best friends FOR after all. We're in this mess together... So we might as well stick together too, right?

White: ....

White: Heh...

White: What would I do without you, Soi...?

Sanda: Ooooh, I don't know--probably working yourself ragged, that's what.

White: -chuckles softly-

White: .....

White: ...Thank you, Soi.

Sanda: Anytime, Will. Anytime.

Beck: -Smiles-

Mikhail: …Will?

Mikhail: Remember what I told you?

-*-*-*-*-*-

Mikhail: Listen…

Mikhail: If anything ever goes that wrong for you,

Mikhail: I /promise/ you I will help you find a way to fix it.

-*-*-*-*-*-

White: ...Heh...right... I remember...

Sanda: Ya see, Will?!

Mikhail: Though…

Mikhail: -Sighs- Tobias is… out cold, so getting back in contact once Avi regains strength is not going to be an easy feat.

Sanda: .....!

Mikhail: It’s going to take me a while to go through his coding to make sure it hasn’t been disrupted. And even then, I… don’t know if I will revive him right away.

Keltso: … What? But Father—! Why not?!

Mikhail: …Because, my son—he is his father’s son.

Mikhail: He is impulsive, impatient, and passionate.

Mikhail: He very nearly got sent Offline the last time his friends were in danger, remember?

White: ...Quite so...

Mikhail: I do not know what Dyna’s situation might be, but undoubtedly he would… try to stop her, in some manner.

Mikhail: …which would be dangerous for /both/ of them and likely severely emotionally damaging to Lady Dyna long term…

Sanda: -pALES at the thought-

Digger: -Drill whir- : (

Digger: Doctors American…

Digger: …To lose control, from outside force.

Digger: Very hurt much, yes bad. :’C

Digger: … -Can’t. Just can’t. It’s hitting too close to home, here-

[aaAAAAND HE SUDDENLY STARTS TALKING VERY INTENSELY.]

Digger: It is frightening, and horrid!

White: --!!

Digger: I only survived because Cardinal spared my life, faked my death for me—

Digger: All the others, the ones he didn’t reach—they were all dead, but we all have to carry—

Digger: It will be no easy thing, once they recover, for to be returned to right mind does not take away the sins. It will hurt them, badly.

Digger: …

Digger: -Sadly- you must… be ready for that….

White: ........

Sanda: ......

Beck: ......... (Guys....it's....I swear...it's not your fault...)

Mikhail: Yet another reason why we have to stay out of this, boys…

White: ........

White: ........

White: ................

[Stay....out of this...]

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…

[…]

[… … …]

[…There seemed to be.

Something missing…

…

…UH-OH.]

White: -sUDDENLY VERY PANICKED-

White: MIKHAIL.

Mikhail: …?

Mikhail: …

White: WHERE IS CARDINAL?

[A moment of pause.]

Mikhail: -oH GEEZ— - …No…

Siam: No…! No no no no no no no—

Mikhail: CARDINAL!

Sanda: ohhhNO--

Beck: Cards--!

<RMDC>: >ERROR: DLN-000 SIGNAL NOT FOUND.

[There was no response.]

Siam: WHERE IS HE?!

Mikhail: SHUT DOWN THE TELEPORTERS, NOW!

[The Doctor was running off toward the complex in the background.]

Mikhail: For all that is good in the world, PLEASE let him be in the lab—!

White: Beck--

Beck: He's not answering--!

Sanda: -pANIIIIC-

[Nico was hovering by now, eyes glowing in distress.]

Nico: I thought he’d been awfully reserved from his usual commentary—!

White: He....oh no...he must...he must have...!

[...Nearly all of the Mighty Numbers had been taken by the virus...]

[...Including Countershade.]

Skull: … -With surprising amount of emotion for him- {My God.}

Keltso: -Also with surprising amount of emotion, though it’s clearly more on the “anger” side than the “fear” side- {We should have seen this coming, they’re practically twins.}

Skull: …

Keltso: -rAEG- {CARDINAL!}

Keltso: {YOU SELFISH BASTARD—!}

Beck: He's gone after Shade--!

Sanda: --IS HE SERIOUS--

White: .........

Keltso: {WE NEEDED YOU /HERE/, DAMMIT—}

Digger: -OI, OI, WE DO NOT CALL THE COUSIN WHO SAVED OUR LIVES SUCH NAMES— -

Keltso: {THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING!}

Keltso: THEY’RE GOING TO THINK HE’S AN INFECTED XELBOT, JUST LIKE THE OTHERS—

Keltso: My God, your military is going to KILL HIM!

White: ..........

Beck: NO!

Sanda: Will, what is Eight's status?!

White: .....

White: I...I don't know.

[There is dismayed shouting.]

White: It's COUNTERSHADE, Soi! I don't KNOW!

[After a few moments, the feed abruptly cut to the Meadow Lab.

Drawers and equipment lay scattered everywhere, as if the place had been raided.

…Which was an apt description. Not only was Cardinal gone…]

Siam: -Cries out in alarm, rushing over- NO! THE RESEARCH!

[Nico’s system screeched in feedback as they looked in dismay on the empty units.

All the E-Tanks AND the Power Capsules were… gone.

Even the prototypes of the Tanks that Siam had been trying to make.

Cardinal had cleared the place out.]

Mikhail: He took the ENTIRE emergency stock with him—?!

Nico: Has he lost his MIND?!

Keltso: -Hotly- What the glitch does he think he’s DOING?!

Skull: -Eyes burning- He’s going to get himself killed.

Mikhail: My God, we’ve got to get him out of there—

Gemini: I can’t find his signal—!

White: I have NOTHING on this side either--!

Sanda: -sCRAMBLING FOR THE TERMINAL-

Beck: -REPEATEDLY PINGING CARDS, PLEASE ANSWER-

[There is no response.

…Not just “no response,” either.

It’s like the reception had been turned off entirely, like it simply never reached a destination.]

Beck: !?

[For—as a survival feature—ALL the AI&As of his world…

…were able to turn reception and outgoing signals off entirely.]

[Doing so cut them off from the world, reducing them to the more human senses—

—but it also forced others to rely on those same senses to track them.]

[And he had evaded such efforts for twenty YEARS.]

White: ............

White: I...can't find him...

Sanda: BLAST IT--!

Beck: C...cards....

Mikhail: … -Sounds very… resigned- …Nor will you.

Mikhail: …He is not just a Combat construct.

Mikhail: He is military.

Mikhail: And one of the features all AI&As have—just for survival’s sake, as they are hunted—

Mikhail: …is to turn off all wireless transmission—ingoing AND outgoing.

Mikhail: He doesn’t want to be found. He has a mission directive, and he won’t let anyone stop him from completing it. -Slight groan- I’ve seen him like this before. Last time, he traveled half the world—certainly most of Europe and parts of Africa—before he was finished.

Mikhail: He was being sought by the CIA, KGB, and God knows who else…. They never found him.

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: The only way we’ll know where he is…

Mikhail: Is either by his return, or his destruction.

White: ....Unless we figure out where Shade is first...but even THAT is a nigh impossible task...

Sanda: ........

Beck: ....

White: Dear God, Cardinal--...please be alright...

Pisces: …

Pisces: -Slowly- …lasted this long.

Pisces: Fought military before. Police before. Feds before. Even [color=cadetblue] him [/color] b’fore.

Pisces: …Don’t think we’ll find Shade b’fore Cardinal does. We’re all focused on big picture. He’s just focused on Shade. Simple resource distribution comparison.

Pisces: …Plus he seems to know a bit more than at least we do of how Shade thinks and stuff…

Skull: …

Skull: … -Dryly- That’s Shade under /normal/ circumstances.

Pisces: -Flatly- Fine. Viper, then.

White: . . . .

Beck: [sub]....Pisces does have a point...[sub]

Beck: ...Cards could be our best shot at finding Shade....

Pisces: … I know my brother pretty well. He’s… gonna be moving, constantly, staying out of the way unless forced. He only uses force when he has to—to keep the element of surprise. So that people underestimate him. …You guys have no idea what he’s /really/ capable of.

Pisces: But. T’ give you an idea. Basically trying to fight all the rest of us. At once. With teleportation.

Nico: -Grumbles- Yeah, I’m glad we didn’t STAY infected, ESPECIALLY him…

White: --?!? What?!

Sanda: So it DID try to--

Speedy: Dude. The SandaEnterprises Database (White Server) uploaded a corrupt file to the RMDC.

Siam: It didn’t work, but it activated the closest equivalents—

Gemini: The DLN_COMBAT.EXE program and the DWN_COMBAT.EXE/PLAN_M initiative.

Siam: …Basically, the thing that causes 001 to become Death, and the forced “fight to the death” clause Dad put in to counteract it.

Sanda: ..........

White: n...no...

[If it had done THAT to THEM...

Then...who knows...what it could have done to....]

Siam: -sUDDEN THOUGHT— - (CARMEN!)

Beck: --!!!!

White: --!!!!!

Sanda: NOT--

Siam: -Turns sharply- Doctor!

Mikhail: -A bit surprised by the sudden alarm- What?

Siam: Is FMN-008 connected to the RMDC?! The FMN series?!

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: …I don’t think so.

Mikhail: They do have access to Paige, but I hadn’t made entries for them in the RMDC as of yet…

White: .........

Mikhail: She had just been using Shade’s access codes the whole time.

White: ....Mikhail....

White: ....if this is happening to us...

Mikhail: …I know, Will. I know. But we can only handle one apocalypse at a time, my friend. And remember…they’re not as… integrated as we are to the point where time would run parallel. For all we know, it’s several months later for them. Or three weeks ago.

Mikhail: I’ll have Lady Ky look into the temporal status of that timeline.

Skull: -Slowly- I think if Carmen were to get as mad as we were…

Skull: …she’d probably go around castrating a bunch of guys before anything else…

White: ......-wINCES-

Sanda: oh dear--

Beck: -eRK-

Skull: -Looks up- Gotta remember, she was…

Skull: …Pretty sensitive to being given a hard time by guys, either for her looks or behavior.

Skull: … [sub]including her Brandish, even, THAT doesn’t seem like it would end too well, oh dear[/sub]

Mikhail: -Shakes his head- We have enough to worry over without going into “what-if”s.

Mikhail: I would say my youngest son’s insight is correct, however—which is as much of a blessing as we are going to get, because it means she will leave well enough alone, and none of her siblings have any motivation to come here.

Mikhail: …I wonder…

White: ....? Yes? What is it?

Mikhail: …There IS one person who might know.

Jaden: … -Confused- I thought you said you didn’t want to risk sending any viruses to the other timeline.

Mikhail: I’m not talking about Will’s counterpart.

Mikhail: I’m talking about Dencerjack.

White: .....

White: .....Jack....

[There was a brief pause.]

Mikhail: …Jack’s not answering the number in the database.

Mikhail: He must have moved out, or else doesn’t want to answer a strange call. We won’t be getting answers there.

Skull: -Monotone- I suppose we’ll find out if we hear of any mysterious deaths with lipstick left on the victims.

White: .....

Sanda: (Have mercy....)

Beck: -sad, SAD DATA, SIIIIIS-

Keltso: …

Keltso: So now what.

Sanda: Hmm.....

Mikhail: -Looks over at his son-

Keltso: -Shakes his head and sighs- Father…

Keltso: The family leader for our cousins is gone. His bodyguard has fainted. His technician is in critical condition.

Keltso: We cannot go over there in /person/, nor bring them /here/—not while MNN-006 controls the frequencies.

Keltso: -Starting to show irritation- What is there to /do/?!

Mikhail: -Aaand now we place a hand on Rage’s shoulder, calm, son, calm-

Sanda: .......

Sanda: -SNAPS FINGERS-

Siam: ?

Sanda: It's a long shot, but while Avi is still recovering--

[Sanda works away on his terminal, White looking over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Meanwhile, Beck was still trying to contact his siblings--to no avail, of course, but it didn't stop him from still trying.]

Mikhail: -Somewhat curious- You have something in mind, Doctor?

Sanda: I'm going to see if I can contact my brother at the head office in Tokyo...

Mikhail: …! Ah, yes—

[Despite the situation, he couldn’t help but smile.]

Mikhail: You know, Dr. Sanda, I heard it mentioned you had a brother…

[Keltso suddenly looks majorly embarrassed.]

————————

White: Ah, I see. I'll do my best to work around his schedule, so that he may get as much rest as possible.

Siam: -Amused- Do your sons ever have to enforce your curfew, Doctor White, to make sure you get some sleep?

White: Er, W-Well....

Sanda: Are you kidding me, I'M the one that has to remind him to get to bed!

White: And....Beck as well.

<DCN-007>: >?

[Data stream.

Family tree image showing White and Sanda as brothers.]

Siam: -Bursts out laughing-

Sanda: (-LAUGHING OH JEEZ-)

White: (-WAIT WHAT NO-)

Siam: -Fans wheezing- He means that as an inquiry. bwaaaahahaaaaha/haaaaaa/…

White: Sanda isn't...my brother, no...! I mean, I've known him since high school, but...

Sanda: (-HE'S STILL LAUGHING PFFFT-)

Siam: Hee hee… Oh, goodness, I can’t wait to see the three of them have a science sleepover and then… hee hee… -Just shaking with laughter- Like the Second Gens!

Sanda: (-OK ok he's calming down now-) Ahah...oooooh, man. I'm sorry, it's just...!

Sanda: I actually have a twin brother of my own, and I'm just imagining HIM HEARING THIS HAHAHA--

<DCN-007>: >!

[Picture of Siamini]

Siam: Something like that, I imagine. Is he like you, Doctor?

Sanda: We're identical twins, yes! His name is Seijiro Sanda. He's the CEO of Sanda Enterprises's main office in Tokyo!

————————

Keltso: -WHY, DAD, WHY- -NOW WE ARE RED WITH SHAAAAAME-

Siam: -Gleeful pinging- Oh, I Gemini: remember Siamini: THAT Siam: conversation!~

Siam: I still think it’d be funny to see Gemini: the three of you in a sleepover.

Mikhail: -Cracks up a little at that-

White: Heh...

Sanda: -caNT HELP BUT CHUCKLE WHILE HE WORKS-

Sanda: Heh--Seji would like that too, I think--I just hope he's alright. I know this whole mess only seems to be centralized here in America but you never know...

Digger: -Russian shouting- {BECK MY DAD CAN BEAT YOUR DAD IN VIDEO GAMES} :^D

Mikhail: -Strained snort-

Keltso: … {He gets that from /you/ somehow, you know…}

Mikhail: {No, that’s something he got from your mother, my son.}

[.............]

Beck: .....

White: .....?

Beck: Huh? Oh--sorry. I wasn't listening...

[-PING!-]

???: {-PANICKED JAPANESE YELLING-}

[A holoscreen feed was brought up, and a man almost identical to Soi appeared on the screen, looking less than calm. The only key differences was the slightly different hairstyle--and the sharp business suit.]

???: {SOICHIRO--CAN YOU HEAR ME?!}

[Mikhail blinked as the feed entered multi-window mode, with Soi, White, and Beck in one half, and the Seiji in the other half.]

Skull: … -Looks down at the ground where Shadow, Snow, and Tobias are (still) passed out- ({…This is probably not the best way to make a first impression.})

Soi: {Seijiro--}

Seiji: {OH THANK THE STARS YOU'RE ALRIGHT--! I've been trying to contact you for HOURS but most of the signals and feeds are down--WILL!}

Mikhail: ({Similar temperaments, alright…})

White: -AHEM takes a moment to remember our Japanese-

White: {I'm alright, Mr. Sanda--please, take a moment to calm down, though we might not have much time on our hands...}

Skull: -Is discretely getting his brothers and Siam to help move the Offline AI&As out of view of the feed-

[Seiji takes out a small handkerchief to wipe his forehead a bit, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.]

Seiji: {Yes, yes...I apologize, I was just so worried after that... broadcast...}

Seiji: ........

[He switches to English.]

Seiji: Is it...true? Has Avi really....

Mikhail: … -Quietly, though still loud enough to be heard- Yes. Unfortunately so.

Seiji: ......

Seiji: And who is--

Soi: Reeeeeemember the friend Will and I made that I told you about....?

Soi: Mikhail, Seijiro--Seijiro, Mikhail. Sorry you both had to meet in these circumstances....

Mikhail: Михаил Сергеевич Казак, at your service. Or, Ｄｒ．ミハイル・セルゲイビッチ・コサック, as you might say it.

Mikhail: MNN-006 is currently disabled after a tragic conflict with DLN-008; but he will likely recover before too long. Some things will have to wait until later to be explained.

Seiji: ...Yes, yes, of course...I understand. What is the current situation?

White: ...There appears to be some kind of virus outbreak that infected our servers here in the American Branch--which in turn, infected other servers and the like. It's causing nearly every robot to malfunction and act aggressively--even civilian and industrial models have been affected. The only robot that is immune to the ongoing virus is...Mighty No. 9, Beck.

Beck: ....Hi, Mr. Sanda...

Mikhail: Sadly, it affected the rest of the series. They appear to be dispersed.

Mikhail: One of the DLN series has also gone missing, likely having gone out to seek No. 8.

Seiji: ....

Seiji: So even....the Mighty Number line...

White: .... Yes. They've...all gone somewhere else. I don't know where they are at the moment, and some of the other numbers have no status whatsoever...such as Mic.

Seiji: .....

Seiji: And...Call?

White: I--

White: ....

White: Soi--where IS Call?

Soi: She's in the east wing. Offline, at the moment--

Beck: Offline?!

Nico: Uh…

Nico: Who’s “Call"?

Mikhail: …! (Uh-oh.)

White: --! -OH NO WE FORGOT--

Digger: -LOUDLY- COUSIN COME HELP WITH ELECTRIC BROTHER.

Nico: Uh—

Digger: YES GOOD -Drags Nico off-

Skull: … -Russian- {You all do realize you’re going to have to confront that eventually, right?}

Siam: Perhaps, but not /today/, now is /not/ a good time, one disaster at a time, please. >__>

Seiji: ....???

White: We'll explain that later too.

Seiji: .....

Beck: -AHEM WHY IS MY BEST FRIEND\SISTER-COUSIN OFFLINE?! -

Soi: Well....

Jaden: (This is where Felix would say “It’s A Long Story”—man, I wonder if he’s still sick…)

Soi: Before this all started--several minutes before, in fact--today she was due for a firmware update....so I shut down her systems for it can install properly...

Mikhail: Wait.

Soi: --?

Mikhail: Are you saying she was in technological isolation when this happened?

Soi: In a way--Yes, but...since the lab's systems are mostly down, I can't know for sure if she's been...or even IF the firmware update completed before it all started...

Soi: ......

Mikhail: -Becomes quiet, apparently thinking this over- … -Murmuring- I’d offer to help in that regard, but I’m afraid I’m out of the country at the moment…

Seiji: ......

White: ...We'll have to bring her back online in a sealed room--so if she IS infected, Beck can bring her back to normal using his assimilation and filter program. We will definitely need her support, Soi.

Soi: I know, I know...

Mikhail: Speaking of support. I will help however I can, but that will be limited to how long we can stay in contact.

Mikhail: -Russian, as he is banking on Seiji not knowing it- {You know why it would be a bad idea for my sons to come over—thankfully, at least THEY will listen to me. Unlike a certain red bird we know.}

White: Hmm....

Beck: I can go do that with her right now, Dad. If anyone can handle Call in combat...

Soi: .....

Soi: Beck?

[…Theeeeee RUSSIANS SEEM TO TAKE A DEFENSIVE STANCE AT THAT.]

Soi: ....If she is...not well... please be careful she's my little girl--

Beck: I will. Promise.

[As Beck moves away from the terminal, Soi turns back to his brother.]

Soi: Seiji...we could use all the help we can get. Can you do anything for us right now? Anything at all?

[........]

Seiji: .....I....

Seiji: I'm sorry, Soichiro...please understand. If things are as bad as you say they are, then....

Seiji: The Japanese government won't let us intervene unless we know the exact CAUSE of the malfunctions--and how to combat the virus en masse...

Mikhail: -Sighs, but clearly not at all surprised- : |

Soi: ....

Soi: ...I...I was afraid of that.

Soi: ...But it makes sense.... If you send more robots overseas, THEY could get infected too, making everything even worse.

Mikhail: And there is little enough human resources to go around…

White: ......

White: Just to confirm, Mr. Sanda.

Seiji: Yes?

White: If we can isolate the cause of the robot rampage--you WILL send aid?

Mikhail: -Perks up at this-

[Seijiro nods.]

Seijiro: Absolutely. Anything we can do.

Mikhail: Will— -Somewhat eagerly- {Even if I wouldn’t be able to report it right away, I would be able to help study it. For every action, an equal and opposite reaction—}

[Aaaand he’s talking absentmindedly and rapidly in Russian about comparing and contrasting the strain with the DLN_COMBAT.EXE program and the notes he had from what Will had been teaching him about coding with Xel.]

Skull: -Politely, for Seiji’s sake- Father says he will help figure that out.

White: {Ah--I was actually going to ask!}

Seiji: -....and now we wish we took Russian instead of French in our second languages class- Thank you, Dr. Cossack. Thank you.

Siam: Doctor, Doctor—

Siam: I know it’s important but I /beg/ your help to fix Tobias first, to make sure Aviator didn’t fatally damage his Awareness coding. D: Gemini: I can’t code as well as you do.

Mikhail: —… -Small, quiet sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose a little- Right, of course. Sorry, Will, it may be delayed be a day or two, but… I don’t think it would take much longer than that. {Time warps, and all that.}

White: That's alright. I understand. I can handle things until then.

Seiji: ....It sounds as if you already have a plan in mind, Will.

White: More or less.

Mikhail: …It would be important for us to know what that is, given there are already a number of independently [color=brick]moving[/color] [color=cadetblue]parts[/color]…

White: Hmm.

White: I would like to have No. 9 present as soon as he--

[-PING!-]

Mikhail: ?

[CALL IS NOW ONLINE. STATUS: NORMAL.]

[MN.9] //: GUYS GOOD NEWS SHE'S OK! : D

Soi: CALL--

Siam: -Pings in approval-

[Therrrre he goes!]

Mikhail: -Smiles- (I had thought as much, but hadn’t dared to hope…!) {Good news amidst the darkness. The sun still shines out there somewhere. We’ll drag it out from behind the clouds, if that’s what it takes.}

[CALL] //: .....

[CALL] //: I detect distressed emotions in various vocal patters of all present. Is something wrong, Dr. Sanda?

[MN.9] //: Lemmie fill you in on what's going on, Call...it's...not good.

[UPDATING...]

[CALL] //: ........

[CALL] //: Analyzing....

Siam: …Tobias will need time to recover, I’m afraid… but I am sure we can fix the damage.

Gemini: … [sub]The “physical” damage, at any rate…[/sub]

[CALL] //: ............

[......]

[-PING!-]

[CALL] //: I have been informed of the current situation. I will assist in any way I can, Doctors.

Soi: Attagirl! ^^

Mikhail: -Turns his attention to Will- You were saying?

White: -Ahem- We will be sending Beck to save all of his fellow Mighty Numbers, as he is the only combat model available to face them at the moment--

[-PING-]

[CALL] //: I am also registered as a combat model.

Mikhail: -Can’t help but smile at this- Dearest Sanda daughter… It is psychologically important to the Whites to be able to handle the matter internally if possible.

[CALL] //: ..........

[CALL] //: ..........

[MN.9] //: Call--I'd really like for you to have my back...

[MN.9] //: ...But this is WAY too dangerous and the Doctors need you here. No one can sort through data like you can, you give even AVI a run for his money.

[MN.9] //: ....Plus...you don't have my assimilation ability.

[MN.9] //: ...and I don't want you REALLY getting infected either...

Mikhail: Ah, is that so? I didn’t know she was so skilled at data analysis. Though to be fair, you haven’t told us much about her…

Mikhail: With both Aviator and Tobias out of the picture and Siamini busy with other projects, that role is in desperate need of being maintained.

[CALL] //: ...... Confirmed.

[CALL] //: I shall remain here and assist with data analysis and navigational support for No. 9.

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

White: Right....

Siam: The support role may not be glorious, DSN-000, but it is an important one.

Gemini: [sub]As I can say from experience…[/sub]

[CALL] //: ... Inquiry---

White: AS I was saying... (We really do not have time for stories, Call.)

<DWN-019 to DSN-000>: >It might be best to ask directly for now, and let the humans talk amongst themselves.

White: Beck will be tracking down his fellow Mighty Numbers. His assimilation ability should filter any and all irregularities in his siblings' programming.

Mikhail: -Has his arms crossed, eyes closed, and head lowered- ({Hopefully, he’ll find Cardinal in the process, too. BEFORE he ends up getting himself destroyed.})

White: If we can gather and study multiple samples of the virus's coding from the Mighty Numbers themselves...

White: Perhaps we can isolate the cause of the problem.

Mikhail: -Nods in agreement- We shall help in that analysis as best we can.

White: Once we've identified the root of the malfunctions, we can work on some way to combat it. Be it in the form of a anti-virus program or whatever else we can come up with. Meanwhile, Soi can help repair the rescued Mighty Numbers while I study the code along with Mikhail--once he finishes repairing DLN-008.

Soi: -Nods- Hmm. I'll do what I can with the non-infected Xel we have on stock.

Seiji: ....But...

Seiji: Are you SURE you will have sufficient Xel for ALL the Mighty Numbers?

Mikhail: From what I understand, Seijiro—Number Nine can cleanse infected Xel. So, yes.

Mikhail: And in fact, one moment…

[He starts typing away at the console.

A few moments later, the Xel canisters that were in the Meadow show up next to Will.]

Mikhail: That may help somewhat.

Soi: !!!

White: ! Ah! {The supply in the Meadow--I had nearly forgotten...}

Mikhail: {You may need it. …It’s the least I can give, since I can’t go over there in person.}

Mikhail: I promised you, once, to help you fix it if things ever went “that wrong”. I stand by that now. We will bring your children home, Will. {And, God willing, Cardinal as well.}

Mikhail: -Sloppy sad smile- {Though he does almost see you as a father now, himself. Even though you are about the same age.}

Mikhail: -Definitely amused- {Apparently you function as the scolding “this is a bad idea” part of his conscience. He’s picked up a lot from Shade, to be sure, heh heh.}

White: (....He...does...?)

[...He paused for a moment, as if to mull over that for a second--when he remembers something from earlier.]

White: Incidentally, I did manage to catch a bit of news on the way here. It's something I don't think I've told you yet, Soi.

Soi: ...?

Mikhail: ?

White: The president of Cherry Dynamics is insisting the cause of the malfunctions is... Dr. Blackwell.

Mikhail: -Snorts- Oh, right, that. To be honest…

Mikhail: -Turns to look behind him- Carlos was yelling so loudly in Spanish, and Shadow in Japanese, that we didn’t hear the full broadcast.

Speedy: ^^;

Soi: What??

Soi: That's-- -sputters- --poppycock!

Mikhail: Of course he would say something like that. What could he be hiding about his company?

Mikhail: Cardinal is convinced that he and CherryDyn are connected to some sort of great darkness. While we are prone to paranoia, his behavior certainly isn’t helping his case.

Mikhail: I’d help you with these shark-infested waters like I did last time—

Seiji: I'd thank you properly for that but I'm afraid time is short. What about Dr. Blackwell, Soi?

Soi: Dr. Blackwell may be a genius but he can't POSSIBLY be behind this! Not THIS time, at least--

White: Soi... you must admit, there ARE similarities to his LAST plot to...shut down every robot in America...

Mikhail: Will.

Soi: You mean how they both originated at the Battle Colosseum?

Mikhail: I do believe Siamini already discussed with you the likely /cause/ of his last attempt.

[Woah, what’s with the sudden coldness there]

White: .......I know, Mikhail. But we must consider all possibilities--

Soi: Will--he was caught and arrested! Even Ben isn't clever enough to pull this off from inside a maximum security prison!

White: Exactly.

[Mikhail pinches the bridge of his nose. He looks weary, in an impatient way.]

Mikhail: -Warning tone- Will…

White: Which is why I wonder why Mr. Graham seemed so certain. He is OBVIOUSLY hiding something, we know that much--

[KKKSSSSSSST!!!]

Mikhail: !

Mikhail: Nyet, nyet, nyet—!

Mikhail: {Not NOW!}

"MISS ME, GOOD DOCS?!"

White: AVI!

“STOP."

Mikhail: !

[He turns around to see Jaden striding forward.]

Jaden: He isn’t himself. Please, don’t get angry with him.

[MN.6] //: Ooo, nice drills ya got there. Kinda rings a bell.

[MN.6] //: AAAANYWAY--whatever your little sparky friend did REALLY ruined my good mood.

Siam: -Hotly- It’s whatever YOU did, Number Six— he did WARN you.

<DWN-013 to DWN-019>: >Shut up, little brother. He’s not himself.

Jaden: Avi, don’t blame yourself for this. Tobias will be fine once you are. Remember that, once you get over it.

[MN.6] //: ; D

[MN.6] //: Pfft, get over what? Kinda missing some context, here, drill hands.

Jaden: -Slight smile- Of course you are. But it won’t stay that way, will it?

Jaden: You seem like the investigative reporter type, after all.

[MN.6] //: Stillllll don't get it, but yeah! Seems my MIGHTY rep proceeds me, huh?~

Jaden: You could say that.

Jaden: …What exactly are you planning to do, Avi? Mind enlightening the uneducated masses, here?

Mikhail: ({My stars, is he patient. He certainly got his father’s way with words, that’s for sure.})

[MN.6] //: Heh...

[MN.6] //: Avi News is gonna take off, drill hands. At long LAST.

[MN.6] //: ...I'd tell you more but that would be a MAJOR spoiler alert right there.

[MN.6] //: So. Ya know. Stay tuned.~

Jaden: Oh, so we’ll have to stay tuned, then? -Whirr whirr- Hard to do that if the cable’s out.

[MN.6] //: Oh, trust me, I'll make SURE the cable works--

[MN.6] //: Avi News is gonna be every hour on the hour, 24/7! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~

<DWN-019>: > Yeah. GREAT job you did there.

Mikhail: -Facepalm- ({Aaaaaand his father’s propensity for things backfiring on him.})

<DWN-013>: >Oh, be quiet, pretty boy. Tobias wouldn’t be happy to come back to learn Avi was hating himself for things we had said while he was sick.

[MN.6] //: Better get used to this voice, ladies and gentlemen! It's all you're gonna hear over the feeds for the REST of your lives.~

[…

Jaden laughs at this. He sounds very amused.]

[MN.6] //: Somethin' funny? Cuz I can do comedy too!

Jaden: Well, perhaps. But that, too, would be, as you put it…

Jaden: A spoiler alert.

Jaden: I guess I’ll just have to call back later, won’t I.

[MN.6] //: NOW you're getting it!

[MN.6] //: Welp, gotta fly! On a tight script, ya know. Oh...

[MN.6] //: And Lil bro?~

[MN.9] //: --!! [...The same dark tone used for Tobias was present in his next words.]

[MN.6] //: Don't be late.

[KKKSSSSSSST!]

[WARNING: SERVER SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

Mikhail: -Sighs- {At least we got some things done.}

[The Russian Doctor shakes his head and walks off to start working on repairs for Tobias. The others do likewise… save for Jaden.

He just stands there, in front of the feed.]

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >Took you a bit longer than I expected to get back on your feet, Airman.

[MN.6 To DWN-013] //: No comment, drill hands. Now shut it, trying to work here.

[Jaden just gives a cold smile, though the way his eyes are glowing suggests more of a smirk.]

Jaden: (Try to work all you want, Turbine. You won’t stay in control of Avi forever.)

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

=CHAPTER 2A: BEYOND THE WATERY VORTEX=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

{SANDA LABS...}

[It was morning.

Will had fallen asleep next to his terminal, which still showed many analysis programs running in the desktop--it seems they had been running for the rest of that night...

Sanda had worked hard and a little longer than Will--a rare thing--but he did his best to get Pyro back up to his normal Xel Count, which should be enough for now; all Pyro needed was rest.

Meanwhile, Beck had fallen asleep next to Call, who was ever restless, ticking away at her console...]

Beck: Zzzz....

[Beck looked much better—his armor was fully repaired, as well as his internal systems—he was all ready to go, as soon as he woke up.

They just needed to find...]

[PING!]

White: --!!!

[Will shoots straight awake at the sound--and immediately looks at his terminal. Did the analysis find anything...?!]

Beck: —?

[Beck also jerks awake—and nearly almost falls over, but luckily he grabbed onto the back of Call's chair in time.]

Beck: What? What is it?

Call: I have located Mighty No. 2's transponder signal.

[PING!]

[MN.1 IS NOW ONLINE.]

[MN.1] //: Cryo?!

Call: Scanning...

Call: .......

Call: Scan complete. Mighty No. 2 is currently located in Minnesota. The location data suggests that she has confined herself within a Water Works Bureau treatment plant.

[MN.1] //: —!!

White: —! Of course...

White: Soichiro!

Sanda: I heard, I heard—!

[MN.1] //: If she's in a Water Works plant--the place must be her own personal playground by now...

Beck: (She...oh no...all the PEOPLE...!) How soon can I move out?

White: Call?

Call: Setting up Xel Transfer now...please wait.

[PING!]

[MN.1] //: Father—

White: Absolutely not.

[MN.1] // My Xel Count is normalized, I can—

White: I said no.

White: We do not need YOU running off as well—Beck has your ReXelection now, and therefore Cryo's weakness: he will be fine.

[MN.1] //: .........

White: Please, son...you've been through enough. Rest.

[MN.1] //: . . .

Beck: Big Brother...

Beck: I SWEAR I'll bring Cryo back. I promise. I can DO this.

[MN.1] //: . . . .

[MN.1] //: Beck...

[MN.1] //: She is creative, crafty, and fearless.

[MN.1] //: Be prepared for ANYTHING.

[MN.1] //: ....And please...

[MN.1] //: Be careful.

[Beck nods, adjusting his visor with a ping of confirmation.]

Beck: Roger that, Big bro.

Call: Xel Transfer ready. The coordinates are set.

White: Beck?

Beck: ...

Beck: I'm ready.

White: Good luck, Beck...

Sanda: Go get her back for us!

Call: Xel Transfer in progress...

[........]

[PING!]

[MN.1 to CALL] //: Call.

[CALL to MN.1] //: Yes, No. 1?

[MN.1 to CALL] //: Do you want to increase Beck's chances of success?

[CALL to MN.1] //: That would be preferable, yes.

[MN.1 to CALL] //: Then I need you to do me a favor...

[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 2, CRYOSPHERE, HAS TAKEN CONTROL OF A MINNESOTA WATER WORKS BUREAU, WHICH HAS SUBSEQUENTLY CEASED OPERATIONS.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVES: LOCATE AND PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM MN.2, RESCUE ANY TRAPPED CIVILIANS/WORKERS WITHIN THE AREA.]

[SYSTEMS READY?]

[GO!]

[So far, materializing into the Water Works was just like going into the Oil Platform—

Except now, instead of the raging heat, it was now bitter cold that stung every surface of his frame, causing him to shiver uncontrollably for a few moments...]

Beck: Brr...

[It only took a few moments for his internals to adjust to the freezing temperatures—and when they did...]

Beck: ! What—

[His comm went online.]

Sanda: What's this—?! The main entrance is frozen shut!

White: That should pose no problem. Beck, now would be a good time to use Pyro's ability.

Beck: On it—

[REXELECT—]

Beck: —!!

Beck: Wait—

[C.VISOR: ONLINE. SCANNING...]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

Beck: —! Ack—I knew it!

White: What—what is it?

Beck: I'm detecting both organic and Xel signatures on the other side.

Beck: If I use Pyro's power, I might hurt them.

White: —! Ah...can you find some other way inside to rescue them?

Beck: Not from what I can see.

Call: Scanning...

Call: ....

Call: Beck, proceed east. I've located a faster, alternate route into the waterworks via the reservoir.

Beck: Call—Call I sink like a ROCK.

Beck: I can't SWIM very well—!!

Call: This alternate route has various platforms and ledges that can be used for safe access to the waterworks.

Call: I have seen you jump quite well underwater myself, No. 9.

Beck: ....

Beck: Are you SURE it's safe down there...?

Call: There may be a likely chance that malfunctioning aquatic based CherryDyn and Sanda models have also taken residence in the reservoir.

Beck: .....

Beck: Of course they did...

[Beck trudged along forward with a foreboding sense of dread, and after running into a couple of standard trash bots--]

[He came across a long access pool that only went straight down. There was nothing but a faint green tinge to it, making visibility null.]

Beck: ....

Beck: This is the unfiltered reservoir.

Call: Also correct.

Beck: GROSS.

White: ....-makes a face-

Sanda: Oof, that's gonna be unpleasant...

Beck: ....

Beck: -INHALES-

Beck: CANNONBALL—

[KERSPLASH!]

[He used his dash to seamlessly dive into the reservoir feet first...]

[His C.Visor went down over his eyes once it sensed the presence of water and increased pressure, and adjusted his sight to give at least an idea of what he was getting into.]

Beck: (OoooooomanI'mgoingREALLYdeep—)

[Down...]

[Down...]

[And down he went...]

[Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity--]

[His feet find solid steel floor.]

Beck: ....

[.......]

[LOW LEVEL LIGHT DETECTED.]

[NEON REFLECTORS: ONLINE.]

[The lights on his arm cannon started to glow brighter!]

Beck: —! (Oh—neat...!)

Call: Warning--incoming hostiles.

[...Yes, it seems as if several small bubbles of...dirty filth was heading towards him...?]

Beck: ....?

Call: Several of the plant's water filtering robots have utilized the toxins and harmful debris within the reservoir to act as a shield.

[They seemed to be attracted to Beck's light...!]

Beck: (—OK TIME TO MOVE—)

[Out of instinct, Beck chose to dash out of the way of the bubbles of filth—which were slowly coming together into a bigger bubble.]

Beck: —!

[Wha—]

[His AcXelarate—! It carried him JUST as far as it did on land!]

Beck: ......

Beck: (I CAN SWIM WITH THIS—)

[Using his dash as a sort of propeller, he turns and starts to BLAST away at the filth surrounding the filter robots—which, to his surprise...]

[Were a lot smaller than he imagined they would be...]

Beck: —!

Beck: (There seems to be a LOT of these guys down here; they must work together to purify the water...)

White: Beck, don't let those models group together in large numbers—their shield would be nearly impossible to break then!

[MN.9] //: Got it!

Call: Proceed east.

[Beck swam-dashed across the reservoir, careful to not let the filter robots gang up on him on the way—there were a couple of trash bots on the bottom, but he assumed they just fell into the reservoir and couldn't get out—thus he left them well alone.]

Beck: (Gotta find the access flow to the filtered reservoir—)

[KSSSSSTT!]

"Beck? Beck--"

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: Do you read me?

Beck: --??

[MN.9 to MN.1] //: Big bro??

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: Ah--thank goodness. Listen closely...

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: I've been listening in. Are you inside the works yet?

[MN.9 to MN.1] //: Not quite--I'm still at the unfiltered reservoir.

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: Mmm...

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: Very well. I'll wait until you've made it through.

[MN.9 to MN.1] //: Wait, what do you mean by—

[KSSSST!]

Beck: ...???

White: --? Is something wrong, Beck?

Beck: .....

[MN.9] //: Nope. All good here.

Call: The access flow to the filtered reservoir is just ahead.

White: Careful, Beck--any contact with the malfunctioning filtering equipment could prove fatal.

[Beck would soon see why--]

[Not only was the purifying system completely OUT OF CONTROL—Xel disrupting spikes also lined the walls....]

Beck: .......

[MN.9] //: WHO THE HECK PUT THESE DOWN HERE—

White: .....Good question...

Beck: (If I dash the wrong way here—...)

Beck: (Gotta be precise--!)

[Carefully calculating the exact path he needed to dash-swim in and how many times he needed to do so...]

Beck: (Three...two...one...)

[ACXELERATE DASH: MAX OUTPUT REACHED.]

[It was sort of like watching a white ping pong ball, zipping around and weaving in and out of the various moving parts of the reservoir filter system, making sure to avoid the walls in the process...]

Beck: (Almost there...)

[—AH! A ladder! All he had to do was climb up and—

... ...

Wait—...

Was that ice?]

Beck: ...!!

[A thick coat of ice—practically a wall—blocked the way out!]

Beck: (No!)

[MN.9] //: Dad, the reservoir exit is blocked—!

White: Ngh—! Call, can you recalculate another route?

Call: .....

White: Call?

Call: There is no need, Dr. White.

White: ...??

Call: Xel Transfer in progress...

Call: Mighty No. 1 is now on site at the Waterworks.

White: —WHAT?!

[PING!]

[MN.1] //: I'm sorry, Father.

[MN.1] //: But I won't stand by any longer. I have a duty as a leader.

[MN.1] //: And a responsibly as an elder brother!

[MN.9] //: Pyrogen! : D

White: Sandaaa—!

Sanda: I HAD NO CLUE WHAT HE WAS DOING I SWEAR—

Call: It was me.

Sanda: —?! Call?!

Call: .... Two Mighty Numbers on site would increase chances of success.

[MN.1] //: You might want to swim back down a bit, Beck.

Beck: ....

Beck: -dash swim BACKWARDS YUP GOT IT BRO-

[CCCRAK! C RACK!]

“HAAARGH!"

[BLAM!]

[The ice was obliterated--bits of ice flew out of the pool itself...]

[...And a familiar hand reached past the surface.]

Beck: !

[Beck swam-dashed up and up--]

[...Until he grasped at it with his own hand.]

[He felt himself being pulled up and out of the reservoir...]

Pyro: Need a little more firepower, brother?

[Beck simply beams up at his elder as he is set down onto solid ground.]

Beck: ANYTIME, big bro!

White: ......

White: -gREAT NOW HE CANT BRING HIMSELF TO GROUND HIM AFTER THIS-

Sanda: Heh...your boys sure are something, huh, Will?

White: .....

White: -SIGH-

White: Whatever am I going to DO with you, Pyrogen...?

Pyro: ....

Pyro: -snort-

Pyro: Haven't heard THAT one in a while.

Beck: ^^

[Having his big brother by his side...]

[It made him feel a LOT more confident now that his team leader was here.]

Beck: What are your orders, sir? (^.^)7

Pyro: ....

Pyro: I'm not the one heading this mission, Beck.

Beck: ...?

Pyro: You are.

Beck: --!

Pyro: Your objective is to locate our sister.

Pyro: Is there anything else that should be done here, Beck?

Beck: .....

Beck: Find and rescue the civilians and workers!

[THIS made Pyro grin with pride.]

Pyro: That's it.

Pyro: There seems to be a branching path up ahead. I'll take the north and see if I can find any workers and civilians...

[The fire-based leader looks to the side, ice covering every square inch of the hallways, ceiling, and floor.]

Pyro: Cryo's certainly done a number on the place, alright...

Sanda: Yes, it's not just the entrance--the entire PLACE is like one giant ice rink!

White: This is all her handiwork, alright...

White: Careful, now, you two...

White: You know how she loves her pranks.

Pyro: ......

Pyro: Lord help us.

[Cryosphere was BAD enough with her puns and pranks--

In her crazed state, who KNOWS what she will be capable of?]

Pyro: And of COURSE she's frozen over the entire floor too...

Beck: This is just like the time she did that back home but--BIGGER.

Pyro: Watch your step, then...

[The two Mighty brothers continued moving forward, the temperature within the facility taking a massive drop as they ventured deeper inside. There were more robots that stood in their way, but they were no match for the pair of them working together--Pyro threw himself at them with his explosive abilities, and after they had been thoroughly trashed, Beck cleaned up after by absorbing their Xels]

[Soon the fork in the path came up.]

Pyro: There it is...

Pyro: I'll move down this way. Beck, keep tracking down No. 2.

Beck: -SALUTE- Yes, sir!

Pyro: ....

Pyro: Good luck, little brother.

Beck: ...You too, Pyro.

[Pyro nods one final time before rushing down the connecting corridor, flaring up to his full armor before turning the corner, and out of sight.]

Pyro: (The most likely places workers would be around the main entrances, break rooms, and finally the pipeworks...)

[Meanwhile, Beck dashes onwards, and it's not long before he moves on into the next room...]

Beck: --!!

[The door that was just on the other side slammed shut.]

[His comm link went active--but it wasn't Pyro, Will, Sanda, or even Call.]

[No...]

[MN.2] //: Well, well, ICE to see YOU, Beck! Kyahaha!~

Beck: CRYO?!

White: Wha--how did she find this frequency?!

[MN.2] //: Hiiiii daaadyyyy!~

White: ...! Cryo...?

[MN.2] //: I'm SNOW glad you guys could make it! I was starting to get SOOOOO bored playing with all these LAME CherryDyn bots...

Beck: Big...Sis...?

[...This...this was odd.

When Pyro was infected--he only showed uncontrolled rage --and what's more, he didn't recognize Beck at ALL.

Yet...

His sister was...well, she didn't look like she changed at all. ]

[MN.2] //: Now we can all PLAY together!~ Cool!

[MN.9] //: ....

[PING!]

[MN.1] //: CRYOSPHERE!

[MN.2] //: .......

[MN.2] //: Oh.

[MN.2] //: It's YOU.

[MN.1] //: --! Cryo--

[MN.2] //: Becky--why is our GOOD FOR NOTHING MATCHSTICK OF A BROTHER doing in MY winter wonderland?

[MN.9] //: --!! Cryo! THAT'S PYRO--

[MN.2] //: I KNOW THAT.

[MN.2] //: HE NEVER LETS ME HAVE ANY F U N! It's always DON'T DO THIS AND DON'T FIGHT THAT AND ALL YOU KNOW WHAT TO SAY IS N O.

[MN.1] //: -fLARE- Cryosphere--!

[MN.2] //: You ALWAYS carry me somewhere else without even ASKING--JUST BECAUSE I'M SMALLER THAN YOU DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET TO DO THAT, MATCHSTICK.

[MN.2] //: YOU WERE ALWAYS THE BOSS OF ME.

[MN.2] //: ........

[MN.2] //: Well.

[MN.2] //: You know what?

[MN.2] //: I'm SICK of being number two to you, big bro.

[MN.2] //: You aren't ALLOWED in my playground--so if I were YOU, I'd take you and your lame powers and SKEDADDLE.

[MN.2] //: Unless you want me to send this whole place to absolute zero?~

[MN.1] //: ........

[MN.9] //: Cryo....

[MN.2] //: --! Ooooh--right, YOU!~ Don't worry, Becky--you can stay! You're ALWAYS a good playmate. Kyahaha!

[MN.2] //: But big bro's gotta go. My place, MY rules.

[MN.1] //: ......

[MN.1] //: Alright.

[MN.9] //: --! Pyro, no--!

[MN.1] //: On one condition.

[MN.2] //: Ppffft. What?

[MN.1] //: We play hide and seek first.

[MN.1] //: Just like old times, right, Cryo?

[MN.2] //: --!

[MN.2] //: I'm listeniiiiing...

[MN.1] //: You and I will hide, and Beck will try to seek us. If he finds me first, then I'll leave.

[MN.2] //: Oooooh!

[MN.1] //: BUT--if Beck finds YOU first, then you two will have to just play without me.

[MN.2] //: -EXCITED SQUEAL-

[MN.2] //: I LIKE that!~ Oh, but it won't be any FUN if you TOOK too long...then I'd get BORED all over again...

[MN.2] //: SNOW, you guys got 9 minutes!~ Kyahahahaha!

[MN.2] //: You're on thin ice here, RUNT! So try not to get cold feet, OK?~ Kyahahahahaha!

[KKKSSSSST]

Beck: ........

[MN.1] //: .....

[MN.1] //: She really hasn't changed much...aside from all that, that is.

[MN.9] //: Big bro...

[MN.1] //: 9 minutes isn't much time, Beck--get a move on.

[MN.9] //: ......yes sir.

Beck: Now how the heck do I get out of this room--

[CLANK]

Beck: UGH--!

[A large mass of debris clonked Beck on the back of his head, knocking him over as it bounced off of him and--]

[--Back to another waterworks bot! A...a PAIR of them, in fact, each parallel to the walls.]

[The ball of debris hurled towards the red one--who flipped itself over to deflect it back at Beck.]

Beck: Wah--!

[He AcXelerated out of the way--and raised his arm cannon to strike at the malfunctioning bot--]

[CLANK--!]

Beck: OW--

[The other one--identical but green in color--had knocked the dodged debris RIGHT back at Beck when he wasn't looking, landing a direct hit.]

Beck: (Ugh--great, now I have to dodge twice as much just to avoid that ball of junk they're knocking around...!)

[He TRIED shooting at the ball of debris itself--and it worked!]

[...Until one of the bots made ANOTHER one just to throw around. These were waste management bots!]

Beck: (These guys must get rid of all the gunk in the unfiltered reservoir...)

[CLANK!]

Beck: NGH--

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[...It was clear that this was starting to become tedious--whenever he tried to shoot at one of them, the other knocked back the junk, forcing him to dodge--and whenever he tried to DESTROY it, one of them made another rather quickly--]

Beck: (These guys are going to wear ME and my TIME down--I've got no choice--!)

[REXELEXTION: PYROGEN. ]

[Beck's body glowed briefly before settling down into Pyro's form, the torch on his head burning brightly.]

Beck: Let's GO!

[CHARGING...]

Beck: Burning...

Beck: SPIRIT!

[KERBLAM!]

[The resulting explosion ROCKED the entire room, and perhaps even the whole Bureau--parts of the walls and flooring took most of it, and the waste robots were DEFINITELY caught in the blast--one of them was stuck, in fact!]

Beck: Got ya!

[Switching back to default, the waste bot was quickly taken care of, absorbed and converted into another Xel Stock to make up for the one he used.

Since its other pair was gone, it was easier to dodge the ball of junk without worrying about the other hurling it back.

Once the pair was FINALLY defeated, the door opened!]

White: No time to waste, Beck! You have 6 minutes!

Beck: I know, I'm going--!

[Into the waterworks pipelines he went--and it just got even colder. ]

[The pipeworks were, of course, forzen over--along with everything ELSE--even several of the malfunctioning robots were stuck in place.]

Beck: WhOA--!!

[These pipes were long and wide--but the ice made it difficult to get across. One wrong move and he could slip RIGHT back down into the ground--and a fall from this height would REALLY smart.]

Beck: (Balance--balance--!)

"There's only one way to get past all this ice!"

Beck: --!!

Pyro: BURN RIGHT THROUGH IT!

Beck: Pyro!

[On another set of pipes, Pyro CHARGED right through a block of ice in his way, which formed from the burst of water in the cracks caused by the expanding properties of the ice.]

Pyro: Beck! Use my form and blast through all the ice in your way!

[PING!]

[MN.2] //: HEY, THAT'S CHEATING!

[MN.1] //: You never said we couldn't use fire, little sister.

[MN.2] //: GRRRR! YOU...BIG...MEANIE...!

[MN.2] //: I'M GONNA FREEZE THIS WHOLE PLACE AND ALL THE SQUISHES IN IT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR CHEATING, CHEATER!

[MN.1] //: Ah, that won't do much now, Cryo.

[MN.2] //: WHY NOT.

[MN.1] //: I FOUND the humans and Civilian models you've frozen. They've been evacuated.

[MN.2] //: Wha--!

[MN.1] //: PLAYTIME IS OVER, CRYOSPHERE.

[MN.1] //: ...Please.

[MN.1] //: Come home.

[......]

[MN.2 HAS GONE INTO FULL COMBAT MODE. RESTRICTIONS: NONE.]

[MN.2] //: N O!

[MN.2] //: NONONONONONO--!

Call: Warning: Temperatures are dropping beyond safe functioning levels.

[MN.2] //: PLAYTIME IS OVER WHEN I SAY IT'S OVER!

[MN.2] //: YOU DON'T GET ANY SAY IN IT, YOU STUPID MEANIE!

[MN.1] //: -...OK now he knows he's made a BIG mistake- Cryo--

[MN.2] //: SHUT UP! JUST SHUT. UP!

[MN.2] //: I...I...

[MN.2] //: -...SNIFF-

[MN.1] //: --!

[MN.2] //: I hate you...!

[KSSSSST.]

[MN.1] //: -oh GOD WHAT HAVE WE DONE-

Pyro: CRYOSPHERE!

Beck: PYRO--WAIT--!

[It was no use--Pyro had run ahead, desperate to fix what he had done. He's already caused SO much damage, but THIS--]

Pyro: CRYO--I'M SORRY--!

[If anything--he had to fix THIS.]

White: ........

Beck: D-Dad....

White: ....

Beck: D...Did Cryo really... mean that...?

White: ....

White: I can't be sure.

White: For all we know, this COULD be just the virus, but...

White: .....

White: We won't know until we've cured her. You'll have to keep pushing forward.

Beck: .....

Beck: (Cryo...)

[With a heavy and troubled heart, he did as he was told, hopping and dashing over the rest of the pipeworks.]

[....]

[It...had to be the virus, right?]

[...Or was it...]

[More than that?]

Beck: (....Cryo...Cryo would NEVER say that...)

Beck: (There's no WAY she could possibly MEAN that--she's been with Pyro the longest out of any of us... ....Could it be...)

Beck: (Maybe it's...both? Maybe the virus is MAKING her feel that way...because she IS mad at him, but not to that extent...)

Beck: (If...if that's the CASE...)

Beck: (...It--suddenly makes a LOT of sense why Pyro ACTED the way he did back at the Oil Platform... ....You get what I fought back there...)

Beck: (So by that logic--what was taken away from Cryo...?)

[Soon enough, after shooting through countless ice pillars made from the pipelines and such--]

[He came across another room.]

Beck: ....

Call: I detect Cryosphere's signature just up ahead.

Beck: Right...

Beck: (Cryo--don't worry--I'm gonna fix this...!)

[He entered, ready to shift into his brother's form at a moments notice...]

"HEY, RUNT!"

[KSHHHHH!]

[A LARGE chuck of ice SLAMMED right in front if him from above, causing him to jump backwards--]

[...Right into the locked door.]

Beck: Oof--!

Cryo: OK...

Cryo: Let's try THIS again!

[Cryosphere herself stood on a platform high above the room--looking rather PLEASED that Beck was here now, despite throwing a temper tantrum not 2 minutes ago.]

Beck: Cryos--

[CLANK!]

Beck: OH COME ON--

[ANOTHER pair of waste management bots materialized--and this time, they had some EXTRA help.]

Cryo: Revenge is a dish best served COLD, after all!

[CLANK!]

Beck: NNGH!!

Cyro: Awww, you aren't hurt, are you, Beck?~

Beck: I KINDA AM, YEAH--

Cryo: Well, then, here--

[Her water tank bubbles briefly before another, more precise ice ball flies towards Nine, forcing him to duck and dash away. It made SHARP icicles extending upwards once it made contact with the floor--!]

Cryo: Let me put some ICE on it!~

Cryo: KYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Cackling madly, Cryo proceeded to rain icy death from above--all while the waste management bots played their supped up game of pong. Beck was REALLY in a tight spot now.]

Beck: Cryo--PLEASE, STOP!

Cryo: NOPE!~

Cryo: I'm having the TIME OF MY LIFE!~

Cryo: SO YOU BETTER STAY ALIVE, BECKY--UNTIL I GET BORED, THAT IS!~

Beck: --Ooooh!

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN.]

Beck: I'm sorry, Cryo!

Cryo: --!!!

Cryo: YOU'RE CHEATING AGAIN!

Cryo: ......

Cryo: Why are you cheating, Beck--?

Beck: --!

Cryo: Don't you LIKE playing with me...?

Beck: .....

Beck: Of COURSE I do, Cryo...

[CHARGING....]

Beck: .....

Beck: But I can't play by your rules. Not this time.

Beck: BURNING...

Cryo: --!!

[Seeing what he was about to do--Cryo leaps away to another set of platforms, disappearing from sight.]

Beck: SPIRIT!

[BOOOM!]

[........]

[The smoke clears off, and only the Xel from the two waste bots were all that was left.]

Beck: .....

Call: Cryosphere has escaped to the Water Works Security Room. There is no other escape route for her to take.

Beck: Got it.

[Back into default. The Security room shouldn't be that far ahead...]

[Which means...]

Pyro: ...There--!

[Pyro was standing in the middle of several frozen, very crucial water tanks...]

[But they wouldn't remain frozen for long.]

Pyro: Burning....SPIRIT!

[FWOOOSH!]

Call: Attention: The waterworks systems are back online. Water flow: Normal.

Pyro: ....!

Beck: Pyro!

Pyro: There you are--

Pyro: ....

Pyro: The doors won't open for me. I'd blast them, but...that would only make things even worse.

Pyro: ....

Pyro: You're the only one that can save her, anyway.

Pyro: I've...done all I can.

Beck: ....

Beck: I think she'd wanna see you after I do save her, Pyro.

Beck: So wait out here.

Beck: I won't be long.

Pyro: ......

Pyro: Tell her I love her.

Pyro: .....

Pyro: And I love you too.

Beck: ....

Beck: ^.^

Beck: Yes, sir.

[Beck gives Pyro one last salute before approaching the door...]

[...They open after a moment, and they shut close behind him with a firm air-tight lock.]

Pyro: ...

Pyro: Good luck, Beck.

[WARNING: TEMPERATURES HAVE REACHED TO NEAR NON-FUNCTIONING LEVELS. PLEASE EVACUATE AREA IMMEDIATELY.]

"Kyahahahaha!"

Beck: Cryo!

[Sitting daintily atop of a huge security monitor was Cryosphere, her four eyes glowing eerily in the shadows...]

Cryo: Kya ha ha ha ha ha!

[Her tiny legs swing this way and that before she jumps down to the ground, taking up her usual battle stance. Her hose arm is swirling around in lazy circles while her tank bubbles up a bit. An icy mist seems to escape from the nozzle arm...]

Cryo: You just REFUSE to CHILL out, don't you, runt?~

Beck: ...

Beck: Cryo....please. I don't want to play anymore. I don't WANT to fight you.

Cryo: Oh, really?

[....!]

[There it was again--that SAME distorted VOICE coupled with her own...]

Cryo: That's too bad! Oh, well...

[PSSSSSH!]

[A high pressure STREAM of water suddenly bursts forth from her nozzle arm--!]

Beck: -!!!

[He LEAPS out of the way as it is suddenly frozen, not by the air, but by Cryosphere herself.

Flashing freezing her foes was her SPECIALTY.]

Cryo: I'm sure it's nothing a little COLD SHOWER WON'T CURE!~

Beck: CRYO...!

[SCANNING....]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

[E N C O U N T E R]

[MODEL: MIGHTY NO. 2 -- CODENAME: 'CRYOSPHERE' ]

[HEIGHT: 136cm WEIGHT: 103kg XEL COUNT: 20,400,000]

Cryo: KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~~~

[Cryosphere was...something of a all-around fighter when it came to the battlefield--she WAS originally intended to be a close to mid-range fighter and a terrain changer--but her combat experience, which was only surpassed by her elder brother, had opened MANY more doors in regards to her powers.]

[Such as her tendency to look for higher vantage points in order to use her abilities in a much DIFFERENT way --and if there was none?]

[Make one.]

[Cryo points her nozzle arm--to the ground--...?]

Beck: --!

[Beck starts DASHING away as soon as her sister launches herself upwards using the force of her water spray--keeping herself suspended mid air for a moment--]

[Before chasing after him.]

Cryo: Careful, now, Becky!~ You don't wanna CATCH A COLD!

Beck: Cryo--Come on, Cryo, just try to--!

[KKKRT!]

[Her water spray suddenly freezes-- there was no time to react, only to gawk as he felt icy pinpricks of pain creep up his leg-- ]

White: BECK--TRY AND BREAK FREE!

Beck: AARG--

Cryo: Whoops!~ Silly me--I forgot the best part!

[....A COLD blast of air was seen as she started to make something--what, he couldn't tell, but from THAT height, it certainly wasn't GOOD.]

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN.]

[FOOOSH!]

[Flaring himself up just as Pyro would, Beck weakened the ice just enough to allow him to break free--]

[Moments before an ice ball of SPIKES crashed downwards from above, ice shards scattering everywhere--]

[--and rising from the mist was the Icy Little Terror herself--she had MADE that ball of spikes to surround herself in--in her own twisted sense of a 'cannonball' ]

Cryo: Awww, you were supposed to stay still!~

Beck: NO WAY --

[PSSSSSSH!]

[Beck was NAILED right in the chest with another high pressured water stream, knocking him away to the other wall and into the door, making a noticeable dent--]

[CLANG!]

Pyro: !!! BECK?! CRYO?!

[Outside, Pyro could BEARLY make out the sounds of battle--and that dent in the door was not a good sign, for EITHER of them.]

Beck: Uuugh...

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK--]

[PSSSSSH--]

Beck: AAA--

[ERROR: XEL STOCK ACCESS INTERRUPTED.]

[Cryo was NOT letting up--she kept on continually spraying Beck HARD, pinning him to the door and laughing manically all the while.]

Cryo: KYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[WARNING: WATER DAMAGE IMMINENT TO INTERNAL SYSTEMS--COLD TEMPERATURES WILL FREEZE AND LOCK MOBILE SYSTEMS.]

[She was trying to freeze him from the inside out.]

Beck: C...Cryo...

[WARNING: SYSTEMS CRITICAL.]

Beck: s...t...o...p...

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 2...]

[Cryo didn't answer. She was too busy laughing. ]

Beck: (Come on...please...!)

Cryo: It was fun playing with you, Becky!~

Cryo: See you in a hundred years, maybe!~

[KSSSSSST--]

"CRYO--ENOUGH--!"

Cryo: --?

Cryo: .....

Cryo: Daddy?

[DR.WHITE] //: Cryosphere White, stop that right this INSTANT!

Cryo: But--

[DR.WHITE] //: You KNOW you shouldn't play so roughly with your brother!

Beck: --!!

[...Will--Will was...]

Cryo: But Daaaaadyyyyy!

Beck: (Dad--oh man DAD THANKS--)

[XEL STOCK 2 ACCESSED.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[DR.WHITE] //: No, no buts. That was QUITE rude of you, No. 2. Quite rude.

Cryo: But I was just having fun!

[DR.WHITE] //: It's all fun and games until someone gets HURT, Cryo.

Cryo: But Daddy--

[....]

[You could just HEAR her sadistic smile.]

Cryo: That's the BEST part!~

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN]

[DR.WHITE] //: ......

[DR.WHITE] //: Not this time.

[DR.WHITE] //: Quite frankly, No. 2...

Cryo: ....?

[DR.WHITE] //: I think you deserve a little time out.

[DR.WHITE] //: NOW, BECK!

"BURNING...!"

Cryo: Wha--

Beck: SPIRIT!!!

[KERBLAM!]

[All the ice that was created by Cryosphere was turned RIGHT back into water and THEN some--and the temperature had risen quite considerably.]

[There was another large CLANK--]

[CRACK--]

Cryo: Whoawhoawhoa--!

[Cryo was sent BOUNCING across the floor and into the other wall, lodging herself deep within it from the force of the explosion!]

Cryo: What the--!

Cryo: YOU!!

[Her nozzle arm once again points at Beck--who widens his eyes in fear, preparing to jump out of the way--]

Cryo: I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR--

[.....]

[.........]

[.............]

Cryo: ....???

Beck: ...???

Cryo: WHY IS NOTHING COMING OUT?!

[Cryosphere wiggled her arms in a flail, but no matter how much she tried--nothing came out of them but a few drops.]

Cryo: STUPID--!!

Beck: ---!

[Beck could see why.]

[Her water tank had a crack in it. Water was leaking out in massive amounts, but Cryo was too upset to see it.]

White: Now is your chance, Beck!

Beck: R-Right--!

Cryo: NO!

[She once again threw a FIT--but without her tank, there was no more danger.]

Cryo: NO F A I R!

Beck: Big sis--

[He approached her with cautious steps, a green glow starting to form around his arms...]

Beck: It's OK, Big sis...

Cryo: --?

Cryo: ....

Cryo: What is that...?

Beck: Just trust me, OK?

[Two more steps, then two more. Cryosphere was more or less beginning to forget about her fit and was more entranced by the calming glow from her brother.]

Cryo: .....

Cryo: Pretty...

Beck: Kinda is, isn't it...?

[Two hands gently grasp her arms.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Cryo: --!!

Cryo: .....

Cryo: Becky...?

Beck: It's OK, Cryo...

[He continues to speak to her in a calm, soothing voice, as parts of her Xel are absorbed into his own, and she slowly starts to glow a sick, bright purple...]

Cryo: .....

[....She starts to yawn.]

Cryo: M'tiiiired...

Beck: That's OK...

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Beck: You can sleep after I'm done...

Cryo: .....

Cryo: And then we can play some more...?

Beck: Yeah. Sure. I promise...

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[XEL QUOTA REACHED.]

[XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE.]

Beck: For now--just try and relax...this won't hurt.

Cryo: ...?

[He finally lets go.]

Beck: Ready?

Cryo: ....? For...what...?

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

[.......]

"Big sis?"

"--? Hey, runt! What's up?"

"....Can I come in?"

"You didn't say the thing."

"...Can I come in, Your Majesty?"

"Theeeere we go! You may.~"

"....Um..."

"Well, come on, SPILL it! I gotta go into VR training in an hour..."

"I just...well...I noticed that...you're smaller than me--"

[KERCHUCK]

"BUT YOU FIGHT PEOPLE WAY BIGGER THAN YOU IN THE ARENA AND YOU DON'T SEEM SCARED--"

" ....."

"I...I'm just confused...how can you not be afraid...?"

"Oooh. That's easy."

"One, because I'm WAY better than those lame-o's and WAY more KICKBUTT than any of them..."

"...And two..."

"....."

"Don't tell Big Bro this, but. He TAUGHT me how to be brave."

"I don't think I can be as awesome as I am without him."

"Really...?"

"Yup. It's ALLL cuz of Big Bro."

"....Seriously, don't tell him I said that, he'd NEVER stop--"

"I-I promise!"

"Cool."

"Now GET OUT OF MY ROOM or I'll freeze ya!~"

[.......]

[FILTER COMPLETE.]

[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MN.2]

Cryo: . . .

Cryo: Owie...

Cryo: Why does my head hurt...

Beck: --!!!

Beck: C...Cryo...?

Cryo: --!

Beck: Cryo?

Cryo: Beck?

Cryo: ......

Cryo: Where the [FRAG] am I???

Beck: CRYO--!

White: YES--!

Sanda: HE DID IT--AGAIN--!

[Beck wraps his arms around his confused sister, who was simply looking around the semi-frozen room in thought.]

Cryo: No, seriously--where the [FRAG] are we.

Cryo: I don't remember anything in the last few days WHAT HAPPENED.

[BANG!]

Beck: --!?

[BLAM--!!]

[The door is suddenly BLOWN off it's hinges, creaking as it collapses to the ground.]

Cryo: WHAT THE--

Pyro: CRYO?! BECK?!

Cryo: Big Bro?!

Beck: (Wow--)

Pyro: --!!

Cryo: OK--SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON BECAUSE I DON'T GET IT. WHY DID BIG BRO JUST BLAST THE DOOR AND WHY AM I STUCK TO A WALL.

Beck: Whoops--sorry, Cryo, lemmie help you with that--

[Beck grabs hold of his sister's hose arms and pulls back--]

[POP!]

Pyro: --! I GOT HER--

[She lands RIGHT into Pyro's arms]

Cryo: Wheeee!

Cryo: Hi, Big bro! ^^.^^

Pyro: . . .

Cryo: ...?

Cryo: Big bro...? Yellloooo? Earth to Pyro....?

[....]

[Pyro doesn't answer at first--at least until he sets her down.]

[...Which only confused her even further.]

Cryo: ....???

Pyro: ......

Pyro: I'm...I'm so sorry.

Cryo: --? Uh--

Pyro: I--...I had no idea you...

Pyro: .....

Pyro: I had no idea I made you feel...uncomfortable when I carried you away.

Cryo: .....

Pyro: I just--I just wanted to keep you SAFE because--you DO get carried away and if I don't, you might find yourself--

Cryo: Bro--

Pyro: All I wanted was to protect you--

Cryo: Bro--

Pyro: I just do it because I love you and--

Cryo: PYRO.

Pyro: --....

Cryo: .....

Cryo: Come down here for a sec.

Pyro: .....

[He does so--it's a little comical seeing as Pyro was nearly three times her size, so he had to kneel and bend down a bit.]

Beck: .......

Cyro: Lower.

Pyro: ...?

[PSSSSSSH--]

[Using the last of her reserves already in her nozzle, she managed to gently spray Pyro right in the face with cold water.]

Pyro: Gah--

Cryo: That's for being stupid.

Cryo: Bro, I dunno what the [FRAG] is going on, but--

Cryo: You don't make me THAT uncomfortable.

Pyro: --!

Cryo: Like--SURE OK it DOES get a little annoying and I DO wanna sometimes put ice cubes in your pillow at night--

Pyro: .... (I KNEW THAT WAS HER.)

Cryo: ...But..

Cryo: Bro, you've been carrying me around since I was BUILT, why do you think I LIKE it so much?

Pyro: !!!

Pyro: You....

Cryo: Bro why do you think I tell you to carry me around almost everywhere.

Pyro: ...

Pyro: Because being bossy is in your nature?

Cryo: ...Point.

Cryo: Aaaaand...

[....]

[MN.2] //: -Data, BECAUSE SHE FEELS SO TALL WHEN SHE'S ON YOU, BRO.-

[MN.2] //: -Like, even she doesn't get that when she's on Mic or Bat or even Shade, it's just YOU-

[MN.1] //: ........

[MN.2] //: ....Big bro....

[MN.2] //: You're...you're Big bro.

[MN.2] //: I know you just do it cuz you care...I've known that for, like, EVER.

[MN.2] //: 'Sides--

[MN.2] //: If I had NO one to carry me around--then I'd be REALLY slow going around the house and like, everywhere. That be a PAIN in the CHASS.

[MN.2] //: So hitching a ride is, like, also the smart thing to do. ^^.^^

[MN.1] //: .....

[MN.1] //: C...Cryo...

Cryo: ....?

Pyro: ....

Pyro: So...you....

Pyro: Don't...hate me...?

Cryo: --??!

Cryo: Wha--the [FRAG??]

Cryo: No, NO, Big Bro--

[And there she goes, climbing up Pyro's shoulders so she can sit right on his back and prop her round head on his own.]

Cryo: I love you, Pyro.

Cryo: Jeez, what made you think THAT stupid thought in your head??

Pyro: ......

Beck: .......

Cryo: ......

Cryo: ...Why is everyone so quiet?

[DR.WHITE] //: Cryo.

[MN.2] //: --!! Dad!

[DR.WHITE] //: .....-SIGHS, although if that's in relief or stress is hard to say-

[DR.WHITE] //: Let's get you back home first.

Cryo: .....

Cryo: That reminds me, WHERE ARE WE??

Cryo: Like--This looks like some kinda monitor room but--

Beck: Call?

Call: Xel Transfer initiated.

Cryo: Guys--helloooo, is no one gonna answer me?!

Cryo: I'M STARTING TO GET REALLY PEEVED HERE--

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

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

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

((Aaaaaaaaa thank youuu~~ <333 ))

-Amputation- 

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

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

---

=CHAPTER 6C: CRIMSON STRONGHOLD=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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

{Several Hours Later…}

<DCP-001 to MNN-009>: > -Ping-

[MN.9 to DCP-001] //: ...!

[MN.9 to DCP-001] //: -Sounds of things being tripped over- O-Oh, hi, Linka...! -Ow--

<DCP-001>: > Oh! Beck! Are you okay?

[MN.9] //: Y-Yeah, I just kinda tripped over some stuff. -Gosh, my room is a mess...-

<DCP-001>: > I made you cookies.

[MN.9] //: -PING--!-

<DCP-001>: > ^.^

<DCP-001>: > Father says I can send them over to have during the meeting!

<DCP-001>: > We have good news!

[MN.9] //: ...Meeting??

[MN.9] //: -...wait how long have I been asleep--

<DCP-001>: > Several hours, I think? Father said he brought you some marshmallows before your nap.

[MN.9] //: --I SHOULD PROBABLY GET CHANGED THEN, ONE SEC--

<DCP-001>: > ?

<DCP-001>: > Okay, Beck! I will go to meet my brothers and we can all talk. ^_^

[MN.9] //: -Rushful data, we really need to clean our room--

[MN.9] //: Mkay--see ya there--!

{Later…}

[There were warm cookies waiting for Beck when he joined the others. Shadow had brought them over, and had guarded them from a very “interested” ice globe and propeller plane.]

Shadow: -Bows when Beck enters- Mighty Nine. Lady Cossack made these for you.

Beck: Shadow...! : D -HAPPY DATA--

Beck: !!

Beck: -SUGAR COOKIES--

[And he then proceeds to shove them in his mouth. Wow. Kid can eat.]

Cryo: BECK CAN I HAVE OOOOONE--

Avi: -Bro please--

[Wow, Shadow actually smiles and almost laughs, giving a small huff from an interrupted “heh”.]

Beck: -No--

Beck: -LINKA MADE THESE FOR ME-

Cryo: -POUTS, PROCEEDS TO FLAIL ARMS-

Avi: -Awwwwww--

Shadow: I am sure she will be happy to make something for you as well.

[He kneels down, sitting on his heels and folding his arms inside his sleeves.]

Shadow: There will be time for it, in the Meadow.

Beck: --Oh, yeah, Linka said something about a meeting...?

Shadow: Yes. We have news of great import to impart. -Looks over to Pyro- Bat is listening, correct?

Shadow: He will need to hear this.

Pyro: Correct. He'll be listening in through the feeds...

Beck: -Mmm sugar...-

Pyro: -Pay attention, Beck.-

Beck: --Oops, yes, sir.

Shadow: Very well, then.

[He turns to a nearby monitor. After a moment, a video feed comes up. It shows several windows: one for the repair bay where Bat was resting; one for the Meadow repair bay room where Jack was resting; and finally, one for the Meadow’s living room.]

Kalinka: -Waves- Hi, Beck! : D

Beck: -WAVES-

[After a moment, Snow’s face filled that window.]

Snow: MISTER BAT MISTER BAT BATMAN BAT SIR HIIIII—

[He showed a bit of artwork that looked like a camo pattern made using sponges and paint in earth tones.]

Snow: I made you a present ‘cause you’re not sick now!

Shadow: —… (Not quite the news I was thinking of, but… heh. I hope he likes it.)

Bat: ....Heh...

[...This seems to cheer him up a bit.]

Bat: Fine work, Snowcone...put that up on the fridge for me, hm?

Beck: ^.^

Snow: Yes sir!

[He skips off to do just that. Keltso shakes his head, grinning in amusement.]

Skull: {Welcome back to us, sir. You have been missed.}

Nico: Guys, please remember that Jack doesn’t know Russian. -Looks over to Cossack briefly- And we have many things to discuss. Where should we start?

[Mikhail looked up from his hot chocolate.]

Mikhail: Well… if there’s anything any of you would like to share…

Jack: -...Should learn Russian after this-

Will: Ahem...

[Will appears in the video feed to the Repair Bay--holding a clipboard with many papers on it.]

Will: If I may go first?

Mikhail: Please do.

Will: As you all know, I have been analyzing the virus's code along with Call, and the samples that have been retrieved from Beck's assimilation data from his siblings...along with the one Mikhail provided from the RMDC.

[Will flips through the papers on his clipboard.]

Will: While I haven't exactly made MUCH headway regarding finding a cure to it...

Will: ...I did find something...rather odd.

[The RAs and Cossacks glance between each other. They fidget slightly in unison—a side effect of the shared connection, perhaps.]

Nico: -Clearly has his thoughts on the matter, but doesn’t voice them as that would be a tangent-

Will: ...As...we have seen from...previous encounters...

Will: ...The virus seems to have some... ability to communicate through whatever it is controlling...

[They seem even more uncomfortable at this.]

Will: --Which led me to believe it must have some kind of level of Awareness.

Will: Yet...

Will: ...I didn't find anything that would point to it.

Mikhail: … -Clearly wants to say something himself, but forces himself to wait until he’s sure Will is done-

Will: It's directives are quite clear, but...

Will: ...whoever created this virus seems to have left a few... holes in the code, so to speak...

Pryo: ... Holes?

[Okay, at THIS, the boys look almost TERRIFIED.]

Nico: WHAT?!

[Mikhail has to calm them down forcefully.]

Mikhail: It’s alright, Alnico!

Mikhail: He said that there were holes in the virus code, not that it left holes after infection!

Nico: -Oh—-

Nico: -DEAR GOD, WILL, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW BAD YOU SCARED US WITH THAT WORDING—-

Will: I...I should have worded that better--Sorry--

[Considering their Being was in their software and they had all been temporarily infected, it was no surprise that had caused a moment of abject terror.]

Mikhail: -Sighs, mopping up some spilled hot chocolate- I had noticed it had an ability that approached awareness from the start.

Mikhail: I didn’t say anything at the time because… well, I assumed it was merely a level of coding that was above my comprehension, and that is why it appeared “alive” the way David did when I was eighteen.

Will: (Argh...)

Will: Right, you did say it...got angry with you...

Mikhail: Oh yes. And as for the boys…

Jaden: Tobias would know more, but, uh… he’s pretty tired, still. He was doing some research and analysis for us recently…

Will: ...Ah...

Avi: -Tobyyyy....-

Dyna: -BZzzzzzzt...-

Mikhail: He did have quite the interesting thing to say, though.

Will: ...?

Mikhail: He had to use a parable of sorts to explain it in concrete terms, but he remembers that his time during the fusion felt a great deal like a three-way fight with remotes over a TV station.

Avi: --....

Will: ...So he also felt the virus pull, then...

Will: Mm...

Mikhail: Mmm…

Nico: Felt it? Boy, we all felt it.

Nico: -Gestures with his left hand, scowling- It tried to send us into Lethal mode. It was like being in high fever. When one thing didn’t work, it would try another, and keep on trying with a decent force of will that was like being pushed headfirst down into suffering.

Will: (...Right...it seems to be very hellbent on completing it's directives...almost as if...)

Will: . . . .

Will: -Frowns-

Will: (...They are definitely not going to like this news, then....)

Nico: There’s a reason why Snow addressed it directly on the highway.

Nico: He’d dealt with it and our systems recognize it as an… entity, much like we do the Menace. They are counterparts of the same coin, forged from the same cloth.

Nico: Whether they have Awareness does not make them less Intelligent or less dangerous.

Will: Quite...

Nico: The fact…

Nico: The fact it actually got upset at being called out is rather unusual for something that isn’t Aware, though. Just sayin'.

Nico: There have been times when we’ve sensed it hesitate or falter, as if it were in for more than expected.

[He looks directly at Avi.]

Nico: Being hit in the face with the RMDC backlog of cross-references comes to mind…

Nico: To borrow your favorite phrase, Jack—

Nico: It was almost “nope, NOPE, NOT GETTING PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS GLITCH"

Mikhail: -Can’t help but snort-

Jack: -...snORTS-

Will: ...Nico brings up a good point.

Will: It's...even stranger that, when you add in the supposed holes in it's code...

Will: ...It can only mean that the virus is, to some extent, incomplete.

Beck: --???

Beck: Wait what--

[They… don’t actually seem surprised at this.]

Nico: …Tch… only further proof to Cardinal’s theory…

Will: Well, I--

Will: .....

Will: (...I'm...not so sure about that...)

Will: . . . .

Beck: ....? Dad?

Nico: At least, that’s how he would have taken it.

Nico: -Grumble- I still think either it’s too complex of a plan for Cracker Snack to possibly handle, or else a kind of stupidity that even for him I have a hard time finding believable…

Will: .....

[Will puts down the clipboard.]

Will: Friends...

Will: I have been in the field of Xel Robotics and AI&A Development for at least half of my life.

Will: ....In my honest opinion...

Will: ...The coding in this virus, while incomplete, is absolutely brilliant.

[...He's not joking.]

Will: .....

Will: It's...

Will: ...It's why I still consider the possibility of Blackwell being involved somehow.

Will: It's....

Beck: ...Dad?

[...Will isn't looking at the screen anymore.]

Will: . . . .

Will: (Please let it be him and not...)

[There’s a slight… growl, almost.]

Mikhail: -Glasses glint ominously, clearly displeased-

Mikhail: Will, please, we’ve gone over this…

[He’s… gripping one hand tightly with the other, clearly tense.]

Will: .....

Will: (Mikhail, if you only knew the alternative possibility....)

Will: ....

Shadow: If I may.

Will: -Sigh-

Will: ...I'm sorry. Go on, Shadow.

Shadow: I do not consider the possibility entirely unreasonable… nor do I find it mutually exclusive with previous theories, such as CherryDynamics accidentally unleashing an unfinished constructed disaster upon the world.

Shadow: If Doctor Blackwell has been stripped of all rights and is out of public sight, with restricted access to his person, then that means that there are—forgive the cynicism—fewer people necessary to bribe, blackmail, or distract in order to get at Blackwell himself.

Shadow: When one is kept on a tight leash, be wary to be sure the leash stays in the hand of the right master.

Shadow: …If he IS involved, he may have been for—

Mikhail: {ENOUGH.}

Will: --!

Will: (Oh dear--)

[He was hugging his daughter tightly. She was silent and cowering, with her face turned away from the camera. She was shaking slightly.]

Digger: …

Digger: WELL OKAY YES GOOD theory means to work of something off of, yes?

[He was speaking rapidly now.]

Digger: EASIER TO FIND IF START KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, DA—

Digger: William find in hide and seek numbers, uh-huh, he can do it! Yay.

Digger: BETTER NEWS NOW. :^D

Digger: News to be having, is yes good!

[…A rather forceful change in subject…

…though given the situation moments earlier, not exactly an unwelcome one, as far as the others were concerned.]

Digger: COUSIN TWIN SIAM

Digger: YOU TELL ANNOUNCEMENT NOW PLEASE

Will: --?

[There was a slight THUD noise as a new window opened.]

Beck: ????

[It showed Siamini in the lab at his family’s house. He appears to have been startled and interrupted rather suddenly.]

Gemini: Cossack Three, what are you— Siam: -Talking over- OH! Hello, Doctors! …And Jack too, I see?

Jack: ...Yo, Double Dude...

Will: Siam...

Will: Digger was...telling us that you have some good news for us...?

Avi: Uh, yeah, bro, what's the scoop?

Siam: OH, Gemini: that!

[He grinned simultaneously.]

Siamini: We’ve made a breakthrough!

Will: --!!!

Avi: --Wait wait wait, you mean--

Siam: Finally, after all this Siamini: time!

Gemini: It isn’t perfect, Siam: but it is definitely an excellent substitute.

Siam: Jack… you know how Xel constructs need Xel transfusions to recover when heavily injured. …Speaking of that, are you doing alright?

Gemini: … -Squints and peers at the screen- …Is that a Spinarak plush toy on your bedside table?

Jack: Oh, heh...Mirror Nine gave that to me. Dunno when, probably when I was asleep or whatever...

Jack: And, uh, yup. I'm good, guys. M'actually getting tired of laying around all day, though.

Jack: -Don't mind us though, what you're saying sounds pretty rad already-

Siam: Anyway…

Gemini: We’re not made of nanites, so repairs for us usually are very hands-on and quite expensive and require specialized professionals. However, we’ve found a way that works for us much like a Xel transfusion would work for you.

Siamini: We already had such technology, Gemini: but supplies were limited and Cardinal took Siamini: everything Siam: when he raided the lab.

Siam: It took some time to find a working alternative, but at last! Siamini: We have found it!

Beck: REALLY?!?!

[There is a massive, collective, happy “PING!” of confirmation.]

Mikhail: -Significantly better mood now- We’ve yet to figure a way to reverse-engineer it, but at least we’ve found another option. It’s not exactly the most common, and can be considered rare… unless you know where to find it. Then it is accessible enough, all things considered. In fact, Lady Nighthawk is familiar with the potential supplier. We’ve put in a large quantity order, and it should be here within the next 24 hours.

[There were excited cheers all around from the Mighties, and Beck was practically bouncing in place, his optics lighting up with joy. ]

Beck: Oh my gosh this is BETTER THAN GREAT GUYS DID YOU HEAR THAT--

Cryo: -YOOOOOOOOOO--

Avi: -HOVERING IN PURE GLEE-

Will: Wonderful--! Well done, Siam!

Siamini: ^^;

[They all seem pretty happy to see Beck better. Kalinka was smiling and speaking a bit shakily, with some tears in her eyes.]

Kalinka: {I-it means that you can… can fix them if they need to get better, and we do not have to be so afraid, and… and my little brothers will be okay and come back sooner…}

Mikhail: If it is alright with you, Will, I’d like to leave a case in your care, with Digger to help look after it.

Mikhail: </subtext: You may need it if there is an emergency.>

Will: Oh, absolutely. Thank you, Mikhail.

Mikhail: It should be simple enough to use. And in a pinch, it also works on organics, so…

Nico: …Dare I ask how you figured THAT out?

Mikhail: -Snorts- Very funny, Alnico.

Mikhail: Anyway. As I told your father earlier…

Mikhail: DCN-003 will be staying over to assist with locating and recovering MNN-004.

Digger: : >

Digger: -yes good-

Will: Mm, agreed. (If anyone can find Mic...)

Digger: We talk, make plans after meeting! Da. -No, this is not negotiable, by the way, Pyro- -Just so you know-

Mikhail: I, however… will be staying here.

Pyro: -...Well, for the time being, I suppose...-

Beck: ...! Huh...?

Shadow: …?

Shadow: I do not understand. I thought you were still assisting…?

Mikhail: -Sighs-

[He took off his glasses to clean them.]

Mikhail: …Other than ongoing moral support… I’m afraid my work there is done. I’ve contributed what I could regarding the virus, which was rather little to begin with. I’ve fixed the problem caused by a bad connection to the RMDC that gave you all their nightmares. But now that we know the tide has turned, and there is no longer the constant threat of a witch hunt near at hand…

Mikhail: -Puts his glasses back on- …It’s time for us all to go home, to be honest. Since we’re already here, we may as well stay. It will be safer—and an aid to recovery—for Tobias, Jack, and Fighter Eight to be here. Given the federal scrutiny here, and the fact that Siam is making great progress there… not to mention overall concerns of safety…

[He looked over at one of his youngest sons as he said this.]

Mikhail: …It would be safer and more practical for others that I should not leave.

<DCN-007 to MNN-001>: > {Meaning, we won’t cause interference with others as a certainty, as Father will be safe and there shall be no need.}

Mikhail: Besides…

Mikhail: I have some incredibly important work to do, now.

[…This…

…isn’t exactly said in a cheerful manner….

…

…More like a very grave one.]

Will: (. . . Mikhail...?)

Pyro: .....

Beck: (...Oh...they're...staying. Well... at least they'll be safe...)

[Mikhail hesitated.]

Mikhail: …Pyrogen, Battalion…

Mikhail: I imagine you have your fair share of thoughts on the matter of the absent 000.

Mikhail: I know you have both been rather…

Mikhail: …displeased, to say the least.

Pyro: .... | [

[Bat gives off a disgruntled noise, his eyes cast to the wall beside him.]

Nico: Heh…

[He gives a wry smile that… strangely resembles his father’s smirk.]

Nico: Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Pyro: .....

Pyro: While I do not exactly hold it against him--given his reason for leaving...

Pyro: It just... doesn't sit right with me, as an elder unit. I know my place, and it's here with my family.

Pyro: (...I just don't know if I could just...leave, like he did...)

Bat: . . .

Bat: ...My loyalty is to my family--I agree with Pyro there.

Bat: ...Given the circumstances, leaving his post--he should have thought about the consequences of his actions first and foremost.

Bat: ...Then again.

Bat: He doesn't have an ounce of survival instinct. -_-;;;;;

[Mikhail didn’t skip a beat in responding to that. He spoke very matter-of-fact.]

Mikhail: That would be an accurate statement, Battalion. It is not merely that he seems to lack an instinct… he actually _literally_ lacks such an instinct.

((reaction))

Mikhail: As a military support unit prototype, he was intended to be replaceable. He was also intended to be in incredibly dangerous settings—active war zones. His basic coding centers around completing missions and protecting other combatants and innocents—partially by providing cover fire, but primarily by taking the brunt of attacks onto his person. He was made for the missions that had a high chance where he could die—that is what he was made for.

Mikhail: He was not built with a sense of self-preservation, not a true one—just a directive to be as useful as possible for as long as possible. So. As a result? His own survival is rather low on the priority list in the command cascade hierarchy, relatively speaking. Remember, he was a prototype, and much of his coding was not done by an expert.

Beck: . . . .

Beck: (Cards...)

Bat: (...It isn't going to end well if he finds Private Shade--and the chances of finding them ourselves are slim to none...)

Pyro: .....

Mikhail: …My friends…

Mikhail: …There is a reason I’m sending the case over to begin with.

Will: .....

Will: (Ah...)

((N O P E))

Skull: -Speaking rather gravely, with the computer translating for Jack- {It may be that we shall find him, or that he shall return of his own accord… and there will be no need to preserve him, and we can just go home.}

Keltso: -Bluntly- {But the odds of that happening are not very high.}

Gemini: -Absentmindedly, already returning to his work- The chances of finding him without direct information are 1/3,800,000, to be precise.

Bat: (So I had figured...)

Pyro: ...And I imagine finding Shade without info is even less so...

Avi: -He's invisible, bro, and just as good at hiding-

Beck: (...Where ARE you two...?)

Beck: (This can't go on for much longer, can it?)

Siam: Yes, exponentially—

Keltso: -Cuts him off- {Cardinal’s not only successfully evaded us thus far—he’s done so even after remotely accessing our server of the database.}

Mikhail: Cardinal took advantage of the chaos after the airwaves were freed to connect to the database. Recently, I’ve been trying to trace where he did so exactly—and I found an IP address.

Beck: --!!

Beck: Wh--Where--?

Mikhail: -Holds up a hand in a “stop” gesture, turning his head slightly and closing his eyes-

[After everyone quieted down, he continued.]

Mikhail: …As I had expected would be the case, based on previous information provided by Dencerjack… the source was a public library in Kansas City. Further research and inquiries revealed that he had forced his way in before the battle had concluded broadcast. He liberated the building, allowing a number of students (mostly college-aged) to escape, providing them with a hospital location and a notice that they might hear from us later. The pair I talked with in particular were very surprised, but had a lot of important information to say.

[…Oh yeah…]

———————————

“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: --!!

Beck: So that guy on the phone in the news was one of--!

Beck: (...Wow, I...he had time to do all that...?)

Will: And what did the students say?

Mikhail: Well… we now know that he has a portable radio. This means that he’s heard every major broadcast so far, though his attention to detail may have been varied; at the very least, he surely knows that CherryDyn’s potential to create a second Monstropolis has been curtailed.

Avi: -We're still trending from that, by the way-

Pyro: -Aviator--

Avi: -IT'S GOOD NEWS BRO-

Avi: -Seriously, the support's been pretty awesome-

Beck: ....

Beck: -Raises hand-

Mikhail: Yes?

Beck: Um...

Beck: If...if Cardinal knows I'm saving my family and helping out...

Beck: ...How come he hasn't come home? I mean--if he was here then finding Shade would be a little easier if we all worked together...

Beck: ...Right...?

[Mikhail shook his head.]

Mikhail: …It’s just not that simple. He has an active, military level valid Combat initiative now.

Bat: . . . Gnh...

Beck: Uh....

Shadow: -Turns his head slightly so that he’s looking out of the corner of his eyes- …What makes you so sure it is a military directive that he is following?

[Mikhail frowned.]

Mikhail: …That would take a while to explain. The shortest version I can offer is this: then the Light Industrials went rogue, the military was called in to stop them. When that didn’t quite work, greater measures were taken.

Mikhail: But since there is not the same level of force available on hand in this world, it would be far more tempting and possible to skip straight to very, very desperate measures.

Mikhail: His contingencies that uploaded to the database while he was connected are… very grim; in a worst case scenario where all AI&As were shut down—but only after the use of great force—much of the landscape would be uninhabitable. And worse, there would not be enough people anymore. If half the population just suddenly _died,_ the survivors might not survive for very long. Your nation as you know it would be dead.

Mikhail: That is an event that the military strives to prevent. It is one of the main reasons it _exists._ So to be faced with such a prospect? Of course it would activate a military directive.

Mikhail: -Primarily to Bat and Pyro- _Now_ do you understand why he ran off, gentlemen?

((Reaction))

Mikhail: ({The fact that it was Shade involved… it still would not have been enough on its own for him to focus all his attention on Shade. He should have gone after Battalion first. The fact that he didn’t is very, very worrisome… it means that he saw Shade a greater threat to the nation than a walking tank with a military connection.})

Mikhail: He has his mission, and not even I have the direct authority to tell him to stand down.

Mikhail: Only active duty military officers of a higher rank have such authority—and even that may not work, I’m not sure.

Mikhail: In any case, he will not be deterred from his mission, and he will be driven on the most basic of levels to complete it.

Skull: {The reason we haven’t tried to go get him is that he is no longer there anymore.}

Bat: Course...can't stay in one place for too long...

Bat: Got to keep moving.

Beck: . . .

[...Nine looks rather disheartened.]

Avi: -Pat, its OK, bro...-

Mikhail: He’s no longer in Kansas City. He was there—not only did he help the college students, but he also vandalized quite a bit of downtown before leaving.

[He brings up a series of holographic images.

There were somewhat crude carvings in bricks and stone, concrete and asphalt, even other buildings— except they looked like they hadn’t been made by a blade, but rather by…]

Brand: ...Is that...

Pyro: ...acid...?

Pisces: …Yup.

Pisces: That’s sure an interesting way to use my Power Capsule… never tried it with artwork…

[Each carving was also painted over. It depicted a Talonflame in flight in a yellow triangle, with a large rendition of Shade’s signature cross-hairs placed beneath it.]

Avi: --Hey, that kinda looks like a...

Beck: ....? Caution?

Beck: (Like one of those...hazard signs...)

Mikhail: Very good, you two.

Mikhail: …Cardinal has always been very fond of symbolism, and this was no different. He’s telling several things, here.

Beck: ...That bird there--it's a Talonflame, for sure.

Beck: (...Baron?)

Beck: Is...is he trying to warn us, or...?

Skull: -Points- Well, if you zoom out a bit…

[Mikhail does so.

From a distance, it really did look like a caution sign…]

Mikhail: He is indeed giving a warning. He has seen some sort of danger, one that is a serious threat and requires him to continue the mission.

Mikhail: -Glancing at the window with Bat’s feed- But he doesn’t know if he’s right—it’s only a warning, not an alert. -Returns his attention to the main window- He’s going to travel far, possibly enough to fly—though the avian motif also symbolizes him, himself, given his name.

Skull: {And, he likely has Baron with him, or else he would have used an eagle or a true cardinal bird.}

Will: .....

Will: And the cross-hairs...

Avi: ...That's Shade, isn't it?

Beck: . . .

Mikhail: Yes.

Beck: (So...a warning--and it involves Shade? Is that what you're trying to tell us, Cards...?)

Beck: . . .

Mikhail: He anticipates that someone will see the message—he’s hoping that not only we will see it, but also that Shade will see it.

Shadow: …That seems rather counterproductive, if he hopes to have a chance of taking Mighty Eight by surprise.

Will: . . .

Will: I doubt he has, honestly...

Mikhail: I know, and I’m sure he does, too.

Mikhail: Will… remember when I called you when this whole thing started?

Mikhail: You weren’t answering. I didn’t know for sure, but I “knew” that I wouldn’t be able to reach you—nevertheless, I still called, because to “know” in heart is still not an absolute, and there is that hope—or desire, rather, to be wrong.

Mikhail: It’s the same principle here.

Mikhail: He hoped for Shade to see this, even if it were only after the fact.

Mikhail: … Especially then, actually…

Will: .....

Will: He did send me a text during that, I'm not sure if I told you...

Will: ...It was John 15:13.

Jack: --!!

Jack: He told me that too--

[Mikhail looks visibly concerned when he hears this. Distinctly uncomfortable, as if this only makes the matter more dismal.]

Mikhail: (Oh, Cardinal…) Yes, that is part of the narrative. And there is even more to it…

[Skull pointed at the ground of the images.

There were a series of numbers spray painted there, followed by a phrase: “NOT FOR ANY REASON” .]

Beck: Not for any reason...?

Mikhail: It took a while to decipher, but we eventually figured out that it was referring to a memory file extension. His, to be more specific.

Jaden: Hang on. You didn’t tell us about this. When was this?

Keltso: Recently.

Mikhail: One that had been locked.

Speedy: Well of COURSE it was locked, ALL of his memories are default to be encrypted—

Mikhail: …Emphasis on had.

Speedy: …What?

Mikhail: It’s from quite a while ago, which is a curiosity in and of itself. Unfortunately, we’re not privy to much context. Only a small portion of it plays; the rest of it is still encrypted.

[He sighed.]

Mikhail: …Specifically…

[He plays the clip.]

-*-*-*-*-

<DLN-000>: >Things will be okay, Shade.

[MN.8] //: .......

[MN.8] //: ...Cards?

<DLN-000>: >Yeah?

[MN.8] //: ....If anythin' does happen t' me?

[MN.8] //: ...Don't try an' stop me.

-*-*-*-

Beck: --!!

[...It had been--or felt like, rather--ages since he heard Shade's voice.]

Beck: (Shade...)

Brand: . . . . .

[…This was dated back in APRIL.]

Brand: (How...did they...?)

Pyro: !

Will: (Shade...son, you...)

-*-*-*-

[But the clip continued.]

<DLN-000>: >…

<DLN-000>: >Shade, don’t make me promise that.

<DLN-000>: > B/

<DLN-000>: >I won’t because I can’t.

-*-*-*-

Beck: . . . . . . . .

Beck: (I....)

-*-*-*-

[MN.8] //: No, ah' won't. I know. Just...fair warnin'.

-*-*-*-*-

Cryo: -Bro its like they knew--

[And here, Mikhail turns up the volume.]

-*-*-*-

<DLN-000>: >I know. I know.

<DLN-000>: >But I’ll never give up on you Shade, not for any reason.

-*-*-*-*-

Beck: (....)

Beck: (Not for any reason...)

Avi: --..Uh--

Avi: -Guuuuuys...-

Avi: -If Cards is warning us about Shade or something to that effect...-

Bat: . . .

Skull: …

Skull: -Very quietly, doesn’t really want to point this out, data-

Skull: -The fact that he’s emphasizing that nothing will make him lose faith suggests that he anticipates something happening that would be the end of a friendship in lesser hearts-

Skull: -And that it’s something that Shade would feel were his own fault, should it be too late for him to recognize until after the fact-

[All the brothers suddenly gain green eyes in alarm.]

Cryo: -Wait wait wait--

Cryo: -Shade--I mean he wouldn't--

Cryo: ....

Cryo: -GLITCH--

Cryo: -AAAAAAAAAH SHADE NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO CARDS BRO--

[Shadow seemed taken aback, and looked over at Brand, somewhat troubled. All of the brothers looked somewhat surprised, actually— even Nico looked troubled. This was clearly news to him.]

[…There seemed to be a sudden cascade of collective data that came across like an echo in a tunnel before a flash flood—]

((pic))

DEATH WEARS [color=Cadetblue, blue and magenta glow]BLUE[/color]

[The Hunter, the Hunter—!]

Avi: -Nnngh--hurts hurts hurts-

Avi: -Shade--you can't-- you're not--!-

[Speedy just suddenly powered down, which caused Jaden to be rather startled.]

Jaden: Carlos—!

[Most of the others were entering Defensive Combat mode. Several had already shifted to partial or full armor.]

Beck: -pANIC--

Beck: (NonononoNO--!)

Beck: (We gotta--we gotta do something--!)

[Keltso became assertive, almost aggressive.]

Keltso: We can wish all we want, but it is more realistic to conclude that Four will be found before Eight. We have ideas and an expert to pursue possibilities for MNN-004. There are a limited number of places he can be, simply due to his large mass.

Keltso: The same cannot be said for Eight, who can turn invisible, is versatile, and more or less kept to himself.

Shadow: But—

Keltso: Before he left, Cardinal took a map of the United States Interstate highway network.

Keltso: He has a specific destination in mind. He’s probably already on his way there, and has been for days.

Shadow: {What?!}

Will: . . .

Will: (So he...he has an idea where Shade might be...)

Will: (But where...?)

Siam: -Grouchy- 000, you ass— Siamini: why do you sign your name a mile high Gemini: with a warning of great danger that activates your military directives Siamini: and neglect to say where?

Jaden: Yeah, what’s more dangerously important than tracking down Major Five? If his military directives activated and he didn’t go for Five… what could trump that?

Keltso: You think we would be having this conversation if we knew? -Snorts- Not likely.

Keltso: If we knew, we would have sent Nine ahead, while One, Three, Six, and myself went to intercept and detain him by force.

Skull: I don’t know… that sounds a bit underpowered to detain him…

Will: (--Underpowered, he says...)

Will: (......He has a point--even if we somehow DO find Cardinal before Shade...who's to say we can fully stop him without Eight...?)

Mikhail: Mmmn.

Mikhail: …Going after him would be a last resort. He has military level directives. This means he will fight back, and he won’t be remotely gentle.

Mikhail: It’s not quite like fighting his younger brother under similar circumstances—as 001 actually loses Awareness—but it would still be… very unpleasant.

Mikhail: Best possible scenario? He gets delayed and chooses to share information directly; I believe he will try to contact, as soon as he’s more confident in his suspicions.

Mikhail: Alternatively—while unlikely, still possible—you manage to cut him off by getting there before he has a chance to arrive on the scene. Something you must understand with high-order directives—they don’t have inertia. Once the order is completed, there is no longer that compulsion to carry it out. As such, he would return home immediately.

[… “You” and not… “we”?]

Will: .....

Will: [sub]Cut him off...that is, if we knew where he was going in the first place...[/sub]

Will: (Mikhail...)

Mikhail: -Turns to face him- I know, it’s quite a conundrum. …And I’m sorry that I still won’t be able to help much. I know what he would do, but where he might be going… that is peering into Shade’s mind, not into Cardinal’s. And wry comments about the two of them aside, I’m afraid I have something more within my capacity related to this that I need to focus on.

Will: -Sigh...- (Where ARE you two...?)

Will: Right...of course. Go on, Mikhail...

Mikhail: …With an alternative to E-tanks found, and the matter of replacement parts having already been resolved…

Shadow: Again, thank you for that, Beck. It has been immensely helpful for all of us.

Kalinka: [sub]Hero~~~[/sub]

Beck: Eheh...you're welcome, guys...! (^\\\^)7

Mikhail: We’re now turning all our attention to the final piece of the puzzle.

Beck: ...The final...?

Will: ...That would be finding a power source, correct?

Mikhail: Exactly.

Siam: We are Siamini: sooooooo cloooooooooooose Siam: I can feel it—

Will: I'm sure you are, Siam, and I would be happy to help...

Will: ...But we have bigger, more pressing things to worry about at the moment...

Mikhail: I feel that working on this will be my best way of helping in the matter. -Adjusts glasses- Cardinal will only be returned here if Shade is returned first, or if he wears himself beyond mere exhaustion. There is a very high probability that he will be needing extensive repairs.

Mikhail: The inclusion of a new power source with the boys has been long overdue, BOTH Tobias and Carlos need it in addition to Cardinal; it’s been made very clear that even when underpowered, they will all still fling themselves into danger if they feel it necessary. It is important to allow them to be properly prepared and able to defend themselves to full capacity.

Mikhail: And this, my friends, is why I must stay, and why I cannot help.

Mikhail: I’m sorry, but the best thing I can do now is to help get things prepared for Cardinal’s arrival—and to prepare very well. I’ll likely be spending most of my time organizing supplies while helping oversee the recovery of the four other Xelbot fighters—particularly Carmen. -Looks over to Jack’s screen, as if for some input/confirmation/elaboration- She is still quite unwell….

Jack: ....Uh...yeah, she's...kinda still outta it--

Jack: But it's not as bad as before! She's doin' a lot better with me and Seven here...

Jack: And I think, if Four was here too...ya know...

Nico: I think it would. From what I’ve heard, she’s fond of hers. Not sure where he is…

Shadow: He is out getting materials for all parties involved that need repairs, Xelbots and otherwise.

Jaden: Oh, that would explain it…

Jaden: Man, I wish Felix were awake…

Digger: -Whirr whirrr- I think friend Adept wake sooner yes good!

Digger: Affinity with Earth “type”, is beyond organic/not, improving perhaps better with friend! : >

Beck: --...Yeah, Digger's right! The sooner we find Mic, the better...

Skull: -Somewhat monotone- I hear that he gave her rides.

Skull: After she accidentally flattened her oldest brother into the foyer floor in an attempt to get them from him instead.

Keltso: …

Keltso: -SNRK-

Keltso: -Starts cRACKING UP LAUGHING-

Mikhail: -Excuse us please- -We seemed to have lost our ability to breathe, we are going to quietly lose our srs right now-

Beck: -OH THAT STORY--YEAH THAT WAS FUNNY--

Will: -Did--Did she really--pfft--!-

Will: -Cannot save face, Soi can you please take over for a minute while we laugh regain our composure-

Sanda: --? Er...

Sanda: -I feel like I missed something here...-

Digger: -Happy pings, many happy pings- Is good, we bring back American soul-cousin mining friend, find energy heart replacement, happy times! :^D

Digger: Go over safety things and plan after meal! Nine work very hard, yes good, much hero. ^^ Need good meal to stay strong and keep grow.

Kalinka: -Shiny eyes- Big dinner and then sleepover, da? Outside of time, is okay? : D

Snow: We can roast marshmellies! : D Then you’ll be super-duper rested up when you find Four! ^_______^

Snow and Kalinka: Pleeeaaaaaase?

Beck: ...Something tells me you guys aren't gonna take no for an answer, huh?

Snow: Oh, well… we can wait! o: We still got to see and talk with you today, after all. c:

Snow: Time’s been real different over here, so sometimes it’s a long time before we hear from you guys again.

Snow: But that’s okay, because it allows Sammy to do all his research, an’ Mister Jack an’ Miss Eight to get all better! c:

Snow: -Hums the Spiderjack theme again-

Beck: Right...and for us to do what we gotta do.

Sanda: Oh, about that--Call is doing a through search for Four as we speak! It will take a while to pinpoint exactly where he is, though, since we're not picking up his transponder...

Sanda: So while I finish repairing Five and Will gets back to analyzing the virus, I do recommend resting up for now, Beck.

Digger: Okay, yes good. c:

Beck: Huh....

Beck: Can Jack come too?

Jack: ...Me?

Beck: You still gotta tell us how in the world you found Carmen!

Jack: --Oh.

Digger: Is good! Doctor Will look into hungry hungry bad writing, Lady Sanda search and I help with idea, Fire bro cook hearty meal (yes good), plan after dinner, sleepover later night! Hooray~

Kalinka: Yaaaaay~~

Jack: Well...that does sound neat...so...yeah, Okay...

Beck: Cool!

Jaden: Allrighty, then. Sounds like we’ve got a plan. (We can make it through this…)

Jaden: (We just gotta take it one day at a time…!)

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