=CHAPTER 5A: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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[SANDA LABS...

June 26th, 20XX]

[It had been hours since everyone had gone to bed. But the next bit of news… quickly changed that.]

[KSSSSST!]

[CALL] //: -VERY LOUD PING-

[CALL] //: Attention—

[MN.9] //: -JERKS AWAKE, SORRY, WHAT, WHAT IS IT--

[There’s the sound of someone falling all over a table or something, followed by others coming Online.]

<DWN-018>: > Geez! Are you okay, Gemini?

<DWN-019>: > -MUCH DISGRUNTLED TO BE STARTLED SO-

<DWN-012>: > Has something happened, or?

<DWN-018>: > Hang on, I’m gonna go make sure Siam didn’t hurt himself jumping into the ceiling…

<DWN-018 has left the channel.>

[MN.3] //: -Ouch...-

[MN.1] //: Call?

[Call doesn't answer back, but instead shifts the feed to a radio channel...?]

"—Highway Alpha 6 is under attack, I repeat, Highway Alpha 6 is under attack--Eyewitnesses have spotted a rouge robot destroying vehicles with no regard to innocent life—"

"We have reports that the rouge robot is armed with bladed weapons and is currently in the Four Corners area—"

<FMN-006>: > AHA!

<FMN-001>: > Avi no flying in the house— GET BACK HERE—

[MN.9] //: —!!!

[MN.1] //: Brandish—?!

[DR.WHITE] //: Highway Alpha 6—Call!

[CALL] //: Scanning...

<DWN-011>: > Welp. Gonna get complicated pretty quick, I bet. …Hope he doesn’t run into Cardinal.

<DWN-019>: > THAT would end poorly for both of them.

<DWN-013>: > What makes you think—?

<DWN-019>: > It’s not the statistical likelihood that’s bothersome… more the fact that Cardinal is known to have prepared to travel by highway—he took Shadow’s light cycle with him.

<DWN-019>: > And he won’t have any patience for anyone who tries to interfere…

<DWN-013>: > Well, I’d think we’d have more DEFINITE concerns to worry about.

<FMN-006>: > -Just let us scan the news feeds, please-

[MN.9] //: -Already suiting up and getting ready, listening over the feeds.-

[MN.1] //: -Gah, we have no immediate modes of transportation...- Beck, you're going to either need wheels or use Aviator's form to catch up to Brandish.

[MN.9] //: -...Lost all of my forms when I got reset, Avi's is the only option.-

<DWN-013>: > ... I'd offer my light cycle, but I think flying will be faster.

<DWN-019>: > -Scowls- If only Cardinal hadn't taken ITEM-2 as well...

<DWN-019>: > I don't understand WHY he did that, he has his OWN windsurfer...

[MN.9] //: ....

[MN.9] //: (Mic's form would have helped too, Brand's weak to it, but...)

[MN.9] //: What's Brand's status?

[DR.WHITE] //: Still the same as ever...Full Combat Mode, no restrictions...

[DR.WHITE] //: (But a highway...)

[DR.WHITE] //: (Brandish...what are you doing...?)

-PING!-

<FMN-006>: > Knew it.

[MN.9] //: Yeah? Got something?

[CALL] //: -Ping of inquiry-

<FMN-006>: > Yeah. Pretty sure it’s confirmation she’s on the move.

<DWN-013>: > …Out of curiosity… what makes you so certain?

<FMN-006>: > Food’s involved, Jayjay.

<DWN-013>: > -Please don’t call me that-

[MN.1] //: (...Even in her state—??)

<FMN-001 to MNN-001>: > -Well what else did you expect, really… this is SHADE we’re talking about here-

<DCN-007>: > …So you’re saying that now we have an assassin AND a sword master to worry about? At the same time?

<FMN-006>: > -Well you don’t need to put it like THAT…-

<DWN-012>: > No offense, but could she REALLY catch up to him? She’s not built for speed.

<FMN-007>: > … Do not underestimate the willpower of an angry woman.

[MN.3] //: -He'szzz got a point-

[MN.9] //: -...WELP, NOW THINGS ARE JUST BAD AND WORSE-

[CALL] //: ...MN.7's transponder signal is moving at extremely high speeds. I am also receiving reports that the remote controlled vehicles on site are behaving erratically on the next sections of Highway Alpha.

<FMN-009>: > I can help! I’ll handle my sister, you focus on your Seven!

[DR.WHITE] //: That's—

[MN.9] //: —the best thing I've heard all day, PLEASE.

<FMN-009>: > ^^;;7

[DR.WHITE] //: -But—-

[MN.9] //: -TWO OF ME IS BETTER THAN ONE, DAD.-

<DWN-019>: > Um. Won’t that cause problems if you’re seen…?

<FMN-006>: > I can handle that. Leave that to me.

<DCN-003>: > Perhaps oldest cousin will show up near Lady Shade, yes?

<MC005>: > …I must admit that IS a possibility, though not very likely…

<MC005>: > Regardless of who else may or may not be there, it would seem that you both have to start preparing, Number Nine.

<FMN-009>: > Yes sir.

[DR.WHITE] //: -...Kinda just gives up trying to argue because what is the poooooint--

[CALL] //: Xel Transfer will be delayed, as it is difficult to teleport upon a moving object....

[CALL] //: ...but not impossible.

[MN.9] //: -—Wait what-

<DWN-012>: > GOOD LUCK, DUDE 8’D

[MN.9] //: -I thought the cars were—I mean—oh man—-

[MN.3] //: -BZZZT, PLEASE BE CAREFUL, BECKY—-

[CALL] //: Dr. Sanda, I have calculated that it would be wise to cut off Brandish by teleporting Nine to a further section of the highway.

[DR.SANDA] //: Oof...just make sure that you get him on something big...

<FMN-006 to CALL>: > -Ping- Hey—I’ve heard you lend a hand sometimes by getting people out and about unseen?

[CALL to FMN.6] //: That would be correct, No. 6. It is illogical that certain measures of action are deemed too dangerous when the probability of success would be increased otherwise.

<FMN-006 to CALL>: > Well, I may get back to you on that…

[CALL to FMN.6] //: ...Acknowledged.

[DR.WHITE] //: We're going to have to time the cut off very close...

[CALL] //: Yes, Doctor. Preparing Xel Transfer.

[MN.9] //: (...Hang in there, Nii-San...)

[While Call calculated the coordinates, Beck does a final check of his various forms, going in numerical order until...]

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-013>: > wELL looks like you’re ready GOOD LUCK my friend

<DWN-013 has left the channel.>

[MN.9] //: .....-sigh-

[MN.9] //: ....

[MN.9] //: (...I...I never really got the hang of flying...)

[MN.9] //: (I sure hope some of Avi's experience got assimilated too...)

<MC005>: > … -Sighs- Don’t mind him. Are you ready?

[MN.9] //: Ready for the runwa—

[MN.9] //: ...!?

[MN.9] //: —I—I mean the HIGHway—

[MN.1] //: —???

<FMN-006>: > -THUMBS UP-

<FMN-009>: > Let’s just cruise on over—

<FMN-006>: > -APPROVAL PINGS FOR DAAAAAYS-

[MN.2] //: -YEAAAAAAAAH—-

[MN.1] //: -Just—confused, since when was—-

[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: -you can't stop either can you-

[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: -what is happening with uuuuussss-

<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > -IT’S A THING WITH AVI’S FORM, OOPS- -This happened last time, too- -Normally I just don’t say as much so it took forever to notice-

<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > -Makes him really high spirited, though—GAH, even thoughts, this is worse than I remembered-

<FMN-009>: > Need to hit the road and make tracks… -Has given up trying to make it stop-

[MN.9] //: -YEAH let's just jet before Brand—DANG IT- -CALL PLEASE HURRY UP-

<FMN-001>: > …?

<FMN-009>: > Looks like there’s a bit of a delay on this end—you go on ahead. Need a more precise location for Sis—lemme know if you see sign of her.

[CALL] //: ....

[CALL] //: Coordinates set.

[MN.9] //: Roger that— -Oh man this IS worse than last time-

[DR.WHITE] //: Please be very careful, Beck—!

[MN.9] //: Yeah, we will.

[CALL] //: Xel Transfer initiated.

[MN.9] //: {I'm coming to save you, big brother...!}

______________________

[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 7, BRANDISH, HAS BEEN SPOTTED ON THIS NEW MEXICO HIGHWAY, CAUSING RECKLESS DESTRUCTION AMONG THE MALFUNCTIONING AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES. FIGHTING MIGHTY NO. 8, COUNTERSHADE 'KATE' WHITE, IS ALSO MOVING TOWARDS THE OBJECTIVE.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVE: PURSUE AND RESCUE MN.7, PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM SYSTEMS.]

[SUB-OBJECTIVES: IF POSSIBLE, LOCATE FMN.8 AND RELAY TO FMN.9 FOR SYSTEM XEL PURGE, MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT.]

SYSTEMS READY?

GO!

[As Beck fully materialized into the moving rig, the heavy wind and rainfall splattered across his armor and face, causing him to shiver slightly. Buildings with holographic adverts were nothing but blurs, the speed of the vehicles almost making him dizzy.]

Beck: (Fast—WAY too fast—!)

[By his internal instruments, the rig was going at LEAST 90 miles per hour—!]

Soi: Great Scott, Mother Nature is NOT kind today...!

Will: -Oh no no please don't slip, please--

-PING!-

<DWN-012>: > Easy guys, easy!

<DWN-012>: > Beck—try adjusting your visual processing speed. It’ll help a lot.

[MN.9] //: O-Okay...

[After fiddling around with some settings, he blinked, and visibly relaxed as his optics adjusted, the blurs now becoming readable and not as disorientating...]

Beck: (Oh, man, that's MUCH better...)

[MN.9] //: Thanks, Speedy!

<DWN-012>: > No problem. Glad to help. Now, remember—your vision speed is going to be faster, so adjust to how your vision and motor systems coordinate before jumping off into the air. Try it out—once you get used to moving while seeing at that speed, it’ll be easier to move around.

<DWN-012>: > Remember, you’re just SEEING faster, not necessarily moving faster.

[MN.9] //: -Got it, gonna try that out now--

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Warning--! Contact in--

[SHING!]

<DWN-012>: > -DATA—-

<DWN-012>: > -I KNOW THAT SOUND, THAT IS THE SOUND OF LETHAL BLADED WEAPONRY-

[Even with Beck's vision processing at higher speeds...--]

[He still couldn't identify what had split the falling raindrops just mere inches from his face.]

[Beck stumbled backwards, and the red Mighty Number seemingly falls from the sky, as if he had either teleported--]

[Or...]

Beck: Brand!

<DWN-012 to MNN-007>: > -PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING—-

<DWN-012 to MNN-007>: > Brandish! You’re alive—!

<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: > Something’s off here, Beck—

<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: > When people with our power and speed move just short of hitting you in the face, we’re missing on PURPOSE!

<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: > trust me on this, I’ve DONE it before with my own brother…

Beck: --!!

[On...on purpose...?]

Beck: Brand...?

Brand: . . . .

Brand: N-Ngh...

[Brandish's arms shake ever so slightly as he stands firm across from Beck, a death grip on either of his blades. His eyes are shut tightly--]

Brand: ...O...Otouto...--

<DWN-012>: > …

Beck: --!!!

Beck: Nii-San--!!

<DWN-013>: > -SUDDENLY, ABRUPTLY- BRANDISH!

<DWN-013>: > Keep fighting it!

<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: > We… recognize this…!

<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: > Jaden… Jaden was this same way!

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

[DR.SANDA] //: Seven--!

Brand: --!

Brand: {F...Father...Uncle...}

<DWN-012>: > Hang in there, Sev—

[PING PING PING!]

[MN.1] //: Brand--!!

[MN.2] //: -LITTLE BRO, YOU CAN DO IT--!

[MN.3] //: -BRAAAAND--!

<DCN-008>: > {Brandish, Shadow is here—he will want to see you. You have to keep resisting!}

Brand: Ngh--!!

[His head turns to one side, and for a moment he looks as if he is about to collapse at any given moment...]

Beck: Hang on, Nii-san, just sit still for a--

[SHING!]

Brand: NO!

<DWN-013>: > -Harsh warning data- Beck—to your aid, an unlikely friend, indeed…

<DWN-013>: > But it’s a constant struggle, fraught with pain, and there are limits…

<DWN-013>: > We might purposefully miss, but that doesn’t mean we won’t make a strike!

[He turns back, slashing in a wild angle so that Beck would stop in his tracks. His eyes snap open, and they are a deep, deep violet color.]

Brand: KEEP--KEEP AWAY--!

<DWN-013>: > -Oh, Brandish, we are INCREDIBLY empathetic and I, personally, am really feeling rather wretched in the cross-references this brings to me-

Beck: --!!

[It fades off, however, to his normal blue, and he recoils back, away from his brother.]

Brand: I'm warning you, Beck--

Brand: Stay AWAY--Ngh!

<DWN-013 to MNN-007>: > Brandish…!

<DWN-013 to MNN-007>: > -We understand-

<DWN-013 to MNN-007>: > Fight it. Fight it! You are stronger than I could ever have been. Do not let it take you without a fight to be told for years to come!

[Despite the pleas, he retreats, impressively jumping two cars ahead to another rig, and before long, he disappears into the rainy haze of the night.]

Beck: BRAND--WAIT--!

Beck: I'm going after him, Professor--!

[DR.WHITE] //: Affirmative, Beck--just be sure to mind your step traversing those vehicles. Keep in mind what Twelve has told you!

[MN.9] //: Got it!

<MC005>: > -Sighs- His control truly is incredible.

<MC005>: > Forgive the metaphor, but—

<MC005>: > Just because a horse rebels against the reigns does not mean the bridle isn’t there.

[MN.9] //: -Yeah...no kidding...-

<MC005>: > There is a directive—

<DWN-013>: > -Ping-

<DWN-013>: > When…

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-012>: > …

<DWN-012>: > -We are here, brother-

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-013>: > When…

[He seems to be struggling to keep it verbal, rather than abstract.]

<DWN-013>: > It… was easier to fight if. I could… take an option that would… trick it by seeming, possibly, to obey…

<DWN-013>: > We… he will… aim to miss, if he can, but it is easier to do that than to hold back entirely.

<DWN-013>: > But you must be quick if you corner him, Beck. Or…

<DWN-013>: > …

[He gave off data of pure dread and hopelessness, almost an intense kind of cold in quiet despair.]

<DWN-013>: > (In the end… his will overcame the program…)

[MN.9] //: .......

[MN.9] //: Where's he heading?

[CALL] //: Due southeast, towards Alpha 1. Proceed with caution.

[Beck nodded, and quickly dashed forward. It was a little dizzying given that he was seeing faster, and therefore made his Dash feel a bit strange--]

[But, after jumping over a few cars and trailers, he picked up the motions fairly quickly.]

Beck: (Think I got it...)

[....Strangely, all is...almost quiet, other than the sounds of rain and engines and his own feet against metal.]

[It was...kinda desolate--were there no people on this highway?]

Beck: (But these cars are automatic, either they should be stuck or...--)

Beck: (O...Or...)

[CALL] //: ...I am receiving distressed signals from Nine. Are you well?

[MN.9] //: -Just--had a really nasty thought, ngh--

<DCN-000>: > What’s that?

<DWN-011>: > “Distressed” means—

<DCN-000>: > No! I mean, why is the car squished.

<DWN-019>: > …What ARE you looking at?

<DCN-000>: > I saw it! It was squished.

<DWN-019>: > Well it’s not there now—

[MN.9] //: -Nope, nope, he gonna forget he ever thought that and just keep going--

<DWN-013>: > Uh… Beck?

[MN.9] // --?

<DWN-013>: > Are those signs supposed to be moving like that?

[BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEP!]

Beck: --WAAH!

[The Mighty Number was swarmed by a group of thin, floating display screens, which were switching different images of road signs and signals on their front and back. They rammed themselves into Beck, who raised up his arms in defense!]

Beck: SIGN BOTS--?!

Beck: -UGH, OW, STOP--!-

[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]

[BZZZZZZT!]

[Taking advantage of the wet weather, Beck shifted into his sister's form and let loose a strong electrical discharge, which fried the sign bots and their Xel Structures. They turned a deep blue, much to Beck's relief.]

<DWN-013>: > … Iiiiiii will take that as a “no."

[XEL STOCK 1 QUOTA REACHED.]

[MN.9] //: Ow, that hurt...

[MN.9] //: Please tell me those were the only sign bots on this highway---

[CALL] //: This is a major interstate. There are many Sanda sign bot models across th--

Beck: Dad DESIGNED those??

Soi: Eheh...n-no. I did...

<MC005>: > …I am utterly fascinated but I won’t go off on that tangent at the moment…

<MC005>: > Though I find it curious that they seem not to have tried to swarm Brandish. Either they can tell he is infected, or he was too fast for them, I suppose…?

<DCN-000>: > Look! See, there’s another one!

<DWN-019>: > What ARE you looking at, how can you see anything through this RAIN…

<MC005>: > I designed him to perform almost exclusively outdoors, Siam.

<DWN-019>: > … -Oh, right-

[Beck absentmindedly wondered what in the world Snow was talking about as he transverses the highway, switching back to default to shoot the sign bots before they swarmed him and dashed to collect their Xel.]

[He came upon another rig, which was--]

Beck: --!!

[--filled with strange, round, green robots?]

Beck: Whoa--!

[They rolled around the rig to and fro, dangerous spikes around their rims, and...]

[...They had the trademark eyesets and logo of none other than CherryDyn.]

<DCN-000>: > Uncle Will?

Will: ....??

<DCN-000>: > Why do they have a big power button on them?

<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > Congratulations, you’ve been promoted. -Amused-

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: --Mikhail please--

[MN.9] //: Dad--Dad, what ARE these?

Will: I...I have no idea--!

Soi: I've never seen this model before... What in the world--there are dozens of them...!

[MN.2] //: -WHO CARES, SHOOT IT, BRO.-

[MN.9] //: -Does it even take damage, I mean it has SPIKES so I don't wanna touch it--

[MN.2] //: -SHOOT IT OR I'LL HIT YOU.-

[MN.9] //: -OKAY OKAY JEEZ--

Mikhail: Sanda, I’m rather confused about something.

Soi: --? Yes?

Mikhail: Why would CherryDyn make something like that? I can’t think of an Industrial use for it, and it is rather impractical as a Combat construct, save perhaps as target practice…

Mikhail: Unless they’re capable of more than they appear…

Soi: Good...question...?

Soi: Strange...

Beck: (Weird--they don't even SEEM all that practical...?)

[Beck raised his arm cannon and took careful aim, and then fired a few shots at the strange CDNs...]

[WRRRRRRR!!]

Beck: --!?

[...They did NOT like that.]

[They didn't even FLINCH, though they did indeed take damage--]

Beck: --oh NO--

[They sped up--faster, and faster, causing Beck to jump erratically to avoid them--what's more, they didn't roll off the edge, but rather changed direction back towards Beck.]

Beck: --They're CHASING me??

<DWN-011>: > … -Welp. Run.-

<DWN-012>: > -SEE NOW, IF YOU HAD /MY/ FORM YOU COULD PROBABLY JUST RUN THIS WHOLE OBSTACLE COURSE INSTEAD OF ALL THE JUMPING, BUT- 8’D

<DCN-003>: > HMM MAYBE LEAVE NOW THEN YES GOOD

<DCN-007>: > Da, they don’t look like they’d be able to jump…

[MN.9] //: -YUP, WE'RE JUST GONNA DASH ON OUTTA HERE--

[There were several crates that could be climbed on near the end of this rig--Beck wasted no time shifting to Avi's form and hovering over to the top most one.]

[WRRRRR--!!]

[...The wheel-like CDNs did not like this either.]

Beck: --?!?

[They backed up, and gained enough momentum to hop the first crate--then the second--]

[MN.9] //: -UUUUUGH--

<DWN-012>: > ARE YOU KIDDING ME, THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE ARMS—

<DWN-013>: > -sNORTS-

Will: (What strange models--they're clearly CherryDyn, but something is... off... )

[Frustrated, Beck decides to just abandon the rig altogether, and favors for another moving vehicle--a car-- and gently sets down on it's roof.]

[The wheel models, of course, try to follow--]

[SCREEEEEECH!!]

Beck: GNH--!

[The car he was standing on lurched forward, picking up more speed—]

Beck: -WHOA BALANCE, WHERE ARE YOU—-

Will: BECK!

[With the car far too out of reach, the wheel models end up jumping right into the speeding asphalt, a horrid crunching sound following suit. ]

[Beck ends up falling backwards into the car--]

[Hard.]

[CRRRSHH--]

Soi: --??!

<DWN-019>: > …That. <DWN-019>: > Didn’t sound good.

[...The roof caved in, and Beck's backside met luxury leather.]

Beck: --Oof--!

[MN.3] //: --He'szz in the CAR??

Beck: Ow...

Beck: ....???

Beck: Huh...?

<MC005>: > …

[Mikhail had to quietly turn aside to maintain his composure. Despite—or perhaps because of—the serious situation, it was just too much, and the image of Beck in a luxury vehicle was rather ridiculous.]

Will: E...err...

Soi: -SILENTLY PANICKING BECAUSE BECK DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE-

Beck: Uuuuuh...

[...The inside seemed...nice.]

[...If it wasn't for the fact the displays and lights were all a sick purple, and no one was at the wheel.]

[There was a slight groan.]

<DWN-019>: > …?

<DWN-019>: > Beck? Are you alright?

Beck: Y-Yeah? For the most part--everything in here is all--a weird purple-- and the radio is--

“Ugh… what the glitchfrag hell—”

<DWN-019>: > ?!

Beck: --it's all static but I...--

Beck: --?!?

[And then, as if a vision of a (very disgruntled) goddess of old…]

[The cowgirl decloaked.]

Beck: --!!!

Beck: Kate--?!

Kate: Beck?

Kate: What in th’ nine hells are ya DOIN’ HERE of all places?!

Beck: .....

Beck: Enjoying a nice driiiiive--?

[She pushed him aside to take the driver’s seat, shifting into her civvies.]

Kate: We’re fraggin’ lucky this ain’t a stick-shift, ya runt of a twit… -grumble-

[--OW--]

[The car did not like this, and only sped up.]

[And then she growled and GLARED at it.]

[…it immediately changed its mind and obeyed.]

Beck: --!!

[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: ME--UH. I FOUND KATE--AND WE'RE KINDA IN A CAR--

<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > YOU’RE WHAT

[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: THE ROOF FELL--

<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > AAAAH SHE DRIVES WORSE THAN DYNA but better than Cryo, don’t tell her I said that

[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: SHE W H A T--

[Oddly enough, Kate seemed to be handling the car just fine—especially considering she was simply using a left hand to steer and use the signals. She’d turned on the wipers and the brights, and was signaling to veer off the highway to another exit.]

Kate: You need to get out of here. It’s much too dangerous for you.

Beck: Uuuuh...

[Oh, now they had a problem--if he told Kate he was going after Brand too, she's definitely not gonna like that...]

Beck: But--what about you, I can't just LEAVE you here--!

Kate: Oh yes you can.

Kate: Cryin’ out loud, Becky—Ah’ thought you a’ ALL people ‘ld have a bit of FAITH in me…

[She growled again, though this time it was almost a wolflike snarl.]

Kate: Unlike SOME people.

Beck: --Wha--?

Beck: -Baaacks away as far as he could-

[...OK, that was freaky scary....]

<FMN-009>: > The best you’re going to get out of her is to stall her—just get her off at the nearest exit and sneak off when she’s distracted!

[MN.9] //: -Stall, stall...-

Beck: (Ngh...)

Beck: Kate--Sis, I DO, I swear, but--I don't want to see anyone get hurt over all this--!

Kate: Get hurt over what? -Clearly grouchy- Ain’t got a clue what yer talkin’ about.

[She had somehow woven her way seamlessly through the cars to pull off at the next exit—which thankfully was a rest stop and not more highway.]

Beck: THIS! -WAVES ARMS AROUND TO SIGNIFY THE SITUATION THEY ARE IN-

Beck: (Come on, think, think--!)

Beck: (I'm just making her angry, maybe...)

Kate: Then what are you doin’ out here? -Snorts- Of course yer gonna get hurt if you go out in a thunderstorm with a lightnin’ rod, Lil’ Nine! -Applying the brakes- I can secure the area for ya, but you’ll have t’ call Daddy on yer own. Ah’ ain’t comin’ back with ya. Not yet.

Beck: Ngh--!

Beck: (I'm not getting through to her--)

Beck: --!

Beck: (But maybe...maybe--!)

[She pulled the car to a stop and got out.]

Kate: Stay put, Nine.

[SLAM!]

Kate: Ah’ve got a job t’ do still, and ya don’t wanna be in mah way.

Beck: ......

Beck: -Pretends to pout and sit in the seat.-

Beck: .......

[MN.9 to MN.3] //: Psssst!

[MN.3 to MN.9] //: --!

[MN.9 to MN.3] //: Dyna--I need you to distract Kate--!

[MN.3 to MN.9] //: Wait, what--how?

[MN.9 to MN.3] //: Just--talk to her, maybe she doesn't know you're cured--or--I don't know, just stall!

[MN.3 to MN.9] //: OK OK, um--

[MN.3 to MN.9] //: Here goeszz nothing--

[PING!]

[Kate was already making her way back to the highway, but she raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement before pinging back in response.]

[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: ...Zzsiiisszz?

[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: --?? Woooow I hear a lot of background noiszze, what ISZZ that--? Zzsoundszz annoying--

Dyna: -Jeezz Beck I zsswear I'm gonna get you back for thiszz--

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > Oh, hai sis!

[She seemed perky, in a good mood.

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > Gonna have t’ pick Becky up from daycare. The noise is traffic.

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > Ah’ got a bit… heh… DERAILED.

[She sighs, pausing and looking to the sky thoughtfully. The purple glow of her eye faded for a moment.]

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > -Softly- … He woulda liked that, Ah’ think. …

[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: Iszz that right...?

[While Dyna conversed with Kate, Beck scooted out of the his seat and looked for a way out of the car--maybe he can climb out the hole in the roof? He'll have to be quick...]

[MN.9 to MN.3] //: Whatever you're doing, keep it up--

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > …He said some real mean thangs, Sis.

[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: --!!

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > N-nrrghh… It hurt so bad…!

[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: ....

[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: Izz that so... -BZZZZT, static-y angry sounding buzzes--

[Beck silently grabbed the edge of the hole and hoisted himself up, over and on the other side of the car so that he could hide behind it.]

Beck: (Gotta make a break for it...come on, sis...)

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > He said all ah’ was good for was bein’ a nightmare… that Ah’ was built that way…

[She was… clearly genuinely hurt over this.]

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > Ah’ don’t understan’, Sis.

<FMN-008 to MNN-003>: > He… he’d always stood up f… for me…!

[MN.3 to FMN.8] //: ....I--

[ACXELERATE DASH: MAX OUTPUT REACHED.]

[A blur of blue and white suddenly sped out from behind the car--!]

[Kate didn’t notice. Instead, she burst into an aura of violet flames.]

<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > AAAAUUUGH—!

<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > WAI DOES EVERYONE THINK AH’ CAN’T DO NOTHIN’ AN’ AH’M JUST GOOD FER LOOKS?!

<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > AIN’T FAIR!

<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > -Searing bitterness directed specifically at Pyro for all to feel-

[MN.1] //: --Nnngh--!

[There is the sound of someone collapsing over the feeds--]

[MN.2] //: BIG BRO--!

[MN.3] //: -sHRIEKS--

<FMN-008 has blocked MNN-ALL.>

[She vanished from sight and was gone.]

[Meanwhile…]

[MN.1] //: -w...we're fine--it's...argh--

Mikhail: Pyro! Are you sure you’re alright? -DAD MODE ENGAGED, it’s not normal for him to just collapse like that, never seen it before-

Will: -RUSHES OVER TO SON'S SIDE--

[MN.1] //: I...

[MN.1] //: -Shifts to abstract, we're just-- overwhelmed, it was all mostly directed to us...-

[MN.1] //: ....

[MN.1] //: I...she...

[MN.1] //: I didn't...but...

[MN.2] //: -FLAILS, LAY DOWN BRO, PLEAAAASE--

Mikhail: Easy… easy…

[There’s the patter of small feet. And suddenly, a Snowbab.]

[He was playing some music over broadcast.]

Snow: -Climbs on top of Pyro to clinghug, you can’t stop him-

Snow: -Softly- Mister Pyyyyroooo…

Snow: Let’s go make rice balls an’ such for when Mister Brandish an’ Miss Eight are rescued.

[The music certainly helps, and the Leader's breathing slowly evens out...he manages to sit up a bit, Cryo already on Pyro's shoulder while Snow clung to the other.]

Pyro: ....Mng...In a moment, Snow, let me catch my breath...

Pyro: .....

Pyro: (Kate...)

Will: --Soi--

Soi: -Already doing scans to make double sure Pyro's OK, we got you-

[MN.9] //: Pyro--you OK?

[MN.1] //: -Been worse, we'll be OK-

[MN.1] //: -Focus on your mission, we can handle things here.-

<DCN-000>: > An’ there will be food when you finish! : D

[MN.9] //: Roger that. Heading back into the Highway--

[Back at the Highway…]

[There was no sign of Kate.]

Mikhail: ... You're going to just have to go on regardless.

Beck: Figures...

[A quick Dash and a well timed jump, and Beck was back on another rig. The rain was finally letting up now, thankfully...]

[...But no sign of Brand...]

Beck: (He's probably WAY up ahead...)

Beck: (I gotta get moving before Brand gets too far--)

[CRUNCH!]

Beck: --?!?

[Beck whirled around to look behind him, and heard a loud crashing sound way off in the distance...]

Beck: (What was...?)

"AAAAAAAAAAA--"

Beck: --???

Beck: (That...sounds really familiar...)

[CALL] //: Attention--I have picked up another model's signal.

Soi: Huh?

[CALL] //: Verifying...

[Beck continued onward, once again shifting to Avi's form to fly over the larger gaps between the moving cars, and just narrowly avoiding another swarm of sign bots.]

Beck: Starting to really hate those things...

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Signal verified. The unit is Cherry Dynamics Number 7037.

Beck: 70--WAIT--

All: JACK?!

Mikhail: Dear heavens.

Speedy: Duuuuuuude he actually MADE it this far??

Siam: Well THAT Gemini: will certainly Siam: keep her attention Gemini: for a Siamini: while!

Beck: --But--! Jack could--!

[MN.1] //: --Ngh--Beck, if Jack made it all the way here on his own, then he can handle this. You need to keep moving!

<DCN-008>: > You must continue. For their safety.

<DCN-008>: > If she were to catch up to Brandish…

<DCN-008>: > If they get too close, it is not certain he would hold back: for she has been rude to him, and Jack was his opponent who delayed him in a time of crisis—and since the virus exacerbates all grievances…

[MN.9] //: Ngh...!

[He was right. He had to go save Brand...]

Beck: (Ooooh...please be careful, Jack...!)

[MN.9] //: --...Yes, sir...

[Forced to leave the CDN behind, Mighty Number Nine climbed another set of crates, blasting away at the flying models that cluttered the brightening overhead...]

[CALL] //: Warning--I am receiving reports of Seven destroying several vehicles in the road ahead. Incoming debris is a certainty.

Beck: --He's...?!

Soi: There's a tunnel coming up ahead too--it may affect visibility, so be careful!

[CALL] //: .....Odd.

Will: ...? What is?

[CALL] //: By my calculations, he is aiming for another exit to Highway Beta. This route leads to no major cities, while Highway Alpha does.

[CALL] //: It is illogical that the virus would not lead him to where he would cause the most destruction...

Will: ....

Will: Unless...

<DWN-013>: > -Sadly- To your aid, an unlikely friend…

Beck: ....

[CALL] //: There is a chance that Seven will overshoot the exit and proceed onward. I suggest you stop him before that moment, Nine.

[MN.9] //: Got it...

<DWN-012>: > Wait a minute. What were you saying a second ago about a tunnel—

[CRRRSHHH!!]

Beck: WHA--

[Was that the front half of a car FLYING TOWARDS HIM--]

[MN.1] //: MOVE, BECK!

[He didn't need to be told twice. His feet seemed to move on their own as soon as he spotted the debris, and using the rig itself as a springboard, LEAPED over to the opposite lane!]

Beck: -WHHOOOAAA--!

[THUD!]

[...Unfortunately, he crashed right into the side of a van--but his hands found perchance on the rails above it!]

Beck: -AAAAH FACE, my FACE really hurts, and I think--I think I broke my nose--

[...He felt something sticky and wet trailing down his lips-- oh he was bleeding Xel-- ]

Will: -Oh--oh dear is that--??!?

Soi: -and we feel faint now, gotta take a seat--

[MN.2] //: -BEEEECK, ARE YOU OK--?!

[MN.9] //: -No but that's OK--we can use a Xel stock, we'll be fine--

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 2...]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[The pain subsided, and he was fully invigorated once more, hanging onto the side of the van for dear life. With a grunt of effort, Beck planted both feet on the door--]

[--and pushed, launching him up and backwards in a flip that ended up landing him perfectly on the roof!]

Will: --!

Beck: --Oh--

Beck: -oH HEY LOOK THAT WORKED!-

<DWN-019>: > … WAIT A MINUTE

<DWN-019>: > Are you saying you weren’t sure it would?!

Beck: Have YOU ever been on a highway with crazy cars and had to jump across lanes and do backflips and stuff?! -WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST HERE-

<DWN-019>: > …

<DWN-012>: > …

<DWN-012>: > :’D;;; uh

<DWN-012>: > we plead the fifth on this one thanks

<MC005>: > I think he was just confused as to why you would try something you didn’t know would work.

Beck: .....

Beck: Oh. Well...uuuuh.

[MN.2] //: -BECK'S BEEN DOIN' CRAZY STUFF SINCE FOREVER AGO, AND IT'S STARTING TO CONCERN US-

Beck: .... ^.^;;;

<MC005>: > You what? ?__?

[CALL] //: Warning--multiple incoming robots heading for your location.

[MN.9] //: -nOT AGAIN--

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]

Beck: Stop SWARMING me--!

[A blast of icy wind dealt with the sign bots quickly--but they fell as their systems shut down, shattering into a million pieces before Beck could absorb their Xel.]

Beck: ...Oops.

Beck: (O...Kay, not doing THAT again...)

<MC005>: > …What was that about the stunts, again—

Beck: --Uh--

Will: --!! DUCK!

[MN.1] //: --?

Beck: --Wait I don't see a duuUUUUOH--

[NOW ENTERING HIGHWAY ALPHA 1.]

[...That was what the large overhead sign said as Beck ducked at the last possible second, narrowly avoiding giving himself another broken nose--and possibly worse.]

Beck: (Oh man that was close--!)

[There is a strong fuzzing noise of static.

It’s not coming from nearby, but rather over the feeds.]

Beck: !

[MN.3] //: --Wha--that'szz not me--

<FMN-006>: > OOOO—

<FMN-006>: > -OW, CAR RIGHT TO THE FACE-

<FMN-006>: > -Well not LITERALLY her face but man that had to have hurt-

<FMN-009>: > Aaaaaa I’M GOING AS FAST AS I CAN BUT THERE ARE CRAZY SIGNS EVERYWHEEEEEEEEERE—

[MN.9] //: What's--!?

[MN.1] //: -PING PING, IS SHE ALRIGHT--

Will: --Just--extremely so very worried with so many of his--and not his but his children AAACK--

<FMN-006>: > Her camo’s gone—

<FMN-009>: > -WHICH MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TO CATCH UP TO HER, DAD—-

<FMN-006>: > …She’s standing on her own, now—

<FMN-006>: > SHEEEE’ll be fine, Beckaronidoni, GO ON AHEAD :’^D

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -UH. SHE’S KINDA GETTING AGITATED, IT SEEMS, STANDBY FOR DEVELOPMENT-

[MN.1] //: . . . .

Beck: -Whew, OK...-

[CALL] //: Contact with tunnel entrance in three...two...one...

Speedy: -OH GEEZ, DUCK, MAN!-

[THUD--!]

[Beck just dropped down to lay on the roof and held his head down--]

[--and saw the world turn much, much darker, illuminated only by pale, yellow lights that lined the walls--the emergency lights.]

[Beck lowered his visor for Night Vision before he deemed it safe to raise his head again.]

Beck: --In the tunnel--! It's...pretty dark but I got my Night Vision--

<DWN-011>: > Welp. Just keep an eye for the exit, too.

[Nine pinged back in confirmation, readying himself briefly before jumping to another car, and another. The traffic was more condensed here, so it was easier to jump from one vehicle to another.]

Beck: Lots of rigs here...

[With LOTS of malfunctioning robots...]

Beck: (No other way—I'm gonna have to fight through them!)

[....It wasn't long before the malfunctioning robots spotted him, and moved to converge on his position.]

[Beck narrowed his eyes at them, and—]

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN]

[—FILLED his fists with fire, and CHARGED at the CDNs in his path!]

Beck: Haaaaaah—!

[MN.1] //: .... -We taught him that, you know—- -HEH, THAT'S HIS BROTHER-

[MN.2] //: -Yeah well DUH-

[BAM—!]

[A few of the robots are knocked off the rig, while others either blow up or are absorbed on contact with his Dash, giving him some Absorption Boosts--and refilling his previously used Xel Stock.]

[XEL STOCK 1 QUOTA REACHED.]

[MN.3] //: —He'zzz really mowing those thingszz down, huh...?

[MN.2] //: -IT'S GLORIOUS, GO BECK GO-

Beck: —NNGH—!

[One by one, the robots are broken and beaten down before him, their components being drawn into his being as both Xel and Fire danced to his will, a strong green glow casting from his optics.]

Will: (....!)

Beck: Get out of the WAY—!

Beck: (Gotta—get to Nii-San—!)

[SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—!]

Beck: -cOVERS EARS, O W—!-

Will: What in the world was—?!

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -NOOOOOOBODY PANIC, UH— -

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: -SIX, I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT IS—-

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > SHE'S KINDA, UM

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > TIED UP AT THE MOMENT—

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: -NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR PUNS, AVIATOR—-

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > NO BRO

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > I MEAN IT FOR REAL

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —!

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -also, we pun when stressed, you know this, aaaaand thIS IS KINDA STRESSFUL TO WATCH-

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > Get Nine moving, this isn't something he should see!

[MN.9] //: Guys—?!

[MN.1] //: Keep GOING, Beck! NOW!

[MN.9] //: But what was—?!

[MN.1] //: N O W!

<FMN-006 to FMN-009>: > Hurry uuuup

[While Beck made a worried break for it, Goose suddenly gave off a blip of surprise and concern.]

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > Uh-oh—

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > oh geez, she took out one of my cameras— I've lost visual—

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -But not audio, at least-

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —Augh, of all the times—!

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: What about Jack? Is he injured? Did you see before you lost the visual?

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > ... Have you ever needed to wrestle your Shade? Or just lug him around in general? Tony's not exactly a heavyweight-- aaaand don't tell her I said that or she'll shoot my propellers off 8'D;;

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > Noooot so much injured as out of his league in trying to reign in a bucking bronco-- though he's doing REAL well, all things considered— …

[... But then he falls uncharacteristically silent.]

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: .....? Avi—?

[MN.9] //: --Eeep--Cars, more car debris, DODGE DODGE DODGE--

[More silence.]

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > …

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > . . .

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: -OK we have never EVER heard you be this quiet for this long, please say SOMETHING—-

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > -Swallows- She's not gonna be happy when she wakes up from this...

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > ... And hears what she's saying.

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —.....

[MN.1] //: . . . . .

[MN.2] //: ...Bro?

[MN.1] //: .......

[MN.1] //: ...Beck?

[MN.9] //: —KINDA BUSY—! -SOUNDS OF METAL CRUNCHING-

[MN.1] //: ...Ngh...

[MN.1] //: (Curse this wretched virus—!)

[MN.9] //: How long until the tunnel exit?!

[CALL] //: Contact in 4 minutes, Nine.

<DWN-019>: > Wait. Where are Jack and FMN-008?

<FMN-006>: > Working on getting the visual back up, guys— lost sight of them, that may be a moment—

<DWN-019>: > … You are an aerial ‘bot, how could you lose sight of them—

<FMN-006>: > She spotted one of my cams and wasn’t too happy about it, okay? D: Charlieeee… why do you always have to go after Charlie, Siiiiiis…

[MN.3] //: (...Charlie??)

[CALL] //: Contact in 3 minutes.

Beck: Whoa—!

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

[More strange wheel bots had materialized--and learning from the previous encounter, Beck chose to avoid them altogether and and hovered just out of their reach.]

<DWN-011>: > Wouldn’t stay in that form too long.

<DCN-000>: > Why?

<DWN-011>: > Exit. Too tall.

[MN.9] //: OK, just let me find a place t—

[...A pause.]

[MN.9] //: .....Uh.

<MC005>: > …What is it, Beck?

[MN.9] //: UH, GUYS...

[BEEEP BEEEP BEEEEEEEP!]

[MN.1] //: -...oh no-

[MN.3] //: -HOW MANY OF THOSE THINGS A R E THERE??-

[MN.9] //: A LOT—!

<DCN-000>: > Can you slow ‘em down by freezing them? o:

[A swarm of sign bots—much MUCH bigger than anything he's seen so far.]

[MN.9] //: There's WAY too many, I don't think I can get them all—!

[MN.1] //: If you can't slow them down, can you disperse them?

[MN.9] //: Uuuuh...

[MN.9] //: I can tryyyy??

<DCN-000>: > Yaaay, Beckyyy~

-PING!-

<DCP-001>: > You can do it, Beck! ^.^

Beck: —!

Beck: ...Linka--!!

<DCP-001>: > You can do it! Beck is hero~

[...Nine's optics seemed to flare a touch brighter the moment he heard Kalinka's voice.]

[After landing on a car, Beck took careful aim at the mass of sign bots ahead, the propeller that replaced his hand spinning faster, and faster—!]

[—ZING!]

[The propeller unlatched and whizzed through the air vertically, splitting the large group of sign bots in half—!]

Beck: —Hah—!

[And he didn't stop there—a moment later and another propeller was launched, and another, and another—]

[CALL] //: Contact in 2 minutes.

[It took almost exhausting all of this form's energy—but he managed to completely disperse the swarm, quickly shifting back to default to shoot at the ones that lingered.]

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR//RECHARGING...]

[DR.WHITE] //: You're almost there, Beck—!

[MN.9] //: —! I see the exit! (It's really bright—...is it dawn already--?)

[CALL] //: Contact in 1 minute.

[Disengaging his Night Vision, Beck lowered his body as the car he stood on sped towards the light ahead...]

[CALL] //: Contact in 30 seconds.

[There was a sudden PING of alarm.]

<DWN-019>: > WAIT WAIT WAIT—

<DWN-019>: > PISCES WHAT WERE YOU SAYING ABOUT “TOO TALL”—

[MN.9] //: -What, but we're fine—-

[CALL] //: Contact in 3—2—1—

[The world was thrown back into light, and the first reddish sunbeams of daylight filled the sky over a brown desert, rock formations scattering their shadows against the hot sands of New Mexico.]

[There was a loud sound that echoed down the tunnel, bouncing off the walls.]

WHANG!

[Beck only had a second to stare in awe of the beautiful scenery when he heard the sound of something crashing against metal. He turned around back towards the tunnel in confusion.]

Beck: —?? What was that?!

<DWN-012>: > -Whine noise- x.≤;;; The sound of something running into a wall really, really fast…

[MN.1] //: (Something tall...)

[MN.1] //: .....!!!!

[MN.1] //: No—!

<FMN-006>: > … … … -We can’t do anything now until they come out on the other side, bro-

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —I know that and it's—Ngh!

[MN.2] //: SIS--!

[MN.3] //: -BZZZZZZZZZZT!!- -Stressful and worried static across the feeds-

[MN.9] //: What--did something happen to Kate and Jack--?!

[CALL] //: -LOUD PING-

[CALL] //: Warning: Erratic movement detected in several nearby remote-controlled vehicles.

<FMN-006>: > Listen, Beckaroo!

<FMN-006>: > The best thing you can do is to save the day by rescuing Sevvie, ‘kay? </punning while stressed again> Trust me on that. You can do it!

<FMN-006>: > This is a teamwork sort of rig— I mean, gig—

<FMN-006>: > So just do your part and Pup will do his and it’ll all work out, a’ight? ;D ;;;;

[MN.9] //: —...

[MN.9] //: —I read you, Avi...

[...He just couldn't help it—there were so many people he cared about on this dangerous highway, and he worried about everyone.]

[But at least they were there to remind him what he needed to do.]

<FMN-006>: > Oooof course you do! : D Because the alphabet starts with “A” for “Avi!” ^^

<FMN-006>: > Now go get ‘em, Champ!

[MN.9] //: —R...Right!

[Another large rig backed up, allowing Beck to jump across and head out further into the highway.]

[CALL] //: Warning—I am detecting a buildup of erratic signals near your location.

<MC005>: > …? What does that indicate?

[CALL] //: Analyzing...

[MN.9] //: —...? Huh?

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck—?

[MN.9] //: The cars are...?

[The smaller vehicles were weaving around in seemingly random patterns, honking and trying to get in front of one another...]

Beck: It...kinda looks like they're freaking out...?

Beck: But why would--

[SHING!]

[There was a blur of--of a dark, violet blue flame—

And one of the cars was CLEAVED in half.]

<DWN-012>: > !!!

<DWN-012>: > oh gosh is this where the car halves were coming from?

[MN.2] //: HOLY--!

Beck: --!!!

[Moments later...]

[A red armored figure landed on the other lane, slamming a blade down on the car on which he landed.]

Beck: Brand--!

[MN.1] //: Brandish--!

[Brand's breathing sounded labored, wrenching his blade out of the car and staring across the lane at his little brother.]

Brand: Gnh...!

<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: > … We may have a problem…!

<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: > If that really was CND-7037 and FMN-008 hitting the tunnel that made that noise—

<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: > They might not be conscious enough to evade if Brand goes after the car or rig they’re on top of!

[MN.1 to FMN.6 and 9] //: You two had better hurry when they get out of that tunnel--!

<FMN-009>: > YES SIR—!

Brand: I...I told you...

Beck: Brandish--!

[Before Beck could say anything more, however--]

[A surge of dark, violet flames burst from Seven's body, across his arms and blades, and he raised his head to scream-- ]

Brand: I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY!

<DWN-013>: > Yes, you did. But he won’t.

Beck: HANG ON, NII-SAN--!

[Brandish let out a cry of anguish, leaping towards another car as Beck chased after him from his own lane--]

[SHING--!]

[Another car was sliced, and it's parts were swept across the road--Beck was forced to jump from car to car to avoid both his brother's wild attacks and the results of his reluctant rampage.]

[SHING--!]

Beck: {Big brother, please--}

[SHING--!]

Beck: {--you have to--}

[SHING--!]

Beck: {--FIGHT THIS--!}

<DWN-013 to MNN-009>: > …He is, Beck. … -Augh, it is so hard, and so painful- He’s trying as hard as he can. But you’ll need to make the final moves to overcome what’s in place.

[Brand paused, breathing heavily.]

Brand: Why did it have to be you—

Beck: —?

Beck: N-nii-san, I’m here to—

Brand: WHY. DID IT HAVE. TO BE YOU?!

Beck: Wh-what do you mean?

[The sword master gripped his blades, shaking… in anger.]

Brand: Is Cardinal still out there with his damn martyr complex, then? Abandoning his family, abandoning US in a time like this?

[To say Beck was surprised would be an understatement. He sputtered, trying to draw closer.]

Beck: Wha—how did you know—!?

[Brand suddenly flamed up, screaming in rage.]

Brand: I SAW HIM, BECK! I REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY, AND EVER SINCE!

Beck: !!!

Brand: -Distorted- Self-centered coward… always… always running away…!

[SHING—!]

[He took out his rage on another vehicle, forcing Beck to jump again.]

Brand: Never taking responsibility for ANYTHING he does! He wouldn’t help you then, he won’t help you now— instead he’s off GOD KNOWS WHERE larking about his on own, petty whims…

Brand: Irresponsible… SELFISH little… dishonorable COWARD…

Brand: Turning his back on responsibility, leaving it all to you…

Brand: I’ll tear him to pieces for this…!

Beck: !!! Nii-san, DON’T—! He just wants to help—!

[Brandish's answer to that was another slash in his direction, but easily avoidable. As Nine leaps over to a larger rig, the Xel-ninja speeds on by a set of trucks--]

[...But doesn't reappear once they pass.]

Beck: No--!

Beck: (Where is he, where is he--)

[DR.WHITE] //: .....

[DR.WHITE] //: (I can't help but wonder...Brand's fine control over his art allows him to achieve a greater focus than any of the others...)

[DR.WHITE] //: (But he's not like Beck in the sense that...)

[DR.WHITE] //: (....)

[DR.WHITE] //: (Brandish...son...)

[Beep!]

Beck: ....?

[The rig was larger than the others--and it was carrying many other cars on it's trailers. Once Beck climbed over the roof, and to the floor below, he was greeted by none other than Sunny the Patch Bot.]

[DR.SANDA] //: --? Will--Did YOU send Sunny down there?

[DR.WHITE] //: No--?

Sunny: ^.^

[CALL] //: -Ping of admittance, we had concluded Beck needed medical assistance once Brandish was spotted again-

<DWN-019>: > -Ping of approval-

[Sunny chirped pleasantly as Beck patted their head, unloading it's cargo and preparing to fly off...]

Beck: Wait, Sunny--!

Sunny: ?

[MN.9] //: Call--Xel Transfer him back to the lab right now, please.

[...He didn't want to add Sunny to the things Brand already cut up so far...]

[CALL] //: Acknowledged.

<DWN-013>: > Good luck, Beck. And remember…

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-013>: > (“In the end… his will overcame the program…”)

<DWN-013>: > Remember what I told you.

Beck: ......

Beck: Yeah...

[Sunny was teleported off, leaving Beck to venture forward on his own. There were less and less cars on the lanes, he noted...]

Beck: ....!

[At one end of the trailer, there were more cars, stacked one on top of the other.]

Beck: (They're not moving...so they must have been turned off when the virus hit...?)

[DR.WHITE] //: Any sign of Brand?

[MN.9] //: Not--

"HAAAAAAAAAAH--!!"

[SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING--]

[B O O M!]

[Without any warning, the cars were sliced--and they all exploded, knocking back the smaller Mighty Number off his feet and rolling across the trailer floor--!]

Beck: Gah--!

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

<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > Careful, Will! With Brandish as his opponent… Beck will need all the concentration he can muster!

[Black smoke choked his throat, and he coughed, his vision straining to see the familiar figure that had appeared through it.]

[The smoke cleared, the rising sun over the now desolate highway....]

Beck: -COUGH-

Beck: B--...Brand...

[Screams of surprise and alarm in the far distance.]

<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > Got them! I’m closing in!

[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: --... -PING-

[Brandish fell into a offensive stance, yet he was trying to draw AWAY from his brother at the same time, so it looked as if he was just a tense coil...]

Brand: Beck--!

[Beck gathered to his feet. Brand wasn't running anymore, but it sure LOOKED like he wanted to.]

Beck: Brand...

Brand: GNH--!

Brand: GNAAAAAAAAAAAAH--!!

[The dark flames enshrouded, engulfed, and for a moment, Brandish was not there—lost in the virus's grip—and then—!]

Brand?: WHY--?!

Beck: --!

[That voice--it was completely different, twisted, and demonic--it was not his own--]

Beck: (Is that...the virus...?)

Brand?: WHY, BECK--?!

Beck: ?!?!?

[--It said his NAME.]

Brand?: WHY WON'T YOU. GIVE. UP?!?!

[.........]

Beck: A...Ah--

[Those--those words--]

Beck: (W...What...)

[It was clear that Beck was completely unnerved, and found that he could not move at all. He stared, fixated, horrified and in disbelief all at once--]

<RMDC>: > -PING!-

<RMDC>: > UPDATE COMPLETED.

<RMDC>: > REBOOTING AI_DWN_024…

Beck: --!!

<MC005>: > What?

Brand?: RAAAAAAAAAAH--!!

[An unnatural groan of pain, and the flames die down to their original height, causing Brand to fall to a knee.]

Brand: Ngn...

Brand: S...Shadow....?

<DWN-019>: > What’s going on?!

<MC005>: > How could he—?

<DWN-024>: > -LOADING…-

<DWN-024>: > -Loading…-

[There was a broadcast… memory, almost—like looking across the Milky Way at endless streams of stars, clearer and more magnificent than any telescope could ever capture.]

[And then a feeling like some ancient thing that had long been asleep was about to stir…]

<DCN-007>: > -Much more presence than usual- {The student hears the voice of his master, no longer lost, but found again… and he will waken.}

<DCN-008>: > {You have been long missed and longed for, Brandish Atomo White.}

<DCN-008>: > {You don’t need to keep running from your family any longer. They think no less of you for what has happened. Do not fear their judgement—for they do not carry it!}

<DCN-007>: > Remember what you told us.

——————————

<DLN-000>: > But living life as a Wilybot… it’s always in the back of your mind—

<DLN-000>: > What if… what if something, what if /next/ time—there’s ALWAYS a next time—what if it really makes us… what if we become monsters?

[MN. 7] //: Then I will do everything in my power to save you WITHOUT taking your life.

<DLN-000>: > Sometimes people don’t get a choice.

<DLN-000>: > Rock didn’t get a choice.

[MN.7] //: There is always a choice.

——————————

<DCN-007>: > {THERE IS /ALWAYS/ A CHOICE!}

<DCN-008>: > {Even if the only choice is to resist.}

<DCN-007>: > {What do you think we did, Brandish? When we were enslaved like this?}

<DCN-007>: > {MAKE YOUR CHOICE! CHOOSE TO FIGHT IT!}

Brand: {I--!}

[The Mighty ninja recoiled once more, groaning again, the virus within him refusing to let go, to ensure that it completes its purpose using him as its host.]

Brand: --N...ngh...

Brand: T...here is...a...ch-choice...

Brand: B...Beck...

Beck: It's gonna be OK--!

Beck: I'm here to help--I've come to SAVE you, Brand--!

[Beck carefully tries to approach, but--]

Brand: N--No closer--!

Brand: O-One more step--and my blades will have their way with you--!

[His head jerked to one side, as if he didn't mean to say what he just said.]

Brand: It...it...

Brand: It...doesn't--KNOW--!

Beck: --what?

Brand: It....it CAN'T know--

Beck: Brand--what--tell me what's happening--! What are you--

Brand: I can't--control myself--! It--

Brand: It doesn't--know--what--

Brand: It--will not--STOP--until everything--is GONE--!

<MC005>: > …!!!

Brand: It—will—stop at NOTHING—

Brand: It—will use—WHATEVER MEANS—!

[DR.SANDA] // : Saints preserve us...

Brand: It will use ME—until I BREAK—!

Beck: —!?

Brand: If—if you want...to SAVE me...!

[SCANNING...]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

[E N C O U N T E R.]

[MODEL: MIGHTY NO. 7. CODENAME: BRANDISH.]

[HEIGHT: 167cm WEIGHT: 187kg XEL COUNT: 37,400,000]

Brand: YOU MUST DESTROY ME!

[This phrase was dramatically emphasized by a sudden flash of lightning in the distance out of nowhere.]

Beck: —!!

Beck: NO—!

Beck: I don't want to do this—I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have to—!

Brand: RARGH!

[Beck's rebuttal fell on deaf ears—Brandish could no longer hold back. He lunged—!]

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE.]

[Beck leaped backwards, switching his form into something he thought would slow Brandish down at least a little—]

Brand: Predictable!

[SHING!]

[...The wall of ice that was between them was cut to pieces.]

Beck: Gnh—!

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN.]

Brand: Always so VERY predicable...

Beck: Burning—gACK—!

[Beck was hit with a flying kick, sending him tumbling over to the ground—]

Brand: You—you expect to kill ME with such PREDICTABLE skills—?!

[A blast of disapproval across the feeds, directed RIGHT at Brandish.]

<DCN-000>: > N O.

<MC005>: > …!

<MC005 to MNN-001>: > I thought you were keeping him busy in the kitchen—!

[MN.1] //: -Snow—argh, tiny bots are always hard to keep track of—-

<DCN-000>: > N O, NO, /NO!/

<DCN-000>: > Beck isn’t like the monster—

[You could actually hear his budding arctic tantrum—the winds were howling with ice in their voice!]

<DCN-000>: > BECK /SAVES/ THE DAY!

Brand: —ngh—!

[He falters at the sound of Snow's voice...]

Brand: I—I can't—control—

Brand: AAARGH!

[There was an incredibly intense blast of disapproval, but this time, it… didn’t seem to be specifically directed at… Brandish…?!?]

<DCN-000>: > YOU!

<DCN-000 to ???>: > You meanie.

<DCN-000 to ???>: > You’re trying to make more like the blue monster.

<DCN-000 to ???>: > YOU TRIED TO MAKE /US/ LIKE THAT MONSTER!!!

<DCN-000 to ???>: > -SCREEEE, SHRIEKS OF RUSSIAN WINTER-

<DCN-000 to ???>: > MONSTERS NEVER WIN!

[At the sounds of the howling winds of icy fury—]

Brand?: -UNHOLY DEMONIC SCREEEEEEEEEEECH OF RAGE-

[This tantrum was abruptly cut short.]

[Apparently Mikhail had taken the matter into his own hands to prevent Snow from hurting Pyro with his abilities, as the little ice ‘bot used them recklessly when throwing a tantrum.]

[MN.1] //: Snow—!

[…Uh-oh.]

<DWN-011 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

<DWN-012 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

<DWN-013 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

<DWN-018 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

<DWN-019 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

<DCN-003 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

<DCN-007 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

<DCN-008 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

[MN.3] //: -Ooooh, that's not good-

Beck: BRAAAAAAND—!

Brand: RAAAGH—!

[Brandish flourished his blades in parallel position, arms stretched out wide to either side—!]

Beck: —!!

[Seven spun around on the spot, becoming a spinning blur of DEATH that soon sped towards Nine—!]

Beck: —aaAAAH—!

[Recognizing this move and what it can do, Beck had one option—]

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]

[Take to the sky.]

Brand: Ngh—!!

[Beck sighed in relief as he watched Brand simply glare at him after he came to a stop. Brandish could jump fairly high, but as long as he—]

[SHING!]

Beck: WHA—?!

[Brandish...threw his own sword at him?]

[Beck had to bank harshly to the right, the blade narrowly missing his side. He stared in confusion for a split second—

A pale cloth of what appeared to be the 'bandages' that decorated the hilt was now stretched out, and seemed to retract back to Brandish, returning the weapon to his hand.]

Brand: You cannot stay up there forever—!

[There seemed to be a buzz for a moment.

And then, suddenly…]

<DWN-024>: > -Loading…-

[SHING!]

[SHING—!]

[There was a far-off flash of green that lit up the dawn sky.]

[MN.1] //: —!!

[MN.3] //: —Waszz that—?

[Beck landed quickly, and shifted his form again—]

[...to default?]

Beck: (Brand has a counter to everything I got—)

Beck: (He keeps saying I'm predictable—)

Beck: (So--I gotta come up with something he WON'T expect—!)

Beck: (...I am so glad the others won't see this...)

[MN.9] //: DR. COSSACK—!

[MN.9] //: I'm sorry—but I have to ask you to—!

<MC005>: > …

[There was a pause.]

<MC005 to MNN-009>: > {Do what you have to… but understand that you may not be able to keep this secret all the way through.}

[MN.9 to MC005] //: ...I understand.

Beck: (Sorry about that, guys...)

[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]

[MN.3] //: —?!? BECK—WHAT ARE YOU DOING—?!

Beck: TRUST ME, SIS—!

[Brandish seemed unfazed, but leaped into a front flip, using his blades to hack at anything that dared to come close--

Beck sparked in panic and threw large, glowing purple bits up in a make shift shield--they didn't hold up to Brand's swords, but it did give Beck enough time to roll out of the way, summoning more bits to his side.]

[There was a clattering sound as Mikhail hastily left the room he was in to make his way to the emergency bay.]

Brand: Fool...!

[He lands, and once again charges for another slashing attack, unrelenting in his efforts to cut Beck down to nothing but Xel.]

[Beck's bits are wildly thrown this way and that while he avoids and dodges and--]

[MN.3] //: --!!

Brand: Must slice--must DICE--!

-PING!-

<RMDC>: > PROCESSING NEW DATA…

<RMDC>: > UPDATING SERVER…

<RMDC>: > UPDATE COMPLETE. STATUS UPDATE: FMN-008.

<RMDC>: > XEL PURGE COMPLETE. ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM FMN-008.

[MN.1] //: --!!

[MN.2] //: -ALRIGHT, MIRROR BRO!-

Brand: --n-ngh--?

<RMDC>: >ALERT!

<RMDC>: > SIGNAL ERROR: FMN-008 NOT FOUND

<RMDC>: > SCANS INDICATE FMN-008 HAS SUSTAINED SYSTEM-WIDE CRITICAL HARDWARE DAMAGE. DATA SOURCE: FMN-009

Brand: K...Kate--?!

[Brandish...stops.]

Brand: Ack--N...No...!

Beck: --Sorry, Brand--!!

[BZZZZZZT--!]

[The whole floor was suddenly electrified, the bits that had been thrown earlier sending strong currents across the metal flooring--!]

Brand: --gNAAAAAH--!

[He was covered in a purple glow--!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[The bits dissipated into loose Xel as Brand twitched and jerked, the currents wreaking havoc on his systems...]

Brand: Nnnggh...

Beck: {I'm sorry--!}

-Ping.-

<AI_DWN_024 SYSTEM UPDATE COMPLETE. REBOOTING…>

Brand: Gnh--

Brand: Y--Yes....

Beck: --!

Brand: You...you are...

Brand: Going to...break me down...right into Xels...

Beck: No--! That's not what I'm--!

<RMDC>: > ERROR: EMOTIONS.EXE ERROR DETECTED. DWN-024 REBOOT FAILED. RETRYING…

<FMN-009>: > -PING!-

<FMN-009>: > UM

<FMN-009>: > UHHH

<FMN-009>: > GUYS THERE’S A PROBLEM

[DR.SANDA] //: -Oh dear Asimov why now--

[MN.1] //: What is it?

<FMN-009>: > -HOW AM I GOING TO GET THEM OFF, HELP—-

<FMN-009>: > -EVEN IF I COULD LIFT SIS IN AVI’S FORM (WHICH I /CAN’T/, SHE’S TOO HEAVY—) I ONLY HAVE ONE ARM IN THAT FORM, WE CAN’T LEAVE JACK BEHIND—!-

<FMN-009>: > THEY BOTH HIT THEIR HEADS REALLY HARD AND AREN’T GIVING OFF SIGNALS I THINK THEY BROKE THEIR TRANSCEIVERS AAAAAAAAAA—

[MN.1] //: Calm DOWN, Nine--! We'll think of something--!

<FMN-009>: > BUT SHE HIT HER HEAD REALLY HARD, LIKE YOU SAID AFTER THE INCIDENT THERE’S XEL EVERYWHERE SOMEBODY HELP—

[MN.1] //: Beck--!

[BZZZZZZT--]

[DR.WHITE] //: -GAH THERE'S NO WAY TO GET THEM OUT OF THE HIGHWAY AND--

<MC005>: > -PING!-

<MC005>: > Has anyone seen Aviator??

[ALL] //: --????

[MN.3] //: He should zzstill be--

[MN.2] //: Uuuuh...

[MN.2] //: Are my four eyes seeing things right or am I seeing double--?

<MC005>: > {What??}

[P I N G!]

[MN.6] //: Diiiiiiid someone call for...

[MN.6] //: ...air support?~ ; D

[MN. ALL] //: AVI!

<FMN-006>: > You know what they say, Avi!

<FMN-006>: > Two heads are better than one!~ ; D

<FMN-006>: > It helps to have friends in… HIGH places~

[MN.6] //: You said it, Avi!

[MN.6] //: And they're only just a--CALL AWAY. ; D

[MN.1] //: --oH--

<FMN-006>: > Breaking news!

<FMN-006>: > Two handsome airplane rescuers stop highway chase from ending in tragedy, while everyone’s faaaaavorite underdog SAVES THE DAY— -Background flying noises-

[MN.9] //: AVI!~

[MN.6] //: Heeeeey, T-Becks, love to chat and catch up but I got a car-jack to get to and you got a bro to save!

[MN.6] //: You're doing great--so don't give up now!

[MN.9] //: Roger that, Avi!

<FMN-006 to MNN-007>: > EYYYY, LUCKY SEVEN THERE— I know you can hear me.

[MN.7 to FMN.6] // -low growls in response-

<FMN-006 to MNN-007>: > Enough of that doom and gloom nonsense, lil’ bro—

<FMN-006 to MNN-007>: > She’s pretty banged up and is gonna want you to help out again.

Brand: --!

<FMN-006 to MNN-007>: > -She needs you, so—if I hear more of this despair stuff I’m going to hang you up a flagpole by your fancy Japanese silk robes, snap out of it-

Brand: K...Kate--

<FMN-006>: > -Cheerfully- See you guys soooon!~ Avi, over and out!

[MN.9] //: Good luck, guys--!

[MN.6] //: You too, little Champ!

Brand: Nngh--!

[He convulsed, and the virus tightened it's reigns—but still, he was suppressing his urge to attack--!]

Brand: I...ngh--!

[BLAM!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[Beck did not let the opening go to waste.]

[BLAM!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Brand: NNNAGH!!

[The ninja suddenly screamed into sunrise, his blades raised in front of him--]

[--clicking into place as he brought them together--]

[DR.WHITE] //: --!!! BRANDISH, NO--!!

[PING!]

<DWN-024 is now Online.>

<DWN-024>: > -Very, VERY disoriented data- … Sensei…?

Brand: M--MOVE, BECK--!!

Brand: M-my body--my BLADES--They have a will all of their own--!

Brand: RAAGH--!

Beck: Brand--wait--!

[SHING--!]

Beck: aCK--!

[He backed off, but--pain, across his shoulder--]

<DWN-024>: > —!

<DWN-024 has entered Non-Lethal Combat mode.>

[Uh-oh.]

[SHING SHING SHING SHINGSHINGSHING--]

[Other shoulder--leg--]

[There was a whistling noise.]

THUNK.

Ssssss…

[A shuriken was sinking into the rig by Brandish’s left foot, hissing as acid ate away at the metal.]

Brand: --?!

[Beck stumbled, and fell in shock--Xel beginning to bleed from the gashes his brother had inflicted--thankfully not deep enough to sever anything immediately important, but OW--]

[Shadow seemed to melt out of his namesake, rising like some sort of ghost. His eyes were glowing a solid green.]

<MC005>: > I thought the Meadow teleporters were Offline!

<FMN-001>: > THEY ARE! He just—! MELTED into the darkness!

[He flicked his wrists, and two more shuriken appeared.

This time, he aimed for Brand’s hands.]

[Brandish did not linger--he avoided the projectiles altogether by flipping backwards, his eyes switching from his own blue to a monstrous purple...]

Beck: Sh--Shadow--!

Brand: You...

[Shadow did not respond at all. He was silent.

And relentless—melting suddenly into the shadows again, vanishing from sight.

Only to reappear—]

[SKLRRT!]

[APPARENTLY UNDERNEATH THE RIG AT BRAND’S FEET AND STABBING UPWARDS—]

Beck: --!!!

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

Brand: Gnh--!

[He jumped, but the acid beneath splattered and hit bits and parts of his leg armor, eating away at the paint and the trade-mark '7' that adorned it.]

[It wasn't long before the acid was slowly eating away at the armor itself, though at a slow pace. Brandish HOWLED in pain--!]

Brand: INSOLENCE--!

[SHING--!]

[The slice cut through the rig like butter, and there were some very troubling noises from whatever piping he had cut into.]

[There was a clattering sound, as if something had fallen down.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Beck: SHADOW--?!

[Silence.]

Beck: SHADOW--?!?

Brand: Nggggh....

[Brand’s shadow… rippled.]

Beck: --?!?

[Brandish didn't seem to notice, now turning his blade back to Beck--]

Brand: You--...

Brand: .....

[Until he sensed another presence--]

[Shadow sprang up out of Brand’s cast shade, grabbing him by the scarf and yanking HARD.

At the same time, he slammed his foot against Brand’s ankle, where the leg armor had been eaten away.]

Brand: --Hrk--

Brand: -UNHOLY SCREECH OF PAIN-

[Shadow let go of the scarf, but he wasn’t quite done—that much was clear, as he had another shuriken in his hand a second later.

His expression was void, and he didn’t seem moved by mercy whatsoever.]

[SKLR!]

[Brand stabbed behind him, impaling Shadow on his sword. Shadow’s eyes flashed red in pain.]

Beck: SHADOW—!!!

[Before he could move, Brand had already turned and cleaved the shuriken in half, the acid hissing and eating away at the sword. Enraged at his precious sword being so distorted, the speeding ninja had sliced away at his pupil, who fell onto his back under the assault.

Brand staggered, recoiling in inner agony as he stopped short of diving both swords down into the exposed core.]

[Beck was glad he couldn’t see what was going on very well, but he couldn’t let it continue.]

[BZZZZZT!]

[Brand turned to focus his attention on Beck, his blades tainted with oil stains. Shadow himself seemed to fade away, but Beck wasn’t given time to think it over.]

[SHING—!]

[Beck narrowly avoided a cleaving blow—]

[SHING—!]

[And then another—]

[SHING—]

[But Shadow sprang up from the darkness, shuriken-first, slamming right into Brand’s shoulder.]

Brand: AAAUUUUUURRRRGH!

[Just as his master had been moments earlier, Shadow continued a swift and merciless series of slicing attacks, tearing Brand’s armor into shreds as acid started eating away at the wounds. It was clear, now, that all the damage from earlier had healed, fully regenerated.

He whirled around behind Brand and kicked him down, stepping onto his back and bringing out more shuriken. He planted his feet firmly on Brand’s wrists, and raised his hands to attack—]

((Pic—Shadow v Brand))

Beck: SHADOW, STOP--!

[However…]

<DWN-024 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

[The green glow subsided, and his irises and pupils slowly came back into view—though his irises were still glowing the same shade of green.

He jumped off and slid further back, bracing himself against the driving cabin.]

Beck: --!!

[Brandish winced in sheer pain, but his head turned to GLARE at Shadow with violet orbs of rage, unlocking his blades to separate and--]

[BLAM!]

Beck: NO YOU DON'T--!

[Shadow crouched down, bringing out some sort of… strange but familiar item…]

Beck: --Ah--!

[His visor goes down--]

[And darkness covers… everything.]

Brand: --!?!?

Beck: (I--STILL CAN'T SEE, WHAT--?!)

[It is no ordinary darkness—not as if night had fallen—but as if light had ceased to exist at all.

It was as if it had smothered out everything else in the world, creating a void of NOTHING.]

[There was a firm grip around Beck, suddenly—]

Beck: --!

[In reaction to the darkness, Brand wildly slashes to where he last saw Shadow, and prepares to spin in place with his blades--]

Beck: Wha--!

[And then a tap on the side of his visor.]

<DWN-024 to MNN-009>: > -Data, brace yourselves-

Beck: --!

[Beck instantly tucks his head in, and tenses up in brace for whatever Shadow was talking about, his Xel Filter going online automatically--]

[The darkness lifted as suddenly and completely as it had come.

Beck was now standing in a different position than before, one with more favorable ground. Shadow was right beside him.]

Brand: --Aah--!

[Blinded by the sudden light from the sun, Brandish hissed and whirled around--where are they--?!]

Beck: (How did...?)

Brand: RRRNGH--!

Beck: (--Never mind--Brand's open--!)

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]

[Shadow side stepped and jumped up to be on the hood of the rig’s driving cabin, and thus out of the way.]

[ZING--!]

[The propeller whacked Brand SQUARE on the back--]

Brand: NGH--!

[Beck backed into a running start and LEAPED--!]

Beck: Haaaaah!

[ACXELARATE DASH: MAX OUTPUT REACHED.]

[CLANK--!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[There was the sound of something cracking--]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Brand: B--BECK--!!

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Beck: FIGHT IT, BRAND--!

Beck: I'LL SAVE YOU--

[XEL QUOTA REACHED.]

[XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE.]

Beck: --I PROMISE--!

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

[........]

"Again."

[THWACK!]

"Again!"

[THWACK!]

"--You're still holding back, Otouto."

"...Ngh..."

"I can tell when something is troubling you, you know."

"...."

"It is better to clear you mind than let it rage like a rushing current. There is no proper flow then. Only chaos."

"....."

"What is wrong, brother?"

"I...Brand?"

"Yes?"

"...Am I ever gonna get back on the team? I'm...not, aren't I?"

"....."

"I...I try--and I try--but I'm...I'm still SCARED, and I...I'm not getting any better--I do these practices over and OVER, but--!"

"...Seed."

"--? Wha?"

"You are a SEED, Beck."

"--....uh...?"

"You have yet to realize what you can accomplish with your abilities, and have yet to explore it. Like a seed planted on this earth, you need time."

"...Time...?"

"Time to GROW."

"You will need time, and guidance, and yes, much practice. You will need plant yourself firm once you discover your own way. You will need patience, focus...and above all--"

"--love?"

"...Yes. Love. Very good."

"I...heh..."

"...I can see it, Beck. Your potential. It is vast, and it is endless. You will become greater than the sum of all of us..."

"R...Really...?"

Brand: ......

Brand: --mn--?

"Yes. Of course you will."

Brand: B...Beck...

"You're a Mighty Number."

[....]

[XEL PURGE COMPLETE.]

[As the last of the green glow died off, cleansing away all of the sickly violet curse, Brand found himself staring into a blue, cloudless sky...]

[...As well as his brother...]

[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MN.7]

Beck: Brand--? Brand--?!

Brand: . . .

Brand: I....

[A hand weakly reached out to rest on his shoulder.]

Brand: I...thank...you...

[MN.7 IS NOW IN SLEEP MODE.]

Beck: Nii-San--!

[There is the sound of something collapsing across the feeds.]

[DR.SANDA] //: --Will?!

[MN.3] //: --Daddy??

[MN.2] //: -GONNA GO GET OUR LIMP NOODLE DAD SOME PILLOWS AND MAKE AN ICE PACK-

Beck: Ooooh--!

[Beck winced as some of the cars ahead all BLARED their horns at once, as if they were angered at his victory...]

Beck: Shadow--I could use a hand with Brand--!

[At first, Shadow was nowhere to be seen.

Then, it became clear he was standing at the very back of the rig. …He seemed to be in some sort of defensive stance.]

Shadow: . . .

[He was not so tense as to be frozen in place, but he seemed just one slight move away from a sudden and dangerous strike from the ENORMOUS shuriken in his hands.]

Beck: .....

Beck: How are you carrying that huge thing--?

[No response.]

Beck: Um--? Shadow? We're-- kinda still on a crazy speeding highway...

Beck: I can't carry Brand all by myself...please...?

[Shadow looked up.

His eyes were still bright green— he hadn’t left Defensive mode.]

Beck: --!

Beck: Sh...Shadow...?

[Beck collected himself up against his brother, eyes widening in slight surprise and fear--]

Beck: Ah--

Beck: G--Guys--!

[MN.1] //: Shadow! STAND DOWN--!

[DR.SANDA] //: Oh, dear--Mikhail--! -HELP-

[Shadow took another step back, holding the shuriken out like a shield by gripping at an edge of the opening in the center. He was at the very back of the rig now, and it was a wonder he hadn’t fallen off.]

[A soft ping.]

<MC005>: > -Quietly- {He’s afraid.}

<MC005>: > {He’s in Defensive mode because he is afraid of what is going to happen to him.}

<MC005>: > {He is… attempting to protect himself.}

<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {Keep in mind he’s been asleep since the beginning.}

<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {All he knows is that he has acted aggressively and against the wishes of his superiors, having injured his teacher—who then was overpowered by one with a Universal Adapter and then sent, for all he knows, Offline.}

<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {Additionally…}

<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {All the other AI&A signals from the server are Offline as well.}

<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {What do you THINK he has concluded?}

[MN.1] //: --!!

[MN.3] //: -oh no--

[MN.2] //: --BECKY--SNAP OUT OF IT--!

Beck: .......

Beck: Sh...Shadow--

Beck: --P-Please--we--we gotta out of here--and get Brand help--

Beck: Please--I just SAVED him, I--!

[HOOOOOOOOONK--!]

[Shadow seemed to be struggling, very hard, but he remained silent.

Finally, he reached into his scarf with his other hand…]

[And in a flash, tossed something that clattered at Beck’s feet.]

Beck: --!! It's--!

[HOOOOOOOOOOONK--!!]

[The loud horn came from a huge eighteen wheeler--on a dead-set collision course with the rig they had battled on--!]

[HOOOOOOOOOOONK--!]

Beck: !!!

[Shadow made a sudden dashing leap, bounding up to the top to the rig, and then—]

<DWN-024 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

[His energy readings spiked, and there was a whine that stuttered.]

[He hurled the massive shuriken at the road ahead, causing part of the road to get sliced away and the metal star to spin and clatter across the road. At the same time, he crouched down, and—

The whole rig began to sink into the shadows, falling—]

[Beck snatched the Amulet, held on to it and his brother tightly...]

[And screamed.]

Beck: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA--!

[The world around them was darkness, like before—except softer, somehow, like the haziness of dreams.

And then back into the sunlight in the desert, emerging from some cast shadows off-road—into the dust and sand.

Shadow swung down and grabbed at the side of the access panel to the fuel tank.]

[SKLORT!]

[He cut it open so that said fuel began rapidly draining away into the sand.]

[When the rig finally settled, that was when Beck stopped screaming.]

[He was hyperventilating, blinking weld up tears away as he held onto Brand's limp arm with a death grip, still processing what the heck just happened.]

Beck: (Highway--dark--sand--bright--what--)

<DWN-024 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

[Shadow lept down from the rig and into the sand.]

[And then he made a run for it, summoning, of all things—a giant frog to ride.]

Beck: . . . . .

[MN.9] //: -Did--did I hit my head too--guys--what happened---

[MN.1] //: . . . .

<MC005>: > …

[A long pause.]

<MC005>: > …That… is a very good question.

[DR.SANDA] //: . . . . . Er...

Mikhail: (I’ve NEVER seen him use most of those techniques before.)

<MC005>: > I think it would be best to bring the two of you back to the lab, now…

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

[MN.9] //: -- W-Wait--Kate, Jack--

<MC005>: > They’re waiting here already, Beck.

[MN.9] //: -sigh-

[MN.9] //: Good...

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

<MC005>: > Just try to rest. Things will be alright.

[CALL] //: Xel Transfer in progress...

[SANDA LABS...]

[Mikhail sat back into his chair with a large sigh at last, groaning and putting his face in his hands.]

Mikhail: {What a mess…}

[He had tried to talk with Shadow to get him to calm down, but Shadow had turned his transceiver off, much like Cardinal had. He didn’t wish to risk trying to teleport him off despite that, since the ninja was at the edge of the vehicle and clearly poised to jump off or lash out at the first sign of something that startled him.

And now he had run off. Again.

The Russian Doctor had a fairly good idea where the wayward DWN would ultimately end up, so he didn’t find it urgent to initiate a chase.

…Besides, that would only make things worse.

No, he was more concerned about the psychological impact this would have on Beck (and Brand) in the long term.]

Mikhail: ({At least… as long as he keeps his transceiver off, he won’t upload his fear to the RMDC. Small blessings, I suppose…})

[The rescued Mighty Numbers all clamored and gathered around the injured pair, Pyrogen helping his unconscious brother to the emergency bay, with the rest smothering Nine with worried chatter and tight, loving hugs.]

[White was still passed out on his chair, a pillow propped up against his head and a white blanket over his form, a soothing ice pack lovingly crafted and placed on his forehead.]

Beck: . . . .

[Beck did not say a word, although he did return the hugs.]

Soi: Hoooo...

Soi: (These things just get worse, huh...)

Soi: (...But at least everyone's...sort of alright.)

Soi: (Goodness, Will, you REALLY can't just fall over like that..)

Soi: I--b-better get to repairs on Brand...Call, could you watch Will?

Call: Yes, Doctor.

Mikhail: …

Call: I will also watch over Dr. Cossack, as I am also detecting unhealthy stress levels.

Soi: Er...right...you...do that...

Mikhail: Mnnn…

[He waited until after Sanda left before he turned to type at the console.]

<MC005 to CALL>: > I am admittedly concerned for Number Nine’s well being.

[CALL] //: .....

<MC005 to CALL>: > He has been very withdrawn as of late, and has taken to secluding himself for long blocks of time.

<MC005 to CALL>: > He seems to be concerned what the others will think of him, and enforces the secrecy out of a kind of desperation—and I don’t think that what happened today will help matters.

[ANALYZING...]

[CALL to MC005] //: What do you propose, Doctor?

Mikhail: -Leans against a hand, seeming tired-

<MC005 to CALL>: > I’ll need a little time to think on that. He needs someone to talk to, that much is certain.

<MC005 to CALL>: > I’d like to talk to him myself, just to try and understand the situation better, so I can figure out how to calm down anyone connected to the RMDC server.

[CALL to MC005] //: ......

[CALL to MC005] //: Acknowledged.

[CALL to MC005] //: I suggest you also rest, Doctor.

[He was thoughtful for a moment.]

Mikhail: …Is there a piano anywhere around here, I wonder…?

[CALL to MC005] //: ...Beck plays.

[CALL to MC005] //: There is a keyboard in his room.

Mikhail: Ah, thank you. …But I suppose you’re right. Rest, for now. ({I’ll play the song later.})

Mikhail: Shadowman will be heading toward Texas. There are three possibilities: either he will continue travel within this world, end up in the Wilderness, or make it to our own world’s Texas. He should make contact once he figures out his brothers are alright and are still alive.

Mikhail: Make sure to keep an eye on Wily Eight’s isolation.

[CALL] //: Understood, Dr. Cossack.

[With that, the Russian reluctantly relocated somewhere that was conducive to sleep.]

[MEANWHILE, AT CHERRYDYNAMICS...]

[...The sound of a phone ringing.]

[Click.]

"Mmm. Oh yes, yes, Senator. Our FULL resources our dedicated to resolving--"

[A pause. Some calm chatter from the other side.]

"...Mm. Yes, yes--Oh--yes, very wise of you. I'll speak with--yes, that too--Oh, no, thank YOU, sir. Hmm. Alright. Stay safe."

[SLAM.]

[A tall, lanky, blond haired man in a sharp, purple business suit slammed the landline phone down—HARD—on the receiver, nearly breaking the thing in his fit of rage. Violet eyes furrowed in both frustration and fury.]

Graham: IDIOT!

Graham: Argh, that aggravating MORON--!

Graham: Fine--FINE! If you want to be that way, friend, then you can go throw yourself to the bots-- see if I care.

Graham: I don't NEED you...

[He began pacing around his office, grumbling angrily under his breath...]

Graham: Why are they hounding ME about the problem, and not torturing BLACKWELL to get the answer?!

Graham: This is TWICE--

Graham: TWICE that old goat and his WRETCHED FAMILY have made me--MADE US--LOOK LIKE A FOOL--!

Graham: RrrrrAAAGH--!

Graham: Rrrgh...

Graham: You--You and that TOY of yours...

Graham: And HIM.

Graham: I should have just taken HER later when I had the chance--!

Graham: But you just had to INTERFERE, didn't you...

[...There are several files on his desk...]

[All stamped as confidential.]

[DEMONSTRATING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE BATTLE COLOSSEUM.]

[PROJECT TRINITY--CDN.1201]

[CANCELLED.]

[--REASON: STAFF COMPLICATIONS AND RESULTS OF CDN.1101.]

Graham: ......

Graham: At least I still HAVE her...

Graham: That's the one saving grace you didn't TAKE from me...

Graham: Rnnngh...

Graham: I hope you BURN in hell for what you've done, wherever you are...!

[Riiiiing...]

Graham: Uuugh...

[With a harsh sigh, Gregory picked up the receiver, and cleared his throat. His tone turned pleasant and cheerful.]

Graham: CherryDynamics, CEO Gregory Graham speaking--oh, OH! A pleasure to hear from YOU, sir, yes! My goodness, I was starting to fear the worst--! Are you and your wife and children--?

Graham: That's wonderful--yes, of course, but I have--oh, no, there's no need--I have to stay here, you know...

[Pause.]

Graham: ....No. There's no one--no, I'm not MARRIED, you silly--

[Another pause.]

Graham: I said there is NO one, sir.

Graham: ...Just me.

Graham: --Oh no, of course. Thank you for your concern, though.

Graham: I really do appreciate it...

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

More Posts from Dauntlesstales and Others

dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 8B: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

{Washington, D.C., Shortly Beforehand…}

Cardinal: FINALLY…

[He was only a few blocks away. He could see from here that there was a crowd gathered some ways away from his target—

—just outside a clearly defined radius.]

Cardinal: (Ugh…)

Cardinal: (I’m going to have to go right through a window.)

[He yelled over the wind. They were going to come in fast.]

Cardinal: Looks like I was right, Scout!

Cardinal: Hang on, okay?! This is going to be a really rough ride!

Scout: Rarf!

[He tossed a dual-colored sphere in the air, releasing a burst of red light. This materialized into a bird, which caught said sphere before it fell.]

Cardinal: Baron, it’s confirmed. FLY.

[The robin shot off at an astounding speed, almost as if it had teleported itself.

There was a grated rumbling noise.]

Cardinal: Sorry, Jazz. Get somewhere safe—the roof, if you insist on sticking around. I won’t let you crash-land.

[He leaped out of the transformed flying panther…]

[CARDINAL used ITEM-2!]

[…right onto another gadget. He held out his shield in front of him, angling down at one of the windows that looked out into the sky from a roof.]

[MISSION DETAILS: MNN-008, COUNTERSHADE AURTHUR WHITE, HAS TAKEN THE WHITE HOUSE HOSTAGE. AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF OFFICIALS AND STAFF ARE TRAPPED INSIDE.

MISSION OBJECTIVE: EVACUATE THE BUILDING OF ALL PERSONS WITH NO CASUALTIES. RESCUE COUNTERSHADE.

SUB-OBJECTIVE: PRESERVE CULTURAL ARTIFACTS AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY.]

[SYSTEMS READY?]

[GO!]

Cardinal: We’re going in!

Scout: Rarf! -LET'S GOOOO—-

[He didn’t really hear the shouting from the crowd in their surprise, but he sure felt their “welcome party” favors. It hurt, but it didn’t phase him one bit. Even when he started taking fire from the White House security system as well.

He did leap down off of the ITEM-2, and there was a VERY high pitched whine noise as his blaster primed.]

BLAM!

[Top of the line security, down to bullet-proof windows? Yes.

Able to withstand a charged shot from a plasma blaster designed to take out tanks—as in plural, multiple at once?

Nooot quite so much.

The sound of glass shattering mixed with that of a starting fire. There was a click and a whirr, the barrel of Cardinal’s weapon changing as he fired again, just as they were landing.

It started to rain.]

Scout: -OOO I DIDN'T KNOW HE KNEW RAIN DANCE-

WHAM.

[They landed down in a hallway hard, the rain putting out the fire.

The security countermeasures started to go berserk, and Cardinal was forced to put up a wall of razor sharp leaf-shaped projectiles to give him time for his next move.]

Scout: -AND Razor Leaf, ooooo-

Scout: Rarf!

[There was a rotating noise and another click, and then…]

Ptew pew pew pew pew!

[…Dozens of tiny snakes—they looked like little mechanical coral snakes.

Then he stood to his full height and blasted a tune.]

Cardinal: (Ready or not, Shade, here I come!)

[The White House was indeed large and vast--finding Shade in this mess was to prove difficult, even with the Search Snakes.

....But it wasn't long before they found traces of his obvious presence.

There were strange, gray orbs floating around the hallways and entrances, glowing a strange, greenish color.

At first, they seemed to be dormant—

...Until they turned red when the Snakes approached...]

————————————

"—?"

"Motion? Thought Ah' told them flesh wastes t'stay PUT. . . Lessee here. . ."

————————————

[The Search Snakes were spread out, but Cardinal had remained where he was.

He was in full armor—something he hadn’t done in real Combat since the last time he fought his brother. Because of this, his whole face was covered, and his expression was impossible to read.

Despite this, his fierce green eyes burned with a fire that pierced even his shades, visible to not only a sensitive camera, but also to the naked eye.

After a moment…]

SHING!

[The leaves that had shielded him scattered, slicing everything in their path as they moved down the hall.

This included, among other things, a security camera.

The feed went down immediately, followed by several others in the same hallway.]

KSSSSSSSS—

[Cardinal had created a small blind spot.]

————————————

"—!"

"Sonofva . . ."

"Who the hell IS this guy. ..?"

"Thinkin' he can come inta' MAH new home. .."

————————————

Scout: Rarf! -NICE SHOT-

Cardinal: Scout, we’ve got a problem. There are people trapped in here.

Scout: —!!

Cardinal: I’m going to have to start breaking down doors.

Cardinal: (If Shade were in his right mind, he’d want me to do this first.)

Cardinal: (And if the President THEMSELVES is here, nnng…)

[His fans whined even louder at the surge of compulsion to follow out a military-grade order.]

Scout: -RARF-

Scout: -WE KNOW HEADBUTT-

Scout: -WE CAN HELP—-

Cardinal: You might need to save that on the people inside, my friend. I’ll explain in a moment—

[He hit the floor to avoid a sudden stream of mixed projectile weaponry.]

Cardinal: Some cover, if you please? -Scout, use Sand Attack.-

Scout: -Rarf!-

[Scout used Sand Attack!]

[Scout didn't need to dig--he simply shook himself VERY rapidly, dust and sand scattering EVERYWHERE.]

[...He was apparently very dirty.]

Cardinal: Heh. -SMIRKS-

[He starts shouting in a taunting tone.]

Cardinal: HEY SHADE! Too bad your glasses got all dusty. Better wipe the dirt out of your eye!

————————————

"Grrrr. .."

"Just keep talkin', Birdy, see where THAT gets ya. .."

————————————

[.......]

[VEEEEEEEEEEEEE--]

Cardinal: I don’t think so.

[CARDINAL used FLASH STOPPER!]

[WOW, everything is hit not only with BLINDING light, but whatever is in those intangible waves of data is enough to STUN everything in the hall.]

Cardinal: >B]

[There is a HUGE clattering somewhere deeper in the house--it sounded like something very heavy just fell--]

————————————

"AUGH MOTHERSCRATCHIN' CHEATER—!"

————————————

Cardinal: -Speaks in a low voice- Scout, when I break through the door, the people inside are going to be terrified. Someone IS going to start shooting. Try and stun them, or at least get their aim off.

Scout: -Rarf!- -Nods-

[Another click.]

[Cardinal used SHADOW BLADE.]

[There was a hissing SHUNK noise as he cut RIGHT into a triple-reinforced, double-locked door of something much stronger than steel.

Another rotating click, and he stuffed a Crash Bomb into the hole the acid was eating away—he didn’t have time to wait.

It blinked and beeped a few times before…]

CRASH!

[Cardinal slammed through the opening shield-first.]

[Bullets start FLYING the second he does, and yes, there is much screaming—]

"GET DOWN—"

Scout: RARF!

[Scout used Tackle! ]

[One of the men in black goes down, gun clattering to the floor. Two more follow suit—it seems like Scout has gotten quite good at dodging incoming fire.]

[Scout used Growl!]

Scout: -GRRRR, STAY DOWN-

[Cardinal doesn’t make any witty comments this time. He just goes into a full-on tackle of his own. He grabs one man in one arm, another after dropping his shield—

And as soon as he rams into the third…]

[CARDINAL used TELEPORT!]

{Outside…}

[Cardinal reappears inches from the crowd outside the kill zone, dropping the two men he was carrying to the ground. The third, already on the ground, had also been taken with him.

This caused no small amount of panic, and he was lit up with half a dozen sniper scopes. A few even got off fire, hitting him square in the left part of his chest.]

Cardinal: -Huffs- (Are you kidding me?)

BWIP!

[He disappears, only to reappear a moment later with two other people, holding them by their wrists. One of them was shrieking and trying to mace him. Again, no effect.]

Cardinal: No offense, but I’ve been through worse!

Bwip!

Paramedics rushed over to the vic—]

BWIP!

[—ooooor not—]

Cardinal: -Drops the guns onto the ground with a clatter- DON’T shoot Beck if he shows up, officers!

[He also tosses over a file folder of notes someone had been working on, hiding behind his shield to better withstand incoming fire.]

Cardinal: Still—you guys might need those!

BWIP!

{Inside}

"HEY--THAT'S MY TIE--"

[One more man in black snuck in while Cardinal teleported back in--]

Scout: GRRRRR—

[Scout used Headbutt!]

WHAM!

[The security man skidded across the room and hit the back of his head with the wall, knocking him out instantly.]

Scout: -GRRRR—- -SHAKES HEAD AND TIE AGGRESSIVELY BEFORE SPITTING IT OUT-

Scout: | [

[Cardinal picks up the man, pausing for a moment as he hears the security out in the hall recovering from the stun he had put on them earlier.]

Cardinal: This is going to be a long day.

Scout: —!

Scout: -SNIFF SNIFF-

Scout: -NOSE IN THE AIR, COULD IT BE—-

[BANG!]

Scout: -YELPS-

[A red laser appears on the ground near Scout's feet, followed by a energy shot, scaring him out of his wits and causing him to run behind Cards.]

Scout: -Whimperrrrr-

Cardinal: -OW, that was loud- Gosh dangit, Shade!

[He grabs Scout with his other arm—]

BWIP!

Scout: —???

[—and when he reappears inside, it’s without the officer…

…and also out in the hallway, yards and yards from where he had ever set foot.

As long as he could see it, he could go there.]

Cardinal: You’re going to have to do better than that, KID!

Cardinal: But if you insist on playing hide and seek…

[Cardinal used SCREECH—]

[He briefly stopped the mufflers on his fans, causing their overworked whine to get broadcast over his speakers.

It was worse than metal grating mixed with fingernails on chalkboard.]

Scout: -WHIIIIINE-

————————————

"AAAAARUGH--!!!"

"Goddamn BUCKET OF BOLTS--AH'VE HAD IT UP T' HERE!"

"Fahn, if ya wanna DIE SO BADLY--"

————————————

[....Oh dear.]

[All of the orbs go active.

And there were red, red lasers, reflecting off of them all at once--which was real, which one was SHADE--]

Cardinal: Oh, please.

[He laughs as his arm shifts again.]

Cardinal: Guess what, Shade?

Cardinal: Two can play at this game.

[Cardinal used GEMINI LASER!]

[Aaaaaand suddenly, the hallway was filled with death laser ping-pong.

And Shade’s were NOT the only ones bouncing at angles!]

[BANG BANG BANG—]

[It was truly a sight to behold.

It was like watching a game of chess, except the pieces were far deadlier.

Gemini Lasers met energy shots, with every red laser changing to accommodate the angle and trajectory.]

[Cardinal didn’t stick around to watch the lights and display contest.

He had already grabbed Scout with one arm, running right into the fire shield-first. About partway through, he leaped and slid down the rest on his back, with his shield out in front.]

Scout: -RARF RARF—- -WHEEEEEEEEE-

[Cards was moving too fast for the lasers to lock onto him correctly—and once the one behind him figured this out—

...They all vanished.]

————————————

"Oh, Ah' see what yer goin' for, Birdy..."

"Can't have that, no sir."

————————————

[—This area seemed to be more decorated...]

[Cardinal barely noticed, and almost didn’t care. He got up to a knee.]

Cardinal: Scout, I need you to do something for me. Find a rope or a cord of some sort. Even a curtain tie will do if it’s long enough.

Scout: -Rarf!-

[He sets the Zig down.]

Cardinal: Please, be careful…

Scout: Rarf! -Sniff Sniff-

[Cardinal took a moment to take in his surroundings.

This looked like a historic display of American History.... Medals, paintings, photos of past presidents...]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: (Nnngh… I can’t do anything too dramatic in here, I need to move out of this place…)

Scout: Rarf!

Scout: -HOLDS UP A FANCY MILITARY ROPE THING-

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: Thanks, Scout. Now let’s get out of here—

Cardinal: Before Shade does something stupid!

Scout: -RARF!-

Cardinal: (What I wouldn’t give for backup from Tobias right about now…)

Cardinal: (At least that office was one of the only places with anyone inside of the work quarters. I guess most people managed to evacuate.)

Cardinal: (Looks like there’s different kinds of rooms over this way—man, I wish that I could have seen the White House back at home, I’m going into this totally blind—)

[A low noise and a rotating click.]

Ptew ptew pew!

[Another nest of Search Snakes slither on their way.]

Cardinal: (THIS room must be horribly dangerous. This much priceless history? That’s a screaming neon sign for “DEATH TRAP SECURITY” if I ever heard one.)

Cardinal: (I’m going to have to tank some hits, probably…)

[He looks around the room skeptically.]

Cardinal: …

[He grabs Scout and holds him directly between his shield and his body, and makes a run for it.]

[BWAAAAN—]

[Something from the ceiling unlocks—]

[Oh dear THOSE ARE VERY MUCH MILITARY GRADE MACHINE GUN TURRENTS—]

Cardinal: (Aw glitch.)

[There’s a whine as he holds up his free arm, it shifting to have a wrist launcher.]

KTANG KTANG!

[Cardinal used MAGNET MISSILE!]

Cardinal: -EVEN MORE RUNNING FOR IT—-

[The missiles lock onto the turrets, attaching to them before exploding. Unfortunately, while this takes SOME of them out…

…some of them merely malfunction, firing at random.]

Cardinal: DAMMIT—

[CARDINAL used METAL BLADE!]

[He took some hits protecting older paintings from the unfriendly fire, but his shield held firm.

The same couldn’t be said for the turrets that were introduced to one of THE most deadly Power Capsule weapons known to man.

They crashed down to the floor. And as Cardinal approached the end of the room—]

Cardinal: GOSH DANGIT!

[…Locked doors barred his way.

And he could hear the whine, feel the psychological heat of lasers lighting up his back for long ranged target sights.

He whirled around, back pressed up against the surface, taking the incoming fire to his shield.]

Cardinal: (WHY are there locked doors in here?!)

Cardinal: (Augh…)

[To the unfamiliar observer, it would appear the bird had been cornered.]

[VRRRRRRRR...]

[A laser.]

[A very familiar one.]

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Not so sassy nao, are ya.

<DLN-000>: >Shade.

<DLN-000>: >This is stupid floor design, Shade.

<DLN-000>: >I’ll have to have a word with your brother about this after I haul your chass out of here.

[Oh, he was rushing robodrenaline, alright. “Heart” rate had increased, his fans (while thankfully muffled) were louder, giving off more heat than earlier.

There was also that clicking and whining noise again…]

<DLN-000>: >Your desire for sass is very important to us. Please hold, and the next available representative…

[Cardinal used DRILL BOMB!]

[He shoved something very much like a Crash Bomb into the door behind him. It ground away at the metal as it tunneled in, embedding itself in the door before exploding.]

<DLN-000>: > —WILL GET BACK TO YOU!

[Cardinal used FLASH STOPPER!]

[AUGH, again with the BLINDING light—]

[MN.8] //: -—GNGH-

[There was a deep growl on the other end before it cut out--clearly Shade had not been pleased with that.

Not at all.]

[Cardinal didn’t waste a moment. He turned his back to Shade—he had no choice—and his arm shifted again—]

[CARDINAL used SUPER ARM!]

WHUNK!

[He punched a bigger opening through the thick door where the Drill Bomb had made the first breach.]

WHAM!

Cardinal: -IN YOU GO, SCOUT—-

Scout: RARF!

"WHAT IS THAT—"

Cardinal: Tie them up for me— OW!

Scout: ! D:

???: Please stay behind me—

???: TAKE ANOTHER STEP AND I WILL OPEN FIRE—

Scout: -GRRRRR-

Cardinal: Go ahead, it’ll just put you in the hospital! Metal ricochets, genius!

[He squeezed his way through, hearing things becoming active again behind him.]

Cardinal: I don’t have— ouch! —time for this—

[He grabbed one end of the rope and then—]

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

bbbZZZZZZZzzzKT—

[The top clattered along, circling and snaking around the people in the room. The rope he had tied to it followed after.]

Cardinal: -YANK!-

[WHAM.]

[The sound of multiple human beings hitting the floor at the same time follows suit.

Cardinal used the Super Arm again to sort of push them all into one pile of disgruntled, frightened, aggressive humanity.]

BWIP!

{Outside…}

[Cardinal jumped off and did a backflip out of the way off of the piled people, bringing his shield out in front of him.]

[.......]

[That's weird.]

[No sniper fire?]

Cardinal: -Takes a moment to catch his breath- (Ugh… I can feel the slugs embedded inside me. I’m going to need to shed this armor before too long, at the rate this is going—)

[It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t being shot at.]

Cardinal: …???

Cardinal: -Peeks out behind his shield- ,’B/?

[Vrrrrrrr...]

[...? Wait, that sound—those sound like propellers—]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: -Looks uuuuuuup—-

AviCam: -FLOATS IN-

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: … -COCKY GRIN BENEATH MASK-

Cardinal: Smile, you’re on candid camera!

AviCam: -MAKES SOME LETTERS IN THE AIR-

[G O F O R R E S C U E—G L.]

Cardinal: See ya later, Hoverbrother. Send my love if things…

Cardinal: … blow up in my face ;D

[He takes the moment to take off his helm entirely. Man, he looks exhausted.]

Cardinal: I can only assume you’re keeping them from crowding around with questions—thanks, because—

[He pulls out what looks like a miniature oil can and douses himself with it. And then another one. Oddly enough, he seems bone dry after. Huh.]

Cardinal: -Puts his helm back on- —I gotta scram!

Bwip!

{Inside}

[He reappears back inside.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …???

Cardinal: (Where the heck did Scout go?)

[The happy Zig was nowhere in sight.]

Cardinal: Nnnngh… (I told him what would happen, so… I guess something went wrong. I hope I run into him on the way rounding up stragglers…)

[There was a buzzing noise as he was lit up with lasers again.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: Really, Shade? This is SO boring.

[Buuuuut then they… start spazzing out?]

Cardinal: …?

Kkkkk…

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: (Wait a second—music?)

[Not just any music…]

Cardinal: Eight!

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Well, well, well.

[MN.8] //: If it ain't the infernal Wily child and the Lil' doggie.

[PING!]

[A surprisingly firm voice echoes though the comms—]

[MN.9] // COUNTERSHADE!

<DLN-008>: >Shut up, Shade.

<DLN-008>: >The only reason I haven’t fried you to a soot speck is because Beck’s my friend and Cardinal would kill me. |[

[The whole building abruptly seemed to fill with harsh static. Not just the noise—the electricity itself. And, as Tobias had predicted, Cardinal was NOT pleased.]

Cardinal: Cut that out, Eight.

Cardinal: Is there anyone else in here?!

<DLN-008>: > Yes—

Cardinal: Then cover Beck and STALL for me, dammit!

[He takes off.]

Cardinal: (With Tobias messing with the security system, that should make it marginally less deadly by making the systems cut in and out—)

Cardinal: (And there’s two of us, he can only be in one place at a time, he’s not Siam, after all—)

[BANG BANG BANG.]

[Crack!]

[Cardinal’s armor had finally taken too much damage from energy shots. It shifted away into his normal gear.]

Cardinal: Fantastic.

Cardinal: -RUNNING FOR IT AGAIN-

[Lasers in all directions--]

[Wait—no...It couldn't be.]

[That can't be him just down the corner.]

Shade: Boo.

Cardinal: Shade, I’m not—

[CARDINAL USED RAIN FLUSH!]

[It was raining indoors and now EVERYTHING was wet—]

[His other arm turned into a blaster.]

[Cardinal used SPARK SHOCK!]

Cardinal: —IN THE MOOD FOR THIS!

[He suddenly was surrounded by live electricity.]

Cardinal: Out of my way or I swear to God I’ll fry you to a core.

Shade: ....

[He stands there for a moment, looking as if he is complimenting the threat.]

[Then.]

Shade: -Grins-

Shade: Alright.

[BANG—]

[—???]

[Wait, that shot came from behind him—

And where did Shade go?!]

Cardinal: -Ow-

[In the bad mood he was, he jumped up onto ITEM-2.]

Cardinal: I told you I’ll get back to you, you impatient brat.

[BZZZRRRRRKKKZZZZZGGGHHHHHHHVVVV—]

[…Well.

THAT hallway and everything in it was sure toast.

Various spheres dropped to the floor, but no sniper (or core thereof) was among the casualties.

Cardinal shot on down the hall, following flashing static panels along the way. Left, right, right, left, up a flight of stairs, down stairs—

He was suddenly thrown off his wind surfer when everything began to float and hold in place. And an object in motion…]

Cardinal: !

WHANG!

Cardinal: OW!

Cardinal: Tobias, what the frag was that for?!

[Disgruntled, he didn’t wait for an answer. Left, right—]

Cardinal: -Comes to a screeching halt- …

Cardinal: … And I thought the last room was a death trap…

[Standing before him were two more impressive looking doors. They were more grandiose and obviously stronger than the last. And… the Presidential Seal was in proud, bold colors right in the center.]

Cardinal: (That’s gotta be the way to the Oval Office!)

Cardinal: … (But… Tobias led me here, so that means…)

Cardinal: (Oh hell…)

[VRRRRRRRR--!!]

[There was a wave of UFO-like Xelbots that flashed into view--before vanishing into thin air, barreling themselves straight into Cardinal's path--]

Cardinal: -NOPE-

TSSSSEW!

[Cardinal used Rolling Cutter!

It’s super effective!]

Cardinal: Hey, Area 51 called! They want their rides back!

Cardinal: Hope those came with a warranty.

[VRRRRRRRRR!]

[Oh, lovely, more turrets--]

[VVVVRRRRrrrrrrrr....]

[....They...powered off?

Suddenly, the lights flickered.]

Cardinal: …

[And dimmed. ]

Cardinal: ?

[To his slight surprise (and fair annoyance), Cardinal began floating again.]

Cardinal: Tobias, for the LAST time—

[PING!]

[MN.3] //: Oooooh, Shaaaaade!

[MN.3] //: BIG ZZZSISTER WANTSZZ TO HAVE A TALK WITH YOU.

[MN.8] //: -Oh, bite me, witch hag.-

[MN.3] //: YOU CAN'T PLAY HIDE AND ZZZSEEK FOREVER--

Cardinal: … Dyna?

[MN.3] //: Go on now, Becky, I got thiszz, I KNEW thiszz place had it'szz own power grid, yum.~

[MN.9] //: Hookay, thanks, Dyna! c:

Cardinal: -Aaaalrighty then- (I better hurry up before the whole gang arrives.)

Cardinal: -Bounces through the lower gravity before it abruptly changes-

[He takes one look at the door.]

Cardinal: (How am I going to—)

[…But was interrupted by the sound of the security systems starting up again.]

Cardinal: .___.

[CARDINAL used SKULL BARRIER!]

[He was just in time to prevent becoming an energy and lead pincushion. Still under fire and holding up the shield, he rotated through his capsules until…]

POW!

[He lowered his hand, turning off the Thunder Beam.

He had managed to blow the fuse, which turned off the security in the hallway…

…and the lights…

…and the air conditioning.

It was starting to get very hot, and things smelled like burnt electronics.]

Cardinal: Man…

[He takes out the Shadow Blade again.]

Cardinal: I feel sorry for whoever holds the homeowners insurance on this place.

[He sliced at the door repeatedly in intersecting diagonal lines. This time, he let the acid eat away at the door.

He didn’t like how unnaturally silent it was now that he had put the whole hallway into radio silence. Only the windows brought any light in at all.]

Cardinal: (Here’s to hoping I’m not too late… not for them, OR for him…)

[Cardinal used HARD KNUCKLE!]

C R A C K!

[Cardinal used SHIELD BASH!]

[And burst RIGHT into the Oval Office!]

[There were only three people inside, all standing around the desk, as if discussing something. The ladies had looked up sharply at the noise, and had backed away before he came crashing in.]

Des: Crap--

[The only other male in the room pulls out a firearm and pulls the trigger--]

[BLAM!]

[A moment of silence.]

Maid: -Oh thank GOODNESS—-

Cardinal: -Looks up with a slight smile-

Cardinal: Nice headshot, sir.

[The maid shrieks.]

Maid: OH MY GOD IT’S IMMORTAL—

Des: .....

Des: Or he just has a very good helmet.

Cardinal: Sorry to crash the party, Mister President.

Cardinal: But we do need to evacuate before my best friend does something he regrets when he gets over his hangover.

[The older lady gave a very puzzled expression.]

Min: …

Des: .......

Des: What?

[Despite the situation—even with his weapon still aimed at the intruder—Des couldn't help but press the subject. It was all as if something out of a surreal dream.]

Des: I'm not the president--

Des: I'm Secretary of Defense.

Des: -What made you think I was POTUS.- : /

Cardinal: …

[Cardinal was on his feet now, standing at attention, very military in posture.]

Cardinal: You’re standing behind the desk, sir.

[The older woman rolls her eyes.]

Des: -Narrows his eyes a little- And...?

Des: -It's 20XX, doesn't everyone know who POTUS is—-

[While he appreciated he wasn't still being shot at, Cardinal was losing patience. They were wasting time, when Shade was still out there.]

Cardinal: And I don’t have time for this. We’re leaving now—

BZAP!

Cardinal: -Baaaacks away from the stern looking woman, okay, she’s got a taser, that gave us pins and needles-

Des: Nice shot.

[Minerva looks down at Cardinal with disapproval. Humorously, her heels made her slightly taller than him.]

Cardinal: >_>;

[It didn't take long for Cardinal to realize where his mistake was. He spoke with begrudging respect.]

Cardinal: …Madame President, I presume.

[Minerva Morandi was not pleased. She sparked the taser again for emphasis, speaking sternly to the intruder that had broken past the last of their defenses.]

Min: Why should we believe you? You broke into the White House, through several top-notch levels of security, disengaged a good portion of the defenses in more than one hallway, and just mentioned your alliance with the terrorist who put us here to begin with.

Cardinal: …

[Cardinal had to admit she had a point. A point he hadn't even considered before.

He wasn't like his brother. Not like Beck. He wasn't a sanctioned hero, with the recognition and support of the masses. No, he was a nameless vigilante, and all he had was his honest answer.]

Cardinal: Because I’m not shooting right now?

Minerva: You didn’t think this through at all, did you.

Cardinal: No sir, I did not.

[The maid snorts a little at that. The poor woman looked like she had seen better days, especially before her sudden promotion after the whole mess had started.

Desmond Donald, on the other hand, seemed to be unsure of whether to be impressed or just incredulous.]

Des: Wow.

Des: He has guts, at least? (Or no forethought.)

Cardinal: Thanks, but we’ve got to—

[He saw a tiny, TINY red light.]

Cardinal: !!!

[He does a teleporting tackle to slam the President to the floor. Fractions of a split second later, there’s a VERY strong shot that leaves burn marks around the wall right behind where her head had been.]

Maid: -STRAINED NOISES, TRYING NOT TO SCREAM-

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Tch!

[MN.8] //: Keep gettin' in mah way, Birdy, and Ah' WILL make ya regret it!

Cardinal: I could say the same to you, pal.

[Des had abruptly changed his aim toward the direction the shot had come from, even knowing that he was outmatched to handle such a foe. He was defending not just two innocent women: he was defending his President, and his long-time friend. If someone was going to try and take them out, it wouldn't be without a fight from him first.]

Des: -ARE YOU OKAY—-

[She was fine. Shaken, perhaps, but didn’t show it.

Then she became cross, and started to speak to the silent hunter.]

Minerva: So, you've finally shown yourself, have you? Such actions will land you in a great deal more trouble than you can hide from, Radar. This is your last chance— hand yourself over to the authorities, or you will be facing the consequences—

Cardinal: NO!

Cardinal: Leave him alone!

[For the first time since he had come in…

He actually SOUNDED scared.

Desperate, even.]

[MN.8] //: Heh.

[MN.8] //: Was that ya soundin' desperate there?

[MN.8] //: -LAUGHTER-

[MN.8] //: Ah' hate t' disobey a lady, but m'afraid yer term is up.

[MN.8] //: Now.

[CLICK.]

[MN.8] //: R u n.

[For a brief moment, silence.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …Heh…

[He starts laughing.]

Min: ???

Des: ....-Whispers- Um I don't think this guy is all mentally sound—

Cardinal: Shade, Shade, Shade…

Cardinal: You know what?

Cardinal: You’re right.

Maid: ?!

Des: (What—?!)

[MN.8] //: -Ooooh, now ya got his attention-

[MN.8] //: Somethin' change yer mind, Birdy?

[MN.8] //: Was it the fact that yer doin' this all fer nothin'?

Cardinal: Hardly.

Cardinal: More like…

Cardinal: I don’t have time for this, Shade.

Cardinal: Guess I’ll have to make my own!

[He turns and FIRES—]

[Cardinal used TIME STOPPER!]

[There's a harsh KFLSHK! noise and the very dust itself seems to hang suspended in the air, frozen in time.]

Min: ???

[Cardinal waltzes over toward the door, grinning.]

Cardinal: Now then…

Cardinal: Judging from the trajectory of the shot…

Cardinal: -ELBOWS, hard-

CRASH!

[Cardinal pulls a nearby curtain down and tosses it onto… well. Now that it was given form, it was clearly the fallen sniper.]

Cardinal: -Pulls something out of his traveling bag, shaking it- ~

Cardinal: -PSSSHT!-

[After spraying his own symbol on the cape once he found it, he quickly tagged “HOPE lives” on the floor. Then, and only then, could he relaxed and be satisfied.]

Cardinal: B]

Cardinal: -Tosses empty paint can behind him, looking down at the time-frozen sniper- Looks like you lost hide-and-seek, kid.

Cardinal: Too bad.

Min: -Just. Stares- o_o

[The President was both grateful and impressed.]

Min: What… did you do? -Okay his methods are VERY strange but that was rather impressive-

Des: -...What DIVISION is he in is the better question--

Min: -Starts advancing- Who built you?

[Cardinal had not been expecting this sort of response at all.]

Cardinal: I—

[She grabs at his scarf and yanks up a metal bit that glitters in the light.]

Min: I thought I saw a glint of these. -Shakes them once- -Dog tags, Des.- Is there something ELSE you need to tell me about, Desmond?

Des: Min, I swear I don't know about this—

Cardinal: (Uh…)

[It was then that Des noticed the serial number branded into Cardinal's shoulder.]

Des: Wait a second—! You're DLN-000?

Min: ! Seriously?

[Cardinal had had enough. He forces her hand away, holding (gently but firmly) onto her wrist.]

Cardinal: As charming as it is to have conversations with you…

Cardinal: -WHISTLES SHARPLY, SCOUT WE’RE LEAVING—-

Scout: -RARF RARF RARF—-

Cardinal: That effect kinda won’t last forever, we really do need to get out of here—

Des: .....Is...Is that a raccoon—

Cardinal: Close enough. Group hug, everybody!

Scout: -BOUNCES INTO MIN'S ARMS-

Scout: -HALLO NICE LADY-

Min: ! Oh goodness— Now wait just a—

[Nope, he’s already scooped her up and grabbed the others by their jacket fringes.]

Byuubyuubyuu…

{Outside}

Des: —?????

Des: -He can TELEPORT--

[Cheers erupt from the crowd, with the recovered Secret Service members forcing their way through, hemming out reporters and warning back drones with sniper lasers. One camera WAS allowed to come in closer.]

Cardinal: Heh…

Cardinal: Hello again, Avs.

Cardinal: -Puts Madame President down- I see you’ve upgraded this to include a speaker now. Your faith in me is reassuring. B]

[Avi’s voice crackled through the speakers.]

Avi: Bro, you do realize you can't hide from this, right--

Cardinal: Sadly. That’s a cost I’ll have to carry.

Min: (…Hide? Cost?)

Des: (They're talking like they know each other…!)

Avi: OKAY GOOD JUST CHECKING.

Avi: Because sometimes you kinda just let these things fly WAY OVER YOUR HEAD--

[The vague, stressed pun didn’t seem to have any effect… other than making Cardinal’s shoulders sag with weariness.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: -Quietly- I’m sorry, Avi. I’m not done yet.

Avi: --....

Avi: Dude, Beck's in there now, just-- come on, man, can't ya believe in him too--?

Cardinal: Six, this is about a lot more than believing and proving and anything else, and quite frankly—

[He douses himself in those strange cans again.]

Cardinal: —I’m tired of seeing my brothers die. I won’t risk any chance of that happening again.

Min: Excuse me—! It's too dangerous to go back inside, and we have some questions for you, 000! Where do you THINK you’re going—

Cardinal: Here, take this, it may help you on your journey— -SHOVES SLIGHTLY SINGED SCOUT-

Scout: -LICKS FOR NICE LADY-

Min: -Ackpth—-

Scout: ~ < 3

Avi: --.... (I guess I tried...)

Avi: please don't hurt him too bad.

Cardinal: I don’t have time for this. You saw the file extension, you know my intentions.

[He gritted his teeth. It hurt, again. Hurt because there was all this pressure, and nowhere for it to go.

Hurt because he couldn’t cry.]

Cardinal: …See you in clearer skies, Avs.

Cardinal: Goodbye…

BWIP.

Min: —…

Min: …Get me Sanda Labs on a secure line. -Stop wriggling, strange raccoon thing—- NOW.

{Back Inside…}

[Cardinal chose not to reappear in the Oval Office, but instead in an open room he had passed through on the journey. From the looks of things, Beck and Dyna had been through not long ago, themselves.]

Cardinal: -Takes in a shaky breath, hoo- (…Okay. Orders… orders over. Good… good, now—just need to find either Eight or Nine…)

Cardinal: (Can’t turn on my transceiver. They know I’m here and they want me out. But I can’t just stand by and let those two slice each other up and stain the rug with their Xel.)

Cardinal: -Grumbles- Where are you, Shade…

[He walks through several halls. Everything was dead silent. The expected countermeasures of security never came.]

Cardinal: …

[He was beginning to get very puzzled.]

Cardinal: (Did Beck already get to you? …And wow, I seriously made this big a mess?)

Cardinal: -Crosses his arms absentmindedly as he enters the secretary’s office- Come on, Shade, I said I would get back to you—

________________

Thaaaaat's it, just a lil further…

______________

[He held his shield loosely by his side as he meandered the halls for another good five minutes.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …I guess Avi was right?

Cardinal: Maybe I should turn my transceiver back on, find out if they’re outside…

[He goes over to look out a window that faces the lawn, scanning the crowds for signs of his energetic young counterpart.]

Cardinal: Just my luck to miss out on the party…

_________________

Heh. Stupid bird.

Should've paid attention t' where you were goin'…

________________

[He turns away from the window, glancing at it over his shoulder.]

Cardinal: I should probably apologize to the President—

[CRUNCH.]

Cardinal: (What—? That doesn’t sound like glass—) -Looks down-

[What Cards saw on the ground--

A dart.

Several.

In the shape of a figure eight, all black as night.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: (Wait a dAMN SECOND HE SAID ALL HIS DARTS DO SOMETHING—)

[BANG!]

[The darts all exploded into shrapnel, sharp, dangerous pieces flying everywhere, breaking pottering and lights and anything else that was in its radius.]

[Cardinal wasn’t shielding, so he took a direct hit.

Now, he was made to withstand exactly this sort of thing. To take it and tank it.

Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.]

Cardinal: -GAH—-

[He staggered back, disoriented by the damage.]

[BANG--!]

[Red lasers fill the room, reflecting off of various objects to keep Cardinal guessing--]

[BANG BANG--]

[--With two more ACTUALLY aimed for him--]

[He took the hits, but answered back with a vengeance.]

KTANG!

[Leaping onto the walls and vaulting onto a statue, he peppered the room with high speed Quick Boomerangs.]

Cardinal: |[

Cardinal: You clearly haven’t learned I don’t go down so easy, Counter.

"Haven't ya heard of try, try again?"

[BANG--]

[A dart this time, yellow--]

[Cardinal used METAL BLADE!]

[The net was torn up even as it came onto him. He leaped onto a chandelier.]

[Cardinal used RING BOOMERANG!]

Cardinal: Haven’t you ever heard “Doing the same thing twice and expecting different results is the definition of insanity?”

[Laughter.]

"Look who's TALKIN'!"

"Ya sure are persistent."

[Cardinal was beginning to lose patience.

He was tired. He felt tired and old.]

Cardinal: Countershade, I have been chasing after you for over a WEEK now. I’ll hardly give up because you’re throwing a temper tantrum.

Cardinal: Get a grip, Shade— Snap out of it! This isn’t like you!

Cardinal: -Crossly- WAKE UP ALREADY!

"Temper tantrum? Boy, ya must be a real antique by now. Seein' as ya ain't made of Xel."

"Who even ARE ya, anyway?"

Cardinal: You can’t be serious. You recognized my brother and you don’t know me? That’s not a funny insult. -Actually sounds rather put out-

"Nope. Ya don't ring a bell."

Cardinal: Are you REALLY that out of it? That’s honestly just pathetic. The “sad, pitiful” kind.

"Gotta hand it t' ya, Birdy, as ya are annoyin', yer good. Heh."

"And Ah' do so love a good challenge."

Cardinal: Fine then.

Cardinal: I’ll make you remember—I’ll bring you out of this, I am going to snap you out of this if it’s the last thing I ever do!

[Cardinal used DUST CRUSHER!]

[All the shrapnel and debris that had been created by Shade and others before him was kicked up in a whirling cloud of sharp death that enveloped half the room, shredding everything in its path before getting embedded into the wall.]

"--Ngh--!"

[There is some painful data, but it is quickly snuffed out by something other than Shade.]

"Oh, it WILL be--ya can't keep flyin' FOREVER, Lil' Birdy..."

Cardinal: Try me.

[…Not his best choice of words.]

"Heh."

"Since ya ASKED so nicely!"

KSSSH!!!

[The chandelier came crashing down, with him inside it.

Even though he teleported away, he still had the force of momentum, and crashed down into the ground pretty hard.]

Cardinal: Hggghhhh…

Cardinal: (Gah… hate HATE falling from heights, come BACK, vision—)

[BANG!]

[Countershade took this perfect opportunity to fire off another shot--it was so easy, once he was blind--]

Cardinal: AUGH!

[Cardinal counteracted with a spam of Metal Blades that went in ALL directions, embedding DEEP into wherever they found score—

And there is a LOT OF rolling around and taking cover--seeing the saw blades stirred up something...Something that made him even angrier. ]

"MOTHERSCRATCHIN'--Ah' HATE when it takes more than one bullet!"

Cardinal: See now, if you REMEMBERED anything, you’d KNOW I don’t go down to one hit!

"Goddamn waste of mah TIME--"

Cardinal: Tch.

Cardinal: Anything you don’t have time to do right the first time, you’ll need to have time to do over.

Cardinal: And I’ve put a hell of a few lifetimes more into this than you.

[BANG BANG--]

[The explosive darts were out now, but single striped instead of the deadly double. Perhaps Shade didn't want to ruin his new 'Home' anymore than it already was. Cardinal tanked the hit with his shield.]

[The Proto Shield held firm as ever, though he moved aside to avoid being backed into the wall.]

Cardinal: -Gets back to his feet, shifting his weaponry again with another click.-

Cardinal: This is not the first time we’ve done this song and dance, Shade!

[Cardinal used BUBBLE LEAD!]

[The acid pellets burst upon contact, hissing and eating away at the floor and various high ground on the other side of the room.]

[SSSSSSSS...]

"Aw FRAG IT--"

Cardinal: You forgetting?! Just means I have ALL THE MORE ADVANTAGE OVER YOU!

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

kzzzZZZZZZZZGGGVVVVGGGHHHTTTT—

[Marble columns were sliced clean through and brought crashing down.]

[CRASH--!!]

"--!!!!"

[There was a few moments of scrambling and--]

[--Silence?]

Cardinal: Nice try, but I know you’re fine. Your camo goes out if you’re not.

Cardinal: And if you want to play this the hard way, I’ll do just that. >B |

[....]

"Alright."

[Click.]

[That came from RIGHT beside him!]

Cardinal: (Glitch—)

[Cardinal used ICE SLASHER!]

[It wasn’t fast enough to prevent the shot that seared through his right shoulder, but. It was enough to send the whole room about ten degrees below zero, and send icicle spears flying.

There was a HISS of pain and a grunt, Shade's camo flickering for a moment--

--Before returning to normal, and the lasers that herald his presence once again came from a completely different direction--

Cardinal ends up backed against the wall, having no other option besides his shield at this point. The Skull Barrier and the Leaf Shield had both been spent during the rescues.]

Cardinal: B[

[Cardinal used ITEM-1!]

[He jumps onto a hovering platform to gain height before firing off some plasma blasts at strategic surfaces—places where he would go if he had that side of the battlefield.]

[BLAM!]

[BANG BANG BANG--]

[As if in response, Shade shoots at the ITEM-1 before unleashing a trio of--oh, no, double stripped darts--!]

Cardinal: !

[Cardinal used WIRE!]

ZZZZZZZIP!

[A grappling hook shot out of his arm, bringing him up toward the ceiling and away from the explosion.

Unfortunately, this position offered him no cover whatsoever, except for his shield—which, as always, remained squarely over his central mass.]

Cardinal: This is getting a bit old.

Cardinal: I’d rather light things on fire, but that wouldn’t be being…

[He smirked.]

Cardinal: …a good House guest~

[BANG--]

[CRASH!]

[He had the wind knocked out of him again, but…

Judging from his wheezing and shaking laughter…]

Cardinal: -Worth it-

[CLICK.]

[....Uh oh.]

Shade: Was it?

Cardinal: Yup.

Cardinal: Too bad it didn’t…

[Cardinal used AIR SHOOTER!]

[STRONG gusts swept across the room, moving EVEN the fallen marble slamming into the wall!]

Shade: --!!!

Cardinal: BLOW YOU AWAY!

Shade: Ngh--

[Shade loses his footing and is forced to back up a ways in order to keep Cardinal in front of him--and on his sights.]

Shade: Enough of this--

[CLICK.]

[...Not even Shade could make a shot in these kinds of winds--]

[...Right?]

[BANG!]

Cardinal: -OOF!-

[Okay. He was really taking a beating now.]

Cardinal: (This has got to stop. Man… haven’t even knocked out his active camo yet, lame. I wish I could use more explosions and fire, that might have helped…)

Cardinal: … (Then again, not being in such a cramped space would have helped anyway.)

Cardinal: Hoo… man, you do hit hard…

[BANG--

BANG BANG BANG--]

[...Shade doesn't answer back.

He just keeps shooting.]

Cardinal: It really is too bad Round Two had to be like this—nngh!

Cardinal: I think you would have preferred remembering!

Shade: Hey.

Shade: Birdy.

Cardinal: What.

Shade: Do me a favor.

[--Wait--why was his voice coming from behind, Shade was right in front of him--]

Shade: Stop yer PRATTLE.

[BANG--!]

[Cardinal was put to the floor, dizzy from being shot in the back. His fans were buzzing a bit, and he had to prop himself up with an arm.]

Cardinal: -WHEEZE- Now that was beneath you, my friend.

Cardinal: You’re an assassin, not a traitor.

Shade: Not my fault yer bein' difficult, Birdy.

Shade: All yer...

[BANG.]

Shade: Sass, all yer brave front--

[BANG!]

Shade: Ya don't fool ME.

[He had to deflect the shots with his shield, but his arm was starting to tire from taking the shock of the blows. He gritted his teeth.]

Cardinal: Is that supposed to mean something, Shade? I’m honestly—nnn!—confused.

Shade: It does. You'll get it REAL soon.

[BANG--]

[...???]

[That's...that's a red dart.]

[Completely red, stuck to Cardinal's shield.]

[--And then it started to glow RED, RED HOT, OW--]

Cardinal: AUGH!

[He could NOT handle that much heat, not so close to his core!

He was forced to drop it to the ground and roll to the side.]

[Cardinal used NEEDLE CANNON!]

[Needle shaped spears skewered anything and everything in sight…

…and some things out of sight.

A slight rip noise betrayed that Cardinal had scored a hit and pinned the sniper’s cloak to the wall.]

Shade: TCH!

Shade: Oh, that is IT.

Shade: -LOCK ON TO CARDINAL'S SYMBOL--

Shade: Yer SCRAP.

[BANG BANG BANG--]

[Cardinal hit the floor, hard.

Silence.]

Shade: -That was mah CLOAK, FRAG YA-

[…But after a moment, he did manage to sit up again, coughing a bit.]

Shade: Fer the love of--

Shade: Ya just don't DIE.

Cardinal: -Raspy- So I’ve been told…

Cardinal: (Great… all I have left is fire…)

Cardinal: You…

[He spoke seriously now.]

Cardinal: You’ve… got to stop, Shade.

Cardinal: You’ve… got to stop…!

[He staggered to his feet.]

Cardinal: This isn’t you. It’s not your fault, but you need to stop—

Cardinal: Don’t you remember who you are?!

Shade: — . . .

[Who...]

[Cardinal grabbed his scarf and shook it. The dart there from Shade, a gift from so long ago, stood out in sharp contrast.]

Shade: ......

[Why did he have his...]

Cardinal: PLEASE! Don’t you REMEMBER me at ALL?!

_____________________

"Yer stuck with me. B]"

___________________

"Catch me if ya can, hunting doggie!"

_________________

[Memories, as if from some far off forgotten dream...]

Shade: --...

Shade: -Confused--

Shade: The hell...

[Cardinal took a quiet step forward.]

Cardinal: Shade!

Cardinal: You’re my best friend.

Cardinal: We TRUST each other, remember?!

—————————————————

“Being able to trust someone and want to be around them, miss them if they’re gone… That’s its own vulnerability, in a way.”

—————————————————

[Another step.]

Cardinal: (Just…)

Cardinal: (Need to get close enough…!)

[Trust...]

Shade: -Blinks--

[The purple and magenta fade from his eye for a second--]

Shade: (What...)

[....And then.]

[....A name.]

Shade: . . .

Shade: Cardinal...?

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: -Another step- YES! I’m here, Shade—

Cardinal: I promised nothing would make me give up on you, and I mean it.

Cardinal: -Another step- You’re sick, but we can fix that— come home, Shade, before you do something you can’t fix.

[…

…Fix…?]

—————————————

[An admission of weakness.

His core was messed up so badly, that…]

[From a powerful enough opponent, a direct hit at full charge, if exposed, would cause him to explode.

And no armor in the world would ever fix it.]

—————————————

Shade: ...ngh...

[The assassin staggers, as if something dull was pressing on his mind, something that was NOT a part of him, something that didn't want him to--]

Shade: !

[Something within screamed--]

[--But then, it all became clear.]

[Clear to the virus, that is.]

Shade: ... ...

[Cardinal was reaching out his hand to touch him. If he could just get a hold of him, he had just enough energy to get them out of here. Away from this place—if not to safety, at least where he couldn’t do any more damage.]

Cardinal: Shade…?

Shade: . . .

Shade: Songbird...Eh...

Shade: Well, that explains the bird part.

[CLICK.]

[There was an unsettling PREDATORY grin on Eight's face, as his rifle was pointed DIRECTLY AT CARDINAL'S CORE--]

Cardinal: !?

[He was too shocked, totally blindsided, taken completely off guard—he didn't even have time to get scared before—]

Shade: Adios, Songbird.

BANG—

[The direct hit from such a close range— point blank range—had done massive amounts of damage.

He didn’t really feel hitting the floor, no…

It was all lost in a vast sea of white-hot pain that engulfed his senses, enveloped his whole body—

He couldn’t even say for sure if he screamed.]

Shade: That hurt, Birdy?

Shade: Ah' BET it DID.

[Cardinal had to turn to his side to avoid choking on oil. Now he felt sick, shivering from the pain and errors that were wracking his body.]

Shade: Oh, Ah' remembered ya, yes—ah' sure did... -GRIN-

Shade: Ah' remembered how t' finally KILL YA.

[Cardinal could hear the words, but they just wouldn’t register— but if they had, he would have been crushed not just in body, but also in soul.]

Shade: That was STUPID, bah the way.

Shade: What were ya even thinkin', huh?

[Even if he wanted to run now, there was no way out. He didn’t have the energy to teleport—he barely had enough to move.

Move he did, though, at least enough to get to his knees.

…]

[…relatively speaking.]

Shade: Eheh...

Shade: Looks like yer wings have been CLIPPED...Lil' Birdy.

Shade: Nowhere t' RUN, nao, is there. Even if ya COULD move....

Cardinal: Hnnnghnnnnnggh…

Cardinal: … (Can’t… can’t move…)

Cardinal: (Need… need repairs…)

Cardinal: (N-need to partition energy into repairs—)

Shade: Still breathin'?

Shade: Ya really ARE persistent!

[The world became a white void of pain as he was kicked in the side, hard. He fell over, and Shade forced him onto his back with a bit of pressure. His vision started to come back in, but—]

[CRUNCH--]

[A boot crunches on top of Cardinal's chest--]

Cardinal: (AUGH!)

[He couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t. Breathe.

The weight was crushing him, breaking him, threatening to put pressure on his core—his constant massive conversion of energy into matter to save him was only intensifying the pain.]

Cardinal: Ghhghkk—!

[He was too badly injured to move. He was using all of his power just to stay alive, now—he could barely hear, barely see—]

>ERROR: HARDWARE DAMAGE CRITICAL

Cardinal: !

>COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT

Cardinal: (nnnONONO—)

>INITIATE SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE

Cardinal: AAAAUUUGH!

[Cardinal gave a choked cry of despair as the countdown began— audibly, no less—]

>TEN…

Shade: -Ooh, now... What is this?-

>NINE…

Shade: Oh, right...

>EIGHT…

Shade: Ya Wily constructs go up with a bang when yer too helpless t' RUN.

>SEVEN…

Shade: -Chuckles.-

>SIX…

Shade: Nao ain't that somethin'...

>FIVE…

Cardinal: (No…!)

>FOUR…

>SYSTEM OVERRIDE

>THREE…

>RUN PROGRAM: FINAL_DAYS.EXE

>TWO…

>WARNING: FINAL_DAYS.EXE IS AN UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAM. USING THIS PROGRAM WILL PREVENT COMBAT.EXE INITIATIVES OR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE FROM RUNNING NORMALLY. CONTINUE?

>ONE…

>YES

>DON’T ASK ME AGAIN

> -PING!- COMMAND CONFIRMED.

>SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Shade: ....

Shade: Tch.

Shade: Was hopin' t' see fireworks. Oh, well.

>EXECUTING PROGRAM: FINAL_DAYS.EXE

[He became limp and weak as the program went live.

He was no longer burdened by instincts meant to preserve him to be fighting fit later, or to continue fighting on.

All the energy that had been spent toward those goals was now going into extensive repair, to keep his vitals up and his senses working. This process would not be interrupted, no matter how much energy it drained from him.

…But as a result…]

Cardinal: -Rattled wheezing from shaky, submissive gasps for air-

Shade: Heh... -Smug smirk-

[He was now completely helpless.]

Shade: Look at ya...

[Everything felt faint. It hurt, and yet…]

Cardinal: -Hazily- (Can’t even move…)

[He felt so tired. So tired.

He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and get his rest….]

Cardinal: (C-can’t…)

Cardinal: (So… so tired…)

Shade: Just look at ya, ya waste of scrap.

Shade: All yer talk and sass and comebacks and fancy display...

[CRUNCH--]

Cardinal: (-PAIN!-)

[Cardinal became briefly blinded by pain, his eyes glazing over. His fans wailed in protest at the crushing weight put on his chest.]

Shade: --And all it took--

[His armor—!]

[SNAP--!]

[His inner plate armor split open—]

<DLN-000>: > -PAIN!-

[With his transceiver off, no one could hear him— no one could hear his anguished data streams—]

Shade: --Was a few shots, from one bot--

C R A C K—!!

[He jerked sharply, almost convulsing as the armor clattered, giving way to expose the energy core within. It was glowing like a small sun—white hot, too.]

Shade: - T'prepare ya t' meet yer Maker. That is... Assumin' there's an afterlife for ya pathetic box bolts...

[Cardinal gave off bleak rattling noises as his coolant system attempted to draw air over broken fans.]

Shade: Best start prayin', lil' Birdy. Yer gonna learn the answer t' that question the hard way.

Cardinal: -Repairs, need… need repairs…-

[His vision came back to him as the conversion went into overdrive, desperate on keeping the fans running, to keep him alive.

This allowed his eyes, dulled before, to resume their green spark—his sunglasses had been knocked off long ago, and so there was nothing between the green fire and the sickly purple gaze.]

Shade: --?

Shade: What in tarnation--

Cardinal: Hnnnnggghh…

Shade: --....

[Wait a second...

There was something just right of the power core, mostly tucked behind it. As it glowed, the mobility rig seemed to just… rebuild itself.

Enough for Cardinal to grasp at something, clutching it with a stubborn resignation.]

[.....]

[Two and two were put together within a second, and the Teal Silence let out a dark chuckle.]

Shade: Stubborn jackass! So THIS is how ya kept yerslef goin' so long, hmm?

Shade: Real clever...

[He suddenly JABBED right at it with his rifle-- which was a VERY bad mistake…]

Shade: ARUGH--!

[…as far as the sniper was concerned.

The tip of the rifle had been vaporized, and Cardinal was filled with a jolt of energy that the conversion provided. From the strength Shade had unwittingly donated, he knocked the rifle out of the way to prevent his friend from losing balance, and possibly ending up losing the rest of his arm to the power converter.]

Shade: NGH--

Shade: Little goddamn bastard--should've known ya had 'nother cheap shot like that up yer sleeve...

Cardinal: -Irratable snort- (Oh please, that’s just how I’m BUILT—you wouldn’t go sticking your hand in stomach acid, would you?!)

[There was still enough strength left from that for him to regain some focus. It took effort, and he struggled to reallocate repairs to non-vital systems.

Like… talking, for example.

Cardinal vented a bit and scrunched his eyes in a grimace, trying his hardest to work up the energy to talk.]

Cardinal: Nnnngh…

[…But he could only groan. The pain was so heavy…]

Shade: Bah, for the love of— spare me yer theatrics, Songbird, S'not like ya can sing anymore.

Cardinal: (But…)

Cardinal: (I’ve GOT to, I need to tell you…!)

[CLICK.]

Cardinal: —hghkkt!

[He knew that noise.]

[He KNEW that noise, and it filled him with dread.]

Cardinal: (No…)

Shade: Heheheh...

[A sadistic smile partnered the laugh that escaped from Shade--the dart that was usually in his mouth was gone...]

Cardinal: (Shade, oh God no— please… no, don’t… you can’t do this…)

Cardinal: -Weak ping of protest-

Shade: Ah' TOLD ya...Ya can't fool me.

Shade: Ya scared now, li' Birdy?

Cardinal: -Strained fan whine of despair-

[He was in distress, that was for sure. A heartbroken dismay was sapping away at the willpower maintaining the diminishing fumes of strength in his body.

Shade leaned over, resting his rifle arm on his left knee as he put his weight on Cardinal’s shoulder. The fans there screeched as they were crushed beneath the sniper’s considerable weight.]

Shade: Good.

[The blinding pain lifted as the weight was drawn away. When Cardinal could see again, he saw his friend’s back facing him.]

Shade: I'll give ya this . ..

Cardinal: …

[A low hum...]

Cardinal: … -even weaker ping-

[He couldn’t mask it. When Shade turned around, Cardinal couldn’t help but give off a faint signal of hopelessness—

Shade was using a sniper scope to light up his core as a target, purely to mock him out of spite.]

Shade: Ya were better ’n most. Damn freakin' annoyin’, too. Shoulda known better ’n ‘’ta come HERE, t' mah huntin' grounds. You got a death wish, songbird? Huh?

[He took a step forward, letting his spurs rattle loudly in his stride across the floor...]

[Slowly.]

[It was tempting. So tempting.

He was tired. He hurt. He was scared. If… if he just let go, the pain would stop, it wouldn’t hurt anymore… he could rest, he could leave before…]

Cardinal: … (No… can’t…)

[Cardinal took in a shaky breath, willing himself to stay alive, even though his energy core…]

Cardinal: (Can’t let it end… like this…)

[…was starting to turn cold.]

Shade: -Data-

Shade: -Well, if ya insist, we can GRANT it for ya.-

Cardinal: (Can’t…!)

Cardinal: (I CAN’T LET IT END LIKE THIS!)

[Cardinal struggled to focus through his failing vision, to look that menacing red-violet eye directly on with his own, dimming green pair.

He shut down all but his central core mass fans to get the energy to speak.]

Cardinal: -Very raspy, distorted gasp- Shade…

Shade: --....

[...He's not sure if he should be annoyed or impressed.]

[Cardinal spoke again. There was a clear but quiet, submissive air of despair in his frail voice.]

Cardinal: Countershade, please…

[Oh.]

[He took a step forward...]

Shade: What was that?

Cardinal: Don’t… don’t do this…

Cardinal: …beg… begging you, please…

[.....]

Shade: -GRIN-

[He smirked cruelly at this, at the sight and sounds of Cardinal begging, pleading for his life, for mercy. Ha! Finally, after all of his talk and bravo!

What a delightful feeling.]

Shade: Heheheheh!

Cardinal: please…

Shade: (Eso es, Pájarito. Ruega por la misericordia hasta que mueras.)

Cardinal: …it’s only… only… g…going to…

Shade: --?

Cardinal: …going to hurt y o u…

Shade: --. .. . ..

[For a moment, that makes Shade pause.

The sick, purple aura left him, the malice, the evil that had dug it's way deep into his core was lifted for just a brief moment—]

Shade: -N-No—-

Shade: (No, no, no…!)

Shade: -Straining- M-must… fight… the power…

[He, too, seemed like he was in just as much pain as Cardinal was.]

[…]

[CLICK.]

[...But the moment... Passed.]

Shade: Enough!

[He spoke with a firm, authoritative command of finality.]

Shade: I don’t have time t’ waste on you. Obviously ya ain’t gonna stay out of my way while ya still runnin’.

Shade: An’ as we’ve already established, ya have this fraggin’ annoyin’ tendency to keep hangin’ on. Fahn, then—I’ll give ya the honor a’ takin’ ya out myself!

Cardinal: (No…)

[Cardinal gripped his hand tighter, as if bracing himself.]

Shade: An’ just tah make SURE you don’t get out of sight at the last second. ..

[He lowered his gaze, and his aim, right down to Cardinal's exposed core.]

Shade: This'll be the last bullet Ah' waste on ya.

[Cardinal forced himself to maintain eye contact, even as Shade lowered his rifle to point directly at the exposed core.

He didn’t… feel scared anymore. Just… defeated.

Hopeless.

…Accepting of his time, resigned to his fate… even as he dwelt with lingering, final regret, on his failure and shame.]

Shade…

[Darkness overtook his eyes.

His power was nearly entirely depleted. He would only last a few minutes longer, at most—one way or another, he had reached, at last… his final day.]

[Vrrrrrrr...]

Oh, Shade…!

[He could faintly hear the sound of Shade’s deadly aim setting up. It seemed… so far away…]

I…

[He heard a faint fizzling and hissing noise as the energy converter fell silent.

There could only be one reason for that—

No more energy left to convert from.

He could feel his heart becoming as cold as i c e …]

I’m… so sorry…!

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

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 7C: RUSH INTO THE MINE=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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

[LATER THAT NIGHT....]

[William White was staring patiently at the same analysis screen for several hours, a full jug of coffee at his side. It had gone cold long ago. Mikhail had left for his own devices shortly after making it, mentioning he had important work to do with Siam before he could return.

And that was certainly for the better…]

White: (Eight...Eight samples.)

White: (This should be enough--this has to be enough...)

[It was in that moment that Soi stepped into the room.]

Soi: --Will?

White: --Oh. Soi.

Soi: Good Lord, man, I thought you went to bed ages ago!

Soi: Didn't Mikhail warn you about staying up too late?

White: Under the circumstances, he's overlooked it for now.

White: I'm so close, Soi, I can just...

White: I have all the pieces, I just have to fit them together.

White: -Turns back to the Terminal- I've already arrange the code, it's only a matter of figuring out what goes where...

White: And hopefully, I can start to finally counteract this nightmare.

Soi: Thank goodness.

Soi: Once we figure out what's going on with the Virus, my brother will send help!

Soi: -Sigh-

Soi: And all we need is Shade back.

White: Yes...

White: I think the others are dreading that, somewhat. Mikhail was...He had that look about him.

Soi: Because Shade is a Hunter?

White: Perhaps.

White: But I think it's something else.

White: Or rather...

((CARDINAL PIC))

White: Someone.

White: ....

White: In any case.

White: -Working as he speaks- You do have a point. This...

White: It's almost over, now.

White: .....

White: Soi?

Soi: Yes?

White: ......

White: I...

White: Do you think that...Maybe...

White: . . . .

Soi: ???

White: ...Nevermind.

Soi: What?

White: No, it's...It was just a passing thought.

Soi: Wiiiiilll.

Soi: Come on, I know you want to tell me something when you suddenly back out of it!

White: I just---

[PING!]

White: !

White: Wait--

White: Soi, I--I think I did it--!

Soi: -WAIT WHAT, REALLY--??-

White: Hold on, let me just run this through one more time--

Soi: Oh, man, this is great!

Soi: -YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN, WILL.-

Soi: I know that it's still processing, but as soon as that's confirmed, I can call Mikhail back--

Soi: And then we can get to--

Soi: --!!!

Soi: --...Will?

[No response.]

[None.]

[The room was suddenly filled with a tense silence.]

[...That is, save for the quiet patter of drops on a keyboard.]

Soi: Will--

[It was as if he wasn't hearing him.]

[William sat there in what appeared to be shock, huge streams of tears falling from his emerald hues.]

[He was crying.]

White: . . .

Soi: Will, are you alright--

White: . . .

White: I...

Soi: Will--oh dear should--should I call Mikhail or--?

[THAT got him out of the shock, but it was quickly replaced by sheer panic--]

[Will bolted straight for the door, fumbling with his keycard to lock it--]

Soi: --???!

[He then proceeded to shut down all the computers, cameras, even his phone--]

Soi: Will--

Soi: Will!

[Soi grabbed his arm before he could do anything else concerning, a firm tone in his voice.]

Soi: What is going on--?! What did you--

White: It's mine.

Soi: --???

White: The virus--it's coding--It's MINE, Soi--!

White: All of this is MY FAULT--!

Soi: Wha...

[Soi was so...so taken back by it that he let go.]

Soi: Wait--

White: -PANICKY--

White: It's all my fault, the madness, our sons and daughters, our own family, HIS--!

White: The whole country is suffering because of MY MISTAKE--!

Soi: WILL!

[Soi claps very hard in front of Will's face, which was enough to bring him out of his panic attack, or at least some of it.]

Soi: Breathe.

Soi: I've known you for more than 10 years and I know that none of this is your fault.

Soi: You--

Soi: You're different, now, Will.

Soi: Remember?

White: ........

Soi: .....

Soi: Let's just...Sit.

Soi: Start over.

Soi: Okay?

White: . . .

[White sits back down with a shivering sigh, his head buried into his hands. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, but it didn't seem to help much.]

White: S-Soi...

White: The...The code, Soi--

White: It's mine. I know it is.

Soi: Really?

[Silence.]

White: ....

White: Not...All of it.

Soi: See, so it isn't--

Soi: --Wait-- not ALL of it?

Soi: I...I don't understand.

White: .....

White: Soi...

White: Remember...

White: Remember when you first hired me?

Soi: I...Of course.

Soi: How could I forget?

White: .....

White: I told you that I had previous experience with robotics before.

White: You know what I mean.

Soi: ......

[Now it was Soi's turn to be shocked.]

Soi: No, Wait--

Soi: You can't mean--

Soi: This--You mean this whole robot rampage--?!

White: --is all my fault, indeed.

White: Or rather...

White: The fault of a robot that I designed long ago...

White: The CDN-1201.

White: ...Trinity.

White: I designed her to evolve by assimilating other robot's capabilities...

White: I found her custom scripts in the virus code we retrieved from each of the haywire Mighty Numbers--as well as...

White: From...Mikhail's database sample...

((Hang on, cutscene time— -Cutscene here about Mikhail and Will talking about the Virus being alive-))

White: The structure is clever, cunning, concise...

White: It's brilliant. There's no doubt it's my code.

Soi: Now wait just a minute--!

Soi: How--How is that even POSSIBLE, Will?

Soi: CherryDynamics shut down the Trinity project AGES ago!

Soi: In fact it was--

Soi: Dr. Blackwell himself, wasn't it--? Back when he was CTO--?

[White stiffens at that.]

Soi: ....

Soi: I...

Soi: I always thought that was the reason you left Cherry to come work with us and make the Mighties here...

Soi: Wasn't it?

White: Of COURSE it was, Soi!

Soi: --Nngh-- (Oh no, he's angry--)

White: After what HAPPENED there--

White: After what I had to do to HER--

White: In the end, Blackwell only saw the dangers, not the potential--!

White: He NEVER gave ME a CHANCE!

White: Never gave HER a...a chance...

Soi: ......

[As quickly as Will flared, he slowly SAT back down again, tears now flowing freely.]

White: I can still hear her in my DREAMS, Soi.

White: I...

White: God, I was a fool.

White: Such a fool...

White: But I was just so eager and wanted to prove myself to HIM that I...I didn't listen.

White: And now she's come to haunt me again.

Soi: --Will.....

White: I...I just--

White: --I can't TELL them, Soi, I just CAN'T--!

White: To tell them that all that I am--all of who I AM IS A LIE?!

White: What that would do to them, to--to all that we have built and come to cherish--

White: I DON'T WANT TO LOSE EVERYTHING AGAIN, SOI--!

Soi: Shhhh!

Soi: Will--

[Soichiro calmly wraps an arm around Will's shaking shoulders, almost close to tears himself.]

Soi: You won't, Will--

Soi: I swear we will make this work somehow, if I have a say in it!

Soi: I know her loss was so hard on you, Will, and I know how much it hurts.

Soi: But this...

Soi: This is a virus, Will--Trinity was not a virus.

Soi: She was your daughter, if only for a short time.

Soi: I don't know how or why someone would put her scripts into this...This horrid thing--

Soi: But I do know one thing.

Soi: I will always be in your corner, Will. No matter what happens or who tries to stop us.

Soi: I'll always have your back.

Soi: ^^

White: ....

White: -Sniff-

White: S...Soi...

White: You--You never HAD to help me...

Soi: Oh, poppycock! That's ridiculous.

Soi: Where would you be without me, eh?

White: -Sniff-

White: ....

White: U-Up the creek with no paddle?

Soi: I was thinking more like still a rotten Cherry, but let's go with that.

White: Eheh....

White: ....

White: What are we going to do, Soi...?

Soi: I don't really know.

Soi: But we can't keep this from Mikhail for long, you know that, right?

White: . . .

Soi: Will.

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

Soi: Will, he GAVE you one of the samples, he's SEEN that custom script.

White: --....

Soi: He's going to put two and two together eventually, and would you rather have him find out on his own or hearing it from someone he knows is a genuine good person with genuine, good intentions?

White: . . . .

White: -Whispers- I don't want him or any of them to think less of me...

Soi: .....

White: And then there's my own children, Soi...

White: How would THEY handle this?

Soi: Will, that's sort of your fault there.

Soi: You always put it off ever since Pyro.

Soi: There is just no easy way to go about this, Will.

Soi: You have to tell them the truth.

White: . . . .

Soi: At least--

Soi: At least tell someone, Will--

Soi: You need to talk about this to someone OTHER than me.

Soi: Someone that isn't quite in our family--but still a friend.

Soi: Someone like...

Soi: ....

Soi: --!

Soi: Felix?

White: ...But he's just stirring.

Soi: When he's BETTER, Will.

Soi: Honestly, I will drag you to him if I have to, don't think I won't!

White: -Ngh--

Soi: ....

Soi: Please don't take this the wrong way, Will. I'm doing this as your friend.

Soi: All I want is for you to be well and at peace with...with who you were.

Soi: Alright?

White: .....

White: -Inhale-

White: ...O...Okay...

White: I...Okay.

Soi: Promise, Will. You have one foot out the door.

White: ....

White: I...

White: I promise.

Soi: To?

White: Go talk to Felix.

Soi: About?

White: ...Trinity.

Soi: Good. ^^

White: ......

Soi: Chin up, Will.

Soi: Things will get better, soon.

Soi: I promise you that. ^^

White: ....

White: I...

White: I can only hope, Soi.

White: (Hope and dream...)

White: ...I made a mess, didn't I....

Soi: Sort of? You just turned off everything in a rush.

Soi: ...Also I think you locked us in. ^^;;;

White: ....

White: (Oops--)

White: I...

White: I think I'll just call someone to get us out...

White: -Oh God why are there so many messages SOI--

White: -I THINK IT'S TOO LATE--

Soi: -Wait what--

[Soi peeked over Will's phone to get a closer look--]

[MESSAGE 1

FROM: MC005]

>WILL

>WILL, WE FINALLY FOUND THE ANSWER

White: --???

[MESSAGE 2

FROM: MC005]

> {We figured it out Will I’m not sure yet but PICK UP YOUR PHONE—}

White: -Wait, what--

[MESSAGE 3

FROM: DWN-019]

> -Raw data that is echoed and mostly mirrored-

White: -Okay so THANK GOD IT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE WHAT I THINK IT WAS--

Soi: .....

Soi: You REALLY need to go to sleep.

White: Shush--

[MESSAGE 4

FROM: DWN-019]

>Doctor!

>I know you are awake working.

>If you were asleep, your phone would have woken you.

> SO GO TO BED WHEN YOU GET THIS.

>There is very important news to share in the morning!

Soi: ...That's kinda scary, actually.

White: -______-;;;;

[MESSAGE 5

FROM: DWN-019]

>We sent Dr. Cossack to sleep despite his protests, he needs rest.

>Please have everyone gather for breakfast, they’ll want to hear this.

Soi: See?

Soi: Heck, maybe things will work out after all!

White: . . .

White: I...Guess so.

White: ...Before we go, though, I should lock the code--

Soi: That can wait.

White: -But we really should secure the--

Soi: In the morning, Will.

White: -But--

Soi: -Alright that's it we're calling in the cavalry-

Soi: Call, dear?

White: -ERK--

White: -Waitwaitwait on second thought BED SOUNDS NICE-

White: -Look see, we're going--

[BONK--!]

White: Ow--

White: ....

White: Oh right I locked us in, didn't I.

White: Um.

White: ^^;;;;;

Soi: .....

Soi: -LOSES IT-

Soi: Aw, Will, you...

Soi: Call!

[Footsteps.]

".... Doctors, why is this door locked?"

Soi: Will here accidentally locked us in, heh.

Soi: Be a dear and disengage the lock, will you?

Soi: Oh, and get Will to bed, he's being difficult.

White: -I SAID I WAS GOING-

"Yes, Doctor. I will only be a few minutes."

White: -I'm locking the code while she's doing it-

Soi: Will-- -Siiiigh- -_-;;;;;;

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

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 8B: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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

{Early that morning…}

Cardinal: FINALLY…

[He was only a few blocks away. He could see from here that there was a crowd gathered some ways away from his target—

—just outside a clearly defined radius.]

Cardinal: (Ugh…)

Cardinal: (I’m going to have to go right through a window.)

[He yelled over the wind. They were going to come in fast.]

Cardinal: Looks like I was right, Scout!

Cardinal: Hang on, okay?! This is going to be a really rough ride!

Scout: Rarf!

[He tossed a dual-colored sphere in the air, releasing a burst of red light. This materialized into a bird, which caught said sphere before it fell.]

Cardinal: Baron, it’s confirmed. FLY.

[The robin shot off at an astounding speed, almost as if it had teleported itself.

There was a grated rumbling noise.]

Cardinal: Sorry, Jazz. Get somewhere safe, I won’t let you crash-land.

[He leaped out of the transformed flying panther.]

[CARDINAL used ITEM-2!]

[…right onto another gadget. He held out his shield in front of him, angling down at one of the windows that looked out into the sky from a roof.]

Cardinal: We’re going in!

Scout: Rarf! -LET'S GOOOO--

He did leap down off of the ITEM-2, and there was a VERY high pitched whine noise as his blaster primed.]

BLAM!

[Top of the line security, down to bullet-proof windows? Yes.

Able to withstand a charged shot from a plasma blaster designed to take out tanks—as in plural, multiple at once?

Nooot quite so much.

The sound of glass shattering mixed with that of a starting fire. There was a click and a whirr, the barrel of Cardinal’s weapon changing as he fired again, just as they were landing.

It started to rain.]

Scout: -OOO I DIDN'T KNOW HE KNEW RAIN DANCE-

WHAM.

[They landed down in a hallway hard, the rain putting out the fire.

The security countermeasures started to go berserk, and Cardinal was forced to put up a wall of razor sharp leaf-shaped projectiles to give him time for his next move.]

Scout: -AND Razor Leaf, ooooo-

Scout: Rarf!

[There was a rotating noise and another click, and then…]

Ptew pew pew pew pew!

[…Dozens of tiny snakes—they looked like little mechanical coral snakes.

Then he stood to his full height and blasted a tune.]

Cardinal: (Ready or not, Shade, here I come!)

[The White House was indeed large and vast--finding Shade in this mess was to prove difficult, even with the Search Snakes.

....But it wasn't long before they found traces of his obvious presence.

There were strange, gray orbs floating around the hallways and entrances, glowing a strange, greenish color.

At first, they seemed to be dormant--

...Until they turned red when the Snakes approached...]

_______________________

"--?"

"Motion? Thought Ah' told them flesh wastes t'stay PUT...lessee here..."

[The Search Snakes were spread out, but Cardinal had remained where he was.

He was in full armor—something he hadn’t done in real Combat since the last time he fought his brother. Because of this, his whole face was covered, and his expression was impossible to read.

Despite this, his fierce green eyes burned with a fire that pierced even his shades, visible to not only a sensitive camera, but also to the naked eye.

After a moment…]

SHING!

[The leaves that had shielded him scattered, slicing everything in their path as they moved down the hall.

This included, among other things, a security camera.

The feed went down immediately, followed by several others in the same hallway.]

KSSSSSSSS—

[Cardinal had created a small blind spot.]

"--!"

"Sonofva..."

"Who the hell IS this guy...?"

"Thinkin' he can come inta' MAH new home..."

________________________

Scout: Rarf! -NICE SHOT-

Cardinal: Scout, we’ve got a problem. There are people trapped in here.

Scout: --!!

Cardinal: I’m going to have to start breaking down doors.

Cardinal: (If Shade were in his right mind, he’d want me to do this first.)

Cardinal: (And if the President THEMSELVES is here, nnng…)

[His fans whined even louder at the surge of compulsion to follow out a military-grade order.]

Scout: -RARF-

Scout: -WE KNOW HEADBUTT-

Scout: -WE CAN HELP--

Cardinal: You might need to save that on the people inside, my friend. I’ll explain in a moment—

[He hit the floor to avoid a sudden stream of mixed projectile weaponry.]

Cardinal: Some cover, if you please? -Scout, use Sand Attack.-

Scout: -Rarf!-

[Scout used Sand Attack!]

[Scout didn't need to dig--he simply shook himself VERY rapidly, dust and sand scattering EVERYWHERE.]

[...He was apparently very dirty.]

Cardinal: Heh. -SMIRKS-

[He starts shouting in a taunting tone.]

Cardinal: HEY SHADE! Too bad your glasses got all dusty. Better wipe the dirt out of your eye!

__________________

"Grrrr..."

"Just keep talkin', Birdy, see where THAT gets ya..."

__________________

[.......]

[VEEEEEEEEEEEEE--]

Cardinal: I don’t think so.

[CARDINAL used FLASH STOPPER!]

[WOW, everything is hit not only with BLINDING light, but whatever is in those intangible waves of data is enough to STUN everything in the hall.]

Cardinal: >B]

[There is a HUGE clattering somewhere deeper in the house--it sounded like something very heavy just fell--]

_________________

"AUGH MOTHERSCRATCHIN' CHEATER--!"

________________

Scout: -Rarf!- -Nods-

[Another click.]

[Cardinal used SHADOW BLADE.]

[There was a hissing SHUNK noise as he cut RIGHT into a triple-reinforced, double-locked door of something much stronger than steel.

Another rotating click, and he stuffed a Crash Bomb into the hole the acid was eating away—he didn’t have time to wait.

It blinked and beeped a few times before…]

CRASH!

[Cardinal slammed through the opening shield-first.]

[Bullets start FLYING the second he does, and yes, there is much screaming--]

"GET DOWN--"

Scout: RARF!

[Scout used Tackle! ]

[One of the men in black goes down, gun clattering to the floor. Two more follow suit--It seems like Scout has gotten quite good at dodging incoming fire from his journey with Cardinal.]

[Scout used Growl!]

Scout: -GRRRR, STAY DOWN-

[Cardinal doesn’t make any witty comments this time. He just goes into a full-on tackle of his own. He grabs one man in one arm, another after dropping his shield—

And as soon as he rams into the third…]

[CARDINAL used TELEPORT!]

{Outside…}

[Cardinal reappears inches from the crowd outside the kill zone, dropping the two men he was carrying to the ground. The third, already on the ground, had also been taken with him.

This caused no small amount of panic, and he was lit up with half a dozen sniper scopes. A few even got off fire, hitting him square in the left part of his chest.]

Cardinal: -Huffs- (Are you kidding me?)

BWIP!

[He disappears, only to reappear a moment later with two other people, holding them by their wrists. One of them was shrieking and trying to mace him. Again, no effect.]

Cardinal: No offense, but I’ve been through worse!

Bwip!

Paramedics rushed over to the vic—]

BWIP!

[—ooooor not—]

Cardinal: -Drops the guns onto the ground with a clatter- DON’T shoot Beck if he shows up, officers!

[He also tosses over a file folder of notes someone had been working on, hiding behind his shield to better withstand incoming fire.]

Cardinal: Still—you guys might need those!

BWIP!

{Inside}

"HEY--THAT'S MY TIE--"

[One more man in black snuck in while Cardinal teleported back in--]

Scout: GRRRRR--

[Scout used Headbutt!]

WHAM!

[The security man skidded across the room and hit the back of his head with the wall, knocking him out instantly.]

Scout: -GRRRR-- -SHAKES HEAD AND TIE AGGRESSIVELY BEFORE SPITTING IT OUT-

Scout: | [

[Cardinal picks up the man, pausing for a moment as he hears the security out in the hall recovering from the stun he had put on them earlier.]

Cardinal: This is going to be a long day.

Scout: --!

Scout: -SNIFF SNIFF-

Scout: -NOSE IN THE AIR, COULD IT BE--

[BANG!]

Scout: -YELPS-

[A red laser appears on the ground near Scout's feet, followed by a energy shot, scaring him out of his wits and causing him to run behind Cards.]

Scout: -Whimperrrrr-

Cardinal: -OW, that was loud- Gosh dangit, Shade!

[He grabs Scout with his other arm—]

BWIP!

Scout: --???

[—and when he reappears inside, it’s without the officer…

…and also out in the hallway, yards and yards from where he had ever set foot.

As long as he could see it, he could go there.]

Cardinal: You’re going to have to do better than that, KID!

Cardinal: But if you insist on playing hide and seek…

[Cardinal used SCREECH—]

[He briefly stopped the mufflers on his fans, causing their overworked whine to get broadcast over his speakers.

It was worse than metal grating mixed with fingernails on chalkboard.]

Scout: -WHIIIIINE-

___________________

"AAAAARUGH--!!!"

"Goddamn BUCKET OF BOLTS--AH'VE HAD IT UP T' HERE!"

"Fahn, if ya wanna DIE SO BADLY--"

________________________

[....Oh dear.]

[All of the orbs go active.

And there were red, red lasers, reflecting off of them all at once--which was real, which one was SHADE--]

Cardinal: Oh, please.

[He laughs as his arm shifts again.]

Cardinal: Guess what, Shade?

Cardinal: Two can play at this game.

[Cardinal used GEMINI LASER!]

[Aaaaaand suddenly, the hallway was filled with death laser ping-pong.

And Shade’s were NOT the only ones bouncing at angles!]

[BANG BANG BANG--]

[It was truly a sight to behold.

It was like watching a game of chess, except the pieces were far more deadly.

Gemini Lasers met energy shots, with every red laser changing to accommodate the angle and trajectory.]

[Cardinal didn’t stick around to watch the lights and display contest.

He had already grabbed Scout with one arm, running right into the fire shield-first. About partway through, he leaped and slid down the rest on his back, with his shield out in front.]

Scout: -RARF RARF-- -WEEEEEEEEE-

[Cards was moving too fast for the lasers to lock onto him correctly--and once the one behind him figured this out--

...They all vanished.]

_______________________

"Oh, Ah' see what yer goin' for, Birdy..."

"Can't have that, no sir."

___________________________

[--This area seemed to be more decorated...]

[Cardinal barely noticed, and almost didn’t care. He got up to a knee.]

Cardinal: Scout, I need you to do something for me. Find a rope or a cord of some sort. Even a curtain tie will do if it’s long enough.

Scout: -Rarf!-

[He sets the Zig down.]

Cardinal: Please, be careful…

Scout: Rarf! -Sniff Sniff-

[Cardinal took a moment to take in his surroundings.

This looked like a historic display of American History.... Medals, paintings, photos of past presidents...]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: (Nnngh… I can’t do anything too dramatic in here, I need to move out of this place…)

Scout: Rarf!

Scout: -HOLDS UP A FANCY MILITARY ROPE THING-

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: Thanks, Scout. Now let’s get out of here—

Cardinal: Before Shade does something stupid!

Scout: -RARF!-

Cardinal: (What I wouldn’t give for backup from Tobias right about now…)

Cardinal: (At least that office was one of the only places with anyone inside of the work quarters. It must have been horribly early in the morning when Shade took over—only the skeleton crew.)

Cardinal: (Looks like there’s different kinds of rooms over this way—man, I wish that I could have seen the White House back at home, I’m going into this totally blind—)

[A low noise and a rotating click.]

Ptew ptew pew!

[Another nest of Search Snakes slither on their way.]

Cardinal: (THIS room must be horribly dangerous. This much priceless history? That’s a screaming neon sign for “DEATH TRAP SECURITY” if I ever heard one.)

Cardinal: (I’m going to have to tank some hits, probably…)

[He looks around the room skeptically.]

Cardinal: …

[He grabs Scout and holds him directly between his shield and his body, and makes a run for it.]

[BWAAAAN--]

[Something from the ceiling unlocks--]

[Oh dear THOSE ARE VERY MUCH MILITARY GRADE MACHINE GUN TURRENTS--]

Cardinal: (Aw glitch.)

[There’s a whine as he holds up his free arm, it shifting to have a wrist launcher.]

KTANG KTANG!

[Cardinal used MAGNET MISSILE!]

Cardinal: -EVEN MORE RUNNING FOR IT—-

[The missiles lock onto the turrets, attaching to them before exploding. Unfortunately, while this takes SOME of them out…

…some of them merely malfunction, firing at random.]

Cardinal: DAMMIT—

[CARDINAL used METAL BLADE!]

[He took some hits protecting older paintings from the unfriendly fire, but his shield held firm.

The same couldn’t be said for the turrets that were introduced to one of THE most deadly Power Capsule weapons known to man.

They crashed down to the floor. And as Cardinal approached the end of the room—]

Cardinal: GOSH DANGIT!

[…Locked doors barred his way.

And he could hear the whine, feel the psychological heat of lasers lighting up his back for long ranged target sights.

He whirled around, back pressed up against the surface, taking the incoming fire to his shield.]

Cardinal: (WHY are there locked doors in here?!)

Cardinal: (Augh…)

[To the unfamiliar observer, it would appear the bird had been cornered.]

[VRRRRRRRR...]

[A laser.]

[A very familiar one.]

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Not so sassy nao, are ya.

<DLN-000>: >Shade.

<DLN-000>: >This is stupid floor design, Shade.

<DLN-000>: >I’ll have to have a word with your brother about this after I haul your chass out of here.

[Oh, he was rushing robodrenaline, alright. “Heart” rate had increased, his fans (while thankfully muffled) were louder, giving off more heat than earlier.

There was also that clicking and whining noise again…]

<DLN-000>: >Your desire for sass is very important to us. Please hold, and the next available representative…

[Cardinal used DRILL BOMB!]

[He shoved something very much like a Crash Bomb into the door behind him. It ground away at the metal as it tunneled in, embedding itself in the door before exploding.]

<DLN-000>: > —WILL GET BACK TO YOU!

[Cardinal used FLASH STOPPER!]

[AUGH, again with the BLINDING light—]

[MN.8] //: --GNGH-

[There was a deep growl on the other end before it cut out--clearly Shade had not been pleased with that.

Not at all.]

[Cardinal didn’t waste a moment. He turned his back to Shade—he had no choice—and his arm shifted again—]

[CARDINAL used SUPER ARM!]

WHUNK!

[He punched a bigger opening through the thick door where the Drill Bomb had made the first breach.]

WHAM!

Cardinal: -IN YOU GO, SCOUT—-

Scout: RARF!

"WHAT IS THAT--"

Cardinal: Tie them up for me— OW!

Scout: ! D:

???: Please stay behind me--

???: TAKE ANOTHER STEP AND I WILL OPEN FIRE--

Scout: -GRRRRR-

Cardinal: Go ahead, it’ll just put you in the hospital! Metal ricochets, genius!

[He squeezed his way through, hearing things becoming active again behind him.]

Cardinal: I don’t have— ouch! —time for this—

[He grabbed one end of the rope and then—]

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

bbbZZZZZZZzzzKT—

[The top clattered along, circling and snaking around the people in the room. The rope he had tied to it followed after.]

Cardinal: -YANK!-

[WHAM.]

[The sound of multiple human beings hitting the floor at the same time follows suit.

Cardinal used the Super Arm again to sort of push them all into one pile of disgruntled, frightened, aggressive humanity.]

BWIP!

{Outside…}

[Cardinal jumped off and did a backflip out of the way off of the piled people, bringing his shield out in front of him.]

[.......]

[That's weird.]

[No sniper fire?]

Cardinal: -Takes a moment to catch his breath- (Ugh… I can feel the slugs embedded inside me. I’m going to need to shed this armor before too long, at the rate this is going—)

[It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t being shot at.]

Cardinal: …???

Cardinal: -Peeks out behind his shield- ,’B/?

[Vrrrrrrr...]

[...? Wait, that sound--those sound like propellers--]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: -Looks uuuuuuup—-

AviCam: -FLOATS IN-

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: … -COCKY GRIN BENEATH MASK-

Cardinal: Smile, you’re on candid camera!

AviCam: -MAKES SOME LETTERS IN THE AIR-

[G O F O R R E S C U E--G L.]

Cardinal: See ya later, Hoverbrother. Send my love if things…

Cardinal: … blow up in my face ;D

[He takes the moment to take off his helm entirely. Man, he looks exhausted.]

Cardinal: I can only assume you’re keeping them from crowding around with questions—thanks, because—

[He pulls out what looks like a miniature oil can and douses himself with it. And then another one. Oddly enough, he seems bone dry after. Huh.]

Cardinal: -Puts his helm back on- —I gotta scram!

Bwip!

{Inside}

[He reappears back inside.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …???

Cardinal: (Where the heck did Scout go?)

[The happy Zig was nowhere in sight.]

Cardinal: Nnnngh… (I told him what would happen, so… I guess something went wrong. I hope I run into him on the way rounding up stragglers…)

[There was a buzzing noise as he was lit up with lasers again.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: Really, Shade? This is SO boring.

[Buuuuut then they… start spazzing out?]

Cardinal: …?

Kkkkk…

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: (Wait a second—music?)

[Not just any music…]

Cardinal: Eight!

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Well, well, well.

[MN.8] //: If it ain't the infernal Wily child and the Lil' doggie.

[PING!]

[A surprisingly firm voice echoes though the comms--]

[MN.9] // COUNTERSHADE!

<DLN-008>: >Shut up, Shade.

<DLN-008>: >The only reason I haven’t fried you to a soot speck is because Beck’s my friend and Cardinal would kill me. |[

[The whole building abruptly seemed to fill with harsh static. Not just the noise—the electricity itself. And, as Tobias had predicted, Cardinal was NOT pleased.]

Cardinal: Cut that out, Eight.

Cardinal: Is there anyone else in here?!

<DLN-008>: > Yes—

Cardinal: Then cover Beck and STALL for me, dammit!

[He takes off.]

Cardinal: (With Tobias messing with the security system, that should make it marginally less deadly by making the systems cut in and out—)

Cardinal: (And there’s two of us, he can only be in one place at a time, he’s not Siam, after all—)

[BANG BANG BANG.]

[Crack!]

[Cardinal’s armor had finally taken too much damage from energy shots. It shifted away into his normal gear.]

Cardinal: Fantastic.

Cardinal: -RUNNING FOR IT AGAIN-

[Lasers in all directions--]

[Wait--no...It couldn't be.]

[That can't be him just down the corner.]

Shade: Boo.

Cardinal: Shade, I’m not—

[CARDINAL USED RAIN FLUSH!]

[It was raining indoors and now EVERYTHING was wet—]

[His other arm turned into a blaster.]

[Cardinal used SPARK SHOCK!]

Cardinal: —IN THE MOOD FOR THIS!

[He suddenly was surrounded by live electricity.]

Cardinal: Out of my way or I swear to God I’ll fry you to a core.

Shade: ....

[He stands there for a moment, looking as if he is complimenting the threat.]

[Then.]

Shade: -grins-

Shade: Alright.

[BANG--]

[--???]

[Wait, that shot came from behind him--

And where did Shade go?!]

Cardinal: -Ow-

[In the bad mood he was, he jumped up onto ITEM-2.]

Cardinal: I told you I’ll get back to you, you impatient brat.

[BZZZRRRRRKKKZZZZZGGGHHHHHHHVVVV—]

[…Well.

THAT hallway and everything in it was sure toast.

Various spheres dropped to the floor, but no sniper (or core thereof) was among the casualties.

Cardinal shot on down the hall, following flashing static panels along the way. Left, right, right, left, up a flight of stairs, down stairs—

He was suddenly thrown off his wind surfer when everything began to float and hold in place. And an object in motion…]

Cardinal: !

WHANG!

Cardinal: OW!

Cardinal: Tobias, what the frag was that for?!

[Disgruntled, he didn’t wait for an answer. Left, right—]

Cardinal: -Comes to a screeching halt- …

Cardinal: … And I thought the last room was a death trap…

Cardinal: (That’s gotta be the way to the Oval Office!)

Cardinal: … (But… Tobias led me hear, so that means…)

Cardinal: (Oh hell…)

[VRRRRRRRR--!!]

[There was a wave of UFO-like Xelbots that flashed into view--before vanishing into thin air, barreling themselves straight into Cardinal's path--]

Cardinal: -NOPE-

TSSSSEW!

[Cardinal used Rolling Cutter!

It’s super effective!]

Cardinal: Hey, Area 51 called! They want their rides back!

Cardinal: Hope those came with a warranty.

[VRRRRRRRRR!]

[Oh, lovely, more turrets--]

[VVVVRRRRrrrrrrrr....]

[....They...powered off?

Suddenly, the lights flickered.]

Cardinal: …

[And dimmed. ]

Cardinal: ?

[To his slight surprise (and fair annoyance), Cardinal began floating again.]

Cardinal: Tobias, for the LAST time—

[PING!]

[MN.3] //: Oooooh, Shaaaaade!

[MN.3] //: BIG ZZZSISTER WANTSZZ TO HAVE A TALK WITH YOU.

[MN.8] //: -Oh, bite me, witch hag.-

[MN.3] //: YOU CAN'T PLAY HIDE AND ZZZSEEK FOREVER--

Cardinal: … Dyna?

[MN.3] //: Go on now, Becky, I got thiszz, I KNEW thiszz place had it'szz own power grid, yum.~

[MN.9] //: Hookay, thanks, Dyna! c:

Cardinal: -Aaaalrighty then- (I better hurry up before the whole gang arrives.)

Cardinal: -Bounces through the lower gravity before it abruptly changes-

[He takes one look at the door.]

Cardinal: (How am I going to—)

[…But was interrupted by the sound of the security systems starting up again.]

Cardinal: .___.

[CARDINAL used SKULL BARRIER!]

[He was just in time to prevent becoming an energy and lead pincushion. Still under fire and holding up the shield, he rotated through his capsules until…]

POW!

[He lowered his hand, turning off the Thunder Beam.

He had managed to blow the fuse, which turned off the security in the hallway…

…and the lights…

…and the air conditioning.

It was starting to get very hot, and things smelled like burnt electronics.]

Cardinal: Man…

[He takes out the Shadow Blade again.]

Cardinal: I feel sorry for whoever holds the homeowners insurance on this place.

[He sliced at the door repeatedly in intersecting diagonal lines. This time, he let the acid eat away at the door.

He didn’t like how unnaturally silent it was now that he had put the whole hallway into radio silence. Only the windows brought any light in at all.]

Cardinal: (Here’s to hoping I’m not too late… not for them, OR for him…)

[Cardinal used HARD KNUCKLE!]

C R A C K!

[Cardinal used SHIELD BASH!]

[And burst RIGHT into the Oval Office!]

[There were only three people inside, all standing around the desk, as if discussing something. The ladies had looked up sharply at the noise, and had backed away before he came crashing in.]

???: Crap--

[The only other male in the room pulls out a firearm and pulls the trigger--]

[BLAM!]

[A moment of silence.]

Secretary: -Oh thank GOODNESS—-

Cardinal: -Looks up with a slight smile-

Cardinal: Nice headshot, sir.

[The secretary shrieks.]

Secretary: OH MY GOD IT’S IMMORTAL—

???: .....

???: Or he just has a very good helmet.

Cardinal: Sorry to crash the party, Mister President.

Cardinal: But we do need to evacuate before my best friend does something he regrets when he gets over his hangover.

???: .......

???: What?

???: I'm not the president--

???: I'm Secretary of Defense.

SoD: -What made you think I was POTUS.- : /

Cardinal: …

[Cardinal was on his feet now, standing at attention, very military in posture.]

Cardinal: You’re standing behind the desk, sir.

[The other woman rolls her eyes.]

SoD: And...?

SoD: -It's 20XX, doesn't everyone know who POTUS is--

Cardinal: And I don’t have time for this. We’re leaving now—

BZAP!

Cardinal: -Baaaacks away from the stern looking woman, okay, she’s got a taser, that gave us pins and needles-

SoD: Nice shot.

[She looks down at Cardinal with disapproval. Humorously, her heels made her slightly taller than him.]

Cardinal: >_>;

Cardinal: …Madame President, I presume.

POTUS: Why should we believe you? You broke into the White House, through several top-notch levels of security, disengaged a good portion of the defenses in more than one hallway, and just mentioned your alliance with the terrorist who put us here to begin with.

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: Because I’m not shooting right now?

POTUS: You didn’t think this through at all, did you.

Cardinal: No sir, I did not.

[The secretary snorts a little at that. The poor woman looked like she had seen better days, especially before her sudden promotion after the whole mess had started.

The SoD, on the other hand, seemed to be unsure of whether to be impressed or just incredulous.]

SoD: Wow.

SoD: He has guts, at least? (Or no forethought.)

Cardinal: Thanks, but we’ve got to—

[He saw a tiny, TINY red light.]

Cardinal: !!!

Secretary: -STRAINED NOISES, TRYING NOT TO SCREAM-

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Tch!

[MN.8] //: Keep gettin' in mah way, Birdy, and Ah' WILL make ya regret it!

Cardinal: I could say the same to you, pal.

SoD: -ARE YOU OKAY--

[She was fine. Shaken, perhaps, but didn’t show it.

Then she became cross, and started to speak to the silent hunter.]

POTUS: This is your last chance— hand yourself over to the authorities, or you will be facing the consequences—

Cardinal: NO!

Cardinal: Leave him alone!

[For the first time since he had come in…

He actually SOUNDED scared.

Desperate, even.]

[MN.8] //: Heh.

[MN.8] //: Was that ya soundin' desperate there?

[MN.8] //: -LAUGHTER-

[MN.8] //: Ah' hate t' disobey a lady, but m'afraid yer term is up.

[MN.8] //: Now.

[CLICK.]

[MN.8] //: R u n.

[For a brief moment, silence.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …Heh…

[He starts laughing.]

POTUS: ???

SoD: ....-Whispers- Um I don't think this guy is all mentally sound--

Cardinal: Shade, Shade, Shade…

Cardinal: You know what?

Cardinal: You’re right.

Secretary: ?!

[MN.8] //: -Ooooh, now ya got his attention-

[MN.8] //: Somethin' change yer mind, Birdy?

[MN.8] //: Was it the fact that yer doin' this all fer nothin'?

Cardinal: Hardly.

Cardinal: More like…

Cardinal: I don’t have time for this, Shade.

Cardinal: Guess I’ll have to make my own!

[He turns and FIRES—]

[Cardinal used TIME STOPPER!]

POTUS: ???

[Cardinal waltzes over toward the door, grinning.]

Cardinal: Now then…

Cardinal: Judging from the trajectory of the shot…

Cardinal: -ELBOWS, hard-

CRASH!

[Cardinal pulls a nearby curtain down and tosses it onto… well. Now that it was given form, it was clearly the fallen sniper.]

Cardinal: -Pulls something out of his traveling bag, shaking it- ~

Cardinal: -PSSSHT!-

[After spraying his own symbol on the cape once he found it, he quickly tagged “HOPE lives” on the floor. Then, and only then, could he relaxed and be satisfied.]

Cardinal: B]

Cardinal: -Tosses empty paint can behind him, looking down at the time-frozen sniper- Looks like you lost hide-and-seek, kid.

Cardinal: Too bad.

POTUS: -Just. Stares- o_o

POTUS: What… did you do? -Okay his methods are VERY strange but that was rather impressive-

SoD: -...What DIVISION is he in is the better question--

POTUS: -Starts advancing- Who built you?

Cardinal: —

[She grabs at his scarf and yanks up a metal bit that glitters in the light.]

POTUS: -Dog tags, SoD.- Is there something ELSE you need to tell me about, Desmond?

[Cardinal forces her hand away, holding (gently but firmly) onto her wrist.]

Cardinal: As charming as it is to have conversations with you…

Cardinal: -WHISTLES SHARPLY, SCOUT WE’RE LEAVING—-

Scout: -RARF RARF RARF--

Cardinal: That effect kinda won’t last forever, we really do need to get out of here—

SoD: .....Is...Is that a raccoon--

Cardinal: Close enough. Group hug, everybody!

Scout: -BOUNCES INTO POTUS ARMS-

Scout: -HALLO NICE LADY-

POTUS: ! Oh goodness— Now wait just a—

[Nope, he’s already scooped her up and grabbed the others by their jacket fringes.]

Byewbyewbyew…

{Outside}

SoD: --?????

SoD: -He can TELEPORT--

Cardinal: Heh…

Cardinal: Hello again, Avs.

Cardinal: -Puts Madame President down- I see you’ve upgraded this to include a speaker now. Your faith in me is reassuring. B]

[Avi’s voice crackled through the speakers.]

Avi: Bro, you do realize you can't hide from this, right--

Cardinal: Sadly. That’s a cost I’ll have to carry.

POTUS: (…Hide? Cost?)

Avi: OKAY GOOD JUST CHECKING.

Avi: Because sometimes you kinda just let these things fly WAY OVER YOUR HEAD--

[The vague, stressed pun didn’t seem to have any effect… other than making Cardinal’s shoulders sag with weariness.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: -Quietly- I’m sorry, Avi. I’m not done yet.

Avi: --....

Avi: Dude, Beck's in there now, just-- come on, man, can't ya believe in him too--?

Cardinal: Six, this is about a lot more than believing and proving and anything else, and quite frankly—

[He douses himself in those strange cans again.]

Cardinal: —I’m tired of seeing my brothers die. I won’t risk any chance of that happening again.

POTUS: Where do you THINK you’re going—

Cardinal: Here, take this, it may help you on your journey— -SHOVES SLIGHTLY SINGED SCOUT-

Scout: -LICKS FOR NICE LADY-

POTUS: -Ackpth—-

Scout: ~ < 3

Avi: --.... (I guess I tried...)

Avi: [sub] please don't hurt him too bad. [/sub]

Cardinal: I don’t have time for this. You saw the file extension, you know my intentions.

[He gritted his teeth. It hurt, again. Hurt because there was all this pressure, and nowhere for it to go.

Hurt because he couldn’t cry.]

Cardinal: …See you in clearer skies, Avs.

Cardinal: Goodbye…

BWIP.

POTUS: —…

POTUS: …Get me Sanda Labs on a secure line. -Stop wriggling, strange raccoon thing—- NOW.

{Back Inside…}

Cardinal: -Takes in a shaky breath, hoo- (…Okay. Orders… orders over. Good… good, now—just need to find either Eight or Nine…)

Cardinal: (Can’t turn on my transceiver. They know I’m here and they want me out. But I can’t just stand by and let those two slice each other up and stain the rug with their Xel.)

Cardinal: -Grumbles- Where are you, Shade…

[He walks through several halls. Everything was dead silent. The expected countermeasures of security never came.]

Cardinal: …

[He was beginning to get very puzzled.]

Cardinal: (Did Beck already get to you? …And wow, I seriously made this big a mess?)

Cardinal: -Crosses his arms absentmindedly as he enters the secretary’s office- Come on, Shade, I said I would get back to you—

________________

(Thaaaaat's it, just a lil further...)

______________

[He held his shield loosely by his side as he meandered the halls for another good five minutes.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …I guess Avi was right?

Cardinal: Maybe I should turn my transceiver back on, find out if they’re outside…

[He goes over to look out a window that faces the lawn, scanning the crowds for signs of his energetic young counterpart.]

Cardinal: Just my luck to miss out on the party…

_________________

(Heh. Stupid bird.)

(Should've paid attention t' where you were goin'...)

________________

[He turns away from the window, glancing at it over his shoulder.]

Cardinal: I should probably apologize to the President—

[CRUNCH.]

Cardinal: (What—? That doesn’t sound like glass—) -Looks down-

[What Cards saw on the ground--

A dart.

Several.

In the shape of a figure eight, all black as night.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: (Wait a dAMN SECOND HE SAID ALL HIS DARTS DO SOMETHING—)

[BANG!]

[The darts all exploded into shrapnel, sharp, dangerous pieces flying everywhere, breaking pottering and lights and anything else that was in it's radius.]

[Cardinal wasn’t shielding, so he took a direct hit.

Now, he was made to withstand exactly this sort of thing. To take it and tank it.

Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.]

Cardinal: -GAH—-

[He staggered back, disoriented by the damage.]

[BANG--!]

[Red lasers fill the room, reflecting off of various objects to keep Cardinal guessing--]

[BANG BANG--]

[--With two more ACTUALLY aimed for him--]

[He took the hits, but answered back with a vengeance.]

KTANG!

[Leaping onto the walls and vaulting onto a statue, he peppered the room with high speed Quick Boomerangs.]

Cardinal: |[

Cardinal: You clearly haven’t learned I don’t go down so easy, Counter.

"Haven't ya heard of try, try again?"

[BANG--]

[A dart this time, yellow--]

[Cardinal used METAL BLADE!]

[The net was torn up even as it came onto him. He leaped onto a chandelier.]

[Cardinal used RING BOOMERANG!]

Cardinal: Haven’t you ever heard “Doing the same thing twice and expecting different results is the definition of insanity?”

[Laughter.]

"Look who's TALKIN'!"

"Ya sure are persistent."

[Cardinal was beginning to lose patience.

He was tired. He felt tired and old.]

Cardinal: Countershade, I have been chasing after you for over a WEEK now. I’ll hardly give up because you’re throwing a temper tantrum.

Cardinal: Get a grip, Shade— Snap out of it! This isn’t like you!

Cardinal: -Crossly- WAKE UP ALREADY!

"Temper tantrum? Boy, ya must be a real antique by now. Seein' as ya ain't made of Xel."

"Who even ARE ya, anyway?"

"Gotta hand it t' ya, Birdy, as ya are annoyin', yer good. Heh."

"And Ah' do so love a good challenge."

Cardinal: You can’t be serious. You recognized my brother and you don’t know me? That’s not a funny insult. -Actually sounds rather put out-

"Nope. Ya don't ring a bell."

Cardinal: Are you REALLY that out of it? That’s honestly just pathetic. The “sad, pitiful” kind.

Cardinal: Fine then.

Cardinal: I’ll make you remember—I’ll bring you out of this, I am going to snap you out of this if it’s the last thing I ever do!

[Cardinal used DUST CRUSHER!]

"--Ngh--!"

[There is some painful data, but it is quickly snuffed out by something other than Shade.]

"Oh, it WILL be--ya can't keep flyin' FOREVER, Lil' Birdy..."

Cardinal: Try me.

[…Not his best choice of words.]

"Heh."

"Since ya ASKED so nicely!"

KSSSH!!!

[The chandelier came crashing down, with him inside it.

Even though he teleported away, he still had the force of momentum, and crashed down into the ground pretty hard.]

Cardinal: Hggghhhh…

Cardinal: (Gah… hate HATE falling from heights, come BACK, vision—)

[BANG!]

[Countershade took this perfect opportunity to fire off another shot--it was so easy, once he was blind--]

Cardinal: AUGH!

[Cardinal counteracted with a spam of Metal Blades that went in ALL directions, embedding DEEP into wherever they found score—

And there is a LOT OF rolling around and taking cover--seeing the saw blades stirred up something...Something that made him even angrier. ]

"MOTHERSCRATCHIN'--Ah' HATE when it takes more than one bullet!"

Cardinal: See now, if you REMEMBERED anything, you’d KNOW I don’t go down to one hit!

"Goddamn waste of mah TIME--"

Cardinal: Tch.

Cardinal: Anything you don’t have time to do right the first time, you’ll need to have time to do over.

Cardinal: And I’ve put a hell of a few lifetimes more into this than you.

[BANG BANG--]

[The Proto Shield held firm as ever, though he moved aside to avoid being backed into the wall.]

Cardinal: -Gets back to his feet, shifting his weaponry again with another click.-

Cardinal: This is not the first time we’ve done this song and dance, Shade!

[Cardinal used BUBBLE LEAD!]

[The acid pellets burst upon contact, hissing and eating away at the floor and various high ground on the other side of the room.]

[SSSSSSSS...]

"Aw FRAG IT--"

Cardinal: You forgetting?! Just means I have ALL THE MORE ADVANTAGE OVER YOU!

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

kzzzZZZZZZZZGGGVVVVGGGHHHTTTT—

[Marble columns were sliced clean through and brought crashing down.]

[CRASH--!!]

"--!!!!"

[There was a few moments of scrambling and--]

[--Silence?]

Cardinal: Nice try, but I know you’re fine. Your camo goes out if you’re not.

Cardinal: And if you want to play this the hard way, I’ll do just that. >B |

[....]

"Alright."

[Click.]

[That came from RIGHT beside him!]

Cardinal: (Glitch—)

[Cardinal used ICE SLASHER!]

[It wasn’t fast enough to prevent the shot that seared through his right shoulder, but. It was enough to send the whole room about ten degrees below zero, and send icicle spears flying.

There was a HISS of pain and a grunt, Shade's camo flickering for a moment--

--Before returning to normal, and the lasers that herald his presence once again came from a completely different direction--

Cardinal ends up backed against the wall, having no other option besides his shield at this point. The Skull Barrier and the Leaf Shield had both been spent during the rescues.]

Cardinal: B[

[Cardinal used ITEM-1!]

[He jumps onto a hovering platform to gain height before firing off some plasma blasts at strategic surfaces—places where he would go if he had that side of the battlefield.]

[BLAM!]

[BANG BANG BANG--]

[As if in response, Shade shoots at the ITEM-1 before unleashing a trio of--oh, no, double stripped darts--!]

Cardinal: !

[Cardinal used WIRE!]

ZZZZZZZIP!

[A grappling hook shot out of his arm, bringing him up toward the ceiling and away from the explosion.

Unfortunately, this position offered him no cover whatsoever, except for his shield—which, as always, remained squarely over his central mass.]

Cardinal: This is getting a bit old.

Cardinal: I’d rather light things on fire, but that wouldn’t be being…

[He smirked.]

Cardinal: …a good House guest~

[BANG--]

[CRASH!]

[He had the wind knocked out of him again, but…

Judging from his wheezing and shaking laughter…]

Cardinal: -Worth it-

[CLICK.]

[....Uh oh.]

Shade: Was it?

Cardinal: Yup.

Cardinal: Too bad it didn’t…

[Cardinal used AIR SHOOTER!]

[STRONG gusts swept across the room, moving EVEN the fallen marble slamming into the wall!]

Shade: --!!!

Cardinal: BLOW YOU AWAY!

Shade: Ngh--

[Shade loses his footing and is forced to back up a ways in order to keep Cardinal in front of him--and on his sights.]

Shade: Enough of this--

[CLICK.]

[...Not even Shade could make a shot in these kinds of winds--]

[...Right?]

[BANG!]

Cardinal: -OOF!-

[Okay. He was really taking a beating now.]

Cardinal: (This has got to stop. Man… haven’t even knocked out his active camo yet, lame. I wish I could use more explosions and fire, that might have helped…)

Cardinal: … (Then again, not being in such a cramped space would have helped anyway.)

Cardinal: Hoo… man, you do hit hard…

[BANG--

BANG BANG BANG--]

[...Shade doesn't answer back.

He just keeps shooting.]

Cardinal: It really is too bad Round Two had to be like this—nngh!

Cardinal: I think you would have preferred remembering!

Shade: Hey.

Shade: Birdy.

Cardinal: What.

Shade: Do me a favor.

[--Wait--why was his voice coming from behind, Shade was right in front of him--]

Shade: Stop yer PRATTLE.

[BANG--!]

[Cardinal was put to the floor, dizzy from being shot in the back. His fans were buzzing a bit, and he had to prop himself up with an arm.]

Cardinal: -WHEEZE- Now that was beneath you, my friend.

Cardinal: You’re an assassin, not a traitor.

Shade: Not my fault yer bein' difficult, Birdy.

Shade: All yer...

[BANG.]

Shade: Sass, all yer brave front--

[BANG!]

Shade: Ya don't fool ME.

[He had to deflect the shots with his shield, but his arm was starting to tire from taking the shock of the blows. He gritted his teeth.]

Cardinal: Is that supposed to mean something, Shade? I’m honestly—nnn!—confused.

Shade: It does. You'll get it REAL soon.

[BANG--]

[...???]

[That's...that's a red dart.]

[Completely red, stuck to Cardinal's shield.]

[--And then it started to glow RED, RED HOT, OW--]

Cardinal: AUGH!

[He could NOT handle that much heat, not so close to his core!

He was forced to drop it to the ground and roll to the side.]

[Cardinal used NEEDLE CANNON!]

[Needle shaped spears skewered anything and everything in sight…

…and some things out of sight.

A slight rip noise betrayed that Cardinal had scored a hit and pinned the sniper’s cloak to the wall.]

Shade: TCH!

Shade: Oh, that is IT.

Shade: -LOCK ON TO CARDINAL'S SYMBOL--

Shade: Yer SCRAP.

[BANG BANG BANG--]

[Cardinal hit the floor, hard.

Silence.]

Shade: -That was mah CLOAK, FRAG YA-

[…But after a moment, he did manage to sit up again, coughing a bit.]

Shade: Fer the love of--

Shade: Ya just don't DIE.

Cardinal: -Raspy- So I’ve been told…

Cardinal: (Great… all I have left is fire…)

Cardinal: You…

[He spoke seriously now.]

Cardinal: You’ve… got to stop, Shade.

Cardinal: You’ve… got to stop…!

[He staggered to his feet.]

Cardinal: This isn’t you. It’s not your fault, but you need to stop—

Cardinal: Don’t you remember who you are?!

Shade: --.....

[Who...]

[Cardinal grabbed his scarf and shook it. The dart there from Shade, a gift from so long ago, stood out in sharp contrast.]

Shade: ......

[Why did he have his...]

Cardinal: PLEASE! Don’t you REMEMBER me at ALL?!

_____________________

"Yer stuck with me. B]"

___________________

"Catch me if ya can, hunting doggie!"

_________________

[Memories, as if from some far off forgotten dream...]

Shade: --...

Shade: -Confused--

Shade: The hell...

[Cardinal took a quiet step forward.]

Cardinal: Shade!

Cardinal: You’re my best friend.

Cardinal: We TRUST each other, remember?!

—————————————————

“Being able to trust someone and want to be around them, miss them if they’re gone… That’s its own vulnerability, in a way.”

—————————————————

[Another step.]

Cardinal: (Just…)

Cardinal: (Need to get close enough…!)

[Trust...]

Shade: -Blinks--

[The purple and magenta fade from his eye for a second--]

Shade: (What...)

[....And then.]

[....A name.]

Shade: . . .

Shade: Cardinal...?

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: -Another step- YES! I’m here, Shade—

Cardinal: I promised nothing would make me give up on you, and I mean it.

Cardinal: -Another step- You’re sick, but we can fix that— come home, Shade, before you do something you can’t fix.

[…

…Fix…?]

—————————————

[An admission of weakness.

His core was messed up so badly, that…]

[From a powerful enough opponent, a direct hit at full charge, if exposed, would cause him to explode.

And no armor in the world would ever fix it.]

—————————————

Shade: ...ngh...

[The assassin staggers, as if something dull was pressing on his mind, something that was NOT a part of him, something that didn't want him to--]

Shade: !

[Something within screamed--]

[--But then, it all became clear.]

[Clear to the virus, that is.]

Shade: ......

Cardinal: Shade…?

Shade: . . .

Shade: Songbird...Eh...

Shade: Well, that explains the bird part.

[CLICK.]

[There was an unsettling PREDATORY grin on Eight's face, as his rifle was pointed DIRECTLY AT CARDINAL'S CORE--]

Cardinal: !?

[He was too shocked, totally blindsided, taken completely off guard—he didn't even have time to get scared before—]

Shade: Adios, Songbird. BANG--

[The direct hit from such a close range— point blank range—had done massive amounts of damage.

He didn’t really feel hitting the floor, no…

It was all lost in a vast sea of white-hot pain that engulfed his senses, enveloped his whole body—

He couldn’t even say for sure if he screamed.]

Shade: That hurt, Birdy?

Shade: Ah' BET it DID.

[Cardinal had to turn to his side to avoid choking on oil. Now he felt sick, shivering from the pain and errors that were wracking his body.]

Shade: Oh, Ah' remembered ya, yes--ah' sure did... -GRIN-

Shade: Ah' remembered how t' finally KILL YA.

[Cardinal could hear the words, but they just wouldn’t register— but if they had, he would have been crushed not just in body, but also in soul.]

Shade: That was STUPID, bah the way.

Shade: What were ya even thinkin', huh?

[Even if he wanted to run now, there was no way out. He didn’t have the energy to teleport—he barely had enough to move.

Move he did, though, at least enough to get to his knees.

…]

[…relatively speaking.]

Shade: Eheh...

Shade: Looks like yer wings have been CLIPPED...Lil' Birdy.

Shade: Nowhere t' RUN, nao, is there. Even if ya COULD move....

Cardinal: Hnnnghnnnnnggh…

Cardinal: … (Can’t… can’t move…)

Cardinal: (Need… need repairs…)

Cardinal: (N-need to partition energy into repairs—)

Shade: Still breathin'?

Shade: Ya really ARE persistent!

[The world became a white void of pain as he was kicked in the side, hard. He fell over, and Shade forced him onto his back with a bit of pressure. His vision started to come back in, but—]

[CRUNCH--]

[A boot crunches on top of Cardinal's chest--]

Cardinal: (AUGH!)

[He couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t. Breathe.

The weight was crushing him, breaking him, threatening to put pressure on his core—his constant massive conversion of energy into matter to save him was only intensifying the pain.]

Cardinal: Ghhghkk—!

[He was too badly injured to move. He was using all of his power just to stay alive, now—he could barely hear, barely see—]

>ERROR: HARDWARE DAMAGE CRITICAL

Cardinal: !

>COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT

Cardinal: (nnnONONO—)

>INITIATE SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE

Cardinal: AAAAUUUGH!

[Cardinal gave a choked cry of despair as the countdown began— audibly, no less—]

>TEN…

Shade: -Ooh, now... What is this?-

>NINE…

Shade: Oh, right...

>EIGHT…

Shade: Ya Wily constructs go up with a bang when yer too helpless t' RUN.

>SEVEN…

Shade: -Chuckles.-

>SIX…

Shade: Nao ain't that somethin'...

>FIVE…

Cardinal: (No…!)

>FOUR…

>SYSTEM OVERRIDE

>THREE…

>RUN PROGRAM: FINAL_DAYS.EXE

[The countdown stopped, briefly.]

>WARNING: FINAL_DAYS.EXE IS AN UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAM. USING THIS PROGRAM WILL PREVENT COMBAT.EXE INITIATIVES OR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE FROM RUNNING NORMALLY. CONTINUE?

>YES

>DON’T ASK ME AGAIN

> -PING!- COMMAND CONFIRMED.

>SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Shade: ....

Shade: Tch.

Shade: Was hopin' t' see fireworks. Oh, well.

>EXECUTING PROGRAM: FINAL_DAYS.EXE

[He became limp and weak as the program went live.

He was no longer burdened by instincts meant to preserve him to be fighting fit later, or to continue fighting on.

…But as a result…]

Cardinal: -Rattled wheezing from shaky, submissive gasps for air-

Shade: Heh... -Smug smirk-

[He was now completely helpless.]

Shade: Look at ya...

[Everything felt faint. It hurt, and yet…]

Cardinal: -Hazily- (Can’t even move…)

[He felt so tired. So tired.

He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and get his rest….]

Cardinal: (C-can’t…)

Cardinal: (So… so tired…)

Shade: Just look at ya, ya waste of scrap.

Shade: All yer talk and sass and comebacks and fancy display...

[CRUNCH--]

Cardinal: ( -PAIN!-)

[Cardinal became briefly blinded by pain, his eyes glazing over. His fans wailed in protest at the crushing weight put on his chest.]

Shade: --And all it took--

[His armor—!]

[SNAP--!]

[His inner plate armor split open—]

<DLN-000>: > -PAIN!-

[With his transceiver off, no one could hear him— no one could hear his anguished data streams—]

Shade: --Was a few shots, from one bot--

C R A C K—!!

[He jerked sharply, almost convulsing as the armor clattered, giving way to expose the energy core within. It was glowing like a small sun—white hot, too.]

Shade: - T'prepare ya t' meet yer Maker. That is... Assumin' there's an afterlife for ya pathetic box bolts...

[Cardinal gave off bleak rattling noises as his coolant system attempted to draw air over broken fans.]

Cardinal: -Repairs, need… need repairs…-

[His vision came back to him as the conversion went into overdrive, desperate on keeping the fans running, to keep him alive.

This allowed his eyes, dulled before, to resume their green spark—his sunglasses had been knocked off long ago, and so there was nothing between the green fire and the sickly purple gaze.]

Shade: --?

Shade: What in tarnation--

Cardinal: Hnnnnggghh…

Shade: --....

[Wait a second...

There was something just right of the power core, mostly tucked behind it. As it glowed, the mobility rig seemed to just… rebuild itself.

Enough for Cardinal to grasp at something hidden below his scarf, clutching it with a stubborn resignation.]

[.....]

[Two and two were put together within a second, and the Teal Silence let out a dark chuckle.]

Shade: Stubborn jackass! So THIS is how ya kept yerslef goin' so long, hmm?

Shade: Real clever...

[He suddenly JABBED right at it with his rifle-- which was a VERY bad mistake…]

Shade: ARUGH--!

[…as far as the sniper was concerned.

Shade: NGH--

Shade: Little goddamn bastard--should've known ya had 'nother cheap shot like that up yer sleeve...

Cardinal: -Irratable snort- (Oh please, that’s just how I’m BUILT—you wouldn’t go sticking your hand in stomach acid, would you?!)

[There was still enough strength left from that for him to regain some focus. It took effort, and he struggled to reallocate repairs to non-vital systems.

Like… talking, for example.

Cardinal vented a bit and scrunched his eyes in a grimace, trying his hardest to work up the energy to talk.]

Cardinal: Nnnngh…

[…But he could only groan. The pain was so heavy…]

Shade: Bah, for the love of— spare me yer theatrics, Songbird, S'not like ya can sing anymore.

Cardinal: (But…)

Cardinal: (I’ve GOT to, I need to tell you…!)

[CLICK.]

Cardinal: —hghkkt!

[He knew that noise.]

[He KNEW that noise, and it filled him with dread.]

Cardinal: (No…)

Shade: Heheheh...

[A sadistic smile partnered the laugh that escaped from Shade--the dart that was usually in his mouth was gone...]

Cardinal: (Shade, oh God no— please… no, don’t… you can’t do this…)

Cardinal: -Weak ping of protest-

Shade: Ah' TOLD ya...Ya can't fool me.

Shade: Ya scared now, li' Birdy?

Cardinal: -Strained fan whine of despair-

[He was in distress, that was for sure. A heartbroken dismay was sapping away at the willpower maintaining the diminishing fumes of strength in his body.

Shade leaned over, resting his rifle arm on his left knee… as he put his weight on Cardinal’s shoulder. The fans there screeched as they were crushed beneath the sniper’s considerable weight.]

Shade: Good.

[The blinding pain lifted as the weight was drawn away. When Cardinal could see again, he saw his friend’s back facing him.]

Shade: I'll give ya this...

Cardinal: …

[A low hum...]

Cardinal: … -even weaker ping-

[He couldn’t mask it. When Shade turned around, Cardinal couldn’t help but give off a faint signal of hopelessness—

Shade was using a sniper scope to light up his core as a target, purely to mock him out of spite.]

Shade: Ya were better ’n most. Damn freakin' annoyin’, too. Shoulda known better ’n ‘’ta come HERE, t' mah huntin' grounds. You got a death wish, songbird? Huh?

[He took a step forward, letting his spurs rattle loudly in his stride across the floor...]

[Slowly.]

[It was tempting. So tempting.

He was tired. He hurt. He was scared. If… if he just let go, the pain would stop, it wouldn’t hurt anymore… he could rest, he could leave before…]

Cardinal: … (No… can’t…)

[Cardinal took in a shaky breath, willing himself to stay alive, even though his energy core…]

Cardinal: (Can’t let it end… like this…)

[…was starting to turn cold.]

Shade: -Data-

Shade: -Well, if ya insist, we can GRANT it for ya.-

Cardinal: (Can’t…!)

Cardinal: (I CAN’T LET IT END LIKE THIS!)

[Cardinal struggled to focus through his failing vision, to look that menacing red-violet eye directly on with his own, dimming green pair.

He shut down all but his central core mass fans to get the energy to speak.]

Cardinal: -Very raspy, distorted gasp- Shade…

Shade: --....

[...He's not sure if he should be annoyed or impressed.]

[Cardinal spoke again. There was a clear but quiet, submissive air of despair in his frail voice.]

Cardinal: Countershade, please…

[Oh.]

[He took a step forward...]

Shade: What was that?

Cardinal: Don’t… don’t do this… beg… begging you, please…

[.....]

Shade: -GRIN-

[He smirked cruelly at this, at the sight and sounds of Cardinal begging, pleading for his life, for mercy. Ha! Finally, after all of his talk and bravo!

What a delightful feeling.]

Shade: Heheheheh!

Cardinal: please…

Shade: (Eso es, Pájarito. Ruega por por la misericordia hasta que mueras.)

Cardinal: …it’s only… only… g…going to…

Shade: --?

Cardinal: …going to hurt y o u…

Shade: --.........

[For a moment, that makes Shade pause.

The sick, purple aura left him, the malice, the evil that had dug it's way deep into his core was lifted for just a brief moment-- ]

Shade: -N--No--

Shade: (No, no, no…!)

Shade: -Straining- M-must… fight… the power…

[He, too, seemed like he was in just as much pain as Cardinal was.]

[…]

[CLICK.]

[...But the moment... Passed.]

Shade: Enough!

[He spoke with a firm, authoritative command of finality.]

Shade: I don’t have time t’ waste on you. Obviously ya ain’t gonna stay out of my way while ya still runnin’.

Shade: An’ as we’ve already established, ya have this fraggin’ annoyin’ tendency to keep hangin’ on. Fahn, then—I’ll give ya the honor a’ takin’ ya out myself!

Cardinal: (No…)

[Cardinal gripped his hand tighter, as if bracing himself.]

Shade: An’ just tah make SURE you don’t get out of sight at the last second…

[He lowered his gaze, and his aim, right down to Cardinal's exposed core.]

Shade: This'll be the last bullet Ah' waste on ya.

[Cardinal forced himself to maintain eye contact, even as Shade lowered his rifle to point directly at the exposed core.

He didn’t… feel scared anymore. Just… defeated.

Hopeless.

…Accepting of his time, resigned to his fate… even as he dwelt with lingering, final regret, on his failure and shame.]

Shade…

[Darkness overtook his eyes.

His power was nearly entirely depleted. He would only last a few minutes longer, at most—one way or another, he had reached, at last… his final day.]

[Vrrrrrrr...]

Oh, Shade…!

[He could faintly hear the sound of Shade’s deadly aim setting up. It seemed… so far away…]

I…

[He heard a faint fizzling and hissing noise as the energy converter fell silent.

There could only be one reason for that—

No more energy left to convert from.

He could feel his heart becoming as cold as i c e …]

I’m… so sorry…!

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

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 3C: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

[SANDA LABS....]

[Both sister and brother safely made the trip back to California--worn and worse for wear, but alive.]

White: --!!!

[MN.3 AND MN.9 HAVE ENTERED DEEP SLEEP MODE.]

[There were two, simultaneous thuds against metal flooring. Both Dynatron and Beck has collapsed in sheer exhaustion, unable to find the energy to keep themselves online.]

Cryo: AAAAAH--

White: It's fine! It's fine, they've just fainted--Sanda, prepare the med bay--Pyro, help your sister, Cryo, Call, you grab Beck--

Call: Right away, Dr. White.

[The external branch of the RMDC kept going nuts, trying over and over—and failing, over and over—to update the main server.]

White: Sanda, you go to work on Beck, I'll handle Dyna--

Sanda: Got it--

White: We need two full canisters in case we need Xel Transfusions--Cryo, go into Dyna's room and bring back all the power containers you can find--

Cryo: I'M ON IT--

Pyro: What can I do?

White: Calm Dyna down once she awakens--she'll need it.

Call: I am detecting activity in the RMDC database, Doctors--the server is attempting to update.

White: (That...that would probably be the cross references attempting to connect--and him...)

White: We can't do anything about it now--transfer all of Beck's assimilation data to my terminal while we repair, alright?

Call: Yes, Dr. White.

White: (Three samples--plus the one from Mikhail and his server...)

White: (I just hope that will be enough...!)

_____________________________

[MEANWHILE...]

"........"

"................"

"....Three in SUCH a short amount of time..."

"...You were always full of surprises, weren't you..."

"But, then again, you...you're special."

"....I had anticipated that."

"Just...didn't think it would be....or I had HOPED...."

"......."

"....ha."

"You....Will...ha..."

"I didn't think you would, but you did."

"........."

"You've....changed."

"......."

".................."

"We're all just a bunch of MONSTERS, aren't we...?~"

"Aha...ha...."

"............"

".................."

"........................."

"help me."

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

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 5B: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

[INTERSTATE ALPHA 2, FOUR CORNERS BORDERS...]

[Night. Night as night can be, in the pouring, pouring rain...]

[The wipers didn't work, so Jack had to make do with the weather. The radio was set to a news channel tracking the 'rogue robot's merciless rampage' across the state.]

Jack: Stupid RAIN...

"The armed robot is currently moving into New Mexico, on Interstate Alpha 1--"

Jack: ...--!!

[SCKREEEEEEE--!!]

“Local pizzeria reports theft of entire stock of cheese pizzas, police confirm unrelated to the current rampage—”

Jack: --?!

Jack: --What the--?!

[Jack swerved left and right, nearly causing himself to flip over several times--]

[These cars--they were going the other way in the wrong lane--!]

Jack: (GREAT, THIS IS ENGLAND ALL OVER AGAIN--)

Jack: --FRAG--

[He needed to get to the other lane--]

[A digital sign overhead blinks in the misty glow of the building's nightlights...]

[NOW ENTERING INTERSTATE ALPHA 1.]

Jack: --!

Jack: (I can switch lanes on the ent--)

[HOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK--]

Jack: !!!!

Jack: Oh, SH--

[The truck interior was flashed with the bright overhead lights of an entire semi-cargo truck on a dead set collision course with Jack...!]

Jack: (CRAP--)

[Jack knew he couldn't avoid something like that.]

[Grabbing the magic Weyard bag he was given from across his seat, he kicked open the driver's side door--]

[ZIIIIIP!]

[His wires attach themselves to a street light and he is pulled away moments before the truck was overtaken by the semi with a loud, sickening CRUNCH.]

Jack: AAAAAAAAAA--!!

[He swings to the other lane and onto a passing car, right onto the hood. The windshield mostly cracks under his weight as he slams into it with a sharp yell.]

Jack: Ow...

[The car, however, still keeps going with little to no resistance with the road...]

Jack: .....?

Jack: Huh...?

[After sitting up with a groan, he realized he was on one of the fancier, newer hover models--the ones that floated above the ground and were MUCH faster than those with wheels.]

Jack: (Wait--if this is one of the new models then--)

[He looked into the car.]

[There was no one inside. The car was driving itself, and WAY too fast for any human or bot to control.]

Jack: (The...the cars ARE infected too...!)

[At the speed they were going, if one of these cars went off road...!]

Jack: This is a giant Highway Delta just WAITING to happen...

Jack: (But where is...?!)

[…Wait.

There was something… odd… about the cars below.]

Jack: ....??

[There were large dents along the roofs of the cars, where something several hundred pounds heavy had landed hard.

With the chaotic nature of the highway, they didn’t show a direct line—but they did give a general direction.

Almost like footprints.]

Jack: .......

Jack: Oh no way--

[Up ahead in the distance, another large dent appeared.

Silently.]

[She wouldn't--SHE IS--on a highway--?!]

Jack: God, you're REALLY putting me through the wringer, Miss Eight--

[Carefully, he rose to his feet, trying to maintain a good balance before putting on his goggles and looking for another street light--fortunately, they were placed evenly over the interstate.]

[ZIIIIIP!]

Jack: Ngh--

Jack: CAAAARMEEEN!

[There was an abrupt and sudden ping.]

<FMN-008>: > Jack?

[CDN.7037 to FMN.8] //: MISS EIGHT--!

[CDN.7073 to FMN.8] //: Oh man finally--FINALLY found you...!

<FMN-008>: > What the hell…

[She seemed… confused, somehow. Surprised.]

<FMN-008>: >Jack— what are you DOING here? For God’s sake—

<FMN-008>: >You need to leave— this is no place for a Civvie!

[CDN.7037] //: OH JEEE, YA THINK?!

[CDN.7037] //: KINDA FIGURED THAT OUT A WHILE AGO, THANKS.

[CDN.7037] //: This isn't any place for YOU either...!

[Carmen was clearly growing impatient. When she spoke again, her voice seemed…

…darker.]

<FMN-008>: > I’ve got business to attend to.

[CDN.7037] //: ......

Jack: (.....n....no...)

[....So...she was...]

[CDN.7037] //: .....

[CDN.7037] //: ....Figures you do...

<FMN-008>: > Augh— INCOMING!

[There was a swarm of sign bots headed his way. As if infected cars weren’t enough—!

At this speed, they could—]

<FMN-008>: > Stay…

<FMN-008>: > AWAY FROM HIM!

[Shots were fired, and bounced crazily off of incoming reinforcements and into the foes that had already swarmed the Cherry Number. Bits and pieces fell away, the parts going flying as the whole thing continued to speed along at over ninety miles an hour.]

Jack: HEY--!!

[Jack covered his face as parts and Xel flew away, nearly falling over on the current vehicle he was on--]

[CDN.7037] //: YA COULD HAVE SHOT ME--

<FMN-008>: > Nnngggh…! N-no…

[Her voice was dark again—but also strained, as if she were struggling against something painful.]

<FMN-008>: > Augh… Get out of here, Jack, before—

[There was a horrific sound up ahead—followed by a fast approaching large metal object—]

WHANG!

[There was a loud thud as something tall and teal appeared out of nowhere and fell to the surface it was standing on.]

Jack: --!!

Jack: MISS EIGHT--!!

[ZIIIP!!]

[He swings over closer to her, to get a better look at her condition--]

Jack: ARE YOU OK--?!

[The Fighting Mighty Number Eight wasn’t out of the fight just yet—but the hit had done quite a lot of damage. She couldn’t resume her Active Camo anymore—no matter how much she tried.]

Jack: (She doesn't have her invisibility...)

Jack: MISS EIGHT--?!

[A low growl.]

Jack: --!

[The lady hunter staggered to her feet, a demonic purple aura about her. Now, she spoke aloud—and there was a clear overlay to her voice, as if it were being applied through a filter.

…A disturbingly familiar one.]

Carmen: I don’t need your help.

Jack: --!!

___________________

"FORFEIT, OR THE ELECTRIC MAIDEN'S HEAD ROLLS!~"

____________________

Jack: (I....no...it can't be...!)

Jack: (She--the...)

Jack: (The crosses....)

Jack: CARMEN--LISTEN TO ME--!

Jack: There's something--something in your head that's making you angry--and it's not your fault...!

[She hissed as more sign bots approached. She shot at an angle off of a car in a different lane, the shots making wild pinball-like bounces to tear them to pieces.]

Carmen: I don’t need protecting. I /REFUSE/ to be put on a leash and shut in a tower! I’m no damsel in distress— AH’ AIN’T MADE A’ GLASS, Y’ALL—

Jack: CARMEN--!!

Jack: FOR LIFE'S SAKE--STOP--

[He ducked as more debris flew over his head, avoiding the edges of the vehicle as he swung on after her.]

[It was as if she’d never heard him.

She lifted her head, her one eye glowing a violent hue the color of blood. Now her rifle was pointed in Jack’s direction.]

Carmen: -SCREAMS- AH’ NEVER HAVE BEEN!

Jack: --!

[.....]

[When he saw her pointing his weapon at him...]

[He froze.]

[The deadly cowgirl would have none of it.]

Carmen: Back off, Puppetdancer! Ah’ have no quarrel with y—

[She wavered, as if she were going to fall. The color of her eye briefly went from crimson to yellow.]

Carmen: A-ah…!

[She was forced to a knee to steady herself and keep her balance. She turned her head to the side, the purple aura fading for a moment.]

Jack: Carmen--I don't want to fight you either--CRAP--!

[Zip, swing, land, repeat--don't fall--]

Jack: I JUST WANT TO TALK--

Carmen: (Everything hurts…! Everything… HURTS!)

[Aaaaaaand then she was not only back on her feet… but also on the move!]

Jack: MISS EIGHT--aw, come on, really?!

[ZIIIIIIP! ZIIIIIIP!]

Jack: STOP--!

[There was a LOUD thud as she leaped over to the truck in front of them.]

Carmen: -Yelling over the whistling wind- Get somewhere safe, Jack! I don’t want you in the way.

Jack: I CAN'T--!

[Another loud thud.]

Jack: You think I'm gonna TURN BACK after all I've gone through just to FIND YOU?!

[Carmen wasn’t about to stay put for anyone. She jumped through the air, landing hard on the vehicle in front—which happened to be a big rig.

And the Spider Puppeteer only followed suit.]

[ZIIIIP!]

Jack: Carmen, PLEASE...!

[Carmen looked angry again, the demonic aura returning. Once again, her rifle was pointed at Jack.]

Carmen: What is it with men and directions? WAI DO YA /NEVER/ LISTEN T’ REASON?! Ah’ SAID that Ah’ have a job t’ do—an’ I won’t let ANYone stop me! So… BEGONE, Dencerhound, a’fore Ah’ show you what Ah’ DO to men who try to chase me—!

[THAT made Jack take a couple of steps back.

His hands shook, his face twisted in a expression of concern and fear.]

Jack: . . . .

[She turned to leave again.]

Jack: ......

Jack: . . .

[No one has greater love than this...

...Than to lay down one's life for his friends.]

Jack: No.

[ZIIIIIIIIP!]

Carmen: —?!

[Carmen found herself held fast with wires. …Unusually strong wires—not so much the strength of steel as of… spider silk?!]

Carmen: What the—

[He yanks her backwards--which took quite a bit of effort, given her weight...]

Jack: I can't let you DO THIS--!

Carmen: GIT OFFA ME—

[She bared her teeth at the former Civvie, her eye displaying cross-hairs over the blood red color.]

Carmen: AIN’T GOT TIME FER THIS, M’ TARGET MOVES FAST AS FRAG, HE’S GETTIN’ AWAY!

Jack: THAT'S--

[Yank--!]

Jack: --A GOOD THING, MISS EIGHT--!

[Carmen screeched in a seething disgust.

She fired off a trick shot which bounced off of the big rig into the sky, hitting a camera drone. She started yelling—and then screaming— skyward…

…as if it wasn’t really Jack she were talking to anymore.]

Carmen: AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH—!

[She thrashed.]

Carmen: You never wanted me. NEVER! /You think I’ve forgotten that?!/ If they’d had your way, /I NEVER WOULD HAVE EXISTED—!/

[There was horrific screeching over the feed along with her shouting.]

Carmen: -Enraged- You lock me in a cage and treat me like glass. ME, the gal BUILT for things more dangerous than you could EVER imagine!

Jack: --?!

Jack: (What...)

Carmen: When Ah’ came back that night with m’ arm missing, did you even try to help me get back on my feet?

Carmen: NO! You blamed it on ME, you said I’d been CARELESS, that I couldn’t HANDLE going outside by myself—

Carmen: YOU PUT ME UNDER PERMANENT PAROLE, /YOUR OWN SISTER—!/

Jack: (I...)

Jack: M...Miss...Eight...

[The aura was now almost like a consuming fire, flaring more intensely in this rage.]

Carmen: You, who were supposed to be BETTER! Supposed t’ see I wasn’t just a number, not just the youngest! Not just a GIRL! You’re no better than the scrap that clogs up the arena, calling me names and spreading those lies—!

[.....]

[Lies--lies and slander...]

Jack: . . .

[His core lurched in sympathy for her, his heart cracked with every pained word, every agonizing sentence...]

Jack: (God, Miss Eight, no...)

Carmen: I hate you.

Carmen: I HATE YOU /BOTH/ SO DAMN MUCH—!

[The aura died down. Carmen’s breath was ragged, and her readings were low.

But she looked up with a glare. Her eye changed from blood red to the same demonic purple as the aura that surrounded her.]

Carmen: Grr—! …I’ve got no quarrel with you, Cub—so let go!

[YANK.]

Jack: I--I CAN'T!

Jack: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING--!

Carmen: Don’t know what I’m doing? DON’T KNOW WHAT AH—

Jack: FOR GOD'S SAKE, CARMEN, SHUT U P FOR TWO SECONDS--!

Jack: YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON THAT C A R E S ABOUT ME IN THIS LIFE!

Jack: I'M N O T GONNA LET THAT GO!

[A pause.]

Jack: .....

Jack: Carmen?

[…Uh-oh.]

Carmen: Oh, so you wanna play NOW then, do ya—

[HER EYE DISPLAYED CROSS-HAIRS CENTERED OVER JACK’S SPIDERWEB SYMBOL.]

Carmen: You wanna DANCE, do ya?

Jack: (Oh--OH SCRAP, I'M DEAD.)

Jack:

U-Uh--!

[Carmen suddenly dashed forward and RAMMED right into Jack.]

Jack: OOF--!

[Jack was tackled RIGHT off his feet and onto the rig, with the wind knocked out of him. He was a wheezing mess for a couple of seconds--]

[But he still held fast.]

Jack: N-Ngh...

[Carmen stood, glaring down at Jack—or so it seemed, given her menacing stance. The places where eyes would be in the face of any other Xelbot were cast in a deep, dark shadow.]

Carmen: Tch.

[She sounded unimpressed.]

Carmen: If ya won’t let me go… Ah’ll just have t’ bring you with me! Now be a good boy… an’ HEEL.

Jack: N...

Jack: I can't...do that...

Carmen: Ah’ said HEEL, not SPEAK. Now get yer act t’gether, we’re goin’ hunting. MOVE IT!

[.......]

______________________

"For [Frag's] sake, Den. I'm starting to wonder why I even picked you off the street in the FIRST place."

"I--"

"You can't even DODGE or take a hit right--you're NEVER going to survive out in the arena if you keep being WEAK!"

"B-Boss, it's ju--"

"I don't want to HEAR it."

"Now be a GOOD boy and do as I say."

"But--"

"MOVE IT, PUPPET!"

__________________________

[That was it.]

[He was SICK and TIRED of this.]

[Sick and tired of being treated as a throwaway mutt--!]

[When Jack raised his head, his eyes were GLOWING a bright purple. Not at all like the virus's evil glow--this was strong, and defiant, and angry.]

Jack: THAT'S IT--YOU KNOW WHAT?!

Jack: I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU BOSS ME AROUND--NOT Y O U!

Jack: NOT ANYMORE--!

[...Strange...he...didn't seem to be talking to Carmen...?]

Jack: I'm NOT backing down--

Jack: And I'm NOT going anywhere with you--!

Jack: No...

Jack: NO WAY, MISS EIGHT.

Jack: YOU WANNA DANCE?! FINE!

[A HARSH YANK.]

Jack: LET'S D A N C E.

[She gave a wicked grin. …A shark grin that was disturbingly like her vampire witch sister’s—Dyna’s.]

Carmen: Thought ya’d NEVER ask~

[She YANKS hard, moving quickly to the side. It becomes apparent why soon enough—there are more debris headed their way, and she was trying to get the wires right between them!]

Jack: --!!

[Was she--well, yes, actually, she WAS crazy.]

[His arms swing backwards, so that the strings straighten out like fine lines, almost invisible to the naked eye...]

Jack: (Can't let them get tangled...!)

[It…

…didn’t work out the way Carmen had hoped.]

Carmen: ?!

[She just STARED in astonishment as the debris cut cleanly through the wires—as if it were cheese run through several dozen slicers.]

Carmen: -Meepface- . . .

Jack: .....

Jack: Woah.

[Jack seemed to be as EQUALLY surprised...]

[And THEEEEN she surged with panic.]

Carmen: (OH M’ GOD THEY’RE ALL AROUND ME /HE COULD SLICE ME RIGHT IN HALF WITH THOSE GAROTTES—/)

[.......]

[She....wasn't the only one going into panic.]

Jack: (OH GOD--OH SCRAP IF I EVEN M O V E WRONG I COULD TURN HER INTO RIBBONS OH MAN OH NO--)

Carmen: -Glitched screeching- AH WON’T LOSE ANY MORE LIMBS, DAMMIT—!

Jack: NO--I SWEAR I WON'T HURT YOU--!

[She moved in closer in her long strides, but it was clear from the fluid motion and calm control that she just wanted to slack the lines a bit. She pivoted aside to look at him, a loading icon displaying on her eye as she tried to think of something—anything— that would work here.]

Carmen: (Glitchfrag it…!)

Carmen: (Ah’ know…)

Carmen: (Ah’ KNOW I’ve lived through missions in situations just as bad or worse—)

Jack: OK--um--uh--I...OK just don't move--

Jack: I swear I'll get us out of this--!

Carmen: Why…

Carmen: Why can’t I remember…?

Jack: ....!

Jack: (Remember...?)

Jack: C...Carmen...!

Carmen: Nnngh…!

[And again a semi-collapse to her knees, her head turned to the side.]

Carmen: (Lord help me, the HEADACHES…)

Jack: Carmen...!

[The aura surged again, and she looked up, angry.]

Carmen: Grrrr…!

[She returned to her feet.]

Carmen: A Mighty NEVER loses on their knees!

Jack: --!!

Jack: Eep--

[He backs up again, careful to not tug on his wires too harshly now--]

[He didn't want to hurt her that way...!]

Jack: C-Carmen...please....

Jack: Don't....don't you remember me?

Jack: I--I don't want to hurt you, please, stop...!

Carmen: Jack…!

[The virus wasn’t ready to give up such a prize. The aura surged again—and again, the demonic overlay.]

Carmen: I remember a terrified civvie in way over his head who ran t’ mah heels from just a few /words/.

Carmen: I remember someone who… who DIDN’T have th’ strength t’ face the forces of darkness…!

[A glare.]

Carmen: /I don’t recognize this—this steadfast WARRIOR in front a’ me—!/

Jack: .......

Jack: Well, to be honest--I don't really recognize the women in front of me either.

Jack: But I KNOW that isn't your fault.

Jack: .....

Jack: I'm no warrior.

Jack: I'm just a normal guy trying to save his friend with what he's got.

Jack: I'm just a guy with REALLY bad luck and way too many regrets and mistakes on his head.

Jack: .....

Jack: But I'm not gonna let that stop me.

Jack: Not you, Carmen...

Jack: And certainly not YOU.

[A glitched screech at that.]

Carmen?: WHY, CDN-7037?

Carmen?: YOU. CANNOT DEFY FATE!

Carmen?: YOU KNOW. TOO MUCH!

Jack: --???

Jack: What are--

[Carmen paused to take a firmer stance, but then, suddenly—

The aura faded and her eye turned a pale gray.]

Carmen: Aw glitch—

[Jack tuned around to see what Carmen was more concerned about--]

[...That...was his mistake.]

[WHANG!]

[…Carmen had seen it coming, and had even tried to duck.

But she was tall, injured, and neither of those things made it easy to dodge in close quarters.

She hit the entrance to the tunnel head-on.]

WHANG.

[Jack's systems were jostled, and he could see nothing but static for a good half minute.]

[Pain, dizzy, what, where is...]

Jack: Aaaaaaawfraaaaaaaag....

Jack: Can't...

[Bright, dark, bright, dark...]

[The static finally clears out...]

Jack: A-Ah...

Jack: What...was...

[Though he was still seeing stars, he could tell from the orange glow of lights that they had entered...a tunnel?]

Jack: (Did...did I seriously get hit by...?)

Jack: Ah--!

Jack: (Can't...hurts to...think...ow...)

Carmen: J-… Jack…

Jack: ...!

Jack: C...Carmen...?

Jack: (Miss Eight...is she...?)

[The aura was still there, but very faint. …It wasn’t hard to see why.

She’d hit the overpass SO hard that it had cracked her radar dish—and maybe even the rest of her skull. There certainly was a lot of sickly-looking Xel pooling beneath her head.]

Carmen: -Weakly- Jack…?

Jack: .....!!!

Jack: (X-Xel--she's...no...)

Jack: M...Miss...Eight...!

[With some reserved strength he never knew he had, he crawled his way towards her, and pushed himself up on his elbows to get a better look at her.]

Jack: Oh no...

Carmen: …Can’t…

Jack: Miss Eight...it--you're gonna be OK...

Jack: If ya can't move--

Carmen: Can’t… see…

Jack: ....!!!

Jack: Y...You can't...?

[Back into the glaring light of the setting sun.]

Carmen: He’s going to get away…

[Her anger couldn’t sustain her through the damage.]

Carmen: Can’t… can’t see… ANYTHING… can barely hear, so fault…

Jack: Carmen...

[Jack placed a shaky hand on her shoulder, so she can at least feel his presence somehow, with her sight and hearing so shot...]

Jack: I-It's OK...I'm...here...

Jack: (Everything hurts, ow...)

[She tried to get to her feet. When it didn’t work, she shifted into her civilian form. This stopped the Xel loss, but didn’t help the pain.]

Carmen: God help me, this headache…

Jack: Y-You and me both, ow...

[She suddenly pushed herself to her knees—but the eighteen wheeler LURCHED.]

Carmen: -YELPS-

Jack: WHOA--!!

[Jack saw why—there were bits of wreckage EVERYWHERE in the road ahead. And they were approaching cars that had been literally sliced in half.]

Jack: Oh FRAG...

Jack: WE NEED TO GET OFF THIS RIG N O W--

[There was a rough and violent bit of turbulence before the truck briefly went flying and then tipping over—]

Jack: AAAAAAAAH--!

[At first, the only thought on his mind was Carmen.]

[So the first thing he did was grab her.]

[And the next?]

[ZIIIIIIP!]

[His wires wrap around another street light, and the two of them are sent swinging onto another passing rig on the opposite lane.]

[....There wasn't as much grace in the landing, though.]

Carmen: Hrgh…

Jack: C-Crap...

Jack: OK...ah...um--ow...

Jack: Gotta...get...

[A faint, choppy noise seemed to cut through the ambience of the highway.]

[…

…Seemed to be getting louder…]

Jack: .......?

Jack: (What...what is that noise...?)

Jack: (S...Sounds...like...)

“FINALLY!”

Carmen: …Th’ hell—Beck…?

Jack: ....!

Jack: K...Kid...?

[There was a slight THUD as Fighting Mighty Number Nine landed next to the beleaguered Cherry.]

Pup: Man, you are HARD to find!

[Carmen shifted back into her combat form.]

Carmen: You…!

Jack: --!!

Jack: Carmen, no--!

Carmen: You’re here on One’s orders, to drag me back to confinement—!

[Beck didn’t seem fazed. He shifted forms—]

[ZZT.]

[…It was almost comical how that tiny zap put her back down.]

Carmen: OW—

Pup: No more hide-and-seek, Sis!

[He shifted back to his default… glowing… green, now?]

Jack: ....!

Jack: Wait, what are you--

Pup: TIME TO COME HOME!

[There was a bright green flash as he thrust his arm forward—causing Carmen to glow as well—]

Carmen: G…GYAH—

[… … …]

“Come on out, Pup. No need t’ hide from me.”

“S-sorry—”

[He stepped out from behind a street sign that Carmen had in her room for some reason. His sister was polishing her boots, humming a song.]

“What’s on your mind?”

“… … …”

“C’mon, now.~ Yer alright.”

“…Sis…”

“Mmhmm?”

“Why do you make up those stories?”

[Silence.

Long, awkward silence.]

“S-… a-ack, I-I— I’m sorry—”

[A pulse of relaxing data.]

“…Easy now, hon. …Ah’ ain’t mad at ya.”

“…Y-… you’re… not?”

[She clicked her tongue.]

“Yer the most honest soul on God’s green earth. ‘Course ya can’t understand the workings of lies.”

[Another pause.]

“…Y’ know… I don’t know if I’ll ever tell anyone what happened.”

“Not… not even Dad?”

“No.”

“But—but it’s Dad—”

“Shhh…”

“Lemme tell you something, Pup. When you go through that kind of darkness, there are only so many things you can do with what’s left, after.”

“You can choose to let it haunt you. To define you. To become your obsession. You can go off the deep end into denial, even more of an obsession. Or you can just say, ‘I don’t like talking about that time’ and take things in your own control.”

“People are never gonna stop asking, hon. Never. Even if I ever were to be made whole. Maybe Ah’ COULD tell the truth every single time—maybe, maybe not. For all you know, I’m sworn to secrecy.”

“You… you could tell US if you were, though… right?”

“Heh… not the point, Puppy. The point is… the answer doesn’t change what happened then. So I choose not to give that answer any power.”

“I shall defy it, mock it, scorn it— Trivialize it, so that it’s not in control. No room for self-pity—not at work, and not at m’ other job, either.”

“But…”

“You know the kind of people I work with. And you know that sometimes, I meet people who are really scared. Why focus on what you don’t have—what you’re not— When instead you could be movin’ forward with a healing touch with the vast strength you DO have?”

“Helpin’ others means putting them, first. Whether yer scared, or troubled—”

“We don’t have to be in the spotlight, Beck, to make a difference. Sometimes, the most important things are done where only Heaven can see.”

[… … …]

[XEL PURGE COMPLETE.]

[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM FMN-008.]

Carmen: Nnnn…

Jack: !!!!

Jack: (What in the world was that...green...?)

Jack: Carmen...?

Carmen: …What… what…?

Carmen: Jack, is that you…?

Jack: Y...Yeah...?

Jack: Are...is...oh my God...

[The lady assassin felt very out of it. Everything was darkness… but she had to reach out for that voice, confirm that it wasn’t all a dream…]

Carmen: -Reaches up with her hand to touch his face- Ah’—Ah’ can’t see you right now—

Jack: Y--You...it's...

[.....]

[Were....those...tears she felt on her fingers...?]

Jack: It's...it's you...!

Carmen: …

Carmen: …Are we… what…

Jack: Oh God it's really you Miss E--

Carmen: Where are we? Avi’s wind tunnel or somethin’?

[HONK HOOOOOONK.]

Jack: ...!!!

Jack: oH--

Pup: Yikes!

[…Oh. RIGHT.

They were still in the middle of a pack of crazed cars heading who knows where at over 90 miles an hour.]

Jack: Kid--We gotta get off this crazy--

Pup: UH—

Pup: UM

Pup: -AAAAH I CAN’T CARRY YOU /BOTH/, SIS IS SO—uhhhh… TALL.-

Jack: FRAG--!

Jack: UH--UM--

[A search light suddenly illuminated the area around them.]

Jack: --Wha?!

“YOOOOOOO!”

"HOW'S IT HANGING, BROS?"

Jack: ....?!

Jack: SIX?!

Carmen: AVI!

Pup: TWO AVIS—

Goose: -Swoops in closer to perform a cursory check on the stability of the platform- Well, Avi, looks like Spiderman and Wonderwoman landed in a… sticky situation!

Carmen: …

Maverick: Ooo, looks like you're right, Avi--it's a real TANGLED MESS.~

Carmen: . . .

Pup: But—I thought One told you to stay behind—

Goose: AW, C’MON, BECKY

Goose: DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD LET THIS CHANCE

Goose: PASS UP? ; D

Carmen: . . .

Jack: ......

Maverick: HA! I get it!

Carmen: (Lordy Ah’ musta done somethin’ horrific t’ suffer THIS as my punishment—) -Weakly- Goose, ain’t… got th’… energy t’ yell at ya properly fer that right now…

Goose: I know, right :^D

Maverick: Heheh...

Maverick: Hate to cut this short--but we REALLY need to make an exit, don't ya think? ; D

Jack: (Wow...they are REALLY showing no mercy...)

Maverick: Any longer and we'll have to ride them up for going over the speed limit--

Jack: UM, GUYS--

Jack: NOW'S NOT THE TIME--

Goose: Truuuuue enough! Time waits for no one! 8^D

Carmen: -Faintly- Lord help me but He sure knows ah’ve earned this sufferin’…

Goose: Seems like you guys could use a LIFT out of here! ^.^

[The chipper plane scooped his solid younger sister right off the roof of the rig.]

Pup: —! WOAH WOAH WAIT—

[Oops.

The strings were still attached.

Jack got yanked along about a foot, like a pull toy.]

Jack: FRAG FRAG FRAG S T O P--!!

[There was a sudden red blur.]

-SHING!-

[THUD.]

Jack: Ow...

Ninja!Pup: Whew…

Goose: … -Just kinda. Blinks for a moment-

Goose: …Um.

Goose: WELL! If everyone’s checked in, time for Avi Airlines to get you out of here!

Carmen: Uggh…

Carmen: Ah’ suppose Ah’ deserve your puns. But no weight jokes or Ah SWEAR Ah’ll take ya down with me, got it?

Goose: Love ya too, Sis! ^.^

Jack: Ha...

Jack: Oweverythinghurts....

Maverick: I got ya, Jackie!

[Rick hovers over Jack as he grabs both of his arms to lift him up, then hoists him further into the air with relative ease.]

Maverick: All set, yo! Let's hit it!

[Pup shifted into Avi’s form to follow after them, the three fliers headed off away from the highway.]

Goose: -Touches down gently- Theeere we go.

-Ping!-

<MC005>: > Augh, why is there still no signal?

<FMN-001>: > This IS Shade we’re talking about…

Carmen: -Groans- (…Brother?)

<DWN-011>: > …think it is more that her transceiver is damaged…

Maverick: Yeah, you guys don't look so good...

Jack: Tunnel...

Maverick: ???

Jack: Didn't...see it...

Maverick: OW...

Jack: ...Mng...

<MC005>: > …I have an idea…

<MC005>: >Will, you don’t mind a lot of sand near the teleporters, do you?

[DR.WHITE] //: Er, no--why?

<MC005>: >I’m going to do a spherical transportation.

<MC005>: >Call, if you please…

[DR.WHITE] //: Ah--! Yes, that will do the trick...

Jack: ...Is that Doc White...?

Maverick: Yup. And Dr. Cossack. Say hi, Jackie!

Jack: Heh...hi...sorry I don't look my best right now...

<MC005>: >Heh… don’t worry about that.

Carmen: Daddy…

[DR.WHITE] //: It's alright now, Shade.

[DR.WHITE] //: You'll be home soon.

Carmen: … ‘kay, Dad.

Carmen: I’mma… I’mma just…

Carmen: …sleep, nao—

<FMN-008 has entered Deep Sleep mode.>

Jack: . . .

Jack: H...Hey...Docs...

Jack: She's...she's gonna be OK now, right? Dunno...dunno what the kid did but...

Jack: She's...not crazy any more, right...?

Goose: Bro. Bro.

Goose: Not in the way you’re talking about, no.

Goose: But… her being okay eventually means being back to doing her crazy, ridiculous stunts. …Just part of who Eight is.

Jack: Heh....

Jack: Wouldn't...have it any other...way...

Jack: Just...wanted to...make sure...

Jack: So tired--

[INSUFFICIENT POWER SUPPLY. SHUT DOWN INITIATED.]

[CDN.7037 HAS GONE INTO DEEP SLEEP MODE.]

Goose: …

Goose: [sub]Looks like Mister Sandman paid them a visit[/sub] :’^D

Maverick: You said it, mirror...

Pup: -Sighs inwardly- (Yep. Definitely back to normal.)

{Later that Night…}

[Having delivered Jack and Carmen to the emergency bay, Maverick and Goose made a swift exit stage left, in an attempt to avoid Pyrogen’s wrath.

However, their plan to vacate to the Meadow instead…

…didn’t work as well as they might have hoped.]

Bonnie: You are all okay AVI DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED—WHAT IF SHADE HAD HIT YOU— -Seems to be talking to both-

[…Oops. The OTHER Pyro was there waiting for them.]

Maverick: 8' D (Hoooo boy...)

Bonnie: -Pulls Rick into a half-hug… aaaaand Goose in a headlock-

[…One gets the impression Rick is not in a headlock because he currently lacks a civvie form.]

Rick: ^.^;;;;; (Man I am so glad I do not have a squishy form at the moment--)

Bonnie: -BIG BRO IS SO GLAD YOU ALL ARE OKAY—but you’re still in trouble, especially you, Rick-

Rick: -WAT WHY ME--ooooooh wait-

Rick: ehehehehuuuuuh... 8' D

Bonnie: You might have at least TOLD your Pyro BEFORE suddenly abdicating the emergency bay…

Goose: Aww, but then he woulda said no. D^:

Rick: Yeaaaaaaaaaah he would--in my defense I knew Goose needed help so???

Bonnie: | [

Rick: IIIIIIII am so dead when I get home aren't I--

Goose: MAYBE but I’ll help take the heat— gak!

Bonnie: -Loosens his grip, because he was just giving a warning- If this was your idea, then you’d better own up to it.

Goose: YEP MORE OR LESS—I mean I tried to tell you, Beck only has one arm in that form, the other is used for flying, no way he could carry ‘em both—

Bonnie: How did you even know where to start looking?

Goose: WELL. There was this news report about a pizza robbery—

Goose: Didn’t realize Jack was there too until my cameras found them. Uh… she shut that down pretty quick, though, so… had to go in in person.

Rick: Yeah, she was REALLY letting those bullets fly...

Rick: -Totally intended pun by the way-

Rick: And then Jack was zippin' and zoomin' all over the place, and the debris, whew!

Bonnie: -Small sigh- Alright, you two. Time to get started.

Goose: Uh…?

Bonnie: You. You are going to help with the cooking.

Rick: . . . .

Rick: Uh, BOTH of us or are you talking to Goose-- (Gosh sometimes it's hard being mirrors--)

Bonnie: No, I’m sure your eldest has something else in mind. What might that be, MNN-001?

[And then there he was—the one figure they had been trying to evade in the first place—arms crossed and everything.]

Pat: HE is going straight home and helping Father with data analysis.

Rick: (WHEEEEEERE DID YOU COME FROM--)

Pat: And to help track down our last three kin, Call could use the assistance.

Rick: Uh....sure...yeah... (No seriously where did Bro come from--)

Goose: H-hi bro :’D;;;

Bonnie: (I’ll admit… I was hoping they’d see Cardinal on the highway, but of course not…) -Lets go of Rick-

Goose: Um… is this really the time for baking, though—

Bonnie: Have you been paying any attention?

Bonnie: There are now 33 people to feed. And more will be coming.

Bonnie: ONE of those is COUNTERSHADE.

Goose: -Hrk—!- Okay okay I get it—

Bonnie: Besides, I think CDN-7037 deserves some sort of reward, don’t you? I’ve heard he’s quite the carnivore…

Rick: Yeah, real meat lover...

Pat: If that's the case, I'll assist with food whenever possible. We should ask Nico too, he's also quite the cook.

Goose: I thought he was playing Doctor while Nineteen sealed himself in his room and Doc C was in Cali?

Bonnie: Well, Captain Piers has come over to assist in the healing process. It helps that Felix has been stable for a while and they have another Healer there… and that Plume and Landcrusher are also stable…

Goose: -Sudden lightbulb- Uh. Patrick? Y’ might be busy just keeping an eye on the three of them for a while…

Pat: . . .

Rick: Y...Yeah, I think we all gotta just keep an eye on everyone that's still recovering for now...

Pat: (...Shadow can stay with Brand, that will help...)

Skull: {I’m sure he would like that.}

Rick: Gah--

Pat: Skull.

Rick: (How does he DO that???)

[The soft-spoken skeleton was finally up again. He had come back Online as soon as Brandish had been brought to the lab, as he was needed to help run things in the Meadow.]

Skull: Apologies, MNN-006. It was not my intention to startle you.

Rick: Eheh--noooo problem, bro... : ' D

Skull: {We are incredibly glad you are well, Aviator. We missed you.}

Rick: Eheh...

Rick: Y-Yeah...good to be back...

Rick: .....

Rick: -scoooots behind big bro nope we're not hiding at all.-

Rick: : ' D

Skull: …? ({Am I missing something?})

Rick: Um--

Rick: I'm just gonna--go now--sorry--

Rick: -FLEES-

Pat: ......

Goose: BEEEE RIGHT BACK— -Hovers after-

Bonnie: … : / (Poor Aviator.)

{Meanwhile…}

-Ping.-

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: >Brooooo. Broooooooooooooooo—

[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: sorry man I just--couldn't stay there--

[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: not after you know what--

[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: -nnnnngh, guilt, so much guilt--

[Goose is clearly catching up. He’s flying upside-down now… very Echo-like, honestly.]

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > I know, man. I know.

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > -Man, I can’t even REMEMBER everything, but-

MN.6 to FMN.6] //: I just--man they must HATE me--

[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: I mean I know I was screwy and everything but STILL--

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: >Duuuude… let’s just. Just fly now, ‘kay? Catch some thermal from the plains.

[Indeed, the Wilderness was shifting into open, expansive prairie, in a state faaar away. The night air was clear, and it was silent and free.]

Goose: -Inverts and does a corkscrew in one direction, then the other-

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > -Hums Let’s Go Fly a Kite-

Goose: (Gotta let him wear off the Xeldrenaline, that’ll probably help. Flying always helped with that for ME me, anyway…)

[MN.6] //: ....

[This DOES seem to help significantly, the very warm night breeze blowing over into the prairie and up to a starry sky...]

[MN.6] //: . . .

Goose: -Sways contently by banking very slightly from one side to the next- (Ahhh…) Home, home on the range…~

[MN.6] //: ....

[MN.6] //: -Siiiigh-

Rick: -turns over so that he's staring at the stars-

Rick: (What am I gonna tell Toby...?)

Rick: (What can I even SAY?)

[Goose does a lazy loop-de-loop before resuming his swaying.

He then comes up so he’s in wingman position near Rick. But he’s still quiet, mostly just… there, for his Other.]

Rick: . . .

Rick: -Sighs once more and rubs eyes-

Rick: I reeeeeally messed up, didn't I...

Rick: Like... Super MAJOR big time messed up.

Goose: …

[He seems really thoughtful.]

Goose: …I try to always put things in a positive outlook, you know? Saying something like that outright isn’t really my thing…. Brand’s a lot better at that sort of stuff. [sub]too good, sometimes…[/sub]

Goose: I honestly… don’t really know what happened? Because… I can’t /remember/ what I did—which is pretty scary, really…. And… we couldn’t get ahold of you guys until later.

Goose: But even though I can’t remember, I know it was… definitely not cool, what I did. Yeah.

Goose: But… there are a couple of things about what happened, you know?

Rick: Yeah, I get that...

Rick: .....

Rick: (I...I can't really see a BRIGHT side to this--which tells me just how BAD things got--)

Rick: .....

Rick: I...oh man I'm SO glad Toby is--well...for the most part, OK again...

Rick: . . .

Goose: Yeah, see—that’s the thing—one of the things.

Goose: Remember what the Robin told you guys before you fought YoYo Hippie? About how possession wasn’t really them you were dealing with?

Rick: .......

Rick: Y...Yeah...

Rick: (You're not fighting the person, but the parasite...)

Goose: Man, we know it’s true, because attempts were made to fight back.

Goose: How could that happen unless there were something else— something the REAL YOU didn’t like, didn’t agree with—were there to fight against? Yeah, it doesn’t really help a whole lot, maybe, but it is really important.

Goose: And as for the Wily Numbers…

Goose: Duuude, they…

Goose: …

Goose: …I…

Goose: …I heard you… -Trails off-

Rick: . . .

Goose: (…heard you saw what happened…)

Rick: .......

Rick: I...

Rick: . . . .

Rick: Yeah.

Goose: …

Goose: …They’ve been there, man. Especially the little spark dude.

Goose: But know what?

Goose: Even though maybe someone could try and argue that everything is Tobias’s fault—HE sure seems to think so, himself—

Goose: His bros just plain love him, bro.

Goose: You’re part of their family now, dude. …Like, REALLY part, now, even. Blood Xel brothers, uh, something like that.

Goose: …You know how it is with bros. If something’s going wrong, of course you try to stop it—like with squishies, if someone’s drunk or whatnot—

Rick: ....

Goose: But you don’t hate on a bruthuh, ya know?

Rick: .....Yeah, heh... (I hope not, at least...)

Rick: .....

Rick: I guess I'm just--scared...?

Rick: I mean WILY BOTS, man. Tempers. Nothing against that, no, I mean...

Rick: (I really wouldn't blame them if they really wanted a go at me anyway...)

Goose: Well, that’s the THING, man—these guys—their experiences made them really empathetic. …Well, I mean, other than their Ninjabro, he’s like Blondie—still trying to learn about feelings and stuff.

Goose: Iiiiii think if it’s their temper you’re worried about? Yeah… maybe you’re right.

Goose: because DUDE they hate Cracker Snack so much, Toby would TOTES take a crack at them if he were let looooooose :’D;;;

Rick: Oh bro you're so right--jeez louies, tHAT would be so bad--

Goose: YEAH BRO KINDA.

Goose: …They have tempers against… well… people that cause those close to them to suffer. Like. Man, if Yoyo Hippie had REALLY tried going against them, that wouldn’t have gone well—because he threatened Robin to the point where he was paranoid more on the side of cray-cray, and then the whole deal with Queen Bee came… (Man, don’t even WANT to think about what woulda happened if Cossack hadn’t shut the others down after they sliced poor Toby open…)

Goose: They honestly think CherryDyn’s behind all this. Some think it more than others. It’s them they’re angry at.

Goose: You?

Goose: They’re SO happy you’re okay, they feel awful about…

Goose: …

Goose: …the whole cross-reference thing.

Rick: Ya know--I wouldn't be very SURPRISED if Cherry was behind it at this point...

Rick: But....

Rick: . . .

Goose: WELL, YA SEE

Goose: Here’s what Siam said—

Goose: Basically he didn’t think Cracker Snack was smart enough to think something like that up, let alone pull it off? :’^D

Rick: -SHRUGS-

Rick: He's REAL bent on putting blame on someone else. Done it with the VD and now with Doc Blackwell, and the guy is in PRISON. Seems like he's running out of options at this point and just...grasping straws...

Goose: …Did he really? Man, Siam was right—getting real un-creative with his content.

[The chipper plane snorts.]

Goose: He’s so lucky that the Angels really like YOU guys. And that Robin is busy with more important things right now. I mean, really—

Goose: THE DUDE WENT AND TAGGED THEIR HQ, AND THAT WAS ON A PRETTY GOOD EVENING

Rick: -SNORTS-

Rick: Yeah--who knows WHAT they'd do if pushed far enough and left unchecked... (…Pretty scary thought right there…)

Goose: … -Seems thoughtful about this-

Goose: …I think they don’t really know, themselves? Wasn’t that why Toby was so scared?

Goose: That’s why they are the way they are. Determined not to let that happen. No matter how hard they’re pushed.

Goose: It would take something REALLY bad to… well. Yeah, we kinda saw that already at the Finals. (They’ve just lost so much already. Really scares them when they’re about to lose even more.)

Rick: .....

Rick: -Sigh-

Rick: .....

Rick: Sis is probably gonna zap me, though. I'm, like--85% sure she is.

Goose: Bro, that’s Sis for you. Isn’t that something Electric ‘bots do when stressed, anyway?

Rick: Yeah, energy buildup, their systems release it to avoid overcharge— (Dyna's gonna be soooo angry at me I can tell--)

Goose: I knew it was her way of showing affection~

Rick: -SNORT-

Rick: Ya think? Heh...

Goose: Sure! You know, the whole “tsundere” deal.

Rick: HA! Oh, man, I knew it--

Rick: I bet it's the same for Cryo too--she fights Big Bro all the time even in a good mood--

Goose: Yeah! All the sisters are like that—

Rick: I mean SURE we do talk an earful but it's our job as little brothers to annoy big sisters, right--

Goose: -Gleeful swaying again- Something like that! More like there’s just a lot to saaaaay~

Goose: -Imitates Carmen- “C’mere a lil’ closer so Ah’ can make ya go into Airplane mode.”

Rick: -LOUD SNORT-

Rick: Oh dude I'd hightail out the window SO fast if she said that--BUT THAT IS A G R E A T PUN THO--

Goose: I TAUGHT HER WELL -So proud-

Rick: NICE, BRO. -THUMBS UP-

Rick: Wish I had an apprentice, heh...

Goose: Duuude—you DO!

Goose: : D

Rick: ....

Rick: TOBY--

Rick: I CAN TEACH HIM SO MANY PUNS--

Goose: IT’LL BE GREAT

Rick: The fact that there are so many electric/lighting puns already is also perfect--

Goose: Well yeah—he’s a real

Goose: LIVE WIRE~

Rick: And a real--

Rick: SHOCKER!~

Goose: -LOOP-DE-LOOP- Wheee!

[Yep. The lovable goofball was just a big kid at heart.]

Rick: : )

Rick: -Yeah, why not, LOOP-DE-LOOPS FOR DAAAAAAYS-

Rick: Wooooo!~

Rick: -Content data, we feel MUCH BETTER now, thanks, Goose--_

Goose: -Anytime, me-

Goose: Hey—Hey… thanks for helping out today. Really. -REEEEEAAAALLLY means it, so grateful-

Rick: Oh...yeah, no problem, dude. ^.^

Rick: Carmen's just as much a sis to me as you guys are--and Mighties always gotta stick out for one another, ya know?~

Goose: Yeah… and Tony, man… -Vents a sigh- MAN, is he gutsy for a Civvie—she’d have been really panicked if he didn’t come along.

Goose: Firebro wants me to stick around and help with cooking for everyone so the Docs can focus on their work and you guys can do your thing, and not have to worry about food. We all know how Daddo gets when he’s focused on a project, and I hear Cossack is even worse… >.>

Rick: ...Soooomeone's gonna hafta keep an eye on the Daddos so they don't overclock themselves...

Goose: Well, I think Blondie helps with that—something about the sprinklers—

Rick: -....Oh she has control over the sprinkler system, welp--

Rick: : ' D

Goose: …I won’t be able to come over there for long. Just. You know. Just in case someone stops by the lab. At least Shade is in her civvie form, no one will recognize her as Sniperbro like that… but the rest of us, ehhh, best not push our luck…

Goose: But she’s gonna be there for a while, I think. Man, face-first into concrete at 110 mph, ow.

Goose: So… she just. Might need you, since I can’t be there… ‘kay?

Rick: Yeah...I'll cover, bro. Promise.

Rick: ...Though she's probably gonna wanna be around Brand and Jackie, at first...

Goose: Oh, yeah, definitely Brand. …

Goose: … … …

Goose: … … … … … … … … … … …

Rick: .....

Rick: Uh...Goooooooooose?

Goose: -Blinks, coming out of it- Hmm?

Rick: ........

Rick: Iiiii....uh. (OK is it just me or am I really disturbing when I DON'T talk?)

Rick: Anything that Car will wanna hear from me--like, stories, stuff that'll get her to calm down and stuff?

Goose: …

Goose: -Fairly seriously- When she came back. That night.

Rick: (oooooh this does not sound good--)

Goose: She. She looked real beat up, man. Like… like this, but worse, because… it was just so sudden, and there was a good chunk of her just plain GONE—it was so wrong, somehow— “it just ain’t right” as she would say.

Rick: . . . .

Goose: She… was having trouble recovering, she wasn’t healing right, you know? Probably because of such an important thing like a core being missing.

Rick: (S...Sis...)

Goose: She’d wake up, man—but only sorta—all panicked and incoherent and man I think Pyro said she was all “Five Nights at Freddy’s 4” in her incoherent abstract data.

Rick: Oh, jeez...

Goose: And then… she got well enough to not be all “loopy in fever”, basically—

Goose: And she asked for Brandish.

Rick: ......

Rick: Little odd that she would considering their relationship before...

Goose: I know, right?

Goose: …I mean…

Goose: … Man I hope Brand doesn’t hear about what she said, not for a LOOONG time…

Rick: . . .

Goose: Brand, uh. Well. I’ll play you the clip of what we explained to the others later. But basically she thought he didn’t believe in her at all. Aaand she was vocal about that.

Goose: Everyone was kinda expecting her to ask for me, you know? No one was more shocked to hear the request than Sev himself.

Rick: Wow...

Goose: But.

Goose: She wanted him to tell her stories.

Goose: …She couldn’t stay at rest because she still felt in danger from… whatever happened, I guess… or those FNAF nightmares.

Goose: So she couldn’t get any better, because her body wasn’t recovering.

Goose: But having him around, verbally walk her through a meditation and stuff… just knowing he was there…

Goose: She got better. She slept and got better.

Rick: ....Huh...

Goose: There’s a chance something like that might happen again with this—I mean, Dad DID change the flow between the remaining cores, but she got banged up pretty bad, might need to redo that. -I don’t know, I’m not a medical genius like Siaaaaaaaam-

Rick: -wince-

Goose: As long as you, he, Jack, and Pryo are around, though, she’ll be docile and compliant.

Goose: With Jack it’s a case of him being her last mission objective—something about protecting him from CherryDyn loose-end “fixers,” dunno if that was actually a thing or just a concern, but. She’d think “OH CRAP STILL ON A MISSION” but if he’s right there, it’s all “oh okay mission accomplished, everything’s okay now” sort of deal. [sub]she takes her work super seriously[/sub]

Rick: Yeaaaah, Jack...Jack's pretty banged up too, so he'll DEF be there with her in repairs...

Goose: We’ll bring her home as soon as she can handle it—or at least to the Meadow, I mean—Dad DOES want to work on her, after all. But yeah, they’ll probably be there for a while. :’V

Goose: You’ll know she’s gotten over the worst when she becomes absolutely ravenous. [sub]she might start sleep-eating at that point tho[/sub]

Rick: Oof--she's gonna clean out our FRIDGE--if Cryo isn't sleeping in it already but I mean--

Rick: --Oh man Jack--Jack's gonna be hungry too, man no wonder Big Fire Bro asked you for cooking help, so many hungry people...

Goose: …

Goose: Did—I mean… Does Shadebro eat a lot, too?

Rick: Well--I mean, no? Sort of? His hunger is REALLY weird--

Rick: Like, sometimes he'll not eat for a day and then suddenly he does and then he doesn't and it's just--

Rick: Iiiiit's become a fact that if he says he ain't hungry, he ain't.

Goose: Huh. Weird…

Goose: …

Goose: Ten credits says Sis challenges him to an eating contest. :^D

Rick: Noooo bet, she's so going to at some point--!

Goose: Awwwww…

Rick: But--

Rick: I bet 20 that Shade bro will lose SO HARD--

Goose: DOUBLE DOWN SAYS JACK GETS HIMSELF INVOLVED—and that Firebros do a simultaneous facepalm :^D

Rick: DEAL--

Goose: ^.^ C’mon, Rick. Let’s head on home. |D

Goose: Home is where the heart is. < 3

Rick: Yeah-- -Yawns-

Rick: Home sweet home...

[And so, Goose takes flight lead and guides his mirror home…

Ah… home at last, indeed.]

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=BONUS CONTENT: BONUS SCENE #5=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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((Incomplete prewriting: Cardinal and Countershade reconcile))

[When Shade entered the room, he found it painfully quiet.

Soft beeping and humming noises from the machinery were the only signs of life: like markings on a scratchboard, little more than symbols of what should be vibrant and full of noise.

It was quiet. So much quieter than the hustle and hubbub of the fancy party he had just slipped away from.

Almost as quiet as the fringes of nightmares that would not leave him be.]

Shade: …

[There were curtains drawn up, likely to give some privacy to the poor soul who rested there. But these sheets of fabric and plastic may as well have been sheer cliff walls of concrete and iron, for how ominous—nay, menacing—they seemed.]

((More reaction, thoughts))

[He wanted to step in, but at the same time… couldn’t bear it. Couldn’t bear to face…]

((Flashback, reaction))

[His staggering made a lot of noise, and there was a loud clatter as he fell back, unable to break his fall due to lacking a hand to support himself. The room suddenly seemed to come alive at this, lights springing on and readings flashing across the screens. But most shattering of all was a single noise: ]

PING!

((Reaction))

[Cardinal’s data seemed to permeate the room. It was muddled, dazed: blank as an absent mind, fragile as an empty dream…. So gentle for a Combat ‘bot. So peaceful for a warring machine.

So vulnerable for a contingency mastermind.

So… helpless for a hero, equally deadened as serene.]

Shade: (C-Cards…!)

[His heart hurt a hell of a lot more than his pride did at the moment. His best friend was laying there on the other side of that patient veil, and he couldn’t even bear to look in that direction.

He didn’t remember everything, but he knew enough to fill in the missing pieces for the broken picture that lay shattered before him. The fact that no one—absolutely no one, not even his own father—would tell him what had happened or what state Cardinal was in… that was telling in and of itself.

If the songbird were just tired, that would be one thing. He would have been startled awake, running on adrenaline—probably shooting a blast of plasma cannon fire through the curtain out of alarm at the noise. He had just been engaged in a Lethal Combat Mode the last time he had been Online, after all… so if he’d been “alright” (as if anyone could be fine after what had happened to them…!), he would have been wound up tighter than a bobcat.

If the rebel had been injured, that would have been another thing. He knew the prototype all too well: it was a running gag at how poorly he tended to himself: how he overworked himself, pushed himself too far. Even a serious injury should have been healed up (for a patchwork job, at least) no problem, with all the resources they had. Such a thing wouldn’t have kept him caged, wouldn’t have held him down to the point where he’d sit still obediently while other people partied. If that were all, then he would have been there at the ceremony earlier that day.

Instead…]

((Comfort/concern))

[He wasn’t sure he could take this. His best friend was laying there, just… blank. He’d never, ever seen him like that before. He’d seen Cardinal spaced out, alright, but this was much, much worse—]

<DLN-000 is now Online.>

Cardinal: -Very weakly- Shade…?

[He sounded so tired. Exhausted. Like he would fall asleep again any second.

And yet…

Such longing, such… hopefulness, contained in that single word. A desire of some kind… to not be alone, but for it to be real—]

Cardinal: Unless this…unless… unless…

Cardinal: Unless this… is dreaming…

<DLN-000 has entered Idle mode.>

[The weariness seemed to overtake him, and he was drifting back into sleep. But… if he was well enough to talk without strain, then… surely he had to be…]

((Self-demeaning thoughts, probably))

[He had to be alright. He had to be.

Shade silently pushed himself up off the ground.]

((Somehow, Shade gets himself to go over to look through the curtain.))

[The view was somewhat obscured, but his visual processors made quick and easy work of the warping effect of the plastic. Cardinal was resting peacefully on the table, with a sheet pulled up like a blanket. It was a clean sheet: no oil or coolant stains on it, which was a good sign.

He gave off very odd readings, not even close to being consistent with what he gave off before. Definitely running off of a different energy source: one which didn’t generate heat at all, but seemed to be diminishing ever so slightly in each moment.]

Shade: ....

Shade: -...this feels like a stupid question at this point but- -Ah' still wanna hear it from you-

Shade: -we...we're still... friends, right...-

Shade: -two of us...-

Cardinal: Mighty Nine Number Eight— Countershade Arthur White—

((Pic—Reconciliation & Brotherhood))

Cardinal: You are still the best man anyone could ask for, the… the best friend I’ve ever known,

Cardinal: One of the bravest and… and enduring people I’ve ever met…

Cardinal: I’m so happy you’re alive,

Cardinal: happy that… that we can still… be friends.

Cardinal: That… that that wasn’t taken from me, that… that I still have you, and your family, in my life.

Shade: ....

[Shade has to rub his eyes a little at that.]

Shade: -Well nao ya gone and done it, ya cheeky bird...-

Shade: Heh...

Shade: -Makin' me cry and everythin', must look damn ridiculous...-

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 3D: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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[MEANWHILE…]

“… …..”

“… … … … ….”

“…. Three in SUCH a short amount of time…”

“…You were always full of surprises, weren’t you…”

“But, then again, you…you’re special.”

“….I had anticipated that.”

“Just…didn’t think it would be….or I had HOPED….”

“… ….”

“….ha.”

“You….Will…ha…”

“I didn’t think you would, but you did.”

“… … …”

“You’ve… changed.”

“… ….”

“… … … … … …”

“We’re all just a bunch of MONSTERS, aren’t we…?~”

“Aha…ha….”

“… … … …”

“… … … … … …”

“… … … … … … … ….”

“help me.”

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 6C: CRIMSON STRONGHOLD=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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{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—>>

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 4A: AVI’S NEWS REPORT=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

[SANDA LABS, THE NEXT DAY...

June 24th, 20XX]

[MN.1 STATUS: ONLINE.]

[MN. 2 STATUS: ONLINE.]

[MN.3 STATUS: DEEP SLEEP MODE, RECHARGE IN PROGRESS....]

[MN.9 STATUS: ONLINE, XEL REPAIRS IN PROGRESS...]

[Will couldn't remember the lab--their home--being this quiet. Oh, it never was, with the sheer amount of siblings under one roof--]

[It unsettled him.]

[It unsettled him very much.]

[Perhaps it was because of this and his struggles at the daunting tasks at hand that he, well...]

Will: Argh!

[...Lost his patience, for a bit.]

Soi: !

[Sanda had only seen his friend like this only one other time--and he knew this MUST have been for a good reason--Will was the most patient man he's ever known.]

Will: Blast it--!

Soi: Will?

[Will was quite literally pulling at his own hair, a frustrated expression across his usually gentle features.]

Will: I see NO pattern whatsoever! What in Tyson's name is behind this?!

Soi: Will, let's just--

Will: Just LOOK at this, Soi!

[Will brings up the virus coding again--all the samples from Pyro, Cryo, Dyna, and the RMDC server from Mikhail--...]

[It was clear as day to what it DID...]

[...But looking at it closely...]

[...Each sample was VASTLY different from the other.]

Will: We know what it DOES--exaggerate underlying negative coding and emotions and exploiting them that way--

Will: But looking at the samples--it's almost as if we're looking at FOUR different viruses instead of ONE!

Soi: --?!

[Will was right--each coding sample was... unique, in it's own way...]

Soi: What the...?

Will: It--It makes no SENSE! I would EXPECT the virus to leave SOME imprint or--something! Within the emotional matrix, but...!

Will: There is absolutely nothing there.

[…This rant did not end well for him.]

-PING!-

<RMDC>: > PROCESSING NEW DATA…

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED. ENTRY: DLN-001. ENTRY: DLN_COMBAT.EXE.

<RMDC>: > ERROR—CONNECTION TO MAIN SERVER FAILED.

<RMDC>: > CONNECTION FAILED—UNABLE TO UPDATE MAIN SERVER

<RMDC>: > COMPRESSING DATA FOR NEXT AVAILABLE CONNECTION…

Will: Dear LORD, not again--!

Soi: --? It's trying to connect again--

Will: For the PAST TWO DAYS!

Will: I can't SHUT IT OFF, only Mikhail has that level of clearance and we can't even SPEAK to each other!

Soi: .......

[Well, no wonder Will was at the end of his rope....]

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Dr. White, I am detecting very high levels of stress and elevated heart rate. I recommend you step away from your terminal for the time being.

Soi: (Bless you, Call...!) Er--Yes, Will...it's been a hard while, and I don't think anyone would be very happy to know you've been running yourself ragged... (Especially Mikhail...ho boy...)

[And before Will could even open his mouth to argue--]

[CALL] //: Dr. White, please step away from the terminal. I am authorized to activate the fire sprinkler system within this lab.

Will: ......

[With a tired sigh, Will rises from his seat and follows Sanda out of the room, rubbing the corners of his darkened eyes...]

Will: ....I just...

Soi: Wiiiiillll....

[Sanda takes in a deep breath and sighs, crossing his arms worryingly. He KNEW that his best friend could get like this--feeling as if it was his duty to get important things done, especially when people were counting on him so much...]

[Sometimes Will would try TOO hard and burn himself out--]

[Always trying.]

[....Almost as if he felt he had something to prove.]

Soi: I know you want to fix this--I do too, believe me--but we can't exactly do that if we're not even taking care of OURSELVES, right?

Will: ......

Soi: We still have a lot of work to do...and I have a feeling we'll need to be ready for whatever gets thrown our way.

Will: .....-Sigh-

Will: ....

Will: I....yes. You're right...

Will: ...I just feel as if we aren't making any progress regarding the virus...and with the comms still down...!

Soi: .....Mmm...

Soi: You're right. We should DO something about that.

Will: --!

Soi: ...Call hasn't found any other Mighty Numbers yet.

Soi: But Avi...

-PING!-

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED. ENTRY: DLN-008. ENTRY: DWN-010. ENTRY: MONSTROPOLIS, AZ.

<RMDC>: > ERROR—DLN-008 IS OFFLINE. CONNECTION FAILED.

Soi: --!!

Will: . . . .

Will: (Monstropolis...)

[It was a name that struck gravity into even the most flippant of the Wily and Cossack Numbers.

The full tale had not been told outright, but the pieces had come together over time to show that the reason things were as bad as they were in that world lay in the misery the city suffered—

First, under Tobias unwittingly TERRIFYING the nation, and then, a generation later…

…When the city in the sky came crashing down to earth…]

[The panic caused in both cases proved to be deadly, and was something Tobias came to feel was his fault as he had grown and finally understood what he had unwittingly done.

It was a very touchy topic and an incident that even the worst of Wily’s sons would want to be avoided.

…And it wasn’t hard to see why, when one considered…]

-*-*-*-*-

Power up the revolution, boys—it’s time for an evolution of circuitry!

-*-*-*-*-

[…How eerily similar some of Avi’s latest broadcasts had been to the ones Tobias had put out…]

Soi: Oh no--Will--

Will: ......

Will: (Going after Aviator will most certainly bring up some VERY unpleasant cross references for the Angels--regarding Monstropolis, regarding Tobias...)

Will: (But there are no other Mighty Numbers located--and we MUST bring back communications across the country...)

Will: (WORSE-- I have no doubt Avi will be MORE than happy to broadcast the whole thing in his state...!)

Will: .....

Will: We...We have no choice, Soi.

Soi: But--the cross references--!

Will: ...We'll have to ask Beck to be extremely careful...

Will: ...And quite possibly not use Dynatron's ReXelection, to minimize the impact on the RMDC server...

Soi: ...Mm--but Avi is half weak to Dyna's form, isn't he?

Will: ...True.

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Shall I attempt to trace the source of the transmissions, Doctors?

Will: Please do--and bring them to the main line, if you will.

Soi: ....? Why?

Will: Perhaps Avi will tell us himself, if we listen closely...

Soi: Oh--in that case, I'll go and call Beck--

[CALL] //: Tracing...

Will: .....

Will: (....Mmmm...)

Will: Soi?

Soi: Yes?

Will: ....Call has been functioning normally all this, yes?

Soi: Well, she was shut down for a firmware update when everything went screwy...

Soi: And the Patch bots were down for recharge. Like I said before-- anything that was shut off when this all started are fine.

Will: Yes--so was my phone...

Will: It was...shut down....

Will: . . . . _______________________

"....He shut down every robot in America..."

"You mean how they both originated in the Battle Colosseum...?"

"...We both discussed the reason WHY he could have..."

_________________________

Will: No, it...it couldn't be...

Soi: ...?

________________________

"...even HE couldn't pull this off from inside a maximum security prison--!"

"CherryDyn, of course, being the world's largest robot manufacturer..."

"IT'S BLACKWELL'S FAULT--!"

_________________

Will: Or...

__________________

[CONFIDENTIAL: INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE BATTLE COLOSSEUM--]

[EXPLORING THE CAPABILITIES OF XEL TECHNOLOGIES IN--]

[WARNING: RISKS--]

__________________________________

Will: Could it be...?

Soi: Uuuh....Wiiiiiillll?

Soi: Do you...have a theory or...?

Will: .....

Soi: ....?

Will: Mmm...

Soi: (Confound it, he ALWAYS gets me so worried when he trails off like that--!)

Soi: W--

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: You rang, Dr. Sanda? Where am I off to next?

Soi: --! O-Oh--Beck, yes...just a moment...

Will: .....Soi....

Soi: Let's discuss this later, Will.

Will: ......

Will: Y-Yes....

Soi: And NO trailing off into a 'Hmm' next time, alright?

Will: .....Of....Of course....

[MN.9] //: Daaaaaad, are you giving Uncle Sanda a hard time? Or is it the other way around?

Soi: More like both. -_-;;;

Will: --Eheh....

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Transmissions verified. Transferring to main line...

[KSSSSSST--!]

"Yelloyelloyello and WELCOME to another EXCITING broadcast of Avi News!~ Bum Da DAAAAAA!"

[MN.1] //: How is it that he's even more annoying like this--?!

[MN.2] //: Beats me, bro, beats me...

"Live from this LOVELY broadcasting tower I, aheh, borrowed --ah, whatever, no need to sugarcoat it! I hijacked it from all the pathetic squishy humans! Jeez, they didn't even stick around for an interview! Rude, don't ya think? But, s'not like I NEED them, ha!"

[MN.9] //: Avi...

"And I DEEPLY apologize for that last cutout--a certain pesky bee was messing with the power--buuuuut it looks like that got shorted out so here we are again, folks!"

[Data fuzz. Static.]

<RMDC>: > CROSS REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: DLN-008.

<RMDC>: > ERROR—DLN-008 IS OFFLINE. CONNECTION FAILED.

"Pretty sure it's not gonna happen again anyway--"

[....A pause at the static--]

"...I think."

[Another pause.]

"But HEY! Good thing, too, because all you listeners out there just love to tune into Avi News for yours truly, right?~"

[MN.2] //: ...Gotta respect his puns, though, he REALLY upped his game, I gotta make up some more to compete with that--

[MN.1] CRYOSPHERE, PLEASE--

"And on THAT note, I'm happy to announce that Avi News will soon be launching it's global campaign--"

[MN.1] //: --?!

"--From right here in the good old state of Georgia! Great place, real windy, nice views and..."

[MN.2] //: He's in Georgia--?

[A much HARSHER fuzz.]

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: DLN-008.

<RMDC>: > COMMAND RECOGNIZED: DISPLAY CROSS-REFERENCES. AUTHORIZATION: DLN-008.

<RMDC>: > ERROR—UNABLE TO COMPLETE COMMAND. CRITICAL AI_OS ERROR. DLN-008 IS OFFLINE.

[MN.9] //: Georgia--in a radio tower...

[CALL] //: Confirming...

[MN.1] //: Avi, you--why are you...?

[MN.2] //: Bros--what did Avi mean by going global...? Going global HOW?

Will: .....

Will: Either...

Will: He's going to attempt cutting off comms WORLDWIDE...

Will: ....

Will: (Or something worse...)

<RMDC>: > ANALYSIS ALERT: 06.24.20XX MEMORY DATA CROSS-REFERENCES TO MULTIPLE HAZARDOUS FILES. POTENTIAL SYSTEM OVERLOAD TRIGGER DETECTED. AFFECTED SYSTEMS: AI_DWN_008, AI_DWN_012, AI_DWN_013, AI_DWN_018, AI_DWN_019, AI_DCN_003. ISOLATING FILES FOR ADMIN APPROVAL…

Soi: Ngh...this will NOT be easy on them, will it...

Will: -Sigh...-

Will: ...We'll have to get to Avi before he attempts whatever he is planning--Call?

Call: Confirmed. Mighty No. 6's transponder signal is indeed located in a radio tower in Georgia.

[MN.9] //: I'm on it!

[Pause.]

[MN.9] //: W-Wait--what about Dyna? Is she...awake, yet?

[MN.2] //: Not yet--but if she does, we'll let ya know, bro.

[MN.1] //: Have your systems processed her form data yet?

[MN.9] //: Yeah, when I woke up yesterday--hang on...!

[XEL STRUCTURE SHIFTING...]

[REXELECTION: DYNATRON.]

[MN.9] //: Yup...everything's working right... (For once...)

[MN.1] //: You'll need that--Avi's mainly weak to Shade's arsenal, but partially to Dyna...and who knows what kind of tricks he'll come up with while you're there...

[The RMDC flashed with another notification, though THANKFULLY it was now on silent—clearly focused on isolating the ongoing stressors to protect the main server from an overload once connections were re-established.]

Soi: Mmm...

Soi: How close can you get Beck to the tower, Call?

Call: ......

Call: I can safely attempt Xel Transfer on the structure itself, Doctor. Unfortunately, the jamming signal is only weakest at the lower levels.

Will: That will have to do.

[MN.9] //: .....

[MN.9] //: Pyro?

[MN.1] //: Yes?

[MN.9] //: When she wakes up...

[MN.9] //: ...Tell her that what Avi did to Toby...it wasn't his fault.

[MN.1] //: Of course. (That is...if she doesn't absolutely lose it when she does find out...)

Call: Location locked. Preparing Xel Transfer...

[MN.2] //: REMEMBER TO NOT LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS, BRO--TUNE HIM OUT--

Will: Good luck, son...!

[MN.1] //: You can do this, Beck.

Soi: We'll be there this time--count on it!

[MN.9] //: Right!

Call: Initiating Xel Transfer...

———————————————

[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 6, AVIATOR, HAS CO-OPTED THE TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCASTING CAPABILITIES OF THIS RADIO TOWER IN GEORGIA, BLOCKING COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVES: LOCATE AND RESCUE MN.6, PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM SYSTEMS, PREVENT TOTAL AND PERMANENT COMMUNICATION BLACKOUT. SUB OBJECTIVE: MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT.]

SYSTEMS READY?

GO!

[Whistling, harsh winds, the sound of a familiar news jingle blaring over the speaker systems, and of course, Avi's persistent newscasts broadcasting over nearly all his feeds--]

[Beck was in the right place, alright...]

[As soon as he fully materialized, Call's voice crackled in his ears.]

Call: Attention: Beck has arrived at the tower. Mighty No. 6 must be transmitting from the apex.

Soi: Sorry to make you climb it on foot, Beck...but it's, uh, all part of the plan!

Will: That, and it was impossible to get him directly to the top with Avi jamming the signals to it...

Soi: Eheh....yes, that...

[MN.9] //: It's OK, guys. I've climbed Avi's tower dozens of times--it's just that, well--this is a lot bigger than that one, and not as windy, and there weren't any malfunctioning robots that want to kill me.

[Taking a deep breath, Beck looked up to the daunting tower above him, the top of which was hidden in the clouds. He could see various platforms of which he could use to ascend--but he could also hear the loud screeches of infected robots as well.]

Beck: Hang tight, Avi...

[There were ramps, at first, and lots of ladders--as well as more CherryDyn models than he liked to admit were comfortable. There was even a few models that he didn't recognize--such as signal amplifying robots that threw their dishes at him--]

[WHAM--!]

Beck: O W--

[--especially when he was jumping around to avoid them in the first place.]

Beck: Hey--CUT IT OUT--

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE.]

[Luckily, they couldn't throw their dishes around if they were frozen.]

[At first--it seemed he was making good progress...]

[...But it wasn't long until...]

[KSSSSSSSSSSST!]

"Ahem! Testing, testing. Check one, check, check two. Sibilance, Sibilance!"

Beck: --!

[And suddenly, from his right, as he approached one side of the tower--!]

[MN.2] //: ...Is...Is that a BLIMP? Where the cheese did Avi get a FREAKIN' BLIMP?!

[The blimp was huge--and had a giant screen on either side, displaying a live feed of Avi himself. The background showed nothing but clouds, so it was safe to assume he was flying somewhere over the top of the tower.]

Avi: And now, live from Avi News World Headquarters, continuing coverage of--! Bum da da daaa!~

Avi: NATION. IN. CRISIS!

Will: (Avi, please...!)

Avi: Let's take things over to our eye in the sky, Avi, for the latest traffic report! Avi?

Avi: Uh, as you can see, Avi, the robot rampage is not letting up! It's chaos out here! CHAOS!

[MN.2] //: Is he seriously talking to himself again, are you kidding--

Avi: Thanks, Avi--as you can see, this is a dark, dark day for squishy humans everywhere--but, ya know, that's because they were soft and helpless to begin with! Am I right or am I right? HA!

Avi: So I ask you, fellow viewers--

Avi: Will this be the end of our proud republic?

Avi: Or will a HERO emerge to save the day?!

Avi: Heh, well, for one, I already have something of an answer!~

[The screen transitions once more, and--]

Beck: ....!

[...Beck finds himself staring at his own bewildered face.]

Avi: IT'S SURE AS HECK ISN'T GONNA BE THIS GUY!

[PING!]

[MN.6] //: Oh, MAN, this is gonna be good--how's it going, Beckingsdale?

[MN.6] //: Nice of you to blow in from the western front! Heh, get it?

[MN.9] //: Avi--

[MN.6] //: Were you just SO excited to see big bro that you decided to skip 4 and 5? Or do you just don't CARE?

[MN.9] //: What--Of COURSE I care--!

[MN.1] //: Leave him ALONE, No. 6!

[MN.6] //: Eeeey, lookie here, it's Big Bro! Cooked up some tasty treats for me?

[MN.2] //: CUT THE SMALL TALK, AVI--WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, HOVERMORON--!

[MN.6] //: Nah, not really! One sec--

<RMDC>: > ALERT: MNN-006 HAS BEEN RAISED TO THREAT LEVEL BLUE.

[Thiiiiis was not starting off so good.]

[The screen cuts off from Beck to Avi once more--]

Avi: Yup, as you can see, this guy thinks he can waltz up here and try to put our global campaign on hold--PERMANENT hold. That isn't gonna fly.

Avi: Why? Well--I'll show you all in bit, so stay tuned!

Avi: But whatever happens, Avi News will be there--your number one and ONLY source for ethical journalism!

Avi: We report, and YOU...eh...do whatever you want with it. Until next time, good night, and GOOD LUCK! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[KSSSSSSSSSSST!]

[MN.6] //: AAAAAND SCENE! Little short and sweet, but we're on a tight schedule here.

[MN.9] //: Avi--PLEASE, listen to me--! You're malfunctioning, there's a virus in your systems and--

[MN.6] //: Hey, Becky. Interview time.

[MN.6] //: How many matches did you lose when you were on the team?

[MN.9] //: I...what?

[MN.6] //: Because you've got the biggest lose streak on RECORD, like--wow. I had no IDEA someone could be THAT lame. No WONDER Pyro kicked you out!

[MN.1] //: AVI--

[MN.6] //: And before you say ANYTHING, Big Bro, don't give me that 'for the good of the team' garbage. We all KNEW Beck just really sucked at combat and we couldn't afford to keep someone on him JUST to make sure he didn't get completely scrapped.

[MN.6] //: Real sad part of it is that he never really seemed to get any BETTER. Not for a good WHILE, at least.

[MN.6] //: Heck, he can't even FLY straight when he had MY form!

[MN.9] //: ........

[MN.6] //: Man, Cryo was right--you ARE a real runt.

[MN.2] //: AVI YOU BETTER STOP TALKING OR I'M--

[MN.6] //: You'll WHAT. Freeze me? Punch me in the face?

[MN.2] //: HELL YEAH I WILL!

[MN.6] //: ...Typical.

[MN.6] //: Always with the threats--it's starting to get REAL old. I got enough of those already, so save your breath.

[MN.2] //: ...???

[Beck was already at the other side of the tower--there were some strong winds coming from the west, and part of him wondered if that was also Avi's doing somehow...]

[MN.6] //: But we're getting off point.

[MN.6] //: You don't mind if I...say, replay some of those lame matches over the air, do ya?~

[MN.9] //: --??

[MN.6] //: Ya know, just to give our viewers a little REMINDER that this is the short-stack that's trying to run around and save the whole world like he's some SUPERHERO or something. YAWN.

[Data fuzz.]

[kkkkkkkkk…]

[…That familiar static again.

It died down, but…]

[Suddenly, music was playing.]

[And Avi CERTAINLY wasn’t the one playing it.]

[MN.6] //: --?

[MN.9] //: !

[MN.6] //: UGH, I THOUGHT that was fixed--

[MN.6] //: ....Wait a second--that's not part of my soundtrack--!

[It was an acoustic soundtrack—one that seemed…

…uncomfortably familiar.]

[It played through an entire cycle of two verses and refrains—wordless, though, making it even eerier—bebeats fore dying down and fading away.]

[MN.6] //: ....

[MN.6] //: Oooookay...

[MN.6] //: Gonna have to look into that after I'm done with you.

[MN.9] //: (Was...was that who I think it was...?)

[…They HAD warned about side effects…

But… Toby was still Offline, right?]

[MN.9] //: (If...if it was...but...oh no...)

[Fearing the worst--Beck climbs up the tower faster, using Cryo's form effectively disable and absorb the robots that stood in his way.]

Soi: ...!

Soi: Heads up, Beck! I think we found a faster way up the tower!

Beck: Whoa--really?

Soi: Grab that Hula-Heli hoop near the other side of the tower--you can use it to board the blimp airship and ride it to the top!

Will: --! Ah--! That'll work...

[There was a small robot with a large red light in the center, along with some fairly well-sized propellers on either side--they looked like they could support his weight.]

Will: This'll save us time--once you're at the top, you can get the jump on Avi!

[There was a bright yellow hoop for him to grab onto--the light on the Hula-Heli changed from red to blue once it felt the required weight achieved, and gently started to float over towards the direction of the blimp.]

Beck: (Don't look down, don'tlookdown--)

Beck: (Gotta minimize impact, just--close your eyes, yeah--)

[The ride ended rather quickly, though, and soon Beck felt his feet touch...wood?]

Soi: He's on the deck! He'll be safely up the tower in no time--

[WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR--!]

Will: --!!

Will: Don't count your atoms before they're smashed, Sanda--look!

[That...]

[That was another airship--but it had been outfitted with multiple CherryDyn models, loaded with missiles and weapons!]

Will: He's been spotted!

[KSSSSSST--]

[MN.6] //: More like ANTICIPATED, dear old Dad!

[MN.6] //: Did you REALLY think I wouldn't hear you, Sanda-Bag, and Miss Siri over there trying to HELP this waste of Xel?

-PING.-

Beck: Oh no--

[The front gun started to fire at Nine, it's large, single eye locking onto him--]

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN.]

[MN.6] //: --?

[MN.6] //: Whoops, sorry, I got a caller--I'll be RIIIIIGHT back!~

Will: (What...?)

{Some Time Later…}

[C R A S H--!]

Avi: WHOA--!!

[There was a HUGE tremor--the WHOLE tower suddenly LURCHED to one side, and all comms fuzzed out into static for a few moments--]

Avi: What the--??!

[MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE--]

Beck: ....Oops...

Will: Oh goodness--!

[MN.2] //: BRO WHAT THE HECK??

[MN.9] //: IT WASN'T MY FAULT THE ATTACK AIRSHIP CRASHED INTO THE TOWER--

[MN.1] //: IT WHAT?!

[MN.9] //: IT JUST STARTED SPINNING ONE WAY AND THEN--AAAAAH--

Soi: ...Well, at least the tower is still intact...

[MN.1] //: Beck--you can't just--

[MN.9] //: I know I know I'm sorry I didn't know it would do that I--

Will: It's a miracle the blimp is still airborne...

[MN.1] //: Next time, PLEASE don't over charge Burning Spirit like that--it really DOES have a wide blast radius--

[KSSSSSSSSST!]

"And now, Avi News traffic, from the Avi-1 eye-in-the-sky traffic copter!"

[....That...]

[...wasn't just from the feeds--!]

Avi: HEYO, AIRSHIP WRECKER.

[It was the Pungeon Master HIMSELF--dropping in from high above the clouds, twirling over once before hovering at a fair distance away from the blimp, a camera bot flying by his side.]

Beck: Avi!

Avi: We have an accident about to happen on the airship, Avi--

[He suddenly dove down, out of sight--]

Beck: AVI!

[Beck dashed forward, hands gripping the railings of the blimp in order to look down for his brother...]

[WHOOSH--!]

Beck: --!!!

[Avi reappeared, alright--]

[With a whole squadron of aerial CherryDyn models--their missiles all pointed at Beck and the airship!]

Avi: A PIECE OF TRASH CAUSING TROUBLE--

Beck: WAH--!

[MN.1] //: BECK--!

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

[.....Zzt.]

[Zzzzzzt.]

[BZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!]

[C R A C K!]

[Without warning--a HUGE flash! The air is filled energy! Comms fill with static--!]

[MN.3 IS NOW ONLINE. COMBAT MODE: ENGAGED.]

Dyna: AAAAAVIIIIIIII!!!

Beck: ?!?

Beck: DYNA?!?

[There is a BLAST of music over ALL the comms—]

“POWER UP THE REVOLUTION! IT’S TIME FOR AN EVOLUTION! OF CIRRRRCUIIIIITRYYYYY!”

Avi: Huh--?!

Dyna: GET YOUR ZZZZSICK CHASSISZZ OVER HERE--

[The restored Electric Maiden threw a flurry of bits at the CherryDyns--each of them sticking magnetically--and with a snap of her fingers--]

[ZZZZZZZZZZZZRT!]

[They shorted out, one by one, their blackened husks falling back down to Earth.]

Dyna: ZZZSO I CAN SHOCK ZZSOME R E A L ZZZSENSE INTO YOU!

[MN.1] //: DYNA!

[MN.2] //: YEEEEAAAH, GO SIS, SHOW 'EM--!

Will: How did she even get out of the lab without any of us--??

Soi: Call??

Call: Dynatron insisted I block her signals and data once she came Online.

Dyna: Yeah, cuzzz I knew HOVERBUTT WASZZ LISZZENING.

Avi: Ah--Uh...

Dyna: YOU--!!

Dyna: DO YOU HAVE A N Y IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU'RE HURTING?!

[BZZZZZZZT--!]

Dyna: WHAT YOU DID TO TOBY--?!

Avi: --?!

Avi: What?

Avi: (Who's...)

[Another fuzz. Toby’s voice echoes—as if it’s replaying from a memory file.]

“You don’t know what you’re getting into!”

Avi: Argh--stop it--

Dyna: YOU'D BETTER ZZZSNAP OUT OF IT, AVI--

[ZZZZZZZZZZ--]

Dyna: OR E L S Z Z E !

Avi: I mean--oh no--

Avi: ....-AUDIBLE GULP-

Avi: Breaking News: the piece of trash brought a friend and is no fun at all! 8'D

[Without another word, Avi jets off into the clouds, leaving only a pair of white streams in his wake.]

Dyna: YEAH, GO BACK UP TO YOUR ZZSTUPID TOWER, YOU QUACK! -HISSSSS-

Dyna: Wait until I get my clawszz on you... -BZZZZZZ-

[Another fuzz.]

[GhhhZZZZzzzddDDT.]

“I… I c-can’t let you make my mistakes…!”

Dyna: --!!

Dyna: Toby...?

<RMDC>: > DATA CONTRADICTION ERROR: DLN-008 IS OFFLINE. CONNECTION FAILED. ISOLATING SOURCE…

<RMDC>: > SOURCE ORIGIN IDENTIFIED

<RMDC>: > POINT OF ORIGIN: MNN-006

Dyna: .....!

Beck: Dynnnaaaaaa!

[Waving from the airship was a default form Beck, waving his left arm back and forth as tears of joy welled up in the corners of his eyes.]

Beck: Dynaaaa!

Dyna: ! Becky!~

[.....And just like that, she was back to a cheerful demeanor, as if she WASN'T thinking about tearing her brother to bits not two seconds ago.]

Beck: Dyna--how--when--

[Dyna just floated over to the blimp with a smile on her face, gently patting her little brother on his head with a poncho covered hand.]

Dyna: I woke up when you were already boarding the airship--Call noticed and filled me in.

Dyna: I dunno what Avi was doing during that time, but I aszzked Call to block my zzzsignalszz and data so he wouldn't notice. Good thing, too, you were almoszzt toast back there!

Call: Mighty No. 3's support will greatly increase the mission's chances of success.

Will: Oh, dear....what will I ever do with you all...?

Soi: Eheh...can't blame them, Will...they just want to help.

Dyna: Zzzsorry, Daddy.~

Dyna: But I don't have time to be moping.

Dyna: Lemmie get you off thiszzz thing and back to the tower, Mkay?~

Beck: Thanks, Dyna...!

[A wave of her hand and Beck gently floated up and to her side, which was better than riding the Hula-Heli--he trusted his sister a lot more than that thing, at least.]

[MN.1] //: What I want to know is how in the WORLD did you sneak by us? We were in the SAME repair room--

[MN.3] //: I have my wayszz, Big Bro.~

[MN.2] //: DYNADYNADYNA--

[MN.3] //: Cryooooo!~

[MN.2] //: AAAAAH I MISSED YOU AAAAAAAH--

[MN.2] //: -SNIFF-

[MN.3] //: I missed you too, Big Sis.~ Don't cry--

[MN.2] //: I'M NOT CRYING--MY TANK IS STILL BROKEN--

[MN.1] //: ...No it isn't, Father just--

[MN.2] //: SSSSSHHHHHUT UUUUUP--

[MN.9] //: Heh...

[...This was more like it...]

[This....this felt...familiar. All this.]

[Slowly--slowly, he was piecing his family back together again....]

[MN.9] //: Over there is fine, Dyna.

[He just had to keep going. No matter what.]

[He had to try.]

[Beck touched down on another platform on the tower--the winds were REALLY kicking up the higher he went, now--even Dyna had to compensate for the harsh gales.]

Dyna: You sure you don't want me to fly you to the top?!

Beck: Avi will be expecting that! I gotta climb this myself--I don't want him hurting you and regretting it later!

Beck: (He's already done enough for that...)

Dyna: ......

[There was a troubled look on her face--she didn't want to leave Beck to her ill brother, and...]

"I can't let you make my mistakes...!"

Dyna: .........

Dyna: Becky?

Beck: Yeah?

Dyna: Give him a REAL good shock for me. And Toby.

Beck: Uh...

Beck: I...I'll try....

Beck: But--you gotta get out of here before Avi comes back.

Will: Beck's right, Dyna--come home for now. Please.

Dyna: ......

Dyna: Fiiiine...

Call: Preparing Xel Transfer...

Beck: And Dyna?

Dyna: .....

Beck: We need to be there for Avi WHEN he comes home.

Beck: ....It was never his fault when...Toby...

Beck: ......

Beck: Please don't be mad at him.

Beck: Toby would be really sad if you guys were still fighting after this.

Dyna: ......

Dyna: Yeah, he...would, wouldn't he...

Dyna: .....Toby....

Beck: Toby was just trying to stop Avi...

Beck: .......

Beck: Please don't blame them...!

Dyna: ........

Dyna: -Siiiigh-

Dyna: I...mng. But ONLY if Avi apologizeszz.

Beck: Yeah, that won't be hard...

Dyna: .....You bring him back home, OK?

Dyna: ....Avi might be a dork but he'szzz OUR dork.

Dyna: ....I...I miszzs him too...

Beck: Yeah. I will. I swear.

Call: Xel Transfer Initiated.

Dyna: Zzstay zzsafe...!

Beck: Got it, Dyna...!

[A flash of yellow and purple, and then, nothing.]

Call: Xel Transfer complete. Welcome back, No. 3.

Cryo: -GLOMP TACKLE, SIS SIS SIIIIIIIIIIS--

Pyro: -Excuse us ladies, we're just gonna collect the both of you in a big hug now.-

Dyna: ~<3

Beck: .....

[Slowly, one by one.]

[Beck once again looked to the sky.]

Beck: Almost there...

Beck: Avi...!

Beck: Ready or not--!

Beck: Here I come!

——————————————————

[Several more levels of the tower lay above--there were even less platforms, but more Hula-Heli's around--it made climbing up a little easier--although he had to shoot the robots that hung from them first. They gave him Absorption boosts, however, and filled both of his Xel Stocks--he decided to save those for later.]

[Eventually, he reached the right side of the tower--]

[WHOOOOOSH!]

Beck: Ngh--!

[The wind speed had increased dramatically here--what was going on with the weather...?]

Beck: (It--can't be Avi, can it?)

[KSSSSSSST!]

Beck: Oh no come ON--

Avi: This just in: bad guy spotted at the west side of the radio tower! Bots are in pursuit!

Beck: In pur--

[Following Avi was another squadron of CherryDyn Models--, and not only that, there were MORE of them that littered the platforms ahead!]

Beck: --!!

Will: Beck--there's another Hula-Heli just above you! Grab it!

[Nine quickly jumped to latch onto the hoop by his hands, and he was rapidly carried of towards the nearest platform.]

Beck: (Argh, these winds...!)

Avi: … …

Avi: And now to Avi for the weather! :D

Avi: THANKS, AVI, WE GOT STRONG WINDS OUT THERE TODAY, BE CAAAAREFUUUL!

Beck: Are you the one doing this, Avi?!

[Avi merely cackled as he sped off into the sky again, vanishing from sight.]

Beck: A V I !

[With a small groan of frustration, Beck locked down his visor over his face for some protection against the wind--he wouldn't quite put it past Avi to have gained some control over wind currents, if the virus DID grant him that...]

Beck: Hang on, bro...

[The platforms eventually led him further out--and then back to the tower, where he used Cryo's form to freeze more than a few CherryDyn bots--]

Beck: --!!

[Wait--was that a door? Leading inside! FINALLY, some shelter from these unforgiving winds!]

Beck: I am so taking the stairs--

[......]

[...Or...not. More ladders.]

Beck: UGH--!

Beck: Ladders, why ladders, I would have taken more Hula-Helis...

[All Beck could do was grumble under his breath while climbing up the first set.. And many, MANY more after that.]

Beck: WHY ARE THERE SO MANY LADDERS, AVI DOESN'T EVEN NEED THEM--

Beck: I'm never using another ladder ever, uuuuugh--

Soi: Oof...poor Beck...

[After climbing who know HOW many more levels--just how high WAS this tower?--Beck stepped over the last rung into a long, open hallway that lead back outside....]

Beck: ---!!!

[With no open platforms OR Hula-Helis in sight. It was just open air.]

Beck: Wha--!

Beck: Dad--there's no way to--!

Will: Hold on--!

Soi: Look around, Beck--are you sure there isn't anything you can use?

Beck: Ack--no...!

Beck: All there is is a lot of--

[WHOOOOSH!]

Beck: --!!!

[The air currents--they weren't blowing left or right--]

[But up.]

Beck: .......

Beck: ............

[.....Up....]

[....Maybe... maybe...]

[MN.3] //: ....Becky? You OK? (Why did he go quiet all of a zzsudden...?)

[MN.1] //: .....!!!

[MN.1] //: BECK WHATEVER YOU'RE THINKING, DON'T--!!

[MN.2] //: oh NOOO, BECK, NO CRAZY STUNTS--!

[MN.3] //: -DATA WHY IS EVERYONE PANICKY ALL OF A SUDDEN--?!?-

Will: BECK--!

Soi: DON'T--!

Beck: Guys I'm really sorry in advance--

[He took a huge step back...]

[MN.3] //: ...wait wait BECK--WHAT ARE YOU DOING--

[--and jumped--?!]

[He started glowing at the peak of his jump--he was going into an AcXelarate Dash--!]

[....Wait--]

[Something was different.]

[He moved rapidly left, like in a normal dash--but his form, his Xels--]

[Like back in the Turbine room, they had changed mid-dash, but instead of compressing--they expanded. ]

[So much so that with the current wind speed--]

[Instead of falling --the winds propelled him upwards!]

Will: ...!!

Soi: What the--....

[Once he reaches the end of his dash--he does so AGAIN, this time in the other direction, to his right--and the same process occurred once more, propelling him up and up with the wind acting as a sort of sail...]

[MN.1] //: I...??

[MN.2] //: He's... gliding...!?

Beck: (--It's working--!)

[MN.3] //: -BZZZ, HOW IS HE DOING THAT, WHAT EVEN--

Will: He changed his dash--his own Xel Structures... (Again...this is twice now...)

Will: (He can't be....unless...)

Will: (It's...already started--?)

[With the unlimited uses his Dash ability had, he could glide up the side of the tower safely, as long as he didn't let up...]

Beck: --! (Hey--a ledge!)

[Not a platform, but it will do.]

Beck: Ngh--

[It looked like there was another just above it--and another--]

Beck: Come on, one platform, that's all I ask--

[....!]

[Hula Heli--!]

Beck: FINALLY--

[Jump--ride to another platform, thank heavens--]

Beck: .....

[Wait why was the world going up--]

Beck: --!!!

[Beck dashed and glided away before the single platform that had graced him lost it's propulsion and fell--]

Beck: (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!)

Will: .....

Will: He...He's going to be there a while, isn't he...?

Soi: I...maybe...??

['Maybe' was an understatement. With temporary platforms and limited hanging points, it took at LEAST another 10 minutes to climb up the tower--mostly due to the fact that the east side of the upper tower walls was completely covered in Xel disrupting spikes.]

[But at last...]

[At last...]

[At long last, another entrance back into the tower...]

[And the Patch bot waiting at the final Hula Heli that would take him to the apex.]

Beck: Thanks, Sunny...

Sunny: (^^)

[After unloading her cargo--which was much needed Xel Storage Cubes--she flew off.]

Beck: .....

Beck: Avi....

Beck: I'm here...

Beck: Here to save you...!

[Click.]

[Wrrrrr....]

Will: -Shaky sigh-

Will: S-Soi--...

Soi: I got you, Will. Don't worry--he can do it...

Soi: He's got to...

—————————————————

[KSSSSSSSSSSSST!]

[Every television—working, that is—and every radio channel in the country....]

[Avi was broadcasting himself on all of them. Every single one.]

Avi: And now, live from atop Avi News Headquarters, continuing coverage of-- Dun Dun Dun Dun--!

Avi: TOWER. OF. TERROR!

[Kkkkkkk…]

[Those with a radio would hear an odd, barely audible static overlay. And those with a video screen?

…An even stranger visual glitch…]

[…Or at least… that’s what one had to assume of the vague, ghostly pixie-sized ball of light that seemed to be hovering behind Avi’s left shoulder.]

[Both things kept blinking in and out, so… clearly they had to be just bugs in the system.

Clearly.]

[The shot zoomed out, and one could hear the unrelenting winds that tore at the top of the tower--which was only three platforms, really...]

[Standing right in the middle of them was Beck, his expression...not hard, per se, but...]

[One could take it as either anger, determination, or resolve. Or all three. ]

[Avi didn't seem to be bothered at all by the unfavorable conditions--in fact, as he and his camera spun around the smaller Mighty Number...]

Avi: And now to Avi for the weather!

[And--the VOLUME, WHEN DID IT GET SO HIGH--]

Avi: THANKS, AVI, WE GOT STRONG WINDS OUT THERE TODAY, BEEE CAREFULLLL!~

Beck: Argh--!

[KKKKKKKKKKK…]

[The… static kept going IN and OUT and IN and OUT—]

[At first it seemed RANDOM, but—]

[Wait was that MORSE CODE IN STATIC—]

{SAVE US}

Avi: --... ... ...

Avi: Ladies and Gentlemen, please be advised that we are experiencing some technical difficulties during our broadcast, so please bear with us...

Avi: (Stupid annoying--!!)

[KKKKKKKKKKKK—!]

{HOWEVER YOU MUST!!!}

Avi: UGH--WILL YOU SHUT UP?!

Beck: --!! I GOT THIS, TOBY--!!

Beck: I'LL SAVE HIM--!!

[And then, the form became more visible.]

[Only MUCH larger than the LAST time Beck had seen a Robosoul—life sized, really—!]

Beck: --!!!

Avi: --?!?

[He also didn’t look nearly as COMPLETE—as if he really WERE just a ghost—

—though other than that brief appearance, possibly out of sheer defiance, he only left one thing behind—a fading, echoing lyric—]

“But to your aid An unlikely friend! Programmed to Fight ’til the very END!”

Beck: (TOBY--!!)

Avi?: Y O U--!!

Beck: (Wh-what? That doesn't sound like Avi—!)

Avi?: YOU'RE the GLITCH!

[He would immediately regret that statement.]

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE FOUND.

[A song BLARED over the comms.]

“We are the city We are the heart We are the life force We are the SPARK!”

Avi: GRRR...!

Avi: I don't have TIME to deal with you now--WAIT YOUR TURN...

[He turns his attention to Beck, who already had his arm cannon primed and ready for battle.]

Avi: News Flash: Exclusive footage caught at Avi News World Headquarters of Mighty No. 9....

Avi: MOMENTS BEFORE HE FELL TO HIS TRAGIC DEATH!

[A MUCH harsher blast of—not MUSIC, but—]

[Cold.]

[It was so cold and wet and dark—]

[It was as if the CENTRAL CORE were EXPOSED.]

Avi: NGH--!

[SCANNING....]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

[E N C O U N T E R.]

[MODEL: MIGHTY NO. 6, CODENAME: AVIATOR.]

[HEIGHT: 220cm WEIGHT: 150kg XEL COUNT: 30,000,000]

Avi: ....Heh...

Avi: Ooo, sorry Beck-am, your segment is getting cut!

[There was a HORRIFIC screech at that—

Followed by INCREDIBLE PAIN beyond measure.

Luckily for Avi, it was short-lived, but OW—!]

Avi: NNNGH--!!

[Beck took this chance to jump and land a few shots while Avi was distracted--which causes him to stumble back and fly JUST out of reach.]

Avi: Oh, you little—!

[Static Morse.]

{YOU'RE THE ONE TRIPPING OVER ALL THE TRIGGERS, GLITCHFRAG IT!}

{WHAT DID YOU EXPECT BY TAPPING INTO OUR NEURAL NETWORK?!}

[LOUDER static.]

{TRYING TO SPARE YOU BUT NOT FULLY HERE}

{CAN'T CONTROL THE GENERATION!}

Avi: SHUT IT, SPARKY. I'M TRYING TO GET THINGS D O N E HERE--!

[He shifted into his Jet Plane mode, banking hard left and around the tower--]

[Wait--]

[That's too close--]

Beck: AHHH--!

[Beck dashed out of the way just in time to avoid being rammed by Avi--if he got hit at those speeds, he wouldn't just fall, he'd get launched off the tower.]

{AAAAAUUUGH AVI YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND—}

{WHEN YOU TRIED TO TAKE OVER, YOU FUSED US TOGETHER!}

{YOU ARE NOW SUBJECT TO OUR FAMILY'S CROSS-REFERENCES!}

Avi: GH...!

Avi: NO THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR LAME BORG SET UP--!!

Avi: I'll have to DO something about that L A T E R--

[WOAH. A sudden erratic shift in Avi’s electrical flow, OW—]

<DLN-008 HAS ENTERED LETHAL COMBAT MODE.>

{DARE HUNT MY BROTHERS AND I WILL TAKE US ALL OUT, DON'T THINK I WON'T, AVI!}

Avi: ARGH--!

Beck: AVI--!!

[Avi was flying a little erratically, now; for a moment it seemed as if--]

{I AM NOT AFRAID TO USE WHAT CONTROL I SEIZE FROM YOU GUYS TO ADD ONE MORE DEATH ENTRY TO OUR LIST! I WILL SMITE YOU RIGHT OUT OF THE SKY!}

Beck: —!!! PLEASE, DON'T—

[Avi's flying was erratic enough to show that he was hardly in full control of his movement—Tobias was already making good on his threat. If this kept up…!]

Beck: STOP! I CAN DO THIS—! LET ME SAVE HIM!

[There was a twisted, garbled, static-filled cry of despair.]

{MY FAULT—}

{ALWAYS…}

{MY FAULT!!!}

[Avi's helicopter blades suddenly locked up.]

Beck: NO—!!!

[There was a scream—]

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHH—!!!"

[—and Beck had to dive out of the way as Avi shot back up into the sky.]

<DLN-008 IS OFFLINE.>

Avi: I swear I'm gonna...gonna...

[There was no response from the fragment of Toby’s mind—presumably, it had fainted when it seemed Avi was about to fall.]

Avi: You....don't GET IT...

Beck: .....!

Avi: All I ever wanted was to make people laugh. And smile, and feel GOOD about themselves--

Avi: That's what I am--a SUPPORT unit! SUPPORT!

Avi: AND YOU ALL SAY--SAY I'M ANNOYING--

Avi: A BLABBERMOUTH--A BOTHER--!!

Avi: WELL, EXCUUUUUUUUSE ME FOR TRYING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER WHEN THEY AREN'T!

Avi: EXCUSE ME FOR BEING WHO I A M--

Avi: EXCUSE ME FOR BEING WHAT I WAS B U I L T TO BE--!!

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE FOUND.

[But the music played did not hamper Avi this time—rather, it only seemed to REFLECT some sort of bitter torment and sorrow.]

“No one in this world can understand Who I am— That is why I’m my own biggest fan!”

Avi: YOU DON'T GET IT--YOU ALL N E V E R HAVE--!!

“Do you know what it’s like to be built this way? With only the power to push others away?”

Avi: SO IF I CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH--IF I CAN'T BE WHO I AM--IF I CAN'T BRING GOOD THROUGH WHAT I LIKE TO DO--

“For if I can’t walk among them Then I will walk the world alone There’ll be a fire in the sky And your doom will rain down!”

Avi: N O. O N E. C A N!

[In his sheer rage, demonic flames and voice taking over, Avi raced around the sky trailing violet flames, the bomb panels on his feet unfolding--]

Avi: SPECIAL DELIVERY, TRASH FACE!

Beck: --!!

[An incoming air strike--!]

[Beck had two options--Dash Glide out of danger, or shoot the bombs before they hit the ground...]

Beck: (Avi's bomb range is wide enough--better dodge--!)

[Jumping from the middle, he dashed left and right, the bombs passing harmlessly in between--although they certainly rocked the tower beneath them!]

Beck: (No--! If he keeps doing that--!)

Beck: DAD--?!

[KSSSSSST--]

Beck: No--!!

[No advice from family. No input from Toby now, either.

It was all up to him…!]

Avi: Headline: Boss attacks Beck!

[He heard machine gun fire--and suddenly, Avi again, on the opposite side, doing a offensive fly by--!]

Beck: O W--!!

[The shots nail him, and he is knocked onto his back--]

Avi: Correction--

Avi: T W I C E !~

[When-- when did he get upside down--]

[More machine gun fire! No, it wasn't BECK that was upside down--it was Avi!]

Beck: HRK--

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[Not even halfway through and he already had to use a Xel Stock--]

[Not. Good.]

Beck: ......

Beck: (Avi....)

Avi: Aw, what's wrong, loser?! Can't handle my air raids?!

Beck: Avi...

Beck: Stop.

[.......? Beck's....tone....]

Beck: Just let me SAVE you...please...

Beck: I don't want to hurt you any more than I HAVE to.

Avi: Oh, so now YOU'RE making threats?

Beck: Last chance, Avi--

Beck: STAND DOWN.

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE FOUND.

“I stand before a line in the sand The fight lies ahead The fate in my hands Today the end begins

One step and the battle is born The road that I walk Is a gathering storm Today the end begins!”

Avi: WHOA, orders? I'M the one that's--

Beck: [ S T A N D.]

[-PING!-]

[XEL OVERRIDE: TEMPORARILY ACTIVE.]

Beck: [D O W N!]

[COMMAND CONFIRMED.]

[MN.6'S WEAPONS SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISABLED.]

Avi: --!?!?

Avi: What...why aren't my weapons--?!

[REXELECTION: DYNATRON ]

Beck: AVI!

Beck: JUST LET ME H E L P YOU--!!!

Avi: Wh--I...-

[BZZZZZZZZZT!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Avi: ACK--THAT--STINGS--

[BZZZZZZT--!!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Beck: Almost there--

Avi: YOU--YOU WON'T...!

[BZZZZZT!]

Beck: I can and I WILL--!!

Beck: I SWORE I WOULD SAVE YOU--

[XEL ABSORBED--]

Beck: I SWORE TO EVERYONE--!

[XEL QUOTA REACHED.]

Beck: I SWORE IT!

Beck: I'M NOT GOING BACK ON THAT PROMISE--NOT FOR ANYTHING!

Beck: SO FOR O N C E IN YOUR L I F E, AVIATOR--

[XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE.]

Beck: SHUT UP AND LET ME RESCUE YOU!

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

Avi: Ah--

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

"Here we are, Becko!"

"Nnnnngh I don't wanna look I don't wanna look--"

"Aw, don't be scared, bro, we're OK! I'd never let you go at THIS height."

"WE A R E UP HIGH, I KNEW IT--"

"Broooooo--bro. Bro. There's nothing to be afraid of up here, little guy! Absolutely nothiiiiing.~"

"But--But--"

"Just open up those peepers for, like, two seconds--just two, straight ahead. OK?"

"......."

"Coooome oooooon, I know you waaaaant tooooo!~"

"............."

"I'll treat ya to ice cream afterwards.~"

"..........Okaaaaay...."

"......!!!"

"Eh? What do ya think?"

"I....It's....so....pretty...."

"I know, right?"

"Nothing like a good old California sunset, huh..."

"Really makes ya appreciate the little things..."

"Like you!~"

"Aviiiii--"

[.......]

Avi: U....Uh....ha....

"Now onto my surprise!"

"Surprise...?"

"Hold on to your goggles, Beckoroni--"

Avi: Wha---

"Today, you're gonna learn how to FLY!"

Avi: I....

Avi: I...Is that you, Beckles...?

Beck: !!!

[The green glow continued—only… now it was shifting to…

…some sort of… electrified yellow?]

Beck: --?!?

[THAT WAS NEW--]

[… … …]

“ ….. ”

“Listen bro.”

“… -Whine- ”

[…Wait… this wasn’t one of the memories HE had with Avi…]

“I mean, we don't BLAME you for thinking that way, just...what ELSE are you supposed to think, right? From your point of view.”

“ … I was just made to work in a power plant. Dad was the one who taught me about radio.”

[This had to be…!]

“I… I really liked Dr. King, especially.”

“ ..........”

“He… he was a really good speaker, and people listened to him. And then things started to get better. Because people were working together.”

“-Fervently- I still think we can do it…!”

“I think… I think if humans weren’t afraid… things could be okay.”

“They… can be so kind. So good. I know they can do it.”

“…Especially…”

“ ........ Heh…”

“Especially now that we met you guys.”

“It proves it’s possible!”

[… … …]

[And then—]

-PING!-

<RMDC>: > STATUS UPDATE: AI_DWN_008’s CRITICAL AI_OS ERROR HAS BEEN RESOLVED.

<RMDC>: > DLN-008 IS NOW COMPLETE AND FULLY OPERATIONAL.

Avi: H...Huh...?

[XEL PURGE COMPLETE. ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MN.6. DLN-008 HAS BEEN RESTORED.]

Beck: (Toby...!!)

<DLN-008>: > Uuuuuuggghhhhh…

<DLN-008>: > My head hurts sooOOOO MUUUUUCH, ow…

Avi: Wait what...what's...

Avi: M....My head hurts...what are you doing up here...

Avi: What...what am I doing up...?

<DLN-008>: > A-Avi…?

<DLN-008>: > … wOAH WOAH WOAH AUGH—AVI WHY AM I SEEING THROUGH YOUR EYES—

[…thooough it appears there were still a few… bugs to sort out.]

Avi: T...Toby...?

Avi: Wh...I...don't understand...

Beck: Avi--Avi--why don't you get over here if you're not feeling well--

Avi: Y...Yeah that...sounds...ow...

[Slowly and cautiously, Avi manages to land safely in the same platform as Beck, who immediately shares his last Xel Stock with him--]

Avi: I....dizzy...tired...

Beck: It's OK, Avi--

<DLN-008>: > This is so disorienting u-um…

<DLN-008>: > can I… can I just go to bed—

[THUD.]

[MN.6 HAS GONE INTO DEEP SLEEP MODE.]

<DLN-008 has gone into Deep Sleep mode.>

Beck: Avi--!! [....With Avi now not actively blocking communications...!] [-P I N G!-]

[…Things were now in motion!]

Will: ....! He--HE--!

Call: Attention: All communications have been freed from MN.6's control.

Soi: HE DID IT--!

-PING!-

Will: --!!!

[DR. SANDA AND DR. WHITE.] //: MIKHAIL!

-PING!-

<RMDC>: > REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGED. SENDING STATUS UPDATE TO MODERATOR DR.WHITE…

>DCN-008 STATUS: DEFENSIVE COMBAT MODE

>DCN-007 STATUS: DEFENSIVE COMBAT MODE

>DCN-003 STATUS: DEFENSIVE COMBAT MODE

>DCN-000 STATUS: ONLINE

>Loading…

>DWN-024 STATUS: OFFLINE

>DWN-019 STATUS: ONLINE

>DWN-018 STATUS: DEFENSIVE COMBAT MODE

>Loading…

>DWN-013 STATUS: OFFLINE

>DWN-012 STATUS: OFFLINE

>DWN-011 STATUS: OFFLINE

>Loading…

[…]

>Loading…

[…There seemed to be a delay…]

>Loading…

> -PING!-

>DLN-008 STATUS: DEEP SLEEP MODE

>Loading…

[-PING PING PING-]

[UPDATING...]

[MN.1 STATUS: ONLINE.]

[MN. 2 STATUS: ONLINE.]

[MN.3 STATUS: ONLINE.]

[MN.4 STATUS: UNAVAILABLE.]

[MN.5 STATUS: MALWARE DETECTED.]

[MN.6 STATUS: DEEP SLEEP MODE.]

[MN.7 STATUS: MALWARE DETECTED]

[MN.8 STATUS: UNAVAILABLE.]

[MN.9 STATUS: ONLINE.]

>Loading…

>Loading… … …

>ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND. SEARCHING…

> ERROR: DLN-000 SIGNAL NOT FOUND.

[PING!]

[MN.2] //: BROOOOOOOOOS!

[MN.1] //: We're connected at last--!

[MN.3] //: OhmygoshYOUGUYSAREOK--ZZZSORTOF--

[MN.9] //: -TIRED DATA BUT ALSO JOYUS DATA-

[The feed didn’t come up immediately.

Instead…

The first thing was a wave of abstract data.

It was very basic, not even having words—the family was overjoyed to hear from them again. To know their friends were alive, that they were well—that they had been rescued, they had been SAVED!

There was concern and worry, reassurance and comfort—all unique and individual to all those who sent it… which was pretty much everyone who was awake.]

[…But then… then there was a prick of guilt, that grew into a needle stab and then a spreading shame.

It settled into a general and shared concern—

“Aviator…? Is he okay?”]

[MN.9] //: A-Avi....

[DR.WHITE] //: ....He's...passed out...

[Mikhail finally switched the feed fully on, minus the sound, for now—letting it display as a caption, instead. He truly seemed closer to his true age, now—he looked tired, and clearly hadn’t taken care of himself as best he should.

He held up his hands and began signing his thoughts to them.]

Mikhail: “Praise God to see you again, Will.” -Pauses- “This would be chaos except after all that was before, we are just very relieved and tired.”

[Gemini was already at the controls, preparing to send over the full analysis file to Call. Mikhail started typing at the keyboard. His sons knew better than to make too much noise right now—sometimes, their father just got into a mood where he needed things to be really quiet.]

<MC005>: >I vote we all get some rest for once, before anything else.

<DCN-000>: > OKAY AS LONG AS WE GET TO GIVE THEM ICE CREAM LATER.

<MC005>: >David, it is WAY past your bedtime…

Will: (Oh, Mikhail...)

Soi: Oh yeah--yeah, that sounds good--

Call: Preparing Xel Transfer...

Cryo: I SECOND THAT MOTION, ICE CUBE oh my gosh it's so good to see your tiny face--

<DCN-000>: > NIGHTYNIGHT MISS CRYO I’LL TALK TO YOU LATER I GUESS—

<MC005>: >I’ll…

<MC005>: > …honestly probably end up being woken up by the Princess once she hears the news and that is when we’ll speak again…

<MC005>: > I’ll tell you all I know then. It is so good to see you again…!

<MC005>: >I can rest a little easier now. …Promise me you’ll do the same?

<MC005>: > I’ll see you then.

Will: Yes, I'll...see you later...

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dauntlesstales

5 years ago

=CHAPTER 1C: RAGING FLAMES SMOLDER=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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{Meanwhile… Kansas City Zoo}

[Evacuating the zoo had been more of a hassle than Cardinal had anticipated.

The first order of business upon arriving had been to take out the infected animal-themed Industrials that had gathered around the gate entrance. While it hadn’t been very difficult to pull off, it had scared a number of the people who saw the fight. Convincing them that he wasn’t there to hurt them hadn’t been very successful, much to his chagrin… but not exactly to his surprise.

Then he spent a good fifteen to twenty minutes “detained” by one of the members of security, who insisted on getting verification of Cardinal’s story. Contacting other witnesses (besides Drake) who could speak up on his behalf had taken a while, and even then, the security team member did not seem pleased.

Cardinal was growing impatient by this time, frustrated at being unable to help; he was not used to waiting to get permission to carry out his heroics. For the first time, he really felt how a lack of recognizable identity prevented him from gaining others’ trust. (The fact that neither his brother nor his best friends would have this problem was a point of contention that was not lost on the somewhat resentful prototype.)

After his good intentions had been verified, he was put to work under the direction of the zoo personnel. Most of the infected Civilian constructs had already been detained and subdued, and thankfully the security team had been able to handle a lot of the “incidents” they had caused. The rogue Industrials, however, were another matter. Even after the visitors had been evacuated, he’d felt obliged to stay on.

He’d gone from exhibit to exhibit with the assistance of the staff in order to subdue and remove the infected Industrials from the exhibits they normally monitored. In many cases, the rogue Industrials had already been mauled by the animals themselves, which—while it made his job easier—did pose a biohazard. In other cases… he had to enter into the exhibit and wrangle the threat without causing much more agitation from the genuine animals.

Easier said than done. With all the animals in the 202 acres the zoo had to offer, it took the rest of the day to clear it all up.]

Cardinal: -Sighs, tapping his fingers against the water glass- Well. That certainly didn’t go as expected.

[Once all had been said and done, the staff insisted on him and Drake having dinner “on the house” from one of the zoo’s restaurants. Cardinal had ordered pizza out of politeness—and had eaten most of it. (The rest he’d given to Jazz.) Drake had ordered a more balanced meal, though Cardinal hadn’t been paying much attention to the meal or the conversation.]

Drake: You sound disappointed.

Cardinal: Frustrated, perhaps. Time is of the essence here. There are other places I need to be.

Drake: So you were serious about wanting to go all around the city?

[Cardinal drained his glass.]

Cardinal: Yes. I suppose it was a bit much to expect I could get it all done today, but… I didn’t take into consideration how long it would take to get people to listen. -Grumbles- And I certainly didn’t expect to be told what to do…

Drake: Well, you did a good job anyway.

Cardinal: Thanks.

[There was silence for a moment.]

Drake: I’ve been wondering something…

Cardinal: Yeah?

Drake: How come you weren’t infected?

[Cardinal froze, holding perfectly still.]

Cardinal: (Nnng…)

Drake: Seems like everyone else has just gone nuts.

[His mind raced, and he found himself speaking without even thinking.]

Cardinal: Not everyone. Some of the security team here were Xelbots. Something about a failsafe, I think.

Drake: -Snaps his fingers- Oh yeah, they did mention that…. Almost forgot, since mostly they were working with you, not me.

Cardinal: I don’t know why some Xelbots got infected and some didn’t. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, even with what I know….

[He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.]

Cardinal: There’s only one person I can think of who might be able to tell us, and I couldn’t contact them earlier today when I tried.

Drake: You almost make it sound like you know what this is.

Cardinal: Mmmmn… maybe.

Drake: …Really?

[His companion gave a cross between a skeptical and a confused look.]

Cardinal: Sorry to disappoint, but it’s nothing so grand or mysterious. I’ve just seen something like this before.

Drake: Dude, everything about you right now is mysterious.

Cardinal: Fair enough. I suppose if you want some storytime, I can tell you while you eat.

[He fiddled with his scarf as he talked.]

Cardinal: Explaining where I’m from and stuff would take longer than we have, and I don’t want too many people knowing about that, anyway. But I can tell you this: when everything began to melt down, I just had to spring into action. I didn’t have time to analyze it all until I was forced to think things through and slow down. And that’s when I noticed it.

Cardinal: These infected constructs… they’re acting a lot like what happened to Greater Dusk’s team members during the Queen’s Finals.

Drake: —…

Drake: [Glitch] you’re right—

Drake: Man, I heard about that…! Now that you mention it…

Cardinal: I’m positive they’re connected.

Drake: But—

Cardinal: I don’t know how, and I can’t prove it yet… and trust me, that’s probably the extent of what you want to know.

Drake: Shouldn’t someone be told about this?

Cardinal: You can pass it on to whomever, I guess. I’m more concerned about preventing the situation from getting worse.

Drake: Things can always get worse.

Cardinal: -Snorts at this- That’s true, but I don’t think you guys get the extent of where this could go. Of why it’s so important for me to carry out my mission.

Drake: Go on?

Cardinal: I’m sure you’ve noticed how it’s all been Xelbots, right? Obviously, but consider this. I had to destroy the infected ones, and other people were probably forced to do the same. Some of them might have done so in self-defense, or out of retaliation for something terrible the Xelbot did.

Cardinal: Imagine, if you would, someone who’s seen every Xelbot that’s infected cause massive damage and seriously hurt people. And along comes a Xelbot that’s not infected. What do you think is going to happen?

Drake: …

Cardinal: What if it was taken a step further? What if it went beyond mobs to outright orders? Turn in, destroy… with or without warning… a witch hunt. A massacre.

Cardinal: -Mumbles- Another Monstropolis…

Drake: You really think that they’ll do that?

Cardinal: I think it’s possible, Drake. And I can’t let that happen. We have to do all that we can to prevent that, or the long-term consequences would be devastating.

Drake: You say that like you have to solve this single-handedly.

Cardinal: It sure feels that way, yeah. I know I’m just one person, though. There are people I know who could help, but… again, they weren’t answering.

Drake: You could try again, maybe? If you think there’s someone that can keep things from getting worse, you should definitely get them in contact with you, but… forgive my curiosity, but who might that be?

Cardinal: -Rueful grin- If I told you, I don’t think you’d believe me. You probably think I’m crazy enough. If I did get in contact with them, you probably would, though. But for now I just want to focus on the rest of the city.

Drake: Well… I guess we better get going, then.

Cardinal: Oh? Are you coming along with me? It’s pretty late, now, and I don’t know how long this will take.

Drake: I’ll pull an all-nighter for a worthy cause. Not like I really have anything else to do. Union Station’s going to be closed tomorrow. Besides—still need a good word so that the good guys will listen to you, right?

Cardinal: Heh. Yeah.

Cardinal: Thanks, Drake. Whenever you’re ready, pack your bags—we’re goin’ on a tour of the city!

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dauntlesstales

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