=CHAPTER 3C: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=

=CHAPTER 4A: AVI’S NEWS REPORT=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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[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…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>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...

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

=CHAPTER 7B: RUSH INTO THE MINE=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

[LATER THAT NIGHT....]

[William White was staring patiently at the same analysis screen for several hours, a full jug of coffee at his side. It had gone cold long ago. Mikhail had left for his own devices shortly after making it, mentioning he had important work to do with Siam before he could return.

And that was certainly for the better…]

Will: (Eight...Eight samples.)

Will: (This should be enough--this has to be enough...)

[It was in that moment that Soi stepped into the room.]

Soi: --Will?

Will: --Oh. Soi.

Soi: Good Lord, man, I thought you went to bed ages ago!

Soi: Didn't Mikhail warn you about staying up too late?

Will: Under the circumstances, he's overlooked it for now.

Will: I'm so close, Soi, I can just...

Will: I have all the pieces, I just have to fit them together.

Will: -Turns back to the Terminal- I've already arrange the code, it's only a matter of figuring out what goes where...

Will: And hopefully, I can start to finally counteract this nightmare.

Soi: Thank goodness.

Soi: Once we figure out what's going on with the Virus, my brother will send help!

Soi: -Sigh-

Soi: And all we need is Shade back.

Will: Yes...

Will: I think the others are dreading that, somewhat. Mikhail was...He had that look about him.

Soi: Because Shade is a Hunter?

Will: Perhaps.

Will: But I think it's something else.

Will: Or rather...

Will: Someone.

Will: ....

Will: In any case.

Will: -Working as he speaks- You do have a point. This...

Will: It's almost over, now.

Will: .....

Will: Soi?

Soi: Yes?

Will: ......

Will: I...

Will: Do you think that...Maybe...

Will: . . . .

Soi: ???

Will: ...Nevermind.

Soi: What?

Will: No, it's...It was just a passing thought.

Soi: Wiiiiilll.

Soi: Come on, I know you want to tell me something when you suddenly back out of it!

Will: I just---

[PING!]

Will: !

Will: Wait--

Will: Soi, I--I think I did it--!

Soi: -WAIT WHAT, REALLY--??-

Will: Hold on, let me just run this through one more time--

Soi: Oh, man, this is great!

Soi: -YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN, WILL.-

Soi: I know that it's still processing, but as soon as that's confirmed, I can call Mikhail back--

Soi: And then we can get to--

Soi: --!!!

Soi: --...Will?

[No response.]

[None.]

[The room was suddenly filled with a tense silence.]

[...That is, save for the quiet patter of drops on a keyboard.]

Soi: Will--

[It was as if he wasn't hearing him.]

[William sat there in what appeared to be shock, huge streams of tears falling from his emerald hues.]

[He was crying.]

Will: . . .

Soi: Will, are you alright--

Will: . . .

Will: I...

Soi: Will--oh dear should--should I call Mikhail or--?

[THAT got him out of the shock, but it was quickly replaced by sheer panic--]

[Will bolted straight for the door, fumbling with his keycard to lock it--]

Soi: --???!

[He then proceeded to shut down all the computers, cameras, even his phone--]

Soi: Will--

Soi: Will!

[Soi grabbed his arm before he could do anything else concerning, a firm tone in his voice.]

Soi: What is going on--?! What did you--

Will: It's mine.

Soi: --???

Will: The virus--it's coding--It's MINE, Soi--!

Will: All of this is MY FAULT--!

Soi: Wha...

[Soi was so...so taken back by it that he let go.]

Soi: Wait--

Will: -PANICKY--

Will: It's all my fault, the madness, our sons and daughters, our own family, HIS--!

Will: The whole country is suffering because of MY MISTAKE--!

Soi: WILL!

[Soi claps very hard in front of Will's face, which was enough to bring him out of his panic attack, or at least some of it.]

Soi: Breathe.

Soi: I've known you for more than 10 years and I know that none of this is your fault.

Soi: You--

Soi: You're different, now, Will.

Soi: Remember?

Will: ........

Soi: .....

Soi: Let's just...Sit.

Soi: Start over.

Soi: Okay?

Will: . . .

[Will sits back down with a shivering sigh, his head buried into his hands. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, but it didn't seem to help much.]

Will: S-Soi...

Will: The...The code, Soi--

Will: It's mine. I know it is.

Soi: Really?

[Silence.]

Will: ....

Will: Not...All of it.

Soi: See, so it isn't--

Soi: --Wait-- not ALL of it?

Soi: I...I don't understand.

Will: .....

Will: Soi...

Will: Remember...

Will: Remember when you first hired me?

Soi: I...Of course.

Soi: How could I forget?

Will: .....

Will: I told you that I had previous experience with robotics before.

Will: You know what I mean.

Soi: ......

[Now it was Soi's turn to be shocked.]

Soi: No, wait--

Soi: You can't mean--

Soi: This--You mean this whole robot rampage--?!

Will: --is all my fault, indeed.

Will: Or rather...

Will: The fault of a robot that I designed long ago...

Will: The CDN-1201.

Will: ...Trinity.

Will: I designed her to evolve by assimilating other robot's capabilities...

Will: I found her custom scripts in the virus code we retrieved from each of the haywire Mighty Numbers--as well as...

Will: From...Mikhail's database sample...

Will: The structure is clever, cunning, concise...

Will: It's brilliant. There's no doubt it's my code.

Soi: Now wait just a minute--!

Soi: How--How is that even POSSIBLE, Will?

Soi: CherryDynamics shut down the Trinity project AGES ago!

Soi: In fact it was--

Soi: Dr. Blackwell himself, wasn't it--? Back when he was CTO--?

[Will stiffens at that.]

Soi: ....

Soi: I...

Soi: I always thought that was the reason you left Cherry to come work with us and make the Mighties here...

Soi: Wasn't it?

Will: Of COURSE it was, Soi!

Soi: --Nngh-- (Oh no, he's angry--)

Will: After what HAPPENED there--

Will: After what I had to do to HER--

Will: In the end, Blackwell only saw the dangers, not the potential--!

Will: He NEVER gave ME a CHANCE!

Will: Never gave HER a...a chance...

Soi: ......

[As quickly as Will flared, he slowly SAT back down again, tears now flowing freely.]

Will: I can still hear her in my DREAMS, Soi.

Will: I...

Will: God, I was a fool.

Will: Such a fool...

Will: But I was just so eager and wanted to prove myself to HIM that I...I didn't listen.

Will: And now she's come to haunt me again.

Soi: --Will.....

Will: I...I just--

Will: --I can't TELL them, Soi, I just CAN'T--!

Will: To tell them that all that I am--all of who I AM IS A LIE?!

Will: What that would do to them, to--to all that we have built and come to cherish--

Will: I DON'T WANT TO LOSE EVERYTHING AGAIN, SOI--!

Soi: Shhhh!

Soi: Will--

[Soichiro calmly wraps an arm around Will's shaking shoulders, almost close to tears himself.]

Soi: You won't, Will--

Soi: I swear we will make this work somehow, if I have a say in it!

Soi: I know her loss was so hard on you, Will, and I know how much it hurts.

Soi: But this...

Soi: This is a virus, Will--Trinity was not a virus.

Soi: She was your daughter, if only for a short time.

Soi: I don't know how or why someone would put her scripts into this...this horrid thing--

Soi: But I do know one thing.

Soi: I will always be in your corner, Will. No matter what happens or who tries to stop us.

Soi: I'll always have your back.

Soi: ^^

Will: ....

Will: -Sniff-

Will: S...Soi...

Will: You--You never HAD to help me...

Soi: Oh, poppycock! That's ridiculous.

Soi: Where would you be without me, eh?

Will: -Sniff-

Will: ....

Will: U-Up the creek with no paddle?

Soi: I was thinking more like still a rotten Cherry, but let's go with that.

Will: Eheh....

Will: ....

Will: What are we going to do, Soi...?

Soi: I don't really know.

Soi: But we can't keep this from Mikhail for long, you know that, right?

Will: . . .

Soi: Will.

Will: I...I don't...

Soi: Will, he GAVE you one of the samples, he's SEEN that custom script.

Will: --....

Soi: He's going to put two and two together eventually, and would you rather have him find out on his own or hearing it from someone he knows is a genuine good person with genuine, good intentions?

Will: . . . .

Will: -Whispers- I don't want him or any of them to think less of me...

Soi: .....

Will: And then there's my own children, Soi...

Will: How would THEY handle this?

Soi: Will, that's sort of your fault there.

Soi: You always put it off ever since Pyro.

Soi: There is just no easy way to go about this, Will.

Soi: You have to tell them the truth.

Will: . . . .

Soi: At least--

Soi: At least tell someone, Will--

Soi: You need to talk about this to someone OTHER than me.

Soi: Someone that isn't quite in our family--but still a friend.

Soi: Someone like...

Soi: ....

Soi: --!

Soi: Felix?

Will: ...But he's just stirring.

Soi: When he's BETTER, Will.

Soi: Honestly, I will drag you to him if I have to, don't think I won't!

Will: -Ngh--

Soi: ....

Soi: Please don't take this the wrong way, Will. I'm doing this as your friend.

Soi: All I want is for you to be well and at peace with...with who you were.

Soi: Alright?

Will: .....

Will: -Inhale-

Will: ...O...Okay...

Will: I...Okay.

Soi: Promise, Will. You have one foot out the door.

Will: ....

Will: I...

Will: I promise.

Soi: To?

Will: Go talk to Felix.

Soi: About?

Will: ...Trinity.

Soi: Good. ^^

Will: ......

Soi: Chin up, Will.

Soi: Things will get better, soon.

Soi: I promise you that. ^^

Will: ....

Will: I...

Will: I can only hope, Soi.

Will: (Hope and dream...)

Will: ...I made a mess, didn't I....

Soi: Sort of? You just turned off everything in a rush.

Soi: ...Also I think you locked us in. ^^;;;

Will: ....

Will: (Oops--)

Will: I...

Will: I think I'll just call someone to get us out...

Will: -Oh God why are there so many messages SOI--

Will: -I THINK IT'S TOO LATE—-

Soi: -Wait what--

[Soi peeked over Will's phone to get a closer look--]

[MESSAGE 1

FROM: MC005]

>WILL

>WILL, WE FINALLY FOUND THE ANSWER

Will: --???

[MESSAGE 2

FROM: MC005]

> {We figured it out Will I’m not sure yet but PICK UP YOUR PHONE—}

Will: -Wait, what--

[MESSAGE 3

FROM: DWN-019]

> -Raw data that is echoed and mostly mirrored-

Will: -Okay so THANK GOD IT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE WHAT I THINK IT WAS--

Soi: .....

Soi: You REALLY need to go to sleep.

Will: Shush--

[MESSAGE 4

FROM: DWN-019]

>Doctor!

>I know you are awake working.

>If you were asleep, your phone would have woken you.

> SO GO TO BED WHEN YOU GET THIS.

>There is very important news to share in the morning!

Soi: ...That's kinda scary, actually.

Will: -______-;;;;

[MESSAGE 5

FROM: DWN-019]

>We sent Dr. Cossack to sleep despite his protests, he needs rest.

>Please have everyone gather for breakfast, they’ll want to hear this.

Soi: See?

Soi: Heck, maybe things will work out after all!

Will: . . .

Will: I...Guess so.

Will: ...Before we go, though, I should lock the code--

Soi: That can wait.

Will: -But we really should secure the--

Soi: In the morning, Will.

Will: -But--

Soi: -Alright that's it we're calling in the cavalry-

Soi: Call, dear?

Will: -ERK--

Will: -Waitwaitwait on second thought BED SOUNDS NICE-

Will: -Look see, we're going--

[BONK--!]

Will: Ow--

Will: ....

Will: Oh right I locked us in, didn't I.

Will: Um.

Will: ^^;;;;;

Soi: .....

Soi: -LOSES IT-

Soi: Aw, Will, you...

Soi: Call!

[Footsteps.]

".... Doctors, why is this door locked?"

Soi: Will here accidentally locked us in, heh.

Soi: Be a dear and disengage the lock, will you?

Soi: Oh, and get Will to bed, he's being difficult.

Will: -I SAID I WAS GOING-

"Yes, Doctor. I will only be a few minutes."

Will: -I'm locking the code while she's doing it-

Soi: Will-- -Siiiigh- -_-;;;;;;

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

=CHAPTER 10D: SNEAK INTO THE PRISON=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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

{Meanwhile…}

[Felix looked up from the console as shouting intensified.

He had been focusing on analyzing his own notes on the whole matter, but now…]

<DWN-019>: > GRAH! Why won’t you LISTEN to me!?

<DWN-013>: >No offense, bro, but if that’s all—

<DWN-019>: > IT’S NOT, YOU TWITS!

<DWN-019>: >There are some temporal anomalies and you’re all getting caught up in it! It’s not just you, it’s Mikhail as well—and do I need to remind you, YOU SPECIFICALLY, TWELVE, of how dangerous that could be to YOU, personally?

<DWN-012>: > -Mnnrrgh…!-

<DWN-019>: > Where is Mikhail?!

Felix: -Narrows his eyes a little- -Out loud even though Siam can’t hear- He’s resting— you shouldn’t even be calling, there’s a reason he told me to keep it quiet…

<DWN-019>: >I need Cardinal over here to properly oversee the updates, and I need his help with—

<DWN-013>: > Ugh—

<DWN-013>: >I’m SORRY, Gem, but— -BLAM!- 000 is still processing everything, we can’t move him yet, and it seems there are other problems—

<DWN-019>: >HOW can this possibly get worse?

<DWN-013>: > -Irritable- I think Mikhail is under arrest, Gemini!

Des: --....

Des: (Damn it...)

Des: (Ugh, with the way the Doctor and the Mighties reacted to that, I don't even want to think about how THEY will...)

<DWN-019>: > …

[The feeds were slammed with acerbic data.]

<DWN-019>: > -PANIC DATA-

<DWN-019>: > -PANIC PANIC PANIC-

<DWN-011>: > …

<DWN-011>: > …Joking, right?

<DWN-011>: > Right?

<DWN-012>: > He was IN handcuffs, brother—

<DWN-019>: > Nnnnnnnn-nnn-nnn-noo—

<DWN-019>: > Stars above I don’t think I can do this—

<DWN-018>: >Look, I doubt that if—

<DWN-019>: >IT DOESN’T MATTER! NOT WHAT YOU THINK!

<DWN-019>: > I DON’T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO KEEP THAT DATA FROM REACHING THE COSSACK NUMBERS!

Felix: ?!

Des: --...

Des: (Son of a...)

Des: (This is exactly what the Doctor said before...)

<DWN-018>: > Are you serious.

<DWN-019>: >I’m not the Admin, Nico! I don’t have that kind of power!

<DWN-018>: > That’s it. As head of the family, I’m intervening. Dealing with our dysfunctions is plenty; I am not going to put up with fighting the Russians.

<DWN-018>: >Siam, there’s got to be SOMETHING you can do—

<DWN-019>: > Well I’ll TRY to stall—I think I can by changing the data Snow gets— but hurry up as much as you can, I need the rest of the family back as soon as possible!

[MN.6] //: Roger Dodger–

<DWN-018>: >Fine, do it. Gem, get that guy on the line. We’ve got to talk this out before it gets out of hand. And as for you two…

<DWN-018>: >Speedy, Jaden, you guys were BUILT for Combat, can’t you work ANY faster?!

<DWN-013>: > Grrr…

<DWN-013 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

[MN.1] //: –!!

[Jaden began to glow white.]

Felix: -Stands, raising an eyebrow- ?

Des: What in the--?

Des: (What is this bright LIGHT? It's almost like...Nine's...?)

Felix: !

((pic))

Jaden: I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!

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

[Jaden had changed. The was larger now, and bulkier—and based on the energy ratings from him, he was packing some SERIOUS heat.]

Felix: Well this is new—

Des: (These Robot Masters can change forms too?)

[Hatches popped open.

YEP. Those were some sort of missiles inside.]

Jaden: WE’RE TAKING A DETOUR!

Felix: Goodness. I wasn’t aware they had this capacity.

Des: (...For some reason, that doesn't comfort me in the slightest.)

Des: (Do they ALL have this level of form shifting...?)

[He wasn’t given much time to think on it. A notification opened up a third window in the screen.]

[INCOMING CALL]

Felix: …

Felix: I… I’m not sure how to answer that, but I think we really should.

Des: (....)

[After a brief glance at Felix, Des himself walks over to the terminal and presses a single button, accepting the call.]

Des: (I got a good guess who this is...)

[Nico’s face greeted him on the screen. He was wearing full armor, minus the helmet, and his arms were crossed.]

Des: (...And I was completely wrong--)

Des: -Raises eyebrow- ...I assume you want to speak to either this guy-- -Jabs his thumb behind him-

Des: ...Or me.

Nico: I’m assuming with you, as I know who Felix is.

Des: -Yup, thought so-

Nico: What’s Dr. Cossack’s physical condition? Is he okay?

Des: He's sleeping, right now. Resting. (Even though he really didn't want to, I noticed, but that Felix person did something to get him to rest...)

[Nico seemed to relax quite a bit at this.]

Nico: Thank goodness… that should buy us more time…

Des: (...So this must be one of his patients, I would think...)

[He turns to yell over his shoulder.]

Nico: Siam! The Doctor’s okay, he’s just sleeping!

[As he does so, the brand on his shoulder is visible:

DWN-018. ]

Des: (Another DWN...)

Nico: Okay, next question—

Nico: What’s going on over there? Is he really under arrest, or is my brother exaggerating?

Des: ....

Des: Sir...

Des: Dr. Cossack is currently in custody for...unauthorized access into federal security.

Nico: -Pained expression- (Oh no…)

Des: ...

Des: (And there is still the matter of the Military Base's security breach too...)

Des: Since the Doctor... simply refused to answer all of our questions...

Des: I am...

Des: ...

Des: ...Ugh...

Des:

I am forced to put him under arrest given the situation, and--

Nico: !

Nico: You mean— (N-no, they mentioned handcuffs…)

[He holds his head in his hands, looking very concerned.]

Nico: Might I suggest an alternate form of restraints? Anything?

Des: . . .

Nico: First of all, that… that’s… not exactly what happened. And second of all…

Nico: He was kept chained up in some form or another for at least three months, maybe up to as much as six—and this wasn’t too long ago.

Nico: My brother used spikes on the inside of the bracers, even.

Des: .....

Des: (The burns...)

Des: ....

Des: I'll see what I can do in that regard. …I promise.

Nico: …Thank you.

Des: ....

Des: -Looks to the side- He told me. Showed me, actually.

Des: About where you're from.

Nico: —… -Looks to the side himself, rather distressed expression- (He can’t mean Monstropolis… that would only make Toby look worse…)

Nico: -Forces himself to hear this out-

Des: ....

Des: I still don't completely understand why, but.

Des: ...

Des: I can tell the Doctor...he isn't what the law thinks he is right now.

Des: >> If anything, I know he's stonewalling.

Des: Listen.

Des: I can't...

Des: ....

Des: If he keeps doing that...

Des: . . .

Nico: Please—

Nico: Please don’t SAY it, I can’t—

Des: .......

Nico: Nnng…

Nico: We’re connected to the RMDC, his sons will pick up on that data.

Des: >> (Right....)

Des: ...

Des: (Man, Min, I don't know about you, and no offense, but this is REALLY the worst part of the job...)

Nico: Sir, I…

Nico: (Nnngh…! I can’t just hand Tobias over, but I can’t let Dr. Cossack take the fall for this! Even if I felt like it, his sons…)

Nico: We… can’t we talk this out? Just a little bit? I really don’t want this getting out of control…

Nico: My brother is good, but after M—… after what happened to the First Gens, Mikhail made sure no one else could mess with his kids’ minds, and that includes outside Doctors our equivalents.

Nico: So… we don’t have a whole lot of time, either. I’ll try to stick to the point.

Nico: What happened with the system was more complex than that. What he probably told you is the super-simplified version. Interaction in the Cloud… that’s not how it happened.

Nico: He printed out notes… do you have those on hand?

Des: Mmm--right, I do...

Nico: You might want to read those as I talk this over.

Nico: First of all, he did try getting feeds from the Pentagon first. He had Sanda’s secretary call, I think. But when that didn’t work, he knew that the security system was out of control.

Nico: So when he says he ordered Tobias to take over the security… he means that in the sense he’d have to fight it, and more precisely, the malevolent force controlling it.

Nico: From what I understand based on the data we’re getting in the update, he had to tell Tobias not to go overboard and zap both the system and Shade to soot crisps.

Des: (What--?)

Des: -Flipping though the notes-

Des: (...Shade does have a weakness to electricity, true...)

Nico: Fighting through infected security isn’t an easy ordeal, sir.

Nico: The Cloud is a desolate and dangerous place. Your systems, when they are fully working, would be… like fires of Hell to any unauthorized program—including Awareness ones. Firewalls manifest that way, metaphorically speaking. And viruses? Eldritch abominations. Monsters.

Nico: Fighting against the virus was to restore control to your systems. Because staying there? Would have meant more fighting, and just about equally dangerous fighting.

Des: (--!)

Des: (That explains the sudden return of our feeds--)

Des: (It was in OUR favor--?)

Nico: And that is what happened. As the virus was being pushed back, your firewalls started turning back on.

Nico: Part of the reason Tobias got so agitated and aggressive—don’t know if you heard him while you were there—part of that was that he was starting to get burned by them, and it hurt.

Des: . . .

Nico: -Scratches his head- Trying to get in if the firewalls had been working wouldn’t have been a quick or easy task. The reason Tobias got inside so quickly is because they were down.

Nico: If he’d had to disable them first, I dunno… he’s brilliant, but I don’t think he’s ever intentionally done THAT before. Not to my knowledge. (Other things, yeah, but getting around firewalls he wasn’t already immune to? Not so much.) He couldn’t even bypass the RMDC firewall, actually.

Nico: Barring the control being returned, though, Dr. Cossack needed Tobias to keep it from going too out of control. To take the controls from the virus to keep her from frying Beck, Cardinal, and you guys. Which is what he means by shutting it down.

Nico: It’s hard for an outsider to know what happened in there, sir. He had to cover all options when he let Tobias go, and when he told you about it. I’m not sure how much he knows about what happened.

Des: ......

Nico: Before that incident, well…

Nico: He’s been working on things for Cardinal for a VERY long time. It’s within the past few days for both of us that he’s made some real progress. Medical progress. And he…

Nico: I’m not sure if anyone told you, sir, but there are only three Doctors of his caliber in our entire world. He’s the only one we can trust. Literally… the only Doctor in the world who can do this. Unfortunately…

Nico: …That kinda has exacerbated his innate tendency to wear himself out.

[He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his right hand.]

Nico: Man, he must be exhausted. After all that this has put us through, we all just want it to stop. I’m not surprised he gave the short version—

Nico: Do you know what would happen if any of us were caught?

Des: . . .

Des: It was mentioned.

Nico: …

Des: -Sigh- Ngh...

Des: (Well, this just...)

Des: (The fact that he tried to help us, it makes things better, but unless I can get it out of him...)

Des: (Ugh, but he doesn't even have the energy to be AWAKE right now...)

Nico: He didn’t consult with us beforehand, you know, before talking with you. >.>

Nico: He doesn’t have the authority to give direct orders to Wily Numbers. I’m sure he could if he wanted to, but he respects us more than that. The ability to shut us off was a negotiated exchange for using his server to house our extended neural network.

Nico: No one would have approved of him taking everything onto himself, but…

Des: >>;; (Even I don't...)

Nico: What are you planning to do to my brother if you were to get your hands on him? -Visibly afraid-

Des: Well, we aren't going to dismantle him, if that's what you're...Well.

Des: -We KNOW it's practically murder, honestly--

Des: From the account you've given and Cossack's own...

Des: ....

Des: All we want are a few answers.

Des: Some sense out of this entire mess, and honestly, even the answers themselves are a little... -I don't even have a proper word for it-- ...Delicate...

Nico: I can try…

Nico: Was there something else you were wondering about?

Des: Cossack already explained the Queen's Finals, in a sense.

Des: ....

Des: There was...

Des: Also another security breach, but not at the White House.

Nico: I don’t know how he got past the Brit firewalls, I’m going to guess an emergency services loophole—

Des: Not that. (Though that explains some things.)

Des: The...incident regarding MNN-005.

Nico: …

Nico: Huh?

Des: There was a security breach then where Battalion was...infected.

Nico: Wait, Bat—

Nico: Oh GEEZ—

[He looks TERRIFIED. There are a number of pings in the database showing that the whole line was going into Defensive mode…]

Nico: If—if everyone went where—

[His pupils shrank to only just being visible, and he broadcast over his speakers out of fear.]

Nico: “OH GLITCH YOU MEAN HE WENT TO— HE WENT TO A MILITARY BASE?!”

Des: (...An unauthorized base.)

Des: -~- -This is almost embarrassing to say-

Des: (Still, it seems like I won't be getting answers here too.)

Des: Was DLN-008 active during that time?

Nico: No way! He was still out cold from being fused with Avi!

Des: (So it wasn't him...)

Des: (WHO, then? Some third party?)

Nico: Avi saw the depths of suffering that floats about the collective consciousness, it was bad.

Des: . . .

Nico: Oh man—does Mikhail know? He’s going to freak if he hears that those kind of “fireworks” were getting ready to go live. It’s been our mission since learning of this world to try and prevent—…

[He winced for a moment, seeming to calm down again.]

Nico: …try and prevent things from… reaching what they got for us.

Des: ...More or less...

Des: -Long sigh-

Des: =~=

Nico: Ouch.

Nico: No, that wasn’t us, and it wouldn’t have been Mikhail either. Especially not after the Russian incident. If Cardinal hadn’t gotten there in time, he would have died and that would have set off WWIII. He really still blames himself for this, and he’s super sensitive about it. He wouldn’t have done that.

[A pause.]

Nico: After Beck fixed up Toby and Avi, Toby was asleep until Cossack woke him up to try and get the White House feeds back. He, uh… well. Tobias needed the rest, honestly. It was a very disorienting experience.

Des: (I can only imagine...)

Nico: Sorry, but you’re going to have to look elsewhere for your base phantom.

Des: (Ugh, now what? I'm out of leads...)

Des: (...But at least I have a good idea of what this DLN-008 is like...)

Des: (They all really need some help...)

Nico: I… I don’t think that it’s fair to say Dr. Cossack is responsible for us, no. We’re… sorry about all that’s happened. All we wanted was to… hang out with our friends. Everything just started to get out of whack starting with the finals…

Nico: Poor Jack, too. Sawblade to the back, ow.

[Another pause.]

Nico: -Looking off to the side, still with a concerned expression- I’ll be honest with you, Mister Secretary.

Nico: I’m not just going to hand my older brother over. I can’t do that.

Des: .....

Nico: But… Dr. Cossack… he in all honesty is just our medical provider. He doesn’t have control over us the way he does with his sons. Who by the way, are going to really panic [color=black]if[/color]… -Trails off-

Nico: I’m sorry that he wouldn’t answer the questions, but… that’s the truth of the matter—from the finals to the White House.

Nico: We still want to help sort this out as much as we can, you know. I know Dr. Cossack would help unravel this…

Nico: …if he weren’t in trouble, of course—and also not so exhausted. >.>;

Nico: Isn’t there something that can be done?

Des: Unless Dr. Cossack can say this on record himself, I--

[There’s sudden yelling from one of the feeds.]

Des: --??

-*-*-

Avi: DAD I GOTTA GO–

<DWN-013>: >Woah, woah, woah—

<DWN-013>: > -Avs are you okay— -

-*-*-

Nico: —?

-*-*-

Will: What–

Avi: Got a hot scoop to deliver to Doc Sanda-Man, DON’T WORRY I’LL BE RIGHT BACK–

[Without another word, Avi shifts into Jet Mode and zooooooms back out the way Will and Beck came in.]

Will: Wait–Avi! What about Soi?!

-*-*-

Nico: -Turns to yell over his shoulder- Siam! What’s going on?

Des:

What--what just--

Des: (--Sanda--isn't he at the Prison, why would Six--)

-*-*-

Beck: K-9…?

<DWN-013 and DWN-012>: > …

<DWN-012>: > Scrap—

<DWN-012>: > Canine models can get VICIOUS…

Beck: Combat model designed to patrol and guard–

Beck: Maximum security establishments–!

<DWN-013>: > UGH this is all Fahrenheit 451 on us—

Beck: -THERE’S ONE AT THE PRISON–

Will: SOI!

-*-*-

Des: --. . . .

Des: Damn...

Des: (The Cerberus Units...)

Nico: …

Gemini: …Mikhail was going to be sent somewhere with those?! ._.

Siam: Well it’s not like he would have done anything but sleep—

Gemini: But Dr. Soichiro Sanda is over there!

Nico: Can he handle something like this?! He just went over with his secretary!

Des: (...but--Isn't his secretary also a Combat Unit--?)

Des: (At the very least, he has SOMEONE protecting him...)

Des: =_= (Although I still think it's nuts.)

Siam: I’m sure he’ll be fine…

Gemini: …I think…

Nico: Can’t we just talk to him over the feeds?

Siam: They don’t have that capability on their end, that’s only a Meadow-capacity thing—

Des: (...Meadow? Is that some sort of code?)

Nico: —!

[He looks… shocked at something.]

Des: --?

Nico: “R-Roll—?” -Reaching his hand out to touch the screen-

Des: --???

Gemini: -OH GLITCH expression-

Nico: (N-no… it’s not her, it…)

Siam: NICO YOU STAY PUT—

[Unfortunately, this was the worst thing that Siam could have said. Nico quickly snapped out of it, and his data became almost horrifically aggressive as he turned to glare at his brother—his eyes burned green as his helmet appeared.]

Nico: …You—

[There was a burst of data as everything was VIOLENTLY flung outward by a sudden magnetic field, Siamini included.]

Nico: YOU’VE BEEN /LYING/ TO ME—!

Felix: Oh dear…

Des: . . .

Des: | /;;;;; (Um...)

Nico: How dare you keep this a secret from me?! You’ve denied her MONTHS of time, of celebrations and sadness alike, all because you thought that I couldn’t handle it?!

Siam: -Sitting up, rubbing his head, also in armor now- Alnico—

Nico: DON’T!

Nico: Don’t call me by that name SHE gave me, don’t use it to LIE further!

Nico: We’re going to talk this over later, Geminiman. Talk about two-faced…

Nico: -Narrows his eyes to glance over in Des’s direction in a glare-

[His face plate at least gives the advantage of making him only look annoyed. How mad he really was was hard to say.]

Nico: Permission to enter the building, sir?

Des: --What, the Prison--

Des: . . .

Des: (In hindsight, I have no idea if Call can even handle the K-9...)

Des: (Sanda doesn't have an entire team behind him like White does.)

Des: (He's going to need back up.)

Des: Permission granted.

Nico: -Nods and salutes with two fingers-

[He then hovers out of there, gaining momentum. Gemini helps Siam up, and the two of him look at the transmitter.]

Siamini: Great.

Gemini: He knocked out the transmitter.

Siam: At least that’ll buy us a bit more time…

Gemini: …Are we still transmitting? How?

Siam: Because Felix is there. Something about Psynergy…

Felix: -Shakes his head- I’d focus on the Cossack Numbers for now. : / The Second Generation Wily Numbers are capable of handling themselves: you know this. Though I must ask—did you know about the second forms?

Siam: Not exactly, no—

Gemini: I’ll have to get back to you on that later.

Siamini: Nineteen out.

[That feed closes.]

Felix: -Looks over at Des- …

Des: . . .

Des: (...This is going to be a long day.)

Des: ....

Des: Do you have something else that can...Er.

Des: >> -Looks at Mikhail-

Des: (I'd ask for rope, but that seems insulting too.)

Felix: I can use Halt on him.

Des: . . .Right. . .

Des: (...Just who is...--and how did he do that, back there...)

Felix: …If you need something more conventional… well, I’ll see what I’ve got on me.

[…He starts pulling out some things that just WOULDN’T—or SHOULDN’T—fit in a bag that size.]

Des: O.o???? (What.)

Des: (How--how would that even--)

Felix: Why is it always on the bottom of the bag under all the extra equipment…

Des: (Did he just pull out a suit of ARMOR?)

Des: -Blinks-

Felix: Ah, here we go.

[He pulls out what appears to be some large rocks, a few crystals, some silk, and some reptilian leather.]

Felix: This should work, temporarily, at least.

Des: --???

[Felix used GROWTH!]

((pic))

[A vine started growing from a gathering of Venus psynergy near the floor. Felix let it snake through his hands, intertwining with the silk to create a harness of some sort. He went over to place it around Cossack gently before it finished and bound up together, becoming enclosed.

The leather encased the vines to create the appearance of straps, and it ran to the rocks and crystals. Felix then used these together to create a strong cable, which ended at a stop within the floor itself.

The cable was long enough to allow for sitting, standing, and slight movement in sleep, but not much else. Not being within reach of a console, the only way he could have any input now was to use voice commands—and he was asleep.]

Felix: I trust that will do, at least for now?

Des: . . .

Des: Uh...yeah. o_o (Who IS this person--?)

Felix: -Notices this look and grins- Is there something you wanted to ask me, Master Desmond?

Des: ....

Des: -Yeah I kinda have a question or 50-

Felix: Go ahead. -Looks at the screens, where everyone is busy fighting- We’ve got a while.

Des: ....

Des: How did you...do that?

Des: That and...Back there, with the Mighties and the Doctor...

Felix: Psynergy. Your world might call it “magic,” but it follows a defined set of rules, just as much as physics does.

Felix: I’m not quite human, myself; not in the traditional sense.

Des: (He's not human--?)

Des: (...Well, I guess that makes a little sense, if he can do all that...)

Felix: Research I’ve done indicates that in my world, humanity split into three branches. What most people think of as human is a different branch than what I am. We are closer to “monsters” than to “humans” in most but appearance and behavior. Like many monsters, we can make use of elemental energy, or Psynergy. We are also incredibly sturdy.

Felix: However…

[He pulls off his own gloves.]

Des: ...--!

[Like Mikhail, he has scars— burn scars, but also nasty healed cuts—all over his forearms and some on the back of his hands.]

Felix: We are not invincible.

[He takes off his cape and pulls down on the inside of his collar enough to show there are more around his neck and over his collarbone, probably continuing over his torso.]

Felix: I was trained by Mars Adepts—dragon sons and daughters. They were harsh and often cruel taskmasters.

Felix: I am not a Mars Adept—their style is not my way. Venus Adepts are best at defense and hard hits, not taking the initiative. It took a lot of hard hits from much stronger warriors before we all realized and came to accept that fact.

Felix: That was not the end, however.

[He puts the cape back on.]

Felix: One of my former sparring partners—and one of the two last Warriors of the clan—attempted, with the other remaining Warrior, to kill me atop the perilous heights of Jupiter Lighthouse.

Felix: I was not strong enough to withstand her. If someone else hadn’t intervened, I would have been killed then and there. Her preparation to do so was the last thing I remembered before my strength left me entirely due to the injuries.

Felix: -Pulls his gloves on- I was quite unhappy when the hands of fate—or rather, that which claims to be so—pulled a nasty trick at Mars Lighthouse, and I was forced into a darkness that has ever stained my hands and haunted my dreams. She was but one of the five casualties in that place—all of them tricked onto us, and carried out under my command.

Des: (Jeez, this all sounds like some kinda...storybook or something...)

Des: (With not a very happy fairytale context...)

Felix: But even that would not prove to be the end.

Felix: When we finally came home—somewhere I had not been in years, in nearly five years—

Felix: My former best friend—who by the way, had spent the better part of the last two years quite literally chasing me across the world to the ends of the earth in the effort to slay me—

Felix: —went and told someone that I had been involved in restoring the elemental energy of our world to the natural balance.

Felix: This was forbidden in our home land, and punishable by death.

Des: . . .

Felix: -Shakes his head- I was chased out, and haven’t been home since. I don’t know if I’ll ever see my family again, not in this life.

Felix: Since then, I have wandered the worlds. That is how I came to meet the Rebel Angels, and later the Mighty Numbers.

Felix: I fought Countershade myself, once, before all of this.

Des: You what--

Des: --.... (He isn't human but still, against Eight--?)

Felix: It was a test of endurance, and I lost. We were both holding back, of course—I wouldn’t use my true power on them, not without good reason.

((pic))

Felix: Venus is the element of man… the element of the earth, yes, of plants and the ground, of living things…

((pic))

Felix: …But also of death, of poisons and necromancy, the Judgement of the world…

Felix: While it can be intoxicating, that kind of power is not a toy, and not to be used in play. No—I’d only use that in great need.

Felix: I did lose, but it was a close judges’ call—as I had managed to wear him to exhaustion as well.

Des: . . .

Des: (I...)

Des: ....

Des: (I think I have severely misjudged the scope of all this... Again...)

Des: And you...come here, often...?

Felix: What, to California?

Des: Yes...

Felix: No… I’ve only been over here for birthday celebrations. Everything else was at the Meadow.

Des: --I heard one of the Robot Masters say that before...

Des: The Meadow.

Des: I don't suppose that is code for anything...

Felix: No, not really. It is a literal meadow. Nice place, really. There is a VR set up there, as well as a lab/recreational center.

Felix: I live further out in the undefined parts of reality, in the Wilderness. That’s where Eight and I fought.

Felix: It is a very nice place, and I imagine you’ll be seeing it once the time is right.

Des: --Me?

Felix: Though with time being what it is, you might “already” have done so, and the memories will catch up to you.

Des: --.....

Des: Are you saying I might have already--BEEN there?

Felix: There’s a good chance of that, yes.

Des: I...

Des: Good Lord...

Felix: I understand this can be overwhelming, sir, particularly given your responsibilities. But now that you know, you are only more likely to learn more, to better understand the situation and learn who is friend and who is foe.

Felix: There are more parties in play besides the Rebel Angels and the Cossack Numbers, their sister, and their father.

Des: (....More...?)

Des: (...He can't mean Blackwell, can he?)

Des: ...Like...What?

Felix: For starters, mirror realities. There is a “what-if” come true that has become very close with your own. Tell me…

Felix: Do you remember the publicity campaign for when Mighty Number Eight was first being revealed?

Des: (...That was out of left field...)

Des: ....

Des: There were a few adverts for the overall cowboy design...

Des: (But they looked...)

((pic))

Des: (...Different than what Eight does now...)

Des: ...What does that have anything to d--

Des: Do...

Des: With....

Felix: -Gets a somewhat amused expression-

Des: . . .

Des: (The Highway--!)

Des: There...

Des: (So that image we got from the tunnel cameras in the highway--)

Des: (If what he's saying is right--)

Des: There's TWO Eights?

Felix: Mighty Nine Number Eight and Fighting Mighties Number Eight. The Teal Silence and the Teal Widow.

Felix: The latter is the lady of silence, the siren sniper.

Felix: …Though she does have quite a fondness for dairy.

Des: (...Dairy?)

Des: >> (This makes me wonder how much the CAL knows about this...)

Des: (The whole two of the same person deal...)

Des: ...Are there more?

Des: -Doubles, that is.-

Felix: Well, that whole family, yes.

Des: ....

[Des takes a moment to re-think it all over his head, crossing his arms and placing one hand on his face.]

Des: (Min, I REALLY wish you were right here right now--)

Felix: There’s more to it than that, though. The Fighting Mighty Numbers are benign forces. True, Kate got sick, but, well… if you know about her, you would have to had seen her. And if you saw her, then you saw him, too.

Felix: Yes, Jack helped rescue her. They’re both safe.

Felix: However.

Felix: It’s unlikely that he’ll be released to you any time soon, because they’ve been worried. They know that the rest of his team… “disappeared.” They don’t want any unsavory sources knowing his whereabouts or status.

Des: . . .

Des: (So that's what happened to Dencerjack.)

Des: (Mmm. No wonder we couldn't find him, he practically dropped off the face of this Earth.)

Felix: Including DWN-022.

Des: --Another DWN?

Des: (...22? Just how many are there--?)

Felix: Yes. Not all DWNs are tended to by Mikhail Cossack.

Felix: Most of them are dead. You know why already.

Des: ....

Felix: But there are some… DWN-022 specifically was rebuilt, but—Dr. Wily? He’s still active, Master Desmond.

Felix: As is Viper. He was scouting about where Jack was.

Des: !

Des: (But--)

Des: (All the way back in England?)

Felix: He’s after Cardinal, you know. And now that Cardinal has a close friend… going after them jointly is the way to cause the most pain.

Des: MN.8...

Des: (...Definitely need to bring this up with Min, this Viper character sounds...)

Des: (...He gives me VERY bad vibes for some reason--)

Felix: Exactly. This isn’t over yet. Cardinal has been a target for a while, ever since he pulled one over on Wily… twice.

Des: -Raises eyebrow- (Twice...)

Felix: Wily has never been one to share a spotlight, though. He’ll wait until this is over before he strikes. How long? I don’t know.

Felix: Cardinal will want to keep everyone out of it, but… the chances of that succeeding are… small.

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

Felix: At least the Doctor and his daughter will be safe. They have powerful forces looking after them. But the Rebel Angels? Not so much.

Felix: But one crisis at a time, shall we? No use worrying over something beyond our scope that we know will not happen until this is over.

Des: ....

Des: -Right...-

[((Transition scene here, or not—as need be.))]

[Felix stood.]

Felix: Well then. I need to go speak with Dr. White, now that he’s back. There’s something important I need to ask him, anyway. May I leave?

Des: Er, yes, yes, of course--Thank you for your time...

Felix: Certainly.

[He took his leave.]

Des: ....

Des: -Phone, Phone, where's--

[CALLING: MINNIE MOUSE.]

Des: -Come on, Min, pick up--

[Click.]

“Hello, Ducky. Something up?”

Des: Something like that--

Des: >> I may have some news you might not like.

Des: ...Someone else might be looking for Dencerjack.

Des: Another DWN not in Dr. Cossack's care.

Minerva: …The snake?

Des: Bingo-- (...At this point I'm not surprised she knows by now--)

Des: Also learned that Jack's...well, flown the coup, so to speak.

Minerva: Oh? You know where he is?

Des: More or less.

Des: He's safe, and, well.

Des: ...You know those images we got from Highway Alpha?

Des: From the tunnel cameras?

Minerva: The ones we couldn’t decipher?

Des: I'm pretty sure by now someone in Tech managed to clean up those images.

Minerva: Well, I had the one intern—remember the report that the Pentagon submitted regarding Five’s rescue?

Minerva: About the lower level worker who worked with them, even when his superiors had hung up on the Whites?

Minerva: I set him on duty to tend to tech information that may pertain to the cases, for now…

Des: You might want to take a look at those...

Des: ...As well as launch some sort of investigation into CAL.

Minerva: I assume he is writing up a report, but—what’s this about investigating CAL?

Des: >> I think they know a little more than they're letting on.

Minerva: …

Minerva: -Dryly- They’re assassins and half of them are spies of some degree. Of course they know more than they say.

Des: -Exactly--

Des: >> Felix was kind enough to let me in on this, but...

Minerva: ? -Listening-

Des: ...Mngh, at this point, I feel... ugh.

Des: I feel useless here.

Des: The situation is in good hands, I know that--

Des: But I'm not exactly the one making the decisions here, and I think it's starting to get to me...

Minerva: -Soft sigh, but still listening-

Des: >> Haven't been in the field in a long time.

Des: ...Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky or something.

[She chuckles at that.]

Minerva: Oh, Donald. I understand the sentiment. It’s just part of being in these offices, when you lead such a large amount of people.

Des: ...How are things in your end?

Minerva: I’ve learned some very interesting things. And to that end…

Minerva: I’m going to come over.

[A beat.]

Minerva: As in, join you on the East Coast.

Des: --Wha--

Des: Min--the city is practically still Ground Zero--

Minerva: Mr. Desmond.

Minerva: I can’t go back to my House, that’s been utterly trashed, and needs to be checked for nuclear radiation.

Minerva: I certainly can’t go back to my home; that’s not secure, and doesn’t have proper resources.

Des: --...

Minerva: Right now, all of our leads are generated over there—whereas on Capitol Hill?

Minerva: The only thing being generated is more paperwork as it becomes more apparent that we will need a serious look into internal affairs.

Minerva: I don’t like how little DoHS has done to help matters. I don’t think your counterpart is involved, but “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”, as the saying goes.

Minerva: Quite frankly, I need an office somewhere that is both technologically secure and has communication and computation resources. As of right now, that lab is the only place that I, personally, feel sure of—and I went through quite a long list of other safehouses before making that decision.

Minerva: The city itself may be dangerous, but let’s be real here—almost all major cities have been badly hit.

Des: ...Good point...

Minerva: Besides… what I’ve learned has completely convinced me that there is no way someone could steal information or otherwise effectively spy on the place.

Minerva: And that same thing also makes it very necessary for me to speak to Dr. White in person.

Des: -- Dr. White?

Minerva: Yes. Dr. William White.

Des: ....

Des: (That's...I thought our focus was on Dr. Cossack, why would Min want to suddenly talk to him?)

Des: (And directly, at that; if she just wanted him to be questioned, then she'd let me do it--)

Des: ....

Minerva: I believe I learned something about what happened during Battalion’s rescue, and I need to confirm the sequence of events with him.

Minerva: And also discuss his days as a fencing champion.

Des: ...Now you've lost me.

Des: What does THAT have to do with anything--?

Des: --The fencing, I mean--

Minerva: Oh, you’ll find out, Donald.

[Well that was ominous.]

Des: ....

Des: -Sighs- Alright...

Minerva: As for Dr. Cossack—

Minerva: He seems to be more forthcoming when speaking while he isn’t being recorded, anyway; and you’ve had to play bad cop, which has yielded minimal results. It sounds like you’ve learned more from Felix than Cossack himself, which is telling.

Minerva: Perhaps if I play good cop, we’ll learn something enlightening—

[SPLOOOSH--]

"WAKEY WAKEY EGGS AND BAKEY--"

Des: What the--

Des: -Hey wait a min--

[...There's...the sound of a lot of water over the phone--]

[Min had hung up, but—]

[The action had certainly not ended.]

[Having burst the door open with a jetstream of water, Cryo proceeded to rush over and spray Dr. Cossack in the face.]

Des: -Is now SOAKING wet--

Cryo: I said--

Cryo: WAKEY WAKEY EGGS AND BAKEY, UNCLE COSSACK--

[Mikhail was scrunching his eyes, swatting at his hair to try and get some of the water out. He, too, was soaking wet.]

Mikhail: -VERY much awake now- {What—}

[He was talking in Russian, presumably from being tired.]

Mikhail: {Cryosphere, why are you screaming about breakfast—}

[Cryosphere responded in English, though.]

[MN.2] //: -CUZ I'M HUNGRY AND EVERYONE IS KINDA GOING BONKERS RIGHT NOW-

Des: --???

Mikhail: {What?!}

[It only takes him one look at the status screens to make his decision. He looks alarmed.]

Mikhail: {Emergency shutdown! Authorization MC005!}

[There’s a flurry of status messages showing all the Robot Masters going Offline.]

[…Well.]

>ERROR: DLN-000 CANNOT BE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT DAMAGE TO SYSTEM.

>Internal Database ALERT: 06.30.20XX MEMORY DATA HAS GENERATED NEW PRIMAL ANALYSIS NEXUS: DATA CANNOT BE ISOLATED UNTIL UPDATE IS COMPLETED. ALL SHUT DOWN PROCEDURES MUST BE PERFORMED MANUALLY BY AN ADMIN.

<DLN-000 is still in Maintenance Mode.>

[…Almost all of them.]

Des: -What is--

Des: -It's just one thing after another, isn't it--

Mikhail: -Mumbles- {Now what is—}

[He stood, but quickly found he couldn’t move over toward the console. He wasn’t even able to reach it.]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Tired- Mr. Desmond, I appreciate this less painful means of restraint, but— a harness, really?

Des: Don't look at me. <<

[Mikhail has already turned to look at the cord binding him to the floor. He had to squint rather hard, though.]

Mikhail: (Vines. Of course.) …So I can see, now. Apologies.

Mikhail: -Puts both hands to his face- I believe we need to obtain a status update at this point.

Mikhail: What’s your call? I’m not the one in charge in this range.

Des: -Turns- Cryosphere, where is your Father--

Cryo: -Back over there, you guys might wanna take a look, things are going cray cray--

[PING!]

[DR.WHITE] //: -Mikhail--

[DR.WHITE] //: -Mikhail if you can see this, Nico just went to the Prison after Soi and Call--

Mikhail: …!

Mikhail: He—

Mikhail: {Mother Mary help us, no wonder…}

Mikhail: Will. Will, we’ll be right over—

Mikhail: Hold on, we’ll come down to the lobby.

Mikhail: -Please-

Des: ....

Des: -Mngh-

Des: Alright, fine--

Des: -But I'm sticking close to you every step of the way--

Mikhail: I’d appreciate that, sir—

Mikhail: It seems the water has washed away my glasses, so I can’t see very well at the moment.

Cryo: -...Whoops-

Cryo: -UH, YOU GO SEE WHAT'S UP, ILL FIND THEM--

Mikhail: Alright, Cryo. Thank you.

Mikhail: Alright, Mr. Desmond, it’s your lead— though I’d appreciate it not being so obvious if you really do intend to use the cord as a lead.

Mikhail: You’ll also have to cut this free somehow, first.

Des: -I got this--

[...Oh, well, that's definitely a Military grade Swiss Army Knife.]

[Mikhail couldn’t see, but he could definitely hear, and he seemed a bit nervous at the sound. He took a slight step back, out of instinct.]

Des: -JUST going to cut this-

[Des moves to cut Mikhail free as quickly as possible--he seems practiced with it.]

Des: -Okay--

Des: That should do it.

[Probably the fact he couldn’t see very well helped in Mikhail not reacting much to it. And he did seem grateful at Desmond being right next to him—gave him a point of reference in moving around.]

[It wasn’t too long before they made their way down to the lobby. Felix and Will were both there.

Felix looked a little surprised to see them in their current state.]

Felix: You’re both soaking wet.

Des: =~= -Don't ask-

Will: Mikhail--

Will: -Oh thank goodness, sorry about the rude awakening--

Felix: Your glasses are missing.

Mikhail: Not important right now.

Mikhail: Where is Alnico? Is… is he really at the prison?

Will: He's--

Will: Yes, we--we couldn't stop him--

Will: -Oh Soi, please be alright--

[Mikhail groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.]

Mikhail: So he found out about her at last, did he? (What a mess…)

Mikhail: Well, he’s Offline, now. Someone will have to go and get him, before he gets further injured.

Mikhail: I’ll—

Felix: No.

Des: ...

Felix: No you won’t, Doctor.

Will:

-Mikhail, please...-

Will: You still need rest--Soi is in there, let--

Des: Not you either, Doctor.

Will: ......

Will: (Soi...)

Felix: For one thing, I don’t recall Master Desmond releasing you, Mikhail.

Mikhail: —…

Des: Right.

Felix: And for another… now that you’re awake, if you insist on being awake and not taking more rest…

Felix: It should be to tend to some patients. Jaden sustained significant heat damage, and Carlos was injured by a fracture in time.

Felix: Now either go rest or go heal and THEN rest, because you aren’t leaving the building.

Des: As for you, Dr. White.

Will: --?

Des: You have an appointment.

Des: POTUS is coming here.

Will: -Wha--

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: What…?

Des: Gentlemen.

Des: Our White House is down.

Des: And all our info is coming from here, in Titus.

Des: Seeing as Sanda Labs is not only fortified, as well as having the technological equipment needed to function as a HQ...

Des: There is no where else President Morandi can go.

Mikhail: …I… suppose that makes sense, but—

Mikhail: What do you mean by “appointment"?

Des: >>

Des: ....

Des: I'm not so sure myself.

Des: But it has something to do with No. 5 and...

Des: ... your championship fencing days, Doctor.

Mikhail: ???

Mikhail: ({What does Bat have to do with fencing, I don’t get it—}) -Clearly confused-

Will: (Championship fenc--)

Will: --....

Will: -Pales-

Will: (Oh my God, no--NO--)

Will: (Sh-She can't have--!)

Mikhail: …Will?

Will: (Oooooodearlordno--)

Will: (No, this--can't be happening, not NOW--)

Will: ...... -Swallows-

Will: I...I see.

Des: (...Well THAT was CERTAINLY a reaction if I ever saw one.)

Mikhail: Will?

[He’s squinting pretty hard, because he can’t see at the moment.]

Will: (I didn't think...)

Will: (I thought...)

Will: I...

Will: -I need to sit down a f-for a bit...-

Des: (A VERY strong reaction.)

Will: (G-Greg--I can handle Greg--)

Will: (B-But her--s-she can do s-so much WORSE--)

Mikhail: Will, are you alright?

Will: (Oh, Mikhail, I'm so sorry--!)

Des: Doctor.

Will: --...

Des: She'll be coming over as soon as she can get a bird in the air.

Des: ...She'll also want a word with DLN-000 once he's recovered.

[Mikhail looks… VERY tired all of a sudden.]

Mikhail: Fully recovered? That could take up to a year.

Felix: —?!

Felix: A year?

Des: .....

Will: (Cardinal...)

Mikhail: …But— regarding Nico and Soi—

Felix: Appointment or not, Will was just in the midst of a very stressful fight, so no, he needs rest, too.

Felix: Master Desmond, may I go over to help them?

Felix: If your superior is coming here, you’ll be needed for a briefing, and you have people to look after. It seems that the staff there cannot help—and Nico is assuredly injured. I’m sure you remember from the Finals and the White House that Robot Masters do not bleed Xel, and if someone else were to notice this from Nico…

Will: ....

Des: ...You raise a good point.

Des: ...And I've... experienced what you can do...

Felix: Not all of it.

Felix: I can also escape fairly well. As soon as I find them, I will be able to leave from that spot, and then teleport here.

Des: -... Impressed.-

Des: ...Although... You're not a Xelbot either...

Will: We have false...transponders...

Felix: That should work, if it is acceptable. Although—would the readings be able to tell I’m organic?

Mikhail: You give off a lot of energy radiation. It… obscures that fact a bit.

Felix: -Raises an eyebrow- I was not aware you’d already measured that.

Mikhail: I didn’t have to measure, it’s actually observable.

Des: (...As in, entirely visible...?)

Des: .....

Des: ... Alright.

Des: You're cleared for entry to the Prison, Felix.

Des: I suggest that someone else prepare a room for POTUS once she arrives.

Will: (Erk--)

[Mikhail seemed to realize something.]

Mikhail: Oh—

Mikhail: Is she bringing Scout with her?

Will: --Scout--

Des: ...Right, the... -Ahem-

Des: I imagine so.

Des: >> I should have known he belongs to you all, really.

Mikhail: Oh? And why’s that?

[Felix had already made his way off. Man, can he move quietly when he wants to.]

Des: Well, he was with 000 during the White House raid...

Des: And he seemed to know Eight as well, in particular.

Des: >> ...That, and we learned that he isn't even...

Des: -We can't tell if he's some sort of dog or raccoon or both-

[Mikhail laughs at this.]

Mikhail: Well, I could tell you more later.

[He shakes his head, putting a hand to his face.]

Mikhail: I… can’t see right now, so I won’t be able to help with repairs. Unless you have instructions for me, Mr. Desmond… no matter where I end up, I’ll probably fall asleep again, so I might as well rest.

Will: -...what DID happen to your glasses--

Des: -Your daughter-

Will: --...Oh-

Will: -Can't help but grin- I'm sure she just got a bit excited.

Des: -Excited is underselling it- =~=

Mikhail: That sounds like her.

[He wrings his lab coat a bit.]

Mikhail: I do have my devices waterproofed, but I’m nevertheless thankful that they didn’t get drenched.

Mikhail: Alright then… might as well tell Pyro and Seven, I imagine they’ll make the best of the preparations.

[He seems… very tired again. Or rather… weary.

Almost defeated, in a sense.]

Mikhail: ({…Not much has changed…})

Mikhail: ({Still so much… to [color=black]answer[/color] for.})

Will: (...Mikhail...)

Will: (Mngh...I'm running out of time...)

Will: (...What...)

Will: (What am I going to do--?)

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

=CHAPTER 2D: BEYOND THE WATERY VORTEX=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

[MEANWHILE....]

"Phone call for you."

"......"

"Hey. PHONE CALL--"

"I heard you the first time."

"Tch. Jeez, old man. Don't think anyone would be using THIS frequency ever again..."

"....So it's him."

"Yup."

"Do you wanna answer...?"

"......."

"Uh....P-2045453?"

"I have a NAME."

"Sorry. Warden's orders."

"...Hmph."

"Hang up."

"That's gonna waste your one phone call for the day."

"I do not care. It's not like anyone calls me besides conspiracy theorists and crazed lunatics."

"....Yeah, you do get some loonies over the phone, huh..."

"But--I REALLY don't think you wanna hang up on the president of CherryDyn."

"........."

"Do I need to tell you twice?"

"......Oookaaaay, but I'm pretty sure he's gonna call back regardless--and I gotta come back here every time to let you know, so."

"........."

"....Uh--P-20--"

[A low, grating growl.]

"UH--I--I-mean--D-- Dr. Blackwell..."

"........"

"....Doctor...?"

"........."

"........I...I'm just gonna leave--uh, last meal of the day is in half an hour."

"............"

".......Soooo....bye. Man, I hate this job..."

[CLICK.]

"............"

"............."

"........Greg."

"You obsessed fool."

"You've DOOMED us all."

"......"

"I knew I should have taken...."

".........."

" . . . ."

"M-...My Ray of Hope..."

"....Forgive me..."

——————————————

{In the Meadow…}

[The days seemed to go on forever. It had gotten very dark and cloudy outside, blending day into night.

Mikhail and DWN-019 worked almost non-stop on Doctor Light Number Eight—with the Doctor’s sons enforcing mandatory mental and physical breaks to prevent burnout.

Getting to Tobias’s actual coding was not easy. Offline or not, he was highly defensive—and not pleased that anyone was going near his coding.

And when they did find him…

It was just a mess. There were errors all over the place, and clearing them up would take quite some while. Sifting through the error report from the last system crash alone took DAYS.

And now, they were finally getting past the system reports and into the base data.]

Mikhail: …

Siam: Doctor?

Gemini: Is everything alright?

Mikhail: Mmm? Oh, yes… I’m fine.

[…But it was a lie.

A lie so as to not distract the twins from their analysis on the data they had got from Avi as part of the ordeal—for that information could prove quite enlightening.

But no…]

Mikhail: Just… a little weary, I suppose.

[…He was concerned.

Inspection of the Awareness code had showed that it had changed. Crucial components had changed—rewritten themselves.

Somehow, the encounter with Avi had prompted (or, more likely, FORCED) Tobias to rewrite himself.

What worried Mikhail the most was that some of the coding was beyond what he could recognize.]

Mikhail: (-Groooooaaan- {Will… I wish you were here…!})

[He still had the few fragments of notes that his best friend had given him regarding coding with Xel. That was a lifesaver—it told him that some of this seemed to be connected to functioning within a Xel chassis.

It may just be junk data, useless without the proper hardware. (Which, of course, would mean it would need to be pruned somehow, or else it would cause perpetual system errors.)

But he couldn’t say for sure what it would do, yet. He needed to go through the rest of the code to be sure—

He needed to know for sure that Tobias’s self had not been torn apart by being fused with Avi. At least… not in a way they couldn’t fix.

Sure, they had a back-up, but…

He dreaded the thought of being forced to resort to using it.

But it was already apparent that Tobias was fragmented and getting data from elsewhere, even though he was not inhabiting his own chassis. If it turned out that this damage was beyond repair… he would have no other choice.]

Mikhail: (Oh, Avi…! What did you DO to him?)

——————————————

{SANDA LABS...}

Will: Nnngh...

[Much like Mikhail was having troubles of his own, William was feeling rather hopelessly at a loss of what to do himself.]

[...He had hoped that having two separate samples of the Virus—one from Pyro and Cryo—would clear some things up.]

[Instead, it only raised more questions than answers.]

[These samples, while accomplishing their directive, had done so in a MUCH different way than the other. The coding was...so different. So...

....brilliant.]

[...Whoever had coded this KNEW what they were doing.

And they knew it WELL.]

Will: . . .

Will: (This...sinking feeling...)

Will: (The more I stare at this code, the more I want to look away...)

Will: (Why?)

Will: .......

Will: (God, I wish you were here, Mikhail...)

Will: (But with Avi holding the airwaves hostage--who knows when I'll hear from you again?)

[Will sighed heavily, and let the rest of the analysis programs run by themselves for now.]

Will: (—Perhaps another sample is needed...)

Will: (Fortunately...)

Will: (The pattern here is clear enough to give us some idea of where to go next...)

Will: Call?

Call: Yes, Dr. White?

Will: I know that we keep getting interference, but please continue to try and pinpoint the locations of the other Mighty Numbers--and cross reference them with places that their abilities would have the most effect and damage.

Call: Right away. Scanning...

"Will?"

[White looked up from his terminal, his expression twisting into concern as he saw his best friend hurrying across the lab with his phone in his hands.]

Soi: You might wanna take a look at this...

[His phone's screen showed nothing but purple static--and didn't seem to be responsive in any way whatsoever.]

Soi: Either this is Avi's doing or the virus somehow infected cellulars...

Will: Mm...

[Will checked his own—]

Will: ....?

Will: I don't remember shutting mine off...

[Try as he might, he couldn't get it to turn on—]

Will: ......

Will: Wait a minute—

[With an sudden swift movement, Will dug into his shoulder bag—

...And pulled out his charger?]

Will: I must have forgotten...but—

Soi: ...? Will—you do realize this isn't exactly the time to—

Will: I just want to test something, hold on a moment—

[He plugged it in, connected it, and waited for exactly five, tense minutes—

If he was right about this, then—]

[DING!]

[The phone flickered to life—working perfectly.]

Will: Yes!

Soi: —?!

Soi: Wait...how...?

Will: It's just like Call...!

Will: My phone was out of charge when the virus struck—thus it wasn't affected!

Soi: —!

Soi: Huh...that's something, alright. Seems like anything that was shut off at the time this all started wasn't affected...

Will: Yes, since it wasn't connected to any servers at the time. Technological isolation, as it were...

-PING!-

Will: !

[The “New Message” icon pops up.

…And then as it continues to load, a number appears next to it, and climbs higher, and higher… joined by the “Missed Call” symbol and the “New Voicemail” symbol, which also show multiples…]

Will: ......

Will: They're from Mikhail...

[The time frame shows they were placed after 11:46 AM on June 21st, with the last message sent before said Russian actually managed to get a hold of Will some time later.

There are dozens of pictures of lines of code displaying on a mainframe— apparently taken with a phone camera.]

Will: ...?

Will: This code—

Will: (Hrm—can't quite tell what it is...)

[Will then moves to check his voicemails—and puts it on speaker so that Soi could hear as well.]

[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL RECEIVED ON JUNE 21st, 11:49 AM]

“ -Click- Will? Will?”

“{Papa, why won’t he answer?}”

“{Oh no… please be quiet, Princess…}”

“{Papa, I’m scared—! It’s like with… with the /bad man!/ What if my brothers are sick again?!}”

[A pause, and then a click, as he’d hung up.]

Will: (Oh, God, little Kalinka...)

[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL RECEIVED ON JUNE 21st, 12:01 PM]

“ -Click- {Will, something’s very wrong. I need you to call me back as soon as possible, when you get this—it’s an attack on the server, they’re all sick.} -Click-”

[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL…]

“ -Click- {Will, I REALLY need you to call me back now—it’s coming from YOUR servers— what is going on over there?!} -Click-”

Will: . . .

[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL TIME STAMP INVALID]

“ -Click- … … …”

[A pause.]

“ -Soft sigh and a groan, faint sound like he’s rubbing his face- {It’s bad, William. It was an aggressive virus. I had to hard reset not only the server, but also all of my sons and the Rebel Angels.}”

[Another pause, before he continues in English, before going back to Russian because he’s too tired right now.]

“The code…. … {It did… some very strange things. …I recorded the raw data with a video camera so I could analyze it later—preferably with you, my God I hope you are alright and get this—without having the actual thing being a squatter in the RMDC.}”

“{I’ve sent over some screenshots I pulled off of that—namely, the initial interaction it had with the server, and the start of some of the consequences in action. I’m still looking it over, but it looks like it activated some very bad cross-references… I’ll have to look closer to tell you which ones.}”

“{It did send them all into Lethal mode—or tried to, anyway—it actually just didn’t work with DCN-000, as his current highest setting is Non-Lethal. …Which isn’t to say he can’t cause damage… it’s just that he doesn’t have… -Groans- I’ll tell you when you call back, please call back, alright?}”

“{I’m going to have Tobias search you out if you don’t respond in 24 hours—I hope that isn’t necessary, but I’m very worried.}”

Will: -winCE-

Soi: Ngh...

“{You needn’t worry about one thing, though—}”

“{It did try to activate the DLN_COMBAT.EXE, but that program never went live in any of the constructs that have access to my server. It activated the DWN_COMBAT.EXE program instead—which I can tell you is something that activates when they are afraid or in great pain… but they have always been defensive. When it went active, they shut down to avoid damage. They are not gone Maverick— so PLEASE, /DON’T/ panic and send Shade over—/}”

Will: .......

[Will just put his head down next to the terminal and groaned. Of course, he had no idea what had happened to the Mighties then...]

“{I really hope I hear back from you soon, Will. We… I need you over here. Some of the interactions…}”

“{The Awareness aspect of the AI_OS—it just can be so… adaptive…. … … … I know you might not think that such a high-tech bit of code from your world could even run in a system as ‘outdated’ as what we use, but the boys… they’ve already long been adapting to data and coding from your children, this…}”

[He trails off.]

“{I won’t let Tobias poke around if I can help it. But for the love of God—

CALL ME.}”

[A click signifies the end of the message.]

[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL TIME STAMP INVALID]

[The next message is much later—it appears to be relatively recent. Right away, it’s pretty apparent that Mikhail is not in good humor.]

“Will, I’m starting to wonder if you even brought your phone back with you from England.”

Will: (S-sorry, Mikhail…)

“I know things ended off rather suddenly, and… I just have to say I’m sorry about what happened. I wish… I wish it could have been another way…”

[There was a drawn out sigh before he continued.]

“Will… Tobias and Avi seem to have fused together.”

Will: -Alarmed- Wh-WHAT?

“We got some data from Avi that we’ll try to analyze, but I don’t know if we’ll get anything useful out of it. This data… I can’t understand all of it, William. Tobias’s Awareness seems to be running somewhere, and is updating his cross-reference memory banks, but… we keep getting errors when we try to bring him Online, because the Awareness is active elsewhere. I can only hazard a guess as to where, but…

You should expect problems from the branch server until the matter is resolved. Tobias was the true master of the database, even though I’m the Admin of my server. I can tell you from experience that if Tobias is trying to protect the main server from getting attacked again, the branch server won’t be able to connect to it. There may be other ways he interferes, if he gets input data that he feels is a threat.”

Will: That… that would explain why he’s blocking their signals…

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to fix this on my own, Will. Not without resorting to his last backup, which had the Awareness software intact.”

Will: (Oh no…)

“But if I do that, that may make things worse in the long run, due to two versions of the Awareness running at the same time. Not to mention the side effects to both Tobias and Avi that we can expect anyway.”

Will: (S-Side Effects...?)

Soi: (That doesn't sound good...)

“We’ll have to talk more after you have Avi back, and try to go from there. As long as he’s an active threat, there will be interference that prevents us from communicating. Please… be careful.”

[Click.]

[…Wait.

There was one more message.]

Will: ...! There's...another...

Soi: Huh—?

[NEW TEXT MESSAGE FROM: D L N — 0 0 0]

Will: CARDINAL—!

"WHA—"

"DAD WHAT ABOUT HIM I HEARD YOU SCREAM—"

[MN.1, 2, AND 9 ARE NOW ONLINE.]

[MN.1] //: -DATA, DID YOU FIND HIM?-

Will: No—hold on—

“J O H N 15:13”

[END OF NEW MESSAGES.]

Will: John 15:13...?

Soi: Why would...?

[MN.2] //: Is it some kinda code, or...?

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

[MN.1] //: "No greater love than this..."

[MN.1] //: "...than to lay down his life for his friends."

[MN.9] //: . . .

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

Will: ......

Will: (Cardinal—I pray that you're safe—but PLEASE don't find him before we do...)

Will: (—Your heart's in the right place, but you lack the tools to save him...)

Will: .....

[Will saves the pictures Mikhail took of the coding from the RMDC—and silently thanked him under his breath. He now had three samples to go over and compare—even if the Rebel Angels weren't of Xel, this information could essential to working out the cause of the malfunctions.]

Will: (I hope you're having better luck than me, friend—)

[—Blink.]

Will: -Looks up- ??

Soi: Wha—

Soi: Did the lights just—

[BZZZZZZZT!]

[The whole building was thrown into darkness.]

——————————————

[.....]

[CHERRYDYNAMICS INC. MAIN OFFICE BUILDING...]

[BACK UP GENERATORS RUNNING.]

[A phone rings. It seems to be a private line...]

[Click.]

"Mr. Graham?"

"Graham speaking."

"Sir, the recent power outage is going to take some time to work around—"

*"What's the status of our servers?*"

"...Still infected, sir. But our firewalls are holding for our factory lines—at least on the west coast—"

"What about her."

[Silence.]

"What. About. HER."

"....It's....still....here."

"Any changes?"

"No, but--"

"Good. Leave her as she is, don't tamper with anything."

"Sir--"

"If I see once scratch on her, I WILL FIRE your whole department and worse. Do you understand?"

"Sir—she's—"

"I asked you a question."

".....U-Understood, sir..."

"Mm. Notify me if anything comes up."

"Yes, Mr. Graham..."

[CLICK.]

"Idiots..."

"Just when this was all going to plan..."

"This VIRUS rears it's ugly HEAD..."

"....."

".....Well. As long as she remains untouched..."

"This can still be fixed..."

[Click. Click. Click.]

"......Senator? Ah! Greg Graham here—yes, yes, I'm perfectly safe, but what about—Oh! Well, that's good news—Yes. Yes, we're doing EVERYTHING we can—In fact!"

"We may be on the verge of a solution as we speak..."

[ ...... ]

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

Goose: I TRAVEL THE W—

[Oh.

WELP—]

<FMN-006 has entered Sleep mode.>

[There was a loud WHONK as he crashed onto the floor of Shade’s room, snoozing LOUDLY, as only a plane with engines can.

Great. Now not only is he STILL making noise, he’s not awake enough to leave.]

((NJ, SHADE, BWAHAHA—))

😪 Goose —> Shade, re: Jingle Bells

[ VIII ] - “Nnngh, ya dang pun plane AH’M TRYIN’ T’ SLEEP–”Cue Shade aiming his rifle–and a second later a dart whizzes past Goose to lodge itself in the wall. Looks like Shade didn’t take so well to be awoken via bad Christmas caroling–“Next one’s goin’ right where the sun don’t shine if ya don’t shut up and GIT–”

=CHAPTER 5C: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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{Titus}

[The streets of Titus, while still in significant disrepair, were quite busy. There were plenty of people bustling about, carrying on their daily lives in the big city.]

[Cardinal sauntered through the crowds, grateful for the cover. He was awfully close to Sanda Enterprises now, and he could not afford to catch their attention.]

<DLN-000 to CSU-001>: >Look at all these people, Jazz.

<DLN-000 to CSU-001>: >They’ve already started working on some basic repairs.

[No one really seemed to pay any attention to him as he made his way downtown. He’d only been there once before, but it was easy to rely on the memory. It’s not as if he could really miss where he was going, anyway.]

<DLN-000 to CSU-001>: >No one seems to be trying to kill each other, or destroying robots out of hysterics and fear….

[He had halfway expected that it would be like the streets of Upper Monstropolis. He’d been shocked when he arrived in the city, only to find it operational, if not fully functioning.]

<DLN-000 to CSU-001>: > I guess Beck must have cleaned up the city, and calmed people down. These people are pretty safe now, and able to use their technology….

<DLN-000 to CSU-001>: >I’m glad.

Jazz: Ree-ow.

[He paid no heed to the merchants along the row. He utterly ignored the gossip flying through the air around him, even if his analysis filter kept picking up keywords relating to the Mighty Numbers. It was highly unlikely that they knew anything useful, or else it would have made the news. Which it hadn’t, of course; he’d spent that morning at the library, leafing through various newspapers.]

<DLN-000 to CSU-001>: >Of course, I don’t think we’ll find him there. If he were in Titus, Beck would have figured it out by now. He’s definitely not home. We’re just looking for leads, here.

[His cat purred, rubbing her face against him. He grinned a little, looking up into the sky.]

<DLN-000 to CSU-001>: >Wish we could fly there. But now that Avi’s better… I’m sure he has sky cams all throughout the city. Really… it’s only a matter of time before someone catches on after analyzing video feeds.

<DLN-000 to CSU-001>: >Oh well. I’ll burn that bridge when I get there.

[If it weren’t for the fact that he was on a grave mission in the middle of an ongoing apocalypse, he would have really enjoyed the nice day. It was sunny out, with the sea breeze coming off the harbor. Not nearly as sweltering as it had been in Kansas City the day before.

As the buildings gave way to a massive open area near the arena’s parking lot, he was overcome by a sudden weight of wistfulness.]

Cardinal: (I remember the first time I saw the arena, when Shade showed me around.)

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

{April 2nd, Earlier that Year…}

[MIGHTY NUMBERS LOCKER ROOM]

[The locker room...wasn't exactly a locker room. More like a quick maintenance area with spaces accommodated for each of the Mighty Numbers, like a pit stop for cars. There WAS a storage area, though, each marked with a symbol for each Mighty Number.]

Shade: Here we are.

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: Dude.

Cardinal: This is RAD.

[Aw, lookit him geeking out a bit over it, going from station to station.]

Shade: B]

Beck: We mostly come here for halftime or after a match, to refuel, reload and relax, and the stations make small repairs if we need them.

Cardinal: -Broadcasting abstract DAYDREAMS-

Cardinal: -GLORYYYYYYY-

Shade: Aw, there he goes. He's got arena fever, heh.

Cardinal: -Looks over with a grin-

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

Cardinal: (Oh, Shade…. What I wouldn’t give right now to be back to those halcyon days. I hope your locker has some answers, though you’ll have to forgive me for breaking it open…)

[As he drew closer, however, he was surprised to see massive blockades.]

Cardinal: Oh? Now what’s all this?

[He hastened over to inquire into the matter, foregoing politeness for the sake of getting right to the point in a way that demanded an answer.]

Cardinal: You there. What’s the meaning of all this?

???: I’m sorry, sir, but the Colosseum is not currently open to visitors.

Cardinal: Why?

???: It’s not safe.

Cardinal: Again, why? Didn’t Beck heal everybody?

???: -Clearly getting tired of explaining this for the tenth time this hour- : | The building is structurally unsound. There was a lot of damage caused when the virus went live and sent every single of the powerhouse fighters into a rampage.

Cardinal: —…? (That… that day?)

???: -Now leave, please-

[Cardinal was compliant and willingly turned aside, but he didn’t go very far before he put a hand to his head, horribly confused.]

Cardinal: (I remember now…)

Cardinal: (I was supposed to go with them that day…)

Cardinal: (I went WITH them to the match…)

[He struggled in vain to find the cross-references. Every search he could think of turned up empty.]

>NO RESULTS FOUND.

Cardinal: (All I remember was going to bed that night, and then…?)

>NO RESULTS FOUND.

Cardinal: -Frowns- (Why can’t I remember the match? How did I even end up in Kansas City?)

>NO RESULTS FOUND.

[Puzzled and rather dismayed, he ran through all the data from that day to begin with. Much to his regret, the only entry prior to his memories in Kansas City was an error log report, stating he had suffered a Stop error and rebooted under a Code Red contingency.]

Cardinal: (What on earth could have made me black out like that? I wasn’t injured…)

Cardinal: (I don’t understand. I don’t understand it at all…)

[For a brief moment, he considered teleporting into the locker room anyway. He honestly didn’t care what the building security would think of it.

…But then he remembered that it was more than just a mere room. It was the personal space of the entire family—including Avi.]

Cardinal: (Augh…! He’s bound to have a camera or two in there! If not for security reasons, then for his own PR or personal amusement purposes…)

Cardinal: (This plan was flawed from the start. Stupid…)

[He vented a sigh and made his way back to the downtown district.]

Cardinal: (Shade said there was a sushi place around here, and we meant to go to it…)

[He knew that at this point, he was driven as much by nostalgia as by desperation. Walking the streets they had walked, going to the places they’d been to.

But it was all he had to go on. He had nothing, and… he was alone.]

Cardinal: (There’s got to be someone that has some sort of idea, some sort of clue…)

[…But, to his great disappointment, when he finally arrived at the sushi shop based on context and a lot of wandering…

…He found that it was closed, and locked up tight.]

Cardinal: -In a low growl- Well glitch. Isn’t that just swell.

[He sighed and leaned up against the boarded windows, crossing his arms.]

Cardinal: -Talking aloud now, since he didn’t sense anyone nearby to hear him- Where are you now, Shade? What are you after?

Cardinal: (I don’t know any other places. I can’t just wander around.)

[He knew he should get a move on and head out of the alley, but he just didn’t know where to go or what to do. He had no idea what sort of other places Shade might have frequented, people he would have talked to.

He’d never had the chance to find that out.]

Cardinal: (This isn’t fair, Shade.) You were supposed to show me around…

[He stuck his hands in his pockets and started to move down the streets. There was still someplace familiar he felt driven to go, even if he was only paying half-attention.]

[He found it more relaxing to move about at night, when people were paying even less attention to him. It was mercifully easy to use a fire escape to climb up to the rooftops and overlook the cityscape.]

Cardinal: …

[He found himself staring at a familiar building: the CherryDynamics headquarters.]

Cardinal: … -Somewhat broken smile- (Oh, right…. This is where we were that glorious night…)

Cardinal: (It was…)

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

{April 16th, Earlier That Year…}

[The whole of CherryDyn looks to be blaring red in alarms in the distance, and some searchlights can be seen from the top of the building. The trio responsible is howling with hysterical laughter, chattering to themselves….]

Shade: They are flippin' out, God.-- -LAUGHS-

Cardinal: -Laughing like he’s a kid again-

Rockwell: Holy [frag]— -aaaand he's gone, laughing like mad-

Cardinal: DAMMIT I knew we shoulda brought popcorn!

Shade: THEY FOUND THE CRACKER.

[Sure enough, the spotlights settle on their own logo.]

Shade: -nOPE HE IS GONE HE IS FALLING ON HIS BACKSIDE IN LAUGHTER-

Cardinal: -HELP MY FANS, CAN’T BREEEEEEATHE FROM LAUGHING-

Rockwell: OH MY GODDDD -He can't breathe IT'S TOO MUCH-

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

Cardinal: (That was…)

[He was overcome by a great sense of loss and longing, his sorrow drowning out the joy of that day to where he could no longer even feel it.]

Cardinal: (That was the happiest night of my entire, long, looooooong, long life…)

[He shook his head sadly.]

Cardinal: (What HAPPENED that day, Shade? Why did I leave you? How could I just… run AWAY…?)

[He gave a small whine.]

Cardinal: (I left you—all of you, the whole crowd—simply to turn up somewhere I associate to be safe…)

Cardinal: (Did I…)

Cardinal: (Did I end up being a giant coward…?)

[He couldn’t bear to dwell on the thought. There HAD to be some other reason, there just had to….

He had no idea what it was, but there just had to be…

…Right…?]

Cardinal: -Ruefully, narrowing his eyes at the logo of the building- (I saw the headlines. I read the newspapers today…)

[His eyes flickered a brighter and deeper green in intense emotion, his heart turning from disappointed and bewildered guilt into a slowly growing into anger.]

Cardinal: (How dare he try to glorify himself at everyone’s expense….)

Cardinal: -Growls-

Cardinal: (He’s OBVIOUSLY hiding something…)

[His mind was taken back to that day, that day when he had warned them about this.]

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

{March 15th, Earlier That Year…}

Cardinal: He’s more slippery than I thought.

Cardinal: …I don’t trust him one bit.

Cardinal: He’s too… eager to make a big deal out of it. That’s not very good damage control, not good crowd control.

Cardinal: It’s a publicity stunt.  And I don’t like it.

Beck: Publicity stunt...

White: It is concerning, to be sure...

Cardinal: Why exactly is he so eager to deflect the attention[…]? What is it that he doesn’t want us to see about his company? Because you can bet your gears that investigations like this always get a little too deep for comfort for those who like to deal under the table.

Cardinal: I highly doubt he was /involved/… in -this-. But he may be trying to deflect attention as fast and as far as possible so that something ELSE isn’t found. The bigger the company, the higher the chances of the darker side of business being involved.

White: Graham, dealing in shady business...if word got out about that, he'd be ruined.

Cardinal: Right. Even the question is pretty damaging.

Cardinal: But to deflect the whole thing right back to you, the way he said it—that was on purpose. He should have caught that serve, not sent the ping-pong back.

Cardinal: We’re being played. -Grumpy data flow-

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

Cardinal: -Growls louder, his eyes turning a violent red- (First you go to the trouble of setting up a Combat team just to unseat the Mighty Numbers, humiliate them and cast doubt and disquiet…)

Cardinal: (And then your team goes WILD, nearly killing people…)

Cardinal: (I swear, if I find that YOU were behind all of this, I will find a way to DESTROY you…!)

[He gave a huff, making his way down to the streets below. He needed time to think.

He ended up making his way over to a bar, where he ordered coffee.]

Cardinal: -Leans back against the wall, scratching Jazz behind the ears with his free hand- (Well… if THIS isn’t fine and dandy….) -Siiiiiip-

Cardinal: (I have no more leads. What should I do?)

Jazz: -Purrs, flicking her tail-

Cardinal: (I told him that if anything ever happened to me, that he should go to the Mad Hatters. They’ve known me for decades, and that’s where I used to live. I still sort of have a job there, for that matter…)

Cardinal: (They would know where to find me. Some might even be able to help him, too…)

[He idly started broadcasting his signature tune very, very quietly as he stared off into the distance, “watching” the TV with a very bored expression.]

Cardinal: (And I knew that I wanted to get something similar from him, in case he ever got in trouble. Not like I expected this, though…) -Eyes flicker brighter for a moment- (When he talked about his coworkers, I knew that they would be the ones to go to if I needed information…. But I respected and trusted him too much to press the matter….) -Narrows his eyes in a scowl- (Paying the price for that weakness…)

[He sighed, putting the empty mug down rather heavily and putting a hand to his face.]

Cardinal: (Shade, what am I supposed to do? There are only two possible sources of information at this point: your family, and your coworkers.)

Cardinal: (I don’t KNOW where that “office” is, nor who the other assassins are! You mentioned a “Diamond” at one point when you were talking to Bladeblaster—and man, my first idea would have been to beat the information out of the guy, but he’s already dead.)

Cardinal: (Will I really be reduced to—)

Jazz: Reeerr!

Cardinal: —?

[He looked up to see something very… interesting on the screen.]

[As the headline report went on, he couldn’t help but smile.]

Cardinal: Wow. (I’m impressed.)

[He felt a sense of pride for the CDN. He hadn’t had the chance to get to know the guy very well yet, but he always felt that he was a good man. He was glad to see that Jack was still very much alive and well—though he was rather puzzled for want of context.]

Cardinal: (I thought you were still holed up in England? How and why did you turn up in America? Must have been an awfully good reason, given that you know more than others are willing to let pass…. Not to mention, you know. The whole “apocalypse” thing.) You’re a brave man…

Cardinal: (Well, wherever you are, I hope you’re sa—)

Cardinal: —!!!

[He just stared in utter surprise when the news story ended and moved on to the next headline.]

Cardinal: (What the—)

“…similar such heroics can be found in various places throughout the country. One of the most surprising stories comes right from the heart of Kansas City, where a mysterious Xelbot is reported to have almost single-handedly help coordinate and carry out a massive evacuation effort.”

[The screen jumped to a sketch of Cardinal in his Combat form, with Jazz at his side. An audio clip from an interview played.]

“ ‘He came out of nowhere, so unexpectedly—at first we thought that he was infected, and retaliated. But he never seemed to hold that against us… he was always just so focused on helping everyone get out…’ ”

Cardinal: -So many mixed feelings right now- (AAAAAAAAVS—! Is this— is this YOUR doing?)

“Witnesses across the metro gave countless reports of his heroic efforts at all of the city’s major tourist attractions, including Arrowhead Stadium. City officials are now on the lookout for this caretaker, who is reported to have vanished from the hospital where he was recovering after a major fight.”

Cardinal: -Oh, great— -

[He tried very hard to play it off casually, quickly tightening the amount of data he gave off so that it no longer reflected his emotion.

He had hoped that staying in his Civilian form would allow him to blend in with the crowd, prevent him from being spotted by the Mighty Numbers. Nobody else knew who he was, and they didn’t have reason to care.

He had not considered the idea that he would make the local news, let alone the national news.]

Cardinal: ([Gliiiiiiiiiitch]… this…)

[Under any normal circumstance, he would feel very touched by someone giving him such recognition. Even now, he felt extremely moved with gratitude, feeling both validated and honored.]

Cardinal: -Casually gets up from the table, rifling through his coat for cash to leave as a tip-

[…But in this instance, he also felt dismayed and concerned. It wouldn’t be long before some eagle-eyed observer noticed how similar Jazz’s Civ form was to her Combat form, and how he wore the same glasses and scarf regardless of form… not to mention his somewhat distinctive earcaps, which held the standard Robot Master (and NOT the standard Xelbot) design.]

Cardinal: (Was this a ploy to get some tips to a hotline? Really, Avi? Oh geez….)

[He made something less than a hasty exit, even though he wanted to bolt. He had to resist the urge to run, to take to the rooftops for safety. In the end, he took hasty refuge inside of a chapel, hiding in a dimly lit nook well out of sight.]

Cardinal: (Maybe if I’m lucky, this will be over by morning…)

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=CHAPTER 1D: RAGING FLAMES SMOLDER=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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{Titus That Evening}

[Thud.]

[A very tired and emotionally exhausted Nine hauls himself up into bed—no longer worse for wear, but one could not say the same for his troubled mind.]

[Ping.]

[MN.2-3, 5-7 HAVE BLOCKED MN.9. ERROR: MN.4 AND MN.8 SIGNALS NOT FOUND.]

Beck: -Groans-

Beck: Guys...

Beck: Where ARE you--?

[Of course, they wouldn't answer. Beck had been trying, constantly, in his spare time to at least reach someone.]

[Ping.]

[ERROR: RMDC NOT RESPONDING. UNABLE TO MAKE COMM LINE CONNECT.]

[Anyone...]

[Ping.]

[ERROR: DLN-000 SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

[Ping.]

[ERROR: Ø SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

[But he was met with errors and silence.]

Beck: ....

[He had to try--he had to keep trying--]

[He just couldn't sleep in this dreadful silence--he was so used to falling asleep to the chatter of his louder siblings in the house, he just couldn't...]

Beck: (Why...)

Beck: (Why ME?)

Beck: (This would have been so much...easier, if at least one of you guys stayed here--at least Pyro is back now, but that was...)

Beck: (Oh, please, please, I just want some help--!)

[But try as he might, and for a good while too, he got nothing. The fact that Avi was probably still sitting on the airwaves didn't make this any easier, either...]

Beck: ....

[With a final sigh of defeat, Beck crawls off of his blankets to dig into his backpack.]

[He then pulls out a smart phone--which was of course corrupted with the virus as soon as he clicks the button on the side. Ugh.]

Beck: -Displeased, go away.-

[A flash of green XelFilter later, and the phone was back to normal.]

Beck: ...

[He flips through the contacts list. He knew that Avi would make sure the phones wouldn't work, at least while they were infected like this...]

[But, he had the power to just fix it, so--something so small...Avi wouldn't notice, right?]

Beck: (...It's worth a shot...)

[CALLING...]

———————

{Kansas City}

[Cardinal wiped off some Xel that had splattered on him, sighing about the damage to the artifacts.]

Cardinal: (Those were historically significant baseballs, I hope they can—)

[His phone went off rather loudly, startling him.]

Cardinal: !!! Again?

“Everything alright in there?”

Cardinal: Yeah, Drake! I’m finished in here! Just give me a moment, someone’s calling!

[Drake opened the door, stepping in cautiously with some museum staff behind him.]

Drake: At this hour? Who is it?

Cardinal: -Looks at his phone- …

Cardinal: !!! Beck?!

Drake: Wait, what—? Like, the Mighty Numbers—

Cardinal: Shhh!

[He put the call on speaker.]

Cardinal: Beck? Is that you?

—————————

{Titus}

Beck: —!!!

Beck: CARDS—!

Beck: Oh my gosh oh my gosh—it worked—!!

[His sudden yelling obviously gets the attention of Pyrogen—who was resting in his own room at the time. Beck's door opens and the Mighty Number looks ready to tackle someone—]

Pyro: —??

Beck: -Puts his finger to his mouth, SHHHHH-

Beck: -Data, it's Cardinal—!-

Pyro: —!!

[PING—!]

Beck: -Leans back into the phone while Pyro calls the others-

Beck: Cards—gosh, it is so good to hear your voice, oh man—

Beck: I didn't think—Didn't—

Beck: -WEEEH-

Beck: -Caaaaards-

[There's some yelling somewhere in the building.]

“Uhh…?"

[He sounded confused.]

"It's… good to hear from you too? Uh…."

[A pause.]

“What’s with the shouting? Are you alright?”

Beck: Yeah—I mean—yeah—

Beck: Just—are YOU okay?!

Beck: Y-You just left and everyone's wondering where you went to and it's just been—nuts—not even nuts, just completely insane—hnn...

Beck: I was—still—really worried since everything is...

Beck: -We are just so relieved to hear you, SNIFF-

Pyro: (Cardinal...)

“I’m fine, but—”

[There was noise in the background, as if other people were whispering.]

“Beck, how did you get through to me? I tried calling earlier and didn’t get an answer!”

Beck: Well—I fixed this phone and I thought, since it wasn't infected...I'd try calling you...

Beck: The database is down, and—wh—

Beck: Call, wait, give it back—

Call: This call is now on speaker, DLN-000.

“Okay…?”

Call: This unit requests that you confirm who exactly you called.

Call: This information may be vital.

———————————

{Kansas City}

[Cardinal pulled the phone away for a moment to stare at it in exasperation.]

Cardinal: -Mildly annoyed at the redundancy of the question- I called Shade, of course.

Drake: Shade? You called Countershade?

Cardinal: -Looks up, smirking slightly- Told you you wouldn’t believe me.

Cardinal: -Returns his attention to his phone, grin fading- I know you guys must be terribly busy, but seriously! I really did need some help, at the time. How are things holding up on your end?

[Before Beck could answer, Pyro’s voice came through.]

“Cardinal…? Where are you?”

Cardinal: -Looks around the room- …

[He was suddenly wary.]

Cardinal: …Where I need to be right now. Why…?

Cardinal: What’s going on here?

——————————————

{Titus}

“Where’s Shade?”

Beck: -Hnk...-

Pyro: . . .

“Where is he?! This isn't a game, guys—I really could use his help!”

[...No one answered, for a while.]

Beck: C...Cards...

Beck: Cards...y-you were there...

Beck: Didn't...didn't you see?

“What are you TALKING about?”

Call: Statement: DLN-000 was present during the initial outbreak.

“Uh, yeah? I somehow ended up in—…the place where I am now… and have been fighting crazy people since then. What are you getting at?”

Call: …

Call: Inquiry: what is the last thing you remember prior to the current national crisis?

“National? Are you telling me that this isn't isolated?”

Beck: Didn't… didn't you hear the news broadcasts…?

“I was a bit busy, Beck—”

Call: Statement: DLN-000 needs to answer the question.

“Mnn. …We had pancakes—”

Pyro: (What…?!)

Beck: B-but that was yesterday—!

“What?”

Pyro: -A bit incredulous, but also very concerned- Cardinal, are you alright…? You… you aren't… ill, are you?

“What?! No, of COURSE not!”

Pyro: Are you sure—? Memory loss is—

“-Interrupting- Is the standard side effect of a Stop error. Just spit it out, already, guys—where is he?! I don't have all evening!”

Call: Statment: the location of Mighty No. 8 is currently unknown.

“Ugh, of COURSE, he must be working… I'll have to catch up with him after I'm done here…”

Call: Clarification: the locations of Mighty Numbers 2-8 have not yet been determined.

“Excuse me?”

Beck: I...

Beck: They...

Beck: Th...They got infected, Cards—

[Silence.]

Beck: You… y-you were shouting about… not leaving him behind…

Beck: D-don’t you remember…?

[More silence.]

“H-hey, Cardinal—you alright there?”

———————————————

{Kansas City}

>KEY WORD IDENTIFIED: INFECTED

>CROSS-REFERENCES IDENTIFIED: VIRUS, GREATER DUSK, 04.04.2016T MEMORY DATA

-=-=-=-=-

[MN.8] //: ....If anythin' does happen t' me?

[MN.8] //: ...Don't try an' stop me.

-=-=-=-=-

>PROCESSING…

[Cardinal had sat down rather suddenly, his mind reeling.]

Drake: Talk to me, man—

[Cardinal said nothing, his sense of the present fading into a sea of analytics.]

>PROCESSING…

[His mind was swimming with facts and statistics.]

[A national crisis of crazed robots—of violence like the Queen's Finals. A virus. The world had a large percentage of robotic persons. Robots took up a large percentage of the work force, especially when it came to industry. And it wasn't just industry—there were black-ops covert organizations as well.

Because Industrials, Civvies, and even entertainment-focused Combat 'bots aside… there was an ENTIRE organization of assassins to account for…]

>FUNCTIONAL PLACEHOLDER DATA: +500,000 THREAT LEVEL BLUE SUB-VARIABLES, DENSELY CONCENTRATED IN MAJOR CITIES

Cardinal: !!!

[His eyes suddenly FLARED bright green in alarm.]

Drake: Are you okay?

Cardinal: -Shakes his head, staring off into the distance with a haunted expression-

[He was drowning, drowning in data. Dark, grim facts.

This timeline had an outwardly crippled military, which didn't have the numbers for small-scale counterstrikes. Civilians were at risk.

Civilians were at risk—!]

>WARNING! WARNING! PRIORITY ALPHA MISSION RECOGNIZED!

>GENERATING CODE RED CONTINGENCIES…

[With something like this… something that they weren't prepared for on a psychosociological level…

…It was manageable NOW, but—! If someone launched a large-scale attack, the casualties would SKYROCKET…!]

Cardinal: (No… no…!)

[Memories. Distant memories.]

-=-=-=-=-

“....that doesn't make us immune to viruses.”

-=-=-=-=-

[The Mighty Numbers were not immune to viruses. All of the Mighty Numbers had been infected. He'd already been running a Code Red contingency.

He'd been THERE when they were infected, when everyone was infected, and it was a Code Red contingency.

They were ALL infected.]

((Pic: Avi w/stats and abilities listed))

>CODE RED THREAT IDENTIFIED: MNN-006 >ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 5,000,000 - 19,500,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 10,500,000+

[All of them.]

((Pic: Bat w/stats and abilities listed))

>CODE RED THREAT IDENTIFIED: MNN-005 >ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 8,500,000 - 40,000,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 150,000,000+

“C-Cardinal?”

[Help. Help. He needed help, before it all turned into another Monstropolis!]

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > -WARNING! PRIORITY ALPHA CODE RED CONTINGENCY ACTIVATED!-

[His systems screamed an S.O.S., but there was no response. The RMDC was disconnected, and Shade wasn't answering.

But of course he wouldn't, would he?

Because HE'D been infected, too.

What if he…!?]

>INSERT VARIABLES: MNN-008, VIRUS, CODE RED: PRIORITY ALPHA >PROCESSING…

Cardinal: (N-NO!)

>ERROR - ANALYSIS DATA CONFLICTS WITH PRIMAL ANALYSIS NEXUS ON FILE FOR VARIABLE: MNN-008

Cardinal: (Shade—Shade could NEVER do something like this—!)

Cardinal: (N-not—!)

Cardinal: (NOT THIS—!)

[Except Shade wasn't himself anymore, was he?]

-=-=-=-=-

“Don’t fight the person: fight the parasite.”

-=-=-=-=-

[And what would happen if a hostile parasite had access to Shade's capabilities?]

>COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF SECURITY, CYBERSECURITY, AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS (COMPLETELY DISABLED SECURITY SYSTEMS FOR HEADQUARTERS OF GLOBAL MANUFACTURER) >COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF ADVANCED AND RESTRICTED WEAPONRY (OPERATED SHOULDER LAUNCHER WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS) >ACCESS TO WHOLESALE SUPPLY OF MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY (MULTIPLE CASES OF OBTAINING CUSTOMIZED HIDDEN WEAPONRY TO PROVIDE TO UNAUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS) >PROFESSIONAL GRADE FIREPOWER (ESTIMATED MAXIMUM RANGE: 1.8 MILES) >ABOVE-SUPERIOR MILITARY GRADE STEALTH TECHNOLOGY: ONLY ONE KNOWN NON-LUCK BASED METHOD OF DETERMINING LOCATION — SCENT

[There was no avoiding it.

With Shade's abilities? There really weren't any LIMITS to what he COULD do.]

>WARNING! PRIORITY THREAT IDENTIFIED!

((Pic: Shade "RADAR" w/stats and abilities listed))

>CONTINGENCY 1: AIR FORCE BASE >CONTINGENCY 2: NAVY YARD >CONTINGENCY 3: ARMY RESEARCH FACILITY >CONTINGENCY 4: BIOCHEMICAL WARFARE >CONTINGENCY 5: NATIONWIDE BLACKOUT (INCLUDING BACKUP GENERATORS) >CONTINGENCY 6…

[He could see it now, in the full potential—he could see what would happen if someone like Shade managed to strike in just the right place.]

[The final results of the analyses that filled every aspect of his Awareness showed a domino effect created by the United States essentially vanishing as a military and economic power, which led to a truly global nightmare.]

>ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 1 - 40,000,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 290,000,000 - 330,000,000+ >ESTIMATED TERTIARY CASUALTIES: 2,920,000,000 - 4,120,000,000+ >ESTIMATED QUATERNARY CASUALTIES: 1,000,000,000 - 3,000,000,000+

[After falling from power, there would be a cascade of economic collapse that spread throughout Europe, Asia, and South America—followed by violent civil wars in some places, and power grabs in others from highly brutal, totalitarian forces that were no longer held in check by the functional presence of a benevolent superpower that enabled the continued existence of other benevolent world powers….]

>ROOT CONTINGENCY COMPLETED. INCIDENT CODE: “SECOND MONSTROPOLIS”

[He could barely think. What was he going to do?! He was built to fight tanks, not to combat a literal plague of violence!]

>PROCESSING…

——————————

{Titus}

[The silence was really starting to become… worrying.]

Beck: C...Cards?

Pyro: . . .

Beck: Cards—

Beck: Please don't hang up, please—say something—

[Something seemed to click.]

“Pyro—? If everyone got infected—if the WHOLE FAMILY—then—”

[There was as much confusion as anguish in his voice.]

“How are you—? How are you here? Why?”

Pyro: .....

Pyro: I...

[There was a tremble in Pyro's otherwise strong tone.]

Pyro: -Turns his head away-

Pyro: I'm here now, yes...

Pyro: But I...I, too, was... ill...

Pyro: And I would still be, if not for you, Beck...

Beck: -Big bro...-

Pyro: He saved me, Cardinal.

Pyro: …it was… not easy…

Pyro: …but here I stand.

“S-saved?”

Call: If I may.

[There were no objections from the other end of the line, at least.]

Call: Unit Mighty No. 9 is immune to all manner of malware due to his XelFilter program.

Call: This allows him to purge any Xel absorbed and correct--purge--any sort of irregular coding and malware found.

Call: As it was recently discovered, Beck can use his XelFilter program on other infected units to restore them to their original selves.

Call: As of this morning, Beck has successfully retrieved unit Mighty No. 1 from an oil field refinery, and purged him of all harmful malware.

——————————

{Kansas City}

[There was a pause as Cardinal took this in.]

>INSERT VARIABLES: MNN-009 VIRAL PURGE >CONTINGENCY PARAMETERS: SUCCESS RATE OF 100%

>PROCESSING…

[Time. There was still time to fix this. They had a WAY to fix it; and if they could do this fast ENOUGH, then…]

Cardinal: Th-then…

[If they could act fast enough, and handle the main threats, then people would be able to hold together. To do so long enough that they could isolate and purge the virus.

They would have to act FAST, but if there WAS a cure, then…

Light.

There was light in the midst of this despair.]

——————————

{Titus}

“Then there IS hope…”

Beck: -Suddenly- Of course—!

Beck: I just couldn't—there's no one else, there WAS no one else—

Beck: I know it wasn't—not their fault, I had to do SOMETHING—

Beck: I swear—I'm gonna save them, I swear—!

Pyro: Beck—

Beck: He needs to know!

Beck: "He needs to know I'm not going to... I won't, I won't..."

Beck: I p r o m i s e...

[A pause.]

“-Sounds distracted- Do you know where the others are?”

Beck: I...

[A very long sigh.]

Beck: ...no...

——————————

{Kansas City}

"B-But—! We're looking for them! Call is doing everything she can—"

Cardinal: (Of course… I should have known as much. Still…)

Cardinal: -Speaking aloud again- You… you WILL be able to find them, though, right…?

[Ping!]

"This unit will not enter Sleep Mode until all MN units are found."

"—…Uh, Call—"

"Opinion: Sleep is overrated."

Cardinal: -Twitches a smile- I thought Beck said you didn't sleep to begin with, but…. Thanks, that's… encouraging?

"Affirmative."

" W-What she means is that she'll—she'll find them! We found Pyro really quick, so it's only a matter of time—!"

"That is true..."

"And--and once we do, then—"

"You can come see them, right—?"

Cardinal: Of course I will, Beck.

[He heaved a sigh.]

Cardinal: Assuming I make it out of this in one piece, anyway.

"H-huh…?"

"-Concerned- Are you injured?"

Cardinal: -Snorts- Wrong question to ask someone with a fatal coding error. You know that.

"Statement: DLN-000 possesses all the chemical components involved in the medical research oriented at providing treatment for said ongoing problems. Upon return to Sanda Enterprises—"

[Something seemed to click for Cardinal, and he gave a grim expression.]

Cardinal: Guys…

——————————

{Titus}

“…I’m not leaving.”

Pyro: What?

Beck: —Pyro, don't break it—!

Pyro: -Flares- This city and still COUNTLESS others are overrun with crazed bots, Cardinal! You can't STAY out there!

Pyro: Not only do we need you, your FAMILY needs you—we haven't had contact with them since Avi took over the waves again!

Beck: Pyro—! -Don't TELL him that—!-

Pyro: -He will find out anyway—-

“I tried contacting the RMDC earlier, and that was down as well. The fact that you hadn’t traced my call and teleported me out yet already told me that it is still down, or Mikhail would have done so already. If anyone else were missing, you would have mentioned that. This tells me that everyone else is currently safe. I fully trust the others to be able to keep it that way.”

Pyro: None of us knows that for certain!

Pyro: You need to come HOME, NOW, you have a duty to uphold as the head of—

[This was a poor choice of words.]

“-Angry, VERY angry due to being DEEPLY insulted- Don’t you lecture a soldier on duty, Pyrogen A. White. I have damn good reason to continue my mission, and you’d do best to not belittle my motives! My family is safe, and my duty is elsewhere!”

Pyro: -Flares—-!- Motives?! What is more important than—

Beck: Guys—!

Beck: STOP IT!

Beck: Fighting about it isn't going to bring ANYONE back!

Beck: I don't WANT to fight about it, I don't want to fight at all—

Beck: Bring you back was hard enough—

Pyro: -Flames die down at this—-

Beck: And I know I can't do it alone—!

“…”

Beck: I just can't—!

Beck: Cards please I know you care about Shade b-but—I—I don't know if I can d-do this alone—

Beck: Please—come home—

Beck: P-Please—!

[Silence.]

Beck: P-please…!

————————————

{Kansas City}

[Cardinal ran a hand over his face, putting it over his mouth. He was unusually calm given his temper mere moments earlier.]

“C-Cards…?”

Cardinal: …

[His mind went back. Back to the fall of Monstropolis.

To the carnage. The wreckage. The destruction.

The hate.

His mind took him back to those days, to the days when the mobs sprung up all across the country, and protestors tore factories and constructs to pieces. To the months and months of news reports detailing the scandal, and the new regulations and orders that started to choke the life out of the industry.]

Cardinal: …

[He would give anything. Anything. He would give anything to spare them that here.

They did not know the danger. They understood the threat to them personally, but they still did not see…]

“A-are you okay? P-please, say s-something!”

[He slowly vented a sigh.]

Cardinal: Beck… I can’t.

"Cards—!"

"Please—! We need you—you're smart a-and you know what to do and—and—"

[He was slammed with guilt, and for a moment, he wavered. He truly wavered, and his fortitude—if not his complete resolve—crumbled a bit beneath the weight.]

Cardinal: You… you really do look to me like that, do you…

—————————————

{Titus}

Beck: O...Of course I do...

Beck: Y...You're family too...

Pyro: . . . (Beck...)

————————————

{Kansas City}

Cardinal: -Strained fan buzzing, pain-

Cardinal: I’m not you, Beck. I can’t do what you can do. Even if I were to go there, it would still all come down to you.

“I-I—!”

Cardinal: If you can do it with Pyro, you can do it with the others.

"B-But—the forms—I lost them, I got hard reset when the virus hit, I don't have—!"

Cardinal: It’s alright, Beck. It’ll be alright. I know you can save them.

—————————————

{Titus}

“I believe in you.”

Beck: —!

[Something flared deep within Beck's own code for a few moments--and tear filled eyes suddenly widened as they glowed with a bright, green light.]

Beck: ...y-you...do...?

Beck: I...

Beck: (He...Cards... believes in me? Me?)

"You've already done the impossible. You have a kind heart and abilities that rival—nay, even surpass my own. You have the resolve and people to support you, and a family that gives you strength. Yes… I believe you can do it, Number Nine."

Beck: Me...?

[For a moment, Beck seemed...almost dazed. Pyro took this time to set down the phone in Beck's hands again.]

Pyro: ...Cardinal...

Pyro: I do too.

Beck: -Another eye glow at this-

Pyro: ...but that doesn't change the fact that you still need to come home...

Pyro: Wouldn't it be easier for both of us if we worked together?

"I…"

[Cardinal sounded painfully lost, almost uncertain. When he gathered his thoughts to something coherent, he sounded very sad, almost remorseful.]

"What exactly is it you think I'm after, guys…?"

Beck: . . .

Beck: Shade...

Beck: It...it has to be...

“It’s more complicated than that. You don’t understand.”

Pyro: Enlighten me.

[There was an exasperated sigh on the line.]

“You all just don’t see it, do you? If things continue like they are now, then—”

[KSSST—!]

Beck: —!!

[The screen—and call—suddenly filled with static, and Avi's symbol could be seen on the display as it glitched onscreen.]

Avi: D'aw, that's real touching.

Avi: Noooot. Barf. Sentimentality is SO last century!

Pyro: AVI—!

Beck: Avi, no—!

"Gosh, you sound REALLY mad at him. Did I miss something?"

Avi: HA! From what I've heard, sounds like you've been mentally sleeping through the apocalypse! Geez, I knew you were OLD, but senile? That's new. Orrrr it would be, if it weren't for the fact we all know you're CRAZY! Sounds to me like we should stop calling you “Cardinal” and start calling you “Cuckoo”!

"…"

[There was cold laughter.]

"If that's the worst you're doing, Avi, then you just dropped to the bottom of my priority list."

Pyro: It's NOT! He's been hindering communication lines all over the country—!

Avi: No duh, matchstick! These are MY airwaves now!

"…"

"You have Toby's voice echoing on the line. I can feel the edge of his data."

"What did you do?"

Avi: Tch. Don't bring that LOSER up, so not hiring him full-time…

Avi: I'd say you all have bigger problems to worry about than that small-fry!

Call: Inquiry: how did you intercept a call made to a multidimensional service cell phone?

Avi: Oh, I have my ways. It wasn't hard.

————————————

{Kansas City}

[Cardinal narrowed his eyes.

If Avi could track him down, that was a problem. And if Avi could track him down… then eventually, Sanda Enterprises would be able to do the same. If he wasn't done by then… that would end poorly.

Priority alpha missions obliged him to fight to the death to complete them if neccessary, and he had no desire to end up cornered and forced to do so against his friends.

He needed to know the details, but Avi obviously wasn't going to help him out, so…]

Cardinal: (…Going to have to provoke him into bragging about the truth.)

—————————————

{Titus}

"Of course it wasn't. Not for the likes of YOU."

"With someone as ditzy as you are? Nah, it wasn't hard—but it wasn't EASY, either. It was just dumb luck."

Pyro: Cardinal–!

Avi: You WISH, oldtimer. But obviously, NOBODY is giving me enough credit here! Geez, tough crowd.

"Credit? For what, eavesdropping? That doesn't take any skill at all, and we all know it's your favorite hobby anyway."

Avi: Pffft. YOU'RE one to talk, you deteriorating nest of scrap! All YOU are good at is falling apart and getting all my BORING brothers mad at you.

"I take it you find me so old news that you weren't even bothering to keep tabs on what I was up to."

Avi: Bingo~! Who wants to go out of their way to track down somebody's rough-draft for an armed drone? Sure, I'll sit down and watch if it happens to be on Live; too bad you can't even REMEMBER the most spectacular FAILURE that I've ever seen—but not to worry! I have it on tape! I'll be sure to play it at your funeral.

Pyro: -FLARES- Avi, show some RESPECT!

Avi: Respect? Funny you should say that, because you guys never show ME any of that. Talk about going behind a guy's back…

Avi: You didn't think I would catch you trying to go behind my back to call everyone, Beckers, did you?

Beck: —!

Avi: HA!

Avi: Waste of TIME.

Avi: -Mocking tone- 'Come home, Birdy, because I can't solve my own problems all by myself!' Jeez, no WONDER Lighter Man here took you off the team!

Beck: -Hnn—-

Avi: Pathetic. If you think THIS is bad…

Avi: Just wait to see what's in store after the commercial break. You don't stand a CHANCE. You don't even have a CLUE!

"-Flatly- I doubt YOU have a clue. Because othewise, this is about the most boring trailer for a disaster reel I've ever heard."

Avi: Hey now, I don't give out spoilers! What kind of 'bot do you take me for?

"Honestly, at this stage? A deranged narcissist."

Pyro: (He's not WRONG, but—!) -Growls a bit- (What are you DOING, Cardinal—?!)

Avi: See, that kind of quip might work better from someone who doesn't go around doing dangerous things by himself on a whim because he's trying to be Batman or whatever. I mean, come on! Doesn't get more self-centered than ignoring a crybaby begging for your help during the apocalypse because you want to be with your bestie! Man… flying solo to take on someone you already LOST against while playing in EASY mode? Talk about a death wish…

Avi: Brand and Bat were right about you. You're nothing but a reckless, deathseeking, foolhardy, cowardly DESERTER!

————————————

{Kansas City}

[Beck gasped at this, but Cardinal barely took note of it.]

"How DARE you—!"

"Me? Nah, I don't dare. You can't pin that on me, that's ALLLLLLL Five and Seven. They said as much this morning, when everyone was trying to tear him apart. Not surprised you want to pretend that DIDN'T happen, given that Cuckoo here totally HANDED your chass to you as part of that whole showdown."

Drake: What?!

Cardinal: -Hisses- Shhh!

"And don't act all high and Mighty, matchstick—"

"You feel the same way about his larking about. Don't even TRY to claim you don't, because I've got audio from just a few minutes ago of you yelling at him for it!"

"Nnngh…!"

[Cardinal had had enough. He'd heard enough to confirm his suspicions….]

Cardinal: So.

[Avi might not be focused on tracking him down, but he'd completely lost all sense of respect, compassion, and kindness. He was a complete antithesis of who he had once been—and he was willing to hurt others, even his own family.]

Cardinal: This is what it has done to all of you.

[This wasn't theory anymore. He was going to have to prioritize who he went after. He couldn't go after all of them at once…]

Cardinal: Pyro, this is exactly why I can't come home, don't you SEE what's going to hap—

"Aaaand cut!"

[KSSST—]

[Cardinal flinched at the sudden sound of static.]

Cardinal: -Annoyed- Aw, dammit…

Drake: What is going ON?

Cardinal: For now? Nothing…

Cardinal: Because Avi just dropped the call.

—————————————

{Titus}

Beck: Cards? Cards?

[Kkkkkkk…]

Beck: No, no, NO—! AVI—!

Avi: Don't see what YOU are so broken up about. It's not as if you were going to win him over.

[Beck frantically tried to call again, but to no avail; he didn't even get so much as voicemail.]

Avi: Weren't you LISTENING? Cuckoo isn't going to help you, buddy! You're on your OWN. And quite frankly—I was getting BORED!

Pyro: Avi…

Avi: Noooowwwww IF you'll excuse me…

Avi: I've got a radio show to host.

Pyro: GET BACK HERE—

Avi: Ta-ta~!

[MN.6 HAS BLOCKED MN.1.]

[Pyro gave an exasperated growl, flaring slightly. Beck, however, only looked down at his phone sadly.]

Beck: ...why—?

Pyro: -Irritated- Hng...

Pyro: He isn't himself, Beck...

Pyro: ...Father...

Pyro: Did you get all that?

[DR.WHITE]//: -Sigh- Most of it. God, I wanted to say something, but I feared that my presence would have made Cardinal hang up...

[DR.WHITE] //: I had thought, you two could...

[DR.WHITE] //: ...Oh, Cardinal...

Beck: . . .

[Ping!]

[DR.SANDA] //: ...Well...

[DR.SANDA]//: We got something out of it, at least.

Beck: --?

[DR.SANDA] //: While you were talking to Cardinal, we used the opening your call made to get some useful data...

[DR.SANDA] //: Call would have to go over it carefully, but as of right now... Toby's blocking the signals, and Avi is still interfering with the TV stations, radio, and other communications...

[DR.SANDA] //: Hopefully, it's something good...

Call: I will begin my analysis right away, Doctors.

Call: Do you require anything else, Beck?

Beck: I...

Beck: ...No, I...I'm fine. I promise.

Call: ... Confirmed.

[Call leaves with a bow, and eventually, Pyro does as well after reassuring his brother that things will be okay, and that they will all be home soon. As the door closes and the lights dim, Beck is once again sitting on his bed, alone.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Cards...

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

"I believe in you."

—————

"After all.

You are MIGHTY."

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

Beck: ....

Beck: (Can...can I really do this...?)

Beck: (Saving Pyro could've been just a REALLY good stroke of luck...)

Beck: (...But...)

Beck: (No one else...)

Beck: (No one else is like me...)

Beck: (Or at least...no one willing...)

[Soon, the glow from his eyes dims back down, and Beck himself yawns.]

Beck: (...Tired...)

Beck: (...At least I can sleep now, I think...)

Beck: (I know...I know I'm going to need it...)

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

---

=CHAPTER 4D: AVI’S NEWS REPORT=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

[MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE IN IDAHO…]

[Jack had learned how to drive a lot of different vehicles in his on and off odd jobs–this pick-up truck was no exception. He STILL felt bad about taking something that wasn’t his–]

Jack: (I’ll have to write down the license plate and return it later…)

[…But Eli had a point.]

[This were dire times, and they called for drastic measures.]

Jack: ……..

[The road was…]

[Empty.]

[…Desolate, even.]

Jack: (Creepy…)

Jack: (I…I guess everyone already evacuated the major cities…right?)

Jack: (…..It’s–It’s too quiet.)

Jack: (Maybe whoever owns this truck has some decent tunes…?)

[He found nothing in the glove compartment–but he did find some CDs in the compartment in the middle. No labels, though. Shrugging, Jack popped one of the plainer looking ones and loaded up Track 1.]

Jack: –Oookay, let’s see what–

[RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH–]

[What followed was SO loud and so disorientating, Jack almost lost control of the truck. Luckily, he pushed mute before he became completely deaf.]

Jack: ….What the hell?

[…Apparently the owner was a fan of hardcore screamo.]

Jack: (Jeezus, I’m NOT gonna listen to that for who KNOWS how long…)

Jack: (I’m NOT risking my ears for the other CDs–maybe the radio has something good-)

[Click!]

“–Check, check one, check two! Sibilance, sibilance!”

Jack: (…Oh. Right. I forgot…)

“And now, live from Avi News World Headquarters, continuing coverage of…! BA DA DA DA…! NATION. IN. CRISIS!”

Jack: Not exactly breaking news there, Six…

Jack: ……!!!

[Jack raises up the volume as he broadcast continues and unfolds…

It was a tense and harrowing broadcast, filled with harsh words from Avi, please from Beck—and then sudden, repeated interference, wherein Dyna screamed and strange music was played very loudly between bursts of static that were clearly Morse code.

It was soon clear that Beck was trying to take down Avi—alone!]

Jack: Oh God oh God–

[But he succeeded.

HE DID IT!]

[……]

[HOOOOOONK.]

Jack: HELL YEAH, KID, YA DID IT, WOO–!!

[As the comms were now officially freed from Avi’s viral grasp, Jack honked the horn of the truck several times in cheer. The kid–Beck–man, the little guy– who would’ve thought it?]

Jack: WOOOO HA–awwww man…!

Jack: Kid actually did it…

[It was nothing short of a miracle, in his eyes.]

[…….]

Jack: ……..

Jack: (……)

Jack: (Maybe–I can try to contact Miss Eight…?)

Jack: (….No–she wouldn’t answer, would she…)

Jack: (……..Maybe I should get around to calling the Russians to let them know where I went…?)

Jack: (….No, wait, bad idea–they’d probably try to stop me. Or try to teleport me out or something…)

Jack: (…I gotta let SOMEONE know I’m still kicking, though…)

Jack: ….

Jack: (…Ngh, screw it. Gotta take advantage of the comms before something ELSE goes screwy…)

[Jack rummages through his bag until he finds the burner phone, and scrolls though the list of contacts.]

[…It’s a very short list. There are only six numbers on it—

One for Dr. White, one for Dr. Cossack, one for a “Ms. Nighthawk,” one for her brother Goose, one for Kate herself, and one for Cardinal…]

Jack: ……

Jack: (…Kay, then. Doc Cossack.)

[CALLING…]

[…It worked!

…but he got… voicemail. Aaaaand of course the message was in Russian, and suddenly—]

[BEEEEP!]

[…Oh, right—now it was recording—]

Jack: …..

[That…that was not a good sign.]

[Why wasn’t he answering the phone?]

Jack: …..

Jack: Um…yeah, uh…Doctor Cossack…?

Jack: I–I don’t know if you remember me or anything, but–it’s…it’s Den. Dencerjack.

Jack: …Well, just Jack now but–yeah.

Jack: I…

Jack: …..

Jack: I hope you guys are OK too–really sorta scaring me that you’re not answering but–you’re probably helping out or busy or…something.

Jack …I hope.

Jack: I’m, uh…OK too. Sorta. Kinda. Almost died a couple of times–but I’m OK.

Jack: ……

Jack: I….

Jack: You probably think I’m stupid or crazy or something.

Jack: And in hindsight–

Jack: Iiiiiiii probably am.

Jack: You probably already figured out what I’m doing by now, I guess. If that Piers guy didn’t tell you–then again I didn’t exactly tell him everything either, so.

Jack: …..

Jack: Please don’t…

Jack: I…I have to know if she’s OK.

Jack: I just have to.

Jack: ……

Jack: So…

Jack: Good luck, and…tell the Xel kid I’m rooting for him.

Jack: ….See ya.

[Click.]

[…About a minute later…]

DOOdootdootDOOdootdootDOOdootdooDOO dootdooDOOdoodoodooDOOdoodoo…

[…It was Korobeiniki!]

Jack: …!?

Jack: (Holy crap holy crap–)

[ANSWER CALL.]

Jack: Doc??

[NOPE. Definitely not Doctor Cossack—]

“Mister Jack you ARE OKAY!”

[…Sooooomeone a lot younger. A little girl, to be precise.]

“If you are back, that means Father can talk to his friend again!”

Jack: …..

Jack: (…Isn’t this the kid from earlier…??)

“Where is мой герой?”

Jack: Uh–um–hold up, hold up–

Jack: Sorry, kid–I–I don’t speak or understand Russian–sorry–

Jack: Is your…Dad there?

[A pause, as if she’s thinking on how to answer that. Eventually, she seems to come to a conclusion.]

“Papa is at work. He gave the phone to me so I could call him.”

[Another pause.]

Jack: (Work–nah. He’s probably helping out or something, yeah. Whew.)

Jack: Alright–miss, do me a favor and tell your dad I called, OK?

Jack: What about you–are you somewhere safe?

[Another pause, with muffled sounds of talking. Then an eager return.]

“Yes! I am with my brother still. Papa is in the Meadow working on Tobias and helping learn about the virus.”

Jack: (Ah, knew it–guess she never left…)

“Where is Mister Cardinal?”

Jack: I….I don’t know, miss.

Jack: …I’m sorry.

[Russian complaining as she’s clearly holding the phone away from her face to talk to the other person there. Sounds of others talking in the background, and then more agitated Russian, with Shade’s name thrown in there several times.]

Jack: (Oooooohkaaaay…)

“It’s okay, Kalinka—He rescued you, I’m sure he can handle himself—”

[More Russian.]

“Is Jack still on the line?”

“…! OH! Oops…”

[Aaaand she’s back.]

“Sorry, Mister Jack. I was distracted.”

Jack: (Yeah, I could hear you from here–)

Jack: Um, it’s fine, Miss…Kalinka.

“Where are you? Are you in America?”

Jack: Uuuuh….

Jack: …..

Jack: -Somewhat nervously- Y-Yeeeaah, right. USA. Got there through the Meadow and Wilderness.

[Cheerful talking in the background.]

“Mr. Verde says that you are clever to take the Wilderness shortcut, and is very curious where you ended up.”

[Another pause.]

“…And that the highways might be dangerous?”

Jack: I…um.

Jack: …

Jack: Yeah, got it. I’ll be careful.

Jack: I…ended up somewhere REAL rainy. Uh. Yeah.

Jack: (Iiiii don’t know how much I can tell this kid with the other person with her…)

Jack: It’s been…a real experience.

[A bit of a pause.]

“…Will you come back soon? And be safe in the Meadow, да?”

Jack: ……

Jack: Sure, Miss.

Jack: I’ll be back.

Jack: (…In one piece, hopefully…)

“Okay. I’ll let my older brother know to make you some ice cream! Be safe, Mister Jack! Bye now.”

[Click.]

Jack: ….

Jack: Yeah…

Jack: -SIGHS-

[The CherryDyn Number runs a nervous hand over silvery locks, driving further into the highway that ran through the state. If he kept going, he’d eventually hit Utah…]

Jack: Hooo jeez…

Jack: (Gotta stay away from the bigger interstates–THAT one’s probably got some remote control cars and if the virus got THOSE…)

[At least there wasn’t any traffic here…so far.]

Jack: (OK, time to think, Jack…)

Jack: (Miss Eight’s gonna go after her own brother–but WHERE could he be is the question…)

Jack: (Seven, Seven…)

Jack: (Brandish, sword guy. He can cut ANYTHING, they say. Oh, man…)

[Seeing as he had little to go on, Jack once again turned on the radio. News reports were flooding airwaves at last as he kept driving onwards–they were mostly damage reports and warnings…]

Jack: (Nothing new there…)

Jack: (Come ON, there has to be SOMETHING–Anything–!)

“Robots are still going berserk across the country–”

Click.

“We implore any fleeing civilians to please be safe and stay away from–”

“–Susan if you can hear this PLEASE CALL ME WE’RE SO WORRIED–”

“–We have confirmation of havoc caused by a rouge robot directly attacking–”

“CherryDynamics has confirmed that communications have been restored–”

Jack: (–!!)

Jack: Wait what was that–

Click.

“–Highway Alpha 6 is under attack, I repeat, Highway Alpha 6 is under attack–Eyewitnesses have spotted a rouge robot destroying vehicles with no regard to innocent life–”

Jack: …?

“We have reports that the rouge robot is armed with bladed weapons and is currently in the Four Corners area–”

Jack: –!!!

Jack: (Wow–that HAS to be the most luck I’ve gotten in all this…)

Jack: (It’s gotta be Seven–gotta be…!)

[Four Corners…that wasn’t TOO far from here…]

Jack: (Wherever she is–she’s probably heading there now, if she isn’t already–)

Jack: (I hope this thing can handle going a hu–)

[KEERRRRRRRK–]

Jack: ……

Jack: YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME–

[…..That sound–and the smoke coming from the bottom of the hood certainly weren’t very good signs.]

[It was official–]

[Jack had the worst luck in the entire world, and he was not afraid of screaming his frustration into the steering wheel.]

Jack: (Why–WHY.)

[After sitting in despair for a couple of minutes, Jack stepped out of the truck, slammed the door, and walked to the smoking engine.]

[A BLAST of black soot and heat pounded his face.]

Jack: Uuuugh, please let it not be the battery…

[…Nope, wasn’t the battery at all.]

[It was the cooling system–he ran out of water.]

Jack: (Greaaaaat, it overheated…)

Jack: (Guess I gotta fix it–though, where am I gonna get some water…?)

Jack: (First there was too MUCH of it back in Seattle and now there’s not enough…tch…)

Jack: (Uuugh, let’s see, let’s see–)

[He scours the back, but no such luck. Eventually, he decides to check the cooler that was given to him.]

Jack: (…! Yes…! Some gallons–nice and cool, too, okay…)

[Once again popping open the hood, he starts pouring in the water, looking over anything else he needs to fix…]

Jack: (Fuel line looks OK, battery is good…)

[……]

[Virrrrrrrr…]

Jack: …?

[What was that noise…?]

[VIRRRRRR…..]

Jack: …..!

[In the distance, he could JUST make out a few vehicles heading this way–at a rather fast pace, actually.]

Jack: (Huh…)

Jack: (Wonder if they’re from Seattle too–)

[TH-WANG!]

Jack: –?!?

[Was that–]

[TH-WHAG!]

Jack: (G-Gunfire!)

[One of the bullets managed to stray off and hit the hood of the truck, causing Jack to yelp in terror.]

Jack: (Are–Are they shooting AT me??)

Jack: (Oh my God what did I DO–)

[With no desire to find out, Jack slammed the hood down and scrambled for the wheel, quickly putting on his seat belt and–]

[CHRRRRRR–]

Jack: (Come on START ALREADY–!!)

[TH-WANG!]

[Another shot bounced off the roof of the car–!]

[The engine turned over at last–]

Jack: (FINALLY THANK YOU–)

[He FLOORS it, back on the road, adjusting his rearview mirror in order to spot the shooters in the vehicles behind him–which were catching up FAST.]

Jack: …. Wait a sec–

[Were those… motorcycles? ]

Jack: Nonono–

[A group of about 7 motorcycles, of all kinds, tearing though the highway at speeds that FAR exceeded the legal limit. Gunfire rang out into the sky, as well as the asphalt around Jack’s stolen truck.]

Jack: (CRAP, THEY’RE GONNA SHOOT OUT THE TIRES–)

Jack: (I gotta outrun them–no WAY am I gonna get pulled over and mugged by some motor gang–!)

Jack:(Not when I’m this close…!)

Jack: (Alright, weird, magic bag that I still don’t have any idea how you work–)

Jack: (Do you got ANYTHING that can help me deal with these guys…??)

[Jack drove unsteadily, swerving with one hand on the wheel as he rummaged in the bag blindly with the other. He somehow reached past the cooler—as he flicked his hand, something new would come within reach each time.]

[Okay… there was the cooler, the lantern, the bedding stuff, some sort of first-aid kit, some… feathers? (Huh?)]

Jack: …..

Jack: (What the fraaaag–?? What IS that–)

Jack: (Something–cool…and–)

Jack: OW–ow what was that–?? (Feels like I pricked myself–??)

[Then he grasped what seemed to be a squishy disc. It sure seemed to be giving off a lot of heat, though…]

Jack: (….E-Ew–)

[After glancing backwards and wincing a bit at the gunfire around him, Jack pulls out the squishy-like disk….]

Jack: …..-Sniff…?-

Jack: Oil…?

Jack: …

Jack: ….!

[Oil–!]

[If he threw it out the window just right–]

[VIRRRRRRRRRRRRR–!!]

“GET ‘EM, BOYS–!”

Jack: (SCRAPSCRAPSCRAP–)

[With one swift movement, Jack looked out the window–the glass was already down–and threw the sticky disk far out behind him!]

Jack: (Hope this works—!!)

[The rush of speed-created wind practically ripped the disc out of his hands. As the pursuers were not that far behind, there was no way it could miss. And indeed—]

-SPACK!-

[—It splattered all across the ground, running oil all over the road—]

“OH SH–”

“[FRAAAAAG–]”

“WHA–”

[C R A S H–!!!]

[And then said oil caught on FIRE.]

Jack: …..

Jack: (OH MY GOD.)

Jack: UM–

Jack: SORRYYYY!

[The motor gang had slipped on the oil, crashed into each other–and was now trying to put out the flames from their clothes and rides. They cursed after Jack as he sped away, leaving them in his dust.]

Jack: (Iiiii really hope the bikes don’t explode or anything–)

[B O O M !]

Jack: -SWERVES-

Jack: HOLY FRAG–

Jack: Oh my God I made them explode–

Jack: What in the HELL IS IN THIS MAGIC BAG?!

Jack: When I drive far enough I am gonna really look through this thing, darn it–

Jack: (I really hope those guys are OK oh man–)

Jack: Frag frag now I have oil flare things and who knows what in the truck–great–just what I needed–

Jack: Lord Almighty–Miss Eight why can’t you just call me or something, so I at least know you’re alive or something–anything–

[The CDN continued to grumble, fidget, and slightly panic as he turned into the interstate–Highway  Alpha 12.]

[…They said that Seven was in Alpha 6, much further ahead…]

[This was gonna take a while.]

Jack: (Almost there, Miss Eight…)

Jack: (Just–a little further…!)

Jack: (Just a little more and then…)

Jack: ……

Jack: …..

[…And then?]

[He didn’t think he’d get this far.]

[What was he gonna do IF Kate WASN’T well at all?]

[What chance did he have against the world’s best assassin?]

[The world’s best hunter gone completely MAD?]

Jack: …

Jack: (…She’s…gonna try to kill me, isn’t she?)

Jack: (Hell, SIX didn’t have ANY problem with air striking his own little brother…)

Jack: (If I get in her way…)

Jack: …….

[He really didn’t want to think on it, but he couldn’t help but picture it. He’d already felt the brush of death once before….]

Jack: ……..

Jack: (…God, Miss Eight would never forgive herself if–if she…)

Jack: …

Jack: “No one has greater love than this…”

Jack: …

Jack: (…I…I think I get what you were trying to do now, Bird Guy…)

Jack: (Jeez…)

Jack: (You’d BETTER come back alive, too…)

[He floors it.]

Jack: (I don’t think either of them would forgive themselves if we kicked the bucket and it’s by THEIR own hands…)

Jack: (….)

Jack: (…Never had good odds.)

Jack: (Never had real good luck.)

Jack: (But I think, for once, I’d like to beat those odds.)

Jack: (I’ll DRAG Miss Eight back if I have to–!)

Jack: (Dying–that’s not an option.)

Jack: (Not for me OR her…!)

Jack: (I don’t care if you’ll try and shoot me dead–)

Jack: (I can’t…I can’t let you do this…!)

Jack: (I won’t LET you!)

——————————

{MEANWHILE…}

[She grinned as she walked away from the scene.

Sure, it hadn’t been her cause, but still. He deserved it.

She hadn’t even given Gravecrasher the honor of one of her lipstick darts. Let him be another nameless victim, for all she cared.

He had paid his dues, and danced /oh/ so well.

It was time to continue elsewhere.]

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

=CHAPTER 4D: AVI’S NEWS REPORT=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

[MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE IN IDAHO...]

[Jack had learned how to drive a lot of different vehicles in his on and off odd jobs--this pick-up truck was no exception. He STILL felt bad about taking something that wasn't his--]

Jack: (I'll have to write down the license plate and return it later...)

[...But Eli had a point.]

[This were dire times, and they called for drastic measures.]

Jack: ........

[The road was...]

[Empty.]

[...Desolate, even.]

Jack: (Creepy...)

Jack: (I...I guess everyone already evacuated the major cities...right?)

Jack: (.....It's--It's too quiet.)

Jack: (Maybe whoever owns this truck has some decent tunes...?)

[He found nothing in the glove compartment--but he did find some CDs in the compartment in the middle. No labels, though. Shrugging, Jack popped one of the plainer looking ones and loaded up Track 1.]

Jack: --Oookay, let's see what--

[RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH--]

[What followed was SO loud and so disorientating, Jack almost lost control of the truck. Luckily, he pushed mute before he became completely deaf.]

Jack: ....What the hell?

[...Apparently the owner was a fan of hardcore screamo.]

Jack: (Jeezus, I'm NOT gonna listen to that for who KNOWS how long...)

Jack: (I'm NOT risking my ears for the other CDs--maybe the radio has something good-)

[Click!]

"--Check, check one, check two! Sibilance, sibilance!"

Jack: (...Oh. Right. I forgot...)

"And now, live from Avi News World Headquarters, continuing coverage of...! BA DA DA DA...! NATION. IN. CRISIS!~"

Jack: Not exactly breaking news there, Six...

Jack: ......!!!

[Jack raises up the volume as he broadcast continues and unfolds...

It was a tense and harrowing broadcast, filled with harsh words from Avi, please from Beck—and then sudden, repeated interference, wherein Dyna screamed and strange music was played very loudly between bursts of static that were clearly Morse code.

It was soon clear that Beck was trying to take down Avi—alone!]

Jack: Oh God oh God--

[But he succeeded.

HE DID IT!]

[......]

[HOOOOOONK.]

Jack: HELL YEAH, KID, YA DID IT, WOO--!!

[As the comms were now officially freed from Avi's viral grasp, Jack honked the horn of the truck several times in cheer. The kid--Beck--man, the little guy-- who would've thought it?]

Jack: WOOOO HA--awwww man...!

Jack: Kid actually did it...

[It was nothing short of a miracle, in his eyes.]

[.......]

Jack: ........

Jack: (......)

Jack: (Maybe--I can try to contact Miss Eight...?)

Jack: (....No--she wouldn't answer, would she...)

Jack: (........Maybe I should get around to calling the Russians like Bird Guy said...?)

Jack: (....No, wait, bad idea--they'd probably try to stop me. Or try to teleport me out or something...)

Jack: (...I gotta let SOMEONE know I'm still kicking, though...)

Jack: ....

Jack: (...Ngh, screw it. Gotta take advantage of the comms before something ELSE goes screwy...)

[Jack rummages through his bag until he finds the burner phone, and scrolls though the list of contacts.]

[…It’s a very short list. There are only four numbers on it—

One for Dr. White, one for Dr. Cossack, one for a “Ms. Nighthawk,” and one that had a KCMO area code on it…]

Jack: ......

Jack: (Dr. White's there too--and Ms. Nighthawk...?)

Jack: (Must be someone important if Miss Eight put her there...)

Jack: (...Kay, then. Doc Cossack.)

[CALLING...]

[…It worked!

…but he got… voicemail. Aaaaand of course the message was in Russian, and suddenly—]

[BEEEEP!]

[…Oh, right—now it was recording—]

Jack: .....

[That...that was not a good sign.]

[Why wasn't he answering the phone?]

Jack: .....

Jack: Um...yeah, uh...Doctor Cossack...?

Jack: I--I don't know if you remember me or anything, but--it's...it's Den. Dencerjack.

Jack: ...Well, just Jack now but--yeah.

Jack: I...

Jack: The Bird Guy told me to call you guys but--

Jack: .....

Jack: I hope you guys are OK too--really sorta scaring me that you're not answering but--you're probably helping out or busy or...something.

Jack ...I hope.

Jack: I'm, uh...OK too. Sorta. Kinda. Almost died a couple of times--but I'm OK.

Jack: ......

Jack: I....

Jack: You probably think I'm stupid or crazy or something.

Jack: And in hindsight--

Jack: Iiiiiiii probably am.

Jack: You probably already figured out what I'm doing by now, I guess. If Double Dude didn't tell you--then again I didn't exactly tell him either, so.

Jack: .....

Jack: Please don't...

Jack: I...I have to know if she's OK.

Jack: I just have to.

Jack: ......

Jack: So...

Jack: Good luck, and...tell the Xel kid I'm rooting for him.

Jack: ....See ya.

[Click.]

[…About a minute later…]

DOOdootdootDOOdootdootDOOdootdooDOO dootdooDOOdoodoodooDOOdoodoo…

[…It was Korobeiniki!]

Jack: ...!?

Jack: (Holy crap holy crap--)

[ANSWER CALL.]

Jack: Doc??

[NOPE. Definitely not Doctor Cossack—]

“Mister Jack you ARE OKAY!”

[…Sooooomeone a lot younger. A little girl, to be precise.]

“I watched your match and if you are back that means Father can talk to his friend again!”

Jack: .....

Jack: (...Wait who's this...??)

“Where is мой герой?”

Jack: (--Father--?? Doc Cossack's a dad like--legitly?)

Jack: Uh--um--hold up, hold up--

Jack: Sorry, kid--I--I don't speak or understand Russian--sorry--

Jack: Is your...Dad there?

[A pause, as if she’s thinking on how to answer that. Eventually, she seems to come to a conclusion.]

“Papa is at work. He gave the phone to me so I could call him.”

[Another pause.]

“You said you had heard from ‘Bird Guy’—that is Mister Cardinal, da?”

Jack: Yeah, him, him. That guy. He told me to call you guys as soon as I could--which is now.

Jack: (Work--nah. He's probably helping out or something, yeah. Whew.)

Jack: Alright--miss, do me a favor and tell your dad I called, OK?

Jack: What about you--are you somewhere safe?

[Another pause, with muffled sounds of talking. Then an eager return.]

“Yes! I am with the Nighthawks. Papa is in the Meadow working on Tobias and helping learn about the virus. Where is Mister Cardinal?”

Jack: (Ah, knew it--guess that's the Nighthawks I saw on the contacts...)

Jack: I....I don't know, miss. He called me from Kansas City, but I don't think he's there anymore.

Jack: ...I'm sorry.

[Russian complaining as she’s clearly holding the phone away from her face to talk to the other person there. Sounds of others talking in the background, and then more agitated Russian, with Shade’s name thrown in there several times.]

Jack: (Oooooohkaaaay...)

“It’s okay, Kalinka—He rescued you, I’m sure he can handle himself—”

[More Russian.]

“Is Jack still on the line?”

“…! OH! Oops…”

[Aaaand she’s back.]

“Sorry, Mister Jack. I was distracted.”

Jack: (Yeah, I could hear you from here--)

Jack: Um, it's fine, Miss...Kalinka.

“Where are you? Are you in America?”

Jack: Uuuuh....

Jack: .....

Jack: -Somewhat nervously- Y-Yeeeaah, right. USA. Got there through the Meadow and Wilderness.

[Cheerful talking in the background.]

“Ms. Ky says that you are clever to take the Wilderness shortcut, and is very curious where you ended up.”

[Another pause.]

“…And that the highways might be dangerous?”

Jack: I...um.

Jack: . . .

Jack: Yeah, got it. I'll be careful.

Jack: I...ended up somewhere REAL rainy. Uh. Yeah.

Jack: (Iiiii don't know how much I can tell this kid with the other person with her...)

Jack: It's been...a real experience.

[A bit of a pause.]

“…Will you come back soon? And be safe in the Meadow, da?”

Jack: ......

Jack: Sure, Miss.

Jack: I'll be back.

Jack: (...In one piece, hopefully...)

“Okay. I’ll let my older brother know to make you some ice cream! Be safe, Mister Jack! Bye now.”

[Click.]

Jack: ....

Jack: Yeah...

Jack: -SIGHS-

[The CherryDyn Number runs a nervous hand over silvery locks, driving further into the highway that ran through the state. If he kept going, he'd eventually hit Utah...]

Jack: Hooo jeez...

Jack: (Gotta stay away from the bigger interstates--THAT one's probably got some remote control cars and if the virus got THOSE...)

[At least there wasn't any traffic here...so far.]

Jack: (OK, time to think, Jack...)

Jack: (Miss Eight's gonna go after her own brother--but WHERE could he be is the question...)

Jack: (Seven, Seven...)

Jack: (Brandish, sword guy. He can cut ANYTHING, they say. Oh, man...)

[Seeing as he had little to go on, Jack once again turned on the radio. News reports were flooding airwaves at last as he kept driving onwards--they were mostly damage reports and warnings...]

Jack: (Nothing new there...)

Jack: (Come ON, there has to be SOMETHING--Anything--!)

"Robots are still going berserk across the country--"

Click.

"We implore any fleeing civilians to please be safe and stay away from--"

"--Susan if you can hear this PLEASE CALL ME WE'RE SO WORRIED--"

"--We have confirmation of havoc caused by a rouge robot directly attacking--"

"CherryDynamics has confirmed that communications have been restored--"

Jack: (--!!)

Jack: Wait what was that--

Click.

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

Jack: ...?

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

Jack: --!!!

Jack: (Wow--that HAS to be the most luck I've gotten in all this...)

Jack: (It's gotta be Seven--gotta be...!)

[Four Corners...that wasn't TOO far from here...]

Jack: (Wherever she is--she's probably heading there now, if she isn't already--)

Jack: (I hope this thing can handle going a hu--)

[KEERRRRRRRK--]

Jack: ......

Jack: YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME--

[.....That sound--and the smoke coming from the bottom of the hood certainly weren't very good signs.]

[It was official--]

[Jack had the worst luck in the entire world, and he was not afraid of screaming his frustration into the steering wheel.]

Jack: (Why--WHY.)

[After sitting in despair for a couple of minutes, Jack stepped out of the truck, slammed the door, and walked to the smoking engine.]

[A BLAST of black soot and heat pounded his face.]

Jack: Uuuugh, please let it not be the battery...

[...Nope, wasn't the battery at all.]

[It was the cooling system--he ran out of water.]

Jack: (Greaaaaat, it overheated...)

Jack: (Guess I gotta fix it--though, where am I gonna get some water...?)

Jack: (First there was too MUCH of it back in Seattle and now there's not enough...tch...)

Jack: (Uuugh, let's see, let's see--)

[He scours the back, but no such luck. Eventually, he decides to check the cooler that was given to him.]

Jack: (...! Yes...! Some gallons--nice and cool, too, okay...)

[Once again popping open the hood, he starts pouring in the water, looking over anything else he needs to fix...]

Jack: (Fuel line looks OK, battery is good...)

[......]

[Virrrrrrrr...]

Jack: ...?

[What was that noise...?]

[VIRRRRRR.....]

Jack: .....!

[In the distance, he could JUST make out a few vehicles heading this way--at a rather fast pace, actually.]

Jack: (Huh...)

Jack: (Wonder if they're from Seattle too--)

[TH-WANG!]

Jack: --?!?

[Was that--]

[TH-WHAG!]

Jack: (G-Gunfire!)

[One of the bullets managed to stray off and hit the hood of the truck, causing Jack to yelp in terror.]

Jack: (Are--Are they shooting AT me??)

Jack: (Oh my God what did I DO--)

[With no desire to find out, Jack slammed the hood down and scrambled for the wheel, quickly putting on his seat belt and--]

[CHRRRRRR--]

Jack: (Come on START ALREADY--!!)

[TH-WANG!]

[Another shot bounced off the roof of the car--!]

[The engine turned over at last--]

Jack: (FINALLY THANK YOU--)

[He FLOORS it, back on the road, adjusting his rearview mirror in order to spot the shooters in the vehicles behind him--which were catching up FAST.]

Jack: .... Wait a sec--

[Were those... motorcycles? ]

Jack: Nonono--

[A group of about 7 motorcycles, of all kinds, tearing though the highway at speeds that FAR exceeded the legal limit. Gunfire rang out into the sky, as well as the asphalt around Jack's stolen truck.]

Jack: (CRAP, THEY'RE GONNA SHOOT OUT THE TIRES--)

Jack: (I gotta outrun them--no WAY am I gonna get pulled over and mugged by some motor gang--!)

Jack: (Not when I'm this close...!)

Jack: (Alright, weird, magic bag that I still don't have any idea how you work--)

Jack: (Do you got ANYTHING that can help me deal with these guys...??)

[Jack drove unsteadily, swerving with one hand on the wheel as he rummaged in the bag blindly with the other. He somehow reached past the cooler—as he flicked his hand, something new would come within reach each time.]

[Okay… there was the cooler, the lantern, the bedding stuff, some sort of first-aid kit, some… feathers? (Huh?)]

Jack: .....

Jack: (What the fraaaag--?? What IS that--)

Jack: (Something--cool...and--)

Jack: OW--ow what was that--?? (Feels like I pricked myself--??)

[Then he grasped what seemed to be a squishy disc. It sure seemed to be giving off a lot of heat, though…]

Jack: (....E-Ew--)

[After glancing backwards and wincing a bit at the gunfire around him, Jack pulls out the squishy-like disk....]

Jack: .....-Sniff...?-

Jack: Oil...?

Jack: . . .

Jack: ....!

[Oil--!]

[If he threw it out the window just right--]

[VIRRRRRRRRRRRRR--!!]

"GET 'EM, BOYS--!"

Jack: (SCRAPSCRAPSCRAP--)

[With one swift movement, Jack looked out the window--the glass was already down--and threw the sticky disk far out behind him!]

Jack: (Hope this works---!!)

[The rush of speed-created wind practically ripped the disc out of his hands. As the pursuers were not that far behind, there was no way it could miss. And indeed—]

-SPACK!-

[—It splattered all across the ground, running oil all over the road—]

"OH SH--"

"[FRAAAAAG--]"

"WHA--"

[C R A S H--!!!]

[And then said oil caught on FIRE.]

Jack: .....

Jack: (OH MY GOD.)

Jack: UM--

Jack: SORRYYYY!

[The motor gang had slipped on the oil, crashed into each other--and was now trying to put out the flames from their clothes and rides. They cursed after Jack as he sped away, leaving them in his dust.]

Jack: (Iiiii really hope the bikes don't explode or anything--)

[B O O M !]

Jack: -SWERVES-

Jack: HOLY FRAG--

Jack: Oh my God I made them explode--

Jack: What in the HELL IS IN THIS MAGIC BAG?!

Jack: When I drive far enough I am gonna really look through this thing, darn it--

Jack: (I really hope those guys are OK oh man--)

Jack: Frag frag now I have oil flare things and who knows what in the truck--great--just what I needed--

Jack: Lord Almighty--Miss Eight why can't you just call me or something, so I at least know you're alive or something--anything--

[The CDN continued to grumble, fidget, and slightly panic as he turned into the interstate--Highway Alpha 12.]

[...They said that Seven was in Alpha 6, much further ahead...]

[This was gonna take a while.]

Jack: (Almost there, Miss Eight...)

Jack: (Just--a little further...!)

Jack: (Just a little more and then...)

Jack: ......

Jack: .....

[...And then?]

[He didn't think he'd get this far.]

[What was he gonna do IF Carmen WASN'T well at all?]

[What chance did he have against the world's best assassin?]

[The world's best hunter gone completely MAD?]

Jack: . . .

Jack: (...She's...gonna try to kill me, isn't she?)

Jack: (Hell, SIX didn't have ANY problem with air striking his own little brother...)

Jack: (If I get in her way...)

Jack: .......

————————

[color=Brick] “…And if they ask where I am?” [/color]

[A pause.]

[color=Brick] “ …” [/color]

[color=Brick] “John 15:13.” [/color]

-*-*-

Siam: He…

Gemini: Heh… he…

Siam: -Regretfully, in a way- Of course he would do that…

Jack: ......

Jack: M'sorry...

Gemini: -Softly- “No one has greater love than this…”

Siam: “…to lay down one's life for one's friends.”

Jack: --!

Jack: .....

Jack: (Miss Eight...)

————————

Jack: ........

Jack: (...God, Miss Eight would never forgive herself if--if she...)

Jack: . . .

Jack: "No one has greater love than this..."

Jack: . . .

Jack: (...I...I think I get what you were trying to say now, Bird Guy...)

Jack: (Jeez...)

Jack: (You'd BETTER come back alive, too...)

[He floors it.]

Jack: (I don't think either of them would forgive themselves if we kicked the bucket and it's by THEIR own hands...)

Jack: (....)

Jack: (...Never had good odds.)

Jack: (Never had real good luck.)

Jack: (But I think, for once, I'd like to beat those odds.)

Jack: (I'll DRAG Miss Eight back if I have to--!)

Jack: (Dying--that's not an option.)

Jack: (Not for me OR her...!)

Jack: (I don't care if you'll try and shoot me dead--)

Jack: (I can't...I can't let you do this...!)

Jack: (I won't LET you!)

——————————

{MEANWHILE…}

[She grinned as she walked away from the scene.

Sure, it hadn’t been her cause, but still. He deserved it.

She hadn’t even given Gravecrasher the honor of one of her lipstick darts. Let him be another nameless victim, for all she cared.

He had paid his dues, and danced /oh/ so well.

It was time to continue elsewhere.]

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