=CHAPTER 9A: HAZY SUSPICION=

<FMN-008>: > -GWARGH-

<FMN-008>: > RICK YA DANG BIPLANE, AH’ SWEAR AH’LL SWISS CHEESE YER PROPELLORS—

🎼 Avi

[ VI ] - “JINGLE BELL, JINGLE BELL, JINGLE BELL ROOOOCK–~”The screeching sounds that came from the plane bot could barely register as singing, but sing he did regardless. Complete with jester hat. Avi, you glorious goofball.

---

=CHAPTER 4B: AVI'S NEWS REPORT=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

[SANDA LABS...]

[The lower parts of the building—the labs and underground, as well as most of the floors above were secure, though perhaps there was a few rouge trash bots wandering around here and there, which were quickly dealt with when Beck found them.]

[...But he wasn't here in the storage area for just that. It was the only room big enough for the Round Digger that Beck had first purified way...]

[...Way back? It FELT like it.]

Beck: Hey, buddy...

[The CDN beeped happily as it saw him approach.]

Beck: You seem to be doing OK...that's good...

[Beck patted the larger robot on it's spherical side, rather glad that it was still functioning perfectly well. It also reassured him a little.]

[...He was worried that his...his ability to filter out irregularities in other systems wasn't permanent, or that the virus was stronger than he thought...]

[...But the big guy seemed OK, and that means his family would be OK too.]

Beck: ......

[…Even if it may be a bit complicated for a while.

The whole fusion thing with Avi and Tobias had prompted Dr. Cossack to come over to assist in the repairs. All that he would say were vague remarks about side effects and the nature of the RMDC.

He was in the lab now, looking over more of Avi’s coding, with help from Will.

He seemed confident the problem would be fixed soon—and Beck sure hoped so.

The “side effects” that Mikhail had mentioned were a lot worse than just Tobias getting sensory data from Avi’s feeds.]

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

“Nowhere left to run, anymore. Heh… talk about pathetic. You’re a disgrace t’ robots everywhere, you sniveling ragtag group a’ cowards.”

[Panic. Sheer panic. Terror. Trapped.]

“A hunt this borin’ ain’t worth m’ time, so…. Let’s play a little game, shall we? S’ called…”

[A loud click noise.]

“ ‘Which one a’ you Wily scrapheaps will take the longest t’ die?’”

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

[Whatever it was that had caused all the Rebel Angels to wake up screaming in the middle of the night while they were gone, it definitely wasn’t something anyone wanted to show up in Avi’s feeds a second time.]

Beck: -Sighs-

[At least they were making progress. That had to count for something.]

[...A LOT of things had happened back there, on the Radio Tower, against Avi...]

[For one, it appeared his 'filter' had somehow fixed Avi's and Tobias's fusion, though he was still rather confused as to why...]

[For another...]

-------------------------

[XEL OVERRIDE INITIATED.]

[MN.6'S WEAPONS SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISABLED.]

--------------------------

[What in the WORLD was that...?

He was kinda glad that the Angels were all distracted with Tobias (and whatever else Siam was up to), because he had a feeling it would SERIOUSLY freak them out if they knew about it. It was freaky enough as it was—and if anyone were to ask about it, he just didn’t know the answer!]

[He just...he just didn't know and it scared him.]

[...And on top of that, he had no one that he could ask at the moment.]

[Was this--was this just another 'ability' that had been awakened, like the rest? Or was this...]

[Was this something more?]

Beck: Ugh...

[He slumped against the Round Digger, and rubbed his face in clear worry and weariness. He felt tired even though all his systems were green now, and he knew that...this wasn't going to be over anytime soon.]

[Still.]

[He had a promise to uphold, they still NEEDED him, they all did. He was the only, only one that can do this.]

Beck: (Jeez...I don't think I've EVER been this tired...)

Beck: (I could... I could really use a nap or...yeah.)

Beck: ...-Sigh-

Beck: Take it like a Mighty, Beck...

[The CDN beeped in concern, and seemed to rev it's engine as a way of comforting the small construct with a bit of background noise.]

Beck: Thanks...

Beck: .....

Beck: (I should probably get back to the others.)

Beck: Don't cause too much trouble down here, OK, Buddy?

[CDN.502] //: -PING!-

Beck: Heh...

Beck: You like it when I call you Buddy, don't ya?

[CDN.502] //: -PING!-

[The demolition bot revs in response, which makes the small Mighty laugh a bit. It's strange...most Round Diggers didn't have very advanced AI to begin with, compared to them...and yet this one was already showing more personality than any he's ever seen. Maybe he was...different?]

Beck: Buddy it is, then!

[Yeah, that's gotta be it...]

Beck: I gotta go, but...I'll come check on you later, OK? For now, uh...you can take a nap or s—

[CDN.502] //: -PING-

[...COMMAND CONFIRMED.]

Beck: ...!

[CDN.502 IS NOW IN SLEEP MODE.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Okaaaaay...

Beck: .....Night, then...

[He turns to close the door behind him, and heads towards the stairs—the elevators were still out, even if they WERE working, he wasn't going to risk getting trapped in one.]

Beck: (Last thing we need is for me to get stuck in the most crucial moments...)

[LATER, UPSTAIRS...]

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Xel Assimilation Data ready for analysis, Professor.

[DR.WHITE] //: Hm—Oh, thank heavens. Send that over to my terminal while I work with Mikhail—and continue scanning for the other Mighties, please.

[CALL] //: Right away, Doctor.

<MC005>: >I should love to look at that data at some point. I’ve never really gotten any readings for when someone with Universal Adaptability uses a new Power Capsule for the first time…. Are you getting any cross references popping up right now?

[CALL] //: None, Dr. Cossack.

Will: (Thank goodness...)

[CALL] //: The samples from Mighty Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 6 do not seem to show any similarities aside from causing extreme changes in behavior and the urge to cause destruction.

[CALL] //: I have yet to have found any logical pattern in the virus code. I apologize.

[DR.WHITE] //: No, no, Call—you've done so much for us. If it wasn't for you, finding my sons and daughters would be much more difficult.

[DR.WHITE] //: ...Thank you.

<MC005>: >I’m sorry that I couldn’t give much more to your assessment of the virus, my friends—I got rather sidetracked sorting out Tobias’s new coding instead. -Sighs-

Mikhail: (…) -Clearly uncomfortable about something-

Will: ....

Will: Mikhail?

Mikhail: -Looks up- Mmm? Sorry—did I miss something?

Will: ....

Will: Er, nothing...

[CALL] //: ....

[DR.WHITE] //: Call, has Beck finished with self-repair?

[CALL] //: Yes. He informed me he was going to check on the condition of the Round Digger model downstairs.

[DR.WHITE] //: That was a while ago, though...

[Mikhail had to smile a little.]

Mikhail: My older son was very disappointed to be left behind, once he heard about your oversized industrial drill-puppy.

Will: Ah...I can imagine...

Will: -mutters- I still don't know how he got down here in the first place, but he IS a demolition model...

Will: I have absolutely no idea what we're going to do with him... (He's a CDN model, there is a VERY good chance we'll have to...return him.)

Mikhail: What do you mean?

Will: Round Diggers are mass produced industrial models made for demolition work, mainly in construction.

Will: ...Made by CherryDyn.

Will: From the data we received from Beck, it's Model Number 502 of it's make, one of the older kinds. They're built to last for heavy duty work, quite sturdy.

[Mikhail blinked and raised an eyebrow at this. After a moment, he frowned, placed his hands behind his back, and turned to face one of the computer screens.]

Mikhail: …Mmm. -Seems to be thinking how to word what’s on his mind-

Mikhail: I can’t help but be drawn into my own field of “cross-references,” as it were. CherryDyn in general has been on my mind lately, for many reasons.

[He puts a hand to his face and sighs, covering his eyes.]

Mikhail: Tobias Wily and his history are rooted deeply in the works of LightLaboratories, Incorporated. The connections with CherryDyn have always troubled us, and we had hoped… -Trails off-

Will: .....

Mikhail: …I suppose I’m just distracted by thoughts of my youth. I used to work for LightLabs, you know? When I was just a boy.

Mikhail: I had high hopes for the project, but I didn’t really understand the work I was doing until the very end.

Will: . . .

Mikhail: I saw, ever so briefly—that the code was alive…! It reacted to me trying to reach out to it, to find it, to contain it—

Mikhail: (Much like… much like that virus did when it infected the RMDC and I fought back. I swear the thing got angry at me…)

Mikhail: (With how advanced Xel coding is, it certainly was high enough out of my full understanding to come off as alive.)

Mikhail: Dr. Light had been very much against advancing full realization. What I did when I made the AI_DCN_OS… well. I liked Iceman very much, and he was dear to us, but still…

[He sighed and shook his head before taking off his glasses to clean them.]

Mikhail: Forgive me. So much has happened lately that makes me think of the past, of Tobias in his first life. Pieces here and there, echoes of a time ages past.

Mikhail: I suppose that it is on my mind largely because understanding the virus is out of my ability at the moment. I’d need to know more about Xel coding, and you don’t have time to teach me.

Mikhail: This leaves me with Tobias, mainly, and also just… looking forward, long term.

Mikhail: This digging Industrial of yours…

Mikhail: If things continue in a tragic parallel, perhaps it would be scheduled for demolition simply because it were too old, or advancing in Awareness.

Will: -wINCE- (Ngh...)

Mikhail: For that is the fate of Industrials in my world. Even my own sons would be subject to the ten-year warranty, were it not for the fact that I have full legal rights, and can choose not to follow that regulation.

Mikhail: At first it was merely out of a business mindset—depreciation of property, expenses, etc. But after Tobias, animosity grew, and it became born just as much of fear as anything else.

[He put his glasses back on and frowned.]

Mikhail: I’m afraid it won’t be long before we’re called to give an account of ourselves for judgment, William.

Mikhail: Now that Aviator no longer has an Iron Curtain to stifle the media, it won’t be long before it takes a sharp turn from practicality into “here be dragons” water.

[He looked away, narrowing his eyes a little.]

Mikhail: I refused to tell you before, because I felt it was… crazy, to be honest, but. For some time now, Cardinal had been of the opinion that CherryDyn was responsible for a number of… unpleasantries.

[....Oh, dear.]

[Will kinda looks like he's going to be sick just from thinking of the implications of all that...]

Will: . . .

Mikhail: He believed that the things that happened were the result of plans being put into action too early or the like—things going wrong without the careful orchestration to make it only /just/ wrong enough to be visibly stopped, and in turn causing REAL damage.

Mikhail: I feel the same way, but I do not think it to be so—I tell myself that is being overly cynical.

Mikhail: But I think one thing is certain. We must be prepared to say something. Aviator’s interference was public, and…Tobias was involved, and if anyone were to somehow realize he were the same as the mysterious intruder at the Finals…

Mikhail: -Bows his head- The lift of the blockade will allow us to work much faster and more efficiently, yes—but the same applies for our foes as well.

Mikhail: I fully expect CherryDyn to make some noise and raise a fuss very soon. …I just suppose I feel I must arrange the chess pieces to counter it, since that’s the only thing I can really do, and you’re so busy with deciphering the code…

Mikhail: To be fair. It has a direct impact on us, too. If things follow the lane of Monstropolis, Tobias may have to remain Offline indefinitely.

Will: ......

[Will takes in a long breath and pinches the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes close very tightly. Mikhail was right, of course, he wouldn't put it past CherryDyn to make some sort of comment or whatever ELSE they have planned--if any, that is, if Cardinal turned out to be right after all.]

[And Graham...]

Will: God, what a mess...

Mikhail: We have too many moving parts in this matter…

Mikhail: At least it should be easier to find the others, now. Now that Tobias is no longer interfering and Avi will be able to help Call sort through the data.

Will: Mmm…

[That may work fine for the rest of his children out there, but they weren’t the only ones missing…]

Will: What about Kate and Cardinal?

Mikhail: Mmm.

[The Russian leaned back, crossing his arms and looking up at the ceiling.]

Mikhail: Well, Kate’s brothers have been trying to find her for several days, from what I’ve been told. I didn’t hear the full story, but they’ve probably been trying to follow Jack’s trail.

Will: Jack? You mean he’s not still with you?

Mikhail: No. He went missing a while ago, I’m afraid. Shortly after we first lost contact, actually.

Will: (Adding even MORE to this mess…)

Mikhail: Fighting Mighty Number Nine DID somehow get into contact with Doctor Wily Number Nine, and the other day they brought back some Combat Xelbots from your world, but… Jack was not among them.

Will: Metalman? What does he want with this? Is he working for Wily? -Ugh, one disaster at a TIME, please— -

Mikhail: It was apparently a personal matter. We may hear back from him later after the others have recovered, but… for now, it appears we’re being left alone.

Will: Small blessings, at least….

[He sighed, scratching at his head a bit.]

Will: What about Cardinal, then?

Mikhail: I… I don’t know. I was hoping you might have something to tell me, to be honest. He wouldn’t have been able to contact us, but…

Will: ! Oh, right! I almost forgot!

Will: Beck managed to call him the night Pyro was rescued, and he answered his cell phone!

[Mikhail suddenly became alert at this.]

Mikhail: What did he say?

[Will’s mood fell.]

Will: …He said he wasn’t coming back….

Mikhail: -Sighs, pulling his hand down his face- Why am I not surprised…

Will: He said it was… complicated, somehow, but… Avi cut him off before he could finish….

Mikhail: …

Will: Then I got a text message from him later… it said “John 15:13″…

Mikhail: -Winces- Agh, Cardinal… you shouldn’t be risking yourself like this…

Will: S-sorry I didn’t mention it earlier, I… I guess it must have slipped my mind.

Mikhail: Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself. You had more immediate concerns to deal with at the time we got back in touch. So did I. You’re under a great deal of stress right now—don’t berate yourself over missing small details that slip under the radar. Alright?

Will: I’ll try, aheh…

Mikhail: I suppose it is worth a try….

Will: Hmm?

Mikhail: Let’s try calling Cardinal’s cell phone. I think he’d be more likely to answer a call from you than from me, though.

[Will pulled out his phone, grateful that it wasn’t infected and still worked.]

Will: -Dialing the number- Do you think he’ll change his mind?

Mikhail: That might be expecting a little much…

[To their surprise, the phone call was answered. Much to their further surprise, it wasn’t Cardinal who answered the phone.]

“Hello? Is this really Sanda Enterprises?”

Will: ! (I recognize that voice! He was with Cardinal earlier!)

Mikhail: -Nudges Will to answer-

Will: -Eep— - Er— y-yes, it is! This is Doctor White speaking. May I ask who this is?

[It seemed the other man also recognized his voice from somewhere, because he took the answer at face value.]

“My name is Drake Dawson, sir. I’m a staff member at the Union Station in Kansas City.”

Mikhail: (Of COURSE! I should have known he would go there!)

Will: We’re looking for Cardinal. Is he… is he nearby?

[There was a long sigh.]

“Cardinal split a while back. He gave me his phone and said to call you guys, but uh…I figured you’d be busy right now, sorry…”

Mikhail: Mr. Dawson, did he saw where he was going?

“Not really…. We traveled around KCMO and KCK for several days before he crashed and burned. Not sure where he is now, but he said he wouldn’t go back to Sanda Enterprises until his mission was over. He was really adamant about that…”

Mikhail: -Sighs-

“He did have a couple of messages, though…”

Will: Oh?

“Said he wanted you to know he was ‘in one piece’… which he was, last I saw him. And, uh… hang on, lemme think on this, put it down somewhere so I wouldn’t forget…”

[There was a rustling noise.]

“He said he wanted Beck to come down and help out with the cores they recovered from Arrowhead Stadium, if he had the chance. To consider it a ‘personal favor.’”

Will: (Mnn…. I suppose we’ll be getting requests like that more often now. But Beck is already so worn out from working in Titus and then fighting Avi…)

Mikhail: -Catches onto the hesitation- We’ll pass the message along, but we can’t make any promises.

“Yeah… I can get that.”

Mikhail: Was there anything else? Anything at all?

“Something about focusing on the threats in the middle? It seemed pretty important to him. He wouldn’t really explain much… said that it would have to wait.”

Will: ( “Threats in the middle”? Middle of the country? Middle of the family? I suppose he means the family, but…. Would that be 4,5, and 6? Or 5, 6, and 7?)

Mikhail: Well… I’m afraid he’s right, there. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but…

“Nah, it’s okay, I get it. I just hope he manages to come back to pick up his phone later. He did mention his idea was ‘stupid dangerous’, which doesn’t surprise me that much, given how he tackled all those enemies by himself…”

Mikhail: It would be for the best right now that you keep the phone with you. He’ll know where to find you, and… if he’s unable for some reason, we can trace his cell phone and send someone to pick it up, after this is over.

“Gotcha. Anything else I can do for you?”

Mikhail: Give us a call if he comes back. Other than that… stay safe.

“Roger that. Good luck with everything. We’re all rooting for you over here.”

[Click.]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Turns to Will- Kansas City. I should have expected that.

Will: Isn’t he from there?

Mikhail: No, I think he was built somewhere in the West, but that is where he grew up. It’s too bad we missed him.

Will: I wonder what he could be doing…. I would love to get any ideas for leads on Shade, too…

Mikhail: I suspect he didn’t tell Mr. Dawson for the man’s own safety.

Will: Oh, you’re probably right….

[Mikhail’s gaze became thoughtful, and after a while, he reached over and put a gloved hand on his friend’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly.]

Mikhail: But there is hope. We must hold onto that.

Mikhail: Of course we would never ask you to turn your back on the world, but remember—your children are your true priority, and if the worst WERE to happen, you could seek shelter elsewhere. Focus on getting your family back together. I can work with the Sandas in figuring out how to fight the dragons.

Mikhail: We’ll make it through this.

[After a moment, he broke into a warm smile.]

Mikhail: Remember, my friend—I have tread these waters before, and worse.

[This, alas, was true. He had, at one point, had the entire world against him.

And yet he had arranged things so that his sons were allowed to live and work and he got to live in protection and privacy, despite things being so grim at one point.]

Mikhail: I won’t let you get dashed upon the rocks.

Will: ....

Will: Heh...

[Will returned the smile, although it was a bit weary.]

Will: Thank you, Mikhail. Really...

Will: (What would we do without you...)

Mikhail: Ah, my dear William! You have been very good to us, and personally have given great hope for my family’s recovery. Of course I would help you in the recovery of yours.

Mikhail: …Heh.

Mikhail: This is where the others would remind us not to overwork ourselves. Or me, at least. -Laughs- I’m not as young as I used to be. Professor, now, not student. I can’t pull those all-nighters anymore!

[THAT gets Will to laugh. Oh, yes, the all-nighters...]

[...He should probably not mention he's been doing that as of late. He's very sure Mikhail would have a fit—]

[CALL] //: ...Contradiction: Yet you both seem to overexert yourselves as if it were the default.

[...Oh. Call was still listening.]

Mikhail: -Wryly- Ah, we are caught! Oh dear.

Will: Eheh...

[He turned to look in the direction of one of the speakers by habit.]

Mikhail: You’re right, of course. And if it would put you at ease, I can take a short rest. But I would like to take care of a few matters first, if you can help me. I’m afraid I’ve been rather single-focused on Tobias and Avi to learn how everything else is going. Has your father contacted his brother? Or vice-versa, perhaps?

[CALL] //: Yes, Mr. Sanda contacted us as soon as we had a firm connection. They have been speaking privately for the past few hours.

Will: (Possibly bringing Seijiro up to speed on everything...)

Mikhail: I see. I would like you to alert your father that we have fixed the matter of the RMDC for now—no more sudden nightmares for your database. (And again, I apologize.) I should like to speak with them both after they have concluded their private discussion—which I expect will be some while yet. In the meantime, I shall rest.

<MC005 to CALL>: >Oh, and Ms. Sanda? May I make a suggestion in your search for the rest of the Mighty Numbers?

[CALL to MC005] //: -Ping!- Yes, Dr. Cossack?

<MC005 to CALL>: >One of the contributing factors to the… difficulty of the current situation, shall we say… is the large number of variables involved.

<MC005 to CALL>: >We have removed one variable—Aviator’s interference—but it’s not enough. We will need to remove several others as soon as possible if we are to have the best chance of success in concluding this manner with as little predation from CherryDyn as possible.

<MC005 to CALL>: >It is confirmed that Fighting Mighty Number Eight is at large, and the current theory is that she is in this world, on a hunt. Likewise, Dencerjack is searching for her—and he has his own set of complications, since he knows too much, so to speak. We need to find him posthaste.

Mikhail: (There’s also Cardinal, but trying to stop him would not be a good use of resources given the current state of affairs…)

<MC005 to CALL>: >From what I have been told, MNN-007 may be the subject of FMN-008’s attention, for… reasons.

<MC005 to CALL>: >Finding Brandish’s location may allow us to remove several dangerous spanners in the works all at once.

<MC005 to CALL]>: >So, unless there are clearer leads… my suggestion would be to focus on him, first.

Mikhail: (Removing Cardinal’s recklessness would be nice, but I’m not so optimistic as to think we’ll find Shade before we find Brand. Not when Brand’s been giving off data from the beginning, and Shade hasn’t.)

[CALL to MC005] //: -PING-

[CALL to MC005] //: I understand, Dr. Cossack. I will commence my search posthaste. Thank you for your input.

<MC005 to CALL>: > You’re welcome.

Mikhail: -Turns to face Will- I’m going to rest for a while, but I’ll be just a notification away. Sorry to be leaving you on your own like this—I just feel I’d be more useful to you combating one of the other problems. -Encouraging nod- You can do this, alright? Try to keep calm.

[With that, he walked out of the room, lost in his own thoughts.]

Will: ....

[After Mikhail leaves the room, Will slumps back into a chair and lets out a long, quiet sigh, staring into the ceiling as if it held all the solutions.]

Will: .....

Will: (...Should I...)

Will: .....

[He sharply inhaled and didn't let that thought finish itself--couldn't.]

[...Perhaps, he was being cynical and paranoid himself.]

Will: (Greg...Greg doesn't know, does he?)

Will: (If he does...)

[He felt that sick, dreading feeling all over again, and got up to fix that with a glass of water.]

Will: (...No, stop it, Will—)

Will: (Get it together...)

Will: (It's not going to come to that if he knows what he's doing...)

Will: .......

Will: (This had...had BETTER not be you that's behind all this, Greg...)

Will: (You'd better not...)

Will: .....

[Shoving all those negative thoughts aside for now, Dr. White washed up and rolled his lab coat's sleeves down.]

[There was still much work to be done, and Avi was going to be needed for the troubles that lay ahead.]

Will: (I wish it wasn't this way, Aviator...you, out of all of us, need your rest...)

Will: (At least, after this...I hope we can all just...take things easy...)

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

=CHAPTER 5A: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

[SANDA LABS...]

[The lower parts of the building—the labs and underground, as well as most of the floors above were secure, though perhaps there was a few rouge trash bots wandering around here and there, which were quickly dealt with when Beck found them.]

[...But he wasn't here in the storage area for just that. It was the only room big enough for the Round Digger that Beck had first purified way...]

[...Way back? It FELT like it.]

Beck: Hey, buddy...

[The CDN beeped happily as it saw him approach.]

Beck: You seem to be doing OK...that's good...

[Beck patted the larger robot on it's spherical side, rather glad that it was still functioning perfectly well. It also reassured him a little.]

[...He was worried that his...his ability to filter out irregularities in other systems wasn't permanent, or that the virus was stronger than he thought...]

[...But the big guy seemed OK, and that means his family would be OK too.]

Beck: ......

[…Even if it may be a bit complicated for a while.

The whole fusion thing with Avi and Tobias had prompted Dr. Cossack to come over to assist in the repairs. All that he would say were vague remarks about side effects and the nature of the RMDC.

He was in the lab now, looking over more of Avi’s coding, with help from Will.

He seemed confident the problem would be fixed soon—and Beck sure hoped so.

The “side effects” that Siam had mentioned were a lot worse than just Tobias getting sensory data from Avi’s feeds.]

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

“Nowhere left to run, anymore. Heh… talk about pathetic. You’re a disgrace t’ robots everywhere, you sniveling ragtag group a’ cowards.”

[Panic. Sheer panic. Terror. Trapped.]

“A hunt this borin’ ain’t worth m’ time, so…. Let’s play a little game, shall we? S’ called…”

[A loud click noise.]

“ ‘Which one a’ you Wily scrapheaps will take the longest t’ die?’”

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

[Whatever it was that had caused all the Rebel Angels to wake up screaming in the middle of the night, it definitely wasn’t something anyone wanted to show up in Avi’s feeds a second time.]

Beck: -Sighs-

[At least they were making progress. That had to count for something.]

[...A LOT of things had happened back there, on the Radio Tower, against Avi...]

[For one, it appeared his 'filter' had somehow fixed Avi's and Tobias's fusion, though he was still rather confused as to why...]

[For another...]

-------------------------

[XEL OVERRIDE INITIATED.]

[MN.6'S WEAPONS SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISABLED.]

--------------------------

[What in the WORLD was that...?

He was kinda glad that the Angels were all distracted with Tobias (and whatever else Siam was up to), because he had a feeling it would SERIOUSLY freak them out if they knew about it. It was freaky enough as it was—and if anyone were to ask about it, he just didn’t know the answer!]

[He just...he just didn't know and it scared him.]

[...And on top of that, he had no one that he could ask at the moment.]

[Was this--was this just another 'ability' that had been awakened, like the rest? Or was this...]

[Was this something more?]

Beck: Ugh...

[He slumped against the Round Digger, and rubbed his face in clear worry and weariness. He felt tired even though all his systems were green now, and he knew that...this wasn't going to be over anytime soon.]

[Still.]

[He had a promise to uphold, they still NEEDED him, they all did. He was the only, only one that can do this.]

Beck: (Jeez...I don't think I've EVER been this tired...)

Beck: (I could... I could really use a nap or...yeah.)

Beck: ...-Sigh-

Beck: Take it like a Mighty, Beck...

[The CDN beeped in concern, and seemed to rev it's engine as a way of comforting the small construct with a bit of background noise.]

Beck: Thanks...

Beck: .....

Beck: (I should probably get back to the others.)

Beck: Don't cause too much trouble down here, OK, Buddy?

[CDN.502] //: -PING!-

Beck: Heh...

Beck: You like it when I call you Buddy, don't ya?

[CDN.502] //: -PING!-

[The demolition bot revs in response, which makes the small Mighty laugh a bit. It's strange...most Round Diggers didn't have very advanced AI to begin with, compared to them...and yet this one was already showing more personality than any he's ever seen. Maybe he was...different?]

Beck: Buddy it is, then!

[Yeah, that's gotta be it...]

Beck: I gotta go, but...I'll come check on you later, OK? For now, uh...you can take a nap or s—

[CDN.502] //: -PING-

[...COMMAND CONFIRMED.]

Beck: ...!

[CDN.502 IS NOW IN SLEEP MODE.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Okaaaaay...

Beck: .....Night, then...

[He turns to close the door behind him, and heads towards the stairs—the elevators were still out, even if they WERE working, he wasn't going to risk getting trapped in one.]

Beck: (Last thing we need is for me to get stuck in the most crucial moments...)

[LATER, UPSTAIRS...]

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Xel Assimilation Data ready for analysis, Professor.

[DR.WHITE] //: Hm—Oh, thank heavens. Send that over to my terminal while I work with Mikhail—and continue scanning for the other Mighties, please.

[CALL] //: Right away, Doctor.

<MC005>: >I should love to look at that data at some point. I’ve never really gotten any readings for when someone with Universal Adaptability uses a new Power Capsule for the first time…. Are you getting any cross references popping up right now?

[CALL] //: None, Dr. Cossack.

White: (Thank goodness...)

[CALL] //: The samples from Mighty Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 6 do not seem to show any similarities aside from causing extreme changes in behavior and the urge to cause destruction.

[CALL] //: I have yet to have found any logical pattern in the virus code. I apologize.

[DR.WHITE] //: No, no, Call—you've done so much for us. If it wasn't for you, finding my sons and daughters would be much more difficult.

[DR.WHITE] //: ...Thank you.

<MC005>: >I’m sorry that I couldn’t give much more to your assessment of the virus, my friends—I got rather sidetracked sorting out Tobias’s new coding instead. -Sighs-

Mikhail: (…) -Clearly uncomfortable about something-

White: ....

White: Mikhail?

Mikhail: -Looks up- Mmm? Sorry—did I miss something?

White: ....

White: Er, nothing...

[CALL] //: ....

[DR.WHITE] //: Call, has Beck finished with self-repair?

[CALL] //: Yes. He informed me he was going to check on the condition of the Round Digger model downstairs.

[DR.WHITE] //: That was a while ago, though...

[Mikhail had to smile a little.]

Mikhail: My older son was very disappointed to be left behind, once he heard about your oversized industrial drill-puppy.

White: Ah...I can imagine...

White: -mutters- I still don't know how he got down here in the first place, but he IS a demolition model...

White: I have absolutely no idea what we're going to do with him... (He's a CDN model, there is a VERY good chance we'll have to...return him.)

Mikhail: What do you mean?

White: Round Diggers are mass produced industrial models made for demolition work, mainly in construction.

White: ...Made by CherryDyn.

White: From the data we received from Beck, it's Model Number 502 of it's make, one of the older kinds. They're built to last for heavy duty work, quite sturdy.

[Mikhail blinked and raised an eyebrow at this. After a moment, he frowned, placed his hands behind his back, and turned to face one of the computer screens.]

Mikhail: …Mmm. -Seems to be thinking how to word what’s on his mind-

Mikhail: I can’t help but be drawn into my own field of “cross-references,” as it were. CherryDyn in general has been on my mind lately, for many reasons.

[He puts a hand to his face and sighs, covering his eyes.]

Mikhail: Tobias Wily and his history are rooted deeply in the works of LightLaboratories, Incorporated. The connections with CherryDyn have always troubled us, and we had hoped… -Trails off-

White: .....

Mikhail: …I suppose I’m just distracted by thoughts of my youth. I used to work for LightLabs, you know? When I was just a boy.

Mikhail: I had high hopes for the project, but I didn’t really understand the work I was doing until the very end.

White: . . .

Mikhail: I saw, ever so briefly—that the code was alive…! It reacted to me trying to reach out to it, to find it, to contain it—

Mikhail: (Much like… much like that virus did when it infected the RMDC and I fought back. I swear the thing got angry at me…)

Mikhail: (With how advanced Xel coding is, it certainly was high enough out of my full understanding to come off as alive.)

Mikhail: Dr. Light had been very much against advancing full realization. What I did when I made the AI_DCN_OS… well. I liked Iceman very much, and he was dear to us, but still…

[He sighed and shook his head before taking off his glasses to clean them.]

Mikhail: Forgive me. So much has happened lately that makes me think of the past, of Tobias in his first life. Pieces here and there, echoes of a time ages past.

Mikhail: I suppose that it is on my mind largely because understanding the virus is out of my ability at the moment. I’d need to know more about Xel coding, and you don’t have time to teach me.

Mikhail: This leaves me with Tobias, mainly, and also just… looking forward, long term.

Mikhail: This digging Industrial of yours…

Mikhail: If things continue in a tragic parallel, perhaps it would be scheduled for demolition simply because it were too old, or advancing in Awareness.

White: -wINCE- (Ngh...)

Mikhail: For that is the fate of Industrials in my world. Even my own sons would be subject to the ten-year warranty, were it not for the fact that I have full legal rights, and can choose not to follow that regulation.

Mikhail: At first it was merely out of a business mindset—depreciation of property, expenses, etc. But after Tobias, animosity grew, and it became born just as much of fear as anything else.

[He put his glasses back on and frowned.]

Mikhail: I’m afraid it won’t be long before we’re called to give an account of ourselves for judgment, William.

Mikhail: Now that Aviator no longer has an Iron Curtain to stifle the media, it won’t be long before it takes a sharp turn from practicality into “here be dragons” water.

[He looked away, narrowing his eyes a little.]

Mikhail: I refused to tell you before, because I felt it was… crazy, to be honest, but. For some time now, Cardinal had been of the opinion that CherryDyn was responsible for a number of… unpleasantries.

[....Oh, dear.]

[Will kinda looks like he's going to be sick just from thinking of the implications of all that...]

White: . . .

Mikhail: He believed that the things that happened were the result of plans being put into action too early or the like—things going wrong without the careful orchestration to make it only /just/ wrong enough to be visibly stopped, and in turn causing REAL damage.

Mikhail: I feel the same way, but I do not think it to be so—I tell myself that is being overly cynical.

Mikhail: But I think one thing is certain. We must be prepared to say something. Aviator’s interference was public, and…Tobias was involved, and if anyone were to somehow realize he were the same as the mysterious intruder at the Finals…

Mikhail: -Bows his head- The lift of the blockade will allow us to work much faster and more efficiently, yes—but the same applies for our foes as well.

Mikhail: I fully expect CherryDyn to make some noise and raise a fuss very soon. …I just suppose I feel I must arrange the chess pieces to counter it, since that’s the only thing I can really do, and you’re so busy with deciphering the code…

Mikhail: To be fair. It has a direct impact on us, too. If things follow the lane of Monstropolis, Tobias may have to remain Offline indefinitely.

White: ......

[Will takes in a long breath and pinches the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes close very tightly. Mikhail was right, of course, he wouldn't put it past CherryDyn to make some sort of comment or whatever ELSE they have planned--if any, that is, if Cardinal turned out to be right after all.]

[And Graham...]

White: God, what a mess...

Mikhail: We have too many moving parts in this matter…

[His gaze became thoughtful, and after a while, he reached over and put a gloved hand on his friend’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly.]

Mikhail: But there is hope. We must hold onto that.

Mikhail: Of course we would never ask you to turn your back on the world, but remember—your children are your true priority, and if the worst WERE to happen, you could seek shelter elsewhere. Focus on getting your family back together. I can work with the Sandas in figuring out how to fight the dragons.

Mikhail: We’ll make it through this.

[After a moment, he broke into a warm smile.]

Mikhail: Remember, my friend—I have tread these waters before, and worse.

[This, alas, was true. He had, at one point, had the entire world against him.

And yet he had arranged things so that his sons were allowed to live and work and he got to live in protection and privacy, despite things being so grim at one point.]

Mikhail: I won’t let you get dashed upon the rocks.

White: ....

White: Heh...

[Will returned the smile, although it was a bit weary.]

White: Thank you, Mikhail. Really...

White: (What would we do without you...)

Mikhail: Ah, my dear William! You have been very good to us, and personally have given great hope for my family’s recovery. Of course I would help you in the recovery of yours.

Mikhail: …Heh.

Mikhail: This is where the others would remind us not to overwork ourselves. Or me, at least. -Laughs- I’m not as young as I used to be. Professor, now, not student. I can’t pull those all-nighters anymore!

[THAT gets Will to laugh. Oh, yes, the all-nighters...]

[...He should probably not mention he's been doing that as of late. He's very sure Mikhail would have a fit—]

[CALL] //: ...Contradiction: Yet you both seem to overexert yourselves as if it were the default.

[...Oh. Call was still listening.]

Mikhail: -Wryly- Ah, we are caught! Oh dear.

White: Eheh...

[He turned to look in the direction of one of the speakers by habit.]

Mikhail: You’re right, of course. And if it would put you at ease, I can take a short rest. But I would like to take care of a few matters first, if you can help me. I’m afraid I’ve been rather single-focused on Tobias and Avi to learn how everything else is going. Has your father contacted his brother? Or vice-versa, perhaps?

[CALL] //: Yes, Mr. Sanda contacted us as soon as we had a firm connection. They have been speaking privately for the past few hours.

White: (Possibly bringing Seijiro up to speed on everything...)

Mikhail: I see. I would like you to alert your father that we have fixed the matter of the RMDC for now—no more sudden nightmares for your database. (And again, I apologize.) I should like to speak with them both after they have concluded their private discussion—which I expect will be some while yet. In the meantime, I shall rest.

<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >Oh, and Ms. Sanda? May I make a suggestion in your search for the rest of the Mighty Numbers?

[CALL to MC005] //: -Ping!- Yes, Dr. Cossack?

<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >One of the contributing factors to the… difficulty of the current situation, shall we say… is the large number of variables involved.

<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >We have removed one variable—Aviator’s interference—but it’s not enough. We will need to remove several others as soon as possible if we are to have the best chance of success in concluding this manner with as little predation from CherryDyn as possible.

<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >It is confirmed that Fighting Mighty Number Eight is at large, and the current theory is that she is in this world, on a hunt. Likewise, Dencerjack is searching for her—and he has his own set of complications, since he knows too much, so to speak. We need to find him posthaste.

Mikhail: (There’s also Cardinal, but trying to stop him would not be a good use of resources given the current state of affairs…)

<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >From what I have been told, MNN-007 may be the subject of FMN-008’s attention, for… reasons.

<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >Finding Brandish’s location may allow us to remove several dangerous spanners in the works all at once.

<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >So, unless there are clearer leads… my suggestion would be to focus on him, first.

Mikhail: (Removing Cardinal’s impulsiveness would be nice, but I’m not so optimistic as to think we’ll find Shade before we find Brand. Not when Brand’s been giving off data from the beginning, and Shade hasn’t.)

[CALL to MC005] //: -PING-

[CALL to MC005] //: I understand, Dr. Cossack. I will commence my search posthaste. Thank you for your input.

<MC005 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: > You’re welcome.

Mikhail: -Turns to face Will- I’m going to rest for a while, but I’ll be just a notification away. Sorry to be leaving you on your own like this—I just feel I’d be more useful to you combating one of the other problems. -Encouraging nod- You can do this, alright? Try to keep calm.

[With that, he walked out of the room, lost in his own thoughts.]

White: ....

[After Mikhail leaves the room, Will slumps back into a chair and lets out a long, quiet sigh, staring into the ceiling as if it held all the solutions.]

White: .....

White: (...Should I...)

White: .....

[He sharply inhaled and didn't let that thought finish itself--couldn't.]

[...Perhaps, he was being cynical and paranoid himself.]

White: (Greg...Greg doesn't know, does he?)

White: (If he does...)

[He felt that sick, dreading feeling all over again, and got up to fix that with a glass of water.]

White: (...No, stop it, Will—)

White: (Get it together...)

White: (It's not going to come to that if he knows what he's doing...)

White: .......

White: (This had...had BETTER not be you that's behind all this, Greg...)

White: (You'd better not...)

White: .....

[Shoving all those negative thoughts aside for now, Dr. White washed up and rolled his lab coat's sleeves down.]

[There was still much work to be done, and Avi was going to be needed for the troubles that lay ahead.]

White: (I wish it wasn't this way, Aviator...you, out of all of us, need your rest...)

White: (At least, after this...I hope we can all just...take things easy...)

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: Dad?

White: —! Oh. Beck. There you are.

[MN.9] //: Sorry for taking so long... Buddy was, uh...kinda antsy.

White: ...Buddy?

[MN.9] //: Yeah, uh. The Round Digger?

White: (...He already named him?)

[MN.9] //: He's asleep now. He's still OK, I think. I guess he's kinda bored, just sitting there.

White: Oh dear...

[MN.9] //: I don't know how long we can keep him cooped up? I'm kinda concerned that he'll start crushing things or something cuz, ya know—that's what he's built for.

White: Mmm...

White: We can't do anything about it now, but we'll need to move him out at some point...

White: (The Meadow would be nice, but not anywhere in the lab, for sure...)

White: We'll think of something, Beck. For now, let him sleep.

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

————————————

{Meanwhile, in the Meadow…}

[Digger felt impatient.

Everyone was off DOING something— those that were awake, anyway.

His father was over in California with Tobias—and Snowcone, for that matter. His other siblings seemed to be settling things down and helping send things over.

Cardinal was gone, and Shadow was Offline—Siam had more or less locked himself in the lab, and Felix was still asleep (as far as he knew.)

Nico had finished talking to Ky—and the Second Gens were only just now returning and getting up.]

Digger: {So. Twelve. What did your brother want?}

Speedy: He wanted a favor.

Digger: …???

Speedy: I’m… honestly too worn out to explain right now, okay? Just tell your dad that we’re gonna be having some new guests.

Digger: {Wait, what?}

[But the Texan racer was already walking out of sight.

It didn’t take too long for the meaning to be made clear, though.]

Digger: …!!!

[It was Pup—the counterpart to Nine, Beck’s mirror—and he was carrying in a very exhausted lady. In the background, Nico could be seen hovering above the trees and using his magnetic powers to drag something very large and heavy into view.]

Digger: Beck?? What’s going on here?

Pup: Oh, hi Digger, can you—uh… can you call someone with hands over to help—

[Before Digger could inquire further, one of his younger brothers came over to help.]

Skull: {Easy there… we’ll have someone take care of you. Right this way to the lab, please…}

-PING!-

<FMN-001>: >So that’s where you went off to—mind explaining yourself?

Pup: After I get back from helping save Sis, okay?

<FMN-001>: >Fair enough.

Digger: Wait—

<FMN-006>: >Hey, wait for me—!

Digger: —do you even know where she is—

<FMN-009>: > -Trailing off into the distance- Working on iiiiiiiiiiit!

<FMN-003>: >Szztay still, you dum-dum—

Digger: -Kind of just. Stands there, confused- ({I guess I’ll have to wait for anything remotely resembling an answer.})

<DCN-003 to MC005>: > {Father? FMN-009 brought back some strange ‘bots to the meadow…. They look like they need repairs.}

<MC005 to DCN-003>: > {What’s their condition?}

<DCN-003 to MC005>: > {Stable, but exhausted? Fairly severely injured.}

<MC005 to DCN-003>: > -Sigh- {Is it something Siam can deal with?}

<DCN-003 to MC005>: > {…Possibly? But Father—}

<MC005 to DCN-003>: > {We are seriously going to start needing assistants in the lab at this rate. I’m sorry, son, but I really need to remain here at least until it’s clear how the whole emergency will be played out. For one thing, Will may need my advice. And for another… depending on the result, Tobias…}

<DCN-003 to MC005>: > {Father, Nineteen does not want to leave his work. …I think he may become aggravated if—}

<MC005 to DCN-003>: > {One moment.}

[There is a long pause, as if he’s talking to someone else on a different line.]

<MC005 to DCN-003>: > {Tell your brothers to follow Paige’s instructions. There should still be enough Xel left in the first aid kits to at least stabilize them—the rest will have to be purchased through Nighthawk Industries. Pay extra for the instantaneous delivery. Nico should be able to handle the rest—he’s almost as good around a lab as his brother. I’m going to have to stay over here.}

[Digger vented a sigh as the feed closed.]

Digger: ({I get the feeling this is going to be a very long day…})

————————————

[SEVERAL HOURS LATER...]

[KSSSSST!]

[CALL] //: -VERY LOUD PING-

[CALL] //: Attention—

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

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

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

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

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

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

<DWN-018 has left the channel.>

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

[MN.1] //: Call?

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

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

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

<FMN-006>: >AHA!

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

[MN.9] //: —!!!

[MN.1] //: Brandish—?!

[DR.WHITE] //: Highway Alpha 6—Call!

[CALL] //: Scanning...

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

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

<DWN-013>: >What makes you think—?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<DWN-019>: > I still wonder what he and Shadow said to one another.

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

[DR.WHITE] //: (It was...certainly enough to shut him down, from what I know...)

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

-PING!-

<FMN-006>: >Knew it.

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

[CALL] //: -Ping of inquiry-

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

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

<FMN-006>: > Food’s involved, Jayjay.

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

[MN.1] //: (...Even in her state—??)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[DR.WHITE] //: That's—

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

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

[DR.WHITE] //: -But—-

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

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

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

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

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

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

<FMN-009>: > Yes sir.

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

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

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

[MN.9] //: -—Wait what-

<DWN-012>: > GOOD LUCK, DUDE 8’D

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

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

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

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

<FMN-006 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: > -Ping- Hey—I’ve heard you lend a hand sometimes by getting people out and about unseen?

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

<FMN-006 to DSN-000 [CALL]>: >Well, I may get back to you on that…

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

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

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

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

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

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

<DWN-013>: > …

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

<DWN-013 has left the channel.>

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

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

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

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

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

[MN.9] //: Ready for the runwa—

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

[MN.9] //: —I—I mean the HIGHway—

[MN.1] //: —???

<FMN-006>: > -THUMBS UP-

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

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

[MN.2] //: -YEAAAAAAAAH—-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<FMN-001>: > …?

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

[CALL] //: ....

[CALL] //: Coordinates set.

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

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

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

[CALL] //: Xel Transfer initiated.

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

______________________

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

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

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

SYSTEMS READY?

GO!

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

Beck: (Fast—WAY too fast—!)

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

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

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

-PING!-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[PING!]

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

[SHING!]

<DWN-012>: > -DATA—-

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

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

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

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

[Or...]

Beck: Brand!

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

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

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

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

<DWN-012 to MNN-009>: > [sub]trust me on this, I’ve DONE it before with my own [color=blue]brother[/color]…[/sub]

Beck: --!!

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

Beck: Brand...?

Brand: . . . .

Brand: N-Ngh...

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

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

<DWN-012>: > …

Beck: --!!!

Beck: Nii-San--!!

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

<DWN-013>: > Keep fighting it!

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

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

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

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

Brand: --!

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

<DWN-012>: >Hang in there, Sev—

[PING PING PING!]

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

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

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

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

Brand: Ngh--!!

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

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

[SHING!]

Brand: NO!

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

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

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

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

Brand: KEEP--KEEP AWAY--!

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

Beck: --!!

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

Brand: I'm warning you, Beck--

Brand: Stay AWAY--Ngh!

<DWN-013 to MNN-007>: > Brandish…!

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

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

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

Beck: BRAND--WAIT--!

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

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

[MN.9] //: Got it!

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

<MC005>: >Forgive the metaphor, but—

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

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

<MC005>: >There is a directive—

<DWN-013>: > -Ping-

<DWN-013>: >When…

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-012>: > …

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

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-013>: >When…

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

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

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

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

<DWN-013>: > …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beck: (Think I got it...)

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

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

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

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

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

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

<DLN-005>: >What’s that?

<DWN-011>: > “Distressed” means—

<DLN-005>: >No! I mean, why is the car squished.

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

<DLN-005>: >I saw it! It was squished.

<DWN-019>: >Well it’s not there now—

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

<DWN-013>: >Uh… Beck?

[MN.9] // --?

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

[BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEP!]

Beck: --WAAH!

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

Beck: SIGN BOTS--?!

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

[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]

[BZZZZZZT!]

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

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

[XEL STOCK 1 QUOTA REACHED.]

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

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

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

Beck: Dad DESIGNED those??

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

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

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

<DLN-005>: >Look! See, there’s another one!

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

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

<DWN-019>: > … -Oh, right-

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

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

Beck: --!!

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

Beck: Whoa--!

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

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

<DLN-005>: >Uncle Will?

White: ....??

<DLN-005>: >Why do they have a big power button on them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sanda: --? Yes?

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

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

Sanda: Good...question...?

Sanda: Strange...

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

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

[WRRRRRRR!!]

Beck: --!?

[...They did NOT like that.]

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

Beck: --oh NO--

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

Beck: --They're CHASING me??

<DWN-011>: > … -Welp. Run.-

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

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

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

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

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

[WRRRRR--!!]

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

Beck: --?!?

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

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

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

<DWN-013>: > -sNORTS-

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

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

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

[SCREEEEEECH!!]

Beck: GNH--!

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

Beck: -WHOA BALANCE, WHERE ARE YOU—-

White: BECK!

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

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

[Hard.]

[CRRRSHH--]

Sanda: --??!

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

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

Beck: --Oof--!

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

Beck: Ow...

Beck: ....???

Beck: Huh...?

<MC005>: > …

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

White: E...err...

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

Beck: Uuuuuh...

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

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

[There was a slight groan.]

<DWN-019>: > …?

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

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

“Ugh… what the glitchfrag hell—”

<DWN-019>: > ?!

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

Beck: --?!?

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

[The cowgirl decloaked.]

Beck: --!!!

Beck: Carmen--?!

Carmen: Beck?

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

Beck: .....

Beck: Enjoying a nice driiiiive--?

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

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

[--OW--]

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

[And then she growled and GLARED at it.]

[…it immediately changed its mind and obeyed.]

Beck: --!!

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

<FMN-009 to MNN-009>: > YOU’RE WHAT

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

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

[MN.9 to FMN.9] //: SHE WHA T--

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

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

Beck: Uuuuh...

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

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

Carmen: Oh yes you can.

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

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

Carmen: Unlike SOME people.

Beck: --Wha--?

Beck: -Baaacks away as far as he could-

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

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

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

Beck: (Ngh...)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beck: Ngh--!

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

Beck: --!

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

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

Carmen: Stay put, Pup.

[SLAM!]

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

Beck: ......

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

Beck: .......

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[PING!]

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

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

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

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

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

[She seemed perky, in a good mood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[She was… clearly genuinely hurt over this.]

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

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

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

[ACXELERATE DASH: MAX OUTPUT REACHED.]

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

[Carmen didn’t notice.]

<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > AAAAUUUGH—!

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

<FMN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > AIN’T FAIR!

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

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

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

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

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

<FMN-008 has blocked MNN-ALL.>

[She vanished from sight and was gone.]

[Meanwhile…]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mikhail: Easy… easy…

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

[He was playing some music over broadcast.]

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

Snow: -Softly- Mister Pyyyyroooo…

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

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

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

Pyro: .....

Pyro: (Carmen...)

White: --Soi--

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

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

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

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

<DLN-005>: > An’ there will be food when you finish! : D

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

[Back at the Highway…]

[There was no sign of Carmen.]

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

Beck: Figures...

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

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

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

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

[CRUNCH!]

Beck: --?!?

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

Beck: (What was...?)

"AAAAAAAAAAA--"

Beck: --???

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

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

Sanda: Huh?

[CALL] //: Verifying...

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

Beck: Starting to really hate those things...

[PING!]

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

Beck: 70--WAIT--

All: JACK?!

Mikhail: Dear heavens.

Speedy: Duuuuuuude he actually MADE it this far??

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

White: ...? What is?

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

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

White: ....

White: Unless...

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

Beck: ....

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

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

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

[CRRRSHHH!!]

Beck: WHA--

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

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

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

Beck: -WHHOOOAAA--!

[THUD!]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 2...]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

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

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

White: --!

Beck: --Oh--

Beck: -oH HEY LOOK THAT WORKED!-

<DWN-019>: > … WAIT A MINUTE

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

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

<DWN-019>: > …

<DWN-012>: > …

<DWN-012>: > :’D;;; uh

<DWN-012>: > [sub]we plead the fifth on this one thanks[/sub]

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

Beck: .....

Beck: Oh. Well...uuuuh.

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

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

<MC005>: > You what? ?__?

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

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

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]

Beck: Stop SWARMING me--!

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

Beck: ...Oops.

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

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

Beck: --Uh--

White: --!! DUCK!

[MN.1] //: --?

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

[NOW ENTERING HIGHWAY ALPHA 1.]

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

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

[There is a strong fuzzing noise of static.

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

Beck: !

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

<FMN-006>: > OOOO—

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

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

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

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

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

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

<FMN-006>: > Her camo’s gone—

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

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

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

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

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

Beck: -Whew, OK...-

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

Speedy: -OH GEEZ, DUCK, MAN!-

[THUD--!]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beck: Lots of rigs here...

[With LOTS of malfunctioning robots...]

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

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

[Beck narrowed his eyes at them, and—]

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN]

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

Beck: Haaaaaah—!

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

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

[BAM—!]

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

[XEL STOCK 1 QUOTA REACHED.]

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

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

Beck: —NNGH—!

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

White: (....!)

Beck: Get out of the WAY—!

Beck: (Gotta—get to Nii-San—!)

[SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—!]

Beck: -cOVERS EARS, O W—!-

White: What in the world was—?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —!

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

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

[MN.9] //: Guys—?!

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

[MN.9] //: But what was—?!

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

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

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

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > Uh-oh—

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: .....? Avi—?

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

[More silence.]

<FMN-006 to MNN-001>: > …

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

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

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

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

[MN.1 to FMN.6] //: —.....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[CALL] //: Contact in 3 minutes.

Beck: Whoa—!

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

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

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

<DLN-005>: >Why?

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

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

[...A pause.]

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

<MC005>: > …What is it, Beck?

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

[BEEEP BEEEP BEEEEEEEP!]

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

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

[MN.9] //: A LOT—!

<DLN-005>: >Can you slow ‘em down by freezing them? o:

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

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

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

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

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

<DLN-005>: >Yaaay, Beckyyy~

-PING!-

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

Beck: —!

Beck: ...Linka--!!

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

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

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

[—ZING!]

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

Beck: —Hah—!

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

[CALL] //: Contact in 2 minutes.

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

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR//RECHARGING...]

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

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

[CALL] //: Contact in 1 minute.

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

[CALL] //: Contact in 30 seconds.

[There was a sudden PING of alarm.]

<DWN-019>: > WAIT WAIT WAIT—

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

[MN.9] //: -What, but we're fine—-

[CALL] //: Contact in 3—2—1—

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

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

WHANG!

WHANG!

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

Beck: —?? What was that?!

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

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

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

[MN.1] //: No—!

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

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

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

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

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

[CALL] //: -LOUD PING-

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

<FMN-006>: >Listen, Beckaroo!

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

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

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

[MN.9] //: —...

[MN.9] //: —I read you, Avi...

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

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

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

<FMN-006>: >Now go get ‘em, Champ!

[MN.9] //: —R...Right!

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

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

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

[CALL] //: Analyzing...

[MN.9] //: —...? Huh?

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck—?

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

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

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

Beck: But why would--

[SHING!]

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

And one of the cars was CLEAVED in half.]

<DWN-012>: > !!!

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

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

Beck: --!!!

[Moments later...]

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

Beck: Brand--!

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

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

Brand: Gnh...!

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

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

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

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

<FMN-009>: > YES SIR—!

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

Beck: Brandish--!

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

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

Brand: I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY!

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

Beck: HANG ON, NII-SAN--!

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

[SHING--!]

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

[SHING--!]

Beck: {Big brother, please--}

[SHING--!]

Beck: {--you have to--}

[SHING--!]

Beck: {--FIGHT THIS--!}

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

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

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

Beck: No--!

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Beep!]

Beck: ....?

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

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

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

Sunny: ^.^

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

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

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

Beck: Wait, Sunny--!

Sunny: ?

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

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

[CALL] //: Acknowledged.

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

<DWN-013>: > …

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

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

Beck: ......

Beck: Yeah...

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

Beck: ....!

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

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

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

[MN.9] //: Not--

"HAAAAAAAAAAH--!!"

[SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING--]

[B O O M!]

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

Beck: Gah--!

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

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

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

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

Beck: -COUGH-

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

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

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

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

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

Brand: Beck--!

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

Beck: Brand...

Brand: GNH--!

Brand: GNAAAAAAAAAAAAH--!!

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

Brand?: WHY--?!

Beck: --!

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

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

Brand?: WHY, BECK--?!

Beck: ?!?!?

[--It said his NAME.]

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

[.........]

Beck: A...Ah--

[Those--those words--]

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

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

<RMDC>: > -PING!-

<RMDC>: > UPDATE COMPLETED.

<RMDC>: > REBOOTING AI_DWN_024…

Beck: --!!

Brand?: RAAAAAAAAAAH--!!

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

Brand: Ngn...

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

<DWN-024>: > -LOADING…-

<DWN-024>: > -Loading…-

<DWN-024>: > -Loading…-

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

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

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

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

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

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

——————————

<DLN-000>: >But living life as a Wilybot… it’s always in the back of your mind— <DLN-000>: >What if… what if something, what if /next/ time—there’s ALWAYS a next time—what if it really makes us… what if we become monsters? [MN. 7] //: Then I will do everything in my power to save you WITHOUT taking your life. <DLN-000>: >Sometimes people don’t get a choice. <DLN-000>: >Rock didn’t get a choice. [MN. 7] //: There is always a choice.

——————————

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

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

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

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

Brand: {I--!}

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

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

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

Brand: B...Beck...

Beck: It's gonna be OK--!

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

[Beck carefully tries to approach, but--]

Brand: N--No closer--!

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

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

Brand: It...it...

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

Beck: --what?

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

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

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

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

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

<MC005>: > …!!!

-*-*-*-*-

-PING!-

<MC005 to MNN-001>: > -STATUS INQUIRY-

[.......]

[MN.1] //: RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

[Mikhail was quite taken aback.]

Mikhail: ?!

[MN.1] //: B U R N.

[MN.1] //: A L L... M U S T...

[MN.1] //: BUUUUUUUURRRN!

-*-*-*-*-

<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > Will, there’s something I need to show you…

Brand: It—will—stop at NOTHING—

Brand: It—will use—WHATEVER MEANS—!

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

Brand: It will use ME—until I BREAK—!

Beck: —!?

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

[SCANNING...]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

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

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

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

Brand: YOU MUST DESTROY ME!

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

Beck: —!!

Beck: NO—!

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

Brand: RARGH!

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

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE.]

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

Brand: Predictable!

[SHING!]

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

Beck: Gnh—!

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN.]

Brand: Always so VERY predicable...

Beck: Burning—gACK—!

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

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

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

<DLN-005>: > N O.

<MC005>: > …!

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

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

<DLN-005>: > N O, NO, /NO!/

<DLN-005>: > Beck isn’t like the monster—

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

<DLN-005>: > BECK /SAVES/ THE DAY!

Brand: —ngh—!

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

Brand: I—I can't—control—

Brand: AAARGH!

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

<DLN-005>: > YOU!

<DLN-005 to ???>: > You meanie.

<DLN-005 to ???>: > You’re trying to make more like the blue monster.

<DLN-005 to ???>: > YOU TRIED TO MAKE /US/ LIKE THAT MONSTER!!!

<DLN-005 to ???>: > -SCREEEE, SHRIEKS OF RUSSIAN WINTER-

<DLN-005 to ???>: > MONSTERS NEVER WIN!

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

Brand?: -UNHOLY DEMONIC SCREEEEEEEEEEECH OF RAGE-

[This tantrum was abruptly cut short.]

<MC005 has sent DLN-005 Offline.>

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

[MN.1] //: Snow—!

[…Uh-oh.]

<DWN-011 has entered Alert Combat mode.>


<DWN-012 has entered Alert Combat mode.>


<DWN-013 has entered Alert Combat mode.>


<DWN-018 has entered Alert Combat mode.>


<DWN-019 has entered Alert Combat mode.>


<DCN-003 has entered Alert Combat mode.>


<DCN-007 has entered Alert Combat mode.>


<DCN-008 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

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

Beck: BRAAAAAAND—!

Brand: RAAAGH—!

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

Beck: —!!

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

Beck: —aaAAAH—!

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

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]

[Take to the sky.]

Brand: Ngh—!!

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

[SHING!]

Beck: WHA—?!

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

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

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

Brand: You cannot stay up there forever—!

[There seemed to be a buzz for a moment.

And then, suddenly…]

<RMDC>: > -PING!- COMMAND ACCEPTED. AUTHORIZATION: DWN-019

[There was a flurry of notifications as the remainder of the Rebel Angels went Offline.

All but one, anyway.]

<DWN-024>: > -Loading…-

[SHING!]

[SHING—!]

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

[MN.1] //: —!!

[MN.3] //: —Waszz that—?

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

[...to default?]

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

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

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

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

[MN.9] //: DR. COSSACK—!

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

<MC005>: > …

[There was a pause.]

<MC005 has sent DCN-003 Offline.> <MC005 has sent DCN-007 Offline.> <MC005 has sent DCN-008 Offline.>

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

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

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

[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]

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

Beck: TRUST ME, SIS—!

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

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

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

Brand: Fool...!

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

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

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

Brand: Must slice--must DICE--!

-PING!-

<RMDC>: >PROCESSING NEW DATA…

<RMDC>: > UPDATING SERVER…

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

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

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

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

Brand: --n-ngh--?

<RMDC>: >ALERT!

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

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

Brand: C...Carmen--?!

[Brandish...stops.]

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

Beck: --Sorry, Brand--!!

[BZZZZZZT--!]

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

Brand: --gNAAAAAH--!

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

[XEL ABSORBED.]

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

Brand: Nnnggh...

Beck: {I'm sorry--!}

-Ping.-

<AI_DWN_024 SYSTEM UPDATE COMPLETE. REBOOTING…>

Brand: Gnh--

Brand: Y--Yes....

Beck: --!

Brand: You...you are...

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

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

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

<FMN-009>: > -PING!-

<FMN-009>: > UM

<FMN-009>: > UHHH

<FMN-009>: > GUYS THERE’S A PROBLEM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[BZZZZZZT--]

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

<MC005>: > -PING!-

<MC005>: > Has anyone seen Aviator??

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

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

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

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

<MC005>: > {What??}

[P I N G!]

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

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

[MN. ALL] //: AVI!

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

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

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

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

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

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

<FMN-006>: >Breaking news!

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

[MN.9] //: AVI!~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brand: --!

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

Brand: C...Carmen--

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

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

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

Brand: Nngh--!

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

Brand: I...ngh--!

[BLAM!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

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

[BLAM!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Brand: NNNAGH!!

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

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

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

[PING!]

<DWN-024 is now Online.>

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

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

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

Brand: RAAGH--!

Beck: Brand--wait--!

[SHING--!]

Beck: aCK--!

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

<DWN-024>: > —!

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

[Uh-oh.]

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

Mikhail: We don’t want the Avi-like incident repeating with the other numbers. It will be hard enough to carry without hurting close friends in the process…

Nico: …Good luck getting Shadow to agree. -Looks down at said brother- Maybe we should keep him Offline, too?

Skull: …At least, until Brandish is better…

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

[SHING SHING SHING SHINGSHINGSHING--]

[Other shoulder--leg--]

[There was a whistling noise.]

THUNK.

Ssssss…

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

Brand: --?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beck: Sh--Shadow--!

Brand: You...

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

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

Only to reappear—]

[SKLRRT!]

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

Beck: --!!!

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

Brand: Gnh--!

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

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

Brand: INSOLENCE--!

[SHING--!]

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

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

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Beck: SHADOW--?!

[Silence.]

Beck: SHADOW--?!?

Brand: Nggggh....

[Brand’s shadow… rippled.]

Beck: --?!?

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

Brand: You--...

Brand: .....

[Until he sensed another presence--]

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

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

Brand: --Hrk--

Beck: SHADOW, STOP--!

Brand: -UNHOLY SCREECH OF PAIN-

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

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

However…]

<DWN-024 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

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

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

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

Gemini: There is already so much suffering and anger and fear and hardship that we put up with and deal with… that it really doesn’t drive us mad. The Awareness function cannot be overridden that way, and so there is no loss of control.

Gemini: -Dryly- You could say we’re permanently infected, in a sense.

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

Beck: --!!

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

[BLAM!]

Beck: NO YOU DON'T--!

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

Beck: --Ah--!

[His visor goes down--]

[And darkness covers… everything.]

Brand: --!?!?

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

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

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

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

Beck: --!

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

Beck: Wha--!

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

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

Beck: --!

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

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

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

Brand: --Aah--!

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

Beck: (How did...?)

Brand: RRRNGH--!

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

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]

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

[ZING--!]

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

Brand: NGH--!

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

Beck: Haaaaah!

[ACXELARATE DASH: MAX OUTPUT REACHED.]

[CLANK--!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[There was the sound of something cracking--]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Brand: B--BECK--!!

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Beck: FIGHT IT, BRAND--!

Beck: I'LL SAVE YOU--

[XEL QUOTA REACHED.]

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

Beck: --I PROMISE--!

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

[........]

"Again."

[THWACK!]

"Again!"

[THWACK!]

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

"...Ngh..."

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

"...."

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

"....."

"What is wrong, brother?"

"I...Brand?"

"Yes?"

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

"....."

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

"...Seed."

"--? Wha?"

"You are a SEED, Beck."

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

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

"...Time...?"

"Time to GROW."

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

"--love?"

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

"I...heh..."

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

"R...Really...?"

Brand: ......

Brand: --mn--?

"Yes. Of course you will."

Brand: B...Beck...

"You're a Mighty Number."

[....]

[XEL PURGE COMPLETE.]

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

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

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

Beck: Brand--? Brand--?!

Brand: . . .

Brand: I....

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

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

[MN.7 IS NOW IN SLEEP MODE.]

Beck: Nii-San--!

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

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

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

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

Beck: Ooooh--!

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

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

[At first, Shadow was nowhere to be seen.

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

Shadow: . . .

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

Beck: .....

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

[No response.]

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

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

[Shadow looked up.

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

Beck: --!

Beck: Sh...Shadow...?

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

Beck: Ah--

Beck: G--Guys--!

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

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

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

[A soft ping.]

<MC005>: > -Quietly- {He’s afraid.}

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

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

<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {Keep in mind he’s been asleep since before we regained contact with you for the first time.}

<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {He has no idea what Beck is capable of, or what just happened.}

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

<MC005 to MNN-ALL>: > {Additionally…}

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

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

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

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

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

Beck: .......

Beck: Sh...Shadow--

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

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

[HOOOOOOOOONK--!]

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

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

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

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

[HOOOOOOOOOOONK--!!]

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

[HOOOOOOOOOOONK--!]

Beck: !!!

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

<DWN-024 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

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

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

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

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

[And screamed.]

Beck: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA--!

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

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

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

[SKLORT!]

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

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

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

Beck: (Highway--dark--sand--bright--what--)

<DWN-024 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

[Shadow lept down from the rig and into the sand.]

[And then he made a run for it, summoning, of all things—a giant frog to ride.]

Beck: . . . . .

[MN.9] //: -Did--did I hit my head too--guys--what happened---

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

<MC005>: > …

[A long pause.]

<MC005>: > …That… is a very good question.

[DR.SANDA] //: . . . . . Er...

Mikhail: (I’ve NEVER seen him use most of those techniques before.)

<MC005>: >I think it would be best to bring the two of you back to the lab, now…

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

[MN.9] //: -- W-Wait--Carmen, Jack--

<MC005>: >They’re waiting here already, Beck.

[MN.9] //: -sigh-

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

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

<MC005>: > Just try to rest. Things will be alright.

[CALL] //: Xel Transfer in progress...

_______________________

[SANDA LABS...]

[Mikhail sat back into his chair with a large sigh at last, groaning and putting his face in his hands.]

Mikhail: {What a mess…}

[He had tried to talk with Shadow to get him to calm down, but Shadow had turned his transceiver off, much like Cardinal had. He didn’t wish to risk trying to teleport him off despite that, since the ninja was at the edge of the vehicle and clearly poised to jump off or lash out at the first sign of something that startled him.

And now he had run off. Again.

The Russian Doctor had a fairly good idea where the wayward DWN would ultimately end up, so he didn’t find it urgent to initiate a chase.

…Besides, that would only make things worse.

No, he was more concerned about the psychological impact this would have on Beck (and Brand) in the long term.]

Mikhail: ({At least… as long as he keeps his transceiver off, he won’t upload his fear to the RMDC. Small blessings, I suppose…})

[The rescued Mighty Numbers all clamored and gathered around the injured pair, Pyrogen helping his unconscious brother to the emergency bay, with the rest smothering Nine with worried chatter and tight, loving hugs.]

[White was still passed out on his chair, a pillow propped up against his head and a white blanket over his form, a soothing ice pack lovingly crafted and placed on his forehead.]

Beck: . . . .

[Beck did not say a word, although he did return the hugs.]

Sanda: Hoooo...

Sanda: (These things just get worse, huh...)

Sanda: (...But at least everyone's...sort of alright.)

Sanda: (Goodness, Will, you REALLY can't just fall over like that..)

Sanda: I--b-better get to repairs on Brand...Call, could you watch Will?

Call: Yes, Doctor.

Mikhail: …

Call: I will also watch over Dr. Cossack, as I am also detecting unhealthy stress levels.

Sanda: Er...right...you...do that...

Mikhail: Mnnn…

[He waited until after Sanda left before he turned to type at the console.]

<MC005 to CALL>: > I am admittedly concerned for Number Nine’s well being.

[CALL] //: .....

<MC005 to CALL>: > He has been very withdrawn as of late, and has taken to secluding himself for long blocks of time.

<MC005 to CALL>: > He seems to be concerned what the others will think of him, and enforces the secrecy out of a kind of desperation—and I don’t think that what happened today will help matters.

[ANALYZING...]

[CALL to MC005] //: What do you propose, Doctor?

Mikhail: -Leans against a hand, seeming tired-

<MC005 to CALL>: > I’ll need a little time to think on that. He needs someone to talk to, that much is certain.

<MC005 to CALL>: > I’d like to talk to him myself, just to try and understand the situation better, so I can figure out how to calm down anyone connected to the RMDC server.

[CALL to MC005] //: ......

[CALL to MC005] //: Acknowledged.

[CALL to MC005] //: I suggest you also rest, Doctor.

[He was thoughtful for a moment.]

Mikhail: …Is there a piano anywhere around here, I wonder…?

[CALL to MC005] //: ...Beck plays.

[CALL to MC005] //: There is a keyboard in his room.

Mikhail: Ah, thank you. …But I suppose you’re right. Rest, for now. ({I’ll play the song later.})

Mikhail: Shadowman will be heading toward Texas. There are three possibilities: either he will continue travel within this world, end up in the Wilderness, or make it to our own world’s Texas. He should make contact once he figures out his brothers are alright and are still alive.

Mikhail: Make sure to keep an eye on Wily Eight’s isolation.

[CALL] //: Understood, Dr. Cossack.

[With that, the Russian reluctantly relocated somewhere that was conducive to sleep.]

____________________________

[MEANWHILE, AT CHERRYDYNAMICS...]

[...The sound of a phone ringing.]

[Click.]

"Mmm. Oh yes, yes, Senator. Our FULL resources our dedicated to resolving--"

[A pause. Some calm chatter from the other side.]

"...Mm. Yes, yes--Oh--yes, very wise of you. I'll speak with--yes, that too--Oh, no, thank YOU, sir. Hmm. Alright. Stay safe."

[SLAM.]

[A tall, lanky, blond haired man in a sharp, purple business suit slammed the landline phone down—HARD—on the receiver, nearly breaking the thing in his fit of rage. Violet eyes furrowed in both frustration and fury.]

Graham: IDIOT!

Graham: Argh, that aggravating MORON--!

Graham: Fine--FINE! If you want to be that way, friend, then you can go throw yourself to the bots-- see if I care.

Graham: I don't NEED you...

[He began pacing around his office, grumbling angrily under his breath...]

Graham: Why are they hounding ME about the problem, and not torturing BLACKWELL to get the answer?!

Graham: This is TWICE--

Graham: TWICE that old goat and his WRETCHED FAMILY have made me--MADE US--LOOK LIKE A FOOL--!

Graham: RrrrrAAAGH--!

Graham: Rrrgh...

Graham: You--You and that TOY of yours...

Graham: And HIM.

Graham: I should have just taken HER later when I had the chance--!

Graham: But you just had to INTERFERE, didn't you...

[...There are several files on his desk...]

[All stamped as confidential.]

[DEMONSTRATING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE BATTLE COLOSSEUM.]

[PROJECT TRINITY--CDN.1201]

[CANCELLED.]

[--REASON: STAFF COMPLICATIONS AND RESULTS OF CDN.1101.]

Graham: ......

Graham: At least I still HAVE her...

Graham: That's the one saving grace you didn't TAKE from me...

Graham: Rnnngh...

Graham: I hope you BURN in hell for what you've done, wherever you are...!

[Riiiiing...]

Graham: Uuugh...

[With a harsh sigh, Gregory picked up the receiver, and cleared his throat. His tone turned pleasant and cheerful.]

Graham: CherryDynamics, CEO Gregory Graham speaking--oh, OH! A pleasure to hear from YOU, sir, yes! My goodness, I was starting to fear the worst--! Are you and your wife and children--?

Graham: That's wonderful--yes, of course, but I have--oh, no, there's no need--I have to stay here, you know...

[Pause.]

Graham: ....No. There's no one--no, I'm not MARRIED, you silly--

[Another pause.]

Graham: I said there is NO one, sir.

Graham: ...Just me.

Graham: --Oh no, of course. Thank you for your concern, though.

Graham: I really do appreciate it...

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

=CHAPTER 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 8D: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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

[SANDA LABS, EVENING...]

[At last, after the longest, hardest week the White family and friends have had to endure in all of their time...

They were together again.

Scarred, injured, and some even still resting from the chaos...

But together.]

[It was nothing less than a miracle, born from the will of an unlikely timid boy forced to turn to his own strengths in the face of madness. In the span of a few days, he had gone from the meek, fearful screw-up to the world's savior and last hope.

Even the key to what might be the cure to the nation's robotic pandemic lies within him.

...And yet...

Beck Amadeus White, tried as he might, could not stay asleep for long.]

[There were too many thoughts. Answered questions that begot even more questions.

He had done what he had promised, and had done it as best as he could.]

Beck: . . . .

[...Or has he?]

[Love, compassion, respect and trust...

The basis and very essence of the bonds of friendship and companionship.

He was told, by his own father, by his own siblings, that these were the things that could make the world a better place...

That could help people, no matter how lost they are.]

[Beck believed that there was good in everyone-- even people like Graham, Gravecrasher, or Blade...

And that no one--of flesh or Xel or otherwise--was truly born evil, or at the very least, it wasn't their fault.

...

So that had to ring true for her, didn't it?]

[Hurt and pain, tragedy, loss, all the sorrows of the world...

That is what made good people turn for the worse--those with not enough love or compassion or trust or respect in their lives...]

[So...

Was it not enough?

Did he not try...hard enough...?]

[He knew there was good in there--over the very first year of his life, even when he was so young, and still learning of the world--

He saw it.

Buried deep within rage and fear, bitterness and vengeance--bloodlust and insanity...

He saw it.]

[A light--still burning strong in the face of all the horrors that mankind was capable of. In the face of time, in the face of the very darkness it was now a part of...

A ray of hope beneath the mask.]

Beck: ........

[He saw it, in the way spoken without malice, in the way spoken about others of their likeness--in the way that he looked at her and she looked at him without all the pain he never knew how deep it really went.]

Beck: (Where are you...?)

[He was more saddened and worried at the thought of it--he wasn't angry, although he wondered if he should be.]

[In all honesty, he'd be more heartbroken if what he was dreading turned out to be a reality...]

Beck: .....

[And he was frightened at what he would see in his dreams should he surrender to sleep.]

Beck: (Ugh...)

Beck: (This sucks...)

Beck: ......

Beck: (Maybe...maybe she's okay...)

Beck: (If...If she's infected, I think we would have noticed by now...)

Beck: (But only...things and Xelbots that were offline or turned off didn't get infected...)

Beck: (So does...that mean...)

Beck: .........

Beck: -Siiiiigh-

Beck: (I should at least try and get some rest. If Dad's really going to use my Xel Filter Program to fix everyone, then at least that'll help her too.)

Beck: (...And then I can go find her myself.)

Beck: (She's a survivor. She'll be okay.)

Beck: .....

Beck: -_-; (I wouldn't be surprised if she was having the time of her life...The whole nation's probably an all-you-can-eat buffet to her...)

Beck: -Shivers- (Ugh, I don't even wanna imagine it...)

Beck: (Got enough nightmares to potentially have, thank you very much...)

Beck: -Stares at the ceiling-

Beck: ....

Beck: I guess I can re-read all of my Star Wars comics again....

[SANDA LABS, REPAIR BAY...]

Soi: Whew...

Soi: I got at least half of his repairs done--mostly just replacing the things that got, uh, fried. At least he's still out of it for now...What about you, Will?

Will: Hrmmm...

[Will worked at his console as usual, typing furiously with purpose.]

Will: (...Gah, I can't remove the source codes directly, that just makes the whole thing fall apart...)

Will: (...Perhaps I should work on modifying Beck's Xel Filter Program--but if they analyze that too...)

Will: Not much headway, I'm afraid. Even WITH this latest sample...

Soi: ...I see...

Will: (....)

Will: (I thought I was... through.)

Will: (I really, really thought so...)

Will: -Sighs, locks the code again-

Will: I think...I think trying to get the Xel Filter to work on a mass scale is more pressing, now that everyone is home at last...

Will: Doing that might be a bit tricky, though. It's not as simple as just taking it out and copying it--

Will: It's a program I designed with very...specific specs and coding.

[Undoubtedly, Mikhail would have been fascinated by this conversation.

But despite being in the same room…

…he was asleep on his notes.]

Mikhail: Zzz…

[The overworked Russian had a lot on his mind, and he had stayed up all night the night before working on the final key to his own puzzle.

And now, determined to be on hand when Cardinal came back, he had followed Sanda’s orders on a technicality.

Oh, he was resting, alright.

But judging by the empty mug of hot chocolate, he hadn’t even made it to a couch before falling asleep in the lab.]

Soi: ... >> I told him to--

Will: ... -Sighs- Leave the poor man alone, Soi....

Will: He has his...his own troubles now.

Will: ......

Will: (I'm sorry...)

[PING!]

Will: --?

Mikhail: Zzz…

[CALL] //: Doctor Sanda, we have a call on the emergency line.

Sanda: -Sighs- That's been ringing off the hook, Call, we know there are people that need--

[CALL] //: Our private emergency line.

Sanda: --?!!

Mikhail: Zzz…

Will: But...That line is for Sanda Staff only--

[CALL] //: Mr. Seijiro Sanda has granted special permission given the gravity of the one who is calling.

Mikhail: Zzz…

Will: ......

Will: And...That would be....?

[CALL] //: Madame President Minerva.

Will: .......

Will: Call...

Will: Please tell me it's not THE PRESIDENT of the United States--?!

[CALL] //: Affirmative, Doctor White.

Will: No no NO--!

[Mikhail abruptly wakes up, looking startled.

Will is OUT of there before Soi can even react, wow, can he move fast--]

Soi: Will--!

Mikhail: -More awake now, and very grouchy to be so- {What…}

Mikhail: -Feels around for his glasses and puts them on- {What’s going on, what was the shouting just now?}

Soi: E--Er--

Soi: Oh man...

Mikhail: Call, please explain? Your father is at a loss for words. </grumpy>

[CALL] //: Yes, Doctor. POTUS is currently on our emergency private Sanda Tech line as we speak.

Mikhail: …

[He seems to turn a bit pale. Kind of hard for a man in his condition.]

[CALL] //: Madame President Minerva was given clearance to use this line by the CEO of Sanda Technologies.

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: Stall for me.

[AAAAAAND HE’S OUT.]

Soi: Wha--Mikhail--! Don't you two do this to me AGAIN--!

Soi: ....

Soi: (Crikey...)

{Meanwhile…}

“Will! WILL!”

Mikhail: -Runs after him- Will, wait!

Mikhail: {Will! We… we need to talk!}

[Will stopped dead in his tracks--whether for when Mikhail called him or out of absolute terror was hard to tell.

But he was quite not well, evident by the sharp intakes of air and the balled fists.]

Will: I--...Mikhail...

Mikhail: -Puts his hands on Will’s shoulders- Will, I…

Mikhail: I’m sorry.

Mikhail: …But it’s better you hear this from me now, rather than later…

Will: (--!)

Mikhail: I…

Mikhail: I’m going to have to talk to her, Will.

Will: --!!

Will: Wh--What--?! No--! You can't--!

Mikhail: I HAVE THINGS TO ANSWER FOR, WILL!

[He grabbed his colleague a bit roughly by the shirt, forcing him to look him in the eyes—there seemed to be some sort of cold fire to them.]

Mikhail: I sent Tobias into the Cloud to get to the White House and interfere in their security!

Will: -Wince- (But...--!)

Mikhail: I’m sorry, Will…

Mikhail: It was for good reason, and I’m prepared to pay the price for it.

Will: (P-price…!)

Mikhail: I wouldn’t have done that unless I was truly desperate. And trust me, I was.

Mikhail: I need his hardware intact for me to fix him.

Will: --But--isn't...isn't all of their self in software rather than...?

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Swallows- …Yes… and that’s… that’s why.

Will: I don’t understand…

Mikhail: The software runs on the hardware… that is the primary copy.

Mikhail: Backups to the database are inactive copies.

Mikhail: If both are destroyed, the data completely lost… then… then the Awareness is effectively dead.

Will: --!!

Mikhail: That’s part of why the Robot Master Database was founded. Industrials were meant to wear out their bodies and get new ones. They… they are property, Will, that’s just how it works—

Mikhail: But what happens when there isn’t a backup to begin with?

Mikhail: What… what happens when… when the software is too old to properly connect with a constantly updating database?

Will: --?!

Will: T...Too...Old?

Will: (C... Cardinal...?)

Mikhail: …It’s hard to say for sure as I keep the respect of staying out of their files…

Mikhail: But I don’t think he’s actually had his AI_OS backed up to the RMD in over a decade, if the records exist at all.

Will: ......

Mikhail: He… he’s always been afraid of changing his software. He wasn’t… properly coded, in the beginning.

Mikhail: But unless a construct updates their software on a regular basis, they lose the ability to communicate with the Cloud. Without the Cloud, then everything they are is tied to their chassis hardware.

Mikhail: If he has… … if he had been too damaged to recover data from his body… he could very well have died.

Mikhail: If… if his self-destruct sequence had gone off… we probably would have lost him.

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

Will: John 15:13...?

Sanda: 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."

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

Mikhail: I… I got desperate. I couldn’t let that happen.

Mikhail: What… beyond the loss that would have been—

[His voice becomes bitter in pain.]

Mikhail: The man saved my daughter’s life, he saved my life— he leads their family, he keeps the two sides of the wretched eternal war in our home world in check—

Mikhail: What that would have done to your [color=teal]son…[/color]

Will: . . . .

Will: (Oh, Mikhail...!)

Will: (If only I could tell you--I understand--!)

Mikhail: … I don’t even want to think of it. Brandish took the brief fight with Shadow hard enough, but this…

Mikhail: -Hangs his head- I couldn’t let it happen….

Mikhail: In retrospect… having Tobias fight off the security also helped make things a little easier on him, on your youngest son, by preventing everything working against him to the degree they had been working before. The distraction helped with saving the President too, I imagine.

Mikhail: But I will be honest—at the time I was really only thinking of Cardinal, and I’m sorry.

Mikhail: Between everyone’s efforts, we all made it out alive—and that is all I could have hoped for, so…

Mikhail: I am willing to [color=black]pay.[/color]

Will: . . . (Mikhail...)

Will: (God, if I lost you too to...To them, I...!)

Will: (If only I was as half as brave as you are...)

Mikhail: I’ve been somewhat negligent in my duties as a Doctor out of the desire to let the boys handle their own lives. I was unwilling to enforce my authority when it was most needed. At least six people have suffered greatly as a direct result of that weakness. My irresponsibility has placed travelers from my world at risk by allowing an unforgiving spotlight on unusual phenomena.

Will: (No, please--please, this is all my fault--! I should be one where YOU ARE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND--!)

Mikhail: What happened with the Queen’s Finals and on the highways could have been passed off as lingering issues born from their early lives. It would even have been plausible to say that the lack of files and records was related to the data breach not that long ago.

Mikhail: That is no longer the case.

Mikhail: The boys and I have gotten too much trouble to run from any longer. There are things that have happened which will no longer be overlooked.

Mikhail: Cardinal has entangled himself directly in government affairs, as has Tobias. There’s the very real question of security being put at risk, with what they did while they were there. Tobias in particular, since he now is under heat from investigations in two entirely different countries.

Mikhail: They are going to want answers, Will. They will not rest until they feel they are through. There isn’t much for them to find, but it is enough that it can’t be avoided. Trying to shift blame onto Doctors Light and Wily won’t be enough to avoid what is in store. Someone is going to have to give an answer.

Will: (What can I do, what--there must be something, I--I won't--)

Mikhail: The simple fact is that all the incidents in question only have one clear link between them—

Mikhail: Me.

Will: (I won't let them take you away from us--!)

Will: (If it comes to that, then I swear--!)

Mikhail: This time, Tobias was acting under my orders. I woke him up specifically to break into the system, disable it, and give us feeds from the cams.

Mikhail: Such… such an action is…

Mikhail: …not something easily forgiven.

Will: (N...No...!)

Mikhail: …I must… I have to answer for this, sooner or later. It’s the right thing to do.

Will: (I can't lose another--not again--!)

Mikhail: I’m sorry, William…

Mikhail: After all this time, after all you’ve done for me… I’ve gone and done something terrible, something that places you in danger.

Mikhail: I certainly won’t let anyone put that onto you.

Mikhail: -Places a hand to Will’s face- You’re like a cousin, or… or even brother to me. And I know this is hard enough on you as it is.

Mikhail: Believe me, Will, I know what this is like—

Mikhail: I’ve seen it happen with MY sons before.

Mikhail: Even worse, I was the one who sent them there, the reason they ended up like they did.

Will: (Gnk--!)

Mikhail: The aftermath was… is very hard. I don’t… -In clear emotional pain- I don’t even have them all back yet. I’m still… still in the process of piecing us back together.

Mikhail: But you…

Mikhail: You’ve been doing such good work, you… you’re already under enough stress as it is… you should definitely not be hounded by the things I’ve done using your equipment. The things my nephews have done throughout this whole mess…

Will: ..........

[Too much. It was all too much.]

[Of all the things Will had to hide...]

[Tears...]

[Now that was the one thing he could never quite master how to conceal.]

Will: Gh...!

[Suddenly, Mikhail would find a surprising strength in Will--of the physical kind, that is, once he had latched onto him--as if...]

[As if the whole world was trying to tear them apart.]

Will: You--You have to promise me--!

Will: Promise me you'll come back--please...!

Mikhail: -Blinks- …

[He returns the hug, though a gentle one.]

Mikhail: Oh, William…

Mikhail: I still have important work to do, my friend.

Mikhail: No government or government agency—no leader, no use of force will keep me from bringing my family back together.

Mikhail: No matter what happens, I will be coming back. That is not something I even have to promise… it is mere fact.

Mikhail: ({I’m not native to your world—I exist outside of it. So… even if…. Even if it were to fall to the [color=black]worst[/color] possible outcome…})

Mikhail: Just… stay strong, alright? We’ll make it through this. I promised you that, remember?

-*-*-*-*-

“Listen… If anything ever goes that wrong for you, I /promise/ you I will help you find a way to fix it.”

-*-*-*-*-

Mikhail: I intend to keep to that.

[.....]

Will: -Sniff-

Will: (...Mikhail...)

Will: (...That's right...The two of us...)

Will: (...You...don't know how much we're both alike...)

Will: ...I...

Will: I really...wanted to show you around...

Will: I... -Sniff, choked laughter- I guess that's out the window now...

Mikhail: -Weary smile-

[He ruffles Will’s hair a bit.]

Mikhail: We’ll see about that, Doctor. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to answer for myself before high office.

Will: -Sniff- Right...Here be dragons...

Mikhail: Da.

Mikhail: Go…

Mikhail: Go see your sons, Will.

Mikhail: Be with them. Be with your sons and daughters. You have them back now.

Mikhail: And you and I both know exactly how priceless of a treasure that is.

Will: ....

Will: Y...Yes...

Will: Alright...

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Gently- Will?

Will: Mm?

Mikhail: That means you have to let go, Will.

Will: ....

Will: ...!

Will: -Aaaand does so- Oh--I--Sorry, I, Ah--

Will: -Awkward noodle, how do we people--

[That gets Mikhail to laugh.]

Mikhail: -More hair ruffles for friend- Haha…! Alright, why don’t you go get something warm to eat? If anyone else wakes up, they’ll probably want to join in with you. Maybe make me some hot chocolate for when I get back. | )

[This seemed to be a statement more than a question, as with that said… he walked off, his lab coat swishing slightly behind him.]

Will: ...Okay...

Will: ....

Will: (.....)

Will: I'll...do that.

Will: ...

Will: (Friend...)

{Meanwhile}

[Shortly after Mikhail had left, Call patched the line through.

Sanda was greeted with a somewhat disgruntled looking Madame President.]

Soi: (Ugh...Dealing with the government not once but twice in the same week...)

Soi: (The two of you REALLY owe me double for this...)

Soi: -Ahem-

Soi: M-Madame President! Sorry for the hold up--I-uh, apologize.

Soi: T-To what may be the reason for your urgent call? (Please don't say Will or Mikhail, please don't say Will or Mikhail--)

Minerva: Doctor Sanda.

[She lifts something onto the screen.]

Minerva: Is this yours?

Soi: --!!!

Scout: : D -LOOK, IT IS YOU, THE SNACK GIVER-

Scout: -LICKS THE SCREEN-

Soi: .....

Soi: Uuuuh...

Soi: I...Oh, dear...

Soi: -Inhales- It...yes, he is. Goodness, I wonder how he got there... (Scout, how in the WORLD did you end up in the White House--?!)

Soi: (--Oh, right...)

Soi: (Cardinal. -__-;;;; )

Minerva: And the cat?

Soi: --?

Soi: I...I'm sorry, cat--?

Minerva: Yes, Doctor. The giant cat that is currently preventing the White House from being thoroughly secured—is that also yours?

Soi: --!?!?

Soi: (Giant cat--oh no JAZZ--)

Soi: ...Er. (That--that isn't even close to what I was expecting, what do I SAY--?!)

Soi: (Ngh, if I don't tell them it's ours, Cardinal will kill me--)

Minerva: If it’s not yours, we’ll have to disable it. It’s blocked off an entire room looking out onto the Lawn.

Soi: --....

Soi: (Cardinal....)

Soi: (Mngh, I can't let the government get ahold of Jazz, though--she's not Xel, if they shoot her and they find she's not, then--!)

Minerva: Doctor. My men said they saw someone on the ground in there. We need to secure the area, and we need to get into the room and retrieve any fallen members of staff.

Soi: (Ack!)

Soi: (Will--Mikhail--I can't hold them off anymore--!)

Soi: (What...What do I do...)

“The cat does not belong to Sanda Labs, no."

Soi: --!!

[Mikhail strides into the room, looking weary but determined.]

Soi: Wh--what are--?

Soi: (What are you doing, Mikhail--!)

[DR.WHITE to DR. SANDA] //: S--Soi....

Soi: --!

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: ...L...Let him do this.

Minerva: …

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: .... (Good luck, Mikhail...)

Minerva: Doctor Михаил Сергеевич Казак.

Minerva: How fortuitous of you to show up. There are a lot of questions surrounding you, Doctor.

Soi: . . .

Mikhail: CSU-001 is DLN-000’s support unit.

Minerva: …

Soi: --! (R...Right off the bat--?!)

Soi: (Nngh...Mikhail, I know you have experience with this, I HOPE you know what you're doing...)

[It took a moment for the President to realize the implications of what Mikhail had just said. When she did…]

Minerva: —?!

Minerva: That…

Minerva: That’s DLN-000 on the ground in there?!

Mikhail: -Closes his eyes, bows his head, and sighs- … Da.

Soi: ........

Soi: (Shade...Oh, Shade... Don't worry, we WILL get Cardinal back here somehow...)

Mikhail: -Adjusts his glasses before he looks up- Madame President, I can understand your anxiety, suspicion, and concern—but CSU-001 has…

[A pause.]

Mikhail: …

Mikahail: -Decides to start over- Well…

Mikhail: …She’s a cat. -___-;;

Minerva: -Lowers eyelids slightly- By which you mean, she will not obey orders the same way a dog will. Why design a support unit that way?

Mikhail: >_>

Minerva: No matter. If she’s dangerous and will not obey, she must be removed.

Mikhail: -Holds up hands in a “I’m not armed” gesture- I agree. If you would let Pyrogen enter—

Minerva: So you are all working together, then.

Soi: -Wince- (Mikhaaaaaaaail...)

Minerva: I hope you answer the next few questions very carefully, Doctor.

[The look in Cossack’s eyes was the only indicator that he was starting to wear down on patience. His tone remained passive, and he seemed tired more than anything else.]

Mikhail: Do you intend to put me in custody? Under what charges?

Minerva: I’m sure the Attorney General would have plenty if it came to that.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Not if I have anything to say about it--

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Shh, Will--it won't, we promise....

Minerva: Why are you being so confrontational?

Mikhail: Because I’m being listened to and recorded to right now, madam, with no idea how many are listening. -_- I will not speak so freely under such conditions.

Mikhail: Right now, I believe it is more important to focus on the physical aspects of the situation. CSU-001 will not answer even to Pyrogen, but she will be less likely to attack him. And even if she did, he would be able to, as you Americans say… “tank” it.

Mikhail: DLN-000 is in desperate need of extreme hardware repairs that are life-threatening. If he destabilizes, it will end very poorly. Readings that my database received suggest he needs to have a core replaced.

Minerva: While that is the case, we don’t think it is a good idea to allow anyone to teleport to or from the grounds right now; cybersecurity is another matter.

Mikhail: -Raises an eyebrow- And is that something you want to be saying right now, even over a private line?

Minerva: —…

[She pursed her lips together. After a pause…]

Minerva: This isn’t your first time dealing with the government, is it? ¬_¬

Soi: (You have no idea.)

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: -Well, she figured THAT out quick...-

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Come on, Mikhail...I know you can do it...

Mikhail: -Turns his hands over to show his wrists- I understand that you have a lot of questions, and that these questions regard matters of dangerous and troubling natures. But your staff promised Sanda Labs that there would be full cooperation when necessary.

Mikhail: I am merely asking you to hold to that promise. I’m the one with answers you want, yes, and…

[He curls his hands into fists, and they shake slightly.]

Mikhail: I’m willing to go into questioning about them.

Minerva: -Blink blink- -Did NOT expect this kind of answer-

Mikhail: All I ask is that you think very carefully about who gets to hear the answers.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: -Ngh...-

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: -As long as they don't take him away--ngh--

Soi: ....

Soi: (Okay...So Mikhail...Is going to answer their questions, but if they ask to speak to Will...)

Soi: (He gets terrified at the thought of it and I know why...)

Mikhail: -Looks up again, turning a hand to the side in gesture- Please understand, Madame President— Jazz and her master both need to get out of there as soon as possible. Mighty Number Nine is currently undergoing his own repairs and recovery. Given the current situation, Pyrogen is the only one who can safely diffuse it.

Mikhail: If you’re so worried about any further “funny business”, I’m sure it shouldn’t be a problem if he’s watched while he picks them up.

Soi: ( ! Good idea...Really, all we're doing is picking them up and nothing else...)

Minerva: Very well, you do have a point.

[She looks over her shoulder.]

Minerva: I have a personal interest in DLN-000’s well being. I’m sure the Secretary of Defense will be fine with leading the escort into the White House.

"...To be honest, a guy that can survive a headshot is someone that would be a shame to lose, but that's just me."

Minerva: -Smiles a bit at that-

Mikhail: … -Blinks-

Mikhail: He took a hit from Shade to his helmet?

Desmond: -Peeks over Min's shoulder-

Desmond: Actually, we shot him in the head when he got into the Oval Office--that is one darn good helmet he has there.

Desmond: Desmond Donald, by the way. Secretary of Defense. I also have a few questions for you, Doctor Cossack.

Mikhail: -Flatly- No, I’m not a spy.

Desmond: --...

Desmond: It really isn't your first rodeo, isn't it...

Mikhail: Nyet.

Mikhail: The answers I have aren’t exactly something that everyone should be hearing.

Desmond: And why would that be?

Mikhail: Well, for starters— I’m sure you have a lot of questions about DLN-000.

Mikhail: I am his Doctor, yes, but he is more than just a patient to me. He is also a good family friend. Answers regarding him lead into information about my daughter—

Soi: ( ! He mentioned Kalinka...)

Mikhail: And quite frankly, I will not have her endangered.

Mikhail: One who has landed myself in this position must answer for what has been going on. Investigations require answers. But only those who have a right to know should be handling such answers.

Desmond: ... a right to know, huh...

Desmond: Well, I think I do.

Desmond: DLN-000 was wearing what I am sure to be dog tags.

Desmond: And-- -Turns to Min- Believe me, someone with a good helmet like that, able to by-pass our security and go toe to toe with one of the world's top Battle Colosseum fighters...

Desmond: Believe me, I would know if we had someone like that.

Mikhail: -Wry smile- Got you in trouble, did he, Mr. Donald?

Desmond: -~-

Desmond: Look...

Desmond: I don't know if he's in some... secret division or whatever, if he's military--

Desmond: ....Well.

Desmond: The man saved Min's life, no matter which way you look at it.

Mikhail: And I can assure you he wouldn’t like you harassing his Doctor overmuch. He went to the trouble of saving mine once, after all.

Desmond: ....

Desmond: -Turns to Min again-

Desmond: He's a soldier, Min.

Desmond: No one left behind.

Minerva: …

Minerva: -Siiiighs-

Minerva: You’re a person of interest, Doctor Cossack. I’d much rather have some of our staff look him over, if you want the honest truth.

Mikhail: That’s not going to work. If you wish to question me, however, that can be arranged. But he needs to get out of there.

Minerva: You would delay his repairs, potentially deny them altogether? : |

[The implications of that emphasis were not lost on the beleaguered Russian.]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Quietly- Well, I seriously hope it doesn’t come to that, that’s an awfully chilling fate to walk off to.

Soi: ....

Soi: I...If I may...Suggest something...?

Mikhail: -Turns to look at Soi- ?

Soi: -Ahem-

Soi: -Exhales-

Soi: .....

Soi: DLN-000--his very life is at stake.

Soi: Please, if...If it helps--Sanda Enterprises is a very secure location, and our lines have the best security we can offer. You had to get permission from my brother before getting on this line, even.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: SOI WHAT ARE YOU DOING--

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Trust me--

Soi: If you like...After DLN-000's condition is more stable and not in great danger, we can set up a room--monitored and with our most secure line--so that you can question Doctor Cossack as much as you want. I...

Soi: I'll even answer some myself if I have to.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Soichiro--!

Soi: Just...

Soi: He's....he's our friend. Please...

Soi: The more we wait...

Minerva: …

Mikhail: I find this to be an acceptable answer.

Mikhail: I can assure you I’ll be staying here in the lab until repairs are over. DLN-000 needs my help with repairs, after all—I’ll hardly skip town, let alone country.

Soi: Call--my daughter, she can even give you reports.

Mikhail: I’ll need her help, Sanda, as an assistant, if she’s not on a different assignment.

Soi: Yes...Yes, certainly...

Minerva: -Looks at Des for a moment- …

Des: .....

Minerva: -Looks back- Very well.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: !

Minerva: It’s not what I’d consider ideal, but negotiation is all about give and take.

Minerva: As a representative of the republic, I don’t quite trust you, Doctor Cossack, and there are questions that will need to be answered.

Minerva: However, you have been more or less cooperative and you have agreed to remaining within a confined area and undergoing questioning. And character testimony certainly counts for something.

Minerva: Mighty Number One has clearance to meet the Secretary of Defense outside the White House and proceed to retrieve CSU-001 and DLN-000.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: --!!!

Minerva: And after that…

[She holds up Scout again.]

Minerva: I believe this one needs to go back home as well.

Scout: : D!!!!

Scout: -SNACK GIVER, HELLO AGAIN- Rarf! ^^

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Oh dear God we completely forgot about Scout--

Minerva: But before I let you go—

Minerva: I have a homework assignment for the two of you.

Soi: !

Soi: (...S...She means Mikhail and me, right--)

Minerva: This critter was looked over by the veterinarian on staff. It is not a dog, and it is not a raccoon.

Minerva: I hope your biology research will have an A+ answer as to what it is and to why and how it keeps doing this—

[She takes one of Desmond’s pins out of Scout’s mouth.]

Desmond: ??? -Again--

Minerva: Even from up to several yards away.

Scout: D : -Nuuuuu-

Minerva: -Scritches for the Scout- -It’s okay, you’re a good boy-

Scout: : D!!! -Yaaay, nice lady is nice~-

Soi: Eheh...Er. Well, his name is Scout, and ah...

Soi: ...H-How about we leave that to when you question me? ^^;;;

Minerva: That’s the definition of a homework assignment, Doctor Sanda. -Amused smile-

Soi: -Yup we knew that, just making sure- -Thumbs up-

Minerva: -Chuckles- Alright.

Minerva: -Turns to Des- You’d better get over to the White House then, Des.

Minerva: -Signals for the feed to cut out-

-BLIP!-

Soi: .....

[Suddenly, someone running into the room--]

Mikhail: ?

[GLOMP--]

Will: You did it--

Will: Both of you did it--!

Will: -Oh God for a second there I thought both of you were going to get taken into custody, SOOOOI--

Soi: --Oof--

Soi: Aw, Will... ^^

Mikhail: -Aw, group hug for Will- It’s alright, William. Things will be fine now.

Mikhail: The President seemed mostly to be acting in the interests of your republic, and not out of personal aggression. Trust me, that makes it much easier.

Will: .....

Will: Y...You didn't have to do that, though, Soi...Putting yourself...

Soi: Eh...Will, I'm in charge of the American Branch. I'm pretty sure they would have gotten to me eventually. ^^;;;

Soi: Besides, as long as you're not going to get questioned or anything like that...

Soi: It's worth it.

Will: ...Soi...

Soi: I always got your back, Will, remember? ^^

Mikhail: -Lets go to clean off his glasses- Call, please tell Pyrogen to report here. I need to… warn him about some things before he goes over there.

[CALL] //: Yes, Doctor.

Soi: I'll get back to repairing Shade and Beck, then.

Soi: ....Right after a hot meal and a nap. ^^;;; -Oof, we feel rather shaken and exhausted...-

Mikhail: You do that. -Slight grin- I had my nap. Now it’s your turn.

Will: I--

Soi: You are going to do the same and spend time with the rest of the Mighties.

Soi: Jeez, Will, where would you be without me? | )

Will: Eheh...Up the creek with no paddle...

Mikhail: Alright, gentlemen. Let’s get going.

{Soon, outside the White House…}

[...It was a shambled mess. Not like how it was usually seen in pictures or in movies or TV. Windows broken, smashed, smoke coming from various places...]

Desmond: ..... -Sighs- (Never though I'd live to see myself going through a living White House Down movie...)

"Secretary."

[Desmond turned around at a very familiar voice--one that many people knew at this point.

Pyrogen, leader of the Mighty Numbers, the highest ranked IBCA team on the planet.

While Desmond knew the gravity of the situation...He couldn't help but feel honored, really, when the fire bot strode over with focus and purpose.]

Pyro: Mighty No. 1, reporting for duty. I'm here to retrieve DLN-000 and his support unit.

Desmond: -Nods- Desmond Donald. It's an honor. And right on time....

Pyro: I like to be when there are lives at stake.

Desmond: --....

Desmond: I'm aware of the situation, One... >>;

Desmond: (He really does possess an air of authority...)

Pyro: Am I cleared to enter?

Desmond: Yes. There are some areas that have caught fire, due to the... fire breathing cat...

Desmond: --But--that should pose no problem for you. I assume you are going to disable her...?

Pyro: I will, if my first plan doesn't work.

Desmond: ....?

Pyro: Need I remind you that she is a cat.

Pyro: There are less aggressive ways to calm an angry feline, Secretary.

Pyro: If you are coming with me, I suggest you change into casual clothing. A man in a suit with a fire arm will make her even more aggressive.

Desmond: .....

Desmond: You seem to know much about this support unit anyway, One.

Pyro: You are already going to question my Father and Doctor Cossack. I am here to retrieve DLN-000 and the support unit, nothing more. If you want to question me, you will have to go though him first.

Desmond: ....

Desmond: -~- I see.

Desmond: Give me a few minutes to change.

Pyro: Affirmative.

[INSIDE...]

Desmond: -Now in a green cotton shirt and jeans- She's this way.

Pyro: .......

Pyro: (Good Lord, I can't tell if it's Beck that made this, Shade in his illness, or Cardinal...)

Pyro: (All of them at once, I suspect, even...)

Desmond: Yeah, I know. It's like Hurricane Jeremiah had a kid with a tornado and then this happened....

Pyro: .......

Desmond: It's going to take weeks to clean this up... (And I don't even want to THINK about the damage done to the historical artifacts--guh, I can hear the protesters and crazed historians matches already...)

Pyro: ....

Pyro: You said they were in the room overlooking the Lawn, yes?

Des: ...Yeah. This way. We're still getting rid of the rest of MN.8's traps so we have to take the other way around.

Des: Careful, some of the flooring is unstable--some of the hallways should be safe, though. -Pause-

Pyro: ...?

Des: Your mysterious soldier friend kind of made sure of that. >>;;

Pyro: --!

[....Case in point, they had reached one such hallway....]

Pyro: .....

Pyro: -S I G H-.

Pyro: Cardinaaaal... | (

Des: --?

Des: What?

Pyro: --....

Des: Cardinal?

Pyro: ....

Pyro: (Glitch--)

Des: --...Is that his name?

Pyro: ....

Pyro: Yes. -~-;;;; (Damn it, Cardinal, if you weren't such a trouble maker, I wouldn't have had such a reaction--)

Des: ....That... explains why Countershade was calling him 'Birdy'...

Pyro: -Sigh- Yes...

Des: So they do know each other.

Pyro: Are we going to save him or not?

Pyro: I told you, you're going to question the Doctors, you can ask them.

Pyro: If you're only going to play 20 Questions, I can find my own way there myself. | [

Des: ....

Des: | \ I'm the one escorting you, One--

Pyro: And I have a mission.

Pyro: You are just along for the ride.

Des: ....

Pyro: | [

Des: ....

Des: -Begrudging tone- Fine.

[After carefully going through the wreckage and debris left behind by the resulting battle, Pyro and the Secretary of Defense didn't say a word to each other as they came up upon one of the last hallways to the room in question.]

Des: !

Des: Oh, come on, he smashed nearly HALF of the Presidential Busts too--?!

Des: -n-

Pyro: .... (No, Cardinal wouldn't do that. Shade, perhaps....)

Des: At least it's all on THIS end instead of all over the place...

Pyro: .....The door's been knocked down...

Pyro: (Cardinal DID use his shield to break some open, didn't he?)

[Something could be seen moving inside…]

Pyro: --?

Pyro: I can see something...

Des: -~- That must be her. She was standing guard by the door until we left her alone...

Des: ...After we found out she could breathe fire.

Pyro: ...Breathe fire...

Des: It was sudden too. She hissed at us a lot like cats do--and then... whoosh.

Pyro: ....

Pyro: (Hissed?)

“HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSS…”

[Glowing red eyes. FULL RED EYES.]

Pyro: --!!!

Pyro: (That is NOT just a cat hiss--!)

Pyro: Back! Now!

Des: --!!!

FOOSH!

[Pyro tanked it, alright!]

Jazz: RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH…

Jazz: -Digs claws into floor-

Jazz: -HHHHSSS! HHHHHSSSS!-

Jazz: -COME NO CLOSER-

Pyro: -Is now aflame but slowly dying it down-

Pyro: Stay behind me, Secretary.

Des: Holy...

Jazz: RRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNGGGGGHHH! >K

Jazz: -Bats a bit at the air in front of us, SEE, RAZOR CLAWS, come no closerrrr-

Pyro: -And we back up, like she wants-

Pyro: Jazz...

Pyro: Look at me. It's me, Pyro. I know you're just trying to protect him...

[The full red glow fades to just red irises.]

Jazz: Rrrrrrrnnngh…

Pyro: I know he is hurt, badly, and I know people have been trying to get in that you do not like, I understand.

Jazz: Rrr…

Jazz: -Sits, flicking tail-

Des: (--!)

Pyro: Jazz...

Pyro: He needs help, and repairs. He needs to get out of here.

Pyro: That's why I'm here. To take him back home.

Pyro: And you trust me, yes?

Jazz: …

Jazz: |K

Jazz: -Lays down, looking over her shoulder at them in a sulk-

Pyro: Yes, I know you don't like it. I know you must be worried.

Pyro: How about this. You let me and this man pass and let us retrieve him...

Pyro: And you can have these.

[...Is...Is that a bag of cooked fishes and some jerky he's pulling out of his outfit--]

Pyro: You must be hungry, no?

Jazz: …

Jazz: Ree-ow.

[Whew. Green eyes again.]

[PING!]

[It’s… a memory file, showing Cardinal on the road with Jazz and Scout.]

Jazz: -The spiky thing ate our share of the sandwich-

Pyro: .....

Pyro: -Laughs-

Des: --????

Pyro: (So he DID find you two...)

Jazz: -Prrrrr, yes, we like that sound- -That is the happy sound-

[Ping!]

[Another memory file, with Cardinal and Shade laughing really hard at something… hard to say what.]

Pyro: ......

Pyro: Hmmn...

Pyro: (...I worry that they'll never share that again...)

Pyro: (...I know that they're practically chained at the waist together but...)

Pyro: (....)

Pyro: (No...They'll be fine...)

Jazz: -Tailflick, closing eyes and putting head down-

[Pyro comes over and places the bag in front of Jazz, then motions for Des to follow.]

Pyro: Hurry.

Des: -Yup we're going, alright--

Des: What the heck were you laughing about back there?

Pyro: ...The cat.

Des: : /

Jazz: -Sniff sniff- -Starts poking her nose and then face into it the way cats do- -Munch munch-

Pyro: ...Rather hard to see...

Des: Hang on, I got a--

[Foosh!]

[Pyro's hand is now alight with flame. It brights the area around them--not as much as a conventional light, but better than before.]

Pyro: .....

Des: .... (Oh. Right. Fire bot.)

[Other than Jazz and the crackle of flames, the room was… eerily quiet, and still. There was no signal. No sound. Only… cold, lifeless… silence.

The whole room was almost as silent as a tomb.]

Pyro: . . . . .

Des: .... (This...silence...why does it feel so grim...)

Pyro: (Where are you, Cardinal...)

Pyro: I'll search the left side. You search the right.

Des: -Turning on his flashlight- Got it...

[The room was an absolute disaster. There were marble columns on the floor (not to mention the chandelier), Metal Blades and Quick Boomerangs in the ceiling, acid damage on the far side, bits of shrapnel embedded in the walls, giant spikes scattering the landscape, and even plasma burns on the floor. Most of the debris had been swept aside by some strong force, though…]

[…]

[…there were… oil paw prints on the floor…]

Pyro: (God Almighty... you used all this against Shade and...?)

Pyro: .....

Pyro: --? (Prints...This is oil...)

[Now one could smell it. The smell of… oil and coolant…]

-*-*-*-*-*-

SKLLLKTTKRRRSHHHLLLRRRKKT—

[Oil and cooling fluids spattered all over Bladeblaster’s hands and weapon, as if they were blood….]

-*-*-*-*-*-

Pyro: (Gh--)

Pyro: (Coolant...Oil...)

Pyro: (Shade...No, that accursed VIRUS--)

Pyro: (That virus--what have you done to him--?)

Pyro: .....

Pyro: (I feel no signal...)

Pyro: (Nothing.)

Pyro: (Not even the error message, it...It's as if he just vanished--)

[--?]

[A...a shadow--Pyro can make out a form--a frame on the ground--]

[Not moving.]

Pyro: !

Pyro: Cardinal--

[What Pyro found was… not pretty.

Cardinal was looking up with a gaze that seemed to go beyond the roof, beyond the sky—right into the stars—but there was no light at all in those eyes. They weren’t just dulled… they were off entirely.

As the gaze moved downward, one could see he was holding onto something with his left hand—the grip was tight, having locked in when the power shut off.

And even further—

…

… … …]

Pyro: !!!!

Pyro: -Choked g a s p--

[Cardinal’s outer armor was in tatters. Most of the inner armor around his torso was gone— leaving his vital inner mechanics exposed. It was clear that some of the mobility and coolant systems (including the fans) had been repeatedly crushed and repaired. There was a largish sphere in the center of the cavity, with another device hooked to the side. The coloration on the surfaces around it suggested it had recently burned white hot….

…But now it was cold and dulled, like a dead bulb that had been utterly spent.

The core was exposed… and the power was gone.]

[The core-- exposed--]

[Pyro immediately felt sick-- sick to his very Xel, he couldn't--he just couldn't lay eyes on Cardinal's broken form like this, not with his very chest open--]

[The core...]

[For Robot Masters, the core was nothing more than a power source--something that kept them alive, kept them running.]

[But for those made of Xel, it was so much more.]

[The central core of a Xel robot contained everything--their self, their personality, their function and weapon data, their very heart and soul.]

[To see Cardinal's own core so dead and lifeless--!]

Pyro: CARDINAL--!!

Des: --?! Wha--

Des: Hey, what's--

[...Oh-- Oh dear GOD--]

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

<DLN-000>: >But I’ll never give up on you Shade, not for any reason.

-*-*-*-*-

Avi: --..Uh--

Avi: -Guuuuuys...-

Avi: -If Cards is warning us about Shade or something to that effect...-

Skull: … -Very quietly, doesn’t really want to point this out, data-

Skull: -The fact that he’s emphasizing that nothing will make him lose faith suggests that he anticipates something happening that would be the end of a friendship in lesser hearts-

Skull: -And that it’s something that Shade would feel were his own fault, should it be too late for him to recognize until after the fact-

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

Pyro: (Oh Shade--!)

Pyro: (Brother--to have been forced to do something like this--!)

Pyro: (To...To have harmed your own...)

____________________________

"PYRO CRASH, AND YOU BUUUUUUUUUUUURN!"

___________________________

[A sharp SPLITTING pain shot through his head--]

Pyro: Ng--!

Des: --!

Des: One--?

Jazz: Ree-ow…

[She paws the bag off her face and pads over to Pyro, giving him a gentle headbutt the way cats do.]

Jazz: Ree-ow.

Pyro: --!

Pyro: .....

Pyro: Oh, Jazz...

Pyro: I...

Pyro: I'm sorry.

Pyro: (...Shade...)

Pyro: ......

Pyro: (...Cardinal...)

Pyro: (Neither of you are at fault...)

Pyro: (I can only hope both of you remember that...)

Pyro: (The real culprit...)

Pyro: (...Is the one who is behind all of this.)

Pyro: .....

Pyro: (I don't even want to move him, but...Father trusted me to be delicate enough to do so.)

Pyro: (...He'll want his shield...)

[Said shield was laying beside him. It had a dart stuck in it and what appeared to be tooth marks…

…Oh.

Well that would explain the oil paw print trail.]

Pyro: ...

Pyro: Secretary.

[Pyro's tone was grave, sad, and incredibly heavy with guilt and worry.]

Pyro: ...Take his shield.

Des: .....Right....

Des: --!

Des: ....

Des: (There's still a dart in it...)

[Carefully taking great causion to not injure Cardinal any further than he is now, Pyro placed his arms over his torso, and moved to tuck his own unlit arms under his legs and back...]

Pyro: (He's...clutching something in his hand...)

[…Seemed to be a chain leading out of his hand and around his neck…]

Pyro: .......

[...Pyro took a moment to close Cardinal's eyelids before lifting him up gently--he was certainly strong enough to lift him, given his weight.]

Pyro: ...

Pyro: Time to come home...

Jazz: Ree-ow. -Paws at the dropped scarf until she gets her claws into it-

Des: ...Is that his?

Pyro: --.....Yes.

Pyro: I think Jazz will hold onto it...

Jazz: Ree-ow.

Jazz: -Picks the scarf up in her teeth and then goes over to rub her face againt’s Pyro’s legs-

[…She’s… becoming smaller…?]

Des: --????

Des: What the--

[Jazz shifts into her own Civilian form, that of a house cat. After making a figure eight around Pyro’s legs the way cat’s do, she hunched up and then leaped onto his shoulder.]

Jazz: -Prrrrrr, things will be safe now-

Des: What...

Pyro: .....

Pyro: Right...

Pyro: Right.

[The Leader of the Mighty Numbers stood up, shoulders back and standing tall--the First's broken form in his arms, the last lights of day fading off in the distance.]

Pyro: ....

Pyro: Mr. Donald.

Pyro: There is a teleportation ban in effect, yes?

Des: I...Yes. for security reasons.

Pyro: Is there another way out of the building? A back door?

Des: ....One, this is the White House.

Des: Follow me.

[Des had to be Pyro's lead now--he couldn't light himself up with Cardinal on his person, so Des's flashlight would have to do.]

Des: We'll take Passage Reyes. That leads to the Presidential Garden.

Pyro: --...I assume this is one of those secret passages the House is famous for having?

Des: ....

Des: Yes.

Des: ....

Des: One...

Des: When....When the White House was attacked...

Des: MN.8 came out of one of these passages.

Des: That particular passage was a planned escape route for POTUS for situations like... like what happened.

Des: And he was already there.

Des: I have no idea for how long--

Pyro: Wait.

Pyro: Are you telling me.

Pyro: Countershade was ALREADY in the White House--possibly asleep, I bet my own core on that--

Pyro: He was ALREADY in the WHITE HOUSE, SLEEPING, THIS ENTIRE WEEK, AND NO ONE NOTICED?!

Pyro: -DO YOU NOT PERFORM DRILLS, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, DOES NO ONE CHECK THESE THINGS--

Jazz: -Bats at Pyro- >: 3

[She sends a ping. It’s another one of those memory files—Cardinal commenting on how Shade “weighs like a truck”.]

Pyro: Just--

Pyro: -Growl that kinda fades off into a groan-

Des: Look, these passages are very old and yes, some of them don't have much use anymore or are unstable--

Pyro: Just--Just stop--

Pyro: -________-;;;;

Jazz: -Prrrrr, rubs face against face of firebro-

Pyro: -Siiiighs, we're going to have a long rest after this-

[As soon as they got outside, Jazz got a ping. She flicked her ears and put it onto her audio speakers.]

<MC005>: > {I’m picking up your signals… are you outside now?}

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

[MN.1] //: -Quietly- Yes, Doctor Cossack.

[MN.1] //: ...We...We have him now.

[MN.1] //: I managed to calm down Jazz without hurting her as well.

<MC005>: > {Good… her mobility rig is rather complicated…}

<MC005>: > …

<MC005>: > {I hear feedback. Is Jazz broadcasting my voice?}

Jazz: Ree-ow.

<MC005>: > … {I seeee…}

<MC005>: >Mr. Donald, will you be coming over to the lab also?

Des: ...I might as well. (Since we ARE going to be questioning you.)

Des: I'm sort of holding something of his anyway, so I feel obligated to return it, at least.

<MC005>: > Understood. Call will bring you all over shortly.

[MN.1] //: ... Yes, sir.

[MN.1] //: ...Has...Has Shade awakened yet?

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Negative, One. He is still in Deep Sleep Mode.

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

<MC005>: >He’s worn out. One?

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

<MC005>: >When you get home, after you bring him to the repair bay, I’m going to need you to start making as much food as you can.

<MC005>: >Countershade will likely be starved once he wakes up, even before he is coherent enough to think about anything…

<MC005>: >And it is only polite to provide some dinner for our guest.

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

Pyro: (Honestly, I would like to get some rest myself...But I do not come first.)

[MN.1] //: Of course, Doctor Cossack.

[CALL] //: Coordinates locked.

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

[The Next Day...]

[Crunch.]

"...When was the last time..."

[Crunch.]

"...I had such a bountiful hunt..."

[Crunch.]

"It gets so hard to remember nowadays..."

"Sometimes I can't even tell what's real and what just isn't."

"Between all these fragmented memories..."

"...The only thing I find is rage."

"...."

"And yet..."

"I recall a voice..."

"Breaking through the screams..."

"...The screams...That noise..."

"...There's something about the screams...Almost..."

"Beautiful.~"

[SNAP!]

"Xels...It's Xels--always Xels--more and more and more--"

"And it is never ENOUGH--!"

"This--this EMPTINESS..."

"If I cannot be WHOLE again..."

"If I am to fade away..."

"Then I will take hold with these broken, sharp PIECES of myself..."

((pic))

"...And drag it all down to hell with me."

"....."

"...Ah."

"It's dawn now..."

"...How ironic."

[Crack--]

"...Ngh...I must hurry."

"...It would be a shame to fall apart before seeing the LOOK on their faces...~"

"--When I destroy everything they hold in such high reverence!~"

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

=CHAPTER 2A: BEYOND THE WATERY VORTEX=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

{SANDA LABS...}

[It was morning.

Will had fallen asleep next to his terminal, which still showed many analysis programs running in the desktop--it seems they had been running for the rest of that night...

Sanda had worked hard and a little longer than Will--a rare thing--but he did his best to get Pyro back up to his normal Xel Count, which should be enough for now; all Pyro needed was rest.

Meanwhile, Beck had fallen asleep next to Call, who was ever restless, ticking away at her console...]

Beck: Zzzz....

[Beck looked much better—his armor was fully repaired, as well as his internal systems—he was all ready to go, as soon as he woke up.

They just needed to find...]

[PING!]

White: --!!!

[Will shoots straight awake at the sound--and immediately looks at his terminal. Did the analysis find anything...?!]

Beck: —?

[Beck also jerks awake—and nearly almost falls over, but luckily he grabbed onto the back of Call's chair in time.]

Beck: What? What is it?

Call: I have located Mighty No. 2's transponder signal.

[PING!]

[MN.1 IS NOW ONLINE.]

[MN.1] //: Cryo?!

Call: Scanning...

Call: .......

Call: Scan complete. Mighty No. 2 is currently located in Minnesota. The location data suggests that she has confined herself within a Water Works Bureau treatment plant.

[MN.1] //: —!!

White: —! Of course...

White: Soichiro!

Sanda: I heard, I heard—!

[MN.1] //: If she's in a Water Works plant--the place must be her own personal playground by now...

Beck: (She...oh no...all the PEOPLE...!) How soon can I move out?

White: Call?

Call: Setting up Xel Transfer now...please wait.

[PING!]

[MN.1] //: Father—

White: Absolutely not.

[MN.1] // My Xel Count is normalized, I can—

White: I said no.

White: We do not need YOU running off as well—Beck has your ReXelection now, and therefore Cryo's weakness: he will be fine.

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

White: Please, son...you've been through enough. Rest.

[MN.1] //: . . .

Beck: Big Brother...

Beck: I SWEAR I'll bring Cryo back. I promise. I can DO this.

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

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

[MN.1] //: She is creative, crafty, and fearless.

[MN.1] //: Be prepared for ANYTHING.

[MN.1] //: ....And please...

[MN.1] //: Be careful.

[Beck nods, adjusting his visor with a ping of confirmation.]

Beck: Roger that, Big bro.

Call: Xel Transfer ready. The coordinates are set.

White: Beck?

Beck: ...

Beck: I'm ready.

White: Good luck, Beck...

Sanda: Go get her back for us!

Call: Xel Transfer in progress...

[........]

[PING!]

[MN.1 to CALL] //: Call.

[CALL to MN.1] //: Yes, No. 1?

[MN.1 to CALL] //: Do you want to increase Beck's chances of success?

[CALL to MN.1] //: That would be preferable, yes.

[MN.1 to CALL] //: Then I need you to do me a favor...

[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 2, CRYOSPHERE, HAS TAKEN CONTROL OF A MINNESOTA WATER WORKS BUREAU, WHICH HAS SUBSEQUENTLY CEASED OPERATIONS.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVES: LOCATE AND PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM MN.2, RESCUE ANY TRAPPED CIVILIANS/WORKERS WITHIN THE AREA.]

[SYSTEMS READY?]

[GO!]

[So far, materializing into the Water Works was just like going into the Oil Platform—

Except now, instead of the raging heat, it was now bitter cold that stung every surface of his frame, causing him to shiver uncontrollably for a few moments...]

Beck: Brr...

[It only took a few moments for his internals to adjust to the freezing temperatures—and when they did...]

Beck: ! What—

[His comm went online.]

Sanda: What's this—?! The main entrance is frozen shut!

White: That should pose no problem. Beck, now would be a good time to use Pyro's ability.

Beck: On it—

[REXELECT—]

Beck: —!!

Beck: Wait—

[C.VISOR: ONLINE. SCANNING...]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

Beck: —! Ack—I knew it!

White: What—what is it?

Beck: I'm detecting both organic and Xel signatures on the other side.

Beck: If I use Pyro's power, I might hurt them.

White: —! Ah...can you find some other way inside to rescue them?

Beck: Not from what I can see.

Call: Scanning...

Call: ....

Call: Beck, proceed east. I've located a faster, alternate route into the waterworks via the reservoir.

Beck: Call—Call I sink like a ROCK.

Beck: I can't SWIM very well—!!

Call: This alternate route has various platforms and ledges that can be used for safe access to the waterworks.

Call: I have seen you jump quite well underwater myself, No. 9.

Beck: ....

Beck: Are you SURE it's safe down there...?

Call: There may be a likely chance that malfunctioning aquatic based CherryDyn and Sanda models have also taken residence in the reservoir.

Beck: .....

Beck: Of course they did...

[Beck trudged along forward with a foreboding sense of dread, and after running into a couple of standard trash bots--]

[He came across a long access pool that only went straight down. There was nothing but a faint green tinge to it, making visibility null.]

Beck: ....

Beck: This is the unfiltered reservoir.

Call: Also correct.

Beck: GROSS.

White: ....-makes a face-

Sanda: Oof, that's gonna be unpleasant...

Beck: ....

Beck: -INHALES-

Beck: CANNONBALL—

[KERSPLASH!]

[He used his dash to seamlessly dive into the reservoir feet first...]

[His C.Visor went down over his eyes once it sensed the presence of water and increased pressure, and adjusted his sight to give at least an idea of what he was getting into.]

Beck: (OoooooomanI'mgoingREALLYdeep—)

[Down...]

[Down...]

[And down he went...]

[Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity--]

[His feet find solid steel floor.]

Beck: ....

[.......]

[LOW LEVEL LIGHT DETECTED.]

[NEON REFLECTORS: ONLINE.]

[The lights on his arm cannon started to glow brighter!]

Beck: —! (Oh—neat...!)

Call: Warning--incoming hostiles.

[...Yes, it seems as if several small bubbles of...dirty filth was heading towards him...?]

Beck: ....?

Call: Several of the plant's water filtering robots have utilized the toxins and harmful debris within the reservoir to act as a shield.

[They seemed to be attracted to Beck's light...!]

Beck: (—OK TIME TO MOVE—)

[Out of instinct, Beck chose to dash out of the way of the bubbles of filth—which were slowly coming together into a bigger bubble.]

Beck: —!

[Wha—]

[His AcXelarate—! It carried him JUST as far as it did on land!]

Beck: ......

Beck: (I CAN SWIM WITH THIS—)

[Using his dash as a sort of propeller, he turns and starts to BLAST away at the filth surrounding the filter robots—which, to his surprise...]

[Were a lot smaller than he imagined they would be...]

Beck: —!

Beck: (There seems to be a LOT of these guys down here; they must work together to purify the water...)

White: Beck, don't let those models group together in large numbers—their shield would be nearly impossible to break then!

[MN.9] //: Got it!

Call: Proceed east.

[Beck swam-dashed across the reservoir, careful to not let the filter robots gang up on him on the way—there were a couple of trash bots on the bottom, but he assumed they just fell into the reservoir and couldn't get out—thus he left them well alone.]

Beck: (Gotta find the access flow to the filtered reservoir—)

[KSSSSSTT!]

"Beck? Beck--"

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: Do you read me?

Beck: --??

[MN.9 to MN.1] //: Big bro??

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: Ah--thank goodness. Listen closely...

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: I've been listening in. Are you inside the works yet?

[MN.9 to MN.1] //: Not quite--I'm still at the unfiltered reservoir.

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: Mmm...

[MN.1 to MN.9] //: Very well. I'll wait until you've made it through.

[MN.9 to MN.1] //: Wait, what do you mean by—

[KSSSST!]

Beck: ...???

White: --? Is something wrong, Beck?

Beck: .....

[MN.9] //: Nope. All good here.

Call: The access flow to the filtered reservoir is just ahead.

White: Careful, Beck--any contact with the malfunctioning filtering equipment could prove fatal.

[Beck would soon see why--]

[Not only was the purifying system completely OUT OF CONTROL—Xel disrupting spikes also lined the walls....]

Beck: .......

[MN.9] //: WHO THE HECK PUT THESE DOWN HERE—

White: .....Good question...

Beck: (If I dash the wrong way here—...)

Beck: (Gotta be precise--!)

[Carefully calculating the exact path he needed to dash-swim in and how many times he needed to do so...]

Beck: (Three...two...one...)

[ACXELERATE DASH: MAX OUTPUT REACHED.]

[It was sort of like watching a white ping pong ball, zipping around and weaving in and out of the various moving parts of the reservoir filter system, making sure to avoid the walls in the process...]

Beck: (Almost there...)

[—AH! A ladder! All he had to do was climb up and—

... ...

Wait—...

Was that ice?]

Beck: ...!!

[A thick coat of ice—practically a wall—blocked the way out!]

Beck: (No!)

[MN.9] //: Dad, the reservoir exit is blocked—!

White: Ngh—! Call, can you recalculate another route?

Call: .....

White: Call?

Call: There is no need, Dr. White.

White: ...??

Call: Xel Transfer in progress...

Call: Mighty No. 1 is now on site at the Waterworks.

White: —WHAT?!

[PING!]

[MN.1] //: I'm sorry, Father.

[MN.1] //: But I won't stand by any longer. I have a duty as a leader.

[MN.1] //: And a responsibly as an elder brother!

[MN.9] //: Pyrogen! : D

White: Sandaaa—!

Sanda: I HAD NO CLUE WHAT HE WAS DOING I SWEAR—

Call: It was me.

Sanda: —?! Call?!

Call: .... Two Mighty Numbers on site would increase chances of success.

[MN.1] //: You might want to swim back down a bit, Beck.

Beck: ....

Beck: -dash swim BACKWARDS YUP GOT IT BRO-

[CCCRAK! C RACK!]

“HAAARGH!"

[BLAM!]

[The ice was obliterated--bits of ice flew out of the pool itself...]

[...And a familiar hand reached past the surface.]

Beck: !

[Beck swam-dashed up and up--]

[...Until he grasped at it with his own hand.]

[He felt himself being pulled up and out of the reservoir...]

Pyro: Need a little more firepower, brother?

[Beck simply beams up at his elder as he is set down onto solid ground.]

Beck: ANYTIME, big bro!

White: ......

White: -gREAT NOW HE CANT BRING HIMSELF TO GROUND HIM AFTER THIS-

Sanda: Heh...your boys sure are something, huh, Will?

White: .....

White: -SIGH-

White: Whatever am I going to DO with you, Pyrogen...?

Pyro: ....

Pyro: -snort-

Pyro: Haven't heard THAT one in a while.

Beck: ^^

[Having his big brother by his side...]

[It made him feel a LOT more confident now that his team leader was here.]

Beck: What are your orders, sir? (^.^)7

Pyro: ....

Pyro: I'm not the one heading this mission, Beck.

Beck: ...?

Pyro: You are.

Beck: --!

Pyro: Your objective is to locate our sister.

Pyro: Is there anything else that should be done here, Beck?

Beck: .....

Beck: Find and rescue the civilians and workers!

[THIS made Pyro grin with pride.]

Pyro: That's it.

Pyro: There seems to be a branching path up ahead. I'll take the north and see if I can find any workers and civilians...

[The fire-based leader looks to the side, ice covering every square inch of the hallways, ceiling, and floor.]

Pyro: Cryo's certainly done a number on the place, alright...

Sanda: Yes, it's not just the entrance--the entire PLACE is like one giant ice rink!

White: This is all her handiwork, alright...

White: Careful, now, you two...

White: You know how she loves her pranks.

Pyro: ......

Pyro: Lord help us.

[Cryosphere was BAD enough with her puns and pranks--

In her crazed state, who KNOWS what she will be capable of?]

Pyro: And of COURSE she's frozen over the entire floor too...

Beck: This is just like the time she did that back home but--BIGGER.

Pyro: Watch your step, then...

[The two Mighty brothers continued moving forward, the temperature within the facility taking a massive drop as they ventured deeper inside. There were more robots that stood in their way, but they were no match for the pair of them working together--Pyro threw himself at them with his explosive abilities, and after they had been thoroughly trashed, Beck cleaned up after by absorbing their Xels]

[Soon the fork in the path came up.]

Pyro: There it is...

Pyro: I'll move down this way. Beck, keep tracking down No. 2.

Beck: -SALUTE- Yes, sir!

Pyro: ....

Pyro: Good luck, little brother.

Beck: ...You too, Pyro.

[Pyro nods one final time before rushing down the connecting corridor, flaring up to his full armor before turning the corner, and out of sight.]

Pyro: (The most likely places workers would be around the main entrances, break rooms, and finally the pipeworks...)

[Meanwhile, Beck dashes onwards, and it's not long before he moves on into the next room...]

Beck: --!!

[The door that was just on the other side slammed shut.]

[His comm link went active--but it wasn't Pyro, Will, Sanda, or even Call.]

[No...]

[MN.2] //: Well, well, ICE to see YOU, Beck! Kyahaha!~

Beck: CRYO?!

White: Wha--how did she find this frequency?!

[MN.2] //: Hiiiii daaadyyyy!~

White: ...! Cryo...?

[MN.2] //: I'm SNOW glad you guys could make it! I was starting to get SOOOOO bored playing with all these LAME CherryDyn bots...

Beck: Big...Sis...?

[...This...this was odd.

When Pyro was infected--he only showed uncontrolled rage --and what's more, he didn't recognize Beck at ALL.

Yet...

His sister was...well, she didn't look like she changed at all. ]

[MN.2] //: Now we can all PLAY together!~ Cool!

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

[PING!]

[MN.1] //: CRYOSPHERE!

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

[MN.2] //: Oh.

[MN.2] //: It's YOU.

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

[MN.2] //: Becky--why is our GOOD FOR NOTHING MATCHSTICK OF A BROTHER doing in MY winter wonderland?

[MN.9] //: --!! Cryo! THAT'S PYRO--

[MN.2] //: I KNOW THAT.

[MN.2] //: HE NEVER LETS ME HAVE ANY F U N! It's always DON'T DO THIS AND DON'T FIGHT THAT AND ALL YOU KNOW WHAT TO SAY IS N O.

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

[MN.2] //: You ALWAYS carry me somewhere else without even ASKING--JUST BECAUSE I'M SMALLER THAN YOU DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET TO DO THAT, MATCHSTICK.

[MN.2] //: YOU WERE ALWAYS THE BOSS OF ME.

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

[MN.2] //: Well.

[MN.2] //: You know what?

[MN.2] //: I'm SICK of being number two to you, big bro.

[MN.2] //: You aren't ALLOWED in my playground--so if I were YOU, I'd take you and your lame powers and SKEDADDLE.

[MN.2] //: Unless you want me to send this whole place to absolute zero?~

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

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

[MN.2] //: --! Ooooh--right, YOU!~ Don't worry, Becky--you can stay! You're ALWAYS a good playmate. Kyahaha!

[MN.2] //: But big bro's gotta go. My place, MY rules.

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

[MN.1] //: Alright.

[MN.9] //: --! Pyro, no--!

[MN.1] //: On one condition.

[MN.2] //: Ppffft. What?

[MN.1] //: We play hide and seek first.

[MN.1] //: Just like old times, right, Cryo?

[MN.2] //: --!

[MN.2] //: I'm listeniiiiing...

[MN.1] //: You and I will hide, and Beck will try to seek us. If he finds me first, then I'll leave.

[MN.2] //: Oooooh!

[MN.1] //: BUT--if Beck finds YOU first, then you two will have to just play without me.

[MN.2] //: -EXCITED SQUEAL-

[MN.2] //: I LIKE that!~ Oh, but it won't be any FUN if you TOOK too long...then I'd get BORED all over again...

[MN.2] //: SNOW, you guys got 9 minutes!~ Kyahahahaha!

[MN.2] //: You're on thin ice here, RUNT! So try not to get cold feet, OK?~ Kyahahahahaha!

[KKKSSSSST]

Beck: ........

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

[MN.1] //: She really hasn't changed much...aside from all that, that is.

[MN.9] //: Big bro...

[MN.1] //: 9 minutes isn't much time, Beck--get a move on.

[MN.9] //: ......yes sir.

Beck: Now how the heck do I get out of this room--

[CLANK]

Beck: UGH--!

[A large mass of debris clonked Beck on the back of his head, knocking him over as it bounced off of him and--]

[--Back to another waterworks bot! A...a PAIR of them, in fact, each parallel to the walls.]

[The ball of debris hurled towards the red one--who flipped itself over to deflect it back at Beck.]

Beck: Wah--!

[He AcXelerated out of the way--and raised his arm cannon to strike at the malfunctioning bot--]

[CLANK--!]

Beck: OW--

[The other one--identical but green in color--had knocked the dodged debris RIGHT back at Beck when he wasn't looking, landing a direct hit.]

Beck: (Ugh--great, now I have to dodge twice as much just to avoid that ball of junk they're knocking around...!)

[He TRIED shooting at the ball of debris itself--and it worked!]

[...Until one of the bots made ANOTHER one just to throw around. These were waste management bots!]

Beck: (These guys must get rid of all the gunk in the unfiltered reservoir...)

[CLANK!]

Beck: NGH--

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[...It was clear that this was starting to become tedious--whenever he tried to shoot at one of them, the other knocked back the junk, forcing him to dodge--and whenever he tried to DESTROY it, one of them made another rather quickly--]

Beck: (These guys are going to wear ME and my TIME down--I've got no choice--!)

[REXELEXTION: PYROGEN. ]

[Beck's body glowed briefly before settling down into Pyro's form, the torch on his head burning brightly.]

Beck: Let's GO!

[CHARGING...]

Beck: Burning...

Beck: SPIRIT!

[KERBLAM!]

[The resulting explosion ROCKED the entire room, and perhaps even the whole Bureau--parts of the walls and flooring took most of it, and the waste robots were DEFINITELY caught in the blast--one of them was stuck, in fact!]

Beck: Got ya!

[Switching back to default, the waste bot was quickly taken care of, absorbed and converted into another Xel Stock to make up for the one he used.

Since its other pair was gone, it was easier to dodge the ball of junk without worrying about the other hurling it back.

Once the pair was FINALLY defeated, the door opened!]

White: No time to waste, Beck! You have 6 minutes!

Beck: I know, I'm going--!

[Into the waterworks pipelines he went--and it just got even colder. ]

[The pipeworks were, of course, forzen over--along with everything ELSE--even several of the malfunctioning robots were stuck in place.]

Beck: WhOA--!!

[These pipes were long and wide--but the ice made it difficult to get across. One wrong move and he could slip RIGHT back down into the ground--and a fall from this height would REALLY smart.]

Beck: (Balance--balance--!)

"There's only one way to get past all this ice!"

Beck: --!!

Pyro: BURN RIGHT THROUGH IT!

Beck: Pyro!

[On another set of pipes, Pyro CHARGED right through a block of ice in his way, which formed from the burst of water in the cracks caused by the expanding properties of the ice.]

Pyro: Beck! Use my form and blast through all the ice in your way!

[PING!]

[MN.2] //: HEY, THAT'S CHEATING!

[MN.1] //: You never said we couldn't use fire, little sister.

[MN.2] //: GRRRR! YOU...BIG...MEANIE...!

[MN.2] //: I'M GONNA FREEZE THIS WHOLE PLACE AND ALL THE SQUISHES IN IT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR CHEATING, CHEATER!

[MN.1] //: Ah, that won't do much now, Cryo.

[MN.2] //: WHY NOT.

[MN.1] //: I FOUND the humans and Civilian models you've frozen. They've been evacuated.

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

[MN.1] //: PLAYTIME IS OVER, CRYOSPHERE.

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

[MN.1] //: Come home.

[......]

[MN.2 HAS GONE INTO FULL COMBAT MODE. RESTRICTIONS: NONE.]

[MN.2] //: N O!

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

Call: Warning: Temperatures are dropping beyond safe functioning levels.

[MN.2] //: PLAYTIME IS OVER WHEN I SAY IT'S OVER!

[MN.2] //: YOU DON'T GET ANY SAY IN IT, YOU STUPID MEANIE!

[MN.1] //: -...OK now he knows he's made a BIG mistake- Cryo--

[MN.2] //: SHUT UP! JUST SHUT. UP!

[MN.2] //: I...I...

[MN.2] //: -...SNIFF-

[MN.1] //: --!

[MN.2] //: I hate you...!

[KSSSSST.]

[MN.1] //: -oh GOD WHAT HAVE WE DONE-

Pyro: CRYOSPHERE!

Beck: PYRO--WAIT--!

[It was no use--Pyro had run ahead, desperate to fix what he had done. He's already caused SO much damage, but THIS--]

Pyro: CRYO--I'M SORRY--!

[If anything--he had to fix THIS.]

White: ........

Beck: D-Dad....

White: ....

Beck: D...Did Cryo really... mean that...?

White: ....

White: I can't be sure.

White: For all we know, this COULD be just the virus, but...

White: .....

White: We won't know until we've cured her. You'll have to keep pushing forward.

Beck: .....

Beck: (Cryo...)

[With a heavy and troubled heart, he did as he was told, hopping and dashing over the rest of the pipeworks.]

[....]

[It...had to be the virus, right?]

[...Or was it...]

[More than that?]

Beck: (....Cryo...Cryo would NEVER say that...)

Beck: (There's no WAY she could possibly MEAN that--she's been with Pyro the longest out of any of us... ....Could it be...)

Beck: (Maybe it's...both? Maybe the virus is MAKING her feel that way...because she IS mad at him, but not to that extent...)

Beck: (If...if that's the CASE...)

Beck: (...It--suddenly makes a LOT of sense why Pyro ACTED the way he did back at the Oil Platform... ....You get what I fought back there...)

Beck: (So by that logic--what was taken away from Cryo...?)

[Soon enough, after shooting through countless ice pillars made from the pipelines and such--]

[He came across another room.]

Beck: ....

Call: I detect Cryosphere's signature just up ahead.

Beck: Right...

Beck: (Cryo--don't worry--I'm gonna fix this...!)

[He entered, ready to shift into his brother's form at a moments notice...]

"HEY, RUNT!"

[KSHHHHH!]

[A LARGE chuck of ice SLAMMED right in front if him from above, causing him to jump backwards--]

[...Right into the locked door.]

Beck: Oof--!

Cryo: OK...

Cryo: Let's try THIS again!

[Cryosphere herself stood on a platform high above the room--looking rather PLEASED that Beck was here now, despite throwing a temper tantrum not 2 minutes ago.]

Beck: Cryos--

[CLANK!]

Beck: OH COME ON--

[ANOTHER pair of waste management bots materialized--and this time, they had some EXTRA help.]

Cryo: Revenge is a dish best served COLD, after all!

[CLANK!]

Beck: NNGH!!

Cyro: Awww, you aren't hurt, are you, Beck?~

Beck: I KINDA AM, YEAH--

Cryo: Well, then, here--

[Her water tank bubbles briefly before another, more precise ice ball flies towards Nine, forcing him to duck and dash away. It made SHARP icicles extending upwards once it made contact with the floor--!]

Cryo: Let me put some ICE on it!~

Cryo: KYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Cackling madly, Cryo proceeded to rain icy death from above--all while the waste management bots played their supped up game of pong. Beck was REALLY in a tight spot now.]

Beck: Cryo--PLEASE, STOP!

Cryo: NOPE!~

Cryo: I'm having the TIME OF MY LIFE!~

Cryo: SO YOU BETTER STAY ALIVE, BECKY--UNTIL I GET BORED, THAT IS!~

Beck: --Ooooh!

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN.]

Beck: I'm sorry, Cryo!

Cryo: --!!!

Cryo: YOU'RE CHEATING AGAIN!

Cryo: ......

Cryo: Why are you cheating, Beck--?

Beck: --!

Cryo: Don't you LIKE playing with me...?

Beck: .....

Beck: Of COURSE I do, Cryo...

[CHARGING....]

Beck: .....

Beck: But I can't play by your rules. Not this time.

Beck: BURNING...

Cryo: --!!

[Seeing what he was about to do--Cryo leaps away to another set of platforms, disappearing from sight.]

Beck: SPIRIT!

[BOOOM!]

[........]

[The smoke clears off, and only the Xel from the two waste bots were all that was left.]

Beck: .....

Call: Cryosphere has escaped to the Water Works Security Room. There is no other escape route for her to take.

Beck: Got it.

[Back into default. The Security room shouldn't be that far ahead...]

[Which means...]

Pyro: ...There--!

[Pyro was standing in the middle of several frozen, very crucial water tanks...]

[But they wouldn't remain frozen for long.]

Pyro: Burning....SPIRIT!

[FWOOOSH!]

Call: Attention: The waterworks systems are back online. Water flow: Normal.

Pyro: ....!

Beck: Pyro!

Pyro: There you are--

Pyro: ....

Pyro: The doors won't open for me. I'd blast them, but...that would only make things even worse.

Pyro: ....

Pyro: You're the only one that can save her, anyway.

Pyro: I've...done all I can.

Beck: ....

Beck: I think she'd wanna see you after I do save her, Pyro.

Beck: So wait out here.

Beck: I won't be long.

Pyro: ......

Pyro: Tell her I love her.

Pyro: .....

Pyro: And I love you too.

Beck: ....

Beck: ^.^

Beck: Yes, sir.

[Beck gives Pyro one last salute before approaching the door...]

[...They open after a moment, and they shut close behind him with a firm air-tight lock.]

Pyro: ...

Pyro: Good luck, Beck.

[WARNING: TEMPERATURES HAVE REACHED TO NEAR NON-FUNCTIONING LEVELS. PLEASE EVACUATE AREA IMMEDIATELY.]

"Kyahahahaha!"

Beck: Cryo!

[Sitting daintily atop of a huge security monitor was Cryosphere, her four eyes glowing eerily in the shadows...]

Cryo: Kya ha ha ha ha ha!

[Her tiny legs swing this way and that before she jumps down to the ground, taking up her usual battle stance. Her hose arm is swirling around in lazy circles while her tank bubbles up a bit. An icy mist seems to escape from the nozzle arm...]

Cryo: You just REFUSE to CHILL out, don't you, runt?~

Beck: ...

Beck: Cryo....please. I don't want to play anymore. I don't WANT to fight you.

Cryo: Oh, really?

[....!]

[There it was again--that SAME distorted VOICE coupled with her own...]

Cryo: That's too bad! Oh, well...

[PSSSSSH!]

[A high pressure STREAM of water suddenly bursts forth from her nozzle arm--!]

Beck: -!!!

[He LEAPS out of the way as it is suddenly frozen, not by the air, but by Cryosphere herself.

Flashing freezing her foes was her SPECIALTY.]

Cryo: I'm sure it's nothing a little COLD SHOWER WON'T CURE!~

Beck: CRYO...!

[SCANNING....]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

[E N C O U N T E R]

[MODEL: MIGHTY NO. 2 -- CODENAME: 'CRYOSPHERE' ]

[HEIGHT: 136cm WEIGHT: 103kg XEL COUNT: 20,400,000]

Cryo: KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~~~

[Cryosphere was...something of a all-around fighter when it came to the battlefield--she WAS originally intended to be a close to mid-range fighter and a terrain changer--but her combat experience, which was only surpassed by her elder brother, had opened MANY more doors in regards to her powers.]

[Such as her tendency to look for higher vantage points in order to use her abilities in a much DIFFERENT way --and if there was none?]

[Make one.]

[Cryo points her nozzle arm--to the ground--...?]

Beck: --!

[Beck starts DASHING away as soon as her sister launches herself upwards using the force of her water spray--keeping herself suspended mid air for a moment--]

[Before chasing after him.]

Cryo: Careful, now, Becky!~ You don't wanna CATCH A COLD!

Beck: Cryo--Come on, Cryo, just try to--!

[KKKRT!]

[Her water spray suddenly freezes-- there was no time to react, only to gawk as he felt icy pinpricks of pain creep up his leg-- ]

White: BECK--TRY AND BREAK FREE!

Beck: AARG--

Cryo: Whoops!~ Silly me--I forgot the best part!

[....A COLD blast of air was seen as she started to make something--what, he couldn't tell, but from THAT height, it certainly wasn't GOOD.]

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN.]

[FOOOSH!]

[Flaring himself up just as Pyro would, Beck weakened the ice just enough to allow him to break free--]

[Moments before an ice ball of SPIKES crashed downwards from above, ice shards scattering everywhere--]

[--and rising from the mist was the Icy Little Terror herself--she had MADE that ball of spikes to surround herself in--in her own twisted sense of a 'cannonball' ]

Cryo: Awww, you were supposed to stay still!~

Beck: NO WAY --

[PSSSSSSH!]

[Beck was NAILED right in the chest with another high pressured water stream, knocking him away to the other wall and into the door, making a noticeable dent--]

[CLANG!]

Pyro: !!! BECK?! CRYO?!

[Outside, Pyro could BEARLY make out the sounds of battle--and that dent in the door was not a good sign, for EITHER of them.]

Beck: Uuugh...

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK--]

[PSSSSSH--]

Beck: AAA--

[ERROR: XEL STOCK ACCESS INTERRUPTED.]

[Cryo was NOT letting up--she kept on continually spraying Beck HARD, pinning him to the door and laughing manically all the while.]

Cryo: KYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[WARNING: WATER DAMAGE IMMINENT TO INTERNAL SYSTEMS--COLD TEMPERATURES WILL FREEZE AND LOCK MOBILE SYSTEMS.]

[She was trying to freeze him from the inside out.]

Beck: C...Cryo...

[WARNING: SYSTEMS CRITICAL.]

Beck: s...t...o...p...

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 2...]

[Cryo didn't answer. She was too busy laughing. ]

Beck: (Come on...please...!)

Cryo: It was fun playing with you, Becky!~

Cryo: See you in a hundred years, maybe!~

[KSSSSSST--]

"CRYO--ENOUGH--!"

Cryo: --?

Cryo: .....

Cryo: Daddy?

[DR.WHITE] //: Cryosphere White, stop that right this INSTANT!

Cryo: But--

[DR.WHITE] //: You KNOW you shouldn't play so roughly with your brother!

Beck: --!!

[...Will--Will was...]

Cryo: But Daaaaadyyyyy!

Beck: (Dad--oh man DAD THANKS--)

[XEL STOCK 2 ACCESSED.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[DR.WHITE] //: No, no buts. That was QUITE rude of you, No. 2. Quite rude.

Cryo: But I was just having fun!

[DR.WHITE] //: It's all fun and games until someone gets HURT, Cryo.

Cryo: But Daddy--

[....]

[You could just HEAR her sadistic smile.]

Cryo: That's the BEST part!~

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN]

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

[DR.WHITE] //: Not this time.

[DR.WHITE] //: Quite frankly, No. 2...

Cryo: ....?

[DR.WHITE] //: I think you deserve a little time out.

[DR.WHITE] //: NOW, BECK!

"BURNING...!"

Cryo: Wha--

Beck: SPIRIT!!!

[KERBLAM!]

[All the ice that was created by Cryosphere was turned RIGHT back into water and THEN some--and the temperature had risen quite considerably.]

[There was another large CLANK--]

[CRACK--]

Cryo: Whoawhoawhoa--!

[Cryo was sent BOUNCING across the floor and into the other wall, lodging herself deep within it from the force of the explosion!]

Cryo: What the--!

Cryo: YOU!!

[Her nozzle arm once again points at Beck--who widens his eyes in fear, preparing to jump out of the way--]

Cryo: I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR--

[.....]

[.........]

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

Cryo: ....???

Beck: ...???

Cryo: WHY IS NOTHING COMING OUT?!

[Cryosphere wiggled her arms in a flail, but no matter how much she tried--nothing came out of them but a few drops.]

Cryo: STUPID--!!

Beck: ---!

[Beck could see why.]

[Her water tank had a crack in it. Water was leaking out in massive amounts, but Cryo was too upset to see it.]

White: Now is your chance, Beck!

Beck: R-Right--!

Cryo: NO!

[She once again threw a FIT--but without her tank, there was no more danger.]

Cryo: NO F A I R!

Beck: Big sis--

[He approached her with cautious steps, a green glow starting to form around his arms...]

Beck: It's OK, Big sis...

Cryo: --?

Cryo: ....

Cryo: What is that...?

Beck: Just trust me, OK?

[Two more steps, then two more. Cryosphere was more or less beginning to forget about her fit and was more entranced by the calming glow from her brother.]

Cryo: .....

Cryo: Pretty...

Beck: Kinda is, isn't it...?

[Two hands gently grasp her arms.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Cryo: --!!

Cryo: .....

Cryo: Becky...?

Beck: It's OK, Cryo...

[He continues to speak to her in a calm, soothing voice, as parts of her Xel are absorbed into his own, and she slowly starts to glow a sick, bright purple...]

Cryo: .....

[....She starts to yawn.]

Cryo: M'tiiiired...

Beck: That's OK...

[XEL ABSORBED.]

Beck: You can sleep after I'm done...

Cryo: .....

Cryo: And then we can play some more...?

Beck: Yeah. Sure. I promise...

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[XEL QUOTA REACHED.]

[XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE.]

Beck: For now--just try and relax...this won't hurt.

Cryo: ...?

[He finally lets go.]

Beck: Ready?

Cryo: ....? For...what...?

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

[.......]

"Big sis?"

"--? Hey, runt! What's up?"

"....Can I come in?"

"You didn't say the thing."

"...Can I come in, Your Majesty?"

"Theeeere we go! You may.~"

"....Um..."

"Well, come on, SPILL it! I gotta go into VR training in an hour..."

"I just...well...I noticed that...you're smaller than me--"

[KERCHUCK]

"BUT YOU FIGHT PEOPLE WAY BIGGER THAN YOU IN THE ARENA AND YOU DON'T SEEM SCARED--"

" ....."

"I...I'm just confused...how can you not be afraid...?"

"Oooh. That's easy."

"One, because I'm WAY better than those lame-o's and WAY more KICKBUTT than any of them..."

"...And two..."

"....."

"Don't tell Big Bro this, but. He TAUGHT me how to be brave."

"I don't think I can be as awesome as I am without him."

"Really...?"

"Yup. It's ALLL cuz of Big Bro."

"....Seriously, don't tell him I said that, he'd NEVER stop--"

"I-I promise!"

"Cool."

"Now GET OUT OF MY ROOM or I'll freeze ya!~"

[.......]

[FILTER COMPLETE.]

[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MN.2]

Cryo: . . .

Cryo: Owie...

Cryo: Why does my head hurt...

Beck: --!!!

Beck: C...Cryo...?

Cryo: --!

Beck: Cryo?

Cryo: Beck?

Cryo: ......

Cryo: Where the [FRAG] am I???

Beck: CRYO--!

White: YES--!

Sanda: HE DID IT--AGAIN--!

[Beck wraps his arms around his confused sister, who was simply looking around the semi-frozen room in thought.]

Cryo: No, seriously--where the [FRAG] are we.

Cryo: I don't remember anything in the last few days WHAT HAPPENED.

[BANG!]

Beck: --!?

[BLAM--!!]

[The door is suddenly BLOWN off it's hinges, creaking as it collapses to the ground.]

Cryo: WHAT THE--

Pyro: CRYO?! BECK?!

Cryo: Big Bro?!

Beck: (Wow--)

Pyro: --!!

Cryo: OK--SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON BECAUSE I DON'T GET IT. WHY DID BIG BRO JUST BLAST THE DOOR AND WHY AM I STUCK TO A WALL.

Beck: Whoops--sorry, Cryo, lemmie help you with that--

[Beck grabs hold of his sister's hose arms and pulls back--]

[POP!]

Pyro: --! I GOT HER--

[She lands RIGHT into Pyro's arms]

Cryo: Wheeee!

Cryo: Hi, Big bro! ^^.^^

Pyro: . . .

Cryo: ...?

Cryo: Big bro...? Yellloooo? Earth to Pyro....?

[....]

[Pyro doesn't answer at first--at least until he sets her down.]

[...Which only confused her even further.]

Cryo: ....???

Pyro: ......

Pyro: I'm...I'm so sorry.

Cryo: --? Uh--

Pyro: I--...I had no idea you...

Pyro: .....

Pyro: I had no idea I made you feel...uncomfortable when I carried you away.

Cryo: .....

Pyro: I just--I just wanted to keep you SAFE because--you DO get carried away and if I don't, you might find yourself--

Cryo: Bro--

Pyro: All I wanted was to protect you--

Cryo: Bro--

Pyro: I just do it because I love you and--

Cryo: PYRO.

Pyro: --....

Cryo: .....

Cryo: Come down here for a sec.

Pyro: .....

[He does so--it's a little comical seeing as Pyro was nearly three times her size, so he had to kneel and bend down a bit.]

Beck: .......

Cyro: Lower.

Pyro: ...?

[PSSSSSSH--]

[Using the last of her reserves already in her nozzle, she managed to gently spray Pyro right in the face with cold water.]

Pyro: Gah--

Cryo: That's for being stupid.

Cryo: Bro, I dunno what the [FRAG] is going on, but--

Cryo: You don't make me THAT uncomfortable.

Pyro: --!

Cryo: Like--SURE OK it DOES get a little annoying and I DO wanna sometimes put ice cubes in your pillow at night--

Pyro: .... (I KNEW THAT WAS HER.)

Cryo: ...But..

Cryo: Bro, you've been carrying me around since I was BUILT, why do you think I LIKE it so much?

Pyro: !!!

Pyro: You....

Cryo: Bro why do you think I tell you to carry me around almost everywhere.

Pyro: ...

Pyro: Because being bossy is in your nature?

Cryo: ...Point.

Cryo: Aaaaand...

[....]

[MN.2] //: -Data, BECAUSE SHE FEELS SO TALL WHEN SHE'S ON YOU, BRO.-

[MN.2] //: -Like, even she doesn't get that when she's on Mic or Bat or even Shade, it's just YOU-

[MN.1] //: ........

[MN.2] //: ....Big bro....

[MN.2] //: You're...you're Big bro.

[MN.2] //: I know you just do it cuz you care...I've known that for, like, EVER.

[MN.2] //: 'Sides--

[MN.2] //: If I had NO one to carry me around--then I'd be REALLY slow going around the house and like, everywhere. That be a PAIN in the CHASS.

[MN.2] //: So hitching a ride is, like, also the smart thing to do. ^^.^^

[MN.1] //: .....

[MN.1] //: C...Cryo...

Cryo: ....?

Pyro: ....

Pyro: So...you....

Pyro: Don't...hate me...?

Cryo: --??!

Cryo: Wha--the [FRAG??]

Cryo: No, NO, Big Bro--

[And there she goes, climbing up Pyro's shoulders so she can sit right on his back and prop her round head on his own.]

Cryo: I love you, Pyro.

Cryo: Jeez, what made you think THAT stupid thought in your head??

Pyro: ......

Beck: .......

Cryo: ......

Cryo: ...Why is everyone so quiet?

[DR.WHITE] //: Cryo.

[MN.2] //: --!! Dad!

[DR.WHITE] //: .....-SIGHS, although if that's in relief or stress is hard to say-

[DR.WHITE] //: Let's get you back home first.

Cryo: .....

Cryo: That reminds me, WHERE ARE WE??

Cryo: Like--This looks like some kinda monitor room but--

Beck: Call?

Call: Xel Transfer initiated.

Cryo: Guys--helloooo, is no one gonna answer me?!

Cryo: I'M STARTING TO GET REALLY PEEVED HERE--

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

=CHAPTER 8B: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

{Early that morning…}

Cardinal: FINALLY…

[He was only a few blocks away. He could see from here that there was a crowd gathered some ways away from his target—

—just outside a clearly defined radius.]

Cardinal: (Ugh…)

Cardinal: (I’m going to have to go right through a window.)

[He yelled over the wind. They were going to come in fast.]

Cardinal: Looks like I was right, Scout!

Cardinal: Hang on, okay?! This is going to be a really rough ride!

Scout: Rarf!

[He tossed a dual-colored sphere in the air, releasing a burst of red light. This materialized into a bird, which caught said sphere before it fell.]

Cardinal: Baron, it’s confirmed. FLY.

[The robin shot off at an astounding speed, almost as if it had teleported itself.

There was a grated rumbling noise.]

Cardinal: Sorry, Jazz. Get somewhere safe, I won’t let you crash-land.

[He leaped out of the transformed flying panther.]

[CARDINAL used ITEM-2!]

[…right onto another gadget. He held out his shield in front of him, angling down at one of the windows that looked out into the sky from a roof.]

Cardinal: We’re going in!

Scout: Rarf! -LET'S GOOOO--

[He didn’t really hear the shouting from the crowd in their surprise, but he sure felt their “welcome party” favors. It hurt, but it didn’t phase him one bit. Even when he started taking fire from the White House security system as well.

He did leap down off of the ITEM-2, and there was a VERY high pitched whine noise as his blaster primed.]

BLAM!

[Top of the line security, down to bullet-proof windows? Yes.

Able to withstand a charged shot from a plasma blaster designed to take out tanks—as in plural, multiple at once?

Nooot quite so much.

The sound of glass shattering mixed with that of a starting fire. There was a click and a whirr, the barrel of Cardinal’s weapon changing as he fired again, just as they were landing.

It started to rain.]

Scout: -OOO I DIDN'T KNOW HE KNEW RAIN DANCE-

WHAM.

[They landed down in a hallway hard, the rain putting out the fire.

The security countermeasures started to go berserk, and Cardinal was forced to put up a wall of razor sharp leaf-shaped projectiles to give him time for his next move.]

Scout: -AND Razor Leaf, ooooo-

Scout: Rarf!

[There was a rotating noise and another click, and then…]

Ptew pew pew pew pew!

[…Dozens of tiny snakes—they looked like little mechanical coral snakes.

Then he stood to his full height and blasted a tune.]

Cardinal: (Ready or not, Shade, here I come!)

[The White House was indeed large and vast--finding Shade in this mess was to prove difficult, even with the Search Snakes.

....But it wasn't long before they found traces of his obvious presence.

There were strange, gray orbs floating around the hallways and entrances, glowing a strange, greenish color.

At first, they seemed to be dormant--

...Until they turned red when the Snakes approached...]

_______________________

"--?"

"Motion? Thought Ah' told them flesh wastes t'stay PUT...lessee here..."

[The Search Snakes were spread out, but Cardinal had remained where he was.

He was in full armor—something he hadn’t done in real Combat since the last time he fought his brother. Because of this, his whole face was covered, and his expression was impossible to read.

Despite this, his fierce green eyes burned with a fire that pierced even his shades, visible to not only a sensitive camera, but also to the naked eye.

After a moment…]

SHING!

[The leaves that had shielded him scattered, slicing everything in their path as they moved down the hall.

This included, among other things, a security camera.

The feed went down immediately, followed by several others in the same hallway.]

KSSSSSSSS—

[Cardinal had created a small blind spot.]

"--!"

"Sonofva..."

"Who the hell IS this guy...?"

"Thinkin' he can come inta' MAH new home..."

________________________

Scout: Rarf! -NICE SHOT-

Cardinal: Scout, we’ve got a problem. There are people trapped in here.

Scout: --!!

Cardinal: I’m going to have to start breaking down doors.

Cardinal: (If Shade were in his right mind, he’d want me to do this first.)

Cardinal: (And if the President THEMSELVES is here, nnng…)

[His fans whined even louder at the surge of compulsion to follow out a military-grade order.]

Scout: -RARF-

Scout: -WE KNOW HEADBUTT-

Scout: -WE CAN HELP--

Cardinal: You might need to save that on the people inside, my friend. I’ll explain in a moment—

[He hit the floor to avoid a sudden stream of mixed projectile weaponry.]

Cardinal: Some cover, if you please? -Scout, use Sand Attack.-

Scout: -Rarf!-

[Scout used Sand Attack!]

[Scout didn't need to dig--he simply shook himself VERY rapidly, dust and sand scattering EVERYWHERE.]

[...He was apparently very dirty.]

Cardinal: Heh. -SMIRKS-

[He starts shouting in a taunting tone.]

Cardinal: HEY SHADE! Too bad your glasses got all dusty. Better wipe the dirt out of your eye!

__________________

"Grrrr..."

"Just keep talkin', Birdy, see where THAT gets ya..."

__________________

[.......]

[VEEEEEEEEEEEEE--]

Cardinal: I don’t think so.

[CARDINAL used FLASH STOPPER!]

[WOW, everything is hit not only with BLINDING light, but whatever is in those intangible waves of data is enough to STUN everything in the hall.]

Cardinal: >B]

[There is a HUGE clattering somewhere deeper in the house--it sounded like something very heavy just fell--]

_________________

"AUGH MOTHERSCRATCHIN' CHEATER--!"

________________

Cardinal: -Speaks in a low voice- Scout, when I break through the door, the people inside are going to be terrified. Someone IS going to start shooting. Try and stun them, or at least get their aim off.

Scout: -Rarf!- -Nods-

[Another click.]

[Cardinal used SHADOW BLADE.]

[There was a hissing SHUNK noise as he cut RIGHT into a triple-reinforced, double-locked door of something much stronger than steel.

Another rotating click, and he stuffed a Crash Bomb into the hole the acid was eating away—he didn’t have time to wait.

It blinked and beeped a few times before…]

CRASH!

[Cardinal slammed through the opening shield-first.]

[Bullets start FLYING the second he does, and yes, there is much screaming--]

"GET DOWN--"

Scout: RARF!

[Scout used Tackle! ]

[One of the men in black goes down, gun clattering to the floor. Two more follow suit--It seems like Scout has gotten quite good at dodging incoming fire from his journey with Cardinal.]

[Scout used Growl!]

Scout: -GRRRR, STAY DOWN-

[Cardinal doesn’t make any witty comments this time. He just goes into a full-on tackle of his own. He grabs one man in one arm, another after dropping his shield—

And as soon as he rams into the third…]

[CARDINAL used TELEPORT!]

{Outside…}

[Cardinal reappears inches from the crowd outside the kill zone, dropping the two men he was carrying to the ground. The third, already on the ground, had also been taken with him.

This caused no small amount of panic, and he was lit up with half a dozen sniper scopes. A few even got off fire, hitting him square in the left part of his chest.]

Cardinal: -Huffs- (Are you kidding me?)

BWIP!

[He disappears, only to reappear a moment later with two other people, holding them by their wrists. One of them was shrieking and trying to mace him. Again, no effect.]

Cardinal: No offense, but I’ve been through worse!

Bwip!

Paramedics rushed over to the vic—]

BWIP!

[—ooooor not—]

Cardinal: -Drops the guns onto the ground with a clatter- DON’T shoot Beck if he shows up, officers!

[He also tosses over a file folder of notes someone had been working on, hiding behind his shield to better withstand incoming fire.]

Cardinal: Still—you guys might need those!

BWIP!

{Inside}

"HEY--THAT'S MY TIE--"

[One more man in black snuck in while Cardinal teleported back in--]

Scout: GRRRRR--

[Scout used Headbutt!]

WHAM!

[The security man skidded across the room and hit the back of his head with the wall, knocking him out instantly.]

Scout: -GRRRR-- -SHAKES HEAD AND TIE AGGRESSIVELY BEFORE SPITTING IT OUT-

Scout: | [

[Cardinal picks up the man, pausing for a moment as he hears the security out in the hall recovering from the stun he had put on them earlier.]

Cardinal: This is going to be a long day.

Scout: --!

Scout: -SNIFF SNIFF-

Scout: -NOSE IN THE AIR, COULD IT BE--

[BANG!]

Scout: -YELPS-

[A red laser appears on the ground near Scout's feet, followed by a energy shot, scaring him out of his wits and causing him to run behind Cards.]

Scout: -Whimperrrrr-

Cardinal: -OW, that was loud- Gosh dangit, Shade!

[He grabs Scout with his other arm—]

BWIP!

Scout: --???

[—and when he reappears inside, it’s without the officer…

…and also out in the hallway, yards and yards from where he had ever set foot.

As long as he could see it, he could go there.]

Cardinal: You’re going to have to do better than that, KID!

Cardinal: But if you insist on playing hide and seek…

[Cardinal used SCREECH—]

[He briefly stopped the mufflers on his fans, causing their overworked whine to get broadcast over his speakers.

It was worse than metal grating mixed with fingernails on chalkboard.]

Scout: -WHIIIIINE-

___________________

"AAAAARUGH--!!!"

"Goddamn BUCKET OF BOLTS--AH'VE HAD IT UP T' HERE!"

"Fahn, if ya wanna DIE SO BADLY--"

________________________

[....Oh dear.]

[All of the orbs go active.

And there were red, red lasers, reflecting off of them all at once--which was real, which one was SHADE--]

Cardinal: Oh, please.

[He laughs as his arm shifts again.]

Cardinal: Guess what, Shade?

Cardinal: Two can play at this game.

[Cardinal used GEMINI LASER!]

[Aaaaaand suddenly, the hallway was filled with death laser ping-pong.

And Shade’s were NOT the only ones bouncing at angles!]

[BANG BANG BANG--]

[It was truly a sight to behold.

It was like watching a game of chess, except the pieces were far more deadly.

Gemini Lasers met energy shots, with every red laser changing to accommodate the angle and trajectory.]

[Cardinal didn’t stick around to watch the lights and display contest.

He had already grabbed Scout with one arm, running right into the fire shield-first. About partway through, he leaped and slid down the rest on his back, with his shield out in front.]

Scout: -RARF RARF-- -WEEEEEEEEE-

[Cards was moving too fast for the lasers to lock onto him correctly--and once the one behind him figured this out--

...They all vanished.]

_______________________

"Oh, Ah' see what yer goin' for, Birdy..."

"Can't have that, no sir."

___________________________

[--This area seemed to be more decorated...]

[Cardinal barely noticed, and almost didn’t care. He got up to a knee.]

Cardinal: Scout, I need you to do something for me. Find a rope or a cord of some sort. Even a curtain tie will do if it’s long enough.

Scout: -Rarf!-

[He sets the Zig down.]

Cardinal: Please, be careful…

Scout: Rarf! -Sniff Sniff-

[Cardinal took a moment to take in his surroundings.

This looked like a historic display of American History.... Medals, paintings, photos of past presidents...]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: (Nnngh… I can’t do anything too dramatic in here, I need to move out of this place…)

Scout: Rarf!

Scout: -HOLDS UP A FANCY MILITARY ROPE THING-

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: Thanks, Scout. Now let’s get out of here—

Cardinal: Before Shade does something stupid!

Scout: -RARF!-

Cardinal: (What I wouldn’t give for backup from Tobias right about now…)

Cardinal: (At least that office was one of the only places with anyone inside of the work quarters. It must have been horribly early in the morning when Shade took over—only the skeleton crew.)

Cardinal: (Looks like there’s different kinds of rooms over this way—man, I wish that I could have seen the White House back at home, I’m going into this totally blind—)

[A low noise and a rotating click.]

Ptew ptew pew!

[Another nest of Search Snakes slither on their way.]

Cardinal: (THIS room must be horribly dangerous. This much priceless history? That’s a screaming neon sign for “DEATH TRAP SECURITY” if I ever heard one.)

Cardinal: (I’m going to have to tank some hits, probably…)

[He looks around the room skeptically.]

Cardinal: …

[He grabs Scout and holds him directly between his shield and his body, and makes a run for it.]

[BWAAAAN--]

[Something from the ceiling unlocks--]

[Oh dear THOSE ARE VERY MUCH MILITARY GRADE MACHINE GUN TURRENTS--]

Cardinal: (Aw glitch.)

[There’s a whine as he holds up his free arm, it shifting to have a wrist launcher.]

KTANG KTANG!

[Cardinal used MAGNET MISSILE!]

Cardinal: -EVEN MORE RUNNING FOR IT—-

[The missiles lock onto the turrets, attaching to them before exploding. Unfortunately, while this takes SOME of them out…

…some of them merely malfunction, firing at random.]

Cardinal: DAMMIT—

[CARDINAL used METAL BLADE!]

[He took some hits protecting older paintings from the unfriendly fire, but his shield held firm.

The same couldn’t be said for the turrets that were introduced to one of THE most deadly Power Capsule weapons known to man.

They crashed down to the floor. And as Cardinal approached the end of the room—]

Cardinal: GOSH DANGIT!

[…Locked doors barred his way.

And he could hear the whine, feel the psychological heat of lasers lighting up his back for long ranged target sights.

He whirled around, back pressed up against the surface, taking the incoming fire to his shield.]

Cardinal: (WHY are there locked doors in here?!)

Cardinal: (Augh…)

[To the unfamiliar observer, it would appear the bird had been cornered.]

[VRRRRRRRR...]

[A laser.]

[A very familiar one.]

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Not so sassy nao, are ya.

<DLN-000>: >Shade.

<DLN-000>: >This is stupid floor design, Shade.

<DLN-000>: >I’ll have to have a word with your brother about this after I haul your chass out of here.

[Oh, he was rushing robodrenaline, alright. “Heart” rate had increased, his fans (while thankfully muffled) were louder, giving off more heat than earlier.

There was also that clicking and whining noise again…]

<DLN-000>: >Your desire for sass is very important to us. Please hold, and the next available representative…

[Cardinal used DRILL BOMB!]

[He shoved something very much like a Crash Bomb into the door behind him. It ground away at the metal as it tunneled in, embedding itself in the door before exploding.]

<DLN-000>: > —WILL GET BACK TO YOU!

[Cardinal used FLASH STOPPER!]

[AUGH, again with the BLINDING light—]

[MN.8] //: --GNGH-

[There was a deep growl on the other end before it cut out--clearly Shade had not been pleased with that.

Not at all.]

[Cardinal didn’t waste a moment. He turned his back to Shade—he had no choice—and his arm shifted again—]

[CARDINAL used SUPER ARM!]

WHUNK!

[He punched a bigger opening through the thick door where the Drill Bomb had made the first breach.]

WHAM!

Cardinal: -IN YOU GO, SCOUT—-

Scout: RARF!

"WHAT IS THAT--"

Cardinal: Tie them up for me— OW!

Scout: ! D:

???: Please stay behind me--

???: TAKE ANOTHER STEP AND I WILL OPEN FIRE--

Scout: -GRRRRR-

Cardinal: Go ahead, it’ll just put you in the hospital! Metal ricochets, genius!

[He squeezed his way through, hearing things becoming active again behind him.]

Cardinal: I don’t have— ouch! —time for this—

[He grabbed one end of the rope and then—]

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

bbbZZZZZZZzzzKT—

[The top clattered along, circling and snaking around the people in the room. The rope he had tied to it followed after.]

Cardinal: -YANK!-

[WHAM.]

[The sound of multiple human beings hitting the floor at the same time follows suit.

Cardinal used the Super Arm again to sort of push them all into one pile of disgruntled, frightened, aggressive humanity.]

BWIP!

{Outside…}

[Cardinal jumped off and did a backflip out of the way off of the piled people, bringing his shield out in front of him.]

[.......]

[That's weird.]

[No sniper fire?]

Cardinal: -Takes a moment to catch his breath- (Ugh… I can feel the slugs embedded inside me. I’m going to need to shed this armor before too long, at the rate this is going—)

[It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t being shot at.]

Cardinal: …???

Cardinal: -Peeks out behind his shield- ,’B/?

[Vrrrrrrr...]

[...? Wait, that sound--those sound like propellers--]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: -Looks uuuuuuup—-

AviCam: -FLOATS IN-

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: … -COCKY GRIN BENEATH MASK-

Cardinal: Smile, you’re on candid camera!

AviCam: -MAKES SOME LETTERS IN THE AIR-

[G O F O R R E S C U E--G L.]

Cardinal: See ya later, Hoverbrother. Send my love if things…

Cardinal: … blow up in my face ;D

[He takes the moment to take off his helm entirely. Man, he looks exhausted.]

Cardinal: I can only assume you’re keeping them from crowding around with questions—thanks, because—

[He pulls out what looks like a miniature oil can and douses himself with it. And then another one. Oddly enough, he seems bone dry after. Huh.]

Cardinal: -Puts his helm back on- —I gotta scram!

Bwip!

{Inside}

[He reappears back inside.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …???

Cardinal: (Where the heck did Scout go?)

[The happy Zig was nowhere in sight.]

Cardinal: Nnnngh… (I told him what would happen, so… I guess something went wrong. I hope I run into him on the way rounding up stragglers…)

[There was a buzzing noise as he was lit up with lasers again.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: Really, Shade? This is SO boring.

[Buuuuut then they… start spazzing out?]

Cardinal: …?

Kkkkk…

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: (Wait a second—music?)

[Not just any music…]

Cardinal: Eight!

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Well, well, well.

[MN.8] //: If it ain't the infernal Wily child and the Lil' doggie.

[PING!]

[A surprisingly firm voice echoes though the comms--]

[MN.9] // COUNTERSHADE!

<DLN-008>: >Shut up, Shade.

<DLN-008>: >The only reason I haven’t fried you to a soot speck is because Beck’s my friend and Cardinal would kill me. |[

[The whole building abruptly seemed to fill with harsh static. Not just the noise—the electricity itself. And, as Tobias had predicted, Cardinal was NOT pleased.]

Cardinal: Cut that out, Eight.

Cardinal: Is there anyone else in here?!

<DLN-008>: > Yes—

Cardinal: Then cover Beck and STALL for me, dammit!

[He takes off.]

Cardinal: (With Tobias messing with the security system, that should make it marginally less deadly by making the systems cut in and out—)

Cardinal: (And there’s two of us, he can only be in one place at a time, he’s not Siam, after all—)

[BANG BANG BANG.]

[Crack!]

[Cardinal’s armor had finally taken too much damage from energy shots. It shifted away into his normal gear.]

Cardinal: Fantastic.

Cardinal: -RUNNING FOR IT AGAIN-

[Lasers in all directions--]

[Wait--no...It couldn't be.]

[That can't be him just down the corner.]

Shade: Boo.

Cardinal: Shade, I’m not—

[CARDINAL USED RAIN FLUSH!]

[It was raining indoors and now EVERYTHING was wet—]

[His other arm turned into a blaster.]

[Cardinal used SPARK SHOCK!]

Cardinal: —IN THE MOOD FOR THIS!

[He suddenly was surrounded by live electricity.]

Cardinal: Out of my way or I swear to God I’ll fry you to a core.

Shade: ....

[He stands there for a moment, looking as if he is complimenting the threat.]

[Then.]

Shade: -grins-

Shade: Alright.

[BANG--]

[--???]

[Wait, that shot came from behind him--

And where did Shade go?!]

Cardinal: -Ow-

[In the bad mood he was, he jumped up onto ITEM-2.]

Cardinal: I told you I’ll get back to you, you impatient brat.

[BZZZRRRRRKKKZZZZZGGGHHHHHHHVVVV—]

[…Well.

THAT hallway and everything in it was sure toast.

Various spheres dropped to the floor, but no sniper (or core thereof) was among the casualties.

Cardinal shot on down the hall, following flashing static panels along the way. Left, right, right, left, up a flight of stairs, down stairs—

He was suddenly thrown off his wind surfer when everything began to float and hold in place. And an object in motion…]

Cardinal: !

WHANG!

Cardinal: OW!

Cardinal: Tobias, what the frag was that for?!

[Disgruntled, he didn’t wait for an answer. Left, right—]

Cardinal: -Comes to a screeching halt- …

Cardinal: … And I thought the last room was a death trap…

[Standing before him were two more impressive looking doors. They were more grandiose and obviously stronger than the last. And… the Presidential Seal was in proud, bold colors right in the center.]

Cardinal: (That’s gotta be the way to the Oval Office!)

Cardinal: … (But… Tobias led me hear, so that means…)

Cardinal: (Oh hell…)

[VRRRRRRRR--!!]

[There was a wave of UFO-like Xelbots that flashed into view--before vanishing into thin air, barreling themselves straight into Cardinal's path--]

Cardinal: -NOPE-

TSSSSEW!

[Cardinal used Rolling Cutter!

It’s super effective!]

Cardinal: Hey, Area 51 called! They want their rides back!

Cardinal: Hope those came with a warranty.

[VRRRRRRRRR!]

[Oh, lovely, more turrets--]

[VVVVRRRRrrrrrrrr....]

[....They...powered off?

Suddenly, the lights flickered.]

Cardinal: …

[And dimmed. ]

Cardinal: ?

[To his slight surprise (and fair annoyance), Cardinal began floating again.]

Cardinal: Tobias, for the LAST time—

[PING!]

[MN.3] //: Oooooh, Shaaaaade!

[MN.3] //: BIG ZZZSISTER WANTSZZ TO HAVE A TALK WITH YOU.

[MN.8] //: -Oh, bite me, witch hag.-

[MN.3] //: YOU CAN'T PLAY HIDE AND ZZZSEEK FOREVER--

Cardinal: … Dyna?

[MN.3] //: Go on now, Becky, I got thiszz, I KNEW thiszz place had it'szz own power grid, yum.~

[MN.9] //: Hookay, thanks, Dyna! c:

Cardinal: -Aaaalrighty then- (I better hurry up before the whole gang arrives.)

Cardinal: -Bounces through the lower gravity before it abruptly changes-

[He takes one look at the door.]

Cardinal: (How am I going to—)

[…But was interrupted by the sound of the security systems starting up again.]

Cardinal: .___.

[CARDINAL used SKULL BARRIER!]

[He was just in time to prevent becoming an energy and lead pincushion. Still under fire and holding up the shield, he rotated through his capsules until…]

POW!

[He lowered his hand, turning off the Thunder Beam.

He had managed to blow the fuse, which turned off the security in the hallway…

…and the lights…

…and the air conditioning.

It was starting to get very hot, and things smelled like burnt electronics.]

Cardinal: Man…

[He takes out the Shadow Blade again.]

Cardinal: I feel sorry for whoever holds the homeowners insurance on this place.

[He sliced at the door repeatedly in intersecting diagonal lines. This time, he let the acid eat away at the door.

He didn’t like how unnaturally silent it was now that he had put the whole hallway into radio silence. Only the windows brought any light in at all.]

Cardinal: (Here’s to hoping I’m not too late… not for them, OR for him…)

[Cardinal used HARD KNUCKLE!]

C R A C K!

[Cardinal used SHIELD BASH!]

[And burst RIGHT into the Oval Office!]

[There were only three people inside, all standing around the desk, as if discussing something. The ladies had looked up sharply at the noise, and had backed away before he came crashing in.]

???: Crap--

[The only other male in the room pulls out a firearm and pulls the trigger--]

[BLAM!]

[A moment of silence.]

Secretary: -Oh thank GOODNESS—-

Cardinal: -Looks up with a slight smile-

Cardinal: Nice headshot, sir.

[The secretary shrieks.]

Secretary: OH MY GOD IT’S IMMORTAL—

???: .....

???: Or he just has a very good helmet.

Cardinal: Sorry to crash the party, Mister President.

Cardinal: But we do need to evacuate before my best friend does something he regrets when he gets over his hangover.

???: .......

???: What?

???: I'm not the president--

???: I'm Secretary of Defense.

SoD: -What made you think I was POTUS.- : /

Cardinal: …

[Cardinal was on his feet now, standing at attention, very military in posture.]

Cardinal: You’re standing behind the desk, sir.

[The other woman rolls her eyes.]

SoD: And...?

SoD: -It's 20XX, doesn't everyone know who POTUS is--

Cardinal: And I don’t have time for this. We’re leaving now—

BZAP!

Cardinal: -Baaaacks away from the stern looking woman, okay, she’s got a taser, that gave us pins and needles-

SoD: Nice shot.

[She looks down at Cardinal with disapproval. Humorously, her heels made her slightly taller than him.]

Cardinal: >_>;

Cardinal: …Madame President, I presume.

POTUS: Why should we believe you? You broke into the White House, through several top-notch levels of security, disengaged a good portion of the defenses in more than one hallway, and just mentioned your alliance with the terrorist who put us here to begin with.

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: Because I’m not shooting right now?

POTUS: You didn’t think this through at all, did you.

Cardinal: No sir, I did not.

[The secretary snorts a little at that. The poor woman looked like she had seen better days, especially before her sudden promotion after the whole mess had started.

The SoD, on the other hand, seemed to be unsure of whether to be impressed or just incredulous.]

SoD: Wow.

SoD: He has guts, at least? (Or no forethought.)

Cardinal: Thanks, but we’ve got to—

[He saw a tiny, TINY red light.]

Cardinal: !!!

[He does a teleporting tackle to slam the President to the floor. Fractions of a split second later, there’s a VERY strong shot that leaves burn marks around the wall right behind where her head had been.]

Secretary: -STRAINED NOISES, TRYING NOT TO SCREAM-

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Tch!

[MN.8] //: Keep gettin' in mah way, Birdy, and Ah' WILL make ya regret it!

Cardinal: I could say the same to you, pal.

SoD: -ARE YOU OKAY--

[She was fine. Shaken, perhaps, but didn’t show it.

Then she became cross, and started to speak to the silent hunter.]

POTUS: This is your last chance— hand yourself over to the authorities, or you will be facing the consequences—

Cardinal: NO!

Cardinal: Leave him alone!

[For the first time since he had come in…

He actually SOUNDED scared.

Desperate, even.]

[MN.8] //: Heh.

[MN.8] //: Was that ya soundin' desperate there?

[MN.8] //: -LAUGHTER-

[MN.8] //: Ah' hate t' disobey a lady, but m'afraid yer term is up.

[MN.8] //: Now.

[CLICK.]

[MN.8] //: R u n.

[For a brief moment, silence.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …Heh…

[He starts laughing.]

POTUS: ???

SoD: ....-Whispers- Um I don't think this guy is all mentally sound--

Cardinal: Shade, Shade, Shade…

Cardinal: You know what?

Cardinal: You’re right.

Secretary: ?!

[MN.8] //: -Ooooh, now ya got his attention-

[MN.8] //: Somethin' change yer mind, Birdy?

[MN.8] //: Was it the fact that yer doin' this all fer nothin'?

Cardinal: Hardly.

Cardinal: More like…

Cardinal: I don’t have time for this, Shade.

Cardinal: Guess I’ll have to make my own!

[He turns and FIRES—]

[Cardinal used TIME STOPPER!]

POTUS: ???

[Cardinal waltzes over toward the door, grinning.]

Cardinal: Now then…

Cardinal: Judging from the trajectory of the shot…

Cardinal: -ELBOWS, hard-

CRASH!

[Cardinal pulls a nearby curtain down and tosses it onto… well. Now that it was given form, it was clearly the fallen sniper.]

Cardinal: -Pulls something out of his traveling bag, shaking it- ~

Cardinal: -PSSSHT!-

[After spraying his own symbol on the cape once he found it, he quickly tagged “HOPE lives” on the floor. Then, and only then, could he relaxed and be satisfied.]

Cardinal: B]

Cardinal: -Tosses empty paint can behind him, looking down at the time-frozen sniper- Looks like you lost hide-and-seek, kid.

Cardinal: Too bad.

POTUS: -Just. Stares- o_o

POTUS: What… did you do? -Okay his methods are VERY strange but that was rather impressive-

SoD: -...What DIVISION is he in is the better question--

POTUS: -Starts advancing- Who built you?

Cardinal: —

[She grabs at his scarf and yanks up a metal bit that glitters in the light.]

POTUS: -Dog tags, SoD.- Is there something ELSE you need to tell me about, Desmond?

[Cardinal forces her hand away, holding (gently but firmly) onto her wrist.]

Cardinal: As charming as it is to have conversations with you…

Cardinal: -WHISTLES SHARPLY, SCOUT WE’RE LEAVING—-

Scout: -RARF RARF RARF--

Cardinal: That effect kinda won’t last forever, we really do need to get out of here—

SoD: .....Is...Is that a raccoon--

Cardinal: Close enough. Group hug, everybody!

Scout: -BOUNCES INTO POTUS ARMS-

Scout: -HALLO NICE LADY-

POTUS: ! Oh goodness— Now wait just a—

[Nope, he’s already scooped her up and grabbed the others by their jacket fringes.]

Byewbyewbyew…

{Outside}

SoD: --?????

SoD: -He can TELEPORT--

[Cheers erupt from the crowd, with the recovered Secret Service members forcing their way through, hemming out reporters and warning back drones with sniper lasers. One camera WAS allowed to come in closer.]

Cardinal: Heh…

Cardinal: Hello again, Avs.

Cardinal: -Puts Madame President down- I see you’ve upgraded this to include a speaker now. Your faith in me is reassuring. B]

[Avi’s voice crackled through the speakers.]

Avi: Bro, you do realize you can't hide from this, right--

Cardinal: Sadly. That’s a cost I’ll have to carry.

POTUS: (…Hide? Cost?)

Avi: OKAY GOOD JUST CHECKING.

Avi: Because sometimes you kinda just let these things fly WAY OVER YOUR HEAD--

[The vague, stressed pun didn’t seem to have any effect… other than making Cardinal’s shoulders sag with weariness.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: -Quietly- I’m sorry, Avi. I’m not done yet.

Avi: --....

Avi: Dude, Beck's in there now, just-- come on, man, can't ya believe in him too--?

Cardinal: Six, this is about a lot more than believing and proving and anything else, and quite frankly—

[He douses himself in those strange cans again.]

Cardinal: —I’m tired of seeing my brothers die. I won’t risk any chance of that happening again.

POTUS: Where do you THINK you’re going—

Cardinal: Here, take this, it may help you on your journey— -SHOVES SLIGHTLY SINGED SCOUT-

Scout: -LICKS FOR NICE LADY-

POTUS: -Ackpth—-

Scout: ~ < 3

Avi: --.... (I guess I tried...)

Avi: [sub] please don't hurt him too bad. [/sub]

Cardinal: I don’t have time for this. You saw the file extension, you know my intentions.

[He gritted his teeth. It hurt, again. Hurt because there was all this pressure, and nowhere for it to go.

Hurt because he couldn’t cry.]

Cardinal: …See you in clearer skies, Avs.

Cardinal: Goodbye…

BWIP.

POTUS: —…

POTUS: …Get me Sanda Labs on a secure line. -Stop wriggling, strange raccoon thing—- NOW.

{Back Inside…}

[Cardinal chose not to reappear in the Oval Office, but instead in an open room he had passed through on the journey. From the looks of things, Beck and Dyna had been through not long ago, themselves.]

Cardinal: -Takes in a shaky breath, hoo- (…Okay. Orders… orders over. Good… good, now—just need to find either Eight or Nine…)

Cardinal: (Can’t turn on my transceiver. They know I’m here and they want me out. But I can’t just stand by and let those two slice each other up and stain the rug with their Xel.)

Cardinal: -Grumbles- Where are you, Shade…

[He walks through several halls. Everything was dead silent. The expected countermeasures of security never came.]

Cardinal: …

[He was beginning to get very puzzled.]

Cardinal: (Did Beck already get to you? …And wow, I seriously made this big a mess?)

Cardinal: -Crosses his arms absentmindedly as he enters the secretary’s office- Come on, Shade, I said I would get back to you—

________________

(Thaaaaat's it, just a lil further...)

______________

[He held his shield loosely by his side as he meandered the halls for another good five minutes.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: …I guess Avi was right?

Cardinal: Maybe I should turn my transceiver back on, find out if they’re outside…

[He goes over to look out a window that faces the lawn, scanning the crowds for signs of his energetic young counterpart.]

Cardinal: Just my luck to miss out on the party…

_________________

(Heh. Stupid bird.)

(Should've paid attention t' where you were goin'...)

________________

[He turns away from the window, glancing at it over his shoulder.]

Cardinal: I should probably apologize to the President—

[CRUNCH.]

Cardinal: (What—? That doesn’t sound like glass—) -Looks down-

[What Cards saw on the ground--

A dart.

Several.

In the shape of a figure eight, all black as night.]

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: (Wait a dAMN SECOND HE SAID ALL HIS DARTS DO SOMETHING—)

[BANG!]

[The darts all exploded into shrapnel, sharp, dangerous pieces flying everywhere, breaking pottering and lights and anything else that was in it's radius.]

[Cardinal wasn’t shielding, so he took a direct hit.

Now, he was made to withstand exactly this sort of thing. To take it and tank it.

Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.]

Cardinal: -GAH—-

[He staggered back, disoriented by the damage.]

[BANG--!]

[Red lasers fill the room, reflecting off of various objects to keep Cardinal guessing--]

[BANG BANG--]

[--With two more ACTUALLY aimed for him--]

[He took the hits, but answered back with a vengeance.]

KTANG!

[Leaping onto the walls and vaulting onto a statue, he peppered the room with high speed Quick Boomerangs.]

Cardinal: |[

Cardinal: You clearly haven’t learned I don’t go down so easy, Counter.

"Haven't ya heard of try, try again?"

[BANG--]

[A dart this time, yellow--]

[Cardinal used METAL BLADE!]

[The net was torn up even as it came onto him. He leaped onto a chandelier.]

[Cardinal used RING BOOMERANG!]

Cardinal: Haven’t you ever heard “Doing the same thing twice and expecting different results is the definition of insanity?”

[Laughter.]

"Look who's TALKIN'!"

"Ya sure are persistent."

[Cardinal was beginning to lose patience.

He was tired. He felt tired and old.]

Cardinal: Countershade, I have been chasing after you for over a WEEK now. I’ll hardly give up because you’re throwing a temper tantrum.

Cardinal: Get a grip, Shade— Snap out of it! This isn’t like you!

Cardinal: -Crossly- WAKE UP ALREADY!

"Temper tantrum? Boy, ya must be a real antique by now. Seein' as ya ain't made of Xel."

"Who even ARE ya, anyway?"

"Gotta hand it t' ya, Birdy, as ya are annoyin', yer good. Heh."

"And Ah' do so love a good challenge."

Cardinal: You can’t be serious. You recognized my brother and you don’t know me? That’s not a funny insult. -Actually sounds rather put out-

"Nope. Ya don't ring a bell."

Cardinal: Are you REALLY that out of it? That’s honestly just pathetic. The “sad, pitiful” kind.

Cardinal: Fine then.

Cardinal: I’ll make you remember—I’ll bring you out of this, I am going to snap you out of this if it’s the last thing I ever do!

[Cardinal used DUST CRUSHER!]

[All the shrapnel and debris that had been created by Shade and others before him was kicked up in a whirling cloud of sharp death that enveloped half the room, shredding everything in its path before getting embedded into the wall.]

"--Ngh--!"

[There is some painful data, but it is quickly snuffed out by something other than Shade.]

"Oh, it WILL be--ya can't keep flyin' FOREVER, Lil' Birdy..."

Cardinal: Try me.

[…Not his best choice of words.]

"Heh."

"Since ya ASKED so nicely!"

KSSSH!!!

[The chandelier came crashing down, with him inside it.

Even though he teleported away, he still had the force of momentum, and crashed down into the ground pretty hard.]

Cardinal: Hggghhhh…

Cardinal: (Gah… hate HATE falling from heights, come BACK, vision—)

[BANG!]

[Countershade took this perfect opportunity to fire off another shot--it was so easy, once he was blind--]

Cardinal: AUGH!

[Cardinal counteracted with a spam of Metal Blades that went in ALL directions, embedding DEEP into wherever they found score—

And there is a LOT OF rolling around and taking cover--seeing the saw blades stirred up something...Something that made him even angrier. ]

"MOTHERSCRATCHIN'--Ah' HATE when it takes more than one bullet!"

Cardinal: See now, if you REMEMBERED anything, you’d KNOW I don’t go down to one hit!

"Goddamn waste of mah TIME--"

Cardinal: Tch.

Cardinal: Anything you don’t have time to do right the first time, you’ll need to have time to do over.

Cardinal: And I’ve put a hell of a few lifetimes more into this than you.

[BANG BANG--]

[The explosive darts were out now, but single striped instead of the deadly double. Perhaps Shade didn't want to ruin his new 'Home' anymore than it already was. Cardinal tanked the hit with his shield.]

[The Proto Shield held firm as ever, though he moved aside to avoid being backed into the wall.]

Cardinal: -Gets back to his feet, shifting his weaponry again with another click.-

Cardinal: This is not the first time we’ve done this song and dance, Shade!

[Cardinal used BUBBLE LEAD!]

[The acid pellets burst upon contact, hissing and eating away at the floor and various high ground on the other side of the room.]

[SSSSSSSS...]

"Aw FRAG IT--"

Cardinal: You forgetting?! Just means I have ALL THE MORE ADVANTAGE OVER YOU!

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

kzzzZZZZZZZZGGGVVVVGGGHHHTTTT—

[Marble columns were sliced clean through and brought crashing down.]

[CRASH--!!]

"--!!!!"

[There was a few moments of scrambling and--]

[--Silence?]

Cardinal: Nice try, but I know you’re fine. Your camo goes out if you’re not.

Cardinal: And if you want to play this the hard way, I’ll do just that. >B |

[....]

"Alright."

[Click.]

[That came from RIGHT beside him!]

Cardinal: (Glitch—)

[Cardinal used ICE SLASHER!]

[It wasn’t fast enough to prevent the shot that seared through his right shoulder, but. It was enough to send the whole room about ten degrees below zero, and send icicle spears flying.

There was a HISS of pain and a grunt, Shade's camo flickering for a moment--

--Before returning to normal, and the lasers that herald his presence once again came from a completely different direction--

Cardinal ends up backed against the wall, having no other option besides his shield at this point. The Skull Barrier and the Leaf Shield had both been spent during the rescues.]

Cardinal: B[

[Cardinal used ITEM-1!]

[He jumps onto a hovering platform to gain height before firing off some plasma blasts at strategic surfaces—places where he would go if he had that side of the battlefield.]

[BLAM!]

[BANG BANG BANG--]

[As if in response, Shade shoots at the ITEM-1 before unleashing a trio of--oh, no, double stripped darts--!]

Cardinal: !

[Cardinal used WIRE!]

ZZZZZZZIP!

[A grappling hook shot out of his arm, bringing him up toward the ceiling and away from the explosion.

Unfortunately, this position offered him no cover whatsoever, except for his shield—which, as always, remained squarely over his central mass.]

Cardinal: This is getting a bit old.

Cardinal: I’d rather light things on fire, but that wouldn’t be being…

[He smirked.]

Cardinal: …a good House guest~

[BANG--]

[CRASH!]

[He had the wind knocked out of him again, but…

Judging from his wheezing and shaking laughter…]

Cardinal: -Worth it-

[CLICK.]

[....Uh oh.]

Shade: Was it?

Cardinal: Yup.

Cardinal: Too bad it didn’t…

[Cardinal used AIR SHOOTER!]

[STRONG gusts swept across the room, moving EVEN the fallen marble slamming into the wall!]

Shade: --!!!

Cardinal: BLOW YOU AWAY!

Shade: Ngh--

[Shade loses his footing and is forced to back up a ways in order to keep Cardinal in front of him--and on his sights.]

Shade: Enough of this--

[CLICK.]

[...Not even Shade could make a shot in these kinds of winds--]

[...Right?]

[BANG!]

Cardinal: -OOF!-

[Okay. He was really taking a beating now.]

Cardinal: (This has got to stop. Man… haven’t even knocked out his active camo yet, lame. I wish I could use more explosions and fire, that might have helped…)

Cardinal: … (Then again, not being in such a cramped space would have helped anyway.)

Cardinal: Hoo… man, you do hit hard…

[BANG--

BANG BANG BANG--]

[...Shade doesn't answer back.

He just keeps shooting.]

Cardinal: It really is too bad Round Two had to be like this—nngh!

Cardinal: I think you would have preferred remembering!

Shade: Hey.

Shade: Birdy.

Cardinal: What.

Shade: Do me a favor.

[--Wait--why was his voice coming from behind, Shade was right in front of him--]

Shade: Stop yer PRATTLE.

[BANG--!]

[Cardinal was put to the floor, dizzy from being shot in the back. His fans were buzzing a bit, and he had to prop himself up with an arm.]

Cardinal: -WHEEZE- Now that was beneath you, my friend.

Cardinal: You’re an assassin, not a traitor.

Shade: Not my fault yer bein' difficult, Birdy.

Shade: All yer...

[BANG.]

Shade: Sass, all yer brave front--

[BANG!]

Shade: Ya don't fool ME.

[He had to deflect the shots with his shield, but his arm was starting to tire from taking the shock of the blows. He gritted his teeth.]

Cardinal: Is that supposed to mean something, Shade? I’m honestly—nnn!—confused.

Shade: It does. You'll get it REAL soon.

[BANG--]

[...???]

[That's...that's a red dart.]

[Completely red, stuck to Cardinal's shield.]

[--And then it started to glow RED, RED HOT, OW--]

Cardinal: AUGH!

[He could NOT handle that much heat, not so close to his core!

He was forced to drop it to the ground and roll to the side.]

[Cardinal used NEEDLE CANNON!]

[Needle shaped spears skewered anything and everything in sight…

…and some things out of sight.

A slight rip noise betrayed that Cardinal had scored a hit and pinned the sniper’s cloak to the wall.]

Shade: TCH!

Shade: Oh, that is IT.

Shade: -LOCK ON TO CARDINAL'S SYMBOL--

Shade: Yer SCRAP.

[BANG BANG BANG--]

[Cardinal hit the floor, hard.

Silence.]

Shade: -That was mah CLOAK, FRAG YA-

[…But after a moment, he did manage to sit up again, coughing a bit.]

Shade: Fer the love of--

Shade: Ya just don't DIE.

Cardinal: -Raspy- So I’ve been told…

Cardinal: (Great… all I have left is fire…)

Cardinal: You…

[He spoke seriously now.]

Cardinal: You’ve… got to stop, Shade.

Cardinal: You’ve… got to stop…!

[He staggered to his feet.]

Cardinal: This isn’t you. It’s not your fault, but you need to stop—

Cardinal: Don’t you remember who you are?!

Shade: --.....

[Who...]

[Cardinal grabbed his scarf and shook it. The dart there from Shade, a gift from so long ago, stood out in sharp contrast.]

Shade: ......

[Why did he have his...]

Cardinal: PLEASE! Don’t you REMEMBER me at ALL?!

_____________________

"Yer stuck with me. B]"

___________________

"Catch me if ya can, hunting doggie!"

_________________

[Memories, as if from some far off forgotten dream...]

Shade: --...

Shade: -Confused--

Shade: The hell...

[Cardinal took a quiet step forward.]

Cardinal: Shade!

Cardinal: You’re my best friend.

Cardinal: We TRUST each other, remember?!

—————————————————

“Being able to trust someone and want to be around them, miss them if they’re gone… That’s its own vulnerability, in a way.”

—————————————————

[Another step.]

Cardinal: (Just…)

Cardinal: (Need to get close enough…!)

[Trust...]

Shade: -Blinks--

[The purple and magenta fade from his eye for a second--]

Shade: (What...)

[....And then.]

[....A name.]

Shade: . . .

Shade: Cardinal...?

Cardinal: !

Cardinal: -Another step- YES! I’m here, Shade—

Cardinal: I promised nothing would make me give up on you, and I mean it.

Cardinal: -Another step- You’re sick, but we can fix that— come home, Shade, before you do something you can’t fix.

[…

…Fix…?]

—————————————

[An admission of weakness.

His core was messed up so badly, that…]

[From a powerful enough opponent, a direct hit at full charge, if exposed, would cause him to explode.

And no armor in the world would ever fix it.]

—————————————

Shade: ...ngh...

[The assassin staggers, as if something dull was pressing on his mind, something that was NOT a part of him, something that didn't want him to--]

Shade: !

[Something within screamed--]

[--But then, it all became clear.]

[Clear to the virus, that is.]

Shade: ......

[Cardinal was reaching out his hand to touch him. If he could just get a hold of him, he had just enough energy to get them out of here. Away from this place—if not to safety, at least where he couldn’t do any more damage.]

Cardinal: Shade…?

Shade: . . .

Shade: Songbird...Eh...

Shade: Well, that explains the bird part.

[CLICK.]

[There was an unsettling PREDATORY grin on Eight's face, as his rifle was pointed DIRECTLY AT CARDINAL'S CORE--]

Cardinal: !?

[He was too shocked, totally blindsided, taken completely off guard—he didn't even have time to get scared before—]

Shade: Adios, Songbird. BANG--

[The direct hit from such a close range— point blank range—had done massive amounts of damage.

He didn’t really feel hitting the floor, no…

It was all lost in a vast sea of white-hot pain that engulfed his senses, enveloped his whole body—

He couldn’t even say for sure if he screamed.]

Shade: That hurt, Birdy?

Shade: Ah' BET it DID.

[Cardinal had to turn to his side to avoid choking on oil. Now he felt sick, shivering from the pain and errors that were wracking his body.]

Shade: Oh, Ah' remembered ya, yes--ah' sure did... -GRIN-

Shade: Ah' remembered how t' finally KILL YA.

[Cardinal could hear the words, but they just wouldn’t register— but if they had, he would have been crushed not just in body, but also in soul.]

Shade: That was STUPID, bah the way.

Shade: What were ya even thinkin', huh?

[Even if he wanted to run now, there was no way out. He didn’t have the energy to teleport—he barely had enough to move.

Move he did, though, at least enough to get to his knees.

…]

[…relatively speaking.]

Shade: Eheh...

Shade: Looks like yer wings have been CLIPPED...Lil' Birdy.

Shade: Nowhere t' RUN, nao, is there. Even if ya COULD move....

Cardinal: Hnnnghnnnnnggh…

Cardinal: … (Can’t… can’t move…)

Cardinal: (Need… need repairs…)

Cardinal: (N-need to partition energy into repairs—)

Shade: Still breathin'?

Shade: Ya really ARE persistent!

[The world became a white void of pain as he was kicked in the side, hard. He fell over, and Shade forced him onto his back with a bit of pressure. His vision started to come back in, but—]

[CRUNCH--]

[A boot crunches on top of Cardinal's chest--]

Cardinal: (AUGH!)

[He couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t. Breathe.

The weight was crushing him, breaking him, threatening to put pressure on his core—his constant massive conversion of energy into matter to save him was only intensifying the pain.]

Cardinal: Ghhghkk—!

[He was too badly injured to move. He was using all of his power just to stay alive, now—he could barely hear, barely see—]

>ERROR: HARDWARE DAMAGE CRITICAL

Cardinal: !

>COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT

Cardinal: (nnnONONO—)

>INITIATE SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE

Cardinal: AAAAUUUGH!

[Cardinal gave a choked cry of despair as the countdown began— audibly, no less—]

>TEN…

Shade: -Ooh, now... What is this?-

>NINE…

Shade: Oh, right...

>EIGHT…

Shade: Ya Wily constructs go up with a bang when yer too helpless t' RUN.

>SEVEN…

Shade: -Chuckles.-

>SIX…

Shade: Nao ain't that somethin'...

>FIVE…

Cardinal: (No…!)

>FOUR…

>SYSTEM OVERRIDE

>THREE…

>RUN PROGRAM: FINAL_DAYS.EXE

[The countdown stopped, briefly.]

>WARNING: FINAL_DAYS.EXE IS AN UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAM. USING THIS PROGRAM WILL PREVENT COMBAT.EXE INITIATIVES OR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE FROM RUNNING NORMALLY. CONTINUE?

>YES

>DON’T ASK ME AGAIN

> -PING!- COMMAND CONFIRMED.

>SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Shade: ....

Shade: Tch.

Shade: Was hopin' t' see fireworks. Oh, well.

>EXECUTING PROGRAM: FINAL_DAYS.EXE

[He became limp and weak as the program went live.

He was no longer burdened by instincts meant to preserve him to be fighting fit later, or to continue fighting on.

All the energy that had been spent toward those goals was now going into extensive repair, to keep his vitals up and his senses working. This process would not be interrupted, no matter how much energy it drained from him.

…But as a result…]

Cardinal: -Rattled wheezing from shaky, submissive gasps for air-

Shade: Heh... -Smug smirk-

[He was now completely helpless.]

Shade: Look at ya...

[Everything felt faint. It hurt, and yet…]

Cardinal: -Hazily- (Can’t even move…)

[He felt so tired. So tired.

He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and get his rest….]

Cardinal: (C-can’t…)

Cardinal: (So… so tired…)

Shade: Just look at ya, ya waste of scrap.

Shade: All yer talk and sass and comebacks and fancy display...

[CRUNCH--]

Cardinal: ( -PAIN!-)

[Cardinal became briefly blinded by pain, his eyes glazing over. His fans wailed in protest at the crushing weight put on his chest.]

Shade: --And all it took--

[His armor—!]

[SNAP--!]

[His inner plate armor split open—]

<DLN-000>: > -PAIN!-

[With his transceiver off, no one could hear him— no one could hear his anguished data streams—]

Shade: --Was a few shots, from one bot--

C R A C K—!!

[He jerked sharply, almost convulsing as the armor clattered, giving way to expose the energy core within. It was glowing like a small sun—white hot, too.]

Shade: - T'prepare ya t' meet yer Maker. That is... Assumin' there's an afterlife for ya pathetic box bolts...

[Cardinal gave off bleak rattling noises as his coolant system attempted to draw air over broken fans.]

Cardinal: -Repairs, need… need repairs…-

[His vision came back to him as the conversion went into overdrive, desperate on keeping the fans running, to keep him alive.

This allowed his eyes, dulled before, to resume their green spark—his sunglasses had been knocked off long ago, and so there was nothing between the green fire and the sickly purple gaze.]

Shade: --?

Shade: What in tarnation--

Cardinal: Hnnnnggghh…

Shade: --....

[Wait a second...

There was something just right of the power core, mostly tucked behind it. As it glowed, the mobility rig seemed to just… rebuild itself.

Enough for Cardinal to grasp at something hidden below his scarf, clutching it with a stubborn resignation.]

[.....]

[Two and two were put together within a second, and the Teal Silence let out a dark chuckle.]

Shade: Stubborn jackass! So THIS is how ya kept yerslef goin' so long, hmm?

Shade: Real clever...

[He suddenly JABBED right at it with his rifle-- which was a VERY bad mistake…]

Shade: ARUGH--!

[…as far as the sniper was concerned.

The tip of the rifle had been vaporized, and Cardinal was filled with a jolt of energy that the conversion provided. From the strength Shade had unwittingly donated, he knocked the rifle out of the way to prevent his friend from losing balance, and possibly ending up losing the rest of his arm to the power converter.]

Shade: NGH--

Shade: Little goddamn bastard--should've known ya had 'nother cheap shot like that up yer sleeve...

Cardinal: -Irratable snort- (Oh please, that’s just how I’m BUILT—you wouldn’t go sticking your hand in stomach acid, would you?!)

[There was still enough strength left from that for him to regain some focus. It took effort, and he struggled to reallocate repairs to non-vital systems.

Like… talking, for example.

Cardinal vented a bit and scrunched his eyes in a grimace, trying his hardest to work up the energy to talk.]

Cardinal: Nnnngh…

[…But he could only groan. The pain was so heavy…]

Shade: Bah, for the love of— spare me yer theatrics, Songbird, S'not like ya can sing anymore.

Cardinal: (But…)

Cardinal: (I’ve GOT to, I need to tell you…!)

[CLICK.]

Cardinal: —hghkkt!

[He knew that noise.]

[He KNEW that noise, and it filled him with dread.]

Cardinal: (No…)

Shade: Heheheh...

[A sadistic smile partnered the laugh that escaped from Shade--the dart that was usually in his mouth was gone...]

Cardinal: (Shade, oh God no— please… no, don’t… you can’t do this…)

Cardinal: -Weak ping of protest-

Shade: Ah' TOLD ya...Ya can't fool me.

Shade: Ya scared now, li' Birdy?

Cardinal: -Strained fan whine of despair-

[He was in distress, that was for sure. A heartbroken dismay was sapping away at the willpower maintaining the diminishing fumes of strength in his body.

Shade leaned over, resting his rifle arm on his left knee… as he put his weight on Cardinal’s shoulder. The fans there screeched as they were crushed beneath the sniper’s considerable weight.]

Shade: Good.

[The blinding pain lifted as the weight was drawn away. When Cardinal could see again, he saw his friend’s back facing him.]

Shade: I'll give ya this...

Cardinal: …

[A low hum...]

Cardinal: … -even weaker ping-

[He couldn’t mask it. When Shade turned around, Cardinal couldn’t help but give off a faint signal of hopelessness—

Shade was using a sniper scope to light up his core as a target, purely to mock him out of spite.]

Shade: Ya were better ’n most. Damn freakin' annoyin’, too. Shoulda known better ’n ‘’ta come HERE, t' mah huntin' grounds. You got a death wish, songbird? Huh?

[He took a step forward, letting his spurs rattle loudly in his stride across the floor...]

[Slowly.]

[It was tempting. So tempting.

He was tired. He hurt. He was scared. If… if he just let go, the pain would stop, it wouldn’t hurt anymore… he could rest, he could leave before…]

Cardinal: … (No… can’t…)

[Cardinal took in a shaky breath, willing himself to stay alive, even though his energy core…]

Cardinal: (Can’t let it end… like this…)

[…was starting to turn cold.]

Shade: -Data-

Shade: -Well, if ya insist, we can GRANT it for ya.-

Cardinal: (Can’t…!)

Cardinal: (I CAN’T LET IT END LIKE THIS!)

[Cardinal struggled to focus through his failing vision, to look that menacing red-violet eye directly on with his own, dimming green pair.

He shut down all but his central core mass fans to get the energy to speak.]

Cardinal: -Very raspy, distorted gasp- Shade…

Shade: --....

[...He's not sure if he should be annoyed or impressed.]

[Cardinal spoke again. There was a clear but quiet, submissive air of despair in his frail voice.]

Cardinal: Countershade, please…

[Oh.]

[He took a step forward...]

Shade: What was that?

Cardinal: Don’t… don’t do this… beg… begging you, please…

[.....]

Shade: -GRIN-

[He smirked cruelly at this, at the sight and sounds of Cardinal begging, pleading for his life, for mercy. Ha! Finally, after all of his talk and bravo!

What a delightful feeling.]

Shade: Heheheheh!

Cardinal: please…

Shade: (Eso es, Pájarito. Ruega por por la misericordia hasta que mueras.)

Cardinal: …it’s only… only… g…going to…

Shade: --?

Cardinal: …going to hurt y o u…

Shade: --.........

[For a moment, that makes Shade pause.

The sick, purple aura left him, the malice, the evil that had dug it's way deep into his core was lifted for just a brief moment-- ]

Shade: -N--No--

Shade: (No, no, no…!)

Shade: -Straining- M-must… fight… the power…

[He, too, seemed like he was in just as much pain as Cardinal was.]

[…]

[CLICK.]

[...But the moment... Passed.]

Shade: Enough!

[He spoke with a firm, authoritative command of finality.]

Shade: I don’t have time t’ waste on you. Obviously ya ain’t gonna stay out of my way while ya still runnin’.

Shade: An’ as we’ve already established, ya have this fraggin’ annoyin’ tendency to keep hangin’ on. Fahn, then—I’ll give ya the honor a’ takin’ ya out myself!

Cardinal: (No…)

[Cardinal gripped his hand tighter, as if bracing himself.]

Shade: An’ just tah make SURE you don’t get out of sight at the last second…

[He lowered his gaze, and his aim, right down to Cardinal's exposed core.]

Shade: This'll be the last bullet Ah' waste on ya.

[Cardinal forced himself to maintain eye contact, even as Shade lowered his rifle to point directly at the exposed core.

He didn’t… feel scared anymore. Just… defeated.

Hopeless.

…Accepting of his time, resigned to his fate… even as he dwelt with lingering, final regret, on his failure and shame.]

Shade…

[Darkness overtook his eyes.

His power was nearly entirely depleted. He would only last a few minutes longer, at most—one way or another, he had reached, at last… his final day.]

[Vrrrrrrr...]

Oh, Shade…!

[He could faintly hear the sound of Shade’s deadly aim setting up. It seemed… so far away…]

I…

[He heard a faint fizzling and hissing noise as the energy converter fell silent.

There could only be one reason for that—

No more energy left to convert from.

He could feel his heart becoming as cold as i c e …]

I’m… so sorry…!

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

CHAPTER 10C: 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...)

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

=PROLOGUE A: IT ALL BEGINS NOW=

~AO v1.0~

(Starring @limitbreakers)

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

“Come ON, Beck! Hurry up, we’re gonna be late!”

It is the present year.

“C-Coming, Cryo!”

Breakthroughs in robotic technology have ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity. Violence is confined to the Battle Colosseum, where robot combatants face off in spectacular duels.

“We’ve spent enough time walking down memory lane in the trophy room. We have to get to the arena before they call us out for our return debut match.”

“WE KNOW, Pyro. Jeezzz, calm down.”

“I believe he is only excited to be back in familiar stomping grounds. Isn’t that right, Bat?”

“TOO RIGHT, Brand!”

“MAN, I am so stoked for this! Hey, I hope they get my good side, ya know? Course, I look good in ALL angles.”

“…Avi not focused.”

“Mic is right. It’s time to get out there. Everyone! PLACES!”

“YES SIR NO.1!”

Today, the colosseum walls once again echo with the shouts and cheers of excited fans…

…when suddenly…

….

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN–

Attention! Attention! This is Code Red! Please evacuate the arena calmly and quickly! This is not a drill! Please–

[WARNING. WARNING. VIRUS DETECTED IN SERVER. FIREWALL PROGRAMS HAVE FAILED.]

[MN.1-8 HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH HARMFUL MALWARE. RUNNING XELFILTER.EXE FOR MN.9]

[WARNING: MN.1-8 HAVE ENTERED FULL COMBAT MODE. RESTRICTIONS: NONE.]

[S Y S T E M E R R ROR–S YSTEM E R R ROR–]

“PYRO! BRAND! SHADE! GUYS! S T O P!”

[MN.9 HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY HARMFUL MALWARE. PREPARING HARD RESET. ALL FORMS WILL BE LOST.]

“GUYS–NO–NOOO–!!”

[....]

[XELFILTER.EXE PROGAM CYCLE COMPLETE. ALL MALWARE HAS BEEN FILTERED AND NEUTRALIZED FROM ALL SYSTEMS.]

[REBOOTING...]

[MN.9 IS NOW ONLINE]

Beck: ....Uuugh...

Beck: What...what happened...

[......]

[At first...nothing.]

[Then....]

"PYRO! BRAND! SHADE! GUYS! S T O P!!"

Beck: ......!!!!!

[MN.9 to MN.1-8] //: GUYS! GUYS!

[MN.9 HAS BEEN BLOCKED BY MN.1-8.]

[MN.9] //: ...??!?!

Beck: What...?!

Beck: Why would... They...

BOOOM!

[...And that is when he noticed where he was. No longer was he within the Colosseum walls, he was now on some rooftop by a NBCA advertisement. It looked like he was simply DROPPED here, but the means of how and why were far from his mind.]

[At the sounds of the explosions, Mighty No. 9 ran across the rooftop ...]

Beck: !!!

Beck: N...No...!

[Screams. Fire.]

Beck: What....

[The whole of the city in absolute chaos, citizens screaming in terror, fleeing from literal hordes of rampaging robots, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.]

Beck: What is...happening...?!

Beck: .....!!!

Beck: DAD!

[His creator. His father. Doctor William Apollo White.]

[He was somewhere in this madness...]

[Without another thought, Beck jumped down from the rooftop. He had to find him. He had to know if...!]

Beck: PROFESSOR! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU?!

Beck: DAAAAD!!

[......]

[..........]

[..............]

[...!! There! In the distance--! That puff of hair that could only be--!]

Beck: Dad!

White: Beck!

[The sheer relief couldn't be plainer on their faces, as Beck ran up to his father, who seemed to have seen better days--his lab coat was torn here and there, and his face was covered in black soot.]

White: Ah, Beck--thank God--and functioning normally, it would appear!

Beck: Yeah...yeah, I'm fine, Dad. I'm fine...

Beck: I am so glad you're OK—

[Beck clutched his leg as hard as he could, and White bent down to give his youngest perhaps the hardest hug he could muster.]

White: ...God...what on earth has happened...? It's...chaos, everywhere...!

Beck: I...I dunno...I dunno...Dad...

[Tears filled his emerald green eyes.]

Beck: I...I can't contact the others...Pyro, Cryo, Dyna...they...blocked me...!

White: What?!

White: Why on...

White: . . .

White: oh God—nononoNO—

[He fumbled with his bag, which held his laptop. He opened it as quickly as he could and--]

[...His suspicions were confirmed.]

[The status of all Mighty Numbers...]

[To say he was both horrified and shocked was an understatement.]

[His sons...his daughters...]

White: NO!

Beck: .....!!!

Beck: INCOMING!

[Several airborne delivery bots had spotted them--and their load was less than helpful. They were bombs.]

[Beck pushes his father out of the way, with a strength he never knew he had in this default form...]

White: ooF--

[The blast knocked both father and son back some ways, but Beck's quick actions had saved them both from sustaining serious damage.]

[Thankfully, the trio of delivery bots no more cargo to dispel, and flew back the way they came--probably to get more of their ammo.]

Beck: Dad--Dad, are you OK?!

White: Ngh...

White: Y-Yes...mostly...

[Beck looked forward--this street...this was familiar...]

[...! Wait! He knew where he was! Just a few blocks from here was home!]

Beck: Dad--Dad, it's not safe--

White: ...

[After catching his breath, he stood--brushed himself off, and looked to the distance along with Nine. There, on end of this long street...]

[Sands Enterprises.]

White: ........

White: .......

Beck: Dad...?

[His expression hardened.]

[....His sons, his daughters...]

[What was happening to all the robots...]

[...He couldn't do anything from here.]

White: We won't figure out anything from here, Beck.

White: We must make for the laboratory--and quickly!

Beck: ...!

[But between them and home...a war zone.]

White: ........

Beck: ....

White: Beck...

White: I can't get through this by myself.

White: You MUST forge on ahead and clear a secure path.

Beck: --!? Wha--

White: Don't worry--I'll follow, and monitor your process. We only need to make it to the end of this street!

White: Do you think you can do that?

Beck: ......

[...He's walked down this street countless times--he's just never had to do it amidst gunfire.]

[But Dad...]

[His family...Dr. Sanda...Call...!]

[MN.9 HAS ENTERED COMBAT MODE.]

Beck: Yes sir!

[...Seeing that smile on his face, and the will that clearly shined beneath those eyes...]

White: Alright...

[...There was hope.]

[They could not lose that--not now!]

White: Let's move!

[OBJECTIVE: ESCORT DR. WHITE TO SANDA ENTERPRISES UNHARMED.]

[SYSTEMS READY.]

[....INITIATING COMBAT PROGRAMS.]

[Getting through the overturned vehicles and debris was easy enough, and provided good cover for Will.]

[...But it wasn't long before...]

Beck: ....!!

[A flash of purple, and a standard CherryDyn Security Model robot materialized in his path, waving it's arms around wildly, it's weapon primed and ready to fire.]

[White's voice filled his comm link--as long as they were near each other, they could speak above the chaotic noises that filled the blue sky.]

White: A security bot...and it's out of control like all the others...

[The CherryDyn bot, however, didn't notice Beck at all--rather, it moved on ahead...]

Beck: ....!!

Beck: Professor! Look!

White: !

[There, on a large public screen that overlooked the street...]

[Gregory Graham.]

<DLN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > -PING!-

[…!

Faint!

But there!

That was Toby’s signal, no doubt about it!]

Beck: !!!!

Beck: Toby!

White: Tobias?!

Beck: I felt his signal!

Beck: It's...so faint but...!

[The signal is fluctuating and faltering, as if something’s interfering with it.]

[KKKST!]

"Once again, the President as declared a country-wide state of emergency. This, based on reports of haywire robots rampaging out of control in all 52 States. I'm being told we have a comment from Gregory Graham, CEO of CherryDynamics."

Beck and White: WHAT?!

[There are some faint data streams that suggest anger—from DWNs—but it is still too faint…

Barely noticeable, given the matter at hand.]

"CherryDyn, of course, being the world's largest robot manufacturer. Let's go there now, live...

Graham: Ahem! Hello?...eh, hello...? Is this thing on?!

[...The CEO seemed...panicked...]

Graham: Ah! Ahem--...My fellow Americans...in this time of crisis, we at CherryDyn would just like to express....

Graham: That this isn't our fault!

White: ....!!

Graham: It's that Dr. Blackwell--HE'S the one that's behind all this! BLAME HIM!

Beck: What the--is he SERIOUS?!

[…Oddly…

…nothing, from their otherworldly friends.

Very odd, considering the LAST time that there had been a panic, and how loudly they had cried out in dismay.

But it seemed Graham wasn’t done yet…]

[Graham then composes himself...]

Graham: Ahem--we at CherryDyn are doing ALL we can to help fix the situation...BUT IT'S BLACKWELL'S FAU--

[KKKKKKSSST!]

"Heeeelllloooo! Is this thing on?"

Beck: ...Avi?

[PING!]

<DLN-008>: >Avi! Avi, no! What are you doing?

[He doesn't answer. Instead, he continues to give his twisted 'news report'.]

Avi: “Ahem! And now, let's go live to our eye in the sky, Avi, for today's Avi News traffic report!~”

[And in a completely not so different voice--]

Avi: "Thanks, Avi! As you can see, we've got a few accidents eastbound on, well--"

Avi: "EVERYWHERE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~"

<DLN-008>: > DON’T PRETEND YOU CAN’T HEAR ME— now is not the time for games, Aviator!

Avi: "Yup, we've got chaos here, chaos there on this BEEEEEAUTIFUL June 21, 20XX! Here on Avi News today, we've got exclusive coverage on today's top story!~

Avi: THE END OF THE WORLD, BABY!~

White: MIGHTY NO. 6! STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!

Beck: A…Avi…

Avi: "Our nation is on TOTAL MELTDOWN, and Xelbot crime is on the rise!~ Can NOTHING stop this madness?!

Avi: "Short answer? NO!~ BWAHAHAHA!~"

[.......]

[MN.6] //: Well, would you look at that! I got a caller!~

[The screen cuts out to another camera while Avi switched his attention to Toby, leaving Beck and White to gaze in horror at the bird's eye view of their city...]

White: We're almost there...!

[Traversing the war-torn street, Beck and White are just one more block away from the entrance...]

White: ....!

Beck: ...? What is it, Dad?

White: Dr. Sanda's calling...

[DR.WHITE] //: Sanda? What's the matter--

[DR.SANDA] //: WHAT'S THE MATTER?!

[DR.SANDA] //: WHAT THE BLEEDING HECK DO YOU THINK IS THE MATTER?! ARE YOU OK, WILL?!

[DR.WHITE] //: ...Oh, fine. More or less.

[DR.SANDA] //: .....

[DR.WHITE] //: And yourself?

[…Yep.

He was his usual self, alright.]

[Dr. Sanda, however…]

[DR.SANDA] //: Good Lord do you EVER stop being tactless--

[...LOUD clanking noises in the background of his feed.]

[DR.SANDA] //: ohmyGod

[DR.SANDA] //: I'm less than fine--MUCH LESS! These robots gone wild are TEARING THE PLACE APART!

[DR.WHITE] //: What...in the building too?!

[DR.SANDA] //: I've sealed myself in the lab--but who knows HOW long before they break through?!

[DR.WHITE] //: Ah, I see. Understood. We're already on our way!

[DR.SANDA] //: ...We?

[MN.9] //: -PING!- Dr. Sanda...!

[DR.SANDA] //: ...!! Beck? BECK? IS THAT REALLY YOU?!

[MN.9] //: Yeah--it's me! I'm OK, I'm not crazy!

[DR.SANDA] //: THANK THE LORD--

[BANG!]

[DR.SANDA] //: -sCREECH--

[DR.WHITE] //: Just try to hold them off for as long as you can! We're coming!

[Soon enough, after what seemed like hours had passed instead of minutes...]

[...Sanda Enterprises.]

[The front door was completely blown open.]

White: Oh, no...

Beck: I...I don't see Call anywhere...

White: ......

White: Beck. We have no time to waste...calculate the fastest possible route to the lab!

Beck: Yes sir!

Beck: ......

Beck: This way!

[BWAN BWAN BWAN BWAN--]

Beck: nEVER MIND THIS WAY--

[The elevator down to the lab was out--they had to take the other way down.]

White: --!!!

[...Sanda Models.]

[Heading this way...]

White: BECK!!

Beck: !!

[Trash bots--designed to recycle waste and paper--harmless enough, but something had caused them to open and shut their lids with the force of a vice, looking for anything to chomp on.]

Beck: Uhoh--

[They were heading this way--but oddly enough--their target...wasn't Beck...]

White: --!!

White: They're locked onto me--!

Beck: NO!

Trash Bots: -GLITCHED BEEPING-

[.......]

[ANALYZING.]

[EMOTION MATRIX RUNNING...]

[THREAT CONFIRMED.]

[ACTIVATING WEAPON SYSTEMS.]

Beck: STAY AWAY FROM HIM!

[WEAPON SYSTEMS: ONLINE.]

-*-*-*-*-

Felix: Let me tell you something, Master Beck. It is your heart and your build, your purpose, to help others. That is where your greatest power, I think, will always lie.

Beck: ..........

Beck: (Well, that's not...I mean, I was just built to fight....)

Felix: When you truly believe in your cause, the strength comes to you.

Felix: I can tell you THAT from experience.

Beck: .....R-Really....?

Felix: Of course.

Felix: And after all.

Felix: You /are/ MIGHTY.

-*-*-*-*-

[XEL ABSORPTION SYSTEMS....

ONLINE. ]

[BLAM BLAM BLAM!]

[In an instant, Beck's arm had transformed into his default demolecularizing arm cannon--capable of breaking apart substances right down to the molecular level within a few shots.]

[The Trash Bots were nailed right in the face, and soon they were...glowing. Their Xels were being broken apart, floating around them...]

[ZOOOOM!]

[ACXELARATE DASH: ONLINE. ]

[A white-blue glow had enveloped Beck as he dashed forward, the Xels of the weakened robots being absorbed into his own body, seamlessly clicking into place.]

[Shocked from the sudden Xel loss...the Trash Bots shut down.]

[ABSORPTION BOOST: ONLINE. ]

Beck: --!!

[A soft red glow shined around him, energy SURGING through him in a way that he's NEVER felt before...]

Beck: Ah--

[It all seemed to pool into his arm cannon.]

Beck: .....

Beck: WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED.

Beck: -pANIC-

Beck: W HAT WAS THAT?!

White: .......

White: Beck...did...

White: Did you just...absorb the Xels of a weakened robot and--my goodness --assimilate them?!

Beck: I DON'T KNOW--YOU TELL ME!

White: Alright--alright--just CALM down, Beck--breathe, breathe...

Beck: .......

White: Beck--I DESIGNED you with this capability.

Beck: ....!! W-Wait--

Beck: ...So--THIS is my...my power? My OTHER power?

White: Yes, Beck. I designed you with THREE central powers: Xel Manipulation, Xel Transformation...

White: ...And Xel Assimilation.

White: ....But...

White: This is the first time I've seen it...active...I hadn't thought it functional yet...

White: (...So why now...?)

White: .....!

White: (Of course...)

White: (Seeing me like this--in danger. Amidst madness and chaos...)

White: (His emotional matrix must have activated his latent abilities...)

White: (In an effort to protect me.)

Beck: .......

Beck: Whoooooa...

White: ....!

Beck: .....

[The glow subsided. Along with the surge of power.]

Beck: --? Uh...what happened?

White: ---Ngh! I'd love to explain but we have more robots incoming--!

Beck: --!!

[Within moments, as they headed deeper into the building, more and more robots appeared.]

[The security system had also gone haywire, and the very same measures used to protect them was now being used against them.]

White: Almost there, almost there...hold on, Soi...!

Beck: OwowowowlASERSHURTOW--

White: ...Right--the Lab is just ahead...

[DR.WHITE] //: Sanda?

[.....]

[DR.WHITE] //: Sanda, are you still there?

[.......]

[DR.WHITE] //: .......

[DR WHITE] //: Have the robots torn you to pieces...?

[MN.9] //: DAD--

[DR.SANDA] //: Criminny! Tactful as ALWAYS, Will... -_____-;;;

[DR.SANDA]//: I'm FINE, but for PETE'S SAKE, HURRY--!

[DR.WHITE] //: Don't worry, we just need to go through the--

[There was a LOUD scream across the feeds.]

[No—two voices, both screaming in utter agony!]

[B A N G.]

Beck: ?!?

Beck: What was THAT...?!

[The door opened...]

[WWRRRRRRRRRRRRRR--]

White: --?!

[Literally CRASHING through the side wall was a huge, round robot nearly seven times Beck's size, crushing anything underneath it's round steel flattener...]

White: A CherryDyn demolition unit?! How on EARTH did it manage to get DOWN here?!

Beck: Oh C RUD--

[The destructive CDN CHARGED right into Beck's path--he dove out of the way in time, however, but the shock of the impact with the other wall forced the door to close, leaving Will on the other side.]

Beck: DAD!

[DR.WHITE] //: I'm fine!

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck, quickly--you MUST stop it, before it destroys the whole laboratory!

[MN.9] //: M...ME?!

[MN.9] //: DAD THIS THING CAN CRUSH ME--

[DR.WHITE] //: YOU HAVE TO TRY! SOI IS STILL IN THERE!

[DR.SANDA] //: COME ON, BECKO--DO IT! OR WE'RE ALL TOAST...!

[MN.9 HAS ENTERED FULL COMBAT MODE.]

Beck: I'msodead--

[SCANNING...]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

[ E N C O U N T E R ]

[CDN. 502 -- MODEL CODENAME: ROUND DIGGER]

[HEIGHT: 300cm] [WEIGHT: 450kg] [XEL COUNT: 90,000,000]

[The CherryDyn Number 502 charged once more, rolling across the room at RAPID speeds. Beck once again had to dodge, THIS time using his new AcXelarate Dash.]

[...It certainly was...Fast.]

[SPLAT.]

[A little...too fast.]

Beck: O-Ow--stupid wall-

[DR.WHITE] //: Your AcXelarate Dash is EXACTLY that, Beck! An acceleration! Use it wisely!

[DR.WHITE] //: You must weaken it with your weapon to destabilize it's Xel before you can absorb it with your Dash!

[MN.9] //: SO I JUST SHOOT AND RUN INTO IT?!

[DR.WHITE AND DR. SANDA] //: YES!

[The Round Digger reared up to charge once more--like a bull would.]

Beck: Crudcrudcrudcrud--

[WRRRRR...]

[BLAM BLAM BLAM!]

[Direct hits--but it didn't stop the CDN from charging.]

Beck: -nOT AGAIN--

[ZOOOM!]

[...And yet another splat.]

Beck: OW--

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck--are you alr--

Beck: NO IT'S NOT WORKING--!

[DR.WHITE] //: Perseverance, Beck! Aim for it's joints and head! Destabilize it's Xel structure!

Beck: Aim and shoot, joints, head--

[WRRRRRRRRRRR--]

[A panel opened up on it's back, revealing--]

[Bombs!]

Beck: --oh NO--

[Of course, it was a demolition unit!]

[BOOM!]

Beck: AAAAAAAAAAH--

[There he goes, dashing this way and that to avoid being blown to pieces!]

Beck: -SCREAMING-

Beck: DAD HELP ME--H ELP ME!

[DR.WHITE] //: I can't--! Not from here--!

[DR.SANDA] //: THE SYSTEMS ARE ALL SCRAMBLED FROM HERE, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING--!

[BOOM! BOOM!]

Beck: -I'MGONNADIEOHMAN-

[Nine keeps shooting--but they are wild and panicked shots, some hitting their target, some missing completely.]

[.....Eventually, however...]

[ERROR--ERROR--XEL STRUCTURE UNSTABLE--]

[...The CDN's head starting glowing purple! ]

[DR.WHITE] //: NOW, BECK!

[As soon as Beck saw it...]

[...He knew exactly what to do. As if it was instinct.]

[As if the thought was there all along.]

Beck: Here GOES!

[ZOOOM--]

[XEL ABSORBED. 100% --CDN XEL COUNT LOWERED 20%--]

[WARNING! WARNING! VIRUS DETECTED!]

Beck: --?!?

[RUNNING XELFILTER.EXE...]

[XEL FILTERED. ALL MALWARE HAS BEEN NEUTRALIZED.]

[ATTENTION: MORE XEL IS REQUIRED FOR A FULL XEL PURGE.]

Beck: (Xel...Purge...?)

[DR.WHITE] //: BECK! ABOVE YOU!

[The CDN had stopped charging--and--oddly enough, used it's extending legs to grab onto the ceiling...?]

Beck: ....???

[A panel UNDERNEATH it unlocks and--]

[PSSSSSSSSSH!]

[A HUGE high pressured blast of water SLAMMED into the Mighty Number, knocking him back into the door with a loud CLANK!]

Beck: AAGH!

[DR.WHITE] //: BECK!

Beck: Uuugh....

Beck: ...Ooooowww...

[...? What's this?]

[...All that did was... Just DAZE him, at best...]

Beck: That was...almost as hard as Cryo, ow...

[PISSSSSSSSSHHH!]

Beck: -gARBLING NOISES-

[DR.WHITE] //: MOVE, BECK!

[A bit shaky, Beck dashes away from the stream--]

Beck: sTOOOOOP--

[.....]

[OH! Wait--why didn't he think of this before?! He might not have his siblings by his side--]

[...But he had their FORMS, right?]

[...Right?]

[…]

[ERROR//: MN.7 REXELECTION FORM NOT FOUND. FORM WAS ERASED AFTER HARD RESET.]

[…Wrong.]

Beck: WHAT?!

[ERROR//: MN.1 REXELECTION FORM NOT FOUND. FORM WAS ERASED AFTER HARD RESET.]

Beck: NONONO!

[ERROR//: MN.2 REXELECTION FORM NOT FOUND....]

[ERROR....]

[ERROR...]

[ERROR...]

[...Gone.]

[They were all gone.]

[He had nothing. No forms except that STUPID golden one, and what good would THAT do?!]

Beck: NO!

Beck: DAD--I CAN'T CHANGE FORMS--!

Beck: I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO FIGHT WITH--!

[DR.WHITE] //: YES YOU DO, BECK!

[DR.WHITE] //: You have tools of which this world--or ANY world--have only just begun to see!

[DR.WHITE] //: USE THEM!

Beck: .....

Beck: --Shoot, dash, shoot, dash--

Round Digger: -R O A R S-

Beck: Shoot and dash, shoot and dash--!

[Repeating this mantra, Beck circled the CDN...]

[They both traded blows, neither of which seemed to be giving in or showing sign of fatigue--]

[...But...slowly...slowly but surely...]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

-PING-

[XEL QUOTA ACHIEVED.]

[XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE.]

[DR.WHITE] //: ...!!!

[...A circle of white began to glow around Beck's feet...]

[A stream of Xel floated outwards, forming a large circle along with three dots and lines--his symbol...]

Beck: Come on--

[His arms started to shine a pure white!]

Beck: SNAP OUT OF IT!

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

Beck: NOW!

[A burst of green Xels flow out of the circle, and RIGHT back to the CDN! Rings of purged Xel incircle it, and slowly--it's...purple, tainted Xel fades...]

[........]

Round Digger: ....????

Round Digger: -BEEP-

Round Digger: -BEEP BEEP-

Round Digger: -CONFUSED DATA, THIS IS NOT OUR DESIGNATED AREA-

Beck: ...!!

Round Digger: -DISTRESSED BEEPING-

Beck: Hey--Hey...

Round Digger: -THIS IS NOT WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BEEEEEEEE-

[...Beck...cautiously approaches the CDN...]

[Closer...Closer...]

Beck: Hey....Are you OK?

Round Digger: -BEEEEEEEEEP!-

Beck: Hey--Hey, it's OK...

[...Pat. Pat...]

Beck: You're OK now, don't worry...

Round Digger: -SAD BEEP-

Round Digger: -BEEEEEP-

Beck: ....! Uh...hey--do you think you can help me?

Round Digger: ....? -beep?-

[MN.9] //: Dr. Sanda?

[.......There was no response at first. Both Doctors were still STUNNED at what just happened.]

[MN.9] //: Dr. Sanda!

[DR.SANDA] //: ...! Erm--ah--y-yes, Beck...?

[MN.9] //: You said the systems were haywire, right? So you can't unseal yourself...

[DR.SANDA] //: Well--I....oh.

[MN.9] //: So--I guess there's only one option, right?

[DR.WHITE] //: --! Of course! The Round Digger!

[DR.SANDA] //: W-Wait--Wait a min--

Round Digger: -PING-

Round Digger: -DIRECTIVE RECEIVED. COMMENCING DEMOLITION.-

Round Digger: -WARNING BEEPS, STAND CLEAR-

[DR.SANDA] //: -SHRIEKS, RUNS TO THE FARTHER ROOM-

[WRRRRRRRRRRRRR--]

[C R A C K!]

[With one powerful charge, the CDN Demo unit reared back once more and charged into the other wall, making a hole large enough for even MIC to walk into.]

[DR.SANDA]//: Did you REALLY have to do that?! This place is falling apart enough as it--

[DR.WHITE] //: We can worry about it later! Beck--neutralize any other threats in the building while I work with Soi to get at LEAST some of those systems back online...

[MN.9] //: Yes Sir!

[DR.SANDA] //: B-B-But--the lab is unsealed--

[DR.WHITE]//: I don't think we have to worry about that for now.

Round Digger: -BEEEEEEP-

[MN.9] //: Yeah, you can stay down here and make sure nothing gets past you, OK? That way you don't get hurt too. ^.^

[CDN.502] //: -BEEP BEEP, NEW DESIGNATION AREA CONFIRMED-

[DR.WHITE]//: Good, good. Be careful, alright?

[MN.9] //: Yeah. I will.

[Beck went back the way he came--through the recently re-opened door--while White stumbled through the opening, patting the CDN on it's side as he passed by.]

[...It took a while to find where Sanda had taken cover, but eventually--]

Sanda: Will!

White: Soi!

[Without another word, Sanda threw his arms around his beast friend, quite literally giving him a bear hug--]

White: Hurk--! Soi--!

Sanda: You have no IDEA how glad I am to see your face, friend--

White: Th-The feeling is mutual, Soi, but c-could you PLEASE let me breathe--

Sanda: --? Oh--OH. S-Sorry, William--Eheh, excuse me--

[White breathes in a few deep breaths once Sanda let's go, once again brushing himself off--but to no avail, as his clothing was more or less ruined.]

Sanda: Great Ceaser's Ghost, Will--you look like you've just been put through the wringer...!

White: That's...not wrong, Soi...at all...

Sanda: ...I can only imagine--I could hear everything from down here...

White: ....Did...you hear the broadcast...?

Sanda: Broadcast--?

White: ...Right, the systems are still scrambled—you wouldn't get anything...

Sanda: —…. Well—I… /did/ hear.... screaming—

"Dr. Sanda!"

[Passing through the crumbling wall, Beck reappeared, his pristine white armor slightly singed in several places--probably from laser fire.]

Beck: Dr. Sanda—!

Sanda: Beck--! Come here, you--!

[In a well meant hug of his own, Beck latched on to Sanda's leg, burying his face into it. Muffled cries of 'I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU'RE OK' and 'SANDAAA' were heard while the Doctor fondly gave Nine a noogie.]

Sanda: Ha Ha! I KNEW you could do it, Mighty No. 9!

Beck: -MUFFLED NOISES-

White: Yes--well done, Beck...but, I'm afraid we still have work to do--have the other robots been taken care of?

Beck: I...did my best--some of them went outside, but I managed to absorb most of the ones on the upper floors...

White: That will do. Come on, Soi, let's TRY and get this lab running again--

Sanda: W-Wait a minute--

Sanda: I see here that BECK is functioning normally...

Sanda: But what happened to the OTHER Mighty Numbers...? Are they still OUT there...?

[........]

[… … …]

White: ....Sanda...

[...Will sighs...and takes up a straighter posture.]

White: Based on empirical evidence...I believe that they might be suffering from this... robot affliction that's been going around--and causing all this chaos...

Sanda: W-What--?!?

Sanda: You mean--Pyrogen, Cryosphere...

White: ...Yes, Soi...they've been infected with a virus. I saw the status of all of them on my laptop...

Sanda: No...!

White: ...Have a look...

[MN.1 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.2 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.3 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.4 STATUS: UNAVAILABLE.]

[MN.5 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.6 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.7 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.8 STATUS: UNAVAILABLE.]

[MN.9 STATUS: ONLINE, COMBAT MODE, CONDITION: NORMAL.]

[After a moment…]

-PING!-

<RMDC>: >REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGED. SENDING STATUS UPDATE TO MODERATOR DR.WHITE…

[…! Data from the RobotMaster Database (Cossack Server) in the midst of this—?!]

White: It's...!

Sanda: The Robot Master Database--we're still connected--!

>DCN-008 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DCN-007 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DCN-004 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DCN-003 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DCN-000 STATUS: OFFLINE

[oH WAIT THEY’RE IN /LETHAL/—]

[...!!]

Beck: But--They're in--!

>Loading…

>DWN-024 STATUS: OFFLINE

>DWN-020 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-019 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-018 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-017 STATUS: OFFLINE

White: Oh God... Don't...tell me they...they've...

>Loading…

>DWN-013 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-012 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-011 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

Beck: Speedy....Siam...everyone...

White: -PALES, THINKING THE WORST-

>Loading…

[…]

>Loading…

[…There seemed to be a delay…]

>Loading…

> -PING!-

>DLN-008 STATUS: OFFLINE— CRITICAL AI_OS DATA ERROR

[…well that might explain the screaming from earlier…!]

Beck: TOBY...!

White: No!

Sanda: T-...Tobias...

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND. SEARCHING…

[…This did not look good. Everyone who wasn’t in LETHAL Combat mode was OFFLINE. The whole series—! Even the Awarenesses who didn’t have rebuilt chassises yet!]

Beck: Nononono--!

White: Not them too!

Sanda: Oh no MIKHAIL AND KALINKA-

[MN.9 HAS GONE INTO COMBAT MODE]

Beck: -sCREECH- LINKA!

-PING!-

White: --!!!

Sanda: -jUMPS-

Beck: !!!!

<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > -PING!-

White: MIKHAIL! IT'S HIM! HE'S ALIVE--!

Sanda: WELL DON'T JUST STAND THERE, WILL, ANSWER HIM--

[DR.WHITE] //: MIKHAIL--!

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

=CHAPTER 3D: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

[MEANWHILE, IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON...]

[Chaos still reigned over the rainy city as two super-powered, crazed Battle Colosseum bots waged war against each other--Plume, the exotic Hawaiian fire dancer with graceful agility, and Landcrusher, the giant German powerhouse with a knack for demolition.]

[While the untamed, no holds barred battle raged below, another crisis was unfolding high above the skyline, in the city's very own Space Needle tower...]

Jack: (Great, and just when I THOUGHT things couldn't get WORSE...)

Jack: (...The power had to go and cut out--!)

[This, of course, sent the group trapped in the tower into a panic--it was fairly dark out, now, and with little to no light...]

Eli: Everyone just CALM DOWN--

Jack: (Good thing these goggles have Night Vision--just gotta tie up this last knot...)

[Jack knew he couldn't quite get everyone off the tower one by one--and he knew that Plume wasn't going to last long against a heavy hitter like Landcrusher.]

[He had to improvise, and lucky for him, the Space Needle had just enough material for what he planned to do...]

Jack: Yo, toss me that tablecloth...

[The Space Needle didn't JUST have an observation deck--it was also a restaurant. The tables provided the flat surfaces he needed and the tablecloths made some nice makeshift rope once tied together...]

Eli: ....You sure this is gonna work?

Jack: Nope.

[B O O M!]

Jack: ...But we don't have much choice at the moment...

Jack: Hooookay...

[Now here comes the HARD part.]

Jack: The serving carts are all busted for the wheels...still need two more--

Eli: .....I can pop off the ones from Lily's stroller...

Jack: (Oh, yeah, the lil...)

[Jack looked back over his shoulder to the group of cowering humans--and Gwen, who was holding a sniffling baby Lily near her chest.]

Jack: ........

Eli: ......

Eli: We were...just on vacation when this happened.

Jack: . . .

Eli: .....Do...you know why they're all goin' nuts like that? …I think someone said something about a virus...?

Jack: Yeah--something like that. It infected all the servers--that's how it got into every Xelbot's heads.

Eli: Good God...who would DO something like that?

Jack: … … (Either someone REALLY pissed off, or messed up. Or both.) …Dunno.

Jack: Get those wheels--I'm gonna break open a window.

Eli: --?? Wait--why?

Jack: Ya see that building over there--the one with the bent flagpole?

Jack: I'm gonna swing on over there and finish off the rest of this pulley with the wheels and my wires--then we can start getting people on the carrier we made outta the tables and onto that roof.

Eli: Wait--but--

Jack: Yeah, I know, Landcrusher--that's why once you guys are all on that roof, I'm gonna distract him so you guys can haul chass and get to safety.

Eli: You?

Jack: ...Yeah. That is, if Plume isn't...

Jack: .......

Eli: ....She's, uh...really focused on ya, isn't she?

Jack: Iiiii am pretty sure that's the virus, buddy...

Jack: ....Look--you just try and keep everyone here calm while I go do my thing, OK? (Oh, yeah, it's my THING now--freakin' heck, never imagined THAT...)

Eli: .....I'll.....try.

[Jack turns away from the man to face another window, closest to the building they were aiming for, one end of the makeshift rope in hand.]

Eli: ...Hey.

[Eli threw a pair of small wheels at the CDN, who caught them after they hit his chest and bounced off slightly.]

Eli: ....Thank you.

Jack: Pfft--thank me after you're on that roof, alright?

Eli: Ha...yeah...

Jack: (....Kay--First the window--)

[He planted his boot firmly on the glass, getting a feel of how thick it was, before reeling back and striking it down--]

[Pop!]

[...It swung open with little trouble, as it turns out.]

Jack: (...Oh.)

Jack: (...I'm taking that as a good sign.)

[Snapping on his goggles, now, he calculated a direct path to the safe building--he'd have to freefall a couple of hundred feet to reach a viable swing point--]

Jack: ......

Jack: (Well it's not like I haven't done it before today but FRAG ME--)

Jack: (HOOOOOOKAYcomeonjackdoitforherdoitforthepeopleinhere--)

Jack: (ThereisaBABYinheremanDOIT--)

Jack: AAAAAAAAAAH--

[With a STARTLING yell, he jumped--!!]

"OH MY GOD--"

"WHAT THE--"

"HOLY--IS HE DEAD--?!"

[.......]

[Was he terrified?]

[Yes.]

[...But.]

Jack: AAAAAAAAAAH--

[ZIIIIIIP--!]

[....Fear has a funny way of turning into a thrilling adrenaline rush once you get over it.]

Jack: --HAAAAAAAHAHAWOO!

[Even HE didn't understand why--]

[Though that wasn't exactly on his mind, at the moment--]

[But, somehow, the more he felt himself being swung across, left and right, that rush of air on his face--]

[The less it felt like some life or death situation and more like a roller coaster or something!]

Jack: WOOOOOOO--

Jack: --OOOOOOOOH SH--

[BAM--!]

[While Jack was becoming quite acquainted with the innate powers his ability gave him--]

[Landing was...a learned trait.]

Jack: OWFRA--

[He rolled across the roof, bouncing one or twice before settling to a stop--a groaning mess, yes, and he was SURE something popped--]

Jack: OwcrapOW...

[...But all in all, he was still functional, at least.]

Jack: F-Frag that smarts--ow--

Jack: Nnngh gonna feel that in the morning--

[With some difficulty, he managed to get on his feet. He was dizzy, and somewhat dazed from the rush before--]

Jack: Uuuuugh don't feel so good...

Jack: (No--focus, damn it, need to finish this--)

Jack: (Where is that flagpole--)

[It was bent over in an awkward position--but in such a way that it was possible to attach the makeshift rope and wheels to complete the pulley system they needed.]

Jack: (Tie this--here--and put this there--get this wheel to spin and wrap the thing around that--)

Jack: (--SHIT HOW AM I GONNA LET ELI KNOW IT'S DONE--CAN HE SEE ME FROM HERE--??)

Jack: (--Waitwaitwaitdo I have anything in the bag here that can help me--)

Jack: (--FLASHLIGHT--well OK more like a lantern almost bUT I CAN USE THIS THANK YOU MISS EIGHT--!)

———————————

“Heh, yeah, Morse is a great thing t’ know. Some letters are easier than others. s’ like old school texting, ya know? Most people only know ’S.O.S’, but… in a pinch, using ‘G O’ or ‘O K’ or ’N O’ will work just ‘cause a’ context. Ah’ guess for most people, ‘yes’, ‘no’, an’ ‘help’ are all ya really need if things are so dire as t’ be usin’ it. Now, listen close—here are those letters for you…”

———————————

[After securing that last knot, he fumbles with the light, and after finally finding that darn--]

Jack: Hope you know what this means, Eli--

{G O.}

[........]

"HEY--HE MADE IT--! HE'S GOT A LIGHT--"

"But--it's blinking--?"

Eli: (Is he trying to tell us something--?)

"HEY WAIT, THAT'S MORSE CODE--!"

"HE'S SAYING GO--OH GOD HE DID IT WE'RE GONNA BE OK--!"

Eli: ALRIGHT, EVERYONE LINE UP--WE'RE GONNA GO TWO AT A TIME, WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST--!

[.........]

Jack: pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease--

Jack: --!!!

[The makeshift carrier starts to move--and it was holding--!]

Jack: YES!!

[Jack helps it along faster by moving the rope along, and helping the passengers off once they do touch down safely, then sending the carrier back to repeat the process.]

[It was nail-biting-- watching the carrier move over the chaos below, and it looked as if it was going to fall on a few occasions--]

[Which wasn't much fun for anyone.]

[Jack didn't think he could pray any harder than he was now--heck, he wasn't even all that religious in the first place.]

[...But maybe Siam was right, about him being on Lady Luck's good side. Or there really WAS a God, after all.]

[Eli was the last passenger that survived the heart pounding trip--]

[--After every single trapped human before him went first.]

[Cheers! Cheers exploded over the rooftop, in the heart of destruction and crisis! Loud, joyous, HOPE--!]

Jack: OOF--!

[...Eli had collected Jack in a bear hug, muttering chants of thanks--and it wasn't long before he was crowed by the other rescued humans as well--]

Jack: (Getting--hard to breathe--)

Gwen: Oh, thank you, THANK YOU--!

"YEAAAAAH WE AIN'T GONNA DIE--!" "AAAAH WE'RE ALIVE THANK YOU--!" "YOU'RE MY HERO, MAN--"

Jack: Uh--you're welcome? ^^;

Eli: God, how can we--

[B O O M!]

"GNNNRRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Jack: --!!!

Jack: (...Landcrusher.)

Jack: EVERYONE HAS TO GET OFF OF THIS ROOF, NOW!

[Goggles on, time to roll--]

Jack: --?!

Eli: YOU'RE COMING TOO--!

[Several of the rescued humans drag him away from the edge, and start to lead him towards the door into the building--]

Jack: WAIT--STOP--!

Eli: No offense, Jack, but I ain't gonna let you throw your life away like that, not after this--!

Jack: BUT THEY'RE COMING THIS WAY ELI I GOTTA HEAD THEM OFF--

[There was what appeared to be a spectacular light show that was suuuuSPIIIIIICIOUSLY LIKE DYNA’S TRADEMARK ABILITY—]

[—which, after repeating itself, was followed up by some green flashes.]

Jack: --??!

Jack: What--?

[He was led away by the humans before he could see any more...]

Jack: (What in the world was--?)

[..........]

[The rest of it all seemed like a huge blur.]

[Once they had safely exited the building, the group mostly broke apart, scrambling for the cars left on the streets--the ones that had chosen to stick with Eli and his family, however, followed him down several blocks--]

[...to where they found a mostly functional van belonging to some cable company, with the keys still in the ignition.]

[Eli was planning to get as far away from the city as possible and—God willing—make it to Canada.]

Eli: ....What do ya mean you're not coming--?

Jack: --I can't...

Jack: ...Remember that person I told you about that REALLY wouldn't like it if I got killed or something...?

Eli: ...You were SERIOUS?

Jack: Listen I know that sounds INSANE but--!

Jack: I have had a REALLY weird day and frankly I would like nothing more than to get somewhere safe but I can't leave her out there.

Jack: I have no idea if she's OK or infected or whatever but wherever she is, she's probably ALONE and she needs SOMEONE and--

Eli: JACK.

Jack: --...

Eli: ......

Eli: Where do you think she is?

Jack: I...I don't know.

Eli: .....

Eli: Well.

Eli: You saved our lives--all of our lives.

Eli: ...Only fair that I pay you back in kind, somehow.

Jack: --?

Eli: Lemmie help you find a working car--at least to get you out of the city.

Jack: But--

Jack: It's not mine--

Eli: Jack. We're in the middle of a damn APOCALYPSE and you're worried about grand theft auto?

Jack: Well--but--

Eli: Enough of your whining--I'll be right back, Gwen, watch Lily--Come on, Cherry, before any more crazies show up.

Jack: Uh--I...um.

Jack: (...Iiiii am gonna regret this...)

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