=CHAPTER 7B: RUSH INTO THE MINE=

=CHAPTER 11B: SWALLOWED UP INNOCENCE=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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[BATTLE COLOSSEUM: ARENA SANDS.]

[The first thing Beck felt when he neared the arena was the thrum of power, the latent energy and almost... living presence of Xel all around him. As he fell--down, down into the sands, he braced himself for the rough landing Avi so warned him around.]

[...Except he hit the ground a lot sooner than expected, and on his feet, no less.]

Beck: Wha--?

[That was odd. The arena sands weren't nearly this high, and that's when his optics adjusted enough to see why.]

((Pic))

[What rang true for the state of the Colosseum’s outside was also applied on the interior. Some kind of Xel structure was rising out from beneath the ground, taking up most of the space of the Colosseum sands that once housed match after match of...]

Beck: -...Mnn...-

[To think he'd come back here, where it all started.]

[A fuzz.]

-=-=-=-=-=-

"I’m not leaving without you! I WON’T LEAVE YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF MONSTROPOLIS!"

-=-=-=-=-=-

[Where it had all began, indeed… even if he still couldn't remember all of it.

This time, though, he was on his own.]

[Ksst--]

Beck: !

[His comm suddenly went online--]

[MN.6] //: --copy, come on, Tex-Becks, say something--

Beck: --Avi--!

[MN.6] //: YES--GUYS, I GOT HIM, HE MADE IT--

Beck: Yeah! I'm okay, I landed good too, I...oh, jeez. Man, Avi, I wish you could see this.

[Another crackle.]

<DLN-008>: > Uuuugh… I'm seeing some of it, and it reminds me a bit of the Cloud…

Beck: It's almost...

Beck: Almost like it's all alive...?

[MN.6] //: ...yeaaaaah hard pass on that. :''D

[MN.6] //: Sorry I couldn't get you in closer--that hole was the only gap I could find in their air defenses--

[And just as Avi was saying that, a shadow fell over the smallest Mighty.]

Beck: --!

[He looked up--and saw with growing worry that the hole in the gear roof he just entered was very rapidly being closed up by infected, blocky Xel.]

Beck: [Drop emoticon] Yeah...

Beck: I think they fixed that already.

<DLN-008>: > […]

<DLN-008>: > -MUCH harsher than he intends- "They"?

[MN.9] //: --um--I-I meant Trinity, sorry--

[MN.9] //: Nervous--

<DLN-008>: > -Ranting angry Wily data re: CherryDynamics-

Beck: [Drop emoticon]

Beck: (Close...close one...)

<DLN-008>: > By the way, anyone got any ideas on how to reboot a space ninja? He's out cold.

Beck: Mnn, I...I dunno. My first guess would be Felix, but I think he can't really cast anything at this point--

Beck: Not unless he prepared for that before hand. Avi--how's he doing?

[MN.6] //: ...

[MN.6] //: ...Uh...

<DLN-008>: > [Frown emoticon]

Beck: ...Guys?

[Oh no.]

<DLN-008>: > He'll be fine. …I think. Fine-ish. Mostly okay?

[MN.6] //: Yeah, he's kinda fallen off from higher stuff before--

Beck: What?!

[Even with that bit of reassurance, Beck was still distressed, and it clearly showed in his data--]

Beck: He fell? Oh, no--don't tell me fell into all that Xel outside--!

[MN.6] //: Shhh, shhh--it's gonna be okay, Beckers--

[MN.6] //: Felix is like this huge mountain squishy, he'll be fine--

<DLN-008>: > I'd demonstrate some of the stuff he's lived through for comparison, but I'm getting the vibe that'd be a bad idea, and I keep getting calls from Europe, why this…

[There's the sense he's looking down.]

<DLN-008>: > I guess I could zap him…

[PING--!]

[MN.3] //: -Distressed bzzzing-- Toby, zzsweetie, I wouldn't do that if I were you--

[MN.6] //: Oh, sweet, the other comms are coming on--

[MN.3] //: [Drop emoticon] Not with the ninja, who'szz probably had a lesszz than good time like the rest of uszz and wouldn't appreciate the zappy, hurt-y wake up call too much...

<DLN-008>: > Oh, right, didn't think about that…

[MN.3] //: Yeah--we'll think of zzsomething else, okay? Hang in there, zzspark bro--

[Ksst--]

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck--? Do you read me?

Beck: -Places two fingers at his earcap- Hmmhmm. Loud and clear, Dad.

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

[DR.WHITE] //: I'm afraid we're having difficulty with getting visual on our end, so you'll have to describe what's going on for us in the meantime. What's the situation in the Colosseum interior?

Beck: -Looks around- There's...some kind of Xel structure in the middle of the sands. Like it...came up from underground.

[DR.WHITE] //: ...that would explain the earthquake...

[Ksst--]

[DR.SANDA] //: Is...what IS that I hear in the background?

Beck: [Drop emoticon] I... I don't really know. It sounds like the Xel is constantly...moving behind the walls or something?

Beck: Like it's going somewhere...

<DLN-008>: > [Drop emoticon] Where would it go? The locker rooms? Do you guys have a basement or something?

<DLN-008>: > I'd try and cross-reference, but the branch server is gone, and Cardinal's the only one who's been there before…

[MN.6] //: [?] You, uh… haven’t seen the memories?

[MN.6] //: -Preeeeeeetty sure that’s how it works, right—-

<DLN-008>: > […]

<DLN-008>: > [Frown emoticon] Cardinal was paranoid even by our standards, Avi. He encrypted almost everything. All we ever got out of it was the cross-reference data on an analytical level.

<DLN-008>: >The only thing the rest of us know about the place? Is that it was one of his happiest memories, and he would dream about… well…

<DLN-008>: > […]

<DLN-008>: > … [Frown emoticon] Whenever he had good dreams after that, it was always something to do with showing off to the crowds in a fixed chassis, or hanging out with Shade.

<DLN-008>: > Usually both at the same time.

[MN.8] //: […] -…Low key agony pain data-

Beck: ...Hang on... (…Just a little longer…)

[Beck slowly walks towards one side of the room, and places a hand on one of the walls. It ripples at his touch.]

Beck: (Whoa...)

Beck: ...

Beck: Down. It's definitely going down.

Beck: There is a sub-area underneath the arena--for the different field layouts and stuff that gets switched out? There's also something of a mini-elevator with a platform for those kinds of entrances--

Beck: [Drop emoticon] Except if this came from underneath that, then that was probably all trashed when this thing came topside.

Beck: (If I had to guess, considering who's involved...it probably started from the sewers...)

[DR.WHITE] //: [Drop emoticon] I see.

[DR.WHITE] //: I suspect Trinity must be the one gathering all that Xel towards her. If you follow it--it should lead you straight to her.

Beck: Right...

[DR.WHITE] //: Be VERY careful.

[DR.WHITE] //: You might be immune to the effects of the virus while in there, but we have no idea what to expect besides that.

[DR.WHITE] //: Proceed with extreme caution.

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

[MN.6] //: Good luck, Tex-Becks!

[MN.6] //: Fight the good fight!

[MISSION DETAILS: CDN-1201, TRINITY, HAS SUBSUMED THE BATTLE COLOSSEUM IN A FORTRESS OF INFECTED XEL, GATHERED FROM TITUS AND WITH MORE INCOMING XEL FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. SITUATION CRITICAL. CONDITIONS UNKNOWN. NO OTHER DATA AVAILABLE.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVE: LOCATE AND PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM CDN-1201. FAILURE WILL RESULT IN TITUS'S EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION AND INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION FROM OTHER WORLD POWERS.]

[SUB OBJECTIVES: MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT, L̷̶OC̕ÀT̵͜E ͘͡AN̴̕͟D ̵̧͢C̸̴͡O͢N͠͡F̧̨R̵O͘͠Ņ͢T ͘Ø͜͞, ̸̸͜Á͠K̵̢͏A͏ ̀R̶A̕̕Y̴͜.̵̶͘]

[SYSTEMS READY?]

[GO!]

[Beck didn't see an immediate exit at first--it looked like one closed off room.]

Beck: Looks like I'm going to have to make an opening somewhere...

<DLN-008>: > When in doubt, take out the ceiling.

Beck: ...

Beck: [Drop emoticon] I, uh. I don't think it works like that, Toby. I-It's fine, I'll just use Bat's--

[Suddenly, a noise. A clicking sound, like claws being clattered together--]

Beck: --???

Beck: !!

Beck: -AUGH, WHAT IS THAT--

[It looked Xel-shaped, and it floated almost like a jellyfish--but at the center of this strange enemy was this giant eye, fixated on Beck as it rapidly flew towards him--]

[BLAM!]

[The screech it let out was something right out of a sci-fi horror movie.]

Beck: Ew, ew--stay away--

[Oh, and it brought friends.]

<DLN-008>: > Ugh, why does everything have to scream...

[BLAM! BLAM!]

Beck: [Drop emoticon] These things are huge and...tanky, Mnn...

[Though after some doing, Beck did manage to cause then to dissipate. The strange eye Xel screeched painfully as it just fell apart, it's Xel falling to the floor. Only for it to be absorbed right back into it.]

Beck: That's not a good sign...

<DLN-008>: > Can non-Xel absorb Xel?

[DR.WHITE] //: [Drop emoticon] Let's stick a pin on that one. Beck? What happened?

Beck: The leftover Xel from those things got absorbed right back into the structure...

Beck: Oh boy.

[DR.WHITE] //: [Drop emoticon x3] I highly suggest you get going.

Beck: Yeah, I--

[Beck never finished that sentence, as suddenly the ground below him glowed.]

[And started moving.]

Beck: [!]

Beck: Whoa...

[The floor parted into two sections, retracting into the walls and revealing a way down from the room he was in.]

Beck: The...the floor just opened up.

[DR.WHITE] //: The floor?

Beck: Yeah--like, on it's own. Um. Saves some valuable energy, I guess...?

<DLN-008>: > […]

<DLN-008>: > That doesn’t sound right...

Beck: -Hup--

[Beck jumped down to the next area below--which seemed like some kind of long hallway. Unfortunately, it ended rather abruptly.]

Beck: Dead end...

Beck: --! Wait...

<DLN-008>: > [?]

[Just like before, the wall in front of him glowed, and then retraced downwards into the floor, revealing more hallway...]

Beck: ...Never mind, the wall kinda...moved aside...

Beck: ...

Beck: ...Is...

Beck: Is Trinity...creating a path for me?

<DLN-008>: > There’s a reference somewhere in there, I just know it...

[DR.SANDA] //: Hrmm...

[DR.SANDA] //: She may roll out the red carpet, but I wouldn't expect a warm welcome...

<DLN-008>: > -A bit hazily confused- Red?

<DLN-008>: > Mmmn, red...

<DLN-008>: > She liked... red, red was important...

Beck: ...

Beck: [Drop emoticon x3] (I can take a good guess why...)

<DLN-008>: > Something about a friend, I think...

<DLN-008>: > Blah... need more processing power, my head hurts from all these weird calls...

Beck: -Whew...-

Beck: Dad? Should I make my own way through? Could be a trap...

[DR.WHITE] //: Mmn... You'll need everything you have for Trinity herself. Blasting your way through wouldn't be wise, especially since we have no idea if the structure can handle it...

[DR.WHITE] //: Follow the path for now. It will probably lead you closer to her, at the very least.

Beck: Copy that...

<DLN-008>: > PROCESSING...

<DLN-008>: > PROCESSING...

[The data coming off of his signal was becoming more basic and slower, as if his Awareness was diminished and he was struggling with running some of the programs.]

<DLN-008>: > PROCESSING...

[Beck continues onward, buster at the ready for any sort of surprises. Strangely, it's all but quiet in this hallway, save for the moving walls and the occasional screech from whatever lurked deeper inside.]

Beck: Don't like this...

<DLN-008>: > PROCESSING...

Beck: (Definitely feels like I'm walking right into a trap...)

Beck: ...How big is this place--?

[SLAM--!]

Beck: [!]

[Beck turned on his heel, alarmed by the sudden crash of something heavy behind him. The walls that he had passed under before suddenly slammed back shut, and--]

[--were continuing to do so--]

Beck: Ack--!

Beck: -DASHES AWAY--

[He floored it, dashing forward to avoid getting turned into paste. The path opened up more as he went on, though it was immediately shut behind him the second he was through.]

[SLAM! SLAM!]

Beck: aaaAAAH--

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck?!

Beck: Walls are trying to CRUSH ME--

[Thankfully, he didn't have to run for long, as another room was up ahead. He tumbled as the wall behind him shut tight, a familiar lock symbol appearing on it's surface.]

Beck: [Drop emoticon] (I'm not sure if that means either 'stay out' or 'hurry up.'...)

[DING!]

[DSN-000 IS NOW ONLINE.]

Beck: !!!

Beck: Call?!

[DR.WHITE] //: !!

[DR.SANDA] //: :''D! Call! I-I mean--

[DR.SANDA] //: {I'm glad you're awake, so glad, but you should rest right now--}

[CALL] //: [PROCESSING...]

[DR.SANDA] //: ? Call--?

[CALL] //: [ANALYZING...]

[CALL] //: [ANALYZING...]

[CALL] //: [PING!]

[CALL] //: Sync complete.

[CALL] //: Multiple enemy signatures ahead. Be weary of reforming Xel blocks.

Beck: :D!!! Call! [♥︎]

[DR.WHITE] //: Call, dear, you should really--we have it handled, you should focus on--

[CALL] //: -PING!-

[CALL] //: This unit can preform support even when not currently on an active terminal.

[CALL] //: Statement: MN.9 requires all support available.

[CALL] //: I must support Beck.

[DR.SANDA] //: --Ah--Will--Will, I think she's serious--

[DR.WHITE] //: E--Er...

Beck: It is so good to hear you right now--

Beck: You said something about reforming Xel blocks?

[CALL] //: Correct. Xel energy signatures suggest the multiple platforms up ahead can be broken down and constituted.

[DR.WHITE] //: ...

[DR.WHITE] //: ...I guess convincing her to go back into sleep is out of the question--

[DR.SANDA] //: Heh...

Beck: Anything else? Actually--I don't want to ask too much of you while you're probably in bed--

Beck: Do you think you can help Avi get visual?

[CALL] //: -PING!-

[CALL] //: Negative. I detect a strong jamming signal that is causing interference.

[DR.WHITE] //: Jamming signal--the same one that cut off comms before this?

[CALL] //: And at the Prison.

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

[DR.WHITE] //: What?

Beck: (Ack--! Too much information--!)

Beck: -PING- Um, okay! I'll see if I can't... find the cause...

[CALL] //: Confirmed.

Beck: <<;; (I'm going to have to talk to her after this...)

<DLN-008>: > PROCESSING...

<DLN-008>: > ERROR X05: UNRESPONSIVE/DAMAGED SOFTWARE DETECTED. QUEUEING ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS REQUESTS PENDING ADDITIONAL PROCESSING POWER...

<DLN-008>: > SEARCHING FOR AVAILABLE EXTERNAL PROCESSORS...

<DLN-008>: > -PING- 1 MATCH FOUND.

<DLN-008>: > MATCH IDENTIFIED: MNN-006

[MN.6] //: Hnn ho boy--

[There's the sound of a seat being scooted across the floor from his end.]

[MN.6] //: Uuuh okay, d--dizzy, lil' bit--

Beck: Avi--?

[MN.6] //: I'm fine! I...hokay, uh, just gotta sit down...

[MN.6] //: @~<

[MN.6] //: -This is both new and slightly concerning, uh, Toby, buddy, you okay--

<DLN-008>: > -Very slow and unresponsive at first- Nnnn...

<DLN-008>: > -Somewhat glitched audio- THIS SYSTEM IS A FIRST GENERATION INDUSTRIAL, DESIGNED WITH THE RobotMaster®️ DATABASE IN MIND. NEURAL NET FUNCTION CURRENTLY OPERATIONAL AT 30% CAPACITY DUE TO LACK OF ACCESS TO OTHER ROBOT MASTERS AND AN ADDITIONAL DEMAND ON BOTH HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE. ADDITIONAL PROCESSING POWER REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN FULL AWARENESS...

[DR.WHITE] //: ...I see--he's trying to use your processing power, Aviator.

[MN.6] //: Y-Yeah, I got that that much, it just caught me by surprise...

[MN.6] //: -Gimmie a sec to adjust...-

[It was an odd thing.

Although the connection was primarily with Aviator, Tobias seemed to be using the connection to work with data from the Sanda Enterprises servers.

This led to a feeling of distant memories being referenced in passing, a sort of background stream-of-consciousness in idle thoughts.

Except it wasn’t idle at all, and it was not daydreaming in nature.]

[It seemed Tobias was concerned about Beck’s observations, and attempting to cross-reference data regarding Trinity and Xel in general.]

<DLN-008>: > ANALYZING...

<DLN-008>: > ANALYSIS COMPLETE. CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: MULTICELLULAR ORGANISM IMMUNE SYSTEM AND ORGAN TISSUE

[MN.6] //: ...Wat--

Beck: -BLAM- You...might be on to something there, actually.

Beck: (If Trinity really does have the same powers as me, and she's consuming all this Xel into herself...)

Beck: (Then--in a way, this whole place is her.)

<DLN-008>: > -Kind of dizzy- Avi, these... the walls and floor act like they’re alive, and... and we don’t know that non-Xel can make Xel do that, and...

<DLN-008>: > It’s cross-referencing with organ tissue in looks and behavior.

<DLN-008>: > Which would suggest that...

<DLN-008>: > We probably are going to see more “white blood cells” soon—

Beck: ...You mean like now?

[More of the eyeball Xels were appearing, though this time not nearly as big as the ones before. This meant they were eaiser to blast away, but the growing numbers concerned him nonetheless.]

Beck: Good chance that I'll meet up with more resistance the further I go.

[BLAM! BLAM!]

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN]

[FWOOM.]

Beck: These guys aren't as big, though...

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]

[PSSH--]

Beck: Still gross to look at, mnng--

"SCREE!"

Beck: AAAH--

[One of them suddenly leaped from a wall, phasing through it to lunge at Beck.]

[Luckily.]

[REXELECTION: COUNTERSHADE]

[Bang!]

[Some quick thinking allowed him to snipe the thing right out of the sky.]

Beck: These things can go through the walls???

[DR.WHITE] //: ...Well, they are Xel, and so is the structure...

<DLN-008>: > [Frown emoticon] -Anxious data-

<DLN-008>: >I’d think of it less like a building and more like an organism, ‘cause that’s what it is acting like.

Beck: Kind of hard to draw that connection when I can still see the stands through some openings--

Beck: --!

Beck: ...Huh--

[Soon enough, he came up on some kind of giant platform made of Xel.]

[When he looked over the sides of it, he could see a looooong drop into darkness.]

Beck: -Murmurs- ...Going down, then...

Beck: I guess I could use Avi's form to--

[Clunk...]

Beck: --?

[The entire platform lurched and then started descending down on it's own.]

Beck: Oh--it's...an elevator...

Beck: ...Why's it going so slowly—

"SCREEEEE--!"

Beck: --!

[Ah. That was why. More enemies.]

Beck: Oh gross--

[And this time, it wasn't the only just the eyeball ones. Some mish-mashed versions of some of both CherryDyn and Sanda models appeared, and they looked less haphazardly thrown together this time around.]

Beck: Oh no--

[REXELECTION: BATTALION.]

Beck: I'm gonna be here a while--

<DLN-008>: > Mmmng...

<DLN-008>: > It’s getting really dark outside...

[DR.WHITE] //: [Drop emoticon] Things do not sound very safe out there.

[DR.WHITE] //: Hurry--

Beck: -Primes a missile- I'll try and clear this out as fast as I can!

[BOOM!]

[DR.WHITE] //: ...

[DR.SANDA to DR. WHITE] //: So many Xels...the entire place is made out of them, right?

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Just how many robots DID Trinity absorb??

[DR.WHITE] //: ...

[DR.WHITE] //: -Long sigh-

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Soi...Trinity was programmed with a single, prime directive: to grow. To evolve.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: She will pursue ANY course that allows her to assimilate more Xels...in perpetuity.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I...

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Later...much later, when I had time to...reflect on what happened to her...

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I realized the inherit dangers in such a system. Father...he had a point, though he went about it in all the wrong ways...

[DR.WHITE to DR. SANDA] //: ...which is why I refined the design.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Refined the...

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: [!]

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: You...You mean with your next model...?

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: ...With Beck?

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: ...That's correct.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: With Beck.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Maybe it was...in some ways, a rather...poor choice, giving him so much...caution. But by giving him a specialized Synthetic Heart Program--it was the only way to ensure that Beck would grow INTO his powers, rather than his powers overtake him.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: And...

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I...I wanted some small part of HER to live on, at least through him...

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: -Long, tired sigh- If I could at least give Beck the chance to grow and learn, responsibly, the way Trinity never had--? That...that would be enough...

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: ...Gosh, Will, I...I don't think you ever told me you felt that way...

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: >>;; I probably should have. I'm sorry.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I didn't want to burden you anymore than--

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Burden? For Xel's sake, Will, never.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: You never have and will NEVER be a burden, okay?

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: I know how MUCH she meant to you--and I know Beck had something to do with her anyway, but not this...

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: So...this doesn't come as a complete surprise.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: And hey--at least think of it this way?

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: No one can ever say bringing Beck into the world was a bad thing now.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: I mean--look at him go!

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: ...We still don't have visual, Soi.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: You know what I mean--

[Indeed--they might not be able to SEE what was going on, but they could very well hear the sounds of combat through the audio feeds. And from the sound of it?]

[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]

[BZZZZT!]

[It seems like Beck was doing fairly alright so far.]

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: ... You're right. He's come so far...

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Well, of course, where do you think he gets that from? c:

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Eheh...

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Just you watch. ^^ He'll make it.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Hmm...yes...

Beck: -PING!-

Beck: I--whew--I think...I think this ride's almost over...

Beck: --You guys still there?

[DR.WHITE] //: --Mm. Yes, Beck--sorry for the silence, we didn't want to break your focus. Any damage?

Beck: Nothing I can't handle! ^^

[A pause.]

<DLN-008>: > Still here, yeah. Getting a lot of... really weird signals from somewhere, though...

<DLN-008>: > It’s all getting really loud...

<DLN-008>: > -Brooding plotting data again re: younger brother-

[There was a bit of static.

Or was that sparking?]

[No, that was definitely sparking and aggressive data—]

Beck: I think I'm getting closer, though--Uh--Hey, everything okay--?

<DLN-008>: > I’d like to file a complaint about my bodyguard sleeping on the job...

<DLN-008>: > -We can fix that, though-

<DLN-008>: > Don’t worry about us, we’ll figure something out.

[One got the impression the "something" would involve handling matters "the Wily way".]

[PING--]

[MN.3] //: -Very FIRM data- Tobyyy...| E

[MN.3] //: -That ZZZSOMETHING better not be what you were thinking about earlier--

<DLN-008>: > -~-

[MN.7] //: [Drop emoticon]

[MN.7] //: Perhaps I can try?

<DLN-008>: >Might as well, but if it doesn’t work, I’m doin’ it my way— -Grouchy data-

[MN.7] //: -Sigh--

[MN.7] //: -Gentle pings directed at Shadow- Kohai?

[MN.7] //: {Shadow...?}

[PING!]

{{((Distorted Zalgo text)) REBOOTING...}}

[MN.7] //: [!]

[MN.3] //: -That was faszzt--

<DWN-024 is now Online.>

[MN.7] //: -Shadow--

<DWN-024>: > -Extremely hazy data-

[A brief pause, and then—]

<DWN-024>: > ?!?

<DWN-024 has entered Defensive Combat Mode.>

<DWN-024>: > -Wildly bewildered and EXTREMELY alarmed data-

<DWN-024>: > -Where are we, what happened, why is the sky filled with blood, where is it—-

<DLN-008>: > [Drop emoticon]

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

[MN.7] //: {Shadow--remain calm, breathe--}

<DWN-024>: > S-Sensei?

<DWN-024>: > {What is happening—}

<DWN-024>: > -Somewhat erratic data between disoriented confusion and intense terror-  {Breakfast—but then—then the Sun, the Sun killed—it killed everything—}

<DWN-024>: > {Is this Death, what—what is happening—}

[MN.7] //: {Shhh--calm, calm, listen to my voice--we don't have time to explain--}

<DWN-024>: > -Ping of obedient confirmation-

[MN.7] //: {Right now Beck is trying to deal with the cause of all this, and we NEED these comm lines open--you are at Avi's Radio Tower with Tobias, you MUST stay with him so he can keep the tower running--}

<DWN-024>: > […]

<DWN-024>: > -Processing...-

[He seemed conflicted for a moment...]

<DWN-024>: > -Ping- {{Command accepted.}}

<DWN-024>: > -Somewhat dazed acknowledgement and confirmation he will stay put and help his brother-

[MN.7] //: {Good--if you see ANYTHING trying to swarm in, take him and run, DO NOT GO OUTSIDE--}

[MN.7] //: -Slight background noises sounding like ice cracking--

<DLN-008>: > Beck, what’s your status? I don’t know if Shadow’s Awareness can handle a severe conflict of interest like this for too much longer without things getting scary again—!

[MN.9] //: I'm getting closer--but no sign of her yet--

[BLAM--]

Beck: [Drop emoticon x3]

<DLN-008>: > Huh?

<DLN-008>: >I thought you guys said she was the storm... am I missing something?

Beck: Toby, right now she's kinda EVERYTHING that's Xel right now--

Beck: -Which means there's something controlling it all--

<DLN-008>: > [?]

<DLN-008>: > -Processing...-

<DLN-008>: > A... central core?

Beck: -PING- There has to be--if this is all functioning like some kinda organism, then there's a core--a heart--

Beck: -And maybe if we can purge it right at the source--

Beck: -Theoretically, it should work like we did with our family--

Beck: [Drop emoticon] If I can GET to it.

Beck: This whole place is like a maze...

Beck: But all the Xel is still flowing down, so at LEAST I have a general direction to work with.

<DLN-008>: > -Processing...-

<DLN-008>: > -Processing...-

<DLN-008>: > -ERROR: INSUFFICIENT DATA TO SUPPORT HYPOTHESIS. CONTINGENCY NEGATED.-

<DLN-008>: > Nnng... Don’t want to risk disconnecting, but I don’t know if I have any other ideas on how to defend the Tower short of electrifying the entire exterior.

[MN.6] //: Bad idea, you could fry some of the equipment...uuuh....

<DLN-008>: >I can’t just do nothing, though—

<DLN-008>: > Is there anything else that could... I dunno, serve as a distraction?

[MN.6] //: I--have a bunch of those flying drone things you control remotely somewhere in the Tower, but they'd only do so much--

<DLN-008>: > But... those are connected to you, right?

<DLN-008>: >I don’t know if that would be safe...

[MN.7] //: -Thinking data--

[MN.7] //: -PING--

[MN.7] //: Shadow-- kaeru--

<DLN-008>: > [?]

<DWN-024>: > -Seems to be struggling drawing the cross-reference for a moment- […]

[It takes him a moment to gather his focus. Then, he seems to relax significantly.]

<DWN-024>: > -Ping-

<?̹͖͍?͚̗̞?̺̜̔?͉̭̱ used New Moon Plague: Amphibious Swarm.>

[At first, there wasn’t any noticeable change besides a very, very ominous feeling.

But then...]

Ribbit.

Beck: ...???? -R-Ribbit???-

Ribbit.

Ribbit RIBBIT Ribbit Ribbit RIBBIT—

[There were the sounds of frogs everywhere, albeit much muffled for the most part.

But when he looked down, he could see what appeared to be a few frogs with red eyes and strange markings hopping around at his feet.

One of them hopped straight into a shadow, with a distinct and familiar hiss before vanishing from sight.]

Beck: What the...?

[MN.6] //: -FROGS, FROGS EVERYWHERE--

[MN.7] //: -I--what in the world--

[MN.2] //: Awww, they look so cute--

[MN.1] //: -You WOULD think that, Two--

<DLN-008>: > Iiiiiii choose to not think on this too much, though I think that should be more than enough of a distraction...

<DLN-008>: > Hopefully it’ll buy enough time for you to...

<DLN-008>: > ...get to the heart of the matter. ^^;;;

[MN.6] //: -Hey, Toby, I love you, bro--

[MN.1] //: -You two can trade puns later--

Beck: -Geeently steps over froggies--

Beck: Thanks, Shadow--

[Beck runs off ahead, down more winding hallways and corridors. At least the Xel monstrosities were lessening in number for now...]

[He was making good progress until...]

Beck: !

Beck: Oh...

[...Until he was suddenly facing the edge of a VERY open and wide space, with NO path forward to be found--and the bottom? Nothing but darkness...]

Beck: [Drop emoticon] Time to fly, I guess...

[DR.SANDA] //: What? Why?

Beck: There's...no ground here.

[DR.SANDA] //: The path is gone?

Beck: Uh huh. Not sure if this a bad sign or if I...made a wrong turn...?

Beck: ... Wait...

[He flicks down his goggles for a moment.]

[REXELECTION: COUNTERSHADE]

[C.VISOR: ZOOM X3]

Beck: --! No, wait, I can see it! It's on the other side of this giant gap.

<DLN-008>: > That sounds promising?

Beck: Only one way to find out--

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

Beck: --and up, up, and away--ack--

[He scowls at himself a little before jumping off, propellor arm raised upwards. He starts to easily glide across.]

Beck: (Why this huge space? Seems...off.)

Beck: -Looks down--

Beck: (...I do not want to know what is down there.)

Beck: [Drop emoticon x3] (Probably something extremely lethal, I'm guessing.)

Beck: -Lands on the other side safely-

Beck: (Huh. Nothing tried to stop me.)

Beck: (...Nothing HAS for a good while, actually...)

Beck: -Takes a step forward--

[SLAM--]

Beck: -GNH--!-

[The ceiling just behind him folded OUTWARDS like a giant panel, launching the Mighty Number further down the hall with a rough tumble. The impact was enough to make him switch back to his default form, even.]

Beck: Ow...

[And before he could even so much as figure out WHERE that came from, the walls around him started glowing--]

Beck: [!] Not this again--

[SLAM--]

[He dashed forward as a section of the walls slammed into each other like a press--had he not reacted quickly enough, he would have been crushed.]

Beck: [Drop emoticon x3] -Okay, GOING, WE'RE GOING--

[This...didn't seem to help. The walls only started glowing again, and this time the floor and ceiling too--]

Beck: -SCREE--

[He's scrambling as fast as his systems can take him, taking turn after turn after turn until he's not quite sure WHERE he's ending up--]

[DR.WHITE] //: B--ck--

Beck: This place is--gah--REALLY out to get me--

[DR.WHITE] //: C--hear--what is going--res--

Beck: Dad? Hello--?

Beck: Avi? Toby? I can't hear you all, the jamming signal is getting...stronger--

Beck: --!! (That means--)

[SLAM--!]

[Pain, and then air, and then the sensation of falling--!]

Beck: AHH--!

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

=CHAPTER 4B: AVI’S NEWS REPORT=

~AO v1.0~

(courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

{Meanwhile, in the Meadow}

[Another day, another problem.

Right now, the main problem that Cossack was dealing with was the eternal struggle between work and family. He hadn’t heard from Will in WEEKS—he wasn’t sure how long it had been for his young friend, but as for him? It had been nearly a month with no contact.

It was late July—he really needed to start focusing on preparing for the coming school year. Kalinka would be nine years old in November—entering 3rd Grade, by American standards. Already, he knew that the past year and a half had been very hard on her—between the “Russian incident” and the turmoil at the Queen’s finals, followed by this whole mess…

He’d sent her off to stay with the Nighthawks, at first, but now…]

Mikhail: -Sighs- ({I’m sorry, Will. I hope I hear from you soon. …I don’t want to leave you hanging like this, but at this point…})

[He had done what he could.

He had fixed Tobias as best he could—but there was nothing more he could do for the boy. He couldn’t be sure why Tobias refused to wake up—whether that be because he was shell-shocked, or because something else was wrong. He needed to look things over WITH William to clarify some of the unusual coding—but at least his self was intact.

He had done his analysis on the virus, too. He had sent Will what notes he could, but he had chosen to focus in more on what the virus did as opposed to how it was written. It had given some interesting insight—and perhaps a clue as to why it failed to corrupt those connected to the server as it had with Xelbots. It would be a very interesting decision to have with Will, surely—and hopefully a helpful one. The problem went beyond the Mighty Numbers, but foreign aid would not come so easily until certain things were fixed.

It WOULD be a good discussion…

…if he could only have it.]

Mikhail: ({I don’t know how much longer I can wait, William. …My children… I have to look after my family. Kalinka has been brave, but she is so lonely…. And I need to start work on the others, especially my “official” oldest—Digger has pleaded time and again for the responsibilities of being eldest to be returned to his older brothers, as it is more heavy than he was ever really ready to handle.})

[He shook his head.]

Mikhail: ({…What more can I do? Siam has resumed his research, from what supplies a good friend was kind enough to provide. Felix is still caught in visions—but at least he is a Venus Adept, and able to sustain himself that way. There’s still no word from Cardinal—or Jack, for that matter. Lady Nighthawk did say the Fighting Mighty Number timeline was “in flux,” but that doesn’t tell us much… other than that they probably won’t remember anything helpful once we get into contact, as that’s usually how these things go.})

[He heaved a sigh and buried his head in his arms.]

Mikhail: ({If I thought it would help, I’d go through the Wilderness to get to your lab, but—without the ability to communicate, I won’t be of much use. …And I need to keep an eye on everyone, and my children—})

Mikhail: ({…Well. At least I can prepare this latest analysis for—})

“Doctor! DOCTOR! DOCTOR, LOOK—”

[Mikhail was interrupted from his thoughts by his oldest son tugging at his arm. It took him a moment for the surprise to sink in.]

“{David! You should be asleep—!}”

[Snow was tugging at the lab coat relentlessly.]

Snow: You hafta see the TV! Look look look!

[Mikhail had been in the midst of going over the code again.

He had found something very interesting in his analysis—the immune system response to the California virus had been the same as the response to the DLN_COMBAT.EXE program. The presence of the DWN_COMBAT.EXE program had fought it off in both cases.

It seemed that the goal of the latter had been to incite bitterness and wrath to cause chaos—a fruitless endeavor, for the family was already drenched in pain. But the pain had driven them TO mercy—not AWAY from it.

Even so…]

Snow: DAAAD!

[Okay, THIS got his attention.

Again.

Normally DCN-000 referred to him as “Uncle Mike”—rarely did he actually refer to him in the more correct term.]

Mikhail: {I apologize. What is it?}

[Snow pointed to the screen, and Mikhail stood in surprise.

It displayed Beck’s progress up a tower. It had to be Avi’s tower! There was no way Avi would have allowed it broadcast, otherwise. Thankfully, the sound was muted—Mikhail was already up and talking.]

Mikhail: We must get ready—! Snow, go get the twins.

Snow: But he locked himself in his room an’ was real grouchy an’ talkin’ about—

Mikhail: I will need him here. It won’t be too long before Beck breaks his way through at long last!

———————————————

{Meanwhile…}

[Cardinal had been sitting by the radio for what seemed like forever. He had forced himself to sit through hours upon hours of Number Six rambling on and on—honestly, he had been sick of it.

But when Avi started making comments about Beck’s approach, he had jolted up.]

Cardinal: FINALLY.

[He grabbed his gear just as quick as he had on the night tagging, all those months ago—

—and then he was zipping down the streets, headed toward the public library.

He even dared to be so bold as to let his shrill tune play as a warning—and indeed, a number of infected citizens bolted out of his way when they saw him riding his windsurfer low to the ground at at least 65 mph.

Those that didn’t, well…]

[He had to enter into the library through the roof. The first thing that earned him was the sound of infected drones headed his way.

He wasn’t in the mood.]

Cardinal: Jazz!

[His cat took her pantheress form and screamed, leaping on them.]

Cardinal: No fire, but shred them to pieces, if you like.

[He warp-walked his way past the obstacles—knocking a few unsuspecting corrupted Civilian models out cold—before he was finally where he needed to be.

And he wasn’t alone—there were some college students cowering in a corner under the desktops.

…They looked starved. How long had they been holed up in there?]

<DLN-000>: > …Jazz, raid the vending machines when you get the chance. Bring the goods here.

Cardinal: …I’m not here to hurt anyone, but I don’t have time to explain.

[He set the radio on top of a table and turned it on—but down low, so he could focus.

What came next would not be easy, and would be limited in time—]

Cardinal: I’ll try to clear out the building before I go—but you’re going to have to walk after that. Not everyone is infected—there are still some safe havens. I’ll leave the address of a hospital, but you might want to call your parents, too.

[He began typing away at the console, sending the computer into a more basic mode.

It wasn’t long before the RMD was in place.

Now he just needed to wait a little longer so he could make his inquiry…]

>LOADING…

——————————————————

{Back in the Meadow…}

[The family had gathered around the feed—some more eagerly than others. Snow seemed almost a happy kind of excited—]

Snow: Beck’s gonna save Mister Avi an’ then Toby will be okay an’ then we can find Cardinal an’ Mister Shade—

[—while his younger brothers were…]

Jaden: -Pacing anxiously in full armor and a scowl- (This is incredibly uncomfortable, why did it have to be a tower—)

[…less than pleased.]

Snow: -Impatiently- DAAAAaaaaad—when is Avi gonna be rescued? I wanna see Toby again!

Mikhail: Patience, David…

Nico: -Snorts- Patience? He’s not the one you should be talking to—would you STOP running around like that, you’re going to impale someone with those—

Jaden: -Snaps- Oh, /shut up!/

Nico: HEY. Before you wear a hole in the floor with your pacing!

Speedy: Back off, Romeo—

Mikhail: BOYS.

[…Quietness.]

Jaden: -Vents heavily- …

[He gave off abstract data. It constructed into an apology but a resolved determination—and a great deal of concern.

Monstropolis…]

[All of the Second Gens squirmed in great discomfort. It was getting to be too much for them.]

Digger: … -Russian- {Guys? Maybe… maybe you should go lie down, or something.}

Speedy: -GROOOOAAAANS—- -Spanish- {I want to go HOME, frag it—}

Skull: … {Guys. Please. Go to bed before you get sick. …I don’t think you can handle this right now.}

Jaden: …Something I need to do, first. -Wanders off-

Nico: …? (Now where is he going?)

—————————————————

[Jaden looked out over the Meadow from his spot on the roof. He felt… tense. Afraid. Anxious.]

-PING!-

[But it was something he had to do.

For his brothers’ sakes— and that included Avi, too.]

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: > -PING!-

[.......]

-PING!-

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Well, well. If it isn't Drill Hands! Heh. This ought to be good.

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: > …

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: > … Everything’s going to be okay, Avi.

[…This.

This hurt.

Knowing that it wouldn’t make sense until after it was over.

But he had to give Six something to fall back on for when that DID happen.]

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: ......

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Uh, what?

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >Tobias is going to be fine.

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >He’ll be okay once you and Dyna are okay.

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >Don’t blame yourself for what happened—it’s not your fault.

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >You aren’t yourself.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: ....Yeeeeaaaah I don't get it.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: The spark guy's still out of it--and so's my annoying pesky bee of a sister.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: And I'm MORE than not MYSELF, Drill Hands. I'm BETTER.

[Data fuzz.]

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: > …I get it. Really, I do. The power. It’s intoxicating, isn’t it?

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Intoxicating? That would be the aforementioned sister.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: At least I KNOW what to DO with it rather than just gobble it up, ya know? But--I will admit it DOES feel good being up TOP. Heh. Get it?

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: > … -Okay, despite the situation, that DOES make him snort-

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Yeaaaaaah you geeeeet iiiiiit.~ Heh Heh.

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: DWN-023

[Another data fuzz, and more music plays.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EdEryFQy6k

[Except it’s not acoustic, it’s BLARING ROCK.]

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: What the--

“Their chances are thinning I dodge bullets when I’m spinning New plans are just beginning I’ve hit the top”

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: ...You doing this, Drill Hands?

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: > Uh, that would be a no.

Jaden: … (But I have a feeling I know what IS…)

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: ...Heh. Well, either way, I'm flattered. Not gonna get you ANYWHERE with me, but it's a nice tune...

Avi: (STILL don't know what that is, maybe a glitch in the system...?)

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >Yeah, that’d be 23’s song.

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >The one from earlier was Ten’s.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Thanks for the fun facts.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: But I really don't have time for Song Trivia 101.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Tick Tock, Drill Hands. Time waits for no one.

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: > …You’ve got THAT right… -Murmurs of data, almost like a shudder- Time and tide.

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: DWN-014. SUB-REFERENCE: DWN-012.

[A VERY eerie tune starts playing.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sum7N-detY

[One was suddenly taken back—back to a dusty desert, under a merciless sun—]

<DWN-013>: > No no STOP! Cancel the cross-reference!

<RMDC>: > COMMAND RECOGNIZED: AUTHORIZATION DWN-013. CANCELING…

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: ....What the frag was that?

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Are you trying to PULL something here, Drill Hands?

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: > Nngh—! No, Avi, it’s just—

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >You’re activating cross-references, that’s an automatic thing—

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >When they get active, they go live, that’s just how we work—

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >Just—!

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >…Please, Aviator. Don’t blame yourself for this…!

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Tch.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: You're not making much sense here, buddy--and frankly, it's getting annoying.

[Data fuzz.]

[No, he is our younger brother, he’s—

woah woah wait what

since when was Drill Hands a brother—]

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >Just remember that! It’s not really you causing trouble atop that tower!

<DWN-013 to MNN-006>: >It isn’t permanent. Don’t blame yourself for this. This was far beyond your control, Number Six.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: .......

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Drill Hands, Drill Hands, Drill Hands...

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: You say this is all beyond my control--but who's the one riding the airwaves here, hmm? Who's the one that can send this whole COUNTRY right back to the Stone Age at the push of a button, huh?

[BZZZZZKKKKKT—]

[Kkkkkkkk…]

[The static faded, and Jaden still seemed to be thinking on how to best answer that.]

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Who's the one that--ugh, SHUT UP.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Ya know what, lemmie just get right to the point.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: At least I'm not the one that's pacing back and forth up here.

[MN.6 to DWN-013] //: Right?~

Jaden: …!

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: DWN-017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSDvJ_zPb0g

[MN.6] //: DANG IT--

[Whatever Jaden’s response may have been, it was lost to the music.]

[Kkkkkkkkkk…]

<RMDC>: > ERROR: DWN-013 SIGNAL LOST. CONNECTION FAILED.

[Kkkkksssst….]

[The music faded, but…]

[…Despite Jaden being gone, it was as if SOMEONE were still there—watching, and listening.]

[MN.6] //: Gah, you Angel freaks just don't know when to QUIT, do you...?

[MN.6] //: Freakin' annoying--

[C R A S H--!]

————————

[Although the fight was broadcast, Mikhail didn’t watch it. He was a little busy reviewing the notes that DWN-019 had brought with him.

They were straightforward enough—he’d found a working alternative to the E-Tanks—some sort of potion or elixir, from the looks of it. It seemed to operate on the same energy <—> matter conversion. While not the easiest to obtain—a relatively rare item from another world—they could be bought in bulk, and had been known to work on robots. It wasn’t the ideal solution, but it would do in the interim.]

Mikhail: ({Lord knows we’ll need it, by the time we find the others. Now, the main question is going to be one of the energy cores—})

“HE DID IT!”

Mikhail: -Looks up- !

[The twins began rapidly working away at the consoles.]

Siam: External server branch detected!

Gemini: Synching…!

Siamini: COMMUNICATIONS ARE ONLINE!

[Mikhail didn’t waste any time.]

<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > -PING!-

<<—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—>>

Goose: 8′D;

[To pun or not to pun, that was the question. Especially when concerning grouchy younger snipesibs.]

Goose: …

Goose: -INHALES—- 8′^D

[What he warbles next isn’t exactly SINGING—]

Goose: SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIIIIIIIS, WHO AM I TO DISAGREEEEEE—

😪 Goose —> Shade, re: Jingle Bells

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

Writer Journal Entry

{Wednesday, September 25th 2019T}

//This blog is going to be repurposed to be a story-oriented blog. The characters from sirensniper will be moved over to join the crew on @mowseries.

This is a placeholder style announcement. Proper explanation and frills will come after I have things set up.

Not sure how much good this will do, given it’s about to be buried under nearly 200 more posts.

—T.

---

=PROLOGUE B: IT ALL BEGINS NOW=

~AO v1.0~

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

[Fate had such an odd way of forcing her hand.

Worlds intertwined, destinies tethered….]

{JUNE 21st, TUMBLR 2016

11:45:08 AM}

<SEDW to RMDC>: >UPDATING DATABASE…

<SEDW to RMDC>: >UPLOAD FILE: REVELATION.EXE

<RMDC>: >GENERATING CROSS-REFERENCES…

-PING-

<RMDC>: >CROSS REFERENCE FOUND: DLN_COMBAT.EXE

<RMDC>: >COMBAT INITIATIVE DETECTED. Admin access is required to run COMBAT.EXE initiatives. Please access the program at the primary station and enter authorization code.

<SEDW>: >OPEN FILE: REVELATION.EXE

<RMDC>: >COMBAT INITIATIVE DETECTED. Admin access is required to run COMBAT.EXE initiatives. Please access the program at the primary station and enter authorization code.

<SEDW>: >OPEN FILE: DLN_COMBAT.EXE

<RMDC>: >WARNING: This file has been quarantined and locked by MC005. Please access the program at the primary station and enter authorization code.

[… … … …]

<RMDC>: >WARNING! UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED!

<SEDW>: >SYSTEM OVERRIDE

<RMDC>: >SYSTEM ERROR—

[DOWNLOAD IN PROGRESS: REVELATION.EXE

—AI_DWN_000: Loading…

—AI_DCN_000: Loading…

—AI_DWN_008: Loading…

—AI_DWN_011: Loading…

—AI_DWN_012: Loading…

—AI_DWN_013: Loading…

—AI_DWN_018: Loading…

—AI_DWN_019: Loading…

—AI_DWN_024: Loading…

—AI_DCN_003: Loading…

—AI_DCN_004: Loading…

—AI_DCN_007: Loading…

—AI_DCN_008: Loading…]

{The Meadow}

[…Sickness.

Madness.

Memories of the darkest times flooded the server.

Everyone woke up immediately.]

<DLN-000 is now Online.> <DLN-005 is now Online.> <DLN-008 is now Online.> <DWN-011 is now Online.> <DWN-012 is now Online.> <DWN-013 is now Online.> <DWN-018 is now Online.> <DWN-019 is now Online.> <DWN-024 is now Online.>

[Cardinal felt sick to his core. Everyone did, really.]

<DWN-012>: Wha?

<DWN-024>: What is happening?

<DWN-012>: I feel like I’m gonna throw up, and I’m not even organic—

<DWN-019>: H-hang on. I-I’ll run a d-diagnostic. <DWN-019>: Y-you go contact the Doctors. -Talking to himself-

[Jaden was just laying in his recharge station, almost feverish. Errors kept pounding in his head.]

<DWN-013>: G-guys… it’s trying to send me into Lethal…

[But no one heard him.

Everyone had suddenly been overcome by the directive.

It was some sort of external command—a highly complex one, at that. Really, too much for their systems to process.

A command to destroy.]

<DLN-008 has gone Offline.>

[…]

<DLN-005 has gone Offline.> <DWN-011 has gone Offline.> <DWN-012 has gone Offline.> <DWN-013 has gone Offline.> <DWN-018 has gone Offline.> <DWN-019 has gone Offline.> <DWN-024 has gone Offline.>

Cardinal: (They must be preserving themselves…. Uggggh… I feel so aggravated right now…)

[He didn’t try to ping Dr. Cossack, or Dr. White. Whatever was going on, Dr. Cossack would see it. If they were all sick, then he didn’t want to spread it to his cousins.

And he definitely didn’t want to hurt the others.]

Cardinal: (Nnngggghhh…)

[His head pounded. He clutched at it with both hands, his eyes glowing a bright green despite being closed.

Memories bombarded him.]

-*-*-

((Art by dA user Thormeister))

-*-*-

[And then, suddenly…]

[…Beck was not the only one who was reset due to the matter at hand.

It only took a few moments, thankfully. Cardinal woke up feeling very disoriented.]

Cardinal: What was that?

[He couldn’t remember anything that had happened since Saturday evening—yet it was now clearly daytime. …He didn’t know what day it was, but that alone let him know that something had gone wrong.

Normally, if there had been a system crash, then the database would fill in the blanks. But in this case, it didn’t—which meant he had been forcefully reset. And not just him; the whole server, too.

…But why?]

Cardinal: (…Did we seriously have a hard reset?) What happened here…?!

[To his surprise, he saw Dr. Mikhail Cossack nearby, at a terminal. He was clearly focused in his work, as he simply held out his left hand to sign the word “QUIET.”]

Cardinal: …

“There was an attack on the server.”

Cardinal: ?

[Shadow was scowling as he unhooked himself from the mainframe.]

Shadow: It appears to have originated from a different world. Some sort of attempt to reactivate our Menace-related directives.

Cardinal: Ugh. No wonder we felt sick to our cores. …Is everyone alright?

Mikhail: I am trying to contact William but I’m having a great deal of difficulty…

Jaden: -Becoming more alert- Wait, is that a good idea? I mean, what if it got to them?

Mikhail: You don’t understand, Jaden: the source WAS from Will—

Cardinal: What?

Cardinal: (What is going /on/ here?)

[…

…

There was suddenly an overwhelming surge of alarm.]

Siam: Something’s wrong! Gemini: Something’s terribly, terribly wrong!

[Cardinal felt it, too.

A sudden… /darkness/. Weighty and cruel, deep as suffering. It reminded him of…]

Cardinal: (No, this can’t…)

Tobias: -Interrupts- I think I got the TV to pick up their signals—give it a try! Still trying to contact their lab…

[Cardinal turned on the news as some of his more tech-savvy brothers worked away at consoles.

What he saw…]

Cardinal: No…

Cardinal: -System scREECH- NOOOO!

<DLN-000 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DCN-000 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DLN-008 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DWN-011has 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.> <DWN-024 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.>

[Snow screamed.]

[…Actually, to say he screamed would be an understatement. He was BLASTING raw Emotion, not just volume—and the world around him was quickly turning to ice. His brothers and his father alike were taken by surprise and alarm, turning all their attention to him.

His younger brothers were forced to shield as he began to throw a horrific tantrum—one that was cut short by Cossack forcefully sending him into Sleep mode before he hurt anyone in his panic.

Things were rapidly getting out of control.]

<DWN-018>: >TOBIAS, DO SOMETHING!

<DWN-018>: >BEFORE YOUR BROTHER FREEZES US TO DEATH!

[Tobias practically flung himself at the mainframe.]

Tobias: I’m gonna force my way through if it’s the last thing I do—and it’s definitely not gonna!

[As he had done before, his /self/ took the reigns of cyberspace and made it bend beneath his heel to his will.

Static filled the line as he broke through and opened the Mighty Number communication channels.]

<DLN-008 to MNN-ALL>: > -PING!-

[…There was no chance to celebrate or take action, though, because just then, the news updated…]

“Once again, the president has declared a nationwide 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—“

[Outraged shouting and anger crowded out the rest of the sentence, and a bit of the speech after.]

Speedy: -YELLING IN ANGRY SPANISH- {OH FOR THE LOVE OF—}

Shadow: -Eyes burning red, hissing in Japanese- {I swear, if he is behind all of this…}

Mikhail: -Speaking (with growing impatience) in frustrated Russian- {ENOUGH! Will you BE QUIET for ONE moment—}

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKHHHHH—

“Hellooooooooo! Is this thing on?”

Siamini: -Trills- What?!

Tobias: !?

[The electric optimist immediately sent out a notification.]

-PING!-

<DLN-008>: >Avi! Avi, no! What are you doing?

[…But Avi didn’t seem to hear him. He doesn't answer. Instead, he continues to give his twisted 'news report'.]

"And now we go to our eye in the sky Avi 1 Heli bot for our daily traffic report!"

[...And in a completely not so different voice...]

"Thanks, Avi! Uh, as you can see, we've got accidents inbound in....well..."

"EVERYWHERE!~ BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Shadow: … What the fuhhh… -Trails off rather than finishing that-

[The Second Generation survivors looked on in horrified silence. For they couldn’t see Avi, not anymore.

The cross-references were too strong.]

Jaden: (Saints preserve us…)

[Speedy just fell to his knees, giving a thousand-yard stare.]

Speedy: ({This… this is Monstropolis all over again…})

[Tobias was starting to feel frustrated.]

<DLN-008>: > DON’T PRETEND YOU CAN’T HEAR ME— now is not the time for games, Aviator!

[Still no response.]

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!~

Tobias: Grrr…!

Avi: "Our nation is on TOTAL MELTDOWN, and Xelbot crime is on the rise!~ Can NOTHING stop this madness?!

Avi: "Short answer? NO!~ BWAHAHAHA!~"

[Tobias…

…had had enough. He decided to try a different tack.]

<DLN-008 to MNN-006>: > -P I N G-

<DLN-008>: > A V I A T O R

<DLN-008>: > YOU’RE BLOCKING THE CHANNELS, WHY

<DLN-008>: >What the frag is going on over there?! I need to talk to Doctor White!

<DLN-008>: > NOW!

[.......]

[MN.6] //: Well, would you look at that! I got a caller!~

[MN.6] //: So, caller number 1...

[MN.6] //: What do you think you're doing on MY airwaves, mmm?

<DLN-008>: > I’M /TRYING/ TO TALK, THAT’S WHAT

[Oooo, he seemed in a bad mood, and wasn’t afraid to let that data show!]

[Why, it’s almost as if he feels… a little guilty, to boot! Has he seen this before?]

[MN.6] //: Ooo, SOMEone seems spicy today! Wow. Talk about blowing a fuse! HA! Get it?

Tobias: (Ngggh…! Can’t… can’t let the cross-references distract me, not now!)

<DLN-008>: >Very funny, Avi.

<DLN-008>: >Hilarious.

[MN.6] //: Thaaaaanks. I practice. ~

<DLN-008>: >I’ll let Dyna know when I see her. -Clearly annoyed-

[MN.6] //: ....

[MN.6] //: Who?

[Tobias was speaking over him already by that point.]

<DLN-008>: >But fiRST YOU NEED TO STOP SITTING ON THE FREQUENCIES

<DLN-008>: >LET ME THROUGH, GLITCHFRAG IT, I’M SHORT ON PATIENCE HERE

[MN.6] //: Eeeeeeh....

[MN.6] //: Ugh, I dunno--see, I got a script to stick to? And uh, all the roles are filled in. Sorry, dude! ^.^

[…

Tobias really WAS starting to lose patience. He seethed.]

[MN.6] //: BUT.

<DLN-008>: > -Train of thought derailed- —?

[MN.6] //: I thiiiiink I can....prooobably....

[MN.6] //: Squeeze you into a short segment….

<DLN-008>: > -Gives off abrupt data of discomfort and dread-

Tobias: (Why does that sound… really really bad…?)

[MN.6] //: How about this, caller number 1?~

[Suddenly--]

[MN.6 HAS ENTERED COMBAT DATA MODE. RESTRICTIONS: NONE.]

[MN.6] //: You wanna be my intern for a while?!~

[Tobias gave a shaky gasp. The world had gone faint for a moment.]

<DLN-008>: >Avi! PLEASE! STOP!

[The data was fought back—forcefully. It seemed that the electric Industrial was not unfamiliar with fighting aggressive data.]

[MN.6] //: Nope! Can't have you snooping around on the feeds, no siriee!

[Another surge of...possessive data--!]

[MN.6] //: I got big, big plans, Caller. Avi News is gonna go GLOBAL!

<DLN-008>: > Nggh—!

<DLN-008>: > NO!

<DLN-008>: >NO YOU WON’T!

[He was… actively blocking data that his system was trying to send out.]

<DLN-008>: >I won’t give up! I’ll MAKE you get out of my way!

[A surge of spurning willpower.

The stubborn willpower of a DWN—the unflinching kind they inherited from their father.

…And yet…]

[…And yet, he wasn’t REALLY giving it his all—that much was obvious.

He was holding back.]

[MN.6] //: Jeez--you're really a spicy one! I'm actually impressed! ~

[MN.6] //: Man, this is JUST like that one movie I watched last Tuesday--the hero, on the brink of defeat, suddenly finds within himself the strength to win!

<DLN-008>: > Grr…!

[A…

BLAST of RAW /GUILT/ AND REGRET]

<DLN-008>: > -VERY bitterly- I’m no hero.

<DLN-008>: > BUT I STILL WON’T LET YOU DO THIS.

[MN.6] //: --!!

[MN.6] //: NGH--

<DLN-008>: >I… I c-can’t let you make my mistakes…!

[MN.6] //: Ow...OK...yeah, that hurt...

<DLN-008>: > …

<DLN-008>: >S-sorry…

<DLN-008>: >Nggh…! Now… please, stop!

[MN.6] //: ......

[....Data.]

[...It...was Avi's Data, yes, but...so much darker. ]

[Anger.]

[MN.6] //: That...hurt.

[MN.6] //: NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET IT!

[Toby was suddenly seized with signals. They weren’t just conversational—they were trying to get inside his head, mess with his mind!]

<DLN-008>: >NO, AVI, STOP! YOU DON’T KNOW—!

[He never did finish his warning.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into…!”]

Tobias: -SCREAMS-

[He was clutching his head in his hands now, overcome with painful disorientation as he fought off the attempt to seize control.

He started sparking up, essentially close to tears as he tried so very hard to overthrow the invasion without harming his best friend.]

[MN.6] //: HA!

[Almost...Almost--!]

[MN.6] //: Aaaand that's a wrap!~

<DLN-008>: > S-stop… Avi, please…

[MN.6] //: You just don't know how to LISTEN, do ya? I said NO.

[KKKKSSST!]

[MN.6] //: NOW SHUT UP.

[MN.6] //: There's nothing you can do against ME, anyway! BWHAHAHAHA!

[Tobias desperately wanted to keep Aviator from gaining access to his neural network. There was no telling what damage that might cause to his family, due to the nature of their almost hive-like minds. And more than that—he just knew that Avi really was not prepared for what he would be getting into.

But he was tired. So tired. He couldn’t withstand both the assault and the barrage of cross-references that this disaster was sending live.

…He weakened.

It only took that one moment of weakness. That one moment of being rendered helpless, unable to fight back.

And in that moment…

Mighty Number Six overtook his mind. The invasive, annoyingly persistent obstacle was HIS, now—]

[MN.6] //: Finally--

[......]

[Nothing in all the worlds could prepare Mighty No. 6 for what came next...]

[MN.6] //: --!!?

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

[—he had not been prepared for the fact that this would lay bare the soul for him to see!]

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!”

[DOZENS of memories were active—all very real in the here and now, all at the same time! Thoughts, memories, fears, feelings, pains, suffering, sorrows, despair—not just from Tobias, but from a dozen others—not just for what was now, but what HAD been—the past was the present, the pain then was pain now, it was all bOMBARDING THEM RELENTLESSLY—]

[MN.6] //: NG--NNNHAAAAAAAAAAAH--!

[THIS was the reality that the Rebel Angels lived with, the cross they carried—and would forever carry, all life long!

Avi had stared into the abyss of a suffering robot’s (and his family’s) soul…

…and the abyss was staring back.]

>PROCESSING ERROR: BETAEMOTIONS.EXE CONFLICT

>CROSS REFERENCING DATA: ROBOTMASTER DATABASE >KEYWORDS: DEATH, BLUE, MNN, COMBAT.EXE

>RUN PROGRAM: SEARCH >KEYWORDS: DEATH, BLUE, MNN, COMBAT.EXE

>DISPLAYING ALL ENTRIES…

————————————

>VARIABLE: MNN-001

>ENTRY 1: DLN-006 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: DLN-005 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 3: DLN-000 JOURNAL ENTRY

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- -—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-002

>ENTRY 1: DLN-000 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: IALS JOURNAL ENTRY: CRUEL WATERS

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-003

>ENTRY 1: DWN-018 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-004

>ENTRY 1: DLN-003 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: DWN-021 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 3: DWN-019 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 4: DWN-023 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 5: DWN-024 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-005

>ENTRY 1: DLN-005 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 3: DWN-012 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 4: 05.07.2016 MEMORY DATA

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

[Avi was BLASTED with pain! PAIN! PAIN BEYOND MEASURE!

He struggled--he had put too much of himself to break free yet--and all he could feel was...pain, hurt, PAIN, DEATH...!

And...for the briefest of moments...]

[...Whatever had a hold on him...whatever was controlling his mind-- recoiled.]

[MN.6] //: STOP! S T O P I T--!!!

[It was no use. Tobias and Avi were caught in a joint system overload that was rapidly approaching a stop error.]

>ERROR: EMOTIONS.EXE OVERLOAD

[…It only got WORSE.]

————————————

>VARIABLE: MNN-006

>ENTRY 1: DWN-012 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: IALS JOURNAL ENTRY: VENUS LIGHTHOUSE

[Sheba screams as she falls, overcome with terror. It's a horror that she's had nightmares and visions about before for many years, of falling from the sky alone.

She is so terrified that her heart threatens to give out, until a cry shatters the whistle of the wind.]

"SHEBA!!! NOOOOOO! I WON'T LET YOU DIE!"

[Suddenly, she sees Felix jumping off the Lighthouse, diving down at her. He reaches out to grab her wrist.

Vines of golden energy coil down to catch her and bring her close. They are both falling—he's holding her close to protect her. She shut her eyes tight, gasping in fear. If only the wind could save them. She begged for someone—anyone—to save them.]

——————

>ENTRY 3: DWN-010 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 4: DWN-013 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 5: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 6: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 7: DLN-008 DATA ENTRY

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- -—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-007

>ENTRY 1: IALS DATABASE JOURNAL ENTRY: RANGER TRAINING

"Too slow!"

I looked up angrily, biting back a remark. Karst looked down at me, lowering her scythe to rest against my throat.

"Always too slow! How you ever managed to catch a Talon Runner is beyond me."

I was silent. The bruise from the day before was still darkening. I knew another slap might cause permanent injury.

"Let him go, Karst."

The touch of death's blade lifted, the chill of steel leaving me. I tried to breathe steadily….

——————

>ENTRY 2: IALS DATABASE JOURNAL ENTRY: VENUS LIGHTHOUSE

Isaac and the others did not hesitate in attacking. And this time, they did not hold back.

I could only watch in horror as the battle raged on. It was a battle between titans. I was not in a position to see it very well, but I could feel it. Summon after summon, with the dragon wearing down with the power of a meteor to crush its opponents.

You might fault me for not describing a battle of magnificence. But you weren't there, you didn't see what I saw. I was watching a fight to the death between people I knew, unable to help anyone or to escape. I saw Isaac fight to the death with the aim to kill for the first time—and it was TERRIFYING.

He seemed sustained by an unnatural strength, and would not fall no matter the injury. His eyes were bright gold, with the same glow about his body—but also a blood red, and a sense of death. These auras shimmered like water as blow after blow faded away. The others were getting worn out, but not Isaac. The Lighthouse itself seemed to heal him, almost as much as Mia was helping.

They held strong, but the dragon did not. I covered Sheba's eyes as Isaac and Garet closed in and struck it directly. Those death screams still haunt my nightmares, as does the image of…

——————

>ENTRY 3: IALS DATABASE JOURNAL ENTRY: JUPITER LIGHTHOUSE

——————

>ENTRY 4: DWN-009 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

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>ENTRY 5: DWN-016 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

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>ENTRY 6: DWN-011 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

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>ENTRY 7: DWN-014 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

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>ENTRY 8: DWN-022 DATA ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY—DWN-024 JOURNAL ENTRY; DWN-019 JOURNAL ENTRY

-*-

——————

>ENTRY 9: DWN-022 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 10: 06.03.2016 MEMORY DATA

Blade: Here's how it's gonna go down, your royal highnesses!

Blade: YOU FORFEIT.

[SHING!]

[A saw bomb appears in one hand, and he yanks Dyna towards him, holding it roughly against Dyna's neck. The audience gasps—but none scream.]

Dyna: -HISS-

Blade: Or your sis won't have her pretty little head on her shoulders anymore! ~

-*-*-

SHINK.

Jack: —GNH!

All: !!!

[Jack falls forward, and Brand is there to catch him. NOW the audience starts to partially scream and gasp in surprise.]

[A saw blade embedded itself into his back, blinking lazily.]

-*-*-

[Tobias teleported in at Bladeblaster’s left, poised on the air, and filled with unbridled rage.

His eyes were glowing red as he grabbed the gang leader roughly by the shoulder with his left hand.

Carmen, for her part, had gone in as close to Dencerjack as she could. She didn’t have much time to set up and aim, but she knew what was coming—and for touching her sister, Bladeblaster would PAY.]

Tobias: -BLASTING data with no uncertain clarity of intention-

Blade: ---?!?!

Dyna: Wha--!

[His eyes were a pure red, the whole display—and he was was filled with power that was at a high enough level to function as a generator for an average household for several hours. …But… he wasn’t sparking up.

Far from it.

As he was pulling his right hand and arm back, the electric charge of almost the entire arena was being rapidly and brutally shifted, and the air became filled with the tense, almost painful (and frightening) uneasiness that it has when it is filled with static.

Tobias was gathering all the negative charge to himself!]

Avi: oh SWEET MARMALINE--

Tobias: -D I E-

[Carmen fired off one of her taser darts right where it would hurt the most. It coincided perfectly with Tobias’s infuriated blow.]

[The electric Industrial slammed his right fist right into Bladeblaster’s central mass, simultaneously firing off the most powerful THUNDER BEAM he could muster.

All the static buildup discharged in a violent lightning strike that hit the assassin dead center in a blinding flash, followed by a deafening thunderclap. As was custom for his weapon, the Thunder Beam also fired up into the sky and down at the ground, not just directly in front of him.

Bladeblaster had, in fact, more or less been skewered by lightning— and anyone caught in the line of fire was going to share the same fate.]

[Avi only had a few precious split seconds to react, and if it wasn't for the fact that recognized the tense electric power in the air before Tobias struck, he would have very well been reduced to a mere central core by now.]

[Suddenly he was glad Dyna shocked him for being annoying every now and then.]

[Even when he pretty much barrel rolled to the right, (and surprise, no pun intended) he could still feel the raw surge of untamed lightning narrowly missing him, causing his aerial instruments and other things to fuzz for a bit--making him VERY dizzy.]

[MN.6] //: OhmanI'mgonnabesick--

[And Blade?]

[Besides the sheer white hot pain that rippled through him--he screamed, body convulsing as it couldn't handle both the sudden boost from whatever was in that cross and Tobias's rash attack--and the dart from Carmen REALLY put the icing on the pain cake, so to speak.]

[By now, the radio silence had been lifted.]

<DLN-000 to MNN-001, MNN-005 through MNN-008>: > AUGH! HE’S IN LETHAL MODE!

<DWN-024>: > WE ARE /ALL/ IN LETHAL MODE—!

[Indeed.

Tobias was incredibly quick for an Industrial—the fastest Industrial built, and the second fastest overall.

Only moment had passed, but…]

Tobias: -THERE ARE MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM-

[…He was already pulling his arm back for another hit, drawing from his own reserves to charge up another Thunder Beam.

But what the idealist had in decisiveness, he lacked in foresight.

He had disregarded something very, VERY important.

Bladeblaster held his weakness.]

[What followed...]

[The next sound that came from Blade's throat did not sound holy at all.]

Blade: -GLITCHED SCREECHING-

[Whatever had given Blade that extra boost in power?]

[It had taken whatever coherent thought he had left in his madness.]

[Blade suddenly had a saw in his hand, and raised it so he could slash wildly at the DLN--!]

Avi: NO--!

SKLLLKTTKRRRSHHHLLLRRRKKT—

[Oil and cooling fluids spattered all over Bladeblaster’s hands and weapon, as if they were blood.

Tobias lost his grip immediately and fell to the ground, too dazed in pain and injury to even cry out.

His energy levels had dropped DRAMATICALLY, and were still dropping, as was his core temperature—two more hits like that, and he would be gone.]

——————

>ENTRY 11: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

————————————

[DEATH! DEATH AND SUFFERING, in well past a dozen different ways! And the blood— the blood and the oil EVERYWHERE—]

[Blood-- not blood --so much--death--darkness--

…But STILL, it was not yet over.]

[MN.6] //: -uNHOLY SCREAMING-

[The sounds that came from No. 6...it was HIS voice, but so distorted and twisted by the darkness and pain that it was almost unrecognizable.]

[No. 6...was built to process as much data as possible.]

[...Today, that was his curse.]

————————————

>VARIABLE: MNN-008

>CROSS REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: D E A T H

>DEATH WEARS BLUE

>ENTRY 1: DWN-012 JOURNAL ENTRY: FINAL ENTRY

-*-*-

————————————————————————

[An error message then pops up.]

[Tobias collapsed when Avi finally managed to break free. And there he lay, lifeless on the ground.

The fight for his mind had caused major damage by stunning his Awareness.

It became too much for him to take.]

[…]

[Uh-oh.]

<DWN-011 has entered Lethal Combat mode.> <DWN-012 has entered Lethal Combat mode.> <DWN-013 has entered Lethal Combat mode.> <DWN-018 has entered Lethal Combat mode.> <DWN-019 has entered Lethal Combat mode.> <DWN-024 has entered Lethal Combat mode.> <DCN-003 has entered Lethal Combat mode.> <DCN-007 has entered Lethal Combat mode.> <DCN-008 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

[…It looks like he hadn’t been alone.]

<DWN-024>: > How dare you.

<DWN-012>: > HE WARNED YOU, BRO. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT /LISTENING/ TO US.

<DWN-019>: > I /WILL/ TEAR APART YOUR CODE. <DWN-019>: > /LINE. <DWN-019>: > BY. <DWN-019>: > LINE./ <DWN-019>: > IF YOU DO NOT L E A V E <DWN-019>: > /THIS INSTANT./

<DWN-018>: > I’d back off now if I were you.

<DCN-003>: >Unless you would like Father and twins to run you facefirst through an aggressive WhiteCell filter!

[MN.6] //: -GASPS-

[.....Nothing. Avi....there was barely any data coming from him, now...]

[...Then...]

[Whatever was controlling him came right back.]

[MN.6] //: ...!!!!

[KKKKKSSSSSST!!]

[…The normally cheerful DCN was ready to make good on his threat.

He had NOT been bluffing.]

<DCN-003>: > {FATHER!}

[…]

<MC005 IS ACCESSING ADMIN CODES…>

Mikhail: -Cringing as he types- ({Forgive me for hacking, Will—!})

[MN.6] //: ngh--

[Suddenly--]

[With one fell swoop--]

[MN.6] //: RRRGH--!

[WARNING--SIGNAL HAS BEEN LOST.]

[In the Meadow, the Russian doctor curses in frustration, punching the desk and putting his face in his hands.]

Mikhail: {NO! We were so, SO close—!}

Keltso: -Sadly- {…At least you tried.}

Siam: Wait.

Digger: …?

Siam: WAIT.

Gemini: IT WAS ONLY Siam: /HIS/ SIGNAL Gemini: THAT WAS Siamini: LOST—

Mikhail: ?!

Siamini: THE MAIN CHANNEL IS OPEN!

Mikhail: !!!

Mikhail: We… we have to—!

[The communication channels had been left open. Everyone was starting to feel a bit desperate…]

-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!

Mikhail: .______.;;;

[His hands hovered over the keyboard, but he was frozen in doubt and indecision on how to respond to that.

Said hands were in gloves, as usual—

—gloves to hide the burn scars he would always carry with him.]

[MN.1 HAS BLOCKED MC005]

Mikhail: (He… good heavens, he almost sounded like…)

[The Second Gens were more or less cowering in fear. Shadow, however…]

Shadow: (I do not understand…)

[He reached out an intangible hand, stretching the request across time and space.]

<DWN-024 to MNN-007>: > -Ping-

[No response, at first.

He tried again.]

<DWN-024>: > -Ping.-

[…This time, he got through. But he could tell something was wrong.]

<DWN-024>: > -Ping.- {M…Master Brandish?}

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

[MN.7] //: -DISTRESSED PINGING, SCREAMS IN THE BACKGROUND-

[MN.7] //: {Ngh---!! Sh---Shadow...!}

[Shadow scowled.]

<DWN-024>: > {You have no idea the turmoil that this chaos is throwing us into—! I am so relieved to get back in contact with you.}

<DWN-024>: > {We need your help—}

[MN.7] //: {nO--}

[Despair. Horror.]

[MN.7] //: {NO--NONONO!}

[…Fear.

…It was not something that Shadow was familiar with, but he felt it now, as plain as the moon.

Fear. Overwhelming, growing FEAR.]

<DWN-024>: > {W-what?!}

<DWN-024>: > {Sensei, what are you saying—?}

[MN.7] //: {NGH--}

[MN.7] //: .....

[MN.7] //: Must slice...must dice...

[MN.7] //: --aAAARGH--NO! I--MY BLADES--!

[Okay, now he was beginning to panic.

He tried to lock onto Brandish’s signal.]

<DWN-024>: > {Sensei! /For the love of the Lord Father, WHERE ARE YOU?!/}

[MN.7] //: {I CAN'T--I CAN'T--!!}

<DWN-024>: > {NO! YOU /MUST!/}

<DWN-024>: > {PLEASE! I AM BEGGING YOU!}

[MN.7] //: {F-FORGIVE ME--!}

[MN.7 HAS BLOCKED DWN-024.]

Shadow: -Just. Speechless.- (No…)

[…Was this… despair…?

…It was too much for him to take. He had /never/ felt so… hopeless. ]

[Things were looking very grim.]

Mikhail: ({Please… please, let him be alright…})

<MC005 to DR.WHITE>: > -PING!-

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

=PROLOGUE B: IT ALL BEGINS NOW=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

>A problem has been detected and AI_DWN_000 has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer. All unsaved data has been lost.

The problem seems to be caused by the following programs: BetaEmotions.exe

If this is the first time you have seen the Stop error screen, restart your chassis—

REBOOTING…

“Nnnnnn…”

> Rebooting…

Your last session was terminated unexpectedly. Running Diagnostic….

SYSTEM REPORT Power Network: Online Internal Fans: Online Neural Net: Online RADIO System: Online WiFi System: Online Audio System: Online Tactile Senses: Online Visual Sensors: Online Motion Sensors: Online Motor System: Online Primary Weaponry: Online: ENGAGED Secondary Weaponry: Online: ENGAGED

>WARNING: THIS SYSTEM IS ENGAGED IN LETHAL COMBAT MODE.

PROGRAM DIAGNOSTIC RobotWhiteCell Firewall: Running Artificial Intelligence and Awareness: Online BetaEmotions: Online Battle Tactical Sequences: Online: ENGAGED Non-lethal Battle Sequences: Online

>ALERT: THIS SYSTEM IS RUNNING A CODE RED CONTINGENCY.

Diagnostic complete.

>RESUMING CONTINGENCY…

[Cardinal jumped to his feet, feeling very out of it.]

>PROCESSING…

[He couldn’t remember. But he didn’t need to, yet.]

>RESULT: ACQUIRE ALL AVAILABLE COMBAT RESOURCES. PROCEED TO KANSAS CITY: LIBERTY MEMORIAL. CONTACT MNN-008.

[The only thing that mattered was the order. Had to fill the order. Didn’t matter why. Action was needed.]

BWIP!

[The lab was empty. No resistance was met. He wasn’t awake—not in the normal sense, at least.]

>HARDWARE ACQUIRED. TELEPORTING TO COORDINATES…

{Kansas City: Liberty Memorial}

[As soon as he teleported in, he could tell something was wrong.]

>ANALYZING SENSORY DATA…

>WARNING: ACTIVE CIVILIAN THREAT DETECTED.

>PRIORITY ORDER: NEUTRALIZE THREAT.

BLAM!

[But shaking awake from it was not so easy.]

[Cardinal’s origins were rooted in basic coding that followed military orders. He was made to act, not to think—certainly not to second-guess himself or the threat of any given situation. Once the right program was running, the circumstances wouldn’t matter—

Not until his processors could catch up, at any rate.]

>SUPPORT UNIT DETECTED. SYNCING PROCESSING POWER.

BLAM!

[Cardinal and Jazz teleported off of the top of the spire to engage in combat against a small group of constructs trying to break into the memorial. Their sudden appearance took the crazed Xelbots by surprise.]

“Who the [frag] are YOU—?!”

[He “spoke” flatly over his speakers.]

Cardinal: SURRENDER AND DISENGAGE ALL WEAPONRY, OR THIS SYSTEM WILL VOID THE THREAT UP TO TERMINATION.

“Yeah RIGHT—”

FOOM!

BLAM! BLAM BLAM BLAM—

[One of the fighters ran off screeching, heading for the nearest fountain. Jazz had entered her full combat form, and had set the aggressor aflame. There was a great deal of yelling from within the memorial’s locked gates, and from the attackers outside.]

>PROCESSING…

[He was starting to become aware of himself, at least—but doing so in the middle of a fight didn’t really help. Not at all.

The first thing he saw was someone rushing at him, a sickly—and familiar glow in their eyes.]

Cardinal: !!!

BLAM!

[He fired off another plasma blast as he dropped to the ground. Jazz sprang up from behind him, rewarding the attacker with a crushing bite to the face.]

SKREEE!

[He didn’t really have the time to discover how or why he had landed himself in this situation. He reached out and grabbed his opponent, ignoring a ringing from his private cell phone.]

“Let the [frag] GO of me, you stupid—”

WHACK—

[The Xelbot hit concrete, chin-first. The Robot Master did a backward flip to land on his feet. He took a moment to pull out his cell phone, but found that the call had been dropped due to a poor connection.]

Cardinal: Tch…

“REE-OW!”

>APPROACHING SIGNALS DETECTED.

Cardinal: Stall for me, Jazz!

[He turned to look behind him at the approaching swarm of constructs.

Rising into the afternoon sun…

…Dozens of Industrial recreations of WWI-era planes. And they were headed right at him.]

Cardinal: What the—!

[A click and a whine—]

[Cardinal used MAGNET MISSILE!]

[The air became scattered with noise. Cardinal teleported out of the line of fire, causing them to circle around for another sweep.]

Cardinal: SHADE!

BLAM! BLAM KTANG RRRRATTTATTTATTTATTTATTT—

Cardinal: SHADE! I NEED YOUR HELP HERE!

>SENDING SOS SIGNAL…

Cardinal: I don’t want to shred these guys to pieces!

[He couldn’t afford to wait for a response, and had to fire off another volley of the missiles. It started to rain Xel—the flimsy construction of a third of the fleet couldn’t hold against the damage. The rest were starting to go berserk.]

Cardinal: BUT I DON’T HAVE A BETTER OPTION!

[Cardinal used RING BOOMERANG!]

KZZZRR! KZZZRRR!

[The shield protected him easily against most of the onslaught—he had his back to the ground at this point, and they were circling around him like vultures. This proved to be their undoing, and Cardinal had to brace himself against the damage that followed.]

>ERROR: SERVER NOT FOUND

Cardinal: -Hisses at this- Why?!

[This was not something he wanted to hear, not after tearing apart what was most likely museum property. Not after sending off several Domestic—no, wait, Civilian— models, shrieking in pain and fear as they fled for their lives.

He got to his feet, wiping off the shield with disgust. He put a hand to an earcap as he adjusted some of his data input and output to match a local radio frequency.]

“KKKKKKK—requested, situation critical—”

<DLN-000>: >Situation acknowledged! Proceeding to signal source for backup!

Cardinal: Come on, Jazz!

[He gave a running sprint right onto his traveling companion, and Jazz shifted into a jet form.]

[He dropped in through the ceiling, right above one of the more chilling exhibits. It was absolute chaos inside.

The display of the trenches had become a lot more lively with infected Industrials running around.]

“NOT ANOTHER ONE—!”

Cardinal: STAND CLEAR!

[He kept going right down, slamming into some of the Industrials and crushing them instantly. The shock of impact didn’t stop him from whipping out one of his more dangerous Power Capsules.]

WHHHWWHHHWHHHWHHKKKT—

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

[There was a gurgling noise as the Industrials were sliced to ribbons by the motorized garrote. He had to wince as the surge-made top coiled up over a yard of Xel-covered wire.]

“Where is that backup?! They're starting to kill one another, now—!”

<DLN-000>: >I AM the backup!

“Excuse me?!”

BWIP!

<DLN-000>: The robot in red with the shield? Yeah, that’s me! Are your security cameras working?

[He saw one of the cameras turn slightly to focus in on him.]

“Sir! You need to evacuate!”

<DLN-000>: >Not gonna happen until the area is secured! I’m going to go take an aerial view!

BWIP!

[Back atop the memorial, he looked down at the city. It was an absolute mess— fires in the horizon, tornado sirens starting to wail—]

Cardinal: (Why is nobody answering?!)

[—and not a single response to his SOS signals or his Status Inquiries.]

Cardinal: (I’m going to completely blow our cover at this rate! Is my transceiver broken? It must be broken…. I can only imagine how busy Shade and the others must be, that they can't answer me—)

kkkk…

Cardinal: …?

[Over the chatter of the museum security radio frequencies—some of which was even directed at him—he was starting to feel it.

Faint, but there.]

Kkkkkk…

Cardinal: … -Doubtful- Will? (Did they finally hear me?)

Kkkkkkk…

[He looked down, suddenly realizing that the noise was coming from something in his satchel. He pulled out a radio.]

Cardinal: … (Oh, right—this thing isn’t adjusted for this particular city—)

“—children! We’re trapped in here—I think the museum attendant got injured!”

[That snapped him out of his thoughts quickly. He soon saw the source of the problem— a slew of Industrials, some distance away near Science City.

Contemplation over whatever was going on elsewhere would have to wait a few minutes.]

<DLN-000>: >Situation acknowledged! Hang tight! I’m going to come on over to clear the way for you! This could get messy…

[He didn’t wait for an answer, instead opting to jump right off the monument.]

[CARDINAL used ITEM-2!]

[He began windsurfing almost immediately, zooming off toward Union Station and Science City. Jazz was sprinting across the ground underneath him, vaulting over cars and weaving around buildings at a marginally slower pace.

He gave his trademark, his signature whistle as he came bearing down on the Industrials before jumping down into their midst.]

FOOOM!

[He didn’t shy away from fire, burning up the escaped fixtures to museum displays willingly, without a shred of remorse. These were dire circumstances.

He finished it off with a Rain Flush to put out the fire, hoping that the rain shower wouldn’t be too much of a hindrance to the rest of the city. (That particular Power Capsule Ability had quite a large range.)]

Cardinal: -Looks around- …

[The place was a mess. Broken glass, debris everywhere… but not really any people to be found.

He climbed his way into the building, looking around. He was certain that there were other Industrials in there, but he didn’t see any nearby.

He walked over to the planetarium entrance and knocked on the door.]

Cardinal: Is everyone alright in there?

[Silence.]

<DLN-000>: >The situation outside the planetarium has been contained. Is there anyone inside?

[He could pick up on some private chatter going on behind the scenes, over other frequencies, but didn’t switch over so that he wouldn’t miss out on the frequency he was currently on. After a few tense moments, the door slowly opened.

The power had gone out, but the dark room was lit by a few technology screens: some of them giving off the sickly purple glow, but most not.

The person who opened the door appeared to be a teacher or camp instructor of some kind. She looked tense when she saw Cardinal, so he shifted out of his blaster and held both hands up, stepping away.]

Cardinal: Just here to help. Is everyone okay?

[The woman--with a name tag that read Nancy Newhaus--quietly gulped before speaking in the clearest voice she could muster.]

Nancy: I—

Nancy: The… the children are alright--scared, but nothing too serious--

Nancy: But Drake got bit by one of the bots gone wild--

“Nancy, I'm fine—”

[A young man—not older than 25—was sitting with the kids, his left bicep wrapped in medical gauze.]

Drake: I'll live; it's not like I got anything that can get infected. At least… not in the Xel sense, anyway…

Cardinal: What happened here?

Nancy: W-Well...

Nancy: We--had malfunctions during the show we usually do--during one of the tours--

Nancy: Th-they just...started acting so strange and hostile--and when Drake stepped out to see what was going on, they leaped at him--

Drake: -I said I'm fine, don't make it so dramatic--

Cardinal: -Looks over at Drake- Oh?

Drake: The security system went off and we all got word from it that a virus outbreak was goin' on--so we all headed to the basement, per emergency procedure.

Cardinal: Do you all have a way to get home or somewhere to go?

Drake: Depends. What are the roads like?

Cardinal: Mostly empty.

Nancy: Well… the carpool should still be working; I parked it in the indoor staff parking lot…

Drake: Right. Nancy, you take the kids--I'll make sure no one else gets left behind.

[As Nancy ushered the children away, they seemed curious about Cardinal himself; they attempted to take pictures of him, although he took cover behind his shield and Nancy scolded them for it. They take the emergency route into the nearest exit, with Drake looking on for any stragglers.]

Drake: That seems to be everyone…

Cardinal: Really? I would have thought this place would be busier in the summer.

Drake: I think everyone else bolted when they got the chance.

Cardinal: I see.

Drake: …

Cardinal: …

Drake: …Who the heck are you? Some kinda arena bot that didn't get infected--?

Cardinal: I’m… not really anyone important. Just, uh… -Adjusts his scarf- Just a concerned citizen, really. -Distraction time- I’m actually wondering if you could help me, to be honest.

Drake: Help you? In what way?

Cardinal: I’m not done yet. There are still other places in the city in just as much of trouble, from the sounds of it. But you remember how hesitant you were when I first turned up; I want to work WITH security and law enforcement, but I don’t have any way to make them listen to me! There’s really limited time to explain, but they’d be more liable to listen to someone else in the field. Will you help me?

Drake: … … …

Drake: Listen, I… I don't know much, I'm… really just a attendant, not security. I'm not sure how much of a help I can even be, but… I can try.

Drake: Where exactly do you plan to go?

Cardinal: -Pacing a bit- Well, I imagine there’s an arena somewhere nearby, maybe at Arrowhead Stadium…

Drake: …??? Uh, yeah?

Cardinal: But there’s also the jazz museum, the baseball museum—

Jazz: Ree-ow.

Cardinal: The zoo…

Drake: …

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: Oh [glitch], the ZOO—

Drake: Wait, what about the Zoo--

Cardinal: Ohhh, this is gonna be bad—we need to evacuate that immediately: adding animals to the mix poses a greater threat! They can’t be reasoned with or communicated with in any fashion! Come on!

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

=CHAPTER 6C: CRIMSON STRONGHOLD=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

{The Next Morning…

June 28th, 20XX}

<DCP-001 to MNN-009>: > -Ping-

[MN.9 to DCP-001] //: ...!

[MN.9 to DCP-001] //: -Sounds of things being tripped over-  O-Oh, hi, Linka...! -Ow--

<DCP-001>: > Oh! Beck! Are you okay?

[MN.9] //: Y-Yeah, I just kinda tripped over some stuff. -Gosh, my room is a mess...-

<DCP-001>: > I made you cookies.

[MN.9] //: -PING—!-

<DCP-001>: > ^.^

<DCP-001>: > Father says I can send them over to have during the meeting!

<DCP-001>: > We have good news!

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

[MN.9] //: -...wait how long have I been asleep—-

<DCP-001>: > All night and some morning, I think? Father said he brought you some marshmallows before your rest.

[MN.9] //: -—I SHOULD PROBABLY GET CHANGED THEN, ONE SEC—-

<DCP-001>: > ?

<DCP-001>: > Okay, Beck! I will go to meet my brothers and we can all talk. ^_^

[MN.9] //: -Rushful data, we really need to clean our room—-

[MN.9] //: Mkay—see ya there—!

{Later…}

[There were warm cookies waiting for Beck when he joined the others. Shadow had brought them over, and had guarded them from a very “interested” ice globe and propeller plane.]

Shadow: -Bows when Beck enters- Mighty Nine. Lady Cossack made these for you.

Beck: Shadow...! : D -HAPPY DATA—-

Beck: !!

Beck: -SUGAR COOKIES—-

[And he then proceeds to shove them in his mouth. Wow. Kid can eat.]

Cryo: BECK CAN I HAVE OOOOONE—-

Avi: -Bro please—-

Beck: -No—-

Beck: -LINKA MADE THESE FOR ME-

Cryo: -POUTS, PROCEEDS TO FLAIL ARMS-

Avi: -Awwwwww--

[Wow, Shadow actually smiles and almost laughs, giving a small huff from an interrupted “heh”.]

Shadow: I am sure she will be happy to make something for you as well.

[He kneels down, sitting on his heels and folding his arms inside his sleeves.]

Shadow: There will be time for it, in the Meadow.

Beck: —Oh, yeah, Linka said something about a meeting...?

Shadow: Yes. We have news of great import to impart. -Looks over to Pyro- Bat is listening, correct?

Shadow: He will need to hear this.

Pyro: Correct. He'll be listening in through the feeds...

Beck: -Mmm sugar...-

Pyro: -Pay attention, Beck.-

Beck: —Oops, yes, sir.

Shadow: Very well, then.

[He turns to a nearby monitor. After a moment, a video feed comes up. It shows several windows: one for the repair bay where Bat was resting, and one for the Meadow’s living room.]

Kalinka: -Waves- Hi, Beck! : D

Beck: -WAVES-

[After a moment, Snow’s face filled that window.]

Snow: MISTER BAT MISTER BAT BATMAN BAT SIR HIIIII—

[He showed a bit of artwork that looked like a camo pattern made using sponges and paint in earth tones.]

Snow: I made you a present ‘cause you’re not sick now!

Shadow: —… (Not quite the news I was thinking of, but… heh. I hope he likes it.)

Bat: ....Heh...

[...This seems to cheer him up a bit.]

Bat: Fine work, Snowcone...put that up on the fridge for me, hm?

Beck: ^.^

Snow: Yes sir!

[He skips off to do just that. Keltso shakes his head, grinning in amusement.]

Skull: {Welcome back to us, sir. You have been missed.}

Nico: -Looks over to Cossack briefly- We have many things to discuss. Where should we start?

[Mikhail looked up from his hot chocolate.]

Mikhail: Well… if there’s anything any of you would like to share…

Will: Ahem...

[Will appears in the video feed to the Repair Bay—holding a clipboard with many papers on it.]

Will: If I may go first?

Mikhail: Please do.

Will: As you all know, I have been analyzing the virus's code along with Call, and the samples that have been retrieved from Beck's assimilation data from his siblings...along with the one Mikhail provided from the RMDC.

[Will flips through the papers on his clipboard.]

Will: While I haven't exactly made MUCH headway regarding finding a cure to it...

Will: ...I did find something...rather odd.

[The RAs and Cossacks glance between each other. They fidget slightly in unison—a side effect of the shared connection, perhaps.]

Nico: -Clearly has his thoughts on the matter, but doesn’t voice them as that would be a tangent-

Will: ...As...we have seen from...previous encounters...

Will: ...The virus seems to have some... ability to communicate through whatever it is controlling...

[They seem even more uncomfortable at this.]

Will: —Which led me to believe it must have some kind of level of Awareness.

Will: Yet...

Will: ...I didn't find anything that would point to it.

Mikhail: … -Clearly wants to say something himself, but forces himself to wait until he’s sure Will is done-

Will: It's directives are quite clear, but...

Will: ...whoever created this virus seems to have left a few... holes in the code, so to speak...

Pryo: ... Holes?

[Okay, at THIS, the boys look almost TERRIFIED.]

Nico: WHAT?!

[Mikhail has to calm them down forcefully.]

Mikhail: It’s alright, Alnico!

Mikhail: He said that there were holes in the virus code, not that it left holes after infection!

Nico: -Oh—-

Nico: -DEAR GOD, WILL, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW BAD YOU SCARED US WITH THAT WORDING—-

Will: I...I should have worded that better—Sorry—

[Considering their Being was in their software and they had all been temporarily infected, it was no surprise that had caused a moment of abject terror.]

Mikhail: -Sighs, mopping up some spilled hot chocolate- I had noticed it had an ability that approached awareness from the start.

Mikhail: I didn’t say anything at the time because… well, I assumed it was merely a level of coding that was above my comprehension, and that is why it appeared “alive” the way David did when I was eighteen.

Will: (Argh...)

Will: Right, you did say it...got angry with you...

Mikhail: Oh yes. And as for the boys…

Jaden: Tobias would know more, but, uh… he’s pretty tired, still. He was doing some research and analysis for us recently…

Will: ...Ah...

Avi: -Tobyyyy....-

Dyna: -BZzzzzzzt...-

Mikhail: He did have quite the interesting thing to say, though.

Will: ...?

Mikhail: He had to use a parable of sorts to explain it in concrete terms, but he remembers that his time during the fusion felt a great deal like a three-way fight with remotes over a TV station.

Avi: —....

Will: ...So he also felt the virus pull, then...

Will: Mm...

Mikhail: Mmm…

Nico: Felt it? Boy, we all felt it.

Nico: -Gestures with his left hand, scowling- It tried to send us into Lethal mode. It was like being in high fever. When one thing didn’t work, it would try another, and keep on trying with a decent force of will that was like being pushed headfirst down into suffering.

Will: (...Right...it seems to be very hellbent on completing it's directives...almost as if...)

Will: . . . .

Will: -Frowns-

Will: (...They are definitely not going to like this news, then....)

Nico: There’s a reason why Snow addressed it directly on the highway.

Nico: He’d dealt with it and our systems recognize it as an… entity, much like we do the Menace. They are counterparts of the same coin, forged from the same cloth.

Nico: Whether they have Awareness does not make them less Intelligent or less dangerous.

Will: Quite...

Nico: The fact…

Nico: The fact it actually got upset at being called out is rather unusual for something that isn’t Aware, though. Just sayin'.

Nico: There have been times when we’ve sensed it hesitate or falter, as if it were in for more than expected.

[He looks directly at Avi.]

Nico: Being hit in the face with the RMDC backlog of cross-references comes to mind…

Nico: To borrow our good friend’s favorite phrase—

Nico: It was almost “nope, NOPE, NOT GETTING PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS GLITCH"

Mikhail: -Can’t help but snort-

Will: ...Nico brings up a good point.

Will: It's...even stranger that, when you add in the supposed holes in it's code...

Will: ...It can only mean that the virus is, to some extent, incomplete.

Beck: —???

Beck: Wait what—

[They… don’t actually seem surprised at this.]

Nico: …Tch… only further proof to Cardinal’s theory…

Will: Well, I—

Will: .....

Will: (...I'm...not so sure about that...)

Will: . . . .

Beck: ....? Dad?

Nico: At least, that’s how he would have taken it.

Nico: -Grumble- I still think either it’s too complex of a plan for Cracker Snack to possibly handle, or else a kind of stupidity that even for him I have a hard time finding believable…

Will: .....

[Will puts down the clipboard.]

Will: Friends...

Will: I have been in the field of Xel Robotics and AI&A Development for at least half of my life.

Will: ....In my honest opinion...

Will: ...The coding in this virus, while incomplete, is absolutely brilliant.

[...He's not joking.]

Will: .....

Will: It's...

Will: ...It's why I still consider the possibility of Blackwell being involved somehow.

Will: It's....

Beck: ...Dad?

[...Will isn't looking at the screen anymore.]

Will: . . . .

Will: (Please let it be him and not...)

[There’s a slight… growl, almost.]

Mikhail: -Glasses glint ominously, clearly displeased-

Mikhail: Will, please, we’ve gone over this…

[He’s… gripping one hand tightly with the other, clearly tense.]

Will: .....

Will: (Mikhail, if you only knew the alternative possibility....)

Will: ....

Shadow: If I may.

Will: -Sigh-

Will: ...I'm sorry. Go on, Shadow.

Shadow: I do not consider the possibility entirely unreasonable… nor do I find it mutually exclusive with previous theories, such as CherryDynamics accidentally unleashing an unfinished constructed disaster upon the world.

Shadow: If Doctor Blackwell has been stripped of all rights and is out of public sight, with restricted access to his person, then that means that there are—forgive the cynicism—fewer people necessary to bribe, blackmail, or distract in order to get at Blackwell himself.

Shadow: When one is kept on a tight leash, be wary to be sure the leash stays in the hand of the right master.

Shadow: …If he IS involved, he may have been for—

Mikhail: {ENOUGH.}

Will: --!

Will: (Oh dear—)

[He was hugging his daughter tightly. She was silent and cowering, with her face turned away from the camera. She was shaking slightly.]

Digger: …

Digger: WELL OKAY YES GOOD theory means to work of something off of, yes?

[He was speaking rapidly now.]

Digger: EASIER TO FIND IF START KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, да—

Digger: William find in hide and seek numbers, uh-huh, he can do it! Yay.

Digger: BETTER NEWS NOW. :^D

Digger: News to be having, is yes good!

[…A rather forceful change in subject…

…though given the situation moments earlier, not exactly an unwelcome one, as far as the others were concerned.]

Digger: COUSIN TWIN SIAM

Digger: YOU TELL ANNOUNCEMENT NOW PLEASE

Will: —?

[There was a slight THUD noise as a new window opened.]

Beck: ????

[It showed Siamini in the lab at his family’s house. He appears to have been startled and interrupted rather suddenly.]

Gemini: Cossack Three, what are you— Siam: -Talking over- OH! Hello, Doctors!

Will: Siam...

Will: Digger was...telling us that you have some good news for us...?

Avi: Uh, yeah, bro, what's the scoop?

Siam: OH, Gemini: that!

[He grinned simultaneously.]

Siamini: We’ve made a breakthrough!

Will: —!!!

Avi: -—Wait wait wait, you mean—-

Siam: Finally, after all this Siamini: time!

Gemini: It isn’t perfect, Siam: but it is definitely an excellent substitute.

Siam: You know how Xel constructs need Xel transfusions to recover when heavily injured.

Gemini: We’re not made of nanites, so repairs for us usually are very hands-on and quite expensive and require specialized professionals. However, we’ve found a way that works for us much like a Xel transfusion would work for you.

Siamini: We already had such technology, Gemini: but supplies were limited and Cardinal took Siamini: everything Siam: when he raided the lab.

Siam: It took some time to find a working alternative, but at last! Siamini: We have found it!

Beck: REALLY?!?!

[There is a massive, collective, happy “PING!” of confirmation.]

Mikhail: -Significantly better mood now- We’ve yet to figure a way to reverse-engineer it, but at least we’ve found another option. It’s not exactly the most common, and can be considered rare… unless you know where to find it. Then it is accessible enough, all things considered. In fact, Lady Nighthawk is familiar with the potential supplier. We’ve put in a large quantity order, and it should be here within the next 24 hours.

[There were excited cheers all around from the Mighties, and Beck was practically bouncing in place, his optics lighting up with joy. ]

Beck: Oh my gosh this is BETTER THAN GREAT GUYS DID YOU HEAR THAT—

Cryo: -YOOOOOOOOOO—-

Avi: -HOVERING IN PURE GLEE-

Will: Wonderful—! Well done, Siam!

Siamini: ^^;

[They all seem pretty happy to see Beck better. Kalinka was smiling and speaking a bit shakily, with some tears in her eyes.]

Kalinka: {I-it means that you can… can fix them if they need to get better, and we do not have to be so afraid, and… and my little brothers will be okay and come back sooner…}

Mikhail: If it is alright with you, Will, I’d like to leave a case in your care, with Digger to help look after it.

Mikhail: </subtext: You may need it if there is an emergency.>

Will: Oh, absolutely. Thank you, Mikhail.

Mikhail: It should be simple enough to use. And in a pinch, it also works on organics, so…

Nico: …Dare I ask how you figured THAT out?

Mikhail: -Snorts- Very funny, Alnico.

Mikhail: Anyway. As I told your father earlier…

Mikhail: DCN-003 will be staying over to assist with locating and recovering MNN-004.

Digger: : >

Digger: -yes good-

Will: Mm, agreed. (If anyone can find Mic...)

Digger: We talk, make plans after meeting! да. -No, this is not negotiable, by the way, Pyro- -Just so you know-

Pyro: -...Well, for the time being, I suppose...-

Mikhail: I, however… will be staying here.

Beck: ...! Huh...?

Shadow: …?

Shadow: I do not understand. I thought you were still assisting…?

Mikhail: -Sighs-

[He took off his glasses to clean them.]

Mikhail: …Other than ongoing moral support… I’m afraid my work there is done. I’ve contributed what I could regarding the virus, which was rather little to begin with. I’ve fixed the problem caused by a bad connection to the RMDC that gave you all their nightmares. But now that we know the tide has turned, and there is no longer the constant threat of a witch hunt near at hand…

Mikhail: -Puts his glasses back on- …It’s time for us all to go home, to be honest. Since we’re already here, we may as well stay. It will be safer—and an aid to recovery—for Tobias, Jack, and Fighting Eight to be here. Given the federal scrutiny here, and the fact that Siam is making great progress there… not to mention overall concerns of safety…

[He looked over at one of his youngest sons as he said this.]

Mikhail: …It would be safer and more practical for others that I should not leave.

<DCN-007 to MNN-001>: > {Meaning, we won’t cause interference with others as a certainty, as Father will be safe and there shall be no need.}

Mikhail: Besides…

Mikhail: I have some incredibly important work to do, now.

[…This…

…isn’t exactly said in a cheerful manner….

…

…More like a very grave one.]

Will: (. . . Mikhail...?)

Pyro: .....

Beck: (...Oh...they're...staying. Well... at least they'll be safe...)

[Mikhail hesitated.]

Mikhail: …Pyrogen, Battalion…

Mikhail: I imagine you have your fair share of thoughts on the matter of the absent 000.

Mikhail: I know you have both been rather…

Mikhail: …displeased, to say the least.

Pyro: .... | [

[Bat gives off a disgruntled noise, his eyes cast to the wall beside him.]

Nico: Heh…

[He gives a wry smile that… strangely resembles his father’s smirk.]

Nico: Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Pyro: .....

Pyro: While I do not exactly hold it against him—given his reason for leaving...

Pyro: It just... doesn't sit right with me, as an elder unit. I know my place, and it's here with my family.

Pyro: (...I just don't know if I could just...leave, like he did...)

Bat: . . .

Bat: ...My loyalty is to my family—I agree with Pyro there.

Bat: ...Given the circumstances, leaving his post—he should have thought about the consequences of his actions first and foremost.

Bat: ...Then again.

Bat: He doesn't have an ounce of survival instinct. -_-;;;;;

[Mikhail didn’t skip a beat in responding to that. He spoke very matter-of-fact.]

Mikhail: That would be an accurate statement, Battalion. It is not merely that he seems to lack an instinct… he actually literally lacks such an instinct.

Pyro: What?

Bat: Ya don't mean it ain't just a joke?

Mikhail: As a military support unit prototype, he was intended to be replaceable. He was also intended to be in incredibly dangerous settings—active war zones. His basic coding centers around completing missions and protecting other combatants and innocents—partially by providing cover fire, but primarily by taking the brunt of attacks onto his person. He was made for the missions that had a high chance where he could die—that is what he was made for.

Mikhail: He was not built with a sense of self-preservation, not a true one—just a directive to be as useful as possible for as long as possible. So. As a result? His own survival is rather low on the priority list in the command cascade hierarchy, relatively speaking. Remember, he was a prototype, and much of his coding was not done by an expert.

Beck: . . . .

Beck: (Cards...)

Bat: (...It isn't going to end well if he finds Private Shade—and the chances of finding them ourselves are slim to none...)

Pyro: .....

Mikhail: …My friends…

Mikhail: …There is a reason I’m sending the case over to begin with.

Will: .....

Will: (Ah...)

Pyro: (...They aren't just for us.)

Pyro: (It's for...in case...)

Bat: ......

Bat: (Damn it, soldier...)

Skull: -Speaking rather gravely- {It may be that we shall find him, or that he shall return of his own accord… and there will be no need to preserve him, and we can just go home.}

Keltso: -Bluntly- {But the odds of that happening are not very high.}

Gemini: -Absentmindedly, already returning to his work- The chances of finding him without direct information are 1/3,800,000, to be precise.

Bat: (So I had figured...)

Pyro: ...And I imagine finding Shade without info is even less so...

Avi: -He's invisible, bro, and just as good at hiding-

Beck: (...Where ARE you two...?)

Beck: (This can't go on for much longer, can it?)

Siam: Yes, exponentially—

Keltso: -Cuts him off- {Cardinal’s not only successfully evaded us thus far—he’s done so even after remotely accessing our server of the database.}

Mikhail: Cardinal took advantage of the chaos after the airwaves were freed to connect to the database. Recently.

Beck: —!!

Beck: Wh—Where—?

Mikhail: -Holds up a hand in a “stop” gesture, turning his head slightly and closing his eyes-

[After everyone quieted down, he continued.]

Mikhail: …I have a good reason to believe that the signal was bounced, because I cannot correctly trace the location. But I am hopeful that should he try again, this time we might find him. Not to mention that the news reports SHOULD raise awareness. It’s only a matter of time before someone tips us off.

Mikhail: However, we got a notification of something else last night. New information from Drake.

Will: —!!

Beck: The one he was traveling with—!

Beck: (...Wow, I...he had time to do all that...?)

Will: And what did he say?

Mikhail: Well… we now know that he has a portable radio. This means that he’s heard every major broadcast so far, though his attention to detail may have been varied; at the very least, he surely knows that CherryDyn’s potential to create a second Monstropolis has been curtailed.

Avi: -We're still trending from that, by the way-

Pyro: -Aviator—-

Avi: -IT'S GOOD NEWS BRO-

Avi: -Seriously, the support's been pretty awesome-

Beck: ....

Beck: -Raises hand-

Mikhail: Yes?

Beck: Um...

Beck: If...if Cardinal knows I'm saving my family and helping out... like I said I would…

Beck: ...How come he hasn't come home? I mean—if he was here, then finding Shade would be a little easier if we all worked together...

Beck: ...Right...?

[Mikhail shook his head.]

Mikhail: …It’s just not that simple. He has an active, military level valid Combat initiative now.

Bat: . . . Gnh...

Beck: Uh....

Shadow: -Turns his head slightly so that he’s looking out of the corner of his eyes- …What makes you so sure it is a military directive that he is following?

[Mikhail frowned.]

Mikhail: …That would take a while to explain. The shortest version I can offer is this: then the Light Industrials went rogue, the military was called in to stop them. When that didn’t quite work, greater measures were taken.

Mikhail: But since there is not the same level of force available on hand in this world, it would be far more tempting and possible to skip straight to very, very desperate measures.

Mikhail: His contingencies that uploaded to the database while he was connected are… very grim; in a worst case scenario where all AI&As were shut down—but only after the use of great force—much of the landscape would be uninhabitable. And worse, there would not be enough people anymore. If half the population just suddenly died, the survivors might not survive for very long. Your nation as you know it would be dead.

Mikhail: That is an event that the military strives to prevent. It is one of the main reasons it exists. So to be faced with such a prospect? Of course it would activate a military directive.

Mikhail: -Primarily to Bat and Pyro- Now do you understand why he ran off, gentlemen?

Bat: ...-Grunt of reluctant acceptance- The urge to answer the call to duty when your nation is at it's worst...

Bat: ...s'not somethin' ya can just shake off.

Pyro: ....

Pyro: (...I suppose...Bat has a point...)

Mikhail: ({The fact that it was Shade involved… it still would not have been enough on its own for him to focus all his attention on Shade. He should have gone after Battalion first. The fact that he didn’t is very, very worrisome… it means that he saw Shade a greater threat to the nation than a walking tank with a military connection.})

Mikhail: He has his mission, and not even I have the direct authority to tell him to stand down.

Mikhail: Only active duty military officers of a higher rank have such authority—and even that may not work, I’m not sure.

Mikhail: In any case, he will not be deterred from his mission, and he will be driven on the most basic of levels to complete it.

Skull: {The reason we haven’t tried to go get him is that he is no longer there anymore… assuming that was the real location anyway.}

Bat: Course...can't stay in one place for too long...

Bat: Got to keep moving.

Beck: . . .

[...Nine looks rather disheartened.]

Avi: -Pat, its OK, bro...-

Mikhail: He’s no longer in Kansas City. He was definitely there, this we know—not only did he help numerous people evacuate the landmarks and tourist attractions, but he also vandalized a bit of downtown before leaving.

Nico: Wasn’t he busy helping out the city? When did he have the time?

Mikhail: I don’t know. I can only hazard a guess that it was immediately after he talked with Beck, or just after he left the hospital.

[He brings up a series of holographic images.

There were somewhat crude carvings in bricks and stone, concrete and asphalt, even other buildings— except they looked like they hadn’t been made by a blade, but rather by…]

Brand: ...Is that...

Pyro: ...acid...?

Pisces: …Yup.

Pisces: That’s sure an interesting way to use my Power Capsule… never tried it with artwork…

[Each carving was also painted over. It depicted a Talonflame in flight in a yellow triangle, with a large rendition of Shade’s signature cross-hairs placed beneath it.]

Avi: --Hey, that kinda looks like a...

Beck: ....? Caution?

Beck: (Like one of those...hazard signs...)

Mikhail: Very good, you two.

Mikhail: …Cardinal has always been very fond of symbolism, and this was no different. He’s telling several things, here.

Beck: ...That bird there--it's a Talonflame, for sure.

Beck: (...Baron?)

Beck: Is...is he trying to warn us, or...?

Skull: -Points- Well, if you zoom out a bit…

[Mikhail does so.

From a distance, it really did look like a caution sign…]

Mikhail: He is indeed giving a warning. He has seen some sort of danger, one that is a serious threat and requires him to continue the mission.

Mikhail: -Glancing at the window with Bat’s feed- But he doesn’t know where he’s going, yet—it’s only a warning, not an alert. -Returns his attention to the main window- He’s willing to travel far, possibly enough to fly—though the avian motif also symbolizes him, himself, given his name.

Will: .....

Will: And the cross-hairs...

Avi: ...That's Shade, isn't it?

Beck: . . .

Mikhail: Yes.

Beck: (So...a warning--and it involves Shade? Is that what you're trying to tell us, Cards...?)

Beck: . . .

Mikhail: He anticipates that someone will see the message—he’s hoping that not only we will see it, but also that Shade will see it.

Shadow: …That seems rather counterproductive, if he hopes to have a chance of taking Mighty Eight by surprise.

Will: . . .

Will: I doubt he has, honestly...

Mikhail: I know, and I’m sure he does, too.

Mikhail: Will… remember when I called you when this whole thing started?

Mikhail: You weren’t answering. I didn’t know for sure, but I “knew” that I wouldn’t be able to reach you—nevertheless, I still called, because to “know” in heart is still not an absolute, and there is that hope—or desire, rather, to be wrong.

Mikhail: It’s the same principle here.

Mikhail: He hoped for Shade to see this, even if it were only after the fact.

Mikhail: … Especially then, actually…

Will: .....

Will: He did send me a text during that, I'm not sure if I told the rest of you...

Will: ...It was John 15:13.

[Mikhail looks visibly saddened when he is reminded of this. Distinctly uncomfortable, as if this only makes the matter more dismal.]

Mikhail: (Oh, Cardinal…) Yes, that is part of the narrative. And there is even more to it…

[Skull pointed at the ground of the images.

There were a series of numbers spray painted there, followed by a phrase: “NOT FOR ANY REASON” .]

Beck: Not for any reason...?

Mikhail: It took a while to decipher, but we eventually figured out that it was referring to a memory file extension. His, to be more specific.

Jaden: Hang on. You didn’t tell us about this. When was this?

Keltso: Recently. Drake called and told us about it.

Mikhail: One that had been locked.

Speedy: Well of COURSE it was locked, ALL of his memories are default to be encrypted—

Mikhail: …Emphasis on had.

Speedy: …What?

Mikhail: It’s from quite a while ago, which is a curiosity in and of itself. Unfortunately, we’re not privy to much context. Only a small portion of it plays; the rest of it is still encrypted.

[He sighed.]

Mikhail: …Specifically…

[He plays the clip.]

-*-*-*-*-

<DLN-000>: >Things will be okay, Shade.

[MN.8] //: .......

[MN.8] //: ...Cards?

<DLN-000>: >Yeah?

[MN.8] //: ....If anythin' does happen t' me?

[MN.8] //: ...Don't try an' stop me.

-*-*-*-

Beck: —!!

[...It had been—or felt like, rather—ages since he’d heard Shade's voice.]

Beck: (Shade...)

Brand: . . . . .

[…This was dated back in APRIL.]

Brand: (How...did they...?)

Pyro: !

Will: (Shade...son, you...)

-*-*-*-

[But the clip continued.]

<DLN-000>: >…

<DLN-000>: >Shade, don’t make me promise that.

<DLN-000>: > B/

<DLN-000>: >I won’t because I can’t.

-*-*-*-

Beck: . . .   . . .   . . .

Beck: (I....)

-*-*-*-

[MN.8] //: No, ah' won't. I know. Just...fair warnin'.

-*-*-*-*-

Cryo: -Bro its like they knew—-

[And here, Mikhail turns up the volume.]

-*-*-*-

<DLN-000>: >I know. I know.

<DLN-000>: >But I’ll never give up on you Shade, not for any reason.

-*-*-*-*-

Beck: (....)

Beck: (Not for any reason...)

Avi: —...Uh—

Avi: -Guuuuuys...-

Avi: -If Cards is warning us about Shade or something to that effect...-

Bat: . . .

Skull: …

Skull: -Very quietly, doesn’t really want to point this out, data-

Skull: -The fact that he’s emphasizing that nothing will make him lose faith suggests that he anticipates something happening that would be the end of a friendship in lesser hearts-

Skull: -And that it’s something that Shade would feel were his own fault, should it be too late for him to recognize until after the fact-

[All the brothers suddenly gain green eyes in alarm.]

Cryo: -Wait wait wait—-

Cryo: -Shade—I mean he wouldn't—-

Cryo: ....

Cryo: -GLITCH—-

Cryo: -AAAAAAAAAH SHADE NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO CARDS BRO—-

[Shadow seemed taken aback, and looked over at Brand, somewhat troubled. All of the brothers looked somewhat surprised, actually— even Nico looked troubled. This was clearly news to him.

…There seemed to be a sudden cascade of collective data that came across like an echo in a tunnel before a flash flood—]

DEATH WEARS BLUE

[The Hunter, the Hunter—!]

Avi: -Nnngh—hurts hurts hurts-

Avi: -Shade—you can't— you're not—!-

[Most of the others were entering Defensive Combat mode. Several had already shifted to partial or full armor.]

Beck: -pANIC—-

Beck: (NonononoNO—!)

Beck: (We gotta—we gotta do something—!)

[Keltso became assertive, almost aggressive.]

Keltso: We can wish all we want, but it is more realistic to conclude that Four will be found before Eight. We have ideas and an expert to pursue possibilities for MNN-004. There are a limited number of places he can be, simply due to his large mass.

Keltso: The same cannot be said for Eight, who can turn invisible, is versatile, and more or less kept to himself.

Shadow: But—

Keltso: Before he left, Cardinal told Drake that his plan was “stupid dangerous”.

Keltso: He has a specific plan in mind. He’s probably been carrying it out, and has been for days.

Shadow: {What?!}

Will: . . .

Will: (So he...he has an idea where Shade might be, or at least how to find him...)

Will: (But where...?)

Siam: -Grouchy- 000, you ass— Siamini: why do you sign your name a mile high Gemini: with a warning of great danger that activates your military directives Siamini: and neglect to say where?

Jaden: Yeah, what’s more dangerously important than tracking down Major Five? If his military directives activated and he didn’t go for Five… what could trump that?

Keltso: You think we would be having this conversation if we knew? -Snorts- Not likely.

Keltso: If we knew, we would have sent Nine ahead, while One, Three, Six, and myself went to intercept and detain him by force.

Skull: I don’t know… that sounds a bit underpowered to detain him…

Will: (—Underpowered, he says...)

Will: (......He has a point—Cardinal took on the Prairie Kings by HIMSELF and reduced them ALL to a core state…. Even if we somehow DO find Cardinal before Shade...who's to say we can fully stop him without Eight...?)

Mikhail: Mmmn.

Mikhail: …Going after him would be a last resort. He has military level directives. This means he will fight back, and he won’t be remotely gentle.

Mikhail: It’s not quite like fighting his younger brother under similar circumstances—as 001 actually loses Awareness—but it would still be… very unpleasant.

Mikhail: Best possible scenario? He gets delayed and chooses to share information directly; I believe he will try to contact, as soon as he’s more confident in his suspicions.

Mikhail: Alternatively—while unlikely, still possible—you manage to cut him off by getting there before he has a chance to arrive on the scene.

Will: .....

Will: Cut him off...that is, if we knew where he was going in the first place...

Mikhail: Something you must understand with high-order directives—they don’t have inertia. Once the order is completed, there is no longer that compulsion to carry it out. As such, he would return home immediately.

[… “You” and not… “we”?]

Will: (Mikhail...)

Mikhail: -Turns to face him- I know, it’s quite a conundrum. …And I’m sorry that I still won’t be able to help much. I know what he would do, but where he might be going… that is peering into Shade’s mind, not into Cardinal’s. And wry comments about the two of them aside, I’m afraid I have something more within my capacity related to this that I need to focus on.

Will: -Sigh...- (Where ARE you two...?)

Will: Right...of course. Go on, Mikhail...

Mikhail: …With an alternative to E-tanks found, and the matter of replacement parts having already been resolved…

Shadow: Again, thank you for that, Beck. It has been immensely helpful for all of us.

Kalinka: Hero~~~

Beck: Eheh...you're welcome, guys...! (^\\\^)7

Mikhail: We’re now turning all our attention to the final piece of the puzzle.

Beck: ...The final...?

Will: ...That would be finding a power source, correct?

Mikhail: Exactly.

Siam: We are Siamini: sooooooo cloooooooooooose Siam: I can feel it—

Will: I'm sure you are, Siam, and I would be happy to help...

Will: ...But we have bigger, more pressing things to worry about at the moment...

Mikhail: I feel that working on this will be my best way of helping in the matter. -Adjusts glasses- Cardinal will only be returned here if Shade is returned first, or if he wears himself beyond mere exhaustion. There is a very high probability that he will be needing extensive repairs.

Mikhail: The inclusion of a new power source with the boys has been long overdue, BOTH Tobias and Carlos need it in addition to Cardinal; it’s been made very clear that even when underpowered, they will all still fling themselves into danger if they feel it necessary. It is important to allow them to be properly prepared and able to defend themselves to full capacity.

Mikhail: And this, my friends, is why I must stay, and why I cannot help.

Mikhail: I’m sorry, but the best thing I can do now is to help get things prepared for Cardinal’s arrival—

BANG!

[He was suddenly cut short by a loud explosion of some sort, followed by a crashing noise. It seemed to be coming from…]

Shadow: What was that?

Brand: That came from SHADE’S room—!

[A brief pause, followed by a mad scramble as everyone got to their feet. Shadow already had a weapon at the ready.]

Beck: (Shade— did he come home on his own—?!)

Brand: Shade wouldn’t set off his own traps, this is an intruder!

Beck: A-ack— (Nngh! He’s right!)

Keltso: No mere “intruder” could get past your security! And who would dare try? They would have to be desperate and arrogant both!

Brand: —…

Pyro: …

Will: …

[Other than an assassin, there was only one other person who fit that description.]

Pyro: -Starting to flare up- (Cardinal…!!!)

Shadow: Should we go investigate?

Pyro: You should stay back. You might set off more traps. : /

Shadow: … -That is fair-

[Before Brand and Pyro could bolt off, Mikhail spoke up sharply.]

Mikhail: Wait! Both of you, stop!

Brand: ! -Halts abruptly-

Pyro: ? What is it, Doctor Cossack?

Mikhail: If it IS Cardinal, then you do not want to worsen any active Combat-driving cross-references!

Mikhail: If he sees you the first thing when you appear in the doorway, he could go berserk!

Beck: B-but! But we HAVE to go find him!

Mikhail: -Glances over at Nico-

Nico: …?

Mikhail: -Looks to Will- Then send someone who’d set off a different kind of cross reference!

Will: …! (Ah, of course—!)

Mikhail: And hurry!

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

=CHAPTER 2A: BEYOND THE WATERY VORTEX=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

{SANDA LABS...

June 22nd, 20XX}

[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...

Soi 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!]

Will: --!!!

[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...

[There’s a sudden and VERY loud glitched SCREECH and the monitor goes dark.]

Will: ! No—!

[He hastily started typing away at his terminal, anxious to force it to return to life. When it did, it came back to an error message.]

>ACCESS DENIED

Beck: Not again…!

[MN.1] //: “Again”…?

Beck: This happened yesterday when we were trying to find you! We think Tobias is causing it.

[MN.1] //: Tobias? But… I thought he was…

Will: -Frustrated- Call! Try to scan the location you saw without scanning for Cryosphere herself! Maybe that will bypass these permissions errors…

Call: Acknowledged. Scanning…

[As she continued her scan, Will typed away furiously. To his frustration, he only got a new error.]

<RMDC>: > CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED. ENTRY: DLN-001. ENTRY: DLN_COMBAT.EXE. ENTRY: DLN-007. ENTRY: DCN-000.

<RMDC>: > ERROR—CONNECTION TO MAIN SERVER FAILED.

<RMDC>: > CONNECTION FAILED—UNABLE TO UPDATE MAIN SERVER

<RMDC>: > COMPRESSING DATA FOR NEXT AVAILABLE CONNECTION…

Will: Agh…! I should have expected something like this…

Soi: Will, how could ANY of us have expected this?

Will: If Tobias were blocking signals, it make sense he would be trying to block Cryosphere’s the hardest…

Will: She’s cross-referencing with David.

[There was some uneasy silence at this.

Out of all the Robot Masters that had been destroyed, it was the loss of the small ice child that had hit their friends the hardest.]

[His death had been truly tragic: he was trapped in a raging inferno until his powers ran out, and then blasted with a plasma cannon right at his core. He never even fought back—the gentle robot had never had the chance to defend himself.

And Tobias… had heard the whole thing happen over a live feed.]

Will: Tobias must be… trying to “protect” her.

[The healthy Mighty Numbers were deeply pained by that. Pyro was hit with a wave of guilt and confusion…]

[MN.1] //: -Nnnng, headache…-

[And Beck?

Beck was both hurt and sad.]

Beck: But I promised…. He heard me promise, I’m not…!

Beck: (I’m NOT like that…!)

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] //: —!!

Will: —! Of course...

Will: Soichiro!

Soi: 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?

Will: Call?

Call: Setting up Xel Transfer now...please wait.

[PING!]

[MN.1] //: Father—

Will: Absolutely not.

[MN.1] // My Xel Count is normalized, I can—

Will: I said no.

Will: 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] //: .........

Will: 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.

Will: Beck?

Beck: ...

Beck: I'm ready.

Will: Good luck, Beck...

Soi: 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.]

Soi: What's this—?! The main entrance is frozen shut!

Will: 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!

Will: 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.

Will: —! 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.

Will: ....-makes a face-

Soi: 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...)

Will: 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: ...???

Will: --? Is something wrong, Beck?

Beck: .....

[MN.9] //: Nope. All good here.

Call: The access flow to the filtered reservoir is just ahead.

Will: 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—

Will: .....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—!

Will: Ngh—! Call, can you recalculate another route?

Call: .....

Will: Call?

Call: There is no need, Dr. White.

Will: ...??

Call: Xel Transfer in progress...

Call: Mighty No. 1 is now on site at the Waterworks.

Will: —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

Will: Sandaaa—!

Soi: I HAD NO CLUE WHAT HE WAS DOING I SWEAR—

Call: It was me.

Soi: —?! 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!

Will: ......

Will: -gREAT NOW HE CANT BRING HIMSELF TO GROUND HIM AFTER THIS-

Soi: Heh...your boys sure are something, huh, Will?

Will: .....

Will: -SIGH-

Will: 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...

Soi: Yes, it's not just the entrance--the entire PLACE is like one giant ice rink!

Will: This is all her handiwork, alright...

Will: Careful, now, you two...

Will: 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, Soi, or even Call.]

[No...]

[MN.2] //: Well, well, ICE to see YOU, Beck! Kyahaha!

Beck: CRYO?!

Will: Wha--how did she find this frequency?!

[MN.2] //: Hiiiii Daaadyyyy!

Will: ...! 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!]

Will: 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.]

Will: ........

Beck: D-Dad....

Will: ....

Beck: D...Did Cryo really... mean that...?

Will: ....

Will: I can't be sure.

Will: For all we know, this COULD be just the virus, but...

Will: .....

Will: 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.

Flash 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--]

Will: 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.]

Will: 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--!

Will: YES--!

Soi: 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--

{SANDA LABS, LATER....}

[Cryo was met with welcoming arms and tears of relief, both from her father and her Uncle Sanda. A good while had passed before Will was reminded by his best friend that he couldn't repair his daughter while he was constantly hugging her--]

[And so, just as before, everyone got to work. Soi was left to repair Cryo while Will went to work analyzing the virus sample from her.]

[...This time, however, Pyro took it upon himself to explain what the situation was.]

[It wasn't very long before...]

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Cryo: I'M SORRY--

Pyro: I know.

Cryo: I DON'T HATE YOU--

Pyro: I know.

Cryo: BECKYYYYYYYYY--

[Beck, of course, took a moment from self-repair to come and comfort his sister.]

[--He couldn't get one word in before hose arms started to wrap around his neck and pulled him in an embrace.]

Cryo: I'M SOOORRYYYYYY--

[Beck...well, at first, he was quite taken aback--he's never really SEEN his sister cry like this.]

[...But the surprise is only there for a moment.]

Beck: It's OK, Big Sis...

Cryo: -WAILS-

[Pyro simply rubs the top of her head, twangs of regret and pain in his optics. Eventually he had to call Father to help calm her down.]

Cryo: -SNIFF- daddyyy...

Will: Shhh....it's alright, Cryo, everything will be fine...

Cryo: ...B--...but--sis....and...

[And then another wail escapes her.]

Cryo: AVIIIIII--

Will: I know, I know--I....

[......]

Will: I know....

Beck: Cryo--

Beck: Dad's working on finding a way to beat this virus--and I'm gonna get everyone back.

Cryo: ...-sniff-

Beck: You'll see--

Beck: We're all gonna be back together soon. We just gotta tough this out, OK?

Beck: So no more waterworks. ^.^

[......]

Cryo: ....-snort-

Cryo: G...Good one, bro...

Cryo: -SNIFF-

Will: Rest while Sanda gets to work on repairing you and your tank--I need to get back to analysis.

Cryo: -sniff- OK, Daddy...

Pyro: I'll look after her.

[Will nods, and hurries back to his terminal. A few ticks of the keyboard brings up the still-working analysis programs...]

Will: Call, transfer the assimilated data over to me.

Call: Yes, Dr. White.

Will: Now that I have two samples to compare, this will hopefully give us some more insight--

[PING!]

"DAD?? I THINK IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN--"

[ASSIMILATED XEL DATA SCAN COMPLETE.]

[REARRANGING XEL STRUCTURE...]

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]

"WHOOOOOA THAT WAS AWESOME--"

"That was...much more...different than the first time she gave it to you--"

"YEAH IT WAS WITHOUT THE LIGHT SHOW."

Cryo: BRO--BRO WHAT'S WITH THE FANCY LIGHT SHOW--

Beck: I--well...

[As Beck begins to explain his newfound abilities--much to Cryo's delight--Will hums deeply in thought.]

[It was true--the lights that emitted from his Xels were not present when he acquired his siblings' powers before.]

Will: (Interesting...)

Will: ....Hmm.

Call: Dr. White.

Will: Yes, Call?

Call: I detect a significant rise in your heart rate and vitals. Is something wrong?

Will: .....

Will: I'm just...nervous. Given the situation.

Call: ....

Call: Acknowledged. I will adjust the room temperature and atmosphere so that you may calm down.

Will: ....Thank you, that would be nice.

Will: ........

Will: (Could Beck...)

Will: (No--he CAN'T be. Not THIS soon...)

Will: (He's not NEARLY as ready...)

Will: (....Though...)

Will: (The better question would be if WE would be ready...)

Will: (...Gah, I shouldn't be thinking like that NOW, of all times...)

Will: (I've GOT to crack this code--before it's too late...)

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