=CHAPTER 3A: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=

=CHAPTER 3B: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=

~AO v2.0~

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

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[MEANWHILE, IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON...]

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

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

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

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

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

Eli: Everyone just CALM DOWN--

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

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

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

Jack: Yo, toss me that tablecloth...

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

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

Jack: Nope.

[B O O M!]

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

Jack: Hooookay...

[Now here comes the HARD part.]

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

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

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

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

Jack: ........

Eli: ......

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

Jack: . . .

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

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

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

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

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

Eli: --?? Wait--why?

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

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

Eli: Wait--but--

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

Eli: You?

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

Jack: .......

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

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

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

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

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

Eli: ...Hey.

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

Eli: ....Thank you.

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

Eli: Ha...yeah...

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

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

[Pop!]

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

Jack: (...Oh.)

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

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

Jack: ......

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

Jack: (HOOOOOOKAYcomeonjackdoitforherdoitforthepeopleinhere--)

Jack: (ThereisaBABYinheremanDOIT--)

Jack: AAAAAAAAAAH--

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

"OH MY GOD--"

"WHAT THE--"

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

[.......]

[Was he terrified?]

[Yes.]

[...But.]

Jack: AAAAAAAAAAH--

[ZIIIIIIP--!]

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

Jack: --HAAAAAAAHAHAWOO!

[Even HE didn't understand why--]

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

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

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

Jack: WOOOOOOO--

Jack: --OOOOOOOOH SH--

[BAM--!]

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

[Landing was...a learned trait.]

Jack: OWFRA--

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

Jack: OwcrapOW...

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

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

Jack: Nnngh gonna feel that in the morning--

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

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

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

Jack: (Where is that flagpole--)

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

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

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

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

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

———————————

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

———————————

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

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

{G O.}

[........]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[.........]

Jack: pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease--

Jack: --!!!

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

Jack: YES!!

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

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

Which wasn't much fun for anyone.

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

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

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

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

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

Jack: OOF--!

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

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

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

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

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

Eli: God, how can we--

[B O O M!]

"GNNNRRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Jack: --!!!

Jack: (...Landcrusher.)

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

[Goggles on, time to roll--]

Jack: --?!

Eli: YOU'RE COMING TOO--!

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

Jack: WAIT--STOP--!

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

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

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

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

Jack: —??!

Jack: What—?

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

Jack: (What in the world was—?)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jack: --I can't...

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

Eli: ...You were SERIOUS?

Jack: Listen I know that sounds INSANE but—!

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

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

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

Eli: JACK.

Jack: --...

Eli: ......

Eli: Where do you think she is?

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

Eli: .....

Eli: Well.

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

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

Jack: --?

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

Jack: But--

Jack: It's not mine—

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

Jack: Well—but—

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

Jack: Uh—I...um.

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

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=BONUS CONTENT: BONUS SCENE #6=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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[Following the events of Allies Obstruct, a growing time warp affects the memories of those involved. They are left unable to remember everything for as long as the warp remained in place, and regained memories but slowly.

Even after remembering the truth of what had happened, however, Will was reluctant to reveal it to Mikhail.

Time went on. Year(s) passed. The time warp itself began to shrink—slowly at first, but then suddenly at a much more rapid pace. Nearly two years (by Meadow reckoning) after the virus had gone live and subsequently been defeated, they all remembered the events up to the factory—this time, for good. And so, Will found himself on the brink of a conclusion to the whole matter…]

[SANDA TECHOLOGIES, WILL'S OFFICE.

May 16th, TUMBLR 2018]

Soi: Will?

[Will looks up from his desk, writing down the last of his reports on his terminal.]

Soi: Oh, good, you're still here--there's some forms I need filled out?

Will: Hmm.

Soi: ...? Hey...

Soi: You seem distracted...is it because of what happened today?

Will: ...

Will: -Sighs - Not just that.

[He looks at the calendar. It's May.]

[They were coming up on the anniversary of the virus outbreak. Not much longer.]

Will: It's...hard to believe it's been almost a year ...

Will: << Just like that.

Soi: Eheh...well, yeah. At least in this timeline.

Soi: ...

Soi: Look, if you want to just...take it easy, that's fine--

Will: No.

Soi: --?

Will: -Laces his hands together - Soi...

Will: I...I think...

Will: ...I think it's...time I told Mikhail.

Will: ...About...who I am.

Soi: --!

Soi: I...

Soi: ...really?

Soi: I, I mean-- I'm not against it, no, but...

Soi: Are you really sure this is the right time? I mean, so close to ...

Will: I've...thought about it. I've thought long and hard about it.

Will: >> This is...this is very relevant to it. There isn't a better time.

Will: After all.

Will: This is...this is something I have kept...much too quiet about.

Will: >> I need to fess up to things. Things I should have answered for when Mikhail...

Will: The base, Trinity ...

Will: -Sighs - I've...thought. About it. He has every right to be angry with me should he take it...badly.

Soi: But Will--

Will: -Raises a hand - I know, but it's still a possibility.

Will: I like to be thorough, Soi, you know this.

Soi: ...

Will: << If...

Will: If this goes wrong, Soi, I...

Will: ...promise me you'll take care of my children.

Soi: Will --

Will: Please, Soi.

Will: I... Mikhail is our friend , but you have seen him with Greg.

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

[He turned to face the terminal. The way he held his glasses against his face made him look incredibly sinister—a presence which was only amplified by his frightfully calm tone.]

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

Will: “...Or you will learn how unpleasant a Russian can be to a rude American .”

Will: >> Lord knows I have been more than that. Lying to him this whole time.

Will: For God's sake, Soi, he has Kalinka to think about as well as his own sons, both living and still...!

[Will pinches the bridge of his nose, clearly stressed out about this. Terrified , really.]

Will: I...

Will: I believe Felix, but he is not a father.

Will: << I...I need to know that if something... happens ...

Will: You...You will be there to explain.

Soi: Will....

Will: It's...it's going to be simple. I'll invite him over to dinner at my house--the house I own , mind you--

Will: Say I just need to have a talk, and...go from there.

Will: << If I'm not back by tomorrow, assume.

Soi: Will, you're being paranoid...

Will: Can you blame me, Soi?

Soi: ....

Soi: << No.

Will: -Sighs-

Will: ....

Soi: ...I...I promise.

Will: -Hmmn ...- Thank you.

Soi: Are...are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I mean, I'm as much a part of it--

Will: No.

Will: >> This is my secret to tell. Not yours.

Will: I need to tell him...alone.

Will: We're already so close to the end, and once...once it is done...

Will: He might just figure it out on his own, and that... that's not going to go over well.

Will: ...

Will: I'd rather I tell him myself, face to face. No more lies, no more running.

Will: Just...the truth.

Will: ...no matter how hurtful it is...

Soi: Aw, Will...

Will: -Sigh -

Will: >>

Will: -Brings out his phone- Here goes.

[PING!]

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: ...Mikhail?

<MC005>: > да?

Will: -Deep breaths - ... -Hands are shaking a little-

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: Are you free tomorrow?

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: Just wondering.

<MC005>: >Oh, да; I won't be working for a few days.

<MC005>: >Can I help you with something?

Will: . . .

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: Oh, good. I wanted to talk to you about something.

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: But I don't think I've ever shown you my house, so do you want to have dinner over there?

<MC005>: >I'd be delighted! Would you like me to bring something with me to contribute?

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: That would be nice, yes...bring whatever you like.

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: I'll bring down my old chess set from the attic, too, if you want.

[There was a string of data that translated into amusement—the shorthand entry he used when communicating with his sons.]

<MC005>: >I don't think we've ever played before. Are you challenging me to a game?

Will: -Has to grin -

[But then...]

Will: ....

Will: (...this could be the last time I get to talk to you like this...)

[He doesn't answer for a moment--but forces himself to respond.]

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: Ha, maybe after dinner. Winner gets to beat Soi.

Soi: -Looking over Will's shoulder- Hey --

Will: -Smiles a bit again-

Soi: |V -I was king of Chess Club, you know --

[Mikhail laughs at this on the other end, and sends another ping of amusement.]

<MC005>: >That sounds like a fine arrangement! да, I would love to have a game with you.

<MC005>: >Sounds like a fine evening. I look forward to it.

[DR.WHITE to MC005] //: Great. See you at 6, then.

Will: -Sighs -

Will: >> There.

Soi: ....

Will: ...don't think I'm going to get much rest tonight...

Will: -Ugh...maybe I should've done that in the morning ...-

Soi: -Pats Will's shoulder- Hey, look...

Soi: You're doing the right thing here. Telling the truth is a hard thing to do, you know.

Will: << I suppose...

Will: I'm just worried about what happens after, Soi ...

Will: They call him Uncle , and they'll notice any negative changes should they occur.

Will: >>;; I just...hope it doesn't come to that. God, I really hope it ...

Soi: | / They're going to notice if you keep panicking about it too.

Will: -Sighs-

Will: I'm sorry, I...just... (Scared he'll just...)

Soi: Why don't we just spend time with the kids?

Will: ...Mm...

[TITUS, CALIFORNIA, WHITE RESIDENCE

THE NEXT DAY]

[Mikhail arrived at Will’s House a little later than expected. He had a large covered bowl with him, and seemed very content to be out in the spring sunshine.]

[Meanwhile, inside...]

Will: -Pacing -

Will: (Just...just breathe. Just breathe. Don't panic, don't freak out, don't say anything to set him...off...)

Will: (I mean, Felix could be right, but I just--)

Will: (I just don't know--)

Will: (Oh, confound it, Enigma, couldn't have you bestowed me some subtle hint that things will still be okay after tonight --)

Ding dong!

Will: -Nearly jumps --

Will: Hnn ...

Will: (...I could still not do it.)

Will: (...No, shut up...)

Will: (You can do this, Bill ...)

Will: (He's your friend, like Soi is...)

Will: (He won't hurt you...he won't hurt you ...)

Will: -Deep breath -

[Click.]

Will: Mikhail! Hello, there.

Mikhail: Good afternoon, Will! ^^ I hope you’ve had the chance to enjoy some of it outside.

Will: ^^;; Ahah, well--I wish. I've been cooped up in the office as of late. Paperwork started piling up...

Will: Oh, please--come inside--sorry about the boxes, I, uh...I never bothered to completely unpack, eheh...

Will: ^^;; I don't really spend a lot of time here, anyway...

Mikhail: Well, I know the lab has excellent accommodations. -Steps inside- When did you move in here?

Will: Oh, ah...a while ago... (Years...)

Will: Mother convinced me to move closer to the children--I didn't want to leave her on her lonesome, but she seems to be doing well, anyway.

[The table inside was already set--and dinner was already done. It was a nice soup broth not unlike Pyro's recipe, but it smelled very different.

Mikhail set the bowl on the table and uncovered it. Inside was a very elaborate salad: lettuce, spinach, carrots, cheese, croutons, and bits of ham were all included. There were also tomatoes and pickles set aside, to be added on as desired.]

Mikhail: You mean, you didn't live near the lab when you first started? That would make commuting a chore, wouldn't it?

Will: -Grabs the plates to serve- It was...well, yes. Very much a chore.

Will: I suppose it was a good move in the end, but I practically live in the lab anyway. I...truly do believe that Sanda Tech is my home.

Will: ...Not to discount this place. It's nice. Quiet. (Hidden in plain sight.)

Mikhail: It's always nice to be close to one's children. I'm glad you have that opportunity. Even when all my sons were alive and well, I rarely got to see them except between jobs, and during routine maintenance.

Mikhail: If you need help or motivation unpacking, perhaps I can come over sometime. I've moved recently, myself, so I know how it is.

Will: ...I'd... appreciate the help.

Will: (...Maybe food would keep him in a happier mood...)

[The food is set down gently and Will serves up beverages as well. He doesn't talk for a few minutes, quiet contemplating something--but at least he's eating.]

Will: ... (Mmmnn...how should I bring it up?)

Will: (...I suppose I can take him up to the attic with me...I don't want to bring it downstairs...)

Mikhail: Still caught up in work?

Will: You could say that...

Will: I've just had...a lot on my mind as of late. It's...almost June.

Will: << ... certainly going to bring a lot of...noise out there.

Mikhail: You mean, in Titus in general? Or with the children?

Will: Titus...yes, definitely...

Will: And I know it will be difficult for the Mighties as well. There's going to be a memorial march.

Mikhail: -Looks up- ?

Mikhail: I suppose that makes sense…

Mikhail: -Frowns- -Pokes at his salad a bit before lowering his fork- There's something that has always been wondered, but I'm rather afraid of learning the answer.

Will: --?

Will: (...I...)

Will: ...Well...I, um...

Mikhail: -Quietly- Were airplanes infected mid-flight?

Will: (--I--Oh--)

Will: -Sighs - Hnn... thankfully, no.

[Mikhail looks immensely relieved at this, and resumes eating.]

Mikhail: Thank God for that. That would not have ended well…

Will: Just as Mic was too far down for us to find at first--planes in mid-flight were too high up for the virus to reach.

Will: >> It did still cause problems, as Avi did jam all communications. Including Air Traffic Control.

Will: But thankfully, the protocols in place in case something like this happens kicked in... (Thank goodness...)

Mikhail: Mmm…. -Thoughtful at that- Well, I'm glad to hear it wasn't worse.

[He wipes his mouth a bit, looking up thoughtfully.]

Mikhail: I imagine Cardinal would like to participate in the memorial march, but… it may require pulling favors. From what I can tell, his personal timeline is… fractured , in a sense, because he's continued using his old body for so long.

Mikhail: But… I don't know for sure what is going to happen after things are mended again.

Mikhail: -Concerned expression- He may be stuck in robosoul form.

Will: (Oh, Cardinal...)

Will: -Grips his fork tightly- (If only I...)

Mikhail: …?

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: I know this must all be very hard. I know these things… can haunt for many years.

Mikhail: I think your sons and daughters show great fortitude in being willing to participate in the memorial services.

Will: ...

Will: (I'd...I'd go, but I...)

Will: (Graham...)

Will: -Very deep, heavy sigh-

Will: I'm just...concerned for their safety...

Mikhail: -Slight expression of concern- …You think they'll be assaulted?

Will: >> I know the...the reception considering their situation during the virus outbreak has been mostly positive, but...not everyone agrees.

Will: I...I know I can't stop them, but ...

Will: << The most I can do is just hope for the best.

Mikhail: -Seems thoughtful-

Mikhail: Perhaps… perhaps that is the favor Cardinal will ask for. I do not think he would be alright sitting idle for too long if he has another option.

Mikhail: I know he will want to be there to support his family. Though I imagine his sudden reappearance after two years will cause quite a stir on its own.

Will: (Two years? I guess it’s been longer in the Meadow….) ...I think...they'd feel better knowing Cardinal would be there with them, yes.

Will: People would think twice, with him there...

Mikhail: -Smiles- Well, we'll have to let him know, then.

Mikhail: Things will get better, Will. It'll take time, but they will get better.

Will: ...

Will: (...Mikhail...)

Will: ...I...yes.

Will: (Things will get...better...)

[It's hard, but Will forces himself to eat the rest of his plate. He doesn't go for seconds, but does pour himself another round of apple juice.

Mikhail does have seconds. He was feeling rather worn out and hungry as of late—which is why his sons had told him to take a few days off of work. Things were better now that time had mended significantly, even if the process of getting there in such a short time had been almost painful.

He was content after seconds, though, and pushed his plate back.]

Mikhail: That was very good, Will. -Pleased smile- Thank you for dinner.

Will: You're welcome...

Will: (...Chess. I promised him chess. One...one step at a time...)

Will: -Gets up- Well, I did say we'd play a chess game after this...

Mikhail: Ah, yes! Do you want to clean up a little first, or go straight to the game?

Will: (...) Cleaning up can wait.

Will: There's, um...a...a problem, though.

Mikhail: ?

Will: I know the chess game is in the attic, but...um, not exactly sure where it is up there...

Will: I, ah...do you want to help me...look for it...?

Will: (Nn...my heart's racing, stop it ...)

Mikhail: Certainly. Which way to the attic?

Will: It's this way. Upstairs.

[As Will takes the lead to the attic, there are some pictures set up on the wall along the stairs. Most of them are of his family--the Mighties, Sandas. Pictures of championships won.

One of them is of Beck's birthday--And Shade's, being the most recent.

...The last one, though.

As Will passes by it, Mikhail can see that it's a old, frayed photo, slightly burned away.

It's a younger Rebecca, holding what looks to be a very young, bright eyed Will.]

Mikhail: (Ah, children photos~)

[...The photo seems to be... incomplete, though...

But what was burned away was missing entirely.]

“Mikhail?”

Mikhail: !

Mikhail: Ah—coming.

[He follows Will into the attic and looks around.

It's...pretty dusty. Very dusty. Will is coughing a lot, and he reaches over to switch on the light--]

[Zzt!]

[...which IMMEDIATELY shorts out.]

Will: ... -~-

Will: I...I haven't been here in a while. Sorry.

Will: -Coughs - Ugh...and I'm regretting it. =~=

Mikhail: -Turns on the flashlight on his phone-

[Boxes. Lots of old ones.

In one corner of the room, however, there's something that has been draped over with a large white sheet.]

Mikhail: What does the box look like?

[Will is already rummaging through various boxes with...purpose.]

Will: Wood. It's all wood.

Will: It's...it's a family heirloom.

Will: -Turns on his own phone light to see better-

Will: ...

Mikhail: -Looks through- -Raises an eyebrow- …Just how many of these boxes have old textbooks, Will?

Mikhail: I'm seeing things all the way from grade school.

Will: ...

[Will doesn't...answer. He seems very, very focused on finding the chess box.]

Mikhail: -Moves on to a different box-

[The next box contains what appears to be school documents. Again, all the way from grade school.

But it wasn't just assignments.

These were records, and whatever was on them had been blocked off with a lot of black ink.]

Mikhail: (Still no chess set…. I wonder why he brought these with him rather than leaving them at his mother's.) -Moves on to another box-

[Photos.

Photos from collage, to be precise. A lot of them are of Soi and his brother--And...

--Will?

Goodness, he looks very different without the hairdo.]

[This particular one was eye catching, though. It was definitely Will--in a fencing outfit, a smug grin on his face as he held a very large trophy in his arms. Next to him was a very excited Soi and Seiji, and a very proud Rebecca.]

Mikhail: (Ah, yes—Soi said he was a fencing champion, didn't he? I suppose the trophy must be somewhere, too. Seems like everything from school is here, goodness…)

[...Strange. Why wasn't this one hung up with the other photos?]

Mikhail: Will, are you sure it's up here and not in a closet somewhere?

Will: ...

Will: I...

Will: ...<<

[He takes a glance across the room. To a singular, small box next to another...something, draped under a white cloth.]

Will: ...-softly- I know where it is.

Will: I knew this whole time. I'm sorry.

Will: I just...

Will: ...really need to...talk to you...alone...

Mikhail: -Looks up- ?

Mikhail: Are you in some sort of trouble, Will? -Frowns- Is it something I can help with?

Will: ...Right now, I...I just need you to listen.

Will: -Takes in a very shaky breath - And bear with me.

Mikhail: Alright… -Concerned, but. Staying put-

Will: ....-Kind of. Sits down, hands on his knees-

Will: ...

Mikhail: -Sits down also-

Will: ....

Will: I...when...

Will: When...a long time ago...

[He seems to stop, and then gets stuck somewhere in his thoughts--and then starts again, this time glancing over at Mikhail.]

Will: I never had many friends like you, Mikhail.

Mikhail: (Oh, Will…)

Will: >> Soi was the only real person I felt I could...be myself with.

Will: And then you came along, and...

Will: I just don't... get other human beings, I guess.

Will: I never have.

Will: << Not ever.

Will: Not when they seemed to hate me and Mother so much.

Will: Growing up was...hard.

Will: I...

Will: I was...alone, most of my young life. All I had was Mother. She was there, always, when things got... difficult. Especially during school.

Will: And after a while, I figured that...that maybe I was just always meant to be alone. To never understand others.

Will: Except Mother, of course...and then later, Soi.

Will: ....

Will: << I...you and Soi, our family, it's the most important thing...to me. I'd never do anything to hurt you, willingly.

Will: But I...

Will: -Gulps-

[...He goes silent again.]

Mikhail: -Tilts his head, rather puzzled-

[He was feeling very concerned for his friend, and not quite sure where this was going.]

Will: I just...I just want to let you know that I...

Will: ...I care, and that I'd do anything for you and your family--and mine.

Will: ...

[Will drags the box over, as well as the draped object.]

Will: I'd do anything...

Will: -Sighs-

Will: ...I'd even lie .

Mikhail: ?

Will: I...

Will: ...I'm sorry, Mikhail, I...

Will: I only wanted to...be free...

Mikhail: -Quite concerned, but determined to just listen like he said he would-

[Will’s hands shake as he opens the box. It seems very...well, it doesn't look like a lot at first. A lot of old papers, items. A journal, some baby toys, handwritten letters, and a very, very old block of dead Xel.]

Will: I haven't been...

Will: ...honest...

Will: ...for far too long...

Will: -Narrows eyes sadly- Like some coward .

Mikhail: -Alright , NOW we're stepping in- Will—

Mikhail: You aren't making much sense right now but you are not a coward.

Will: << No, Mikhail.

Will: Everything in this room--

Will: I stole it, Mikhail.

Mikhail: —beg pardon?

Will: The school documents. Text books. Assignments.

Will: I...I took them.

Will: ...except for that chair... everything against the left wall...and everything in this box.

Will: -Puts a hand on the draped object- This is probably the only thing I ever earned, fairly.

[He uncovers it.]

[It's the same trophy as the picture. It's a first place fencing trophy.]

Will: I absolutely hated it when I had to give it up. Fencing. I felt that it was a skill that was mine and mine alone , and that was not tied down to who I am.

Will: << ...Who I really am.

[Will takes the trophy with both hands, the plate facing his chest. He holds it with a grip that made his knuckles turn white. He's shaking .]

Will: I-I...I never meant to lie to you. To anyone .

Will: But I just...I know that if I stay silent about this any longer--

Will: << You and others are going to have to pay more than what you already have.

Will: I...I've thought hard about this. And I...

Will: ...I trust you.

Will: And I want you to know that I'm...I'm sorry .

Mikhail: -Slight frown- (Sorry for what ? Oh, Will! You're really worrying me now…)

Will: . . .

[With a heavy silence, Will gives the trophy over to Mikhail.]

[Mikhail accepts it, though it's a moment before he looks down at the actual trophy. He shines his flashlight on it.]

[It's gold is faded and really needs a shining. Will himself is so dreadfully silent, clutching his arms as he waits. Just. Waits .]

[The words on the plate below are faded was well...but they are readable.]

[200X NCAA NATIONAL COLLEGIATE FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS.]

[FIRST PLACE]

[BILL APOLLO BLACKWELL]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Squints and reads it again- …???

[He looks up in surprise and confusion.]

Mikhail: ???

Will: -Trying not to panic -

[He can't look at him. He just. Can't .]

Mikhail: -Slowly- …Your birth name is William* Blackwell?

((Generally speaking, "Bill" is (one of the) short for "William" because that makes total sense </English> ))

Will: ...B...Bill.

Will: I'm Bill Blackwell...

Will: ...

Will: Dr. Blackwell's son.

Will: He's my father .

[Okay, NOW Mikhail looks surprised .]

Mikhail: What?

Will: He's...he's my father.

Will: The man that tried to shut down every robot in America is my father.

Mikhail: …

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

Siam: I can say with certainty that your Doctor Blackwell was driven by the loss of a child.

Will: ...But....

Siam: The behavior matches exactly.

Siam: And for that matter, look at Doctor Cossack. Do you not see what he was driven to when his child was at stake?

Siam: Fathers are driven to great darkness when faced with such incredible loss and despair.

Will: I...I see, but... Blackwell...HAD no children. He didn't even have constructs.

Will There are no records of him ever building any robots of his own...

Siam: For what you know. May I point out that almost no one knows of Cardinal, either?

White: ....True....

Soi: But to think Blackwell himself had a child?

Siam: Is that so strange, Doctor Sanda? He is a man driven to create.

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

Mikhail: (That was… one of the first things we talked about…)

Will: -Shame-

Will: -Shame, guilt, sorrow, we're sorry--

Will: -Never wanted to hurt you, lie to you, I--

Will: -I had to...had to do all these things just to be free from that accursed name--

Will: -Never wanted it, he LEFT Mother and I to face the world a l o n e--a world that hated us for who we are--

Will: I...

Will: I'm sorry I...l-lied...

Will: -...lied to you about everything, who we are, what we are-

Mikhail: Will …

[Mikhail seems… tired.]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: Changing…

Mikhail: Changing identities is never easy …

Mikhail: Especially when it's… out of necessity …

Mikhail: I know that… I know it all too well….

[He lowers his phone and turns off the flashlight.]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: That was… one of the very first things we ever talked about, Will. One of the very first…

Will: ...That...I... I know, I ...

Will: -I knew it wasn't because of me, he left US, not the other way around...-

Will: I...

Will: ...-softly- I...I thought I was the only one ...

Will: -I...I don't think that's even true anymore, Mikhail-

Will: -It's the only explanation...-

Will: -Had...dreams...-

[His friend’s eyes become sad and weary.]

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Slowly- Will …

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: …I don't blame you.

Will: ...

Will: >> Don't say that yet.

Mikhail: Will, we barely knew one another then.

Mikhail: You couldn't be sure so easily that we could be trusted. That's just being careful.

Mikhail: Though…

Mikhail: -Slowly, again- …Why…?

[He doesn't seem to be finished, though he is having a hard time finding his words.]

Will: -Hnn ...-

[Will knew it would come to this.

That he'd had to tell him...what happened. To her .]

Mikhail: Why are you…?

Mikhail: Why are you acting like there is danger?

Mikhail: There is no shame in changing a name to protect yourself or leave behind those who are unkind to you. I myself have been forced down that road.

Mikhail: And you knew that.

Will: -Very shaky, drawn out breath -

Will: ...when...Father...left...

Will: Didn't...call. Didn't...write. Didn't care .

Will: And then he just. Did .

Will: -Buries head in his hands- I was such a fool ...

Will: Fresh out of college. Seiji already in Tokyo. Plans for Am...American Branch.

Will: Was going to apply. First thing, after it was built. Soi already put a good word in.

Will: ... ...and then Father called...me...

Will: ...To come work at... CherryDynamics.

Mikhail: !

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

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

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

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

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

Will: …..

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

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

Will: Wanted answers . Why was he there, why wasn't it all over the news, why did he leave us...

Will: So I went. And applied. Head of Xellular Research within the week.

Will: ...

Will: I shouldn't have taken it.

Will: But HE knew I wouldn't pass up the chance to talk to him.

Will: Graham knew... exactly what he was doing...

Mikhail: (Graham ? Graham plays a role in all this??!?)

Will: After all...Father was getting there in his years, so he'd need to train a replacement.

Will: -Bitterly now- And what was better than another Blackwell genius ?

Will: It was all a part of his plan .

Will: One that I was too blind to see.

Will: ...and it's the reason why I had to run.

Will: The Colosseum was...very quickly rising in popularity. Back then, it was CherryDyn that ruled the sands. Under the guise of lesser companies they own.

Will: I was young, and curious, and really, I only wanted to talk to Father. Just him--only him. But Graham...no, he made sure I saw him as little as possible.

Will: Under the guise of good advice, looking out for me...silver tongue, spitting out sugar coated lies...

Will: And even when I did have a second alone with Father, good God ...

Will: He brushed me off, told me to get out , he was always never...

Will: It...it only got worse from there.

Will: << A few months in, Graham pulls me aside to speak to me about a special project .

Will: Oh, it was very special, going to take the world by storm -- and then, perhaps, once it was unveiled, perhaps people will finally stop spitting on the Blackwell name.

Will: -Angrily- “Oh, it's going to be marvelous. And you're going to build it.”

Mikhail: -Frowns sympathetically-

Will: ...and I did.

Will: I built it. Built...her .

Mikhail: -Softly- Your first child…?

Will: ...yes.

Will: Before Pyro .

Mikhail: Like how David was before… -Trails off, just sad-

Will: CDN-1101.

Will: ...

Will: Trinity.

Mikhail: … -Softly- That's a very powerful name…

Mikhail: What was she like…?

Will: ...

Will: She... didn't have a body. Not yet. That was Phase 2.

Will: It's always the Core that gets built first. Always .

Will: Very carefully. So very carefully.

Will: She was truly the first of her kind. I poured everything I had learned into her. I wanted...

Will: -Disheartened - Wanted to live up to Greg's expectations, and prove Father wrong. Once he caught wind of the project, he was livid .

Will: Said she was too dangerous, that she'd...

Will: ...cause more pain than she was worth ...

Will: But I was young. Angry. Angry . I didn't listen.

Will: Father was against everything I was doing, Greg kept pushing me to finish her quickly--but it wasn't that simple, Mikhail. She was unique .

Will: You know exactly what I am talking about.

Will: ...Beck would've liked her...

Mikhail: -Frowns at this-

Mikhail: My friend…

Mikhail: If it's too much, I… -Starts fiddling with his wedding ring absentmindedly- …I know how hard loss can be, how difficult to talk about it.

Will: -Hnn ...-

Will: ...N...No. I...This is the truth. I need to tell... all of it.

Mikhail: …Alright…. I'm here for you.

Will: -...I'll be fine-

Will: ....

Will: ... Eventually...

Will: E...Eventually, Father took action. He was the CTO at the time.

Will: He ordered the project to be shut down.

Will: << Of course, Greg wouldn't have it. He wanted his ace in the hole completed, no matter the cost.

Will: They both came to the lab, despite my pleas ...

Will: It was a very delicate environment, and the arguing, the...the stress, the anger, it all scared her ...

Will: It scared her so much that she lost control of her powers, and everything in the city suddenly shut down.

Mikhail: !

Will: Trinity ...

Will: I built her with the prime directive to grow, learn, and evolve, much like the very nature of the Xel she was to control. She had never experienced such a high tension situation before that, and I...

Will: -I...I had to...they...-

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

“WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!”

“I--I don't know--!”

“Do you see NOW? It's because of YOU that we're all going to DIE, boy!”

“SHUT HER DOWN!”

“G--Greg--?! No, she's just frightened--! I can--”

“I SAID SHUT HER DOWN BEFORE THIS GETS ANY WORSE! BEN, DO SOMETHING--!”

“NO, WAIT--FATHER--!”

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

Will: -Grips his hair-

Will: -Can still hear her screams in nightmares-

[Mikhail comes over to sit next to Will, putting a hand on his shoulder.]

Mikhail: (Oh, Will…)

Will: -And then the silence, couldn't--save her, too weak, had to scramble her code--

Mikhail: (You poor soul…)

Will: -She was just scared, just scared...-

Will: -Everything just fell apart, Greg--Greg wasn't happy, Father was screaming, he tried to--to hit him--

Will: -There was blood, Greg was BLEEDING, out cold, thought...-

Will: -Ran-

Will: -I just r a n-

Will: -Left her there, broken, and I just...ran away...-

Will: ...

Will: ... knew Greg would blame me. Couldn't find me after I ran. Blamed Father instead.

Will: Ran. Ran very far away....left...

Will: Left Soi too...

Will: Bill was a wanted man, but he couldn't be wanted if he didn't exist .

Will: Before Greg could try anything, I burned everything .

Will: Records. Papers. Digital. I had become like him, a criminal, and I didn't want that life.

Will: I wasn't going to become what the Blackwell name is . I had always resented it ...

Will: ...I was more than happy to throw it away.

Will: I couldn't be with Soi if I was Bill--couldn't keep my promise. I had to do something .

Mikhail: -Looks away, saddened- (…Kalinka…)

Mikhail: (It seems like time and again, I just make things harder for you …)

Will: -Hnn ...-

Will: -He knows-

Mikhail: —?

Will: -He KNOWS, and it's my fault-

Mikhail: He… knows?

Mikhail: What do you mean?

Will: ....The...

[He swallows.]

Will: ...the virus .

Will: I...saw, all too late in the code, I...

Will: -Tears up, Hnnn--

Will: Her scripts. Her scripts are IN there. It's her. It's Trinity--!

Mikhail: !

Mikhail: The virus consumed her?

Will: -I don't know, I don't know if they USED her code to make it or had it consume her but it was--part of her is in there, it is there--

Mikhail: Oh, Will…!

Mikhail: I'm so sorry…

Will: -He knows, I had to know, Greg...-

Will: -Monster...he's a monster--

Will: -Says he didn't have anything to do with the Virus but it is definitely a LIE, he turned her on, brought her back from the DEAD--!-

Will: Brought her back to haunt me, to exact his revenge against us...Blackwells...

Mikhail: !!!

Mikhail: -Takes his hand away- (All of that… for a revenge plot ?)

Mikhail: (Against someone who had vanished and wished to live in peace?)

Mikhail: {Damn that man…!}

Mikhail: {I knew when I confronted him that his irresponsibility had caused much suffering, but this …}

Will: I was stupid ...

Will: ...We were always known for our temper...

Will: ...

Will: ...at least I punched him in the face.

Mikhail: -Double take- Before you left?

Will: No. At the factory.

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: ?!

Will: ...

Will: -I had enough of it...-

Will: -Had enough of you suffering, of...of them suffering, everyone suffering...-

Will: -All because of him ...-

Will: I had hoped to get a confession. Or some kind of... something . I don't know now. I was angry, he was using my dead daughter as fodder for a crisis he probably orchestrated himself.

Mikhail: (Cardinal and I had always thought that to be the case…)

Will: -Consumed by rage ...-

Will: -Wanted to...-

Will: (Make him... suffer...)

Will: -Hnn...-

Will: ...

Will: -...I suppose it never left me. Being a Blackwell-

Will: -Clearly felt it when we were grinding Greg under our heel-

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Heh - -Wry smile—- Admittedly I'd like to hear more of that…

Will: -We punched him the face and THEN ground our boot on his suit. Expensive suit. Heh...-

Will: ... -Smile fades off-

Will: << But he...he recognized me. After I yelled at him.

Mikhail: … Oh … oh dear …

Will: -Yeah. Stupid idea. Very stupid idea, you may hit us for it-

Mikhail: -Slips his fingers into his hair- …

[He seems to be thinking on this, unfolding a web of ramifications in his mind. The spark seemed to die out in his eyes, which became cold and distant.]

Will: ...know he can't expose me without exposing himself. He blamed Father, not me.

Will: Not much proof now either.

Will: ...except for this, and I keep it here hidden away. The attic isn't even on the official schematics for this house. I modified them.

Will: And Mother...

Will: She... she's had to change herself too. She was so... worried ...

Will: -....-

Will: I...

Will: -...never meant for this to happen, never...wanted...I...-

Will: --You almost died because of me...

Will: I... -Hnn ...--

Will: -Sorry, we're so sorry, we're...-

[Mikhail is moved with pity at that and pulls Will into a gentle hug.]

Will: -Chokes, can't--

Will: -Too scared, too scared--should've taken the blame instead of you, you--I--

Will: -Just a coward--

Mikhail: Will…

Mikhail: My decision to send Tobias through the backdoor Shade had left open in the White House was mine and mine alone.

Mikhail: I knew as I was making it that it would come with a heavy price .

Mikhail: That was by no means your fault, Will.

Will: -No--No--it was my fault, all of it--

Will: -If I just had fessed up, just had come forward, told Cardinal it was a person in the Virus--

Will: -Told you, told THEM, the...-

Will: -Chokes- The--The other one...-

Will: That was u s...

Mikhail: …? (“Other one”?)

Will: -Six hours, they told us, SIX, and he was trapped, no way out, robots were swarming him, time was running out--

Mikhail: (Wait a minute…)

Will: -Panicked--panicked, just panicked, had to do something, they were going to kill my s o n s if they didn't--!-

Mikhail: (Don't tell me—!)

Will: -I'm sorry--

Mikhail: -Draws back- The base? It really was compromised?

Mikhail: That wasn't a trick?

Will: -I...had to...disengage the door locks...there were...Beck was...BAT was going to...-

[Tired. He felt tired and faint, and weary and...]

Will: -Saw them, missiles, large...big...t a l l-

Mikhail: {Oh dear God—}

Will: -Sniffs- Panicked...said they would...extract Beck, but Bat--and what if they didn't do it in time--I...I...-

Mikhail: {I—but—}

Mikhail: Augh—!

[He curls a hand into a fist and presses it up against his forehead, clenching his teeth.]

Mikhail: {Did you KNOW that it would place the others at risk??}

Will: -I...-

Will: (I wasn't... thinking...all I wanted was to save my sons ...)

Will: (I can't tell him that...)

Will: (...no, I have to.)

Will: -...time limit. Wasn't thinking. Battalion was preparing for all out war -

[Mikhail stood up.]

Will: -Winces at the sudden action--

Will: (Hnn...I knew it...I knew it...)

Will: (I'm sorry, Soi--)

Mikhail: -Puts a hand to his forehead and slips it into his hair, taking a deep breath-

Mikhail: Of course, who am I to talk…?

Mikhail: After all that I did…

Mikhail: Matthew 7:3-5 indeed…

Will: M... Mikhail...

Will: -...trails off-

Will: (I'm sorry, I...I...)

Mikhail: That was… that was so dangerous, Will …

Mikhail: But you didn't know… you didn't know at the time…

Mikhail: …unlike me , who made such a choice knowing what would happen…

Mikhail: {But what choice did I have but to save her?}

Mikhail: {She is all I have left of her mother…}

[He crosses his arms and turns his head a bit, closing his eyes. He looks very worn out.]

Will: ... -...m...m'sorry-

Will: -...know it was wrong, know it was. You didn't deserve this and I hid like a coward...-

Will: -Should've been me...-

[Mikhail opened his eyes again and gazed down at Will.

After a moment, he knelt down again, sitting back on his heels.]

Mikhail: -Places a hand out on Will's shoulder- It was a dreadful decision to have to make, and no good option presented to you. I understand why you made it, and I certainly understand why you hid from the aftermath. So, for what it's worth…

Mikhail: I forgive you.

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

Will: (...He...)

Will: -Blinks -

Will: … …really?

Will: -After lying to you? Letting you get hurt and...this--?-

Mikhail: I won't gloss over it, Will. This is a lot to take in, and it's not a painless thing.

Mikhail: Will… I told you—if not to detail, at least to bitter openness—the truth about my past. You knew almost right away that I had been forced to… to darkness.

-=-=-=-=-

[After the two leave, Cossack remains silent for a few moments, if shaking a bit. But he slowly takes off his gloves, revealing—scars.

Scars all over his hands and going up his wrists, burn scars and scars from skin graft surgery.]

Soi: !!

Will: Oh my God--

[He speaks in Russian only, with the computer translating with a slight lag.]

Mikhail: {You speak of World War Three? I very nearly lived it.}

-=-=-=-=-

Mikhail: You knew who I was, of my deeply personal sorrows and weaknesses.

Mikhail: This… that created an imbalance of power in the relationship, Will. You held a great deal of power over me, and did not reciprocate this. Such an imbalance is dangerous, or at the very least unhealthy —especially in the long-term. Relationships—friendship included—cannot prosper without mutual respect and trust. -Concerned frown- And yes… you did withhold—you withheld that from me. From us .

Will: -Hnn...- -...we just. Thought it was over. We're... sorry...-

Mikhail: A good deal of access and trust has been granted to you, Will. Things that almost no one else is permitted to even know of, let alone see and interact with. You allowed this to happen… under pretense. Not a false pretense, per se , but a pretense nonetheless.

Mikhail: This…

Mikhail: This was important, Will. And no one knew.

Mikhail: None of us were able to make an informed decision, because you withheld the information. No one was able to know the full extent of what they were getting into when they granted you all that access. And they deserve that much, Will—we gave you leave to study their bodies and peer into their souls . To learn about their weaknesses, risking that you—or, as would be more likely, though still very unlikely to pass…someone forcing you—could exploit these weaknesses.

Will: -Very silent- (No, I'd...no, I'd rather die ...)

Mikhail: To have granted all of this without realizing the full measure of a man…

Mikhail: That is frightening at best and hurtful at worse. At worst, it is insulting and betraying.

Will: -Hnn...-

[That did hurt...and he hated it. But it was less than he deserved...]

Mikhail: The longer I think on it, the more uneasy I become. Risks were taken that no one knew about. Especially now that CherryDynamics knows who you are.

Mikhail: Hatred overrides reason, William. The intimidation of your children may not be enough anymore: not enough to protect you, them, or us.

Will: (...He's right...he knows they CAN be controlled, to an extent...)

Mikhail: And that is something that I wish I'd known earlier.

Will: -...We...understand...-

Will: -Very disheartened, just...sorrow, we had this coming, we...hn.-

[Mikhail’s face was grim, and what little light there was reflected off of his glasses, making them shine ominously.]

Mikhail: I can only be glad I never took Kalinka anywhere in your world outside of the safety of the lab. For I am quite sure that she will be identified as the weakest link in the equation…

Will: -Ghn--

Will: -Deep terror and regret--

[Mikhail’s hand was clenched into a fist, shaking slightly. He looked down at it and spoke thickly.]

Mikhail: …I'm going to have to start working more on ways to protect her from long-range attacks…. It was one thing when it was just my own folly that placed her at risk, but this….

[He sighed and put his head in his hands.]

Mikhail: I would NEVER have been so blatant about it and taken such a risk if I’d known that I would live to regret it, but I was /so CERTAIN/ that I was going to die…

Will: (Linka--I never--I never meant to put you or your father in harm's way, I thought...I thought this was over, I thought...Hnn...)

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: Access was given under pretense, Will, and we weren't told about the potential dangers—not even after you'd revealed yourself to your hunter. That placed both my children—living and Offline—as well as my patients… in danger.

Mikhail: And yes, that is upsetting.

Mikhail: But…

Mikhail: It is as much our fault as anything else, for speaking so freely and… -Trails off, sighing- It ought to be a lesson to me (and the Rebel Angels) regarding security and privacy.

Mikhail: Besides…

Mikhail: I probably will end up being placed in the same situation as you before too long, what with living as “Michael Kodak” back in my home world. Living my life in a way where I can tell no one the truth… where people could be placed at risk just for associating with me…

Mikhail: Just…

Mikhail: I was so starved for trust and friendship after what happened...

Will: ....

Will: -Same -

Will: -Someone like Soi is...once in a life time, you...-

Will: -Hmnnn-

[Will tiredly leans against a set of boxes.]

Will: Never understood people...much less people in our field...

Will: Back then, I thought it was over, I thought...

Will: -Thought I was free...-

Will: << Now I've just made it worse.

Will: -...I...-

Will: I swear if...I want...

Will: ...got you into this mess. Lied to you. I'm responsible for this.

Will: I want...I want to make it up to you.

Will: I...want to help .

Will: >>...I got you into this. I need to help you get you out. You, Kalinka, everyone ...

Will: I won't...I won't run again. I can't run again.

Will: Can't let him hurt anyone...

Will: (Graham...)

Will: It's...It's my mess and I got everyone into it. It's only fair ...

Will: ...

[Mikhail smiles a bit at this.]

Mikhail: This is just what I mean.

Mikhail: It stings to hear of all of this, especially the part with the base and the factory, but…

Mikhail: You have a good heart, my friend.

Mikhail: And you are young yet—it is too easy to judge when one is older, when you've lived through what I have. But you… you were doing the best you could with what you had, living to try and protect that which was dear. How can I resent you for that? Nay—that is forgiven.

Will: M...Mikhail...

[Oh, dear. Here come the water works.]

Will: -I...Ghn...-

Will: -Been...months, now almost, a year, Soi...Soi kept telling us to tell you, told us to tell Felix too, it's been...hard...-

Will: -Afraid, afraid you'd think less of us...-

Will: -The children love you so much, didn't want to...ruin anything, more than what we had--

Will: -Didn't want this to...be the end of it all, of all that we had built and I...I trust you-

Will: I'm sorry, I-- -His face is a mess, hate crying...-

Will: It's...you, Soi, Mother, Felix...

Will: ...Father ...

Will: -We're very sorry and we...we WILL make it up to you, we promise, we swear-

Mikhail: -Encouraging smile- Help me make the technology to put my mind at rest, and that will be enough for me as a father.

Will: Of--Of course--

Will: -We'll put everything we got into it, we will--

[And as Will stands up, he suddenly feels lightheaded--and falls forward into the floor.]

Will: -OW -

Will: @~@

[...Poor guy, he's exhausted.]

Mikhail: -Helps him sit up in a way that will revive him-

Will: -...stood up too fast...-

Mikhail: You've taken a lot out of yourself sharing this. It can truly be quite draining.

Will: -Hnn...bluh-

Will: -Maybe we should have had seconds after all...-

Mikhail: Something to drink, at the very least.

[Will's hand drifts over to the box, and his fingers brush over wood.]

Will: ...?

Will: Oh.

Will: -Holds up the chess box- ...Found it.

Mikhail: -Smiles at this- Ah! So that’s where it was hiding.

Will: ...

Will: -Pops it open- Father used to play with me on this.

Will: I was always white.

Will: It hasn't seen a game in a very long time...Hnn...at least all the pieces are here.

Will: It was made in England...very long ago. Father is from there.

Mikhail: That must have made the Queen's Finals that year all the more interesting of a watch…

Will: It was...nice to go there, though, besides the Queen's Finals...

Will: ...

Will: They...they liked it too...

Mikhail: Your children?

Will: -Nods-

Will: (....they don't know...)

Will: (They don't know they are Blackwells...)

Will: ...I...

Will: <<...I...I don't...know how I'm going to tell them. They...they have so much... already...

Will: I know they need to know, I do...

Will: -But these dreams, and...the fact that Graham is their cousin--?-

Will: -Hnn ...-

Mikhail: -Puzzled at that last bit, but decides not to question it for now-

Mikhail: I do think that the boys ought to know, but not before you tell your own children. I think that would be too much of a strain on Cardinal's heart to keep that from Shade… same for Shadow and Brandish, or Avi and Tobias.

Will: I...yes...

Mikhail: Though, Will…

Mikhail: Now that Graham knows , your life is going to become very unpleasant and dangerous. -Very concerned-

Mikhail: He will try every dirty trick—legal and otherwise—to make you pay for resisting his domination, denying him his glory, robbing him of his prize ace, and coming out on top as heroes.

Mikhail: We know CherryDynamics had at least one CAL connection. There may be more.

Will: Mnn...yes...we're up against the world's top leading robot manufacturer ...

Will: (Quite literally the world...)

Mikhail: He’s going to try to choke the life out of Sanda Enterprises, and will also likely try to disrupt the potential of the Mighty Numbers.

Mikhail: It already happened once before in another life, and that was without even knowing all this.

Mikhail: (Poor Lady Countershade... she didn’t deserve that.)

Will: -gnnnrr...-

Will: -Katie...-

Mikhail: He has enough money and spite in his being to host a number of disposable assets—rivalries may “accidentally” get out of hand in “the heat of the moment”, or assault carried out in rare moments alone or almost alone...

Mikhail: I’d guess Shade, Beck, Avi, and Dyna at the greatest risk.

Mikhail: They should at least know that much, if not all the background behind it.

Will: ....

Will: (...Once the Colosseum seasons start up again...)

Will: (I will have to tell them something to that effect...)

Will: (But I know they will believe me...they disdain CherryDyn too, after all this...)

Will: Yes yes...I...I know. I know.

Mikhail: -Thoughtful- Hmm...

Mikhail: Soichiro and Seijiro should meet with Lady Ky at some point.

Will: -Nods- Hmm... Yes, good idea...

Mikhail: Nighthawk Industries may be able to provide some business support, if it doesn’t create a conflict of interest with her hosting the Rebel Angels.

Mikhail: She will be happy to help in any way she can, and may provide extra security measures.

Will: -Oh thank goodness...- That would be great, yes...

Will: I don't think there will be much problems. If anything, the Rebel Angels and Mighty Numbers might be presented as friendly rivals, at any rate.

Mikhail: -Laughs- I should think so, though admittedly they’re going to likely be based out of Kansas City, not Titus. The Prairie Kings will have a thing or two to say about getting their territory infringed, I’m sure—though I can’t see them actually being primarily battle based, to be honest. Their great talent lies in problem solving—to be expected from a series comprised mostly of Industrials. They will, I think, be a team more versed in other kinds of competition that also can put up a good fight when put to the test.

Will: Aheh...I wish them luck in that. I know they'll do great...

Mikhail: Do you think you ((pl.)) will be able to watch the first match?

Will: O-Of course! I wouldn't miss that for anything -- and neither would the Mighties.

Mikhail: I can’t help but get this feeling it will happen this year. -Content smile- Just a feeling I have.

Mikhail: I know Cardinal has been looking forward to it.

Mikhail: He’s been dreaming and daydreaming about it for years.

Will: -Snorts lightly - Arena Fever never left him, hmm...

Mikhail: Well, his very first impression was seeing the Titus Colosseum amenities and grounds, and the Mighty Numbers’ locker room and trophy hall. I think it made quite the impression on him.

Mikhail: As it would anyone, I’d imagine, don’t you agree?

Will: Eheh....hmm...

Mikhail: Though I will note for his sake that I think he’s more interested in the opportunity to have a good time and spend time with other people, and the chance to work with the Mighty Numbers—that more than anything else.

Mikhail: We really do enjoy spending time with you all.

Will: I...I do to. -Sigh of relief -

[PING!]

Will: --?

[DR.SANDA] //: Will? Sorry, I know you said not to text or call you but--um, just, let me know how things are going when you see this--sorry, I got worried...

Will: Oh.

Mikhail: Hmm? Something come up?

Will: No, it's just Soi...

[DR.WHITE] //: Things are fine...better. I'll be home soon.

[DR.SANDA] //: 👍🏼

[DR.SANDA] //: |D

Mikhail: Still up for that game?

Will: ^^;; Um...help me get downstairs first?

Mikhail: Heh. Certainly.

[He helps Will down the stairs to the kitchen and pours him something to drink. Then he goes back to the attic and gets the chess set, bringing it down. He sets up the board as well.]

Mikhail: Do you want to use the timer, or no?

Will: No...not really.

Will: Um...

Will: If there's...anything else you want to ask...

Will: You can.

Mikhail: -Thinks on this-

Will: -...Chooses white- I'd rather get anything you want to know about... me ... out of the way...

Will: For once.

Mikhail: -Thinks- Alright.

Mikhail: What’s Felix’s role in all this?

Will: << ...Soi...Soi saw that I wasn't doing too good after...

Will: ... everything ...

Will: And said that I needed to get these... secrets off my chest before they crushed me.

Will: <<;; ...but I wasn't ready to tell you.

Will: Soi suggested I'd tell a trusted, neutral party instead, and that was...Felix.

Will: He...helped. A lot, with quelling some of the fears I had...

Will: << Although he did push me to tell you too.

Will: << Felix needed to know eventually, anyway. He said he wouldn't take sides, but urged me to come to terms with whatever...consequences that followed my silence.

Will: << It was hard and I felt...It felt wrong telling him first than you. I'm sorry.

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Resigned frown- No, it’s alright. He is a good man, and has seen much. He knows how to keep silence, and is a faithful friend. If... if you were so nervous about telling me, he would be a natural choice as confidant.

Mikhail: -Seems perturbed-

Mikhail: I can tell this was difficult for you. Which I can understand, if one has grown used to the cruelty of the world. One grows to expect backlash.

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Moves a piece- But...

Mikhail: -Somewhat disheartened- Are you afraid to bring up problems you have with what I do or say?

Will: --? I--no, no, it's...just...

Will: ...

Will: << I...maybe...when it comes to issues with Father ...

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Quietly- I suppose that is... fair, given how I have behaved about the matter in the past.

Mikhail: I know it’s not very wise to make judgments not knowing or living the full extent of the matter, and seeing motives where they may not exist, but...

Mikhail: I never truly told you the extent of what happened. How far I strayed for my little girl...

Mikhail: You’re talking to a man whose family is his world—

Mikhail: So he sacrificed the world for the sake of his daughter.

Will: ....

Mikhail: Millions could have died… and I knew that if I gave in, even if we lived, it would be in a desolate world that had no bright future for her.

Mikhail: But I surrendered anyway.

Mikhail: I let myself become a catalyst for war—a war that would devour East and West against one another—for the sake of one person.

Mikhail: When faced with evil, I facilitated it, rather than refuse to let it grow.

Will: -...hesitantly moves another piece, blocking Mikhail- ... (But what else could you do ...?)

Will: (You could've died and left Kalinka an orphan, if you didn't do what they wanted...or worse, they could've hurt her ...)

Will: -Unhappy expression-

Mikhail: This guilt... it has never left me.

Mikhail: Now we are leaving our home—probably forever. Because of what happened, we have to move to another country, change our names, change our appearances, and begin to live in lies—lies and loneliness.

Mikhail: She’s just a child... she is a flower, and flowers do not thrive shut away. But how can I protect her otherwise? To allow others close will be to place either them or her at risk.

Mikhail: I see how hurt you are and I wonder—

Mikhail: Will she, too, grow to resent me for a situation she had no control over? For a life of secrecy and shame?

Will: . . .

Will: (I...I hadn't...)

Will: >> I...I grew to be that resentful and hateful back when I was a teenager because I had always wondered why Father left us so suddenly. She has you , Mikhail and...

Will: At the very least , you both have the chance to talk it out.

Will: I...I never had that.

Will: (Still don't. He refuses to speak to me about anything ...)

Will: Mother... she never knew either.

Will: It was just...us. Alone.

Will: <<...I don't know how she couldn't stay angry with him. Maybe she just loves him that much.

Will: -Moves his knight- She always told me not to worry about anything but I knew. And I think she did too, and somehow we both ended up working to together to keep it...together.

Will: It's... hard, it truly is...

Will: But...she has you, and... that's a lot more than what I had.

Will: She's clever, you know.

Will: Sometimes mature children can...just, understand that there's something wrong, or not right, so they will pretend to know less than what they really know .

Will: I know I did, for a time.

Will: I am, after all, the child of a genius, and so is she.

Mikhail: -Slight smile at that, heartened a little-

Will: ...I...Well, I personally never became angry with Mother. I knew that Father just...leaving made her very upset--it made us upset--and it both left us feeling lost and confused.

Will: To be in the same or similar situation, there is a common ground...

Will: ...to which I am sure Kalinka is at least aware of in some form.

Will: >> But I can't be sure how she will react. I can only go off of what I myself have experienced. Talking with Mother, understanding where she came from...it helped me understand our situation and...well, I wanted to help.

Will: I did little things at first. Simple things, chores. Cleaning. Learning how to sew, cook, laundry...

Will: Mother was--still is a vehicle mechanic. I'd help her in the shop with tools, sometimes help her fix them...

Will: -Smiles - We would take apart an entire engine and put it back together, timing ourselves...when we had spare time.

Will: Including the Xel based cars. That was one of my first encounters with it.

Will: -Moves a pawn- Mother knows a thing or two about Xel too.

Will: I mean, of course she does, she married Father ...

Mikhail: I should like to talk to her someday. Perhaps when all of this is over, she can pay a visit. I think I would like her to be there when Anubis comes Online—it truly is a rare occasion.

Will: Yes--that's another thing. It was just us two, but you have your sons as well.

Will: ...I think...I think if you're just careful and talk to her, yes...things will be fine. It will be hard, but it gets easier once you busy yourself.

Mikhail: I suppose it does...

Mikhail: She seems happy around you and your family, at the very least. I’m glad...

Mikhail: Would you still like to learn more about Robotics as it works in Robot Masters and the lesser constructs?

Will: I...well...if you still want to learn about Xel! ^^;;;

Mikhail: I would indeed. -Slight smile that becomes a full grin- I think that once I learn, we can work together to give the boys a chance to live without fear of discovery in your world. And that would be of great comfort to them.

[His eyes are bright and alert.]

Mikhail: I have ideas in mind that I would like to carry out, though it may be some time before I can work on my sons. For that is work I would prefer to do alone.

Will: Oh, of course, of course. Whatever you like and is comfortable for you, I promise.

Will: -Lifts up the Queen, but--

Will: --!

Will: Oh .

[Will sets it down where it was again. He can't really move...]

[But neither could Mikhail. Stalemate.]

Will: ....

Will: -Snorts loudly--

Mikhail: -Grins-

Will: You know, I figured this would happen--

Will: -Kind of covers his mouth to stifle his laughter- But I didn't think it would be the very first game we had, ha--!

Mikhail: -Chuckles softly-

Will: -Who's going to beat Soi now--

Mikhail: Simple.

Mikhail: He must play two games at once. -Grins-

Will: ...

Will: -We like this idea very much, we can see the look on his face, HA--

Mikhail: -Takes a picture of the board and puts away his pocket notepad-

Will: -Also snaps a picture- Heheh...~

Will: I'm...I'm rather glad I told you in the end. Soi and I got into a lot of shenanigans back in high school...

Will: And college. Oof ...

Will: ^^;; But those are stories for another time.

Mikhail: Yes. Let’s clean up for now.

Mikhail: Thank you for the game—it was nice to play again. It’s been a while.

Mikhail: -Starts putting everything away- And Will?

Will: ...Yes?

Mikhail: Thank you for telling me, my friend.

Will: ...You're welcome. I...felt it was time. One day...

Will: One day I'll tell the others too. I promise you this.

Mikhail: I believe that when the time comes, the boys will understand. They may be frightened at first, but they have grown very fond of you and understand how it can be with such circumstances. After all, I am going through similar.

Mikhail: Now then... let’s finish out the evening.

--------------- [LATER...]

[PING!]

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Will? You there--?

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Here. Mikhail just left.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Oh--! Did...how did it go? You said things were going well before...

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: It was...hard. And he was understandably upset about some things. The... factory, the base...

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: You told him that too?! Will--

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I figured I'd get it all out at once, Soi.

[DR.WHITE to DR. SANDA] //: No more secrets. Just the truth.

[DR.WHITE to DR. SANDA] //: ...I'm just so... relieved...

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: We talked things out, and...I think it's going to be okay. ^^

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Oh...thank the Lord for Mikhail being such a patient man...

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: We're really lucky to know him, yeah?

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: We really are, Soi...we really are.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: So...now what?

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: We need to act now. We need to protect them, Soi. I...I put them in danger letting Greg know who I am. We need to fix it.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I suggest you call your brother in the morning.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Got it...

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I will be working with Mikhail on some projects to protect ourselves--and he will work on some alone. I think I should do the same.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Oh--you mean Beck's new upgrade?

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Yes, that. I should get back to work on it. As for you, Mikhail suggested that you and Seiji speak to Nighthawk Industries...

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Oh...well, if that's his idea, I'll let him know.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: ...And the kids?

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: ...I need to talk to them soon. Let them know that CherryDyn is indeed a threat. Maybe not all of the reasons behind them, but...they need to know.

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

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I know , Soi, and I will tell them one day--but it's not time. Let us steer ourselves out of these shark infested waters a bit.

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

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: -Sighs - ...Okay. I trust you.

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: ...But for now, come home, alright? The kids are getting rowdy--

[There's a sudden thud in the background--and screeching.]

"AVI WHEN AH' GET MAH HANDS ON YEW, YOU'RE A DEAD BOT, YA HEAR ME--"

"RUN AWAAAAAAAY--"

"NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE--DON'T JUMP OUT THE WINDOW--CRYO GET O F F ME--!"

"FIRST ONE TO DOG PILE ON PYRO GETS SOME OF MY ICE CREAM STASH FROM SNOW--"

[And now there is collective thuds and yelling --]

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Ahah...help?

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: I'm coming, don't worry. See you soon.

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

=CHAPTER 1D: RAGING FLAMES SMOLDER=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

{Titus That Evening}

[Thud.]

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

[Ping.]

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

Beck: -Groans-

Beck: Guys...

Beck: Where ARE you--?

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

[Ping.]

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

[Anyone...]

[Ping.]

[ERROR: DLN-000 SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

[Ping.]

[ERROR: Ø SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

[But he was met with errors and silence.]

Beck: ....

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

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

Beck: (Why...)

Beck: (Why ME?)

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

Beck: (Oh, please, please, I just want some help--!)

[But try as he might, and for a good while too, he got nothing. The fact that Avi was probably still sitting on the airwaves didn't make this any easier, either...]

Beck: ....

[With a final sigh of defeat, Beck crawls off of his blankets to dig into his backpack.]

[He then pulls out a smart phone--which was of course corrupted with the virus as soon as he clicks the button on the side. Ugh.]

Beck: -Displeased, go away.-

[A flash of green XelFilter later, and the phone was back to normal.]

Beck: ...

[He flips through the contacts list. He knew that Avi would make sure the phones wouldn't work, at least while they were infected like this...]

[But, he had the power to just fix it, so--something so small...Avi wouldn't notice, right?]

Beck: (...It's worth a shot...)

[CALLING...]

———————

{Kansas City}

[Cardinal wiped off some Xel that had splattered on him, sighing about the damage to the artifacts.]

Cardinal: (Those were historically significant baseballs, I hope they can—)

[His phone went off rather loudly, startling him.]

Cardinal: !!! Again?

“Everything alright in there?”

Cardinal: Yeah, Drake! I’m finished in here! Just give me a moment, someone’s calling!

[Drake opened the door, stepping in cautiously with some museum staff behind him.]

Drake: At this hour? Who is it?

Cardinal: -Looks at his phone- …

Cardinal: !!! Beck?!

Drake: Wait, what—? Like, the Mighty Numbers—

Cardinal: Shhh!

[He put the call on speaker.]

Cardinal: Beck? Is that you?

—————————

{Titus}

Beck: —!!!

Beck: CARDS—!

Beck: Oh my gosh oh my gosh—it worked—!!

[His sudden yelling obviously gets the attention of Pyrogen—who was resting in his own room at the time. Beck's door opens and the Mighty Number looks ready to tackle someone—]

Pyro: —??

Beck: -Puts his finger to his mouth, SHHHHH-

Beck: -Data, it's Cardinal—!-

Pyro: —!!

[PING—!]

Beck: -Leans back into the phone while Pyro calls the others-

Beck: Cards—gosh, it is so good to hear your voice, oh man—

Beck: I didn't think—Didn't—

Beck: -WEEEH-

Beck: -Caaaaards-

[There's some yelling somewhere in the building.]

“Uhh…?"

[He sounded confused.]

"It's… good to hear from you too? Uh…."

[A pause.]

“What’s with the shouting? Are you alright?”

Beck: Yeah—I mean—yeah—

Beck: Just—are YOU okay?!

Beck: Y-You just left and everyone's wondering where you went to and it's just been—nuts—not even nuts, just completely insane—hnn...

Beck: I was—still—really worried since everything is...

Beck: -We are just so relieved to hear you, SNIFF-

Pyro: (Cardinal...)

“I’m fine, but—”

[There was noise in the background, as if other people were whispering.]

“Beck, how did you get through to me? I tried calling earlier and didn’t get an answer!”

Beck: Well—I fixed this phone and I thought, since it wasn't infected...I'd try calling you...

Beck: The database is down, and—wh—

Beck: Call, wait, give it back—

Call: This call is now on speaker, DLN-000.

“Okay…?”

Call: This unit requests that you confirm who exactly you called.

Call: This information may be vital.

———————————

{Kansas City}

[Cardinal pulled the phone away for a moment to stare at it in exasperation.]

Cardinal: -Mildly annoyed at the redundancy of the question- I called Shade, of course.

Drake: Shade? You called Countershade?

Cardinal: -Looks up, smirking slightly- Told you you wouldn’t believe me.

Cardinal: -Returns his attention to his phone, grin fading- I know you guys must be terribly busy, but seriously! I really did need some help, at the time. How are things holding up on your end?

[Before Beck could answer, Pyro’s voice came through.]

“Cardinal…? Where are you?”

Cardinal: -Looks around the room- …

[He was suddenly wary.]

Cardinal: …Where I need to be right now. Why…?

Cardinal: What’s going on here?

——————————————

{Titus}

“Where’s Shade?”

Beck: -Hnk...-

Pyro: . . .

“Where is he?! This isn't a game, guys—I really could use his help!”

[...No one answered, for a while.]

Beck: C...Cards...

Beck: Cards...y-you were there...

Beck: Didn't...didn't you see?

“What are you TALKING about?”

Call: Statement: DLN-000 was present during the initial outbreak.

“Uh, yeah? I somehow ended up in—…the place where I am now… and have been fighting crazy people since then. What are you getting at?”

Call: …

Call: Inquiry: what is the last thing you remember prior to the current national crisis?

“National? Are you telling me that this isn't isolated?”

Beck: Didn't… didn't you hear the news broadcasts…?

“I was a bit busy, Beck—”

Call: Statement: DLN-000 needs to answer the question.

“Mnn. …We had pancakes—”

Pyro: (What…?!)

Beck: B-but that was yesterday—!

“What?”

Pyro: -A bit incredulous, but also very concerned- Cardinal, are you alright…? You… you aren't… ill, are you?

“What?! No, of COURSE not!”

Pyro: Are you sure—? Memory loss is—

“-Interrupting- Is the standard side effect of a Stop error. Just spit it out, already, guys—where is he?! I don't have all evening!”

Call: Statment: the location of Mighty No. 8 is currently unknown.

“Ugh, of COURSE, he must be working… I'll have to catch up with him after I'm done here…”

Call: Clarification: the locations of Mighty Numbers 2-8 have not yet been determined.

“Excuse me?”

Beck: I...

Beck: They...

Beck: Th...They got infected, Cards—

[Silence.]

Beck: You… y-you were shouting about… not leaving him behind…

Beck: D-don’t you remember…?

[More silence.]

“H-hey, Cardinal—you alright there?”

———————————————

{Kansas City}

>KEY WORD IDENTIFIED: INFECTED

>CROSS-REFERENCES IDENTIFIED: VIRUS, GREATER DUSK, 04.04.2016T MEMORY DATA

-=-=-=-=-

[MN.8] //: ....If anythin' does happen t' me?

[MN.8] //: ...Don't try an' stop me.

-=-=-=-=-

>PROCESSING…

[Cardinal had sat down rather suddenly, his mind reeling.]

Drake: Talk to me, man—

[Cardinal said nothing, his sense of the present fading into a sea of analytics.]

>PROCESSING…

[His mind was swimming with facts and statistics.]

[A national crisis of crazed robots—of violence like the Queen's Finals. A virus. The world had a large percentage of robotic persons. Robots took up a large percentage of the work force, especially when it came to industry. And it wasn't just industry—there were black-ops covert organizations as well.

Because Industrials, Civvies, and even entertainment-focused Combat 'bots aside… there was an ENTIRE organization of assassins to account for…]

>FUNCTIONAL PLACEHOLDER DATA: +500,000 THREAT LEVEL BLUE SUB-VARIABLES, DENSELY CONCENTRATED IN MAJOR CITIES

Cardinal: !!!

[His eyes suddenly FLARED bright green in alarm.]

Drake: Are you okay?

Cardinal: -Shakes his head, staring off into the distance with a haunted expression-

[He was drowning, drowning in data. Dark, grim facts.

This timeline had an outwardly crippled military, which didn't have the numbers for small-scale counterstrikes. Civilians were at risk.

Civilians were at risk—!]

>WARNING! WARNING! PRIORITY ALPHA MISSION RECOGNIZED!

>GENERATING CODE RED CONTINGENCIES…

[With something like this… something that they weren't prepared for on a psychosociological level…

…It was manageable NOW, but—! If someone launched a large-scale attack, the casualties would SKYROCKET…!]

Cardinal: (No… no…!)

[Memories. Distant memories.]

-=-=-=-=-

“....that doesn't make us immune to viruses.”

-=-=-=-=-

[The Mighty Numbers were not immune to viruses. All of the Mighty Numbers had been infected. He'd already been running a Code Red contingency.

He'd been THERE when they were infected, when everyone was infected, and it was a Code Red contingency.

They were ALL infected.]

((Pic: Avi w/stats and abilities listed))

>CODE RED THREAT IDENTIFIED: MNN-006 >ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 5,000,000 - 19,500,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 10,500,000+

[All of them.]

((Pic: Bat w/stats and abilities listed))

>CODE RED THREAT IDENTIFIED: MNN-005 >ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 8,500,000 - 40,000,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 150,000,000+

“C-Cardinal?”

[Help. Help. He needed help, before it all turned into another Monstropolis!]

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > -WARNING! PRIORITY ALPHA CODE RED CONTINGENCY ACTIVATED!-

[His systems screamed an S.O.S., but there was no response. The RMDC was disconnected, and Shade wasn't answering.

But of course he wouldn't, would he?

Because HE'D been infected, too.

What if he…!?]

>INSERT VARIABLES: MNN-008, VIRUS, CODE RED: PRIORITY ALPHA >PROCESSING…

Cardinal: (N-NO!)

>ERROR - ANALYSIS DATA CONFLICTS WITH PRIMAL ANALYSIS NEXUS ON FILE FOR VARIABLE: MNN-008

Cardinal: (Shade—Shade could NEVER do something like this—!)

Cardinal: (N-not—!)

Cardinal: (NOT THIS—!)

[Except Shade wasn't himself anymore, was he?]

-=-=-=-=-

“Don’t fight the person: fight the parasite.”

-=-=-=-=-

[And what would happen if a hostile parasite had access to Shade's capabilities?]

>COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF SECURITY, CYBERSECURITY, AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS (COMPLETELY DISABLED SECURITY SYSTEMS FOR HEADQUARTERS OF GLOBAL MANUFACTURER) >COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF ADVANCED AND RESTRICTED WEAPONRY (OPERATED SHOULDER LAUNCHER WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS) >ACCESS TO WHOLESALE SUPPLY OF MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY (MULTIPLE CASES OF OBTAINING CUSTOMIZED HIDDEN WEAPONRY TO PROVIDE TO UNAUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS) >PROFESSIONAL GRADE FIREPOWER (ESTIMATED MAXIMUM RANGE: 1.8 MILES) >ABOVE-SUPERIOR MILITARY GRADE STEALTH TECHNOLOGY: ONLY ONE KNOWN NON-LUCK BASED METHOD OF DETERMINING LOCATION — SCENT

[There was no avoiding it.

With Shade's abilities? There really weren't any LIMITS to what he COULD do.]

>WARNING! PRIORITY THREAT IDENTIFIED!

((Pic: Shade "RADAR" w/stats and abilities listed))

>CONTINGENCY 1: AIR FORCE BASE >CONTINGENCY 2: NAVY YARD >CONTINGENCY 3: ARMY RESEARCH FACILITY >CONTINGENCY 4: BIOCHEMICAL WARFARE >CONTINGENCY 5: NATIONWIDE BLACKOUT (INCLUDING BACKUP GENERATORS) >CONTINGENCY 6…

[He could see it now, in the full potential—he could see what would happen if someone like Shade managed to strike in just the right place.]

[The final results of the analyses that filled every aspect of his Awareness showed a domino effect created by the United States essentially vanishing as a military and economic power, which led to a truly global nightmare.]

>ESTIMATED PRIMARY CASUALTIES: 1 - 40,000,000+ >ESTIMATED SECONDARY CASUALTIES: 290,000,000 - 330,000,000+ >ESTIMATED TERTIARY CASUALTIES: 2,920,000,000 - 4,120,000,000+ >ESTIMATED QUATERNARY CASUALTIES: 1,000,000,000 - 3,000,000,000+

[After falling from power, there would be a cascade of economic collapse that spread throughout Europe, Asia, and South America—followed by violent civil wars in some places, and power grabs in others from highly brutal, totalitarian forces that were no longer held in check by the functional presence of a benevolent superpower that enabled the continued existence of other benevolent world powers….]

>ROOT CONTINGENCY COMPLETED. INCIDENT CODE: “SECOND MONSTROPOLIS”

[He could barely think. What was he going to do?! He was built to fight tanks, not to combat a literal plague of violence!]

>PROCESSING…

——————————

{Titus}

[The silence was really starting to become… worrying.]

Beck: C...Cards?

Pyro: . . .

Beck: Cards—

Beck: Please don't hang up, please—say something—

[Something seemed to click.]

“Pyro—? If everyone got infected—if the WHOLE FAMILY—then—”

[There was as much confusion as anguish in his voice.]

“How are you—? How are you here? Why?”

Pyro: .....

Pyro: I...

[There was a tremble in Pyro's otherwise strong tone.]

Pyro: -Turns his head away-

Pyro: I'm here now, yes...

Pyro: But I...I, too, was... ill...

Pyro: And I would still be, if not for you, Beck...

Beck: -Big bro...-

Pyro: He saved me, Cardinal.

Pyro: …it was… not easy…

Pyro: …but here I stand.

“S-saved?”

Call: If I may.

[There were no objections from the other end of the line, at least.]

Call: Unit Mighty No. 9 is immune to all manner of malware due to his XelFilter program.

Call: This allows him to purge any Xel absorbed and correct--purge--any sort of irregular coding and malware found.

Call: As it was recently discovered, Beck can use his XelFilter program on other infected units to restore them to their original selves.

Call: As of this morning, Beck has successfully retrieved unit Mighty No. 1 from an oil field refinery, and purged him of all harmful malware.

——————————

{Kansas City}

[There was a pause as Cardinal took this in.]

>INSERT VARIABLES: MNN-009 VIRAL PURGE >CONTINGENCY PARAMETERS: SUCCESS RATE OF 100%

>PROCESSING…

[Time. There was still time to fix this. They had a WAY to fix it; and if they could do this fast ENOUGH, then…]

Cardinal: Th-then…

[If they could act fast enough, and handle the main threats, then people would be able to hold together. To do so long enough that they could isolate and purge the virus.

They would have to act FAST, but if there WAS a cure, then…

Light.

There was light in the midst of this despair.]

——————————

{Titus}

“Then there IS hope…”

Beck: -Suddenly- Of course—!

Beck: I just couldn't—there's no one else, there WAS no one else—

Beck: I know it wasn't—not their fault, I had to do SOMETHING—

Beck: I swear—I'm gonna save them, I swear—!

Pyro: Beck—

Beck: He needs to know!

Beck: "He needs to know I'm not going to... I won't, I won't..."

Beck: I p r o m i s e...

[A pause.]

“-Sounds distracted- Do you know where the others are?”

Beck: I...

[A very long sigh.]

Beck: ...no...

——————————

{Kansas City}

"B-But—! We're looking for them! Call is doing everything she can—"

Cardinal: (Of course… I should have known as much. Still…)

Cardinal: -Speaking aloud again- You… you WILL be able to find them, though, right…?

[Ping!]

"This unit will not enter Sleep Mode until all MN units are found."

"—…Uh, Call—"

"Opinion: Sleep is overrated."

Cardinal: -Twitches a smile- I thought Beck said you didn't sleep to begin with, but…. Thanks, that's… encouraging?

"Affirmative."

" W-What she means is that she'll—she'll find them! We found Pyro really quick, so it's only a matter of time—!"

"That is true..."

"And--and once we do, then—"

"You can come see them, right—?"

Cardinal: Of course I will, Beck.

[He heaved a sigh.]

Cardinal: Assuming I make it out of this in one piece, anyway.

"H-huh…?"

"-Concerned- Are you injured?"

Cardinal: -Snorts- Wrong question to ask someone with a fatal coding error. You know that.

"Statement: DLN-000 possesses all the chemical components involved in the medical research oriented at providing treatment for said ongoing problems. Upon return to Sanda Enterprises—"

[Something seemed to click for Cardinal, and he gave a grim expression.]

Cardinal: Guys…

——————————

{Titus}

“…I’m not leaving.”

Pyro: What?

Beck: —Pyro, don't break it—!

Pyro: -Flares- This city and still COUNTLESS others are overrun with crazed bots, Cardinal! You can't STAY out there!

Pyro: Not only do we need you, your FAMILY needs you—we haven't had contact with them since Avi took over the waves again!

Beck: Pyro—! -Don't TELL him that—!-

Pyro: -He will find out anyway—-

“I tried contacting the RMDC earlier, and that was down as well. The fact that you hadn’t traced my call and teleported me out yet already told me that it is still down, or Mikhail would have done so already. If anyone else were missing, you would have mentioned that. This tells me that everyone else is currently safe. I fully trust the others to be able to keep it that way.”

Pyro: None of us knows that for certain!

Pyro: You need to come HOME, NOW, you have a duty to uphold as the head of—

[This was a poor choice of words.]

“-Angry, VERY angry due to being DEEPLY insulted- Don’t you lecture a soldier on duty, Pyrogen A. White. I have damn good reason to continue my mission, and you’d do best to not belittle my motives! My family is safe, and my duty is elsewhere!”

Pyro: -Flares—-!- Motives?! What is more important than—

Beck: Guys—!

Beck: STOP IT!

Beck: Fighting about it isn't going to bring ANYONE back!

Beck: I don't WANT to fight about it, I don't want to fight at all—

Beck: Bring you back was hard enough—

Pyro: -Flames die down at this—-

Beck: And I know I can't do it alone—!

“…”

Beck: I just can't—!

Beck: Cards please I know you care about Shade b-but—I—I don't know if I can d-do this alone—

Beck: Please—come home—

Beck: P-Please—!

[Silence.]

Beck: P-please…!

————————————

{Kansas City}

[Cardinal ran a hand over his face, putting it over his mouth. He was unusually calm given his temper mere moments earlier.]

“C-Cards…?”

Cardinal: …

[His mind went back. Back to the fall of Monstropolis.

To the carnage. The wreckage. The destruction.

The hate.

His mind took him back to those days, to the days when the mobs sprung up all across the country, and protestors tore factories and constructs to pieces. To the months and months of news reports detailing the scandal, and the new regulations and orders that started to choke the life out of the industry.]

Cardinal: …

[He would give anything. Anything. He would give anything to spare them that here.

They did not know the danger. They understood the threat to them personally, but they still did not see…]

“A-are you okay? P-please, say s-something!”

[He slowly vented a sigh.]

Cardinal: Beck… I can’t.

"Cards—!"

"Please—! We need you—you're smart a-and you know what to do and—and—"

[He was slammed with guilt, and for a moment, he wavered. He truly wavered, and his fortitude—if not his complete resolve—crumbled a bit beneath the weight.]

Cardinal: You… you really do look to me like that, do you…

—————————————

{Titus}

Beck: O...Of course I do...

Beck: Y...You're family too...

Pyro: . . . (Beck...)

————————————

{Kansas City}

Cardinal: -Strained fan buzzing, pain-

Cardinal: I’m not you, Beck. I can’t do what you can do. Even if I were to go there, it would still all come down to you.

“I-I—!”

Cardinal: If you can do it with Pyro, you can do it with the others.

"B-But—the forms—I lost them, I got hard reset when the virus hit, I don't have—!"

Cardinal: It’s alright, Beck. It’ll be alright. I know you can save them.

—————————————

{Titus}

“I believe in you.”

Beck: —!

[Something flared deep within Beck's own code for a few moments--and tear filled eyes suddenly widened as they glowed with a bright, green light.]

Beck: ...y-you...do...?

Beck: I...

Beck: (He...Cards... believes in me? Me?)

"You've already done the impossible. You have a kind heart and abilities that rival—nay, even surpass my own. You have the resolve and people to support you, and a family that gives you strength. Yes… I believe you can do it, Number Nine."

Beck: Me...?

[For a moment, Beck seemed...almost dazed. Pyro took this time to set down the phone in Beck's hands again.]

Pyro: ...Cardinal...

Pyro: I do too.

Beck: -Another eye glow at this-

Pyro: ...but that doesn't change the fact that you still need to come home...

Pyro: Wouldn't it be easier for both of us if we worked together?

"I…"

[Cardinal sounded painfully lost, almost uncertain. When he gathered his thoughts to something coherent, he sounded very sad, almost remorseful.]

"What exactly is it you think I'm after, guys…?"

Beck: . . .

Beck: Shade...

Beck: It...it has to be...

“It’s more complicated than that. You don’t understand.”

Pyro: Enlighten me.

[There was an exasperated sigh on the line.]

“You all just don’t see it, do you? If things continue like they are now, then—”

[KSSST—!]

Beck: —!!

[The screen—and call—suddenly filled with static, and Avi's symbol could be seen on the display as it glitched onscreen.]

Avi: D'aw, that's real touching.

Avi: Noooot. Barf. Sentimentality is SO last century!

Pyro: AVI—!

Beck: Avi, no—!

"Gosh, you sound REALLY mad at him. Did I miss something?"

Avi: HA! From what I've heard, sounds like you've been mentally sleeping through the apocalypse! Geez, I knew you were OLD, but senile? That's new. Orrrr it would be, if it weren't for the fact we all know you're CRAZY! Sounds to me like we should stop calling you “Cardinal” and start calling you “Cuckoo”!

"…"

[There was cold laughter.]

"If that's the worst you're doing, Avi, then you just dropped to the bottom of my priority list."

Pyro: It's NOT! He's been hindering communication lines all over the country—!

Avi: No duh, matchstick! These are MY airwaves now!

"…"

"You have Toby's voice echoing on the line. I can feel the edge of his data."

"What did you do?"

Avi: Tch. Don't bring that LOSER up, so not hiring him full-time…

Avi: I'd say you all have bigger problems to worry about than that small-fry!

Call: Inquiry: how did you intercept a call made to a multidimensional service cell phone?

Avi: Oh, I have my ways. It wasn't hard.

————————————

{Kansas City}

[Cardinal narrowed his eyes.

If Avi could track him down, that was a problem. And if Avi could track him down… then eventually, Sanda Enterprises would be able to do the same. If he wasn't done by then… that would end poorly.

Priority alpha missions obliged him to fight to the death to complete them if neccessary, and he had no desire to end up cornered and forced to do so against his friends.

He needed to know the details, but Avi obviously wasn't going to help him out, so…]

Cardinal: (…Going to have to provoke him into bragging about the truth.)

—————————————

{Titus}

"Of course it wasn't. Not for the likes of YOU."

"With someone as ditzy as you are? Nah, it wasn't hard—but it wasn't EASY, either. It was just dumb luck."

Pyro: Cardinal–!

Avi: You WISH, oldtimer. But obviously, NOBODY is giving me enough credit here! Geez, tough crowd.

"Credit? For what, eavesdropping? That doesn't take any skill at all, and we all know it's your favorite hobby anyway."

Avi: Pffft. YOU'RE one to talk, you deteriorating nest of scrap! All YOU are good at is falling apart and getting all my BORING brothers mad at you.

"I take it you find me so old news that you weren't even bothering to keep tabs on what I was up to."

Avi: Bingo~! Who wants to go out of their way to track down somebody's rough-draft for an armed drone? Sure, I'll sit down and watch if it happens to be on Live; too bad you can't even REMEMBER the most spectacular FAILURE that I've ever seen—but not to worry! I have it on tape! I'll be sure to play it at your funeral.

Pyro: -FLARES- Avi, show some RESPECT!

Avi: Respect? Funny you should say that, because you guys never show ME any of that. Talk about going behind a guy's back…

Avi: You didn't think I would catch you trying to go behind my back to call everyone, Beckers, did you?

Beck: —!

Avi: HA!

Avi: Waste of TIME.

Avi: -Mocking tone- 'Come home, Birdy, because I can't solve my own problems all by myself!' Jeez, no WONDER Lighter Man here took you off the team!

Beck: -Hnn—-

Avi: Pathetic. If you think THIS is bad…

Avi: Just wait to see what's in store after the commercial break. You don't stand a CHANCE. You don't even have a CLUE!

"-Flatly- I doubt YOU have a clue. Because othewise, this is about the most boring trailer for a disaster reel I've ever heard."

Avi: Hey now, I don't give out spoilers! What kind of 'bot do you take me for?

"Honestly, at this stage? A deranged narcissist."

Pyro: (He's not WRONG, but—!) -Growls a bit- (What are you DOING, Cardinal—?!)

Avi: See, that kind of quip might work better from someone who doesn't go around doing dangerous things by himself on a whim because he's trying to be Batman or whatever. I mean, come on! Doesn't get more self-centered than ignoring a crybaby begging for your help during the apocalypse because you want to be with your bestie! Man… flying solo to take on someone you already LOST against while playing in EASY mode? Talk about a death wish…

Avi: Brand and Bat were right about you. You're nothing but a reckless, deathseeking, foolhardy, cowardly DESERTER!

————————————

{Kansas City}

[Beck gasped at this, but Cardinal barely took note of it.]

"How DARE you—!"

"Me? Nah, I don't dare. You can't pin that on me, that's ALLLLLLL Five and Seven. They said as much this morning, when everyone was trying to tear him apart. Not surprised you want to pretend that DIDN'T happen, given that Cuckoo here totally HANDED your chass to you as part of that whole showdown."

Drake: What?!

Cardinal: -Hisses- Shhh!

"And don't act all high and Mighty, matchstick—"

"You feel the same way about his larking about. Don't even TRY to claim you don't, because I've got audio from just a few minutes ago of you yelling at him for it!"

"Nnngh…!"

[Cardinal had had enough. He'd heard enough to confirm his suspicions….]

Cardinal: So.

[Avi might not be focused on tracking him down, but he'd completely lost all sense of respect, compassion, and kindness. He was a complete antithesis of who he had once been—and he was willing to hurt others, even his own family.]

Cardinal: This is what it has done to all of you.

[This wasn't theory anymore. He was going to have to prioritize who he went after. He couldn't go after all of them at once…]

Cardinal: Pyro, this is exactly why I can't come home, don't you SEE what's going to hap—

"Aaaand cut!"

[KSSST—]

[Cardinal flinched at the sudden sound of static.]

Cardinal: -Annoyed- Aw, dammit…

Drake: What is going ON?

Cardinal: For now? Nothing…

Cardinal: Because Avi just dropped the call.

—————————————

{Titus}

Beck: Cards? Cards?

[Kkkkkkk…]

Beck: No, no, NO—! AVI—!

Avi: Don't see what YOU are so broken up about. It's not as if you were going to win him over.

[Beck frantically tried to call again, but to no avail; he didn't even get so much as voicemail.]

Avi: Weren't you LISTENING? Cuckoo isn't going to help you, buddy! You're on your OWN. And quite frankly—I was getting BORED!

Pyro: Avi…

Avi: Noooowwwww IF you'll excuse me…

Avi: I've got a radio show to host.

Pyro: GET BACK HERE—

Avi: Ta-ta~!

[MN.6 HAS BLOCKED MN.1.]

[Pyro gave an exasperated growl, flaring slightly. Beck, however, only looked down at his phone sadly.]

Beck: ...why—?

Pyro: -Irritated- Hng...

Pyro: He isn't himself, Beck...

Pyro: ...Father...

Pyro: Did you get all that?

[DR.WHITE]//: -Sigh- Most of it. God, I wanted to say something, but I feared that my presence would have made Cardinal hang up...

[DR.WHITE] //: I had thought, you two could...

[DR.WHITE] //: ...Oh, Cardinal...

Beck: . . .

[Ping!]

[DR.SANDA] //: ...Well...

[DR.SANDA]//: We got something out of it, at least.

Beck: --?

[DR.SANDA] //: While you were talking to Cardinal, we used the opening your call made to get some useful data...

[DR.SANDA] //: Call would have to go over it carefully, but as of right now... Toby's blocking the signals, and Avi is still interfering with the TV stations, radio, and other communications...

[DR.SANDA] //: Hopefully, it's something good...

Call: I will begin my analysis right away, Doctors.

Call: Do you require anything else, Beck?

Beck: I...

Beck: ...No, I...I'm fine. I promise.

Call: ... Confirmed.

[Call leaves with a bow, and eventually, Pyro does as well after reassuring his brother that things will be okay, and that they will all be home soon. As the door closes and the lights dim, Beck is once again sitting on his bed, alone.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Cards...

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

"I believe in you."

—————

"After all.

You are MIGHTY."

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

Beck: ....

Beck: (Can...can I really do this...?)

Beck: (Saving Pyro could've been just a REALLY good stroke of luck...)

Beck: (...But...)

Beck: (No one else...)

Beck: (No one else is like me...)

Beck: (Or at least...no one willing...)

[Soon, the glow from his eyes dims back down, and Beck himself yawns.]

Beck: (...Tired...)

Beck: (...At least I can sleep now, I think...)

Beck: (I know...I know I'm going to need it...)

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

CHAPTER 10C: SNEAK INTO THE PRISON

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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

{Meanwhile…}

[Felix looked up from the console as shouting intensified.

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

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

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

<DWN-019>: > IT’S NOT, YOU TWITS!

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

<DWN-012>: > -Mnnrrgh…!-

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

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

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

<DWN-013>: > Ugh—

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

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

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

Des: --....

Des: (Damn it...)

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

<DWN-019>: > …

[The feeds were slammed with acerbic data.]

<DWN-019>: >  -PANIC DATA-

<DWN-019>: >   -PANIC PANIC PANIC-

<DWN-011>: > …

<DWN-011>: > …Joking, right?

<DWN-011>: > Right?

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

<DWN-019>: > Nnnnnnnn-nnn-nnn-noo—

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

<DWN-018>: >Look, I doubt that if—

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

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

Felix: ?!

Des: --...

Des: (Son of a...)

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

<DWN-018>: > Are you serious.

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

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

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

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

[MN.6] //: Roger Dodger–

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

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

<DWN-013>: > Grrr…

<DWN-013 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

[MN.1] //: –!!

[Jaden began to glow white.]

Felix: -Stands, raising an eyebrow- ?

Des: What in the--?

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

Felix: !

((pic))

Jaden: I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!

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

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

Felix: Well this is new—

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

[Hatches popped open.

YEP. Those were some sort of missiles inside.]

Jaden: WE’RE TAKING A DETOUR!

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

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

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

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

[INCOMING CALL]

Felix: …

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

Des: (....)

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

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

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

=CHAPTER 5B: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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

[INTERSTATE ALPHA 2, FOUR CORNERS BORDERS...]

[Night. Night as night can be, in the pouring, pouring rain...]

[The wipers didn't work, so Jack had to make do with the weather. The radio was set to a news channel tracking the 'rogue robot's merciless rampage' across the state.]

Jack: Stupid RAIN...

"The armed robot is currently moving into New Mexico, on Interstate Alpha 1--"

Jack: ...--!!

[SCKREEEEEEE--!!]

“Local pizzeria reports theft of entire stock of cheese pizzas, police confirm unrelated to the current rampage—”

Jack: --?!

Jack: --What the--?!

[Jack swerved left and right, nearly causing himself to flip over several times--]

[These cars--they were going the other way in the wrong lane--!]

Jack: (GREAT, THIS IS ENGLAND ALL OVER AGAIN--)

Jack: --FRAG--

[He needed to get to the other lane--]

[A digital sign overhead blinks in the misty glow of the building's nightlights...]

[NOW ENTERING INTERSTATE ALPHA 1.]

Jack: --!

Jack: (I can switch lanes on the ent--)

[HOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK--]

Jack: !!!!

Jack: Oh, SH--

[The truck interior was flashed with the bright overhead lights of an entire semi-cargo truck on a dead set collision course with Jack...!]

Jack: (CRAP--)

[Jack knew he couldn't avoid something like that.]

[Grabbing the magic Weyard bag he was given from across his seat, he kicked open the driver's side door--]

[ZIIIIIP!]

[His wires attach themselves to a street light and he is pulled away moments before the truck was overtaken by the semi with a loud, sickening CRUNCH.]

Jack: AAAAAAAAAA--!!

[He swings to the other lane and onto a passing car, right onto the hood. The windshield mostly cracks under his weight as he slams into it with a sharp yell.]

Jack: Ow...

[The car, however, still keeps going with little to no resistance with the road...]

Jack: .....?

Jack: Huh...?

[After sitting up with a groan, he realized he was on one of the fancier, newer hover models--the ones that floated above the ground and were MUCH faster than those with wheels.]

Jack: (Wait--if this is one of the new models then--)

[He looked into the car.]

[There was no one inside. The car was driving itself, and WAY too fast for any human or bot to control.]

Jack: (The...the cars ARE infected too...!)

[At the speed they were going, if one of these cars went off road...!]

Jack: This is a giant Highway Delta just WAITING to happen...

Jack: (But where is...?!)

[…Wait.

There was something… odd… about the cars below.]

Jack: ....??

[There were large dents along the roofs of the cars, where something several hundred pounds heavy had landed hard.

With the chaotic nature of the highway, they didn’t show a direct line—but they did give a general direction.

Almost like footprints.]

Jack: .......

Jack: Oh no way--

[Up ahead in the distance, another large dent appeared.

Silently.]

[She wouldn't--SHE IS--on a highway--?!]

Jack: God, you're REALLY putting me through the wringer, Miss Eight--

[Carefully, he rose to his feet, trying to maintain a good balance before putting on his goggles and looking for another street light--fortunately, they were placed evenly over the interstate.]

[ZIIIIIP!]

Jack: Ngh--

Jack: CAAAARMEEEN!

[There was an abrupt and sudden ping.]

<FMN-008>: > Jack?

[CDN.7037 to FMN.8] //: MISS EIGHT--!

[CDN.7073 to FMN.8] //: Oh man finally--FINALLY found you...!

<FMN-008>: > What the hell…

[She seemed… confused, somehow. Surprised.]

<FMN-008>: >Jack— what are you DOING here? For God’s sake—

<FMN-008>: >You need to leave— this is no place for a Civvie!

[CDN.7037] //: OH JEEE, YA THINK?!

[CDN.7037] //: KINDA FIGURED THAT OUT A WHILE AGO, THANKS.

[CDN.7037] //: This isn't any place for YOU either...!

[Carmen was clearly growing impatient. When she spoke again, her voice seemed…

…darker.]

<FMN-008>: > I’ve got business to attend to.

[CDN.7037] //: ......

Jack: (.....n....no...)

[....So...she was...]

[CDN.7037] //: .....

[CDN.7037] //: ....Figures you do...

<FMN-008>: > Augh— INCOMING!

[There was a swarm of sign bots headed his way. As if infected cars weren’t enough—!

At this speed, they could—]

<FMN-008>: > Stay…

<FMN-008>: > AWAY FROM HIM!

[Shots were fired, and bounced crazily off of incoming reinforcements and into the foes that had already swarmed the Cherry Number. Bits and pieces fell away, the parts going flying as the whole thing continued to speed along at over ninety miles an hour.]

Jack: HEY--!!

[Jack covered his face as parts and Xel flew away, nearly falling over on the current vehicle he was on--]

[CDN.7037] //: YA COULD HAVE SHOT ME--

<FMN-008>: > Nnngggh…! N-no…

[Her voice was dark again—but also strained, as if she were struggling against something painful.]

<FMN-008>: > Augh… Get out of here, Jack, before—

[There was a horrific sound up ahead—followed by a fast approaching large metal object—]

WHANG!

[There was a loud thud as something tall and teal appeared out of nowhere and fell to the surface it was standing on.]

Jack: --!!

Jack: MISS EIGHT--!!

[ZIIIP!!]

[He swings over closer to her, to get a better look at her condition--]

Jack: ARE YOU OK--?!

[The Fighting Mighty Number Eight wasn’t out of the fight just yet—but the hit had done quite a lot of damage. She couldn’t resume her Active Camo anymore—no matter how much she tried.]

Jack: (She doesn't have her invisibility...)

Jack: MISS EIGHT--?!

[A low growl.]

Jack: --!

[The lady hunter staggered to her feet, a demonic purple aura about her. Now, she spoke aloud—and there was a clear overlay to her voice, as if it were being applied through a filter.

…A disturbingly familiar one.]

Carmen: I don’t need your help.

Jack: --!!

___________________

"FORFEIT, OR THE ELECTRIC MAIDEN'S HEAD ROLLS!~"

____________________

Jack: (I....no...it can't be...!)

Jack: (She--the...)

Jack: (The crosses....)

Jack: CARMEN--LISTEN TO ME--!

Jack: There's something--something in your head that's making you angry--and it's not your fault...!

[She hissed as more sign bots approached. She shot at an angle off of a car in a different lane, the shots making wild pinball-like bounces to tear them to pieces.]

Carmen: I don’t need protecting. I /REFUSE/ to be put on a leash and shut in a tower! I’m no damsel in distress— AH’ AIN’T MADE A’ GLASS, Y’ALL—

Jack: CARMEN--!!

Jack: FOR LIFE'S SAKE--STOP--

[He ducked as more debris flew over his head, avoiding the edges of the vehicle as he swung on after her.]

[It was as if she’d never heard him.

She lifted her head, her one eye glowing a violent hue the color of blood. Now her rifle was pointed in Jack’s direction.]

Carmen: -SCREAMS- AH’ NEVER HAVE BEEN!

Jack: --!

[.....]

[When he saw her pointing his weapon at him...]

[He froze.]

[The deadly cowgirl would have none of it.]

Carmen: Back off, Puppetdancer! Ah’ have no quarrel with y—

[She wavered, as if she were going to fall. The color of her eye briefly went from crimson to yellow.]

Carmen: A-ah…!

[She was forced to a knee to steady herself and keep her balance. She turned her head to the side, the purple aura fading for a moment.]

Jack: Carmen--I don't want to fight you either--CRAP--!

[Zip, swing, land, repeat--don't fall--]

Jack: I JUST WANT TO TALK--

Carmen: (Everything hurts…! Everything… HURTS!)

[Aaaaaaand then she was not only back on her feet… but also on the move!]

Jack: MISS EIGHT--aw, come on, really?!

[ZIIIIIIP! ZIIIIIIP!]

Jack: STOP--!

[There was a LOUD thud as she leaped over to the truck in front of them.]

Carmen: -Yelling over the whistling wind- Get somewhere safe, Jack! I don’t want you in the way.

Jack: I CAN'T--!

[Another loud thud.]

Jack: You think I'm gonna TURN BACK after all I've gone through just to FIND YOU?!

[Carmen wasn’t about to stay put for anyone. She jumped through the air, landing hard on the vehicle in front—which happened to be a big rig.

And the Spider Puppeteer only followed suit.]

[ZIIIIP!]

Jack: Carmen, PLEASE...!

[Carmen looked angry again, the demonic aura returning. Once again, her rifle was pointed at Jack.]

Carmen: What is it with men and directions? WAI DO YA /NEVER/ LISTEN T’ REASON?! Ah’ SAID that Ah’ have a job t’ do—an’ I won’t let ANYone stop me! So… BEGONE, Dencerhound, a’fore Ah’ show you what Ah’ DO to men who try to chase me—!

[THAT made Jack take a couple of steps back.

His hands shook, his face twisted in a expression of concern and fear.]

Jack: . . . .

[She turned to leave again.]

Jack: ......

Jack: . . .

[No one has greater love than this...

...Than to lay down one's life for his friends.]

Jack: No.

[ZIIIIIIIIP!]

Carmen: —?!

[Carmen found herself held fast with wires. …Unusually strong wires—not so much the strength of steel as of… spider silk?!]

Carmen: What the—

[He yanks her backwards--which took quite a bit of effort, given her weight...]

Jack: I can't let you DO THIS--!

Carmen: GIT OFFA ME—

[She bared her teeth at the former Civvie, her eye displaying cross-hairs over the blood red color.]

Carmen: AIN’T GOT TIME FER THIS, M’ TARGET MOVES FAST AS FRAG, HE’S GETTIN’ AWAY!

Jack: THAT'S--

[Yank--!]

Jack: --A GOOD THING, MISS EIGHT--!

[Carmen screeched in a seething disgust.

She fired off a trick shot which bounced off of the big rig into the sky, hitting a camera drone. She started yelling—and then screaming— skyward…

…as if it wasn’t really Jack she were talking to anymore.]

Carmen: AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH—!

[She thrashed.]

Carmen: You never wanted me. NEVER! /You think I’ve forgotten that?!/ If they’d had your way, /I NEVER WOULD HAVE EXISTED—!/

[There was horrific screeching over the feed along with her shouting.]

Carmen: -Enraged- You lock me in a cage and treat me like glass. ME, the gal BUILT for things more dangerous than you could EVER imagine!

Jack: --?!

Jack: (What...)

Carmen: When Ah’ came back that night with m’ arm missing, did you even try to help me get back on my feet?

Carmen: NO! You blamed it on ME, you said I’d been CARELESS, that I couldn’t HANDLE going outside by myself—

Carmen: YOU PUT ME UNDER PERMANENT PAROLE, /YOUR OWN SISTER—!/

Jack: (I...)

Jack: M...Miss...Eight...

[The aura was now almost like a consuming fire, flaring more intensely in this rage.]

Carmen: You, who were supposed to be BETTER! Supposed t’ see I wasn’t just a number, not just the youngest! Not just a GIRL! You’re no better than the scrap that clogs up the arena, calling me names and spreading those lies—!

[.....]

[Lies--lies and slander...]

Jack: . . .

[His core lurched in sympathy for her, his heart cracked with every pained word, every agonizing sentence...]

Jack: (God, Miss Eight, no...)

Carmen: I hate you.

Carmen: I HATE YOU /BOTH/ SO DAMN MUCH—!

[The aura died down. Carmen’s breath was ragged, and her readings were low.

But she looked up with a glare. Her eye changed from blood red to the same demonic purple as the aura that surrounded her.]

Carmen: Grr—! …I’ve got no quarrel with you, Cub—so let go!

[YANK.]

Jack: I--I CAN'T!

Jack: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING--!

Carmen: Don’t know what I’m doing? DON’T KNOW WHAT AH—

Jack: FOR GOD'S SAKE, CARMEN, SHUT U P FOR TWO SECONDS--!

Jack: YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON THAT C A R E S ABOUT ME IN THIS LIFE!

Jack: I'M N O T GONNA LET THAT GO!

[A pause.]

Jack: .....

Jack: Carmen?

[…Uh-oh.]

Carmen: Oh, so you wanna play NOW then, do ya—

[HER EYE DISPLAYED CROSS-HAIRS CENTERED OVER JACK’S SPIDERWEB SYMBOL.]

Carmen: You wanna DANCE, do ya?

Jack: (Oh--OH SCRAP, I'M DEAD.)

Jack:

U-Uh--!

[Carmen suddenly dashed forward and RAMMED right into Jack.]

Jack: OOF--!

[Jack was tackled RIGHT off his feet and onto the rig, with the wind knocked out of him. He was a wheezing mess for a couple of seconds--]

[But he still held fast.]

Jack: N-Ngh...

[Carmen stood, glaring down at Jack—or so it seemed, given her menacing stance. The places where eyes would be in the face of any other Xelbot were cast in a deep, dark shadow.]

Carmen: Tch.

[She sounded unimpressed.]

Carmen: If ya won’t let me go… Ah’ll just have t’ bring you with me! Now be a good boy… an’ HEEL.

Jack: N...

Jack: I can't...do that...

Carmen: Ah’ said HEEL, not SPEAK. Now get yer act t’gether, we’re goin’ hunting. MOVE IT!

[.......]

______________________

"For [Frag's] sake, Den. I'm starting to wonder why I even picked you off the street in the FIRST place."

"I--"

"You can't even DODGE or take a hit right--you're NEVER going to survive out in the arena if you keep being WEAK!"

"B-Boss, it's ju--"

"I don't want to HEAR it."

"Now be a GOOD boy and do as I say."

"But--"

"MOVE IT, PUPPET!"

__________________________

[That was it.]

[He was SICK and TIRED of this.]

[Sick and tired of being treated as a throwaway mutt--!]

[When Jack raised his head, his eyes were GLOWING a bright purple. Not at all like the virus's evil glow--this was strong, and defiant, and angry.]

Jack: THAT'S IT--YOU KNOW WHAT?!

Jack: I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU BOSS ME AROUND--NOT Y O U!

Jack: NOT ANYMORE--!

[...Strange...he...didn't seem to be talking to Carmen...?]

Jack: I'm NOT backing down--

Jack: And I'm NOT going anywhere with you--!

Jack: No...

Jack: NO WAY, MISS EIGHT.

Jack: YOU WANNA DANCE?! FINE!

[A HARSH YANK.]

Jack: LET'S D A N C E.

[She gave a wicked grin. …A shark grin that was disturbingly like her vampire witch sister’s—Dyna’s.]

Carmen: Thought ya’d NEVER ask~

[She YANKS hard, moving quickly to the side. It becomes apparent why soon enough—there are more debris headed their way, and she was trying to get the wires right between them!]

Jack: --!!

[Was she--well, yes, actually, she WAS crazy.]

[His arms swing backwards, so that the strings straighten out like fine lines, almost invisible to the naked eye...]

Jack: (Can't let them get tangled...!)

[It…

…didn’t work out the way Carmen had hoped.]

Carmen: ?!

[She just STARED in astonishment as the debris cut cleanly through the wires—as if it were cheese run through several dozen slicers.]

Carmen: -Meepface- . . .

Jack: .....

Jack: Woah.

[Jack seemed to be as EQUALLY surprised...]

[And THEEEEN she surged with panic.]

Carmen: (OH M’ GOD THEY’RE ALL AROUND ME /HE COULD SLICE ME RIGHT IN HALF WITH THOSE GAROTTES—/)

[.......]

[She....wasn't the only one going into panic.]

Jack: (OH GOD--OH SCRAP IF I EVEN M O V E WRONG I COULD TURN HER INTO RIBBONS OH MAN OH NO--)

Carmen: -Glitched screeching- AH WON’T LOSE ANY MORE LIMBS, DAMMIT—!

Jack: NO--I SWEAR I WON'T HURT YOU--!

[She moved in closer in her long strides, but it was clear from the fluid motion and calm control that she just wanted to slack the lines a bit. She pivoted aside to look at him, a loading icon displaying on her eye as she tried to think of something—anything— that would work here.]

Carmen: (Glitchfrag it…!)

Carmen: (Ah’ know…)

Carmen: (Ah’ KNOW I’ve lived through missions in situations just as bad or worse—)

Jack: OK--um--uh--I...OK just don't move--

Jack: I swear I'll get us out of this--!

Carmen: Why…

Carmen: Why can’t I remember…?

Jack: ....!

Jack: (Remember...?)

Jack: C...Carmen...!

Carmen: Nnngh…!

[And again a semi-collapse to her knees, her head turned to the side.]

Carmen: (Lord help me, the HEADACHES…)

Jack: Carmen...!

[The aura surged again, and she looked up, angry.]

Carmen: Grrrr…!

[She returned to her feet.]

Carmen: A Mighty NEVER loses on their knees!

Jack: --!!

Jack: Eep--

[He backs up again, careful to not tug on his wires too harshly now--]

[He didn't want to hurt her that way...!]

Jack: C-Carmen...please....

Jack: Don't....don't you remember me?

Jack: I--I don't want to hurt you, please, stop...!

Carmen: Jack…!

[The virus wasn’t ready to give up such a prize. The aura surged again—and again, the demonic overlay.]

Carmen: I remember a terrified civvie in way over his head who ran t’ mah heels from just a few /words/.

Carmen: I remember someone who… who DIDN’T have th’ strength t’ face the forces of darkness…!

[A glare.]

Carmen: /I don’t recognize this—this steadfast WARRIOR in front a’ me—!/

Jack: .......

Jack: Well, to be honest--I don't really recognize the women in front of me either.

Jack: But I KNOW that isn't your fault.

Jack: .....

Jack: I'm no warrior.

Jack: I'm just a normal guy trying to save his friend with what he's got.

Jack: I'm just a guy with REALLY bad luck and way too many regrets and mistakes on his head.

Jack: .....

Jack: But I'm not gonna let that stop me.

Jack: Not you, Carmen...

Jack: And certainly not YOU.

[A glitched screech at that.]

Carmen?: WHY, CDN-7037?

Carmen?: YOU. CANNOT DEFY FATE!

Carmen?: YOU KNOW. TOO MUCH!

Jack: --???

Jack: What are--

[Carmen paused to take a firmer stance, but then, suddenly—

The aura faded and her eye turned a pale gray.]

Carmen: Aw glitch—

[Jack tuned around to see what Carmen was more concerned about--]

[...That...was his mistake.]

[WHANG!]

[…Carmen had seen it coming, and had even tried to duck.

But she was tall, injured, and neither of those things made it easy to dodge in close quarters.

She hit the entrance to the tunnel head-on.]

WHANG.

[Jack's systems were jostled, and he could see nothing but static for a good half minute.]

[Pain, dizzy, what, where is...]

Jack: Aaaaaaawfraaaaaaaag....

Jack: Can't...

[Bright, dark, bright, dark...]

[The static finally clears out...]

Jack: A-Ah...

Jack: What...was...

[Though he was still seeing stars, he could tell from the orange glow of lights that they had entered...a tunnel?]

Jack: (Did...did I seriously get hit by...?)

Jack: Ah--!

Jack: (Can't...hurts to...think...ow...)

Carmen: J-… Jack…

Jack: ...!

Jack: C...Carmen...?

Jack: (Miss Eight...is she...?)

[The aura was still there, but very faint. …It wasn’t hard to see why.

She’d hit the overpass SO hard that it had cracked her radar dish—and maybe even the rest of her skull. There certainly was a lot of sickly-looking Xel pooling beneath her head.]

Carmen: -Weakly- Jack…?

Jack: .....!!!

Jack: (X-Xel--she's...no...)

Jack: M...Miss...Eight...!

[With some reserved strength he never knew he had, he crawled his way towards her, and pushed himself up on his elbows to get a better look at her.]

Jack: Oh no...

Carmen: …Can’t…

Jack: Miss Eight...it--you're gonna be OK...

Jack: If ya can't move--

Carmen: Can’t… see…

Jack: ....!!!

Jack: Y...You can't...?

[Back into the glaring light of the setting sun.]

Carmen: He’s going to get away…

[Her anger couldn’t sustain her through the damage.]

Carmen: Can’t… can’t see… ANYTHING… can barely hear, so fault…

Jack: Carmen...

[Jack placed a shaky hand on her shoulder, so she can at least feel his presence somehow, with her sight and hearing so shot...]

Jack: I-It's OK...I'm...here...

Jack: (Everything hurts, ow...)

[She tried to get to her feet. When it didn’t work, she shifted into her civilian form. This stopped the Xel loss, but didn’t help the pain.]

Carmen: God help me, this headache…

Jack: Y-You and me both, ow...

[She suddenly pushed herself to her knees—but the eighteen wheeler LURCHED.]

Carmen: -YELPS-

Jack: WHOA--!!

[Jack saw why—there were bits of wreckage EVERYWHERE in the road ahead. And they were approaching cars that had been literally sliced in half.]

Jack: Oh FRAG...

Jack: WE NEED TO GET OFF THIS RIG N O W--

[There was a rough and violent bit of turbulence before the truck briefly went flying and then tipping over—]

Jack: AAAAAAAAH--!

[At first, the only thought on his mind was Carmen.]

[So the first thing he did was grab her.]

[And the next?]

[ZIIIIIIP!]

[His wires wrap around another street light, and the two of them are sent swinging onto another passing rig on the opposite lane.]

[....There wasn't as much grace in the landing, though.]

Carmen: Hrgh…

Jack: C-Crap...

Jack: OK...ah...um--ow...

Jack: Gotta...get...

[A faint, choppy noise seemed to cut through the ambience of the highway.]

[…

…Seemed to be getting louder…]

Jack: .......?

Jack: (What...what is that noise...?)

Jack: (S...Sounds...like...)

“FINALLY!”

Carmen: …Th’ hell—Beck…?

Jack: ....!

Jack: K...Kid...?

[There was a slight THUD as Fighting Mighty Number Nine landed next to the beleaguered Cherry.]

Pup: Man, you are HARD to find!

[Carmen shifted back into her combat form.]

Carmen: You…!

Jack: --!!

Jack: Carmen, no--!

Carmen: You’re here on One’s orders, to drag me back to confinement—!

[Beck didn’t seem fazed. He shifted forms—]

[ZZT.]

[…It was almost comical how that tiny zap put her back down.]

Carmen: OW—

Pup: No more hide-and-seek, Sis!

[He shifted back to his default… glowing… green, now?]

Jack: ....!

Jack: Wait, what are you--

Pup: TIME TO COME HOME!

[There was a bright green flash as he thrust his arm forward—causing Carmen to glow as well—]

Carmen: G…GYAH—

[… … …]

“Come on out, Pup. No need t’ hide from me.”

“S-sorry—”

[He stepped out from behind a street sign that Carmen had in her room for some reason. His sister was polishing her boots, humming a song.]

“What’s on your mind?”

“… … …”

“C’mon, now.~ Yer alright.”

“…Sis…”

“Mmhmm?”

“Why do you make up those stories?”

[Silence.

Long, awkward silence.]

“S-… a-ack, I-I— I’m sorry—”

[A pulse of relaxing data.]

“…Easy now, hon. …Ah’ ain’t mad at ya.”

“…Y-… you’re… not?”

[She clicked her tongue.]

“Yer the most honest soul on God’s green earth. ‘Course ya can’t understand the workings of lies.”

[Another pause.]

“…Y’ know… I don’t know if I’ll ever tell anyone what happened.”

“Not… not even Dad?”

“No.”

“But—but it’s Dad—”

“Shhh…”

“Lemme tell you something, Pup. When you go through that kind of darkness, there are only so many things you can do with what’s left, after.”

“You can choose to let it haunt you. To define you. To become your obsession. You can go off the deep end into denial, even more of an obsession. Or you can just say, ‘I don’t like talking about that time’ and take things in your own control.”

“People are never gonna stop asking, hon. Never. Even if I ever were to be made whole. Maybe Ah’ COULD tell the truth every single time—maybe, maybe not. For all you know, I’m sworn to secrecy.”

“You… you could tell US if you were, though… right?”

“Heh… not the point, Puppy. The point is… the answer doesn’t change what happened then. So I choose not to give that answer any power.”

“I shall defy it, mock it, scorn it— Trivialize it, so that it’s not in control. No room for self-pity—not at work, and not at m’ other job, either.”

“But…”

“You know the kind of people I work with. And you know that sometimes, I meet people who are really scared. Why focus on what you don’t have—what you’re not— When instead you could be movin’ forward with a healing touch with the vast strength you DO have?”

“Helpin’ others means putting them, first. Whether yer scared, or troubled—”

“We don’t have to be in the spotlight, Beck, to make a difference. Sometimes, the most important things are done where only Heaven can see.”

[… … …]

[XEL PURGE COMPLETE.]

[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM FMN-008.]

Carmen: Nnnn…

Jack: !!!!

Jack: (What in the world was that...green...?)

Jack: Carmen...?

Carmen: …What… what…?

Carmen: Jack, is that you…?

Jack: Y...Yeah...?

Jack: Are...is...oh my God...

[The lady assassin felt very out of it. Everything was darkness… but she had to reach out for that voice, confirm that it wasn’t all a dream…]

Carmen: -Reaches up with her hand to touch his face- Ah’—Ah’ can’t see you right now—

Jack: Y--You...it's...

[.....]

[Were....those...tears she felt on her fingers...?]

Jack: It's...it's you...!

Carmen: …

Carmen: …Are we… what…

Jack: Oh God it's really you Miss E--

Carmen: Where are we? Avi’s wind tunnel or somethin’?

[HONK HOOOOOONK.]

Jack: ...!!!

Jack: oH--

Pup: Yikes!

[…Oh. RIGHT.

They were still in the middle of a pack of crazed cars heading who knows where at over 90 miles an hour.]

Jack: Kid--We gotta get off this crazy--

Pup: UH—

Pup: UM

Pup: -AAAAH I CAN’T CARRY YOU /BOTH/, SIS IS SO—uhhhh… TALL.-

Jack: FRAG--!

Jack: UH--UM--

[A search light suddenly illuminated the area around them.]

Jack: --Wha?!

“YOOOOOOO!”

"HOW'S IT HANGING, BROS?"

Jack: ....?!

Jack: SIX?!

Carmen: AVI!

Pup: TWO AVIS—

Goose: -Swoops in closer to perform a cursory check on the stability of the platform- Well, Avi, looks like Spiderman and Wonderwoman landed in a… sticky situation!

Carmen: …

Maverick: Ooo, looks like you're right, Avi--it's a real TANGLED MESS.~

Carmen: . . .

Pup: But—I thought One told you to stay behind—

Goose: AW, C’MON, BECKY

Goose: DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD LET THIS CHANCE

Goose: PASS UP? ; D

Carmen: . . .

Jack: ......

Maverick: HA! I get it!

Carmen: (Lordy Ah’ musta done somethin’ horrific t’ suffer THIS as my punishment—) -Weakly- Goose, ain’t… got th’… energy t’ yell at ya properly fer that right now…

Goose: I know, right :^D

Maverick: Heheh...

Maverick: Hate to cut this short--but we REALLY need to make an exit, don't ya think? ; D

Jack: (Wow...they are REALLY showing no mercy...)

Maverick: Any longer and we'll have to ride them up for going over the speed limit--

Jack: UM, GUYS--

Jack: NOW'S NOT THE TIME--

Goose: Truuuuue enough! Time waits for no one! 8^D

Carmen: -Faintly- Lord help me but He sure knows ah’ve earned this sufferin’…

Goose: Seems like you guys could use a LIFT out of here! ^.^

[The chipper plane scooped his solid younger sister right off the roof of the rig.]

Pup: —! WOAH WOAH WAIT—

[Oops.

The strings were still attached.

Jack got yanked along about a foot, like a pull toy.]

Jack: FRAG FRAG FRAG S T O P--!!

[There was a sudden red blur.]

-SHING!-

[THUD.]

Jack: Ow...

Ninja!Pup: Whew…

Goose: … -Just kinda. Blinks for a moment-

Goose: …Um.

Goose: WELL! If everyone’s checked in, time for Avi Airlines to get you out of here!

Carmen: Uggh…

Carmen: Ah’ suppose Ah’ deserve your puns. But no weight jokes or Ah SWEAR Ah’ll take ya down with me, got it?

Goose: Love ya too, Sis! ^.^

Jack: Ha...

Jack: Oweverythinghurts....

Maverick: I got ya, Jackie!

[Rick hovers over Jack as he grabs both of his arms to lift him up, then hoists him further into the air with relative ease.]

Maverick: All set, yo! Let's hit it!

[Pup shifted into Avi’s form to follow after them, the three fliers headed off away from the highway.]

Goose: -Touches down gently- Theeere we go.

-Ping!-

<MC005>: > Augh, why is there still no signal?

<FMN-001>: > This IS Shade we’re talking about…

Carmen: -Groans- (…Brother?)

<DWN-011>: > …think it is more that her transceiver is damaged…

Maverick: Yeah, you guys don't look so good...

Jack: Tunnel...

Maverick: ???

Jack: Didn't...see it...

Maverick: OW...

Jack: ...Mng...

<MC005>: > …I have an idea…

<MC005>: >Will, you don’t mind a lot of sand near the teleporters, do you?

[DR.WHITE] //: Er, no--why?

<MC005>: >I’m going to do a spherical transportation.

<MC005>: >Call, if you please…

[DR.WHITE] //: Ah--! Yes, that will do the trick...

Jack: ...Is that Doc White...?

Maverick: Yup. And Dr. Cossack. Say hi, Jackie!

Jack: Heh...hi...sorry I don't look my best right now...

<MC005>: >Heh… don’t worry about that.

Carmen: Daddy…

[DR.WHITE] //: It's alright now, Shade.

[DR.WHITE] //: You'll be home soon.

Carmen: … ‘kay, Dad.

Carmen: I’mma… I’mma just…

Carmen: …sleep, nao—

<FMN-008 has entered Deep Sleep mode.>

Jack: . . .

Jack: H...Hey...Docs...

Jack: She's...she's gonna be OK now, right? Dunno...dunno what the kid did but...

Jack: She's...not crazy any more, right...?

Goose: Bro. Bro.

Goose: Not in the way you’re talking about, no.

Goose: But… her being okay eventually means being back to doing her crazy, ridiculous stunts. …Just part of who Eight is.

Jack: Heh....

Jack: Wouldn't...have it any other...way...

Jack: Just...wanted to...make sure...

Jack: So tired--

[INSUFFICIENT POWER SUPPLY. SHUT DOWN INITIATED.]

[CDN.7037 HAS GONE INTO DEEP SLEEP MODE.]

Goose: …

Goose: [sub]Looks like Mister Sandman paid them a visit[/sub] :’^D

Maverick: You said it, mirror...

Pup: -Sighs inwardly- (Yep. Definitely back to normal.)

{Later that Night…}

[Having delivered Jack and Carmen to the emergency bay, Maverick and Goose made a swift exit stage left, in an attempt to avoid Pyrogen’s wrath.

However, their plan to vacate to the Meadow instead…

…didn’t work as well as they might have hoped.]

Bonnie: You are all okay AVI DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED—WHAT IF SHADE HAD HIT YOU— -Seems to be talking to both-

[…Oops. The OTHER Pyro was there waiting for them.]

Maverick: 8' D (Hoooo boy...)

Bonnie: -Pulls Rick into a half-hug… aaaaand Goose in a headlock-

[…One gets the impression Rick is not in a headlock because he currently lacks a civvie form.]

Rick: ^.^;;;;; (Man I am so glad I do not have a squishy form at the moment--)

Bonnie: -BIG BRO IS SO GLAD YOU ALL ARE OKAY—but you’re still in trouble, especially you, Rick-

Rick: -WAT WHY ME--ooooooh wait-

Rick: ehehehehuuuuuh... 8' D

Bonnie: You might have at least TOLD your Pyro BEFORE suddenly abdicating the emergency bay…

Goose: Aww, but then he woulda said no. D^:

Rick: Yeaaaaaaaaaah he would--in my defense I knew Goose needed help so???

Bonnie: | [

Rick: IIIIIIII am so dead when I get home aren't I--

Goose: MAYBE but I’ll help take the heat— gak!

Bonnie: -Loosens his grip, because he was just giving a warning- If this was your idea, then you’d better own up to it.

Goose: YEP MORE OR LESS—I mean I tried to tell you, Beck only has one arm in that form, the other is used for flying, no way he could carry ‘em both—

Bonnie: How did you even know where to start looking?

Goose: WELL. There was this news report about a pizza robbery—

Goose: Didn’t realize Jack was there too until my cameras found them. Uh… she shut that down pretty quick, though, so… had to go in in person.

Rick: Yeah, she was REALLY letting those bullets fly...

Rick: -Totally intended pun by the way-

Rick: And then Jack was zippin' and zoomin' all over the place, and the debris, whew!

Bonnie: -Small sigh- Alright, you two. Time to get started.

Goose: Uh…?

Bonnie: You. You are going to help with the cooking.

Rick: . . . .

Rick: Uh, BOTH of us or are you talking to Goose-- (Gosh sometimes it's hard being mirrors--)

Bonnie: No, I’m sure your eldest has something else in mind. What might that be, MNN-001?

[And then there he was—the one figure they had been trying to evade in the first place—arms crossed and everything.]

Pat: HE is going straight home and helping Father with data analysis.

Rick: (WHEEEEEERE DID YOU COME FROM--)

Pat: And to help track down our last three kin, Call could use the assistance.

Rick: Uh....sure...yeah... (No seriously where did Bro come from--)

Goose: H-hi bro :’D;;;

Bonnie: (I’ll admit… I was hoping they’d see Cardinal on the highway, but of course not…) -Lets go of Rick-

Goose: Um… is this really the time for baking, though—

Bonnie: Have you been paying any attention?

Bonnie: There are now 33 people to feed. And more will be coming.

Bonnie: ONE of those is COUNTERSHADE.

Goose: -Hrk—!- Okay okay I get it—

Bonnie: Besides, I think CDN-7037 deserves some sort of reward, don’t you? I’ve heard he’s quite the carnivore…

Rick: Yeah, real meat lover...

Pat: If that's the case, I'll assist with food whenever possible. We should ask Nico too, he's also quite the cook.

Goose: I thought he was playing Doctor while Nineteen sealed himself in his room and Doc C was in Cali?

Bonnie: Well, Captain Piers has come over to assist in the healing process. It helps that Felix has been stable for a while and they have another Healer there… and that Plume and Landcrusher are also stable…

Goose: -Sudden lightbulb- Uh. Patrick? Y’ might be busy just keeping an eye on the three of them for a while…

Pat: . . .

Rick: Y...Yeah, I think we all gotta just keep an eye on everyone that's still recovering for now...

Pat: (...Shadow can stay with Brand, that will help...)

Skull: {I’m sure he would like that.}

Rick: Gah--

Pat: Skull.

Rick: (How does he DO that???)

[The soft-spoken skeleton was finally up again. He had come back Online as soon as Brandish had been brought to the lab, as he was needed to help run things in the Meadow.]

Skull: Apologies, MNN-006. It was not my intention to startle you.

Rick: Eheh--noooo problem, bro... : ' D

Skull: {We are incredibly glad you are well, Aviator. We missed you.}

Rick: Eheh...

Rick: Y-Yeah...good to be back...

Rick: .....

Rick: -scoooots behind big bro nope we're not hiding at all.-

Rick: : ' D

Skull: …? ({Am I missing something?})

Rick: Um--

Rick: I'm just gonna--go now--sorry--

Rick: -FLEES-

Pat: ......

Goose: BEEEE RIGHT BACK— -Hovers after-

Bonnie: … : / (Poor Aviator.)

{Meanwhile…}

-Ping.-

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: >Brooooo. Broooooooooooooooo—

[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: sorry man I just--couldn't stay there--

[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: not after you know what--

[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: -nnnnngh, guilt, so much guilt--

[Goose is clearly catching up. He’s flying upside-down now… very Echo-like, honestly.]

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > I know, man. I know.

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > -Man, I can’t even REMEMBER everything, but-

MN.6 to FMN.6] //: I just--man they must HATE me--

[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: I mean I know I was screwy and everything but STILL--

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: >Duuuude… let’s just. Just fly now, ‘kay? Catch some thermal from the plains.

[Indeed, the Wilderness was shifting into open, expansive prairie, in a state faaar away. The night air was clear, and it was silent and free.]

Goose: -Inverts and does a corkscrew in one direction, then the other-

<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > -Hums Let’s Go Fly a Kite-

Goose: (Gotta let him wear off the Xeldrenaline, that’ll probably help. Flying always helped with that for ME me, anyway…)

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

[This DOES seem to help significantly, the very warm night breeze blowing over into the prairie and up to a starry sky...]

[MN.6] //: . . .

Goose: -Sways contently by banking very slightly from one side to the next- (Ahhh…) Home, home on the range…~

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

[MN.6] //: -Siiiigh-

Rick: -turns over so that he's staring at the stars-

Rick: (What am I gonna tell Toby...?)

Rick: (What can I even SAY?)

[Goose does a lazy loop-de-loop before resuming his swaying.

He then comes up so he’s in wingman position near Rick. But he’s still quiet, mostly just… there, for his Other.]

Rick: . . .

Rick: -Sighs once more and rubs eyes-

Rick: I reeeeeally messed up, didn't I...

Rick: Like... Super MAJOR big time messed up.

Goose: …

[He seems really thoughtful.]

Goose: …I try to always put things in a positive outlook, you know? Saying something like that outright isn’t really my thing…. Brand’s a lot better at that sort of stuff. [sub]too good, sometimes…[/sub]

Goose: I honestly… don’t really know what happened? Because… I can’t /remember/ what I did—which is pretty scary, really…. And… we couldn’t get ahold of you guys until later.

Goose: But even though I can’t remember, I know it was… definitely not cool, what I did. Yeah.

Goose: But… there are a couple of things about what happened, you know?

Rick: Yeah, I get that...

Rick: .....

Rick: (I...I can't really see a BRIGHT side to this--which tells me just how BAD things got--)

Rick: .....

Rick: I...oh man I'm SO glad Toby is--well...for the most part, OK again...

Rick: . . .

Goose: Yeah, see—that’s the thing—one of the things.

Goose: Remember what the Robin told you guys before you fought YoYo Hippie? About how possession wasn’t really them you were dealing with?

Rick: .......

Rick: Y...Yeah...

Rick: (You're not fighting the person, but the parasite...)

Goose: Man, we know it’s true, because attempts were made to fight back.

Goose: How could that happen unless there were something else— something the REAL YOU didn’t like, didn’t agree with—were there to fight against? Yeah, it doesn’t really help a whole lot, maybe, but it is really important.

Goose: And as for the Wily Numbers…

Goose: Duuude, they…

Goose: …

Goose: …I…

Goose: …I heard you… -Trails off-

Rick: . . .

Goose: (…heard you saw what happened…)

Rick: .......

Rick: I...

Rick: . . . .

Rick: Yeah.

Goose: …

Goose: …They’ve been there, man. Especially the little spark dude.

Goose: But know what?

Goose: Even though maybe someone could try and argue that everything is Tobias’s fault—HE sure seems to think so, himself—

Goose: His bros just plain love him, bro.

Goose: You’re part of their family now, dude. …Like, REALLY part, now, even. Blood Xel brothers, uh, something like that.

Goose: …You know how it is with bros. If something’s going wrong, of course you try to stop it—like with squishies, if someone’s drunk or whatnot—

Rick: ....

Goose: But you don’t hate on a bruthuh, ya know?

Rick: .....Yeah, heh... (I hope not, at least...)

Rick: .....

Rick: I guess I'm just--scared...?

Rick: I mean WILY BOTS, man. Tempers. Nothing against that, no, I mean...

Rick: (I really wouldn't blame them if they really wanted a go at me anyway...)

Goose: Well, that’s the THING, man—these guys—their experiences made them really empathetic. …Well, I mean, other than their Ninjabro, he’s like Blondie—still trying to learn about feelings and stuff.

Goose: Iiiiii think if it’s their temper you’re worried about? Yeah… maybe you’re right.

Goose: because DUDE they hate Cracker Snack so much, Toby would TOTES take a crack at them if he were let looooooose :’D;;;

Rick: Oh bro you're so right--jeez louies, tHAT would be so bad--

Goose: YEAH BRO KINDA.

Goose: …They have tempers against… well… people that cause those close to them to suffer. Like. Man, if Yoyo Hippie had REALLY tried going against them, that wouldn’t have gone well—because he threatened Robin to the point where he was paranoid more on the side of cray-cray, and then the whole deal with Queen Bee came… (Man, don’t even WANT to think about what woulda happened if Cossack hadn’t shut the others down after they sliced poor Toby open…)

Goose: They honestly think CherryDyn’s behind all this. Some think it more than others. It’s them they’re angry at.

Goose: You?

Goose: They’re SO happy you’re okay, they feel awful about…

Goose: …

Goose: …the whole cross-reference thing.

Rick: Ya know--I wouldn't be very SURPRISED if Cherry was behind it at this point...

Rick: But....

Rick: . . .

Goose: WELL, YA SEE

Goose: Here’s what Siam said—

Goose: Basically he didn’t think Cracker Snack was smart enough to think something like that up, let alone pull it off? :’^D

Rick: -SHRUGS-

Rick: He's REAL bent on putting blame on someone else. Done it with the VD and now with Doc Blackwell, and the guy is in PRISON. Seems like he's running out of options at this point and just...grasping straws...

Goose: …Did he really? Man, Siam was right—getting real un-creative with his content.

[The chipper plane snorts.]

Goose: He’s so lucky that the Angels really like YOU guys. And that Robin is busy with more important things right now. I mean, really—

Goose: THE DUDE WENT AND TAGGED THEIR HQ, AND THAT WAS ON A PRETTY GOOD EVENING

Rick: -SNORTS-

Rick: Yeah--who knows WHAT they'd do if pushed far enough and left unchecked... (…Pretty scary thought right there…)

Goose: … -Seems thoughtful about this-

Goose: …I think they don’t really know, themselves? Wasn’t that why Toby was so scared?

Goose: That’s why they are the way they are. Determined not to let that happen. No matter how hard they’re pushed.

Goose: It would take something REALLY bad to… well. Yeah, we kinda saw that already at the Finals. (They’ve just lost so much already. Really scares them when they’re about to lose even more.)

Rick: .....

Rick: -Sigh-

Rick: .....

Rick: Sis is probably gonna zap me, though. I'm, like--85% sure she is.

Goose: Bro, that’s Sis for you. Isn’t that something Electric ‘bots do when stressed, anyway?

Rick: Yeah, energy buildup, their systems release it to avoid overcharge— (Dyna's gonna be soooo angry at me I can tell--)

Goose: I knew it was her way of showing affection~

Rick: -SNORT-

Rick: Ya think? Heh...

Goose: Sure! You know, the whole “tsundere” deal.

Rick: HA! Oh, man, I knew it--

Rick: I bet it's the same for Cryo too--she fights Big Bro all the time even in a good mood--

Goose: Yeah! All the sisters are like that—

Rick: I mean SURE we do talk an earful but it's our job as little brothers to annoy big sisters, right--

Goose: -Gleeful swaying again- Something like that! More like there’s just a lot to saaaaay~

Goose: -Imitates Carmen- “C’mere a lil’ closer so Ah’ can make ya go into Airplane mode.”

Rick: -LOUD SNORT-

Rick: Oh dude I'd hightail out the window SO fast if she said that--BUT THAT IS A G R E A T PUN THO--

Goose: I TAUGHT HER WELL -So proud-

Rick: NICE, BRO. -THUMBS UP-

Rick: Wish I had an apprentice, heh...

Goose: Duuude—you DO!

Goose: : D

Rick: ....

Rick: TOBY--

Rick: I CAN TEACH HIM SO MANY PUNS--

Goose: IT’LL BE GREAT

Rick: The fact that there are so many electric/lighting puns already is also perfect--

Goose: Well yeah—he’s a real

Goose: LIVE WIRE~

Rick: And a real--

Rick: SHOCKER!~

Goose: -LOOP-DE-LOOP- Wheee!

[Yep. The lovable goofball was just a big kid at heart.]

Rick: : )

Rick: -Yeah, why not, LOOP-DE-LOOPS FOR DAAAAAAYS-

Rick: Wooooo!~

Rick: -Content data, we feel MUCH BETTER now, thanks, Goose--_

Goose: -Anytime, me-

Goose: Hey—Hey… thanks for helping out today. Really. -REEEEEAAAALLLY means it, so grateful-

Rick: Oh...yeah, no problem, dude. ^.^

Rick: Carmen's just as much a sis to me as you guys are--and Mighties always gotta stick out for one another, ya know?~

Goose: Yeah… and Tony, man… -Vents a sigh- MAN, is he gutsy for a Civvie—she’d have been really panicked if he didn’t come along.

Goose: Firebro wants me to stick around and help with cooking for everyone so the Docs can focus on their work and you guys can do your thing, and not have to worry about food. We all know how Daddo gets when he’s focused on a project, and I hear Cossack is even worse… >.>

Rick: ...Soooomeone's gonna hafta keep an eye on the Daddos so they don't overclock themselves...

Goose: Well, I think Blondie helps with that—something about the sprinklers—

Rick: -....Oh she has control over the sprinkler system, welp--

Rick: : ' D

Goose: …I won’t be able to come over there for long. Just. You know. Just in case someone stops by the lab. At least Shade is in her civvie form, no one will recognize her as Sniperbro like that… but the rest of us, ehhh, best not push our luck…

Goose: But she’s gonna be there for a while, I think. Man, face-first into concrete at 110 mph, ow.

Goose: So… she just. Might need you, since I can’t be there… ‘kay?

Rick: Yeah...I'll cover, bro. Promise.

Rick: ...Though she's probably gonna wanna be around Brand and Jackie, at first...

Goose: Oh, yeah, definitely Brand. …

Goose: … … …

Goose: … … … … … … … … … … …

Rick: .....

Rick: Uh...Goooooooooose?

Goose: -Blinks, coming out of it- Hmm?

Rick: ........

Rick: Iiiii....uh. (OK is it just me or am I really disturbing when I DON'T talk?)

Rick: Anything that Car will wanna hear from me--like, stories, stuff that'll get her to calm down and stuff?

Goose: …

Goose: -Fairly seriously- When she came back. That night.

Rick: (oooooh this does not sound good--)

Goose: She. She looked real beat up, man. Like… like this, but worse, because… it was just so sudden, and there was a good chunk of her just plain GONE—it was so wrong, somehow— “it just ain’t right” as she would say.

Rick: . . . .

Goose: She… was having trouble recovering, she wasn’t healing right, you know? Probably because of such an important thing like a core being missing.

Rick: (S...Sis...)

Goose: She’d wake up, man—but only sorta—all panicked and incoherent and man I think Pyro said she was all “Five Nights at Freddy’s 4” in her incoherent abstract data.

Rick: Oh, jeez...

Goose: And then… she got well enough to not be all “loopy in fever”, basically—

Goose: And she asked for Brandish.

Rick: ......

Rick: Little odd that she would considering their relationship before...

Goose: I know, right?

Goose: …I mean…

Goose: … Man I hope Brand doesn’t hear about what she said, not for a LOOONG time…

Rick: . . .

Goose: Brand, uh. Well. I’ll play you the clip of what we explained to the others later. But basically she thought he didn’t believe in her at all. Aaand she was vocal about that.

Goose: Everyone was kinda expecting her to ask for me, you know? No one was more shocked to hear the request than Sev himself.

Rick: Wow...

Goose: But.

Goose: She wanted him to tell her stories.

Goose: …She couldn’t stay at rest because she still felt in danger from… whatever happened, I guess… or those FNAF nightmares.

Goose: So she couldn’t get any better, because her body wasn’t recovering.

Goose: But having him around, verbally walk her through a meditation and stuff… just knowing he was there…

Goose: She got better. She slept and got better.

Rick: ....Huh...

Goose: There’s a chance something like that might happen again with this—I mean, Dad DID change the flow between the remaining cores, but she got banged up pretty bad, might need to redo that. -I don’t know, I’m not a medical genius like Siaaaaaaaam-

Rick: -wince-

Goose: As long as you, he, Jack, and Pryo are around, though, she’ll be docile and compliant.

Goose: With Jack it’s a case of him being her last mission objective—something about protecting him from CherryDyn loose-end “fixers,” dunno if that was actually a thing or just a concern, but. She’d think “OH CRAP STILL ON A MISSION” but if he’s right there, it’s all “oh okay mission accomplished, everything’s okay now” sort of deal. [sub]she takes her work super seriously[/sub]

Rick: Yeaaaah, Jack...Jack's pretty banged up too, so he'll DEF be there with her in repairs...

Goose: We’ll bring her home as soon as she can handle it—or at least to the Meadow, I mean—Dad DOES want to work on her, after all. But yeah, they’ll probably be there for a while. :’V

Goose: You’ll know she’s gotten over the worst when she becomes absolutely ravenous. [sub]she might start sleep-eating at that point tho[/sub]

Rick: Oof--she's gonna clean out our FRIDGE--if Cryo isn't sleeping in it already but I mean--

Rick: --Oh man Jack--Jack's gonna be hungry too, man no wonder Big Fire Bro asked you for cooking help, so many hungry people...

Goose: …

Goose: Did—I mean… Does Shadebro eat a lot, too?

Rick: Well--I mean, no? Sort of? His hunger is REALLY weird--

Rick: Like, sometimes he'll not eat for a day and then suddenly he does and then he doesn't and it's just--

Rick: Iiiiit's become a fact that if he says he ain't hungry, he ain't.

Goose: Huh. Weird…

Goose: …

Goose: Ten credits says Sis challenges him to an eating contest. :^D

Rick: Noooo bet, she's so going to at some point--!

Goose: Awwwww…

Rick: But--

Rick: I bet 20 that Shade bro will lose SO HARD--

Goose: DOUBLE DOWN SAYS JACK GETS HIMSELF INVOLVED—and that Firebros do a simultaneous facepalm :^D

Rick: DEAL--

Goose: ^.^ C’mon, Rick. Let’s head on home. |D

Goose: Home is where the heart is. < 3

Rick: Yeah-- -Yawns-

Rick: Home sweet home...

[And so, Goose takes flight lead and guides his mirror home…

Ah… home at last, indeed.]

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

Allies Obstruct

=INTRO B: COLLAPSING PEACE=

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

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

Keep reading

=CHAPTER 8D: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

[SANDA LABS....]

[Ah...It looked like Beck fell asleep mid-transfer, a tired but satisfied look on his face as he used his rescued brother as a makeshift pillow.

Will looked like he had been through his own personal hell himself—he looked so frightened when he walked in with Soi—but he instantly perked up when he saw both of his sons...]

Beck: Zzzzz....

Shade: Zzz....

[Peacefully asleep.]

Pyro: -I am hardly surprised at this-

Will: Shade...

Mikhail: -An exhausted kind of relief- Praise be to God and His mercies. He’s safe.

Dyna: -BZZZT BABY BROSZZ—-

Cryo: -MOVE GLITCHES WE GOTTA GET THEM TO BED—-

Brand: ...-Leaning against his elder plane brother, just, tired but relieved-

Avi: -WEEEEEH, SHAAAAADEY, BECKERSSS—-

Pyro: (Thank God...thank God, we're...)

Pyro: (We're all here now...safe, together, at last...)

Pyro: (We're all home...)

Mic: ;W; -Family is all together again!-

Bat: -Hnmm- Too right, brother.

Bat: ...good to be home.

Will: (At long last…)

Mikhail: Will, I need to talk to you about handling the memories of the event and preventing overload.

Mikhail: But I know you’re still busy…

Mikhail: So please… don’t overdo yourself, my friend.

Will: .....

Will: I...I know.

Will: I'll keep working on the code...In bits...

Will: (....I'm sorry....)

Will: Soi can begin with Shade's and Beck's repairs...

Will: ...Bat...Mic. I...I need you to stand guard outside the repair bay.

Will: Once Shade wakes up....

Will: ......

Mikhail: I have recommendations regarding that, too, but again…

[He trails off when he notices his friend’s state of being.]

Mikhail: Will.

Mikhail: You don’t look very good.

Will: I—

Soi: Will had a panic attack.

Will: —....

Soi: He got worried over the government calling again—you know how THAT went the last time. >>

Will: (Soi...)

[Mikhail, however, just seemed… tired, now. More sorrowful than anything else. This did not go unnoticed.]

Brandish: …Doctor, are you alright?

Mikhail: …

[He was not alright. He was beginning to feel shaken and sorrowful, now that the relief was wearing off, giving way to dread and guilt.]

Mikhail: -Softly- I have done much I need to answer for yet, Brandish. -Strained- And in the end, you could say my task proved in vain….

Will: —…

[Of course. How easy it was to forget, with his own sons safely home. But… “in vain”? Surely he couldn’t mean…]

Will: Where…

Will: Where is Cardinal?

Mikhail: -Looks away- …

[He swallows after a moment.]

Mikhail: …We never retained visual long enough to compensate for a lack of signal, and then Tobias had a Stop error. I had to pull him out.

[He takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a huff, looking up.]

Mikhail: He… is still at the White House.

Will: —! What?

Pyro: . . .

Brand: ...Doctor?

Will: Why...hasn't he returned—?

Mikhail: …

[He looks away again.]

Brand: (...no, wait, he...he can't mean...?)

Mikhail: -Softly again- Dare I even say it…?

Mikhail: Nay… not even now. To hear them spoken aloud would bring you much grief, for otherwise there is the opportunity to yet deny in the heart what the mind understands…

Brand: (No—it can't be, this is Cardinal...)

Mikhail: -Somewhat strained- Cardinal did not return because he could not.

Cryo: But—but—! -Flails- But you said hell and high water wouldn’t stop him from his quest, so—!

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: Yes… and that is true. While he yet lived, nothing would have stopped him.

Will: (L-lived?! PAST TENSE!?)

Mikhail: -Deep breath again- Cardinal…

Mikhail: Cardinal is Offline.

Will: C...Cardinal—!?

Pyro: It—no—

Cryo: BUT—BUT— -On the verge of tears—-

Brand: -Pales at this, placing a hand on his elder for support- Cardinal...?

Bat: Ghn... (I knew it, damn it, I knew it, but I didn't want to BELIEVE it—)

Mikhail: I do not know more than that…! We cannot bring him back at this point without a visual…!

Call: Attention.

Call: We no longer have any security clearance to Xel Transfer onto the White House, nor any where near the property.

Will: What?

Will: --Then how are we supposed to--

Call: Attention: I am receiving calls from the Pentagon stating that they request to question Doctor Cossack about units DLN-008 and DLN-000.

Will: --!!

Mikhail: …

[He was literally shaking as he put a hand to his face, shivering from the chill lab air and his own concerns and fears.

He looked very tired, somewhat shaken, and more than a little depressed.

A man at the end of his rope.]

Soi: … (He looks like he’s about to have a nervous breakdown…)

Soi: We’ll take care of that for now. Let them know that Mikhail is indisposed.

Mikhail: Soichiro…

Soi: -Turns to Will- I think you should take the rest of this day off, Will. Please, get some rest.

Soi: Both of you. <<

Mikhail: …

[The older man doesn’t even argue.]

Mikhail: Aright. I’ll try to get what sleep I can. Call, please wake me as soon as possible after their return as long as it is after the current REM cycle is complete. You have my permission to closely monitor bioreadings to keep track of that.

Call: Yes, Doctor Cossack.

Mikhail: I am making hot chocolate and going to bed, hopefully be up by dinner.

Mikhail: Good day.

Soi: See you later, Mikhail.

Will: .....-Waves-

Will: (Oh, Mikhail...with the government asking so many questions, I can tell this is wearing you down to your wit's end...)

Will: (When will this nightmare END?)

[SANDA LABS, EVENING…]

[At last, after the longest, hardest week the White family and friends have had to endure in all of their time…

They were together again.

Scarred, injured, and some even still resting from the chaos…

But together.]

[It was nothing less than a miracle, born from the will of an unlikely timid boy forced to turn to his own strengths in the face of madness. In the span of a few days, he had gone from the meek, fearful screw-up to the world’s savior and last hope.

Even the key to what might be the cure to the nation’s robotic pandemic lies within him.

…And yet…

Beck Amadeus White, tried as he might, could not stay asleep for long.]

[There were too many thoughts. Answered questions that begot even more questions.

He had done what he had promised, and had done it as best as he could.]

Beck: … .

[…Or has he?]

[Love, compassion, respect and trust…

The basis and very essence of the bonds of friendship and companionship.

He was told, by his own father, by his own siblings, that these were the things that could make the world a better place…

That could help people, no matter how lost they are.]

[Beck believed that there was good in everyone– even people like Graham, Gravecrasher, or Blade…

And that no one–of flesh or Xel or otherwise–was truly born evil, or at the very least, it wasn’t their fault.

…

So that had to ring true for her, didn’t it?]

[Hurt and pain, tragedy, loss, all the sorrows of the world…

That is what made good people turn for the worse–those with not enough love or compassion or trust or respect in their lives…]

[So…

Was it not enough?

Did he not try…hard enough…?]

[He knew there was good in there–over the very first year of his life, even when he was so young, and still learning of the world–

He saw it.

Buried deep within rage and fear, bitterness and vengeance–bloodlust and insanity…

He saw it.]

[A light–still burning strong in the face of all the horrors that mankind was capable of. In the face of time, in the face of the very darkness it was now a part of…

A ray of hope beneath the mask.]

Beck: ……..

[He saw it, in the way spoken without malice, in the way spoken about others of their likeness–in the way that he looked at her and she looked at him without all the pain he never knew how deep it really went.]

Beck: (Where are you…?)

[He was more saddened and worried at the thought of it–he wasn’t angry, although he wondered if he should be.]

[In all honesty, he’d be more heartbroken if what he was dreading turned out to be a reality…]

Beck: …..

[And he was frightened at what he would see in his dreams should he surrender to sleep.]

Beck: (Ugh…)

Beck: (This sucks…)

Beck: ……

Beck: (Maybe…maybe she’s okay…)

Beck: (If…If she’s infected, I think we would have noticed by now…)

Beck: (But only…things and Xelbots that were offline or turned off didn’t get infected…)

Beck: (So does…that mean…)

Beck: ………

Beck: -Siiiiigh-

Beck: (I should at least try and get some rest. If Dad’s really going to use my Xel Filter Program to fix everyone, then at least that’ll help her too.)

Beck: (…And then I can go find her myself.)

Beck: (She’s a survivor. She’ll be okay.)

Beck: …..

Beck: -_-; (I wouldn’t be surprised if she was having the time of her life…The whole nation’s probably an all-you-can-eat buffet to her…)

Beck: -Shivers- (Ugh, I don’t even wanna imagine it…)

Beck: (Got enough nightmares to potentially have, thank you very much…)

Beck: -Stares at the ceiling-

Beck: ….

Beck: I guess I can re-read all of my Star Wars comics again….

[SANDA LABS, REPAIR BAY…]

Soi: Whew…

Soi: I got at least half of his repairs done–mostly just replacing the things that got, uh, fried. At least he’s still out of it for now…What about you, Will?

Will: Hrmmm…

[Will worked at his console as usual, typing furiously with purpose.]

Will: (…Gah, I can’t remove the source codes directly, that just makes the whole thing fall apart…)

Will: (…Perhaps I should work on modifying Beck’s Xel Filter Program–but if they analyze that too…)

Will: Not much headway, I’m afraid. Even WITH this latest sample…

Soi: …I see…

Will: (….)

Will: (I thought I was… through.)

Will: (I really, really thought so…)

Will: -Sighs, locks the code again-

Will: I think…I think trying to get the Xel Filter to work on a mass scale is more pressing, now that everyone is home at last…

Will: Doing that might be a bit tricky, though. It’s not as simple as just taking it out and copying it–

Will: It’s a program I designed with very…specific specs and coding.

[Undoubtedly, Mikhail would have been fascinated by this conversation.

But despite being in the same room…

…he was asleep on his notes.]

Mikhail: Zzz…

[The overworked Russian had a lot on his mind, and he had stayed up all night the night before working on the final key to his own puzzle.

And now, determined to be on hand when Cardinal came back, he had followed Sanda’s orders on a technicality.

Oh, he was resting, alright.

But judging by the empty mug of hot chocolate, he hadn’t even made it to a couch before falling asleep in the lab.]

Soi: … >> I told him to–

Will: … -Sighs- Leave the poor man alone, Soi….

Will: He has his…his own troubles now.

Will: ……

Will: (I’m sorry…)

[PING!]

Will: –?

Mikhail: Zzz…

[CALL] //: Doctor Sanda, we have a call on the emergency line.

Sanda: -Sighs- That’s been ringing off the hook, Call, we know there are people that need–

[CALL] //: Our private emergency line.

Sanda: –?!!

Mikhail: Zzz…

Will: But…That line is for Sanda Staff only–

[CALL] //: Mr. Seijiro Sanda has granted special permission given the gravity of the one who is calling.

Mikhail: Zzz…

Will: ……

Will: And…That would be….?

[CALL] //: Madame President Minerva.

Will: …….

Will: Call…

Will: Please tell me it’s not THE PRESIDENT of the United States–?!

[CALL] //: Affirmative, Doctor White.

Will: No no NO–!

[Mikhail abruptly wakes up, looking startled.

Will is OUT of there before Soi can even react, wow, can he move fast–]

Soi: Will–!

Mikhail: -More awake now, and very grouchy to be so- {What…}

Mikhail: -Feels around for his glasses and puts them on- {What’s going on, what was the shouting just now?}

Soi: E–Er–

Soi: Oh man…

Mikhail: Call, please explain? Your father is at a loss for words. </grumpy>

[CALL] //: Yes, Doctor. POTUS is currently on our emergency private Sanda Tech line as we speak.

Mikhail: …

[He seems to turn a bit pale. Kind of hard for a man in his condition.]

[CALL] //: Madame President Minerva was given clearance to use this line by the CEO of Sanda Technologies.

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: Stall for me.

[AAAAAAND HE’S OUT.]

Soi: Wha–Mikhail–! Don’t you two do this to me AGAIN–!

Soi: ….

Soi: (Crikey…)

{Meanwhile…}

“Will! WILL!”

Mikhail: -Runs after him- Will, wait!

Mikhail: {Will! We… we need to talk!}

[Will stopped dead in his tracks–whether for when Mikhail called him or out of absolute terror was hard to tell.

But he was quite not well, evident by the sharp intakes of air and the balled fists.]

Will: I–…Mikhail…

Mikhail: -Puts his hands on Will’s shoulders- Will, I…

Mikhail: I’m sorry.

Mikhail: …But it’s better you hear this from me now, rather than later…

Will: (–!)

Mikhail: I…

Mikhail: I’m going to have to talk to her, Will.

Will: –!!

Will: Wh–What–?! No–! You can’t–!

[He grabbed his colleague a bit roughly by the shirt, forcing him to look him in the eyes—there seemed to be some sort of cold fire to them.]

Mikhail: I HAVE THINGS TO ANSWER FOR, WILL!

((Pic—Mikhail & Will (shouting)))

Mikhail: I sent Tobias into the Cloud to get to the White House and interfere in their security!

Will: -Wince- (But…–!)

Mikhail: I’m sorry, Will…

Mikhail: It was for good reason, and I’m prepared to pay the price for it.

Will: (P-price…!)

Mikhail: I wouldn’t have done that unless I was truly desperate. And trust me, I was.

Mikhail: I need his hardware intact for me to fix him.

Will: –But–isn’t…isn’t all of their self in software rather than…?

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Swallows- …Yes… and that’s… that’s why.

Will: I don’t understand…

Mikhail: The software runs on the hardware… that is the primary copy.

Mikhail: Backups to the database are inactive copies.

Mikhail: If both are destroyed, the data completely lost… then… then the Awareness is effectively dead.

Will: –!!

Mikhail: That’s part of why the Robot Master Database was founded. Industrials were meant to wear out their bodies and get new ones. They… they are property, Will, that’s just how it works—

Mikhail: But what happens when there isn’t a backup to begin with?

Mikhail: What… what happens when… when the software is too old to properly connect with a constantly updating database?

Will: –?!

Will: T…Too…Old?

Will: (C… Cardinal…?)

Mikhail: …It’s hard to say for sure as I keep the respect of staying out of their files…

Mikhail:  But I don’t think he’s actually had his AI_OS backed up to the RMD in over a decade, if the records exist at all.

Will: ……

Mikhail: He… he’s always been afraid of changing his software. He wasn’t… properly coded, in the beginning.

Mikhail: But unless a construct updates their software on a regular basis, they lose the ability to communicate with the Cloud. Without the Cloud, then everything they are is tied to their chassis hardware.

Mikhail:  If he has… … if he had been too damaged to recover data from his body… he could very well have died.

Mikhail: If… if his self-destruct sequence had gone off… we probably would have lost him.

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

Will: John 15:13…?

Sanda: Why would…?

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

[MN.1] //: ….

[MN.1] //: “No greater love than this…”

[MN.1] //: “…than to lay down his life for his friends.”

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

Mikhail: I… I got desperate. I couldn’t let that happen.

Mikhail: What… beyond the loss that would have been—

[His voice becomes bitter in pain.]

Mikhail: The man saved my daughter’s life, he saved my life— he leads their family, he keeps the two sides of the wretched eternal war in our home world in check—

Mikhail: What that would have done to your son…

Will: … .

Will: (Oh, Mikhail…!)

Will: (If only I could tell you–I understand–!)

Mikhail: … I don’t even want to think of it. Brandish took the brief fight with Shadow hard enough, but this…

Mikhail: -Hangs his head-  I couldn’t let it happen….

Mikhail: In retrospect… having Tobias fight off the security also helped make things a little easier on him, on your youngest son, by preventing everything working against him to the degree they had been working before. The distraction helped with saving the President too, I imagine.

Mikhail: But I will be honest—at the time I was really only thinking of Cardinal, and I’m sorry.

Mikhail: Between everyone’s efforts, we all made it out alive—and that is all I could have hoped for, so…

Mikhail: I am willing to pay.

Will: … (Mikhail…)

Will: (God, if I lost you, too, to…to them, I…!)

Will: (If only I was as half as brave as you are…)

Mikhail: I’ve been somewhat negligent in my duties as a Doctor out of the desire to let the boys handle their own lives. I was unwilling to enforce my authority when it was most needed. At least six people have suffered greatly as a direct result of that weakness. My irresponsibility has placed travelers from my world at risk by allowing an unforgiving spotlight on unusual phenomena.

Will: (No, please–please, this is all my fault–! I should be one where YOU ARE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND–!)

Mikhail: What happened with the Queen’s Finals and on the highways could have been passed off as lingering issues born from their early lives. It would even have been plausible to say that the lack of files and records was related to the data breach not that long ago.

Mikhail: That is no longer the case.

Mikhail: The boys and I have gotten too much trouble to run from any longer. There are things that have happened which will no longer be overlooked.

Mikhail: Cardinal has entangled himself directly in government affairs, as has Tobias. There’s the very real question of security being put at risk, with what they did while they were there. Tobias in particular, since he now is under heat from investigations in two entirely different countries.

Mikhail: They are going to want answers, Will. They will not rest until they feel they are through. There isn’t much for them to find, but it is enough that it can’t be avoided. Trying to shift blame onto Doctors Light and Wily won’t be enough to avoid what is in store. Someone is going to have to give an answer.

Will: (What can I do, what–there must be something, I–I won’t–)

Mikhail: The simple fact is that all the incidents in question only have one clear link between them—

Mikhail: Me.

Will: (I won’t let them take you away from us–!)

Will: (If it comes to that, then I swear–!)

Mikhail: This time, Tobias was acting under my orders. I woke him up specifically to break into the system, disable it, and give us feeds from the cams.

Mikhail: Such… such an action is…

Mikhail: …not something easily forgiven.

Will: (N…No…!)

Mikhail: …I must… I have to answer for this, sooner or later. It’s the right thing to do.

Will: (I can’t lose another–not again–!)

Mikhail: I’m sorry, William…

Mikhail: After all this time, after all you’ve done for me… I’ve gone and done something terrible, something that places you in danger.

Mikhail: I certainly won’t let anyone put that onto you.

Mikhail: -Places a hand to Will’s face- You’re like a cousin, or… or even brother to me. And I know this is hard enough on you as it is.

Mikhail: Believe me, Will, I know what this is like—

Mikhail: I’ve seen it happen with MY sons before.

Mikhail: Even worse, I was the one who sent them there, the reason they ended up like they did.

Will: (Gnk–!)

Mikhail: The aftermath was… is very hard. I don’t… -In clear emotional pain- I don’t even have them all back yet. I’m still… still in the process of piecing us back together.

Mikhail: But you…

Mikhail: You’ve been doing such good work, you… you’re already under enough stress as it is… you should definitely not be hounded by the things I’ve done using your equipment. The things my nephews have done throughout this whole mess…

Will: … … ….

[Too much. It was all too much.]

[Of all the things Will had to hide…]

[Tears…]

[Now that was the one thing he could never quite master how to conceal.]

Will: Gh…!

[Suddenly, Mikhail would find a surprising strength in Will–of the physical kind, that is, once he had latched onto him–as if…]

((Pic—Mikhail & Will (hug)))

[As if the whole world was trying to tear them apart.]

Will: You–You have to promise me–!

Will: Promise me you’ll come back–please…!

Mikhail: -Blinks- …

[He returns the hug, though a gentle one.]

Mikhail: Oh, William…

Mikhail: I still have important work to do, my friend.

Mikhail: No government or government agency—no leader, no use of force will keep me from bringing my family back together.

Mikhail: No matter what happens, I will be coming back. That is not something I even have to promise… it is mere fact.

Mikhail: ({I’m not native to your world—I exist outside of it. So… even if…. Even if it were to fall to the worst possible outcome…})

Mikhail: Just… stay strong, alright? We’ll make it through this. I promised you that, remember?

-*-*-*-*-

“Listen… If anything ever goes that wrong for you, I /promise/ you I will help you find a way to fix it.”

-*-*-*-*-

Mikhail: I intend to keep to that.

[…..]

Will: -Sniff-

Will: (…Mikhail…)

Will: (…That’s right…The two of us…)

Will: (…You…don’t know how much we’re both alike…)

Will: …I…

Will: I really…wanted to show you around…

Will: I… -Sniff, choked laughter- I guess that’s out the window now…

Mikhail: -Weary smile-

[He ruffles Will’s hair a bit.]

Mikhail: We’ll see about that, Doctor. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to answer for myself before high office.

Will: -Sniff- Right…Here be dragons…

Mikhail: да.

Mikhail: Go…

Mikhail: Go see your sons, Will.

Mikhail: Be with them. Be with your sons and daughters. You have them back now.

Mikhail: And you and I both know exactly how priceless of a treasure that is.

Will: ….

Will: Y…Yes…

Will: Alright…

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Gently- Will?

Will: Mm?

Mikhail: That means you have to let go, Will.

Will: ….

Will: …!

Will: -Aaaand does so- Oh–I–Sorry, I, Ah–

Will: -Awkward noodle, how do we people–

[That gets Mikhail to laugh.]

Mikhail: -More hair ruffles for friend- Haha…! Alright, why don’t you go get something warm to eat? If anyone else wakes up, they’ll probably want to join in with you. Maybe make me some hot chocolate for when I get back. | )

[This seemed to be a statement more than a question, as with that said… he walked off, his lab coat swishing slightly behind him.]

Will: …Okay…

Will: ….

Will: (…..)

Will: I’ll…do that.

Will: …

Will: (Friend…)

{Meanwhile}

[Shortly after Mikhail had left, Call patched the line through.

Sanda was greeted with a somewhat disgruntled looking Madame President.]

Soi: (Ugh…Dealing with the government not once but twice in the same week…)

Soi: (The two of you REALLY owe me double for this…)

Soi: -Ahem-

Soi: M-Madame President! Sorry for the hold up–I-uh, apologize.

Soi: T-To what may be the reason for your urgent call? (Please don’t say Will or Mikhail, please don’t say Will or Mikhail–)

Min: Doctor Sanda.

[She lifts something onto the screen.]

Min: Is this yours?

Soi: –!!!

Scout: : D -LOOK, IT IS YOU, THE SNACK GIVER-

Scout: -LICKS THE SCREEN-

Soi: …..

Soi: Uuuuh…

Soi: I…Oh, dear…

Soi: -Inhales- It…yes, he is. Goodness, I wonder how he got there… (Scout, how in the WORLD did you end up in the White House–?!)

Soi: (–Oh, right…)

Soi: (Cardinal. -__-;;;; )

Min: And the cat?

Soi: –?

Soi: I…I’m sorry, cat–?

Min: Yes, Doctor. The giant cat that is currently preventing the White House from being thoroughly secured—is that also yours?

Soi: –!?!?

Soi: (Giant cat–oh no—JAZZ–)

Soi: …Er. (That–that isn’t even close to what I was expecting, what do I SAY–?!)

Soi: (Ngh, if I don’t tell them it’s ours, Cardinal will kill me–)

Min: If it’s not yours, we’ll have to disable it. It’s blocked off an entire room looking out onto the Lawn.

Soi: –….

Soi: (Cardinal….)

Soi: (Mngh, I can’t let the government get ahold of Jazz, though–she’s not Xel, if they shoot her and they find she’s not, then–!)

Min: Doctor. My men said they saw someone on the ground in there. We need to secure the area, and we need to get into the room and retrieve any fallen members of staff.

Soi: (Ack!)

Soi: (Will–Mikhail–I can’t hold them off anymore–!)

Soi: (What…What do I do…)

“The cat does not belong to Sanda Labs, no."

Soi: –!!

[Mikhail strides into the room, looking weary but determined.]

Soi: Wh–what are–?

Soi: (What are you doing, Mikhail–!)

[DR.WHITE to DR. SANDA] //: S–Soi….

Soi: –!

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: …L…Let him do this.

Min: …

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: …. (Good luck, Mikhail…)

Min: Doctor Михаил Сергеевич Казак.

Min: How fortuitous of you to show up. There are a lot of questions surrounding you, Doctor.

[She did not seem pleased, and there was a tension in the air that could not be surmounted. She was a woman who demanded answers, from whom answers had been withheld. She was clearly not one to be trifled with, especially now.]

Soi: …

Mikhail: CSU-001 is DLN-000’s support unit.

Min: …

Soi: —! (R…Right off the bat—?!)

Soi: (Nngh…Mikhail, I know you have experience with this, I HOPE you know what you’re doing…)

[It took a moment for the President to realize the implications of what Mikhail had just said. When she did…]

Min: —?!

Min: That…

Min: That’s DLN-000 on the ground in there?!

Mikhail: -Closes his eyes, bows his head, and sighs- … да.

Soi: … … ...

Soi: (Shade…Oh, Shade… Don’t worry, we WILL get Cardinal back here somehow…)

Mikhail: -Adjusts his glasses before he looks up- Madame President, I can understand your anxiety, suspicion, and concern—but CSU-001 has…

[A pause.]

Mikhail: …

Mikahail: -Decides to start over- Well…

Mikhail: …She’s a cat. -___-;;

Min: -Lowers eyelids slightly- By which you mean, she will not obey orders the same way a dog will. Why design a support unit that way?

Mikhail: >_>

Min: No matter. If she’s dangerous and will not obey, she must be removed.

Mikhail: -Holds up hands in a “I’m not armed” gesture- I agree. If you would let Pyrogen enter—

Min: So you are all working together, then.

Soi: -Wince- (Mikhaaaaaaaail…)

Min: -Somewhat coldly- I hope you answer the next few questions very carefully, Doctor.

[The look in Cossack’s eyes was the only indicator that he was starting to wear down on patience. His tone remained passive, and he seemed tired more than anything else.]

Mikhail: …Do you intend to put me in custody? Under what charges?

Min: I’m sure the Attorney General would have plenty if it came to that.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Not if I have anything to say about it–

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Shh, Will–it won’t, we promise….

Min: Why are you being so defensive and confrontational?

Mikhail: Because I’m being listened to and recorded to right now, madam, with no idea how many are listening. -_- I will not speak so freely under such conditions.

Mikhail: Right now, I believe it is more important to focus on the physical aspects of the situation. CSU-001 will not answer even to Pyrogen, but she will be less likely to attack him. And even if she did, he would be able to, as you Americans say… “tank” it.

Mikhail: DLN-000 is in desperate need of extreme hardware repairs that are life-threatening. If he destabilizes, it will end very poorly. Readings that my database received suggest he needs to have a core replaced.

Min: While that is the case, we don’t think it is a good idea to allow anyone to teleport to or from the grounds right now; cybersecurity is another matter.

Mikhail: -Raises an eyebrow- And is that something you want to be saying right now, even over a private line?

Min: —…

[She pursed her lips together. After a pause…]

Min: This isn’t your first time dealing with the government, is it? ¬_¬

Soi: (You have no idea.)

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: -Well, she figured THAT out quick…-

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Come on, Mikhail…I know you can do it…

Mikhail: -Turns his hands over to show his wrists- I understand that you have a lot of questions, and that these questions regard matters of dangerous and troubling natures. But your staff promised Sanda Labs that there would be full cooperation when necessary.

Mikhail: I am merely asking you to hold to that promise. I’m the one with answers you want, yes, and…

[He curls his hands into fists, and they shake slightly.]

Mikhail: I’m willing to go into questioning about them.

Min: -Blink blink- -Did NOT expect this kind of answer-

Mikhail: All I ask is that you think very carefully about who gets to hear the answers.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: -Ngh…-

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: -As long as they don’t take him away–ngh–

Soi: ….

Soi: (Okay…So Mikhail…Is going to answer their questions, but if they ask to speak to Will…)

Soi: (He gets terrified at the thought of it and I know why…)

Mikhail: -Looks up again, turning a hand to the side in gesture- Please understand, Madame President— Jazz and her master both need to get out of there as soon as possible. Mighty Number Nine is currently undergoing his own repairs and recovery. Given the current situation, Pyrogen is the only one who can safely diffuse it.

Mikhail: If you’re so worried about any further “funny business”, I’m sure it shouldn’t be a problem if he’s watched while he picks them up.

Soi: ( ! Good idea…Really, all we’re doing is picking them up and nothing else…)

Min: Very well, you do have a point.

[She looks over her shoulder.]

Min: I have a personal interest in DLN-000’s well being. I’m sure the Secretary of Defense will be fine with leading the escort into the White House.

”…To be honest, a guy that can survive a headshot is someone that would be a shame to lose, but that’s just me.“

Min: -Smiles a bit at that-

Mikhail: … -Blinks-

Mikhail: He took a hit from Shade to his helmet?

Des: -Peeks over Min’s shoulder-

Des: Actually, we shot him in the head when he got into the Oval Office–that is one darn good helmet he has there.

Des: Desmond Donald, by the way. Secretary of Defense. I also have a few questions for you, Doctor Cossack.

Mikhail: -Flatly- No, I’m not a spy.

Des: –… (Great. Another genius who's short on patience.)

Des: It really isn’t your first rodeo, isn’t it… (Let's just hope he actually IS as cooperative as he claims he's going to be…)

Mikhail: нет.

Mikhail: The answers I have aren’t exactly something that everyone should be hearing.

Des: And why would that be? (He obviously has SOMETHING to hide….)

Mikhail: Well, for starters— I’m sure you have a lot of questions about DLN-000.

Mikhail: I am his Doctor, yes, but he is more than just a patient to me. He is also a good family friend. Answers regarding him lead into information about my daughter—

Soi: ( ! He mentioned Kalinka…)

Mikhail: And quite frankly, I will not have her endangered.

Mikhail: One who has landed themself in this position must answer for what has been going on. Investigations require answers. But only those who have a right to know should be handling such answers.

Des: … a right to know, huh…

Des: Well, I think I do.

Des: DLN-000 was wearing what I am sure to be dog tags.

Des: And– -Turns to Min- Believe me, someone with a good helmet like that, able to by-pass our security and go toe to toe with one of the world’s top Battle Colosseum fighters…

Des: Believe me, I would know if we had someone like that.

Mikhail: -Wry smile- Got you in trouble, did he, Mr. Donald?

Des: -~- (Why is it they always pick up these things without me SAYING it? Ugh…)

Des: Look…

Des: I don’t know if he’s in some… secret division or whatever, if he’s military–

Des: …Well.

Des: The man saved Min’s life, no matter which way you look at it.

Mikhail: And I can assure you he wouldn’t like you harassing his Doctor overmuch. He went to the trouble of saving mine once, after all.

Des: ….

Des: -Turns to Min again-

Des: He’s a soldier, Min.

Des: No one left behind.

Min: …

Min: -Siiiighs-

Min: You’re a person of interest, Doctor Cossack. I’d much rather have some of our staff look him over, if you want the honest truth.

Mikhail: That’s not going to work. If you wish to question me, however, that can be arranged. But he needs to get out of there.

Min: You would delay his repairs, potentially deny them altogether? : |

[The implications of that emphasis were not lost on the beleaguered Russian.]

Mikhail: …

[At that, he seemed broken in surrender, but with too great a dignity to openly give in to despair.]

Mikhail: -Quietly- Well, I seriously hope it doesn’t come to that, that’s an awfully chilling fate to walk off to.

Soi: ….

Soi: I…If I may…Suggest something…?

Mikhail: -Turns to look at Soi- ?

Soi: -Ahem-

Soi: -Exhales-

Soi: …..

Soi: DLN-000–his very life is at stake.

Soi: Please, if…If it helps–Sanda Enterprises is a very secure location, and our lines have the best security we can offer. You had to get permission from my brother before getting on this line, even.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: SOI WHAT ARE YOU DOING–

[DR.SANDA to DR.WHITE] //: Trust me–

Soi: If you like…After DLN-000’s condition is more stable and not in great danger, we can set up a room–monitored and with our most secure line–so that you can question Doctor Cossack as much as you want. I…

Soi: I’ll even answer some myself if I have to.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Soichiro–!

Soi: Just…

Soi: He’s….he’s our friend. Please…

Soi: The more we wait…

Min: …

Mikhail: …I find this to be an acceptable answer.

Mikhail: I can assure you I’ll be staying here in the lab until repairs are over. DLN-000 needs my help with repairs, after all—I’ll hardly skip town, let alone country.

Soi: Call–my daughter, she can even give you reports.

Mikhail: Actually, I’ll need her help, Sanda—as an assistant—if she’s not on a different assignment.

Soi: Yes…Yes, certainly…

Min: -Looks at Des for a moment- …

Des: …..

Min: -Looks back- Very well.

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

Min: It’s not what I’d consider ideal, but negotiation is all about give and take.

Min: As a representative of the republic, I don’t quite trust you, Doctor Cossack, and there are questions that will need to be answered.

Min: However, you have been more or less cooperative and you have agreed to remaining within a confined area and undergoing questioning. And character testimony certainly counts for something.

Min: Mighty Number One has clearance to meet the Secretary of Defense outside the White House and proceed to retrieve CSU-001 and DLN-000.

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: –!!!

Min: And after that…

[She holds up Scout again.]

Min: I believe this one needs to go back home as well.

Scout: : D!!!!

Scout: -SNACK GIVER, HELLO AGAIN- Rarf! ^^

[DR.WHITE to DR.SANDA] //: Oh dear God we completely forgot about Scout–

Min: But before I let you go—

Min: I have a homework assignment for the two of you.

Soi: !

Soi: (…S…She means Mikhail and me, right–)

Min: This critter was looked over by the veterinarian on staff. It is not a dog, and it is not a raccoon.

Min: I hope your biology research will have an A+ answer as to what it is and to why and how it keeps doing this—

[She takes one of Desmond’s pins out of Scout’s mouth.]

Des: ??? -Again–

Min: Even from up to several yards away.

Scout:  D: -Nuuuuu-

Min: -Scritches for the Scout- -It’s okay, you’re a good boy-

Scout: : D!!! -Yaaay, nice lady is nice~-

Soi: Eheh…Er. Well, his name is Scout, and ah…

Soi: …H-How about we leave that to when you question me? ^^;;;

Min: That’s the definition of a homework assignment, Doctor Sanda. -Amused smile-

Soi: -Yup we knew that, just making sure- -Thumbs up-

Min: -Chuckles- Alright.

Min: -Turns to Des- You’d better get over to the White House then, Des.

Min: -Signals for the feed to cut out-

-BLIP!-

Soi: …..

[Suddenly, someone running into the room–]

Mikhail: ?

[GLOMP–]

Will: You did it–

Will: Both of you did it–!

Will: -Oh God for a second there I thought both of you were going to get taken into custody, SOOOOI–

Soi: –Oof–

Soi: Aw, Will… ^^

Mikhail: -Aw, group hug for Will- It’s alright, William. Things will be fine now.

Mikhail: The President seemed mostly to be acting in the interests of your republic, and not out of personal aggression. Trust me, that makes it much easier.

Will: …..

Will: Y…You didn’t have to do that, though, Soi…Putting yourself…

Soi: Eh…Will, I’m in charge of the American Branch. I’m pretty sure they would have gotten to me eventually. ^^;;;

Soi: Besides, as long as you’re not going to get questioned or anything like that…

Soi: It’s worth it.

Will: …Soi…

Soi: I always got your back, Will, remember? ^^

Mikhail: -Lets go to clean off his glasses- Call, please tell Pyrogen to report here. I need to… warn him about some things before he goes over there.

[CALL] //: Yes, Doctor.

Soi: I’ll get back to repairing Shade and Beck, then.

Soi: ….Right after a hot meal and a nap. ^^;;; -Oof, we feel rather shaken and exhausted…-

Mikhail: You do that. -Slight grin- I had my nap. Now it’s your turn.

Will: I–

Soi: You are going to do the same and spend time with the rest of the Mighties.

Soi: Jeez, Will, where would you be without me? | )

Will: Eheh…Up the creek with no paddle…

Mikhail: Alright, gentlemen. Let’s get going.

[When Pyro reported to the lab again, he was concerned and confused.]

Pyro: ...Doctor...

Pyro: Father...

Will: ...Son.

Pyro: Is...Is everything alright? -VERY concerned, you both seem very tired...-

Mikhail: -Takes off his glasses to rub his left eye with the heel of his palm- That’s… debatable. Both Doctor Sanda and I will be undergoing questioning later.

Pyro: I--beg pardon--?

Pyro: Why? You've both done nothing wrong, what is going on--?

Mikhail: There are things that we can’t run away from any longer, Mighty Number One.

Pyro: —…

Mikhail: The time has come to pay the piper. -Shakes his head- It is what it is.

Pyro: ...I...

Pyro: ...does this have something to do with why you called me?

Mikhail: Yes and no…

Pyro: ?

Mikhail:  Pyro…

Mikhail: …I’m afraid I rather volunteered you for a journey. I’m going to need you to do something.

Pyro: —?

Will: -Deep breaths- ...Yes...

Will: Not...Not all of us are home, Pyrogen...

Will: Not yet...

Will: The Robot Masters are offline for good reason, and Beck is in no condition to go anywhere.

Will: ...

Will: You must go and retrieve Cardinal posthaste...

Will: You are strong—and delicate enough to move him here without causing more damage, and I think, by now, some parts of the building have caught fire.

[Mikhail pinched the bridge of his nose.]

Mikhail: ({Electrical fire. Oh, Cardinal, why did you have to use something so powerful on an important point like that? You must have been truly desperate.})

Will: Once he is here, Mikhail can begin repairs...

Will: But with the Robot Masters offline...

Mikhail: …I’m going to need someone else to bring him here, for starters. And others to assist in repairs.

[He sighed, putting his head in his hands again.

He seemed… old. Truly old, and weary of the world. And he was exhausted.]

Mikhail: Will…

Mikhail: I really, really wish it could be you.

Mikhail: That’s what he would have wanted.

Will: (Mikhail...God, I'm sorry, this is my fault...)

Mikhail: -Turns to Pyrogen- Avi saw him getting injured to the point where oil spatter was visible from a far distance.

Pyro: -wINCE-

Mikhail: And he is Offline, in a way that brought Beck much despair. Offline, to where Jazz will suffer no man to pass.

Mikhail: Pyrogen…

Mikhail: I greatly fear that you may find that it is not a self-preservation way of going Offline. For he would have cared little for that, as long as his quest lay open…

Mikhail: I fear, Pyrogen…

Mikhail: I fear you will find that he has gone Offline because he is dead.

Will: --?! Wh--... (No--no, not again, not this, anything but this--)

Pyro: D...Dead?! (Cardinal--is...no...)

Pyro: (He's...)

Pyro: (He can't... that's why...)

Will: (Pyrogen...I can't--God, no, please, not another--!)

Will: -Very much pales...but holds fast.-

Mikhail: It may be a fearful thing you see, and… I am truly sorry. I would not place this burden on you if I had any other choice. If… -Trails off-

Pyro: …

Pyro: .... (Cardinal...)

Pyro: (You...)

Pyro: (...you AND Beck...)

Pyro: (You both just wanted us all home...)

Pyro: -Clenches a fist in resolve- …I will go.

Pyro: Beck...

Pyro: Beck swore to us--all of us...that he would bring us ALL home.

Pyro: But now that he can't go on in his condition...

Pyro: ...it is...only just that Cardinal returns as well.

Pyro: I will bring him home--because he deserves that much, for all that he's done.

Pyro: ...Beck...AND Shade...would've wanted it that way...as do I.

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: {Thank you, my soul-nephew. Alas…}

Mikhail: Good luck, Pyrogen.

Mikhail: (I’m afraid you’re going to need it…)

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

=CHAPTER 7A: RUSH INTO THE MINE=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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

[SANDA LABS, MIDDAY...]

“Tracing....”

[ACCESSING DATA LOGS. PLEASE WAIT.]

[.....]

[ERROR--TRANSPONDER SIGNAL NOT FOUND. RETRIEVING LAST DATA TRANSMISSION...]

[.....PING!]

[LOCATION DATA FOUND.]

Call: Tracing...

[READING LOCATION DATA...]

[GENERATING COORDINATES....]

[CALL] //: -Mass Ping!-

[There was a response ping from most of the Rebel Angels—all other than Siamini, that is. (And Cardinal, of course.)]

<DLN-008>: > -Hazy data- ?

[MN.2] //: -Sleeeepy data, what's going on now--

[DR.WHITE] //: --! Call? What is it?

[CALL] //: I believe I have located Mighty No. 4's last known coordinates, Doctor.

<DLN-008>: > -PROCESSING…-

[There was a weak cross-reference with DLN-004 before all of the message came through the parser, and he got the “Mighty” part out of that sentence.]

<DWN-018>: >Where did he end up?

[DR.WHITE] //: !!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: Yeah, where?

[MN.6] //: -Whoa that was fast, Beckroni--

[CALL] //: The coordinates from his last known transponder frequency puts him in the northern region of Wyoming.

<DWN-018>: >Admittedly not where I would have expected him to end up; I was thinking Kentucky…

<DWN-012>: >Oh, don’t be dumb. What’s the point of going into a cave that’s already all open up?

<DWN-018>: >Well, Dad would have sent him there…

<DWN-024>: >Would you two be quiet, please?

[MN.3] //: ...Zzzo Earth bro is in a mine? Aszz in...

[CALL] //: Underground, yes. That is the most likely scenario.

[CALL] //: This mine has been in production since last year, and its depth would explain why MN.4's transponder has stopped transmitting data.

[DR.WHITE] //: Of course--he must be too deep...

<MC005>: >This does not surprise me. I rather expected this, from the start.

[CALL] //: However.

[CALL] //: Because No. 4's signal cannot reach to the surface, this also presents the scenario that he is in technological isolation, and that the virus may have not reached him if he was successful in escaping in time--

[MN.9] //: Wait wait wait--

[MN.9] //: Are you saying that Mic--Mic might not even be infected?

[CALL] //: There is a 23% chance that he is not, No. 9. Please proceed with all due caution.

[MN.9] //: Well-- Yes--

<DLN-005>: >I thought you said you were all there in the Arena?

[MN.9] //: But--If Mic buried himself underground fast enough, then maybe--!

<DCN-003>: >Either way, time to find, we get ready, yes good.

[MN.9] //: Right!

[CALL] //: I can only bring you as far as the entrance of the mine, No. 9. I suggest that we send Sunny as well, as are not able to transport directly underground.

<DCN-003>: > {It is time to get ready. MNN-005, please prepare for surface duty. Lady Sanda, are we cleared to enter the private property? What is the status of surveillance in the area?}

[MN.5] //: Locked and loaded.

[CALL] //: The mine has been evacuated--but it's surveillance has been rendered offline, thus we cannot determine what lies within. I have already made the arrangements as we were speaking.

<DCN-003>: > {I mean surveillance above ground.}

[CALL] //: We have visual of the mine entrance. Please wait...

[A screen appears a moment later, showing a rather large entrance--it was definitely big enough for someone like Mic to walk into...]

<DCN-003>: > {Who else has access to those feeds?}

[CALL] //: The owner of the mine and certain authorized personal that were on-site.

<DCN-003>: >Hmm.

<DCN-003>: > {Legal discussions about the video will have to wait. Can the surveillance detect signals as well?}

[CALL] //: They can. It is part of their security measures.

<DCN-003>: > {This is problematic. Father, did you ever make transponders for us?}

<MC005>: > {I’m sorry, son. I didn’t have the time for that. Are there any spare bracers around?}

<DCN-003>: > Nyet.

<MC005>: > -Audible sigh- {Right then.}

<MC005>: > {Just get ready. I’ll work with Tobias to see what we can do before sending you over.}

<DCN-003>: > {Affirmative. Lady Sanda, is there a working surface station on the property?}

[CALL] //: Fortunately, there is.

[MN.9] //: Sweet!

<DCN-003>: > {Good, that saves time in setting up a field station. Do we have the necessary keys to access the system?}

[CALL] //: I will request them from the owner and have them ready for you when on-site.

<DCN-003>: > {Acknowledged. Please adjust the Auditory Input setting in the Accessibility preferences in the system to allow for verbal interfacing.} -No hands, no problem-

[CALL] //: Confirmed. No. 9?

[MN.9] //: I've been ready for a while! Let's do this!

<DCN-003>: > {I will join up with you on the site. Please do not enter until I have arrived.}

<DCN-003 has left the channel.>

[DR.WHITE] //: Just please be careful, all of you--who knows what else is down there besides Mic...

[CALL] //: Preparing Xel Transfer...

[MN.1] //: Good luck, Beck. Bat...watch him for us.

[MN.5] //: Yes, sir. I got him.

[MN.9] //: Thanks, bro.

[MN.9] //: I'll bring Mic back--one way or another!

[MN.9] // (And hopefully without a fight...)

[CALL] //: Initiating Xel Transfer....

____________________________________

[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 4, SEISMIC, HAS LOST CONTACT VIA DATA LOSS--THIS MINE LOCATED IN WYOMING WAS HIS LAST KNOWN LOCATION.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVES: INVESTIGATE THE MINE AND RETRIEVE MN.4--PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM SYSTEMS IF INFECTED.]

[SUB-OBJECTIVES: RESCUE ANY TRAPPED MINE WORKERS, MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT.]

SYSTEMS READY?

GO!

[It seemed like a perfect, sunny midday once Beck touched down--an odd backdrop that he found rather unfit for the situation at hand...]

[It wasn't unwelcome, though. In fact, he took in a breath of fresh air before staring down the huge dark mouth of the mine entrance...]

Beck: (...I'm really glad Shade gave me Night Vision for my C-Visor...gonna need it here.)

[PING!]

White: Beck? Do you read?

Beck: Loud and clear, Professor!

White: Digger and Bat will touch down in a moment, so please wait until they arrive before you head in there.

Beck: Roger--

Beck: --!

[It took a while for someone else to arrive at the station.

And boy, was it a bit of an unexpected entrance.]

Beck: Digger?

Bat: .....So that's his full armor...

<DCN-003>: > {That is correct, my friends.}

[…He also… had a Xel signal?]

Beck: --?????

Beck: Uuuh--?

<DCN-003>: > {Tobias and Father worked to make a small transponder that would translate our signal into a Xel signal. FMN-009 made the finishing touches. I’m glad to see from your expression that it is working, but it is just a prototype.}

Beck: Wow...that's pretty neat for a prototype, though!

Bat: And handy. Saves the trouble just in case.

<DCN-003>: > {It would be best not to discuss it out loud.}

[He glanced around the station out of the corners of his eyes.]

<DCN-003>: > {We are being watched and recorded.}

Beck: --Oh--

Bat: Indeed.

Bat: Well, you're the one with the expertise in this field, soldier. What's our battle plan?

[Digger paced back and forth. He spoke sharply, full of focus—and void of humor. (Still, he did not speak with anger or accusation.) Oddly enough, he spoke perfect English—without an accent. It sounded very odd coming from him—as if he were using a different audio program.]

Digger: Gentlemen! Today, we go underground! This is a search and rescue mission. It is imperative to remain in contact.

[He turned to face Beck.]

Digger: MNN-009 will be entering the underground on his own to clear out any infected constructs. MNN-005 and I shall serve as the surface team. We will go down after Beck if the situation calls for it. In that case, DWN-013 and DWN-018 will serve as the secondary surface team. Should they need to go underground as well, DCN-000 and DCN-008 will be the tertiary surface team.

Digger: Mighty Nine, you will place the transponder lanterns at regular intervals on the right hand side of the paths you are traversing. They will help you to keep from getting lost, and will boost the communication signal that will allow for communication with the surface team and the lab as you go deeper underground.

Digger: Should we lose contact, please continue to place the transponders anyway.  If contact is not re-established within ten minutes, the surface team will come after you.

Beck: Put lamps on the right side, even if contact's lost--I got it!

Bat: Acknowledged.

Beck: --Wait, hold up...Snow's part of the third surface team...?

Bat: Keep in mind that he was built for any terrain, Private. He's an explorer.

Beck: Ah...

<DCN-003>: > {David was built to withstand extreme conditions. He’s also impervious to being crushed, but more on that some other day.}

Beck: (Crushed...ngh, don't like the sound of that...)

Beck: (At least the fact that there's back-up for the back-up is reassuring...)

Digger: And now, it is time for you to learn the top two rules! Ready?

Beck: Yes, sir!

Digger: Rule one!

Digger: Never dig straight down!

Digger: Rule two!

Digger: Never dig straight UP!

Beck: --I'm...pretty sure I don't have anything--or form--I can dig with right now but--got it!

Bat: One more thing.

Bat: Use my form carefully down there, Beck. Don't get trigger happy with that, ya hear?

Beck: Yes, sir.

Bat: Course...If you need to get physical with Mic, just don't land one where you'll end up caving in the place.

Beck: Right, got it....

Digger: Good. The lanterns are in the backpack over there. -Points- You have also been provided with basic rock climbing gear in your size.

Digger: There will be additional resources available to aid in rescue of other persons in the mine if they are encountered.

Beck: ....Huh....

Beck: The lamps look...kinda...uh.

Beck: ...Squaaaaare...?

[After a moment, Beck shrugs and inspects the contents of the backpack before slugging it over his back.]

Beck: Thanks, Digger!

Digger: … [sub]It was his idea, not mine, but…[/sub] You’re welcome.

Digger: That’s it for now. Set off when you are ready to go.

[Beck nods and flicks his C-Visor down, giving a salute to both Digger and Bat as he turns towards the mine entrance.]

Bat: Good luck, Private. Get him back for us.

((AND HERE A PIC OF BECK LOOKING DETERMINED))

Beck: You got it, Bat! -thumbs up-

[Digger was quiet, keeping his own thoughts on the matter private. He seemed eager to enter the mine himself, but determined to keep order of the situation. He turned his attention to checking the station.]

[With a final quick look to the cloudless sky, Beck hopped down a steep ledge before breaking into a full sprint down into the darkness....]

[C.VISOR: LOW LIGHT LEVELS DETECTED. NIGHT VISION ACTIVATED.]

Beck: --Hm?

[There was a faint glow coming from the walls as he tread forward, the lights put by the workers flickering every now and then...]

Beck: Looks like the lights are still working...

[Pulling a transponder lamp from his backpack, Beck placed it firmly on the right wall like he was told--it gave off a much better light than the mine's fixated ones, thankfully...]

White: Beck?

Beck: I don't see anything strange so far, Dad--but the transponder lamps look like they're working!

Beck: I'm heading down deeper now...

[Climbing down some ledges, being careful to mind his step--the general direction was definitely not straight down, like Digger had warned him not to do--but it was down nonetheless.]

"Bzzz..."

Beck: --?

Beck: Did you say something, Dyna?

[MN.3] //: What? No...

<DCN-003>: > {Is something wrong?}

Beck: I heard buzzing...

"Bzzzzzz..."

Beck: --! There it was again!

[MN.3] //: That'szz not uszz--

"BZZZZZZ...."

<DCN-003>: > {DLN-008 is currently resting.}

<DCN-003>: > {Computer, relay audio clip at 150%, please.}

"BZZZZZZZZZZ......"

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > {OKAY THAT IS THE SOUND OF A MINING DRILL.}

Beck: Wha--someone's still drilling?

[MN.2] //: ...Do ya think it's Mic?

[MN.1] //: Could be. Although I would expect him to be quite a bit deeper...

Beck: Maybe...someone left one on?

White: Mmm...

Sanda: Oof...I'd be careful about those--the last thing we need is unmanned drills running amok!

<DCN-007>: > {I knew you should have gone with him. Your Power Capsule—}

<DCN-003>: > -Uncharacteristically harsh- {No comments from you. Go away!} D<

White: ...Well, whatever the case, proceed, Beck...with all due caution. Just be sure to mind yourself, and keep putting out those lamps.

Beck: Understood...

<DCN-003>: > {If you can, scan for signs of stability in your area, as active drilling may make the ground unstable.}

Beck: Good idea...

[SCANNING....]

Beck: ....Yeah, it seems this passage over here is stable. Heading that way...

[One more lamp stuck to the right wall...]

"BZZ! BZZ!"

Beck: ...?

Beck: Uh--is it just me or did those sound a LOT closer--

"BZZZZZZ!"

[SHINK!]

Beck: WHOA--!

[Landing RIGHT in front of his toes was a small drill bot that looked similar to a screw--with a drill on its head, of course. It was long and thin...]

[...and it had familiar red rimmed, white eyes.]

Beck: --Wait, that's--!

White: It's...a CherryDyn model...

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > …Well they ARE an industrial manufacturing company. ¬ ¬

<DCN-003>: > Why is this a surprise?

White: Exactly, there's never just ONE--!

Beck: ......

[Slowly...the Mighty Number looks up.]

[And he is met with a several dozen pairs of the same, identical eyes, boring down on him from the ceiling.]

Beck: . . .

Beck: O_O;;;

"BZZZZZZZZZZZ!"

[MN.6] //: BOOK IT BRO!

<DCN-003>: > -WAIT, BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR FOOTING—-

Beck: AAAAAAAAH--

[SHINK SHINK SHINK!]

[He dashes forward as the enemy robots drill downwards, falling through the ceiling and onto the ground like daggers, drilling back into the earth when they missed...]

[...Only to chase after him from there.]

[BLAM!]

[Beck's default weapon manages to make quick work of a few--they didn't have a lot of durability, it looks like--but their sheer numbers made up for what they lacked.]

Beck: Too many, too many--!

<DLN-005>: >You should try freezing them in place!

Beck: --!

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]

[A flash of ice coats the area, and the drill bots that had given chase--or leaped from the ground to stab--had all but been frozen in their tracks.]

Beck: Whew...

[He didn't waste the opportunity--he absorbed their Xels, taking their Speed Absorption Boosts.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Yeah...they're infected.

White: Are you alright?

Beck: Uh-huh....

Beck: ....

Beck: (But this doesn't spell good news for Mic...)

Beck: Looks like the virus IS in the mine...

Sanda: Gnh...

Beck: Call? Can you pick up anything now?

Call: I am detecting faint signals ahead.

<DWN-018>: > …? Plural?

Call: Yes. I am unable to clarify them, but judging that there are CherryDyn Industrial models on-site, there will be more malfunctioning units ahead.

Beck: --Aw, man--I REALLY don't wanna fight another Round Digger...

Beck: No offense to Buddy, but he WAS kinda tough.

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > … -…Data, we’re just- -Gonna work on analyzing seismic measurements from the transponders placed down gathering data, yeah-

Beck: Um...a-alright...

[Just as Call predicted, there were more CherryDyn models--Luckily for Beck, none of them were Round Diggers, but some flying cargo bots and more drill models--they did help fill his Xel Stocks, for the most part.]

Beck: -MAN, these things are annoying, stop trying to STAB ME FOR TWO SECONDS--

<DLN-005>: > Yay~

<DLN-005>: > If you’re annoyed, you’re not scared!

Beck: -Hey Snow--sorry, trying not to get poked with a hole here--

Beck: --!

Beck: Uh oh....

<DWN-013>: >Uh…?

[...It was a dead end...or so it seemed.]

Beck: Uh...Digger? This way is blocked...and I don't see a way around it...

Beck: Should I double back and look for another passage...?

<DCN-003>: > Hmm. {Place a transponder down.}

Beck: Okay...

[He puts on right on the wall in question, lighting it up.]

Beck: Looks kinda different from the other walls...

<DCN-003>: > -PROCESSING…-

-PING!-

<DCN-003>: > {You may remove the transponder.}

Beck: ....Oookaaaay....

[He's a bit confused, but he yanks it from the wall and puts it back in the bag.]

Beck: So...?

<DCN-003>: > {The passage is merely blocked. It is stable enough for you to clear the rubble with the use of force. Please see the attached file for structural analysis on the weak points to aim for.}

Beck: Uh....and by force, you mean...

[MN.2] //: -OOO HE'S GONNA BLOW IT UP? COOL, WHERE'S THE DYNAMITE-

Beck: Hmm....

Beck: (One doesn't seem to fit this job...I need a controlled charge...)

Beck: ...!

Beck: I got it!

[MN.2] //: -DOES IT INVOLVE DYNAMITE-

Beck: Uh, close enough?

<DWN-024>: >Please tell me you do not intend to punch the wall.

<DCN-003>: > -Beg pardon, wat-

Beck: Uh...no, I don't have Mic's form, otherwise I'd charge through it...

Beck: But I do have this!

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

((pic))

<DLN-005 has left the channel.>

<DCN-003>: > -Ack, no—David, come back—- -SKULL—-

<DCN-008>: > {I’ll attend to him, carry on.}

Beck: --Whoops....sorry...

[MN.5] //: Private...

Beck: It's okay--! I'll scan for a weak point in the wall and fire one there--that way the whole thing will come down AND I'll save time and energy.

<DCN-003>: > {He’ll be fine, don’t worry. Just taken by surprise, is all. And da, that is the best course of action.}

<DCN-003>: > {The passage continues on the other side of the blockage.}

<DCN-003>: > {This appears to be the main pathway—exploration of branches is time consuming and increases the chances of getting lost, Major.}

<DCN-003>: > {Does that make sense?}

[MN.5] //:  ..If it helps get our brother back sooner, then.

[MN.9] //: Hokay, then...

[Beck carefully trained his arm at one of the scanned weak points at the obstruction, pausing for a few moments before...]

[CHUNK!]

[A projectile similar to Bat's own missile embedded itself into the wall, blinking with a steady pace.]

Beck: Charge set. Gonna get some distance first...

[After backtracking to a safe distance, he vaulted over one of the steel crates that carried minerals mined by the workers--before the virus hit, that is.]

Beck: 3...2...1...

Beck: -FIRE IN THE HOLE--

[BOOM!]

[A great rumbling sound followed the explosion, dust and rubble flying everywhere--]

Beck: -ACKPFFPH, bleh--

[MN.5] //: Private?

[MN.9] //: -We're fine, we just got dirt in our mouth--

<DCN-003>: > Well done! ^^

[Clearly, he appreciated a good explosion.]

<DWN-013>: > -Ping of approval also-

<DCN-003>: > {Onward! Onwards to victory!}

[MN.9] //: Yessir!

[Climbing though the destroyed rubble and though the now open passageway, Beck pressed forward.]

Beck: I wonder if Mic felt that...

Beck: (I wonder if he knows I'm coming...)

Beck: How deep IS this place...?

Call: I cannot give an accurate reading of the entire mine.

Beck: (...Meaning it's probably REALLY deep...)

Beck: ?

[The mine suddenly took a sharp decline--so much so that there was a ladder in place.]

Beck: Huh.

[Hmmm.

Jaden seems a little antsy at that.]

<DWN-013>: > Careful with the ladders.

<DCN-003>: > Remember to place a transponder at the start and stop of each base of the ladder!

Beck: Got it.

[Putting one down as he was told, Beck began to climb down.]

Beck: I thought it was bad to dig straight dow--

[Bzzzzzzz...]

Beck: ....

Beck: WHOOOA--!

[KSSSSSSSST--]

[ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

[MN.5] //: Private Beck?!

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck! What happened?!

<DCN-003>: > {It sounds like he slipped off the ladder and landed on his rear.} ?__?

[DR.WHITE] //: Please, respond--Say something--!

[Static.]

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck!

_______________________________

[A FEW SECONDS EARLIER, THE MINE...]

Beck: I thought it was bad to dig straight dow--

[Bzzzzzzz...]

Beck: ... (Oh no--)

Beck: WHOOOA--!

[Beck scrambled up the ladder just in time to avoid a massive drill barrelling down the mine at unsafe speeds, crashing and crushing anything in its path. It was covered in an all too familiar purple glow.]

Beck: (The drills ARE infected--!)

[KSSSSSST--]

Beck: Ow--!

[DR.WHITE] //: Be--what happe--

[A horrid screeching feedback filled his audio receptors, and he could just barely make out his father's panicked voice.]

Beck: Dad?

[DR.WHITE] //: Please resp--say someth--

Beck: Dad? Professor? Do you read me?! Dad!

[KSSSSSSSST--....]

[Nothing. Static.]

Beck: Bat--? Digger!

[....]

Beck: Anyone! Hello?!

[.........]

Beck: . . .

Beck: (Not again...)

Beck: -Sigh-

Beck: Well...No turning back now.

Beck: I've gotta find Mic! ________________________________

[MEANWHILE, AT SANDA TECHNOLOGIES...]

[ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

White: I don't understand, I thought the transponders would keep us in contact...

[There’s a whir of data from Digger, which is largely in Russian.]

<DCN-008>: > It’s more complicated than that, Doctor.

[Mikhail turns to face Will. In contrast with his good friend, he seemed remarkably unbothered.]

Mikhail: Working underground is not a straightforward process. There is a lot of signal interference due to the density of the obstructions between the output and the receiver. Slight disturbances can cause temporary loss of contact. These can clear up pretty quickly if loose rubble is moved or thick dust settles, William.

Mikhail: You must remember—signals don’t have the same open space to move through as they do in the open air of the overworld. It works more like neurons firing, as they hop from transponder to transponder. One break in the pattern could cause difficulty. Now, that could be because of something light, or something serious.

Mikhail: However, having two teams down in the mine complicates things. If the interference is light, it can be cleaned up in under ten minutes—that’s why there’s that wait time in place. With the situation the way it is, you don’t want anyone else heading down there unless you have to. If ten minutes go by and there’s still nothing from him, then they will go down to see what is wrong.

Mikhail: I’ve lost contact with my son down in the mines more than once before. He’s always turned out fine. And while Beck isn’t made specifically for the mines, he is a resourceful young man—and if he needs help, DCN-003 will be more than capable (and I daresay eager) to supply it.

White: ....

White: Yes, yes, of course... -Breathes-

White: (There's the first, second and third surface teams...)

White: (He'll be alright...)

Mikhail: Call, some hot drinks, if you please.

Mikhail: -Sits down in a chair, crossing his legs and bridging his fingertips together- I understand your concern, William. But we know that he will be alright—either through his own power, or through the assistance of the surface teams. Normally, we might be able to do something through technological assistance, but—this time it is different, this is more of a physical location-restricted sort of thing. So the best thing is to remain calm—as, if he hears some panic when he resumes contact, it could cause him additional stress.

Mikhail: So have something warm and try to loosen up a bit. Perhaps you can use this time to look at the readings from the transponders and what sort of data they picked up from the drills and other obstacles Beck encountered.

Mikhail: -Things will be alright, trust me-

White: -....Looks nervously at the clock-

[Nine minutes...]

White: ...Alright...

Call: Your hot drinks, Doctors.

White: -Thank you-

[His terminal is brought up via a Xel Holoscreen...]

White: Let's take a look here...

[Mikhail does likewise, bringing up a map of the mine as extrapolated via the data from the transponders placed down so far.]

White: .....

[White frowned.]

White: ...Drat...

White: Judging from the data, there were traces of the virus just where we lost contact...

White: They seem to be more abundant the deeper the mine goes, so far...

White: (Which means...)

Mikhail: That’s curious.

Mikhail: That would mean that everything is moving down toward a central location.

Mikhail: Normally, you should find more abundance closer to the source of an outbreak, with fewer cases as you travel to more and more isolated areas. This is the opposite, which is quite unusual…

Mikhail: There must have been a set number of cases at the mine, with everyone starting to burrow down at different paces. ?_?

White: Strange...

White: Why would they do that?

White: (...If Mic WAS infected when he burrowed down, we should see what Mikhail mentioned...)

White: (Was the mine already infected in the first place--?)

<DCN-003>: >Mmm.

<DCN-003>: > … {When I was… changed…}

<DCN-003>: > {I had to do something I didn’t like, but I wasn’t going to make it easy. I could cause plenty of disruption underground, though it wouldn’t actually affect anyone unless they came too close.}

<DCN-003>: > {There IS another reason.}

<DCN-003>: > {Mines are not completely isolated places, Doctor. News and data from the outside world does come there.}

<DCN-003>: > {If word reached them about not only Beck, but possibly Battalion as well—apologies, Major, but—if they somehow heard that either the government and/or Master Beck were coming after them…}

<DCN-003>: > {They could very well be running away because they are afraid.}

<DCN-003>: > {Possibly…}

<DCN-003>: > {Heading down toward somewhere, something, someone they felt could protect them?}

White: !

White: Seismic...

White: Of course--he's the main defensive wall for the team, it's only logical that one would want to hide behind him...

White: (But that only means Beck will engage even more opposition as he heads further down...)

<FMN-005>: > Of course they would, even Shade hinds behind Seismic… - -

<FMN-003>: > That’szzz becauszze he’szz the only one big enough to hide her~

<FMN-002>: > -YUP, SIS BE A TOL, GLITCHES-

<FMN-002>: > Yo. Noooooodle Daaaaad mirrorrrr -Flails-

<FMN-002>: >Becky will be FINE, I mean, he took all of us on, right? 88>

[MN.1] //: Two is right. He's come this far mostly on his own power.

[MN.6] //: -YEAH BECKO CAN TOTALLY TAKE ON WHATEVER'S THROWN AT HIM-

White: ...You have a point...

[Tick. Tock.]

Mikhail: Son. Your status?

<DCN-003>: > -Cheerfully- Preparations are being made! Syncing up with Major right now to find him easily if separated.

Mikhail: Good.

[MN.5] //: Commencing decent in T-Minus 3 minutes, sir.

White: Excellent...

[MN.5] //: Anything from Beck?

[MN.6] //: Not a peep, bro.

[MN.1] //: -What is going on down there...-

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > -Mildly AMUSED, somewhat condescending data-

<DCN-003>: > Have you ever worked underground, sir?

[MN.1] //: I--

[MN.2] //: EARTH BRO TOOK US TO A TOUR OF HIS MINE ONCE--before Becky and Shade were made, tho--

[MN.2] //: -IT WAS COOL AND NOISY AND I GOT A SILVER ROCK THING-

<DCN-003>: > The veins and arteries of the earth are as foreign and rugged as the heart of the ocean. I’m sure Lady Icesphere knows what I’m talking about, da?

[MN.2] //: -PING PING PING- Dude underwater caverns and junk are the COOLEST. WE KNOW MORE ABOUT SPACE THAN WHAT'S IN OUR OCEANS, BRO, IT'S TOTALLY SICK--

[MN.1] //: -Ow, our ears--

[…]

[…And then suddenly…]

[Sorrow….]

<DCN-003>: > -Sadly- {You would have liked him…}

[MN.2] //: --? -Wait, why did the mood nosedive all of a sudden--

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

[MN.1] //: Diveman?

<DCN-003>: > -WHIRR WHIIRR- -Yes, that is how we know of the ocean, weh-

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Quietly- {It’s alright, son.}

Mikhail: {We just need to wait a little longer.}

Mikhail: {As soon as this situation is all over, we can finish repairs on Anubis… and then start rebuilding Jacques.}

Mikhail: ({I fear I may be doing other repairs before this is over, though…})

-PING!-

<RMDC>: > ALERT: TIMER FUNCTION HAS REACHED 00:00:00.

[MN.5] //: Alright, let's move o--Hey!

[Digger has already burrowed into the earth, “fist”-first.

WOW, does he work fast!]

BZZZZZZZZZ!

[MN.5] //:

-Whatever happened to leaving no soldier--comrade--behind--WAIT--

<DWN-018>: > -sNORTS-

<DWN-018>: >Why is he making his own path? Isn’t that dangerous?

Mikhail: -Hides his smile behind a hand- Well, no, not when the mine has already been geologically mapped for stability.

Mikhail: He’s taking the most direct path through the place to bypass infected areas and make it a smooth decline for his travel companion. If Seismic IS down there, besides—it may be a bit difficult for him to travel or be carried through the path that Beck had taken.

Mikhail: Apologies, Major!

Mikhail: He gets very enthusiastic about his work!

<DCN-003>: > -SINGING THE DWARVEN DIGGING SONG FROM DISNEY- -IN RUSSIAN-

Mikhail: He’s also trying to forge ahead for you! Just follow after him, he won’t go too far…

[MN.5] //: Roger that...

[DR.WHITE] //: Do be careful down there, son...

[They descended in an even pace, and eventually drew closer and closer to the area where Beck's signal was lost.]

[MN.5] //: Battalion reporting in. So far so good.

[There was the steady sound of Digger’s drills in the background. An almost soothing white noise.]

[—…which abruptly came to a halt…]

[MN.5] //: Haven't been able to get a hold of Beck, but we're around where we last heard--

[.........]

[MN.5] //: ...Wait a tic...

<DCN-003>: > {Stand back.}

[MN.5] //: -Sound of Bat's giant footsteps backtracking-

[DIGGER used DRILL BOMB!]

[There is a faint buzzing drill noise as something burrows deep into the earth…

Followed by a muffled shaking and a screeching noise that sounded a bit like a “-SPLAT!-” and an explosion mixed together, and then some angry muffled buzzing that sounded like a swarm of bees.]

<DCN-003>: > .-.

[MN.5] //: ???

<DCN-003>: > -THAT IS THE SOUND OF A LOT OF DRILLS COMING.-

[MN.5] //: !!!

[....Wait...]

[...There was another noise, if one listened hard enough...]

[It sounded like...]

[...Screaming?]

"aaaaAAAAAH--"

[MN.5] //: -WE KNOW THAT ALMOST GIRLISH SCREAM ANYWHERE-

[Digger fires ahead a bunch of Drill Bombs, and then practically swan-dives into the ground, all of his drills going at once to clear a path.

Everything that was coming up at them was taken out, the infected Xel burnt by the incendiary components of the explosion.

It abruptly opened up into the ceiling of another path, and Digger dropped down and moved out of the way.]

Digger: BECK!

[The path opened up to a complex system of tunnels, all filled with infected drills aimlessly drilling new paths and even running into each other.]

[Bat crashed downwards without another thought, aiming his missile silos at an oncoming drill.]

Bat: FIRE!

[BOOM!]

[The drill immediately shuts down from the damage, and the glow surrounding it fades off.]

"BAT?!"

[A voice cries out and echos through the tunnels, but it was hard to make out which direction it came from.]

"DIGGER?! IS THAT YOU?!"

Bat: PRIVATE!

"GUYS, BE CAREFUL, THESE DRILLS ARE INFECTED--AND OUT OF CONTROL!"

"WHERE ARE YOU--"

Digger: TCHAH! -Agitated Russian of mild annoyance-

Digger: {We have dealt with out of control mines before, BAD, BAD DRILLS TO DISOBEY—}

[He fires off more Drill Bombs in the direction of the largest cluster of wild drillbots.]

<DCN-003>: > -Ping- {Beck, it may take some time to catch up to you!}

<DCN-003>: > {You must continue your mission carefully.}

<DCN-003>: > {Once we determine your route, we will ensure no one closes in from behind.}

[MN.5] //: Keep pushing forward, Private Beck! We'll catch up soon enough!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: Got it!

[MN.9] //: Just look for the transponders! I kept putting them down so just follow them, okay?

<DCN-003>: > -Approval data- Da! {Good work, soul-cousin!} ^^

<DCN-003>: > {We shall find you—but first, an update—}

[He sent a burst of data that was a compressed zip file of the analysis that Will and Mikhail had been doing on the situation.

…Including the theory as to why they were encountering so many drills the further down they go…]

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

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

[MN.9] //: (I...I hoped you weren't affected by all this, but...)

[MN.9] //: (I guess that was a little too much to ask for.)

[MN.9] //: I'll be prepared for more enemies ahead.

<DCN-003>: > {Good man! Speak with you again soon.}

[At that point, there was only the data—faint as it was—traveling from transponder to transponder between them.

Oh well. At least it was like feeling someone was there at your back, which had to be more encouraging than the creepy loneliness from before.]

<DCN-003 to DR.WILL, MC005, MNN-ALL, RMDC-ALL>: > -Ping- Contact has been reestablished for now. 009 is continuing on due to the time constraints.

[DR.WHITE] //: -Oh thank God--

[MN.2] //: -SEE, WE TOLD YAAAAA-

<MC005>: > … Son… these transponder data from your location…

<DCN-003>: > Da, I’m afraid it is very windy and labyrinthian. There are many stray drills on the loose.

<DCN-003>: > I shall take some time to find a way through carefully that will ensure that we and they will not cause a cave-in.

<DCN-003>: >Beck is still on his own for now.

[MEANWHILE, DEEPER WITHIN THE MINE...]

Beck: BURNING--

Beck: SPIRIT!

[Another explosion rocked the mine's walls as another drill broke down to Beck's variation of his oldest brother's signature move. He took a moment to cleanse the drill as best he could afterward.]

[One infected brother at a time was enough to deal with--he didn't need the ones coming behind him to fall into illness, or worse.]

Beck: Hooo...

Beck: (Tired...)

Beck: (Sunny would REALLY be a big help right about now--)

[RRRRRR--!]

Beck: Waaah!

[Nine couldn't stand up straight as the ground--No, the whole mine started to shake to and fro, inciting a surge of panic and fear--]

[...But just as it came, it suddenly cut short.]

Beck: What the...

<DCN-003>: > -Muffled ping of inquiry-

[It appeared that the activity had shaken off some of the transponders…

…oh dear.]

[MN.9] //: Digger! Bat!

Beck: (Nnngh...)

[RRRRRR--!]

[Oh, gosh, another earthquake--!]

Beck: !

[BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!]

Beck: O.O;;;;;;

[...That...]

((Pic))

[...Was a BIG drill--]

Beck: ....

[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]

Beck: AAAAAAAAAAAAH--

[SMACK.]

Beck: --Ow--

Beck: --!

[Great. He's in the mineral deposit area. The passage was FILLED with crates of packed earth, and Brandish's form was simply too quick to navigate in such a narrow space.]

Beck: Aaargh!

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

[KERCHUNK!]

Beck: Out of my WAY--!

[BOOM!]

[As Digger and Bat closed in on Beck, they would find a trail of utter destruction left behind in the from of broken drills and rubble.]

[BOOM!]

Bat: I told him not to get trigger happy with that--

[BOOM!]

Bat: ... -Although we do appreciate his enthusiasm-

Digger: …

Digger: I don’t think that’s it.

Digger: He knows how nervous my cousins are about the use of explosives…

Digger: AND you told him not to go overboard.

Digger: So I don’t think he’d be doing that unless…

Digger: Unless he has to…!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: -STATIC, BUT THERE IS SCREECHING-

Bat: BECK!

Digger: !!! -TIME TO SCRAM—-

BZZZZZZZZZ!!!

[Bat wastes no time blasting through the rubble in order to get to his brother, who was in a bit of a...Well.]

[A rock and a hard place, to put it simply.]

[Beck outran the giant drill as fast as he could, but he soon came up to a dead end.]

Beck: No no no--!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!

bzzzrrrrr…

Beck: !!!

rrrr…

BZZZZZZZZZ—

RRRRWHRRRRRRRR—

[There is a flurry of pings that sounds like someone spamming the “send” button.]

Beck: -PING PING PING--

[B O O M--!]

[A series of chain explosions following—]

WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRR—

[C R A C K!]

[One side of the passage wall breaks down, and dust and smoke burst forth!]

"READY--"

[But in the smog, a distinct barrel shape--]

"AIM--"

BZZZZZZZT--

[Beck is knocked down and brought into the ground by a sudden tackle.]

Beck: --!!?

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

[KER-BOOM!!!]

[There was the sound of metal screeching to a slow crawl, fire, chaos--]

[KER-BLAM!]

[--Followed by another explosion.]

[Beck stops being carried downward.]

Beck: !

[In the pause, some glowing eyes blink.]

[…]

-Ping-

<DCN-003>: > HELLO, BECK, you are okay yes good ^^

Beck: DIGGERRRR--!

[PING!]

[MN.5] //: HOORAH!

[MN.5] //: Take THAT, you pathetic pile of scrap! I've met toasters who were tougher than that!

<DCN-003>: >Up we go~

[Beck is hoisted up through the darkness as Digger makes a path upward with his head and right carrying Beck in the crook of his left.]

Beck: -Man, am I glad to see you guys...-

[They come back into the tunnel, a few feet from where Beck had been.]

Digger: -Is now up in the open, puts Beck down- Hi. : D

Beck: BAAAT--

Bat: Private--

Beck: BAT--

[CLANK--]

[Beck runs into his brother with outstretched arms, affectionately hugging his leg.]

Beck: -Broooooo-  < 3

Bat: Heh.

Bat: Good to see ya still standin', brother.

Digger: Of course yes is YES GOOD very nice, yee. -Ping ping-

[He places his feet in a firm stance.]

Digger: Beck! Do you need some healing?

[He shakes open his arm, opening a port and drops out a few cans of some sort.]

[…They weren’t QUITE E-tanks…]

[One was some Xel stock, it appeared, and the other…?]

Beck: -AW YES-

Beck: -Grabs the Xel Cubes--

[XEL STOCKS REPLENISHED.]

Beck: ...?

Beck: What's this other one...?

Digger: That is what twin cousin found! ^^

Digger: Proven well work all organics and constructs also, yes good.

Digger: If you’re all better, spray it on your brother, da?

Beck: Ooooh...

Bat: Could use a top off. Gimmie that.

[Beck does so, spraying it in Bat's direction. He curiously started scanning it himself...]

[It seemed to be rather strange. A sort of liquid energy. Upon contact, it transformed into hardware replacement for the slightly singed soldier.]

Bat: Well, I'll be darned...

Beck: Coooool....

Digger: c:

Beck: Really gotta thank Siam for this stuff...

Bat: Private.

Beck: ?

Bat: I've cleared the way for you.

Bat: Haven't seen or heard from Mic?

Beck: No...

Beck: But we ARE pretty deep...

[Digger hums thoughtfully.]

Digger: Others, they told you to stay away, da?

Digger: If he knows, he may want to be left alone, or otherwise keep you at distance.

Beck: Yeah, but...

Beck: He'd at least say something, or, ya know, try to keep me away like you said...

Beck: I haven't even felt his signal, or... anything, really.

Beck: It's...weird... (And unnerving...)

Digger: Tsk.

Digger: When someone likes us wants to be left alone, we try to avoid being traced…

Beck: Hmm...

Beck: Do you think maybe something hap--

[RRRRRRRRRRR--]

Beck: -oH BOY HERE WE GO AGAIN--

[Amusingly enough…]

[Despite it jostling the others QUITE a bit…]

Beck: -AAAAAH, MY LEGS FEEL LIKE JELLO--

Bat: -Gnrh--

[…Digger kept a firm footing, and was not at all moved.]

Digger: {That registered pretty high.}

Beck: @~@

Digger: -Uuuup we pull the soul-cousin, by the crook of our arm-

Beck: Ugh...

Beck: That was so not a drill...

Digger: Nope! Drills make THIS noise.

Digger: -Drill twirl-

Bat: Sounded like it came from deeper in.

Beck: ....

Beck: It's gotta be him...

Beck: (I got this gut feeling it is...Don't know why...)

Digger: Hmm!

Digger: You get ever closer! -Chipper and cheerful- We have to clear a way back up and out.

Beck: Yeah.

Beck: ...

Beck: Actually, I think the thing that Bat blew up WAS the door...

Digger: Door?

Beck: Ya know, the--ya know what, never mind.

Beck: I'm heading in. You guys work on the exit tunnel for me and Mic, okay?

Digger: Da. Hup hup!

Bat: Sounds like a plan.

Bat: ... Don't give up, soldier.

Bat: Bring our brother back to home soil.

Digger: Oh, he shall!

Digger: Come, we must go. Not safe for us further down, much earth and hard hitting brothers!

Digger: BUT.

Digger: The smaller, they are quick and nimble and move better, da? ;D Like David~

Beck: Eheh...

Bat: Hmm. Too right, comrade.

Bat: Go get'em, Private Beck.

Beck: Yessir!

Digger: We go~

Digger: -Already starting to drill, WHEEEEEE-

Beck: ...Wow, he works fast.

Bat: You don't know the half of it...

[After salutes were exchanged, Bat--more or less tried to keep up with the happy-go-lucky drill bot. He wasn't exactly built for speed, himself.]

Beck: Heh...

Beck: (I'm glad they're here now...)

Beck: ....

Beck: -Intake of air-

Beck: Here we go...

[The passage went on for another while, the lights a soft red and blinking every so often--they seemed to be emergency lights, in fact.]

Beck: (...It's...)

Beck: (So...quiet....)

Beck: -Ngh, don't like it all quiet...-

[Not even crickets could chirp, deep down here in the earth…]

Beck: !!

[Then...]

[The passage suddenly opened up.]

[A lot.]

Beck: !

Beck: Whooooa...

[His voice echoed into the massive cavern, reverbing into the clearly natural cave--something this massive couldn't be made by human hands--although the lights put up on the walls suggested it was found, rather than made.]

Beck: (Huge...)

[...It didn't help that the atmosphere only made him feel smaller than usual...]

Beck: (...I kinda don't WANNA talk in here...)

Beck: (...It's kinda like--I dunno, something is telling me to be quiet...)

[WRRRRRRRRRRRR...]

Beck: !!?

Beck: Aw, come on--!

Beck: Getting really tired of all the giant drills--

[Sure enough, another drill was heading towards the younger Xelbot--although he wasn't too concerned, as there was plenty of room to avoid it--]

[RRRRRRRRRRR--!]

Beck: --!!!

[Two seconds later, the whole ground shook and Beck was launched at least 6 feet into the air!]

Beck: -WAAAH, WHAT IS--

[SMACK--]

Beck: -Muffled pained groans-

Beck: Guh...

Beck: M...Mic...?

[As his vision focused back, there was a loud crashing sound--]

Beck: !

[--Just in time to see the huge mass of Xel that was his brother wreck the same drill with one swift shovel punch. ]

Mic: GRRGH!

Beck: MIC! And still operational--!

Beck: -Oh man I am so glad to see you YOU'RE OKAY--

Beck: I mean, of course you are, like Dad said--

Mic: -STOMP-

[C R A C K!]

Beck: --!!!

[Oh dear.]

Beck: M...Mic?

[This didn’t look good.]

Mic: GRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

[Mic slammed his huge shovel claws into the ground, making Beck scramble backwards in fear of being caught up in whatever attack--]

[WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM--]

Beck: AAAH--!

[--which happened to be giant pillars crashing down from the ceiling, quickly boxing them in.]

Beck: Mic--!

Mic: . . . .

[WHANG.]

[Mic didn't say a word. Merely crashed his shovel hands together.]

[...As if he were a bull hoofing the ground before charging. ]

Beck: Ohhh...You too?

Beck: (I really hoped you weren't...)

[He sighed.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Then I'm sorry, Mic...

[SCANNING...]

Beck: But I got to take you down--!

[SCAN COMPLETE]

[MODEL NUMBER: MIGHTY NO. 4. CODENAME: SEISMIC.]

[HEIGHT: 280cm WEIGHT: 690kg XEL COUNT: 138,000,000]

((Boss pic))

[Seismic, the walking earthquake. Many have seen this usual gentle giant crush many opponents in the arena, but only when it was absolutely needed. ]

[The truth is, Mic was built to be a defensive wall for his other sibling teammates while they either set up, took cover, reloaded or just couldn't take any more damage.]

[And while Mic's defense was impressive enough, it was his inborn Power and control over Earth that made him a force not to be reckoned with...]

Mic: .....

[He could also be quick about it when he had to.]

[In an instant, Mic's feet transformed into tank tracks, and he charged so fast, it was almost as if there was a shell of energy around him--!]

Beck: --!!!

[Beck shot at him in order to get him to stop--]

[But they just bounced harmlessly off.]

Beck: Wha--!

[BAM!]

[Stars and static swam across Beck's vision as he was violently smashed across the room, hitting himself hard on one of the pillars that littered the place.]

Beck: -Disorientated Data--

Beck: Guuh...

[...Strangely, a second attack did not come.]

[It was only when Beck managed to regain some sense that Mic charged again.]

Beck: --?!

[THIS time, Beck jumped and dashed over to avoid it, tucking himself in to shoot at his brother overhead.]

[It seems like the shield did not reach Mic's backside--!]

Mic: -Ggrh--

Beck: (Sorry, Mic!)

[REXELECTION: BATTALION.]

[Beck planted a missile on the ground once he landed--]

[WRRRR--]

Beck: !!

Beck: ARUGH--!

[A sharp, splitting pain sliced through his side, narrowly avoiding the drill that shot forward from Mic via a strong Xel cable.]

[WARNING: XEL LOSS IMMINENT.]

Beck: --!

[The ground was stained with a glowing blue.]

Beck: (He got through my armor--?!)

Mic: GRRRRRRGH!

Beck: -GNH--

Beck: FIRE!

[BOOM!]

[The placed missile picked up on the command, and detonated, knocking both Mighties away from each other.]

Beck: -Ngh...-

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

[It was difficult to see where Mic landed, but judging from the collapsed pillars, he at least hit back hard himself.]

[ XEL ABSORBED. XEL COUNT NORMALIZED. ]

Beck: Stop it, Mic! Please! I don't want to fight you!

[.......]

Beck: Mic--?

[Why wasn't he--]

[C R A C K.]

Beck: !

[The whole floor gave away.]

Beck: WAH--

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

[As the floor collapsed to a lower level, Beck heard a loud buzz just below where he was hovering--]

[WHAP!]

Beck: --!

[It was another drill shot, but at a angle--in which instead the cable wrapped around Beck's leg instead of impaling anything--]

Beck: Hey--!

[YANK!]

[WHAM!]

[Beck was brought back down to the earth, slammed into the ground without mercy. He was hit so hard that he reverted back to his default form.]

Beck: -Nngh...-

Beck: -Can't...-

Beck: (If he keeps hitting me like this...)

[Mic rose from the ground glaring at Beck with darkened eyes, still not saying a word.]

((Pic))

Beck: (I'm not sure how long I can hold out...)

Beck: (Gotta...Gotta think of something..)

Beck: (I can't get through Mic's defense, so I gotta outsmart him somehow...)

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

Beck: (Gotta hit back where it hurts...)

[His skewed gaze sweeps across the room, until finally settling down on the fallen pillers...]

Beck: --?

Beck: (Wait--that's it!)

Beck: (I just gotta hit him with something bigger--)

Mic: RRRRRRRRRRR--!

Beck: MIIIIC!

Beck: Just hang on a little more--

Beck: I'll get you thinking straight, and back to the Professor, and everyone else!

Beck: I PROMISE!

Mic: -CHARGE--

[Beck leaves another missile in the ground before dodging, and then detonating it, making sure Mic got caught up in the blast--he had to at least chip away at his stamina before he could get this plan to work...]

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

Beck: Heeeeey!

Mic: --!

Beck: Up here! You can't touch me up here!

Beck: c:

[As expected, a drill shot attempts to hook onto him to drag him downwards--]

[He nimbly avoids it, and the other that soon followed it--he had two, of course.]

Beck: Nope! Try again!

Mic: RRRRGH!

[It goes on like this for a while, with Beck just avoiding the drill shots and taunting Mic to come after him...]

Beck: Over heeeere--!

Mic: RRRRRGH--

[SHUNK!]

[For some reason, the drill does not retract--?]

Beck: (Yes!)

Beck: You still got the other one, though! C:

Mic: -R O A R--

[SHUNK--]

Mic: --???!?

[Mic furiously kicked it in reverse once he saw that his drills were stuck into something metal, following Beck as he flew in behind him just out of his reach.]

Beck: Oops.

Beck: Are you stuck?

Beck: Sorry about that.

Beck: I kinda figured that I needed to get you to stop hitting me so hard?

Beck: It really hurt.

Mic: RRRRRRRGH!!!

Beck: By the way, uh.

Beck: You might wanna look at what you're pulling.

[He points up.]

Mic: ....!

[Creeeeeeeeeeek--]

Beck: SORRY, MIC--

Beck: See ya next fall--

[Beck speeds through the air out of the looming shadow of the giant pillar Mic had lodged himself and pulled out of alignment, tipping over just enough to--]

[C R A S H!!!]

[The resulting collision was enough to rock the whole mine, and even register as seismic activity on certain monitors.]

Beck: -COUGH, ACK, DIRT IN MOUTH AGAIN-

[As he lands, he uses his propellor arm to blow away the dust clouding his vision.]

Beck: Okay I may have over done that--

Beck: MIIIC?

Beck: Brooo?

Beck: Um...Mic?

Beck: Sorry about kinda crushing you?

Beck: Miiic--

[CRASH--]

Mic: RRRRAAAAAAARGH!

[An arm suddenly SHOOTS up from the earth, and Beck is pulled downward with a SCREAM.]

Beck: -SHRIEK--

Beck: -ZOMBIE--

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

[The arm retracts, only to reappear again to grab Beck's other leg--]

Beck:

-NO, STOP IT, HORROR MOVIE FLASH BACKS-- [REXELECTION: BATTALION.]

Mic: -REACH, MUST BRING HIM DOWN--

Beck: I SAID STOP IT!

[B O O M!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[There was a deep, deep rumble, and once Mic resurfaced, it was clear he took on quite a lot of damage.]

Mic: Rrrrgh....

[And running out of steam, to boot.]

Beck: (Almost--)

[KERCHUNK.]

Beck: One more should do the trick...

Mic: Rrrrgh...

[He was clearly in pain...]

Beck: .....

Beck: -Shuts his eyes---

Beck: Sorry, big brother...

Beck: Time to come topside.

[REXELECTION: DEFAULT.]

[BLAM!]

Mic: Rrrrgh--!

[WHUMP.]

[XEL ABSORBED]

[XEL QUOTA REACHED. XEL PURGE IS PRIMED AND READY FOR OVERDRIVE.]

Beck: So SNAP OUT OF IT--NOW!

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

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

"Wow..."

"I-I can really have this?"

"Hmm hmm. Mic got special rock for you."

"It Quartz. ^w^"

"Wow...You always bring home so many neat rocks, Mic!"

"...But um...I got a question..."

"I know you got a rock collection and all, but--Dad says that some of the stuff from your mine is, like...Really expensive?"

"Why don't you sell them?"

"Mic do. Not all, though." "More important things than money. Mic like these rocks." "Why?" "They special TO Mic."

"They have special memories. ^W^"

"And Mic got special rock for special brother."

Mic: ....Rgh...?

"Aw, Mic...You really think I'm special?"

Beck: !!

"Hmm hmm!"

"Beck more special than any shiny rock on Earth!"

Mic: ...?

Mic: Beck...?

Beck: BIG BROTHER--

Mic: Ow...

Mic: Why... Why Beck HERE...?

Mic: ....Why Mic here--

Mic: -Why do we feel hurt all over??? Ow--

Beck: MIIIIIIC!

[CLANK--]

[Instead of answering his brother's confused questions, he simply glomped into his fallen form, looking even smaller next to his giant sibling.]

Beck: -MIIIIIIIIIC--

Mic: ?????????

Mic: -...Wait, we are underground, WAS THERE A CAVE IN--

Mic: Is--Is Beck okay?

Beck: -Sniff-

Beck: Y-Yeah.

Beck: I'm okay...

Mic: -Nnngh--

Mic: M...Mic can't move--

Mic: -What happened, why can't we remember the last week--

Mic: Beck--shouldn't be here, it dangerous--

rrrrr…

Beck: !!

Mic: ? -Drill?-

RRRRRR…

RRRRRRRR…

“aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAA—”

[WHANG!]

Mic: OW--

Digger: @.@

Mic: .....??????

Mic: D--Digger?

Mic: Why Drill Brother here--

Mic: -What is going ooooooon-

Digger: …

Digger: -Perks up- HELLO YOU BETTER?! YES GOOD—

Beck: YEAH I DID IT--

Digger: -Civ form now, patpat as sprawlhug-

Mic: -Oh, okay, hugs now, apparently-

Mic: -No objections here-

Digger: MAAAAJOR YOUR BROTHER BETTER NOW YES GOOD

Bat: -From farther up the tunnel- HOORAH!

Bat: MIC! YA HEAR ME?

Mic: -PING!-

Mic: -Baaaaaaat-

Bat: NICELY DONE, PRIVATE!

Beck: ^.^

Bat: DON'T WORRY, SOLDIER, WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO RETRIEVE YOU!

Mic: -Again, confusion, but we're going to assume there was a cave in so, okay-

<DWN-018>: > Nice of you to make such a nice path to get through.

<DWN-018>: >We should be down in a few minutes. I’ll carry you out.

Mic: -PING, okaaay-

<DWN-018>: >You’ll have some proper rest. And plenty of companionship.

Beck: Yeah...

Beck: -Hooof, we're also gonna rest on top of Mic bro- -Is very sore-

Digger: HOKAY THEN, yes good—

Digger: OH! Any news of Felix? Is he better?

<DWN-018>: > …

<DWN-018>: > One thing at a time, cousin. =__=

<DWN-018>: >We’ll get you both back, and worry about the other rescues later.

Mic: --?????

<DWN-018>: >So everyone hang tight.

Beck: Got it!

Beck: Try to relax for now, okay, bro?

Mic: -Deep rumbles of thought-

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

Allies Obstruct

=INTRO A: COLLAPSING PEACE=

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

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

Keep reading

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–”