Dauntlesstales - Meadow Archives
More Posts from Dauntlesstales and Others
=CHAPTER 6C: CRIMSON STRONGHOLD=
~AO v1.0~
((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))
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{Several Hours Later…}
<DCP-001 to MNN-009>: > -Ping-
[MN.9 to DCP-001] //: ...!
[MN.9 to DCP-001] //: -Sounds of things being tripped over- O-Oh, hi, Linka...! -Ow--
<DCP-001>: > Oh! Beck! Are you okay?
[MN.9] //: Y-Yeah, I just kinda tripped over some stuff. -Gosh, my room is a mess...-
<DCP-001>: > I made you cookies.
[MN.9] //: -PING--!-
<DCP-001>: > ^.^
<DCP-001>: > Father says I can send them over to have during the meeting!
<DCP-001>: > We have good news!
[MN.9] //: ...Meeting??
[MN.9] //: -...wait how long have I been asleep--
<DCP-001>: > Several hours, I think? Father said he brought you some marshmallows before your nap.
[MN.9] //: --I SHOULD PROBABLY GET CHANGED THEN, ONE SEC--
<DCP-001>: > ?
<DCP-001>: > Okay, Beck! I will go to meet my brothers and we can all talk. ^_^
[MN.9] //: -Rushful data, we really need to clean our room--
[MN.9] //: Mkay--see ya there--!
{Later…}
[There were warm cookies waiting for Beck when he joined the others. Shadow had brought them over, and had guarded them from a very “interested” ice globe and propeller plane.]
Shadow: -Bows when Beck enters- Mighty Nine. Lady Cossack made these for you.
Beck: Shadow...! : D -HAPPY DATA--
Beck: !!
Beck: -SUGAR COOKIES--
[And he then proceeds to shove them in his mouth. Wow. Kid can eat.]
Cryo: BECK CAN I HAVE OOOOONE--
Avi: -Bro please--
[Wow, Shadow actually smiles and almost laughs, giving a small huff from an interrupted “heh”.]
Beck: -No--
Beck: -LINKA MADE THESE FOR ME-
Cryo: -POUTS, PROCEEDS TO FLAIL ARMS-
Avi: -Awwwwww--
Shadow: I am sure she will be happy to make something for you as well.
[He kneels down, sitting on his heels and folding his arms inside his sleeves.]
Shadow: There will be time for it, in the Meadow.
Beck: --Oh, yeah, Linka said something about a meeting...?
Shadow: Yes. We have news of great import to impart. -Looks over to Pyro- Bat is listening, correct?
Shadow: He will need to hear this.
Pyro: Correct. He'll be listening in through the feeds...
Beck: -Mmm sugar...-
Pyro: -Pay attention, Beck.-
Beck: --Oops, yes, sir.
Shadow: Very well, then.
[He turns to a nearby monitor. After a moment, a video feed comes up. It shows several windows: one for the repair bay where Bat was resting; one for the Meadow repair bay room where Jack was resting; and finally, one for the Meadow’s living room.]
Kalinka: -Waves- Hi, Beck! : D
Beck: -WAVES-
[After a moment, Snow’s face filled that window.]
Snow: MISTER BAT MISTER BAT BATMAN BAT SIR HIIIII—
[He showed a bit of artwork that looked like a camo pattern made using sponges and paint in earth tones.]
Snow: I made you a present ‘cause you’re not sick now!
Shadow: —… (Not quite the news I was thinking of, but… heh. I hope he likes it.)
Bat: ....Heh...
[...This seems to cheer him up a bit.]
Bat: Fine work, Snowcone...put that up on the fridge for me, hm?
Beck: ^.^
Snow: Yes sir!
[He skips off to do just that. Keltso shakes his head, grinning in amusement.]
Skull: {Welcome back to us, sir. You have been missed.}
Nico: Guys, please remember that Jack doesn’t know Russian. -Looks over to Cossack briefly- And we have many things to discuss. Where should we start?
[Mikhail looked up from his hot chocolate.]
Mikhail: Well… if there’s anything any of you would like to share…
Jack: -...Should learn Russian after this-
Will: Ahem...
[Will appears in the video feed to the Repair Bay--holding a clipboard with many papers on it.]
Will: If I may go first?
Mikhail: Please do.
Will: As you all know, I have been analyzing the virus's code along with Call, and the samples that have been retrieved from Beck's assimilation data from his siblings...along with the one Mikhail provided from the RMDC.
[Will flips through the papers on his clipboard.]
Will: While I haven't exactly made MUCH headway regarding finding a cure to it...
Will: ...I did find something...rather odd.
[The RAs and Cossacks glance between each other. They fidget slightly in unison—a side effect of the shared connection, perhaps.]
Nico: -Clearly has his thoughts on the matter, but doesn’t voice them as that would be a tangent-
Will: ...As...we have seen from...previous encounters...
Will: ...The virus seems to have some... ability to communicate through whatever it is controlling...
[They seem even more uncomfortable at this.]
Will: --Which led me to believe it must have some kind of level of Awareness.
Will: Yet...
Will: ...I didn't find anything that would point to it.
Mikhail: … -Clearly wants to say something himself, but forces himself to wait until he’s sure Will is done-
Will: It's directives are quite clear, but...
Will: ...whoever created this virus seems to have left a few... holes in the code, so to speak...
Pryo: ... Holes?
[Okay, at THIS, the boys look almost TERRIFIED.]
Nico: WHAT?!
[Mikhail has to calm them down forcefully.]
Mikhail: It’s alright, Alnico!
Mikhail: He said that there were holes in the virus code, not that it left holes after infection!
Nico: -Oh—-
Nico: -DEAR GOD, WILL, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW BAD YOU SCARED US WITH THAT WORDING—-
Will: I...I should have worded that better--Sorry--
[Considering their Being was in their software and they had all been temporarily infected, it was no surprise that had caused a moment of abject terror.]
Mikhail: -Sighs, mopping up some spilled hot chocolate- I had noticed it had an ability that approached awareness from the start.
Mikhail: I didn’t say anything at the time because… well, I assumed it was merely a level of coding that was above my comprehension, and that is why it appeared “alive” the way David did when I was eighteen.
Will: (Argh...)
Will: Right, you did say it...got angry with you...
Mikhail: Oh yes. And as for the boys…
Jaden: Tobias would know more, but, uh… he’s pretty tired, still. He was doing some research and analysis for us recently…
Will: ...Ah...
Avi: -Tobyyyy....-
Dyna: -BZzzzzzzt...-
Mikhail: He did have quite the interesting thing to say, though.
Will: ...?
Mikhail: He had to use a parable of sorts to explain it in concrete terms, but he remembers that his time during the fusion felt a great deal like a three-way fight with remotes over a TV station.
Avi: --....
Will: ...So he also felt the virus pull, then...
Will: Mm...
Mikhail: Mmm…
Nico: Felt it? Boy, we all felt it.
Nico: -Gestures with his left hand, scowling- It tried to send us into Lethal mode. It was like being in high fever. When one thing didn’t work, it would try another, and keep on trying with a decent force of will that was like being pushed headfirst down into suffering.
Will: (...Right...it seems to be very hellbent on completing it's directives...almost as if...)
Will: . . . .
Will: -Frowns-
Will: (...They are definitely not going to like this news, then....)
Nico: There’s a reason why Snow addressed it directly on the highway.
Nico: He’d dealt with it and our systems recognize it as an… entity, much like we do the Menace. They are counterparts of the same coin, forged from the same cloth.
Nico: Whether they have Awareness does not make them less Intelligent or less dangerous.
Will: Quite...
Nico: The fact…
Nico: The fact it actually got upset at being called out is rather unusual for something that isn’t Aware, though. Just sayin'.
Nico: There have been times when we’ve sensed it hesitate or falter, as if it were in for more than expected.
[He looks directly at Avi.]
Nico: Being hit in the face with the RMDC backlog of cross-references comes to mind…
Nico: To borrow your favorite phrase, Jack—
Nico: It was almost “nope, NOPE, NOT GETTING PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS GLITCH"
Mikhail: -Can’t help but snort-
Jack: -...snORTS-
Will: ...Nico brings up a good point.
Will: It's...even stranger that, when you add in the supposed holes in it's code...
Will: ...It can only mean that the virus is, to some extent, incomplete.
Beck: --???
Beck: Wait what--
[They… don’t actually seem surprised at this.]
Nico: …Tch… only further proof to Cardinal’s theory…
Will: Well, I--
Will: .....
Will: (...I'm...not so sure about that...)
Will: . . . .
Beck: ....? Dad?
Nico: At least, that’s how he would have taken it.
Nico: -Grumble- I still think either it’s too complex of a plan for Cracker Snack to possibly handle, or else a kind of stupidity that even for him I have a hard time finding believable…
Will: .....
[Will puts down the clipboard.]
Will: Friends...
Will: I have been in the field of Xel Robotics and AI&A Development for at least half of my life.
Will: ....In my honest opinion...
Will: ...The coding in this virus, while incomplete, is absolutely brilliant.
[...He's not joking.]
Will: .....
Will: It's...
Will: ...It's why I still consider the possibility of Blackwell being involved somehow.
Will: It's....
Beck: ...Dad?
[...Will isn't looking at the screen anymore.]
Will: . . . .
Will: (Please let it be him and not...)
[There’s a slight… growl, almost.]
Mikhail: -Glasses glint ominously, clearly displeased-
Mikhail: Will, please, we’ve gone over this…
[He’s… gripping one hand tightly with the other, clearly tense.]
Will: .....
Will: (Mikhail, if you only knew the alternative possibility....)
Will: ....
Shadow: If I may.
Will: -Sigh-
Will: ...I'm sorry. Go on, Shadow.
Shadow: I do not consider the possibility entirely unreasonable… nor do I find it mutually exclusive with previous theories, such as CherryDynamics accidentally unleashing an unfinished constructed disaster upon the world.
Shadow: If Doctor Blackwell has been stripped of all rights and is out of public sight, with restricted access to his person, then that means that there are—forgive the cynicism—fewer people necessary to bribe, blackmail, or distract in order to get at Blackwell himself.
Shadow: When one is kept on a tight leash, be wary to be sure the leash stays in the hand of the right master.
Shadow: …If he IS involved, he may have been for—
Mikhail: {ENOUGH.}
Will: --!
Will: (Oh dear--)
[He was hugging his daughter tightly. She was silent and cowering, with her face turned away from the camera. She was shaking slightly.]
Digger: …
Digger: WELL OKAY YES GOOD theory means to work of something off of, yes?
[He was speaking rapidly now.]
Digger: EASIER TO FIND IF START KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, DA—
Digger: William find in hide and seek numbers, uh-huh, he can do it! Yay.
Digger: BETTER NEWS NOW. :^D
Digger: News to be having, is yes good!
[…A rather forceful change in subject…
…though given the situation moments earlier, not exactly an unwelcome one, as far as the others were concerned.]
Digger: COUSIN TWIN SIAM
Digger: YOU TELL ANNOUNCEMENT NOW PLEASE
Will: --?
[There was a slight THUD noise as a new window opened.]
Beck: ????
[It showed Siamini in the lab at his family’s house. He appears to have been startled and interrupted rather suddenly.]
Gemini: Cossack Three, what are you— Siam: -Talking over- OH! Hello, Doctors! …And Jack too, I see?
Jack: ...Yo, Double Dude...
Will: Siam...
Will: Digger was...telling us that you have some good news for us...?
Avi: Uh, yeah, bro, what's the scoop?
Siam: OH, Gemini: that!
[He grinned simultaneously.]
Siamini: We’ve made a breakthrough!
Will: --!!!
Avi: --Wait wait wait, you mean--
Siam: Finally, after all this Siamini: time!
Gemini: It isn’t perfect, Siam: but it is definitely an excellent substitute.
Siam: Jack… you know how Xel constructs need Xel transfusions to recover when heavily injured. …Speaking of that, are you doing alright?
Gemini: … -Squints and peers at the screen- …Is that a Spinarak plush toy on your bedside table?
Jack: Oh, heh...Mirror Nine gave that to me. Dunno when, probably when I was asleep or whatever...
Jack: And, uh, yup. I'm good, guys. M'actually getting tired of laying around all day, though.
Jack: -Don't mind us though, what you're saying sounds pretty rad already-
Siam: Anyway…
Gemini: We’re not made of nanites, so repairs for us usually are very hands-on and quite expensive and require specialized professionals. However, we’ve found a way that works for us much like a Xel transfusion would work for you.
Siamini: We already had such technology, Gemini: but supplies were limited and Cardinal took Siamini: everything Siam: when he raided the lab.
Siam: It took some time to find a working alternative, but at last! Siamini: We have found it!
Beck: REALLY?!?!
[There is a massive, collective, happy “PING!” of confirmation.]
Mikhail: -Significantly better mood now- We’ve yet to figure a way to reverse-engineer it, but at least we’ve found another option. It’s not exactly the most common, and can be considered rare… unless you know where to find it. Then it is accessible enough, all things considered. In fact, Lady Nighthawk is familiar with the potential supplier. We’ve put in a large quantity order, and it should be here within the next 24 hours.
[There were excited cheers all around from the Mighties, and Beck was practically bouncing in place, his optics lighting up with joy. ]
Beck: Oh my gosh this is BETTER THAN GREAT GUYS DID YOU HEAR THAT--
Cryo: -YOOOOOOOOOO--
Avi: -HOVERING IN PURE GLEE-
Will: Wonderful--! Well done, Siam!
Siamini: ^^;
[They all seem pretty happy to see Beck better. Kalinka was smiling and speaking a bit shakily, with some tears in her eyes.]
Kalinka: {I-it means that you can… can fix them if they need to get better, and we do not have to be so afraid, and… and my little brothers will be okay and come back sooner…}
Mikhail: If it is alright with you, Will, I’d like to leave a case in your care, with Digger to help look after it.
Mikhail: </subtext: You may need it if there is an emergency.>
Will: Oh, absolutely. Thank you, Mikhail.
Mikhail: It should be simple enough to use. And in a pinch, it also works on organics, so…
Nico: …Dare I ask how you figured THAT out?
Mikhail: -Snorts- Very funny, Alnico.
Mikhail: Anyway. As I told your father earlier…
Mikhail: DCN-003 will be staying over to assist with locating and recovering MNN-004.
Digger: : >
Digger: -yes good-
Will: Mm, agreed. (If anyone can find Mic...)
Digger: We talk, make plans after meeting! Da. -No, this is not negotiable, by the way, Pyro- -Just so you know-
Mikhail: I, however… will be staying here.
Pyro: -...Well, for the time being, I suppose...-
Beck: ...! Huh...?
Shadow: …?
Shadow: I do not understand. I thought you were still assisting…?
Mikhail: -Sighs-
[He took off his glasses to clean them.]
Mikhail: …Other than ongoing moral support… I’m afraid my work there is done. I’ve contributed what I could regarding the virus, which was rather little to begin with. I’ve fixed the problem caused by a bad connection to the RMDC that gave you all their nightmares. But now that we know the tide has turned, and there is no longer the constant threat of a witch hunt near at hand…
Mikhail: -Puts his glasses back on- …It’s time for us all to go home, to be honest. Since we’re already here, we may as well stay. It will be safer—and an aid to recovery—for Tobias, Jack, and Fighter Eight to be here. Given the federal scrutiny here, and the fact that Siam is making great progress there… not to mention overall concerns of safety…
[He looked over at one of his youngest sons as he said this.]
Mikhail: …It would be safer and more practical for others that I should not leave.
<DCN-007 to MNN-001>: > {Meaning, we won’t cause interference with others as a certainty, as Father will be safe and there shall be no need.}
Mikhail: Besides…
Mikhail: I have some incredibly important work to do, now.
[…This…
…isn’t exactly said in a cheerful manner….
…
…More like a very grave one.]
Will: (. . . Mikhail...?)
Pyro: .....
Beck: (...Oh...they're...staying. Well... at least they'll be safe...)
[Mikhail hesitated.]
Mikhail: …Pyrogen, Battalion…
Mikhail: I imagine you have your fair share of thoughts on the matter of the absent 000.
Mikhail: I know you have both been rather…
Mikhail: …displeased, to say the least.
Pyro: .... | [
[Bat gives off a disgruntled noise, his eyes cast to the wall beside him.]
Nico: Heh…
[He gives a wry smile that… strangely resembles his father’s smirk.]
Nico: Speak now or forever hold your peace.
Pyro: .....
Pyro: While I do not exactly hold it against him--given his reason for leaving...
Pyro: It just... doesn't sit right with me, as an elder unit. I know my place, and it's here with my family.
Pyro: (...I just don't know if I could just...leave, like he did...)
Bat: . . .
Bat: ...My loyalty is to my family--I agree with Pyro there.
Bat: ...Given the circumstances, leaving his post--he should have thought about the consequences of his actions first and foremost.
Bat: ...Then again.
Bat: He doesn't have an ounce of survival instinct. -_-;;;;;
[Mikhail didn’t skip a beat in responding to that. He spoke very matter-of-fact.]
Mikhail: That would be an accurate statement, Battalion. It is not merely that he seems to lack an instinct… he actually _literally_ lacks such an instinct.
((reaction))
Mikhail: As a military support unit prototype, he was intended to be replaceable. He was also intended to be in incredibly dangerous settings—active war zones. His basic coding centers around completing missions and protecting other combatants and innocents—partially by providing cover fire, but primarily by taking the brunt of attacks onto his person. He was made for the missions that had a high chance where he could die—that is what he was made for.
Mikhail: He was not built with a sense of self-preservation, not a true one—just a directive to be as useful as possible for as long as possible. So. As a result? His own survival is rather low on the priority list in the command cascade hierarchy, relatively speaking. Remember, he was a prototype, and much of his coding was not done by an expert.
Beck: . . . .
Beck: (Cards...)
Bat: (...It isn't going to end well if he finds Private Shade--and the chances of finding them ourselves are slim to none...)
Pyro: .....
Mikhail: …My friends…
Mikhail: …There is a reason I’m sending the case over to begin with.
Will: .....
Will: (Ah...)
((N O P E))
Skull: -Speaking rather gravely, with the computer translating for Jack- {It may be that we shall find him, or that he shall return of his own accord… and there will be no need to preserve him, and we can just go home.}
Keltso: -Bluntly- {But the odds of that happening are not very high.}
Gemini: -Absentmindedly, already returning to his work- The chances of finding him without direct information are 1/3,800,000, to be precise.
Bat: (So I had figured...)
Pyro: ...And I imagine finding Shade without info is even less so...
Avi: -He's invisible, bro, and just as good at hiding-
Beck: (...Where ARE you two...?)
Beck: (This can't go on for much longer, can it?)
Siam: Yes, exponentially—
Keltso: -Cuts him off- {Cardinal’s not only successfully evaded us thus far—he’s done so even after remotely accessing our server of the database.}
Mikhail: Cardinal took advantage of the chaos after the airwaves were freed to connect to the database. Recently, I’ve been trying to trace where he did so exactly—and I found an IP address.
Beck: --!!
Beck: Wh--Where--?
Mikhail: -Holds up a hand in a “stop” gesture, turning his head slightly and closing his eyes-
[After everyone quieted down, he continued.]
Mikhail: …As I had expected would be the case, based on previous information provided by Dencerjack… the source was a public library in Kansas City. Further research and inquiries revealed that he had forced his way in before the battle had concluded broadcast. He liberated the building, allowing a number of students (mostly college-aged) to escape, providing them with a hospital location and a notice that they might hear from us later. The pair I talked with in particular were very surprised, but had a lot of important information to say.
[…Oh yeah…]
———————————
“Anyway, right on, little dude! I think your red fan wanted us to talk and stuff, uh, so if you station guys could give me the number to the lab, that would be great—”
———————————
Will: --!!
Beck: So that guy on the phone in the news was one of--!
Beck: (...Wow, I...he had time to do all that...?)
Will: And what did the students say?
Mikhail: Well… we now know that he has a portable radio. This means that he’s heard every major broadcast so far, though his attention to detail may have been varied; at the very least, he surely knows that CherryDyn’s potential to create a second Monstropolis has been curtailed.
Avi: -We're still trending from that, by the way-
Pyro: -Aviator--
Avi: -IT'S GOOD NEWS BRO-
Avi: -Seriously, the support's been pretty awesome-
Beck: ....
Beck: -Raises hand-
Mikhail: Yes?
Beck: Um...
Beck: If...if Cardinal knows I'm saving my family and helping out...
Beck: ...How come he hasn't come home? I mean--if he was here then finding Shade would be a little easier if we all worked together...
Beck: ...Right...?
[Mikhail shook his head.]
Mikhail: …It’s just not that simple. He has an active, military level valid Combat initiative now.
Bat: . . . Gnh...
Beck: Uh....
Shadow: -Turns his head slightly so that he’s looking out of the corner of his eyes- …What makes you so sure it is a military directive that he is following?
[Mikhail frowned.]
Mikhail: …That would take a while to explain. The shortest version I can offer is this: then the Light Industrials went rogue, the military was called in to stop them. When that didn’t quite work, greater measures were taken.
Mikhail: But since there is not the same level of force available on hand in this world, it would be far more tempting and possible to skip straight to very, very desperate measures.
Mikhail: His contingencies that uploaded to the database while he was connected are… very grim; in a worst case scenario where all AI&As were shut down—but only after the use of great force—much of the landscape would be uninhabitable. And worse, there would not be enough people anymore. If half the population just suddenly _died,_ the survivors might not survive for very long. Your nation as you know it would be dead.
Mikhail: That is an event that the military strives to prevent. It is one of the main reasons it _exists._ So to be faced with such a prospect? Of course it would activate a military directive.
Mikhail: -Primarily to Bat and Pyro- _Now_ do you understand why he ran off, gentlemen?
((Reaction))
Mikhail: ({The fact that it was Shade involved… it still would not have been enough on its own for him to focus all his attention on Shade. He should have gone after Battalion first. The fact that he didn’t is very, very worrisome… it means that he saw Shade a greater threat to the nation than a walking tank with a military connection.})
Mikhail: He has his mission, and not even I have the direct authority to tell him to stand down.
Mikhail: Only active duty military officers of a higher rank have such authority—and even that may not work, I’m not sure.
Mikhail: In any case, he will not be deterred from his mission, and he will be driven on the most basic of levels to complete it.
Skull: {The reason we haven’t tried to go get him is that he is no longer there anymore.}
Bat: Course...can't stay in one place for too long...
Bat: Got to keep moving.
Beck: . . .
[...Nine looks rather disheartened.]
Avi: -Pat, its OK, bro...-
Mikhail: He’s no longer in Kansas City. He was there—not only did he help the college students, but he also vandalized quite a bit of downtown before leaving.
[He brings up a series of holographic images.
There were somewhat crude carvings in bricks and stone, concrete and asphalt, even other buildings— except they looked like they hadn’t been made by a blade, but rather by…]
Brand: ...Is that...
Pyro: ...acid...?
Pisces: …Yup.
Pisces: That’s sure an interesting way to use my Power Capsule… never tried it with artwork…
[Each carving was also painted over. It depicted a Talonflame in flight in a yellow triangle, with a large rendition of Shade’s signature cross-hairs placed beneath it.]
Avi: --Hey, that kinda looks like a...
Beck: ....? Caution?
Beck: (Like one of those...hazard signs...)
Mikhail: Very good, you two.
Mikhail: …Cardinal has always been very fond of symbolism, and this was no different. He’s telling several things, here.
Beck: ...That bird there--it's a Talonflame, for sure.
Beck: (...Baron?)
Beck: Is...is he trying to warn us, or...?
Skull: -Points- Well, if you zoom out a bit…
[Mikhail does so.
From a distance, it really did look like a caution sign…]
Mikhail: He is indeed giving a warning. He has seen some sort of danger, one that is a serious threat and requires him to continue the mission.
Mikhail: -Glancing at the window with Bat’s feed- But he doesn’t know if he’s right—it’s only a warning, not an alert. -Returns his attention to the main window- He’s going to travel far, possibly enough to fly—though the avian motif also symbolizes him, himself, given his name.
Skull: {And, he likely has Baron with him, or else he would have used an eagle or a true cardinal bird.}
Will: .....
Will: And the cross-hairs...
Avi: ...That's Shade, isn't it?
Beck: . . .
Mikhail: Yes.
Beck: (So...a warning--and it involves Shade? Is that what you're trying to tell us, Cards...?)
Beck: . . .
Mikhail: He anticipates that someone will see the message—he’s hoping that not only we will see it, but also that Shade will see it.
Shadow: …That seems rather counterproductive, if he hopes to have a chance of taking Mighty Eight by surprise.
Will: . . .
Will: I doubt he has, honestly...
Mikhail: I know, and I’m sure he does, too.
Mikhail: Will… remember when I called you when this whole thing started?
Mikhail: You weren’t answering. I didn’t know for sure, but I “knew” that I wouldn’t be able to reach you—nevertheless, I still called, because to “know” in heart is still not an absolute, and there is that hope—or desire, rather, to be wrong.
Mikhail: It’s the same principle here.
Mikhail: He hoped for Shade to see this, even if it were only after the fact.
Mikhail: … Especially then, actually…
Will: .....
Will: He did send me a text during that, I'm not sure if I told you...
Will: ...It was John 15:13.
Jack: --!!
Jack: He told me that too--
[Mikhail looks visibly concerned when he hears this. Distinctly uncomfortable, as if this only makes the matter more dismal.]
Mikhail: (Oh, Cardinal…) Yes, that is part of the narrative. And there is even more to it…
[Skull pointed at the ground of the images.
There were a series of numbers spray painted there, followed by a phrase: “NOT FOR ANY REASON” .]
Beck: Not for any reason...?
Mikhail: It took a while to decipher, but we eventually figured out that it was referring to a memory file extension. His, to be more specific.
Jaden: Hang on. You didn’t tell us about this. When was this?
Keltso: Recently.
Mikhail: One that had been locked.
Speedy: Well of COURSE it was locked, ALL of his memories are default to be encrypted—
Mikhail: …Emphasis on had.
Speedy: …What?
Mikhail: It’s from quite a while ago, which is a curiosity in and of itself. Unfortunately, we’re not privy to much context. Only a small portion of it plays; the rest of it is still encrypted.
[He sighed.]
Mikhail: …Specifically…
[He plays the clip.]
-*-*-*-*-
<DLN-000>: >Things will be okay, Shade.
[MN.8] //: .......
[MN.8] //: ...Cards?
<DLN-000>: >Yeah?
[MN.8] //: ....If anythin' does happen t' me?
[MN.8] //: ...Don't try an' stop me.
-*-*-*-
Beck: --!!
[...It had been--or felt like, rather--ages since he heard Shade's voice.]
Beck: (Shade...)
Brand: . . . . .
[…This was dated back in APRIL.]
Brand: (How...did they...?)
Pyro: !
Will: (Shade...son, you...)
-*-*-*-
[But the clip continued.]
<DLN-000>: >…
<DLN-000>: >Shade, don’t make me promise that.
<DLN-000>: > B/
<DLN-000>: >I won’t because I can’t.
-*-*-*-
Beck: . . . . . . . .
Beck: (I....)
-*-*-*-
[MN.8] //: No, ah' won't. I know. Just...fair warnin'.
-*-*-*-*-
Cryo: -Bro its like they knew--
[And here, Mikhail turns up the volume.]
-*-*-*-
<DLN-000>: >I know. I know.
<DLN-000>: >But I’ll never give up on you Shade, not for any reason.
-*-*-*-*-
Beck: (....)
Beck: (Not for any reason...)
Avi: --..Uh--
Avi: -Guuuuuys...-
Avi: -If Cards is warning us about Shade or something to that effect...-
Bat: . . .
Skull: …
Skull: -Very quietly, doesn’t really want to point this out, data-
Skull: -The fact that he’s emphasizing that nothing will make him lose faith suggests that he anticipates something happening that would be the end of a friendship in lesser hearts-
Skull: -And that it’s something that Shade would feel were his own fault, should it be too late for him to recognize until after the fact-
[All the brothers suddenly gain green eyes in alarm.]
Cryo: -Wait wait wait--
Cryo: -Shade--I mean he wouldn't--
Cryo: ....
Cryo: -GLITCH--
Cryo: -AAAAAAAAAH SHADE NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO CARDS BRO--
[Shadow seemed taken aback, and looked over at Brand, somewhat troubled. All of the brothers looked somewhat surprised, actually— even Nico looked troubled. This was clearly news to him.]
[…There seemed to be a sudden cascade of collective data that came across like an echo in a tunnel before a flash flood—]
((pic))
DEATH WEARS [color=Cadetblue, blue and magenta glow]BLUE[/color]
[The Hunter, the Hunter—!]
Avi: -Nnngh--hurts hurts hurts-
Avi: -Shade--you can't-- you're not--!-
[Speedy just suddenly powered down, which caused Jaden to be rather startled.]
Jaden: Carlos—!
[Most of the others were entering Defensive Combat mode. Several had already shifted to partial or full armor.]
Beck: -pANIC--
Beck: (NonononoNO--!)
Beck: (We gotta--we gotta do something--!)
[Keltso became assertive, almost aggressive.]
Keltso: We can wish all we want, but it is more realistic to conclude that Four will be found before Eight. We have ideas and an expert to pursue possibilities for MNN-004. There are a limited number of places he can be, simply due to his large mass.
Keltso: The same cannot be said for Eight, who can turn invisible, is versatile, and more or less kept to himself.
Shadow: But—
Keltso: Before he left, Cardinal took a map of the United States Interstate highway network.
Keltso: He has a specific destination in mind. He’s probably already on his way there, and has been for days.
Shadow: {What?!}
Will: . . .
Will: (So he...he has an idea where Shade might be...)
Will: (But where...?)
Siam: -Grouchy- 000, you ass— Siamini: why do you sign your name a mile high Gemini: with a warning of great danger that activates your military directives Siamini: and neglect to say where?
Jaden: Yeah, what’s more dangerously important than tracking down Major Five? If his military directives activated and he didn’t go for Five… what could trump that?
Keltso: You think we would be having this conversation if we knew? -Snorts- Not likely.
Keltso: If we knew, we would have sent Nine ahead, while One, Three, Six, and myself went to intercept and detain him by force.
Skull: I don’t know… that sounds a bit underpowered to detain him…
Will: (--Underpowered, he says...)
Will: (......He has a point--even if we somehow DO find Cardinal before Shade...who's to say we can fully stop him without Eight...?)
Mikhail: Mmmn.
Mikhail: …Going after him would be a last resort. He has military level directives. This means he will fight back, and he won’t be remotely gentle.
Mikhail: It’s not quite like fighting his younger brother under similar circumstances—as 001 actually loses Awareness—but it would still be… very unpleasant.
Mikhail: Best possible scenario? He gets delayed and chooses to share information directly; I believe he will try to contact, as soon as he’s more confident in his suspicions.
Mikhail: Alternatively—while unlikely, still possible—you manage to cut him off by getting there before he has a chance to arrive on the scene. Something you must understand with high-order directives—they don’t have inertia. Once the order is completed, there is no longer that compulsion to carry it out. As such, he would return home immediately.
[… “You” and not… “we”?]
Will: .....
Will: [sub]Cut him off...that is, if we knew where he was going in the first place...[/sub]
Will: (Mikhail...)
Mikhail: -Turns to face him- I know, it’s quite a conundrum. …And I’m sorry that I still won’t be able to help much. I know what he would do, but where he might be going… that is peering into Shade’s mind, not into Cardinal’s. And wry comments about the two of them aside, I’m afraid I have something more within my capacity related to this that I need to focus on.
Will: -Sigh...- (Where ARE you two...?)
Will: Right...of course. Go on, Mikhail...
Mikhail: …With an alternative to E-tanks found, and the matter of replacement parts having already been resolved…
Shadow: Again, thank you for that, Beck. It has been immensely helpful for all of us.
Kalinka: [sub]Hero~~~[/sub]
Beck: Eheh...you're welcome, guys...! (^\\\^)7
Mikhail: We’re now turning all our attention to the final piece of the puzzle.
Beck: ...The final...?
Will: ...That would be finding a power source, correct?
Mikhail: Exactly.
Siam: We are Siamini: sooooooo cloooooooooooose Siam: I can feel it—
Will: I'm sure you are, Siam, and I would be happy to help...
Will: ...But we have bigger, more pressing things to worry about at the moment...
Mikhail: I feel that working on this will be my best way of helping in the matter. -Adjusts glasses- Cardinal will only be returned here if Shade is returned first, or if he wears himself beyond mere exhaustion. There is a very high probability that he will be needing extensive repairs.
Mikhail: The inclusion of a new power source with the boys has been long overdue, BOTH Tobias and Carlos need it in addition to Cardinal; it’s been made very clear that even when underpowered, they will all still fling themselves into danger if they feel it necessary. It is important to allow them to be properly prepared and able to defend themselves to full capacity.
Mikhail: And this, my friends, is why I must stay, and why I cannot help.
Mikhail: I’m sorry, but the best thing I can do now is to help get things prepared for Cardinal’s arrival—and to prepare very well. I’ll likely be spending most of my time organizing supplies while helping oversee the recovery of the four other Xelbot fighters—particularly Carmen. -Looks over to Jack’s screen, as if for some input/confirmation/elaboration- She is still quite unwell….
Jack: ....Uh...yeah, she's...kinda still outta it--
Jack: But it's not as bad as before! She's doin' a lot better with me and Seven here...
Jack: And I think, if Four was here too...ya know...
Nico: I think it would. From what I’ve heard, she’s fond of hers. Not sure where he is…
Shadow: He is out getting materials for all parties involved that need repairs, Xelbots and otherwise.
Jaden: Oh, that would explain it…
Jaden: Man, I wish Felix were awake…
Digger: -Whirr whirrr- I think friend Adept wake sooner yes good!
Digger: Affinity with Earth “type”, is beyond organic/not, improving perhaps better with friend! : >
Beck: --...Yeah, Digger's right! The sooner we find Mic, the better...
Skull: -Somewhat monotone- I hear that he gave her rides.
Skull: After she accidentally flattened her oldest brother into the foyer floor in an attempt to get them from him instead.
Keltso: …
Keltso: -SNRK-
Keltso: -Starts cRACKING UP LAUGHING-
Mikhail: -Excuse us please- -We seemed to have lost our ability to breathe, we are going to quietly lose our srs right now-
Beck: -OH THAT STORY--YEAH THAT WAS FUNNY--
Will: -Did--Did she really--pfft--!-
Will: -Cannot save face, Soi can you please take over for a minute while we laugh regain our composure-
Sanda: --? Er...
Sanda: -I feel like I missed something here...-
Digger: -Happy pings, many happy pings- Is good, we bring back American soul-cousin mining friend, find energy heart replacement, happy times! :^D
Digger: Go over safety things and plan after meal! Nine work very hard, yes good, much hero. ^^ Need good meal to stay strong and keep grow.
Kalinka: -Shiny eyes- Big dinner and then sleepover, da? Outside of time, is okay? : D
Snow: We can roast marshmellies! : D Then you’ll be super-duper rested up when you find Four! ^_______^
Snow and Kalinka: Pleeeaaaaaase?
Beck: ...Something tells me you guys aren't gonna take no for an answer, huh?
Snow: Oh, well… we can wait! o: We still got to see and talk with you today, after all. c:
Snow: Time’s been real different over here, so sometimes it’s a long time before we hear from you guys again.
Snow: But that’s okay, because it allows Sammy to do all his research, an’ Mister Jack an’ Miss Eight to get all better! c:
Snow: -Hums the Spiderjack theme again-
Beck: Right...and for us to do what we gotta do.
Sanda: Oh, about that--Call is doing a through search for Four as we speak! It will take a while to pinpoint exactly where he is, though, since we're not picking up his transponder...
Sanda: So while I finish repairing Five and Will gets back to analyzing the virus, I do recommend resting up for now, Beck.
Digger: Okay, yes good. c:
Beck: Huh....
Beck: Can Jack come too?
Jack: ...Me?
Beck: You still gotta tell us how in the world you found Carmen!
Jack: --Oh.
Digger: Is good! Doctor Will look into hungry hungry bad writing, Lady Sanda search and I help with idea, Fire bro cook hearty meal (yes good), plan after dinner, sleepover later night! Hooray~
Kalinka: Yaaaaay~~
Jack: Well...that does sound neat...so...yeah, Okay...
Beck: Cool!
Jaden: Allrighty, then. Sounds like we’ve got a plan. (We can make it through this…)
Jaden: (We just gotta take it one day at a time…!)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
=CHAPTER 3C: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=
~AO v1.0~
(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[SANDA LABS....]
[Both sister and brother safely made the trip back to California--worn and worse for wear, but alive.]
White: --!!!
[MN.3 AND MN.9 HAVE ENTERED DEEP SLEEP MODE.]
[There were two, simultaneous thuds against metal flooring. Both Dynatron and Beck has collapsed in sheer exhaustion, unable to find the energy to keep themselves online.]
Cryo: AAAAAH--
White: It's fine! It's fine, they've just fainted--Sanda, prepare the med bay--Pyro, help your sister, Cryo, Call, you grab Beck--
Call: Right away, Dr. White.
[The external branch of the RMDC kept going nuts, trying over and over—and failing, over and over—to update the main server.]
White: Sanda, you go to work on Beck, I'll handle Dyna--
Sanda: Got it--
White: We need two full canisters in case we need Xel Transfusions--Cryo, go into Dyna's room and bring back all the power containers you can find--
Cryo: I'M ON IT--
Pyro: What can I do?
White: Calm Dyna down once she awakens--she'll need it.
Call: I am detecting activity in the RMDC database, Doctors--the server is attempting to update.
White: (That...that would probably be the cross references attempting to connect--and him...)
White: We can't do anything about it now--transfer all of Beck's assimilation data to my terminal while we repair, alright?
Call: Yes, Dr. White.
White: (Three samples--plus the one from Mikhail and his server...)
White: (I just hope that will be enough...!)
_____________________________
[MEANWHILE...]
"........"
"................"
"....Three in SUCH a short amount of time..."
"...You were always full of surprises, weren't you..."
"But, then again, you...you're special."
"....I had anticipated that."
"Just...didn't think it would be....or I had HOPED...."
"......."
"....ha."
"You....Will...ha..."
"I didn't think you would, but you did."
"........."
"You've....changed."
"......."
".................."
"We're all just a bunch of MONSTERS, aren't we...?~"
"Aha...ha...."
"............"
".................."
"........................."
"help me."
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
=CHAPTER 2D: BEYOND THE WATERY VORTEX=
~AO v2.0~
((Courtesy of @codedhopes))
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[MEANWHILE....]
"Phone call for you."
"......"
"Hey. PHONE CALL--"
"I heard you the first time."
"Tch. Jeez, old man. Don't think anyone would be using THIS frequency ever again..."
"....So it's him."
"Yup."
"Do you wanna answer...?"
"......."
"Uh....P-2045453?"
"I have a NAME."
"Sorry. Warden's orders."
"...Hmph."
"Hang up."
"That's gonna waste your one phone call for the day."
"I do not care. It's not like anyone calls me besides conspiracy theorists and crazed lunatics."
"....Yeah, you do get some loonies over the phone, huh..."
"But--I REALLY don't think you wanna hang up on the president of CherryDyn."
"........."
"Do I need to tell you twice?"
"......Oookaaaay, but I'm pretty sure he's gonna call back regardless--and I gotta come back here every time to let you know, so."
"........."
"....Uh--P-20--"
[A low, grating growl.]
"UH--I--I-mean--D-- Dr. Blackwell..."
"........"
"....Doctor...?"
"........."
"........I...I'm just gonna leave--uh, last meal of the day is in half an hour."
"............"
".......Soooo....bye. Man, I hate this job..."
[CLICK.]
"............"
"............."
"........Greg."
"You obsessed fool."
"You've DOOMED us all."
"......"
"I knew I should have taken...."
".........."
" . . . ."
"M-...My Ray of Hope..."
"....Forgive me..."
——————————————
{In the Meadow…}
[The days seemed to go on forever. It had gotten very dark and cloudy outside, blending day into night.
Mikhail and DWN-019 worked almost non-stop on Doctor Light Number Eight—with the Doctor’s sons enforcing mandatory mental and physical breaks to prevent burnout.
Getting to Tobias’s actual coding was not easy. Offline or not, he was highly defensive—and not pleased that anyone was going near his coding.
And when they did find him…
It was just a mess. There were errors all over the place, and clearing them up would take quite some while. Sifting through the error report from the last system crash alone took DAYS.
And now, they were finally getting past the system reports and into the base data.]
Mikhail: …
Siam: Doctor?
Gemini: Is everything alright?
Mikhail: Mmm? Oh, yes… I’m fine.
[…But it was a lie.
A lie so as to not distract the twins from their analysis on the data they had got from Avi as part of the ordeal—for that information could prove quite enlightening.
But no…]
Mikhail: Just… a little weary, I suppose.
[…He was concerned.
Inspection of the Awareness code had showed that it had changed. Crucial components had changed—rewritten themselves.
Somehow, the encounter with Avi had prompted (or, more likely, FORCED) Tobias to rewrite himself.
What worried Mikhail the most was that some of the coding was beyond what he could recognize.]
Mikhail: (-Groooooaaan- {Will… I wish you were here…!})
[He still had the few fragments of notes that his best friend had given him regarding coding with Xel. That was a lifesaver—it told him that some of this seemed to be connected to functioning within a Xel chassis.
It may just be junk data, useless without the proper hardware. (Which, of course, would mean it would need to be pruned somehow, or else it would cause perpetual system errors.)
But he couldn’t say for sure what it would do, yet. He needed to go through the rest of the code to be sure—
He needed to know for sure that Tobias’s self had not been torn apart by being fused with Avi. At least… not in a way they couldn’t fix.
Sure, they had a back-up, but…
He dreaded the thought of being forced to resort to using it.
But it was already apparent that Tobias was fragmented and getting data from elsewhere, even though he was not inhabiting his own chassis. If it turned out that this damage was beyond repair… he would have no other choice.]
Mikhail: (Oh, Avi…! What did you DO to him?)
——————————————
{SANDA LABS...}
Will: Nnngh...
[Much like Mikhail was having troubles of his own, William was feeling rather hopelessly at a loss of what to do himself.]
[...He had hoped that having two separate samples of the Virus—one from Pyro and Cryo—would clear some things up.]
[Instead, it only raised more questions than answers.]
[These samples, while accomplishing their directive, had done so in a MUCH different way than the other. The coding was...so different. So...
....brilliant.]
[...Whoever had coded this KNEW what they were doing.
And they knew it WELL.]
Will: . . .
Will: (This...sinking feeling...)
Will: (The more I stare at this code, the more I want to look away...)
Will: (Why?)
Will: .......
Will: (God, I wish you were here, Mikhail...)
Will: (But with Avi holding the airwaves hostage--who knows when I'll hear from you again?)
[Will sighed heavily, and let the rest of the analysis programs run by themselves for now.]
Will: (—Perhaps another sample is needed...)
Will: (Fortunately...)
Will: (The pattern here is clear enough to give us some idea of where to go next...)
Will: Call?
Call: Yes, Dr. White?
Will: I know that we keep getting interference, but please continue to try and pinpoint the locations of the other Mighty Numbers--and cross reference them with places that their abilities would have the most effect and damage.
Call: Right away. Scanning...
"Will?"
[White looked up from his terminal, his expression twisting into concern as he saw his best friend hurrying across the lab with his phone in his hands.]
Soi: You might wanna take a look at this...
[His phone's screen showed nothing but purple static--and didn't seem to be responsive in any way whatsoever.]
Soi: Either this is Avi's doing or the virus somehow infected cellulars...
Will: Mm...
[Will checked his own—]
Will: ....?
Will: I don't remember shutting mine off...
[Try as he might, he couldn't get it to turn on—]
Will: ......
Will: Wait a minute—
[With an sudden swift movement, Will dug into his shoulder bag—
...And pulled out his charger?]
Will: I must have forgotten...but—
Soi: ...? Will—you do realize this isn't exactly the time to—
Will: I just want to test something, hold on a moment—
[He plugged it in, connected it, and waited for exactly five, tense minutes—
If he was right about this, then—]
[DING!]
[The phone flickered to life—working perfectly.]
Will: Yes!
Soi: —?!
Soi: Wait...how...?
Will: It's just like Call...!
Will: My phone was out of charge when the virus struck—thus it wasn't affected!
Soi: —!
Soi: Huh...that's something, alright. Seems like anything that was shut off at the time this all started wasn't affected...
Will: Yes, since it wasn't connected to any servers at the time. Technological isolation, as it were...
-PING!-
Will: !
[The “New Message” icon pops up.
…And then as it continues to load, a number appears next to it, and climbs higher, and higher… joined by the “Missed Call” symbol and the “New Voicemail” symbol, which also show multiples…]
Will: ......
Will: They're from Mikhail...
[The time frame shows they were placed after 11:46 AM on June 21st, with the last message sent before said Russian actually managed to get a hold of Will some time later.
There are dozens of pictures of lines of code displaying on a mainframe— apparently taken with a phone camera.]
Will: ...?
Will: This code—
Will: (Hrm—can't quite tell what it is...)
[Will then moves to check his voicemails—and puts it on speaker so that Soi could hear as well.]
[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL RECEIVED ON JUNE 21st, 11:49 AM]
“ -Click- Will? Will?”
“{Papa, why won’t he answer?}”
“{Oh no… please be quiet, Princess…}”
“{Papa, I’m scared—! It’s like with… with the /bad man!/ What if my brothers are sick again?!}”
[A pause, and then a click, as he’d hung up.]
Will: (Oh, God, little Kalinka...)
[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL RECEIVED ON JUNE 21st, 12:01 PM]
“ -Click- {Will, something’s very wrong. I need you to call me back as soon as possible, when you get this—it’s an attack on the server, they’re all sick.} -Click-”
[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL…]
“ -Click- {Will, I REALLY need you to call me back now—it’s coming from YOUR servers— what is going on over there?!} -Click-”
Will: . . .
[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL TIME STAMP INVALID]
“ -Click- … … …”
[A pause.]
“ -Soft sigh and a groan, faint sound like he’s rubbing his face- {It’s bad, William. It was an aggressive virus. I had to hard reset not only the server, but also all of my sons and the Rebel Angels.}”
[Another pause, before he continues in English, before going back to Russian because he’s too tired right now.]
“The code…. … {It did… some very strange things. …I recorded the raw data with a video camera so I could analyze it later—preferably with you, my God I hope you are alright and get this—without having the actual thing being a squatter in the RMDC.}”
“{I’ve sent over some screenshots I pulled off of that—namely, the initial interaction it had with the server, and the start of some of the consequences in action. I’m still looking it over, but it looks like it activated some very bad cross-references… I’ll have to look closer to tell you which ones.}”
“{It did send them all into Lethal mode—or tried to, anyway—it actually just didn’t work with DCN-000, as his current highest setting is Non-Lethal. …Which isn’t to say he can’t cause damage… it’s just that he doesn’t have… -Groans- I’ll tell you when you call back, please call back, alright?}”
“{I’m going to have Tobias search you out if you don’t respond in 24 hours—I hope that isn’t necessary, but I’m very worried.}”
Will: -winCE-
Soi: Ngh...
“{You needn’t worry about one thing, though—}”
“{It did try to activate the DLN_COMBAT.EXE, but that program never went live in any of the constructs that have access to my server. It activated the DWN_COMBAT.EXE program instead—which I can tell you is something that activates when they are afraid or in great pain… but they have always been defensive. When it went active, they shut down to avoid damage. They are not gone Maverick— so PLEASE, /DON’T/ panic and send Shade over—/}”
Will: .......
[Will just put his head down next to the terminal and groaned. Of course, he had no idea what had happened to the Mighties then...]
“{I really hope I hear back from you soon, Will. We… I need you over here. Some of the interactions…}”
“{The Awareness aspect of the AI_OS—it just can be so… adaptive…. … … … I know you might not think that such a high-tech bit of code from your world could even run in a system as ‘outdated’ as what we use, but the boys… they’ve already long been adapting to data and coding from your children, this…}”
[He trails off.]
“{I won’t let Tobias poke around if I can help it. But for the love of God—
CALL ME.}”
[A click signifies the end of the message.]
[NEW MESSAGE FROM: MIKHAIL TIME STAMP INVALID]
[The next message is much later—it appears to be relatively recent. Right away, it’s pretty apparent that Mikhail is not in good humor.]
“Will, I’m starting to wonder if you even brought your phone back with you from England.”
Will: (S-sorry, Mikhail…)
“I know things ended off rather suddenly, and… I just have to say I’m sorry about what happened. I wish… I wish it could have been another way…”
[There was a drawn out sigh before he continued.]
“Will… Tobias and Avi seem to have fused together.”
Will: -Alarmed- Wh-WHAT?
“We got some data from Avi that we’ll try to analyze, but I don’t know if we’ll get anything useful out of it. This data… I can’t understand all of it, William. Tobias’s Awareness seems to be running somewhere, and is updating his cross-reference memory banks, but… we keep getting errors when we try to bring him Online, because the Awareness is active elsewhere. I can only hazard a guess as to where, but…
You should expect problems from the branch server until the matter is resolved. Tobias was the true master of the database, even though I’m the Admin of my server. I can tell you from experience that if Tobias is trying to protect the main server from getting attacked again, the branch server won’t be able to connect to it. There may be other ways he interferes, if he gets input data that he feels is a threat.”
Will: That… that would explain why he’s blocking their signals…
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to fix this on my own, Will. Not without resorting to his last backup, which had the Awareness software intact.”
Will: (Oh no…)
“But if I do that, that may make things worse in the long run, due to two versions of the Awareness running at the same time. Not to mention the side effects to both Tobias and Avi that we can expect anyway.”
Will: (S-Side Effects...?)
Soi: (That doesn't sound good...)
“We’ll have to talk more after you have Avi back, and try to go from there. As long as he’s an active threat, there will be interference that prevents us from communicating. Please… be careful.”
[Click.]
[…Wait.
There was one more message.]
Will: ...! There's...another...
Soi: Huh—?
[NEW TEXT MESSAGE FROM: D L N — 0 0 0]
Will: CARDINAL—!
"WHA—"
"DAD WHAT ABOUT HIM I HEARD YOU SCREAM—"
[MN.1, 2, AND 9 ARE NOW ONLINE.]
[MN.1] //: -DATA, DID YOU FIND HIM?-
Will: No—hold on—
“J O H N 15:13”
[END OF NEW MESSAGES.]
Will: John 15:13...?
Soi: Why would...?
[MN.2] //: Is it some kinda code, or...?
[MN.1] //: ....
[MN.1] //: "No greater love than this..."
[MN.1] //: "...than to lay down his life for his friends."
[MN.9] //: . . .
[MN.9] //: Cards...
Will: ......
Will: (Cardinal—I pray that you're safe—but PLEASE don't find him before we do...)
Will: (—Your heart's in the right place, but you lack the tools to save him...)
Will: .....
[Will saves the pictures Mikhail took of the coding from the RMDC—and silently thanked him under his breath. He now had three samples to go over and compare—even if the Rebel Angels weren't of Xel, this information could essential to working out the cause of the malfunctions.]
Will: (I hope you're having better luck than me, friend—)
[—Blink.]
Will: -Looks up- ??
Soi: Wha—
Soi: Did the lights just—
[BZZZZZZZT!]
[The whole building was thrown into darkness.]
——————————————
[.....]
[CHERRYDYNAMICS INC. MAIN OFFICE BUILDING...]
[BACK UP GENERATORS RUNNING.]
[A phone rings. It seems to be a private line...]
[Click.]
"Mr. Graham?"
"Graham speaking."
"Sir, the recent power outage is going to take some time to work around—"
*"What's the status of our servers?*"
"...Still infected, sir. But our firewalls are holding for our factory lines—at least on the west coast—"
"What about her."
[Silence.]
"What. About. HER."
"....It's....still....here."
"Any changes?"
"No, but--"
"Good. Leave her as she is, don't tamper with anything."
"Sir--"
"If I see once scratch on her, I WILL FIRE your whole department and worse. Do you understand?"
"Sir—she's—"
"I asked you a question."
".....U-Understood, sir..."
"Mm. Notify me if anything comes up."
"Yes, Mr. Graham..."
[CLICK.]
"Idiots..."
"Just when this was all going to plan..."
"This VIRUS rears it's ugly HEAD..."
"....."
".....Well. As long as she remains untouched..."
"This can still be fixed..."
[Click. Click. Click.]
"......Senator? Ah! Greg Graham here—yes, yes, I'm perfectly safe, but what about—Oh! Well, that's good news—Yes. Yes, we're doing EVERYTHING we can—In fact!"
"We may be on the verge of a solution as we speak..."
[ ...... ]
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=BONUS CONTENT: BONUS SCENE #2=
~AO v2.0~
((Courtesy of @codedhopes))
((Prewriting: Desmond and Minerva question Tobias (who has Avi present for support) ))
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
{July 3rd, 20XX}
[Tobias fidgeted in his seat, sparking up a bit every now and again. He kept his head bowed, looking down at the ground.]
Tobias: …I’m in big trouble, aren’t I…
[He was waiting in a conference call with Sanda Enterprises, with Avi sitting on the other line.]
Avi: ((Words of encouragement, as best as he can muster, but internally all AAAAAA))
[After breakfast, Avi had been pulled aside by Desmond Donald, who wanted to speak with him….]
-=-=-=-=-
Des: Six, can I talk with you for a moment?
Avi: ((Asks how he can help/what’s going on))
Des: We need to speak with Tobias Wily.
Avi: —…Uh…
Des: We need to clear up some of the finer points of what happened at the Queen’s Finals and the White House. It’s important.
Avi: ((Expresses uncertainty that he’ll be able to convince Tobias to come over))
Des: Just talking would be a start. Do you think you can arrange that?
Avi: I can… tryyyyyy…? (If Nico will even let me get through to him, oh man…)
Des: Great. We’ll be right with you as soon as we get a moment.
-=-=-=-=-
Avi: Just a little chat, right? -Thumbs up- You can handle that, no problem-o!
Tobias: I guess…. I’m just. I dunno, Avi, I’m scared.
Avi: Don’t worry there, Toby! ^.^ I’ll be right there with you.
Tobias: Thanks, Avi. … You don’t… don’t have to do this…
Avi: ((Oh nonsense, happy to help, etc.))
[The door opened, and Tobias just about jumped to his feet. His eyes did flicker a bright green in alarm, and he jerked back, recoiling a bit.]
Des: ((Internal commentary reaction to seeing Tobias on the screen in person for the first time, with the boy clearly nervous))
Avi: ((Internal commentary on both Des AND Minerva coming in))
Min: Good morning, gentlemen. We’ll get right to the point.
[She didn’t sit down, but instead took some file folders from Des and placed them down on the table.]
Des: Mr. Wily, you have been involved in a number of high-profile incidents pertaining to matters of national security… in more than one country.
Avi: ((Reaction to this starting off not so well))
[Minerva took out a series of photographs, data logs, news articles, and audio transcripts, laying them on the table. The pictures from the Queen’s Finals depicted Tobias grabbing Bladeblaster and preparing to strike him. Tobias gave a sullen expression to see the face of his enemy again.]
Des: You have been visually identified as the intruder who interrupted an international sports event to assault one of the participants, and a witness claims that you were also responsible for bypassing security to get there.
Tobias: -Cringes, squinting his eyes shut-
Des: We need you to tell us exactly what happened, how, and why.
Tobias: …
<DLN-008>: > A-Avi—!
[MN.6] //: ((Words of encouragement))
Avi: Mind if I jump in for a moment here?
Des: -Slight frown- -Looks over at Min-
Min: -Unmoved- If you wish. Do try and keep it brief, Aviator.
Avi: :’ D;;;
Avi: ((Stressed punning as he gives his summary of the end of the Queen’s Finals, emphasizing on how OTHER people were behaving, and how Tobias got the short end of the stick))
Des: ((Reaction to all of this, asking further questions as they come up, before stating that they still needed to hear Tobias’s side of the story))
Tobias: Isn’t there an Amendment against this?
Min: -Adjusts her glasses, giving him a look- …You may choose not to answer the questions, true. I must warn you, however, that doing so will leave us no choice but to draw our own conclusions from the evidence, and those conclusions may be incorrect. -Looks down at one of the data logs- We have evidence that you were there, but only guesses as to your motives. There may be mitigating circumstances we haven’t been told about, things that only you can tell us.
Tobias: Wh-what do you mean?
Min: -Folds her hands together over the documents, looking up at the screen- Well, there is the matter that you are a construct, for starters. If you were ordered to do this, then your Doctor would be held responsible, not you. If you were malfunctioning, that would be another example of a mitigating circumstance. Good intentions may also lessen the charges levied against you, though they won’t make them go away entirely. There’s also your background and circumstances to consider.
Tobias: I see…
Des: Were you ordered to attack Bladeblaster?
[Tobias looked up, alarmed.]
Tobias: N-no! Please, don’t get angry at Dr. Cossack!
Des: …
Tobias: It’s not his fault!
[MN.6] //: ((Tries to help calm him down))
Tobias: I…
Tobias: -Meekly, looking down at the ground- I hit him because I was scared and angry…
Avi: ((Wehhhh, poor friend))
Min: Can you explain that a bit further?
Tobias: I thought he was going to kill her!
bzzZAP.
Tobias: He…!
Tobias: He said he was going to kill her…
Avi: ((Bleh, internal displeasure re: BB ))
Des: (So far this is matching up to what Cossack had to say…. Let’s see if he takes it the next step farther…)
[Tobias gave off a lot of very depressed data.]
Avi: ((-Abyss feelings, oh no—-))
Tobias: …
Des: ((Reflection on how troubled the kid seemed, how that compares/contrasts to his expectations/what they know about his temper))
Tobias: …
Tobias: -Whine-
Tobias: I wanted to stop that. She didn’t deserve… didn’t deserve to die. No one should have to go Offline… -Trails off- (Not like that…)
Avi: -Tooooobyyyyy- :<
Tobias: -Bows his head, shoulders sagging- No one was stopping him. I couldn’t… just sit there and wait.
Des: How did you get into the arena?
Tobias: -Grumbles- That was kind of easy…
Des: (…Well that’s not a good thing to hear on a matter of security…)
Tobias: There’s an emergency protocol that allows medical staff to get onto the field. I activated that so I could get in.
Des: How?
Tobias: …
Tobias: -Looks up- I’m not even sure if I CAN explain that. It was like turning on a switch. Not active, active. I turned it on.
Des: No one else was able to get onto the field due to interference. How did you manage to get through?
Tobias: I… don’t know. I guess the matter only disrupted Xels or something.
Des: -Taps his fingers against the table, frowning- What did you intend to do when you got there?
Tobias: …
[He suddenly glared and gritted his teeth, sparking up as his eyes began to glow in anger.]
Avi: ((Quickly says something to calm him down or at least snap him out of a budding rage mode))
[The glow left, and he hesitated for a moment. Then he crossed his arms, hunching his shoulders up.]
Tobias: I don’t know. I just wanted to beat him up a lot.
Des: Were you trying to kill him?
Tobias: -Looks up, both alarmed and dismayed- !
Avi: Woah there! Toby may be a bit of a live wire, but he’d never try and kill somebody!
Tobias: I…!
Tobias: -Looks down again, very troubled- I just wanted him to stop…
Des: But you tried to keep going even after Dynatron got free.
Tobias: I was angry! I guess I got… a bit carried away….
Des: So you’re saying that you bypassed security of your own accord, with the intent to assault a combatant because Dynatron was in danger.
Tobias: -Opens his mouth a little, but still can’t vocalize words- … I…
Tobias: -Bows his head again- Yes…
Avi: ((Says something in Tobias’s defense))
Des: I find it very interesting that you are speaking up in his defense, Aviator. He tried to send you crashing down into concrete while you were sick.
[Both Tobias and Avi cringe at the reminder. Tobias looks particularly upset. He puts his face in his hands, shaking.]
Avi: ((Weak comeback))
Tobias: …fault…
Des: …?
Tobias: -Sparking up erratically, causing the comm lines to flicker with static- Always my… fault…
Avi: ((Tries his best to comfort Tobias))
Tobias: No…
Tobias: That was my fault…
Des: ((Some sort of reaction to this))
Des: …You said—
[Tobias held his hands up near his face in aggravation, his eyes clamped shut as he LOUDLY interrupted, vocalizing for the first time.]
Tobias: I KNOW what I said!
Tobias: Please…
Tobias: Please don’t remind me…
[He put his face in his hands again, his voice muffled.]
Tobias: It’s all my fault…
Avi: Toby…
Tobias: I…
[His fans gave a wheeze that sounded like a heaving sob.]
Tobias: I’m sorry, Avi…!
Avi: ((Some sort of reaction to this))
Tobias: I’m sorry…
Des: ((Internal commentary on the matter)) …
Des: -Looks over at Minerva- (According to Felix, “good cop” works better than “bad cop” on these guys…) -Gestures for her to step in-
Min: You care very much for your friends and family, don’t you.
Tobias: -Whiiiine-
Min: Is that why you agreed to help out at the White House?
Tobias: I don’t want to talk about it…
Min: This is very important. We need to know what happened… for Dr. Cossack’s sake.
Des: He said he ordered you to bypass security. Is that true?
Avi: Woah woah wait—he said that—?!
Des: Yes, during our last interview with him. He said, quote, “I made the decision to bring Tobias back Online. And I ordered him to go into the Cloud, force his way in there, give us the feeds, and disable it or turn it off.”
Avi: ((Slight internal anxiety/panic, this explains why he was sort of arrested the other day))
[A pause.]
Tobias: …
Des: Is that true?
Tobias: -Whiiiiine!-
<DLN-008>: >-AVI HELP I DON'T WANNA BE ERASED—-
[MN.6] //: -Um, uh, IT'S OKAY BRO I GOT THIS—-
Avi: (Oh crap I might not got this, WHY THIS—)
[Avi seems at a loss for words, and Tobias was silent.]
Des: (This isn’t going to get us anywhere…)
Min: Keep in mind, Mr. Wily: you won’t be held responsible for carrying out direct orders you could not disobey.
Tobias: I…
Tobias: I don’t want anyone to die…!
((Some sort of reaction from Des and Avi at this))
Min: Neither do we, DLN-008.
[A pause.]
Tobias: -Peeks through at them- R-really…?
Min: Dr. Cossack was under a lot of stress when he made his statement. We want to verify the accuracy of what he said before we make any judgments.
[Tobias seemed to think on that.]
Tobias: … S…sort of…?
Min: Would you please elaborate?
Tobias: -Hides his face again- …
[He was quiet for some while.]
Tobias: -Timidly- We wanted to get him out of there… before he ended up destroying himself…
Tobias: We were all so angry and scared…. He said that they couldn’t access the feeds in the White House, that something was wrong…
Tobias: He ordered me to get in there and try and get the feeds back, and disable the malfunctioning security so it wouldn’t hurt anybody…
Des: What specifically did he tell you to do?
Tobias: He said not to get out of hand, and not to try and use the security myself…
Min: Oh?
Tobias: …
Tobias: I… I’m sorry, Avi…. I was so angry…
Avi: ((Tries to comfort him))
Des: That seems to happen a lot with you. : |
Tobias: …
Min: What happened when you got to the White House?
Tobias: Hnnn… The Cloud… it was full of fire…! Monster…
Tobias: There was… there was something keeping the fires from working. I… I tried to make it work right, but it hurt—it hurt a lot. So I tried to make it all stop, but I… I couldn’t do it, it was too powerful…!
Des: ((Some sort of reaction to this))
Min: How did you get past the cyber security?
Tobias: It wasn’t working properly. There were a couple of people trying to get in, but I tore up the programs to make them go away. I had to go through a hole the virus left, and there was so much noise everywhere…
Des: What would have happened if you HAD gotten full access to security?
Tobias: Turn it off so that it wouldn’t hurt anybody…. We… we would have taken Cardinal out of there.
Tobias: Just…
Tobias: Just wanted to save him…!
Tobias: Please… please don’t be mad at him…
[Minerva took in a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. Desmond tapped a pen against the table.]
Des: ((Notes (again) that Tobias seems to lose his temper a lot, and starts getting very violent when that happens))
Des: Is this something that is going to keep happening with you?
Tobias: -Whiiiine…-
Des: Felix suggested that you wanted to break into the CherryDynamics servers as well, because you were angry at them.
Tobias: -Somewhat confused- What? No.
Tobias: I mean…
Tobias: I sort of WISHED that I could do it, but I knew it would be wrong… so I didn’t.
Des: The Mighty Numbers are a combat team. The top ranking one in the world. They’re going to be in dangerous situations every now and then—it’s bound to happen. You can’t keep hacking your way through to assault anyone who threatens them.
Tobias: I… I know. I’m sorry, Avi…
Avi: ((Encouraging words about how things are better now, and how he can tell how hard Tobias is trying, and he’s proud with how far he’s come))
Des: Have you breached any other security systems in this world in the last few months?
Tobias: No.
Des: So you didn’t infiltrate to retaliate against Battalion?
Tobias: -Looks up- What?
[He looked genuinely puzzled.]
Tobias: What happened with Battalion?
Des: …You don’t know?
Tobias: Nobody said anything about Bat. It wasn’t in any of the data logs, either.
Avi: ((Remarks that Mikhail ran off and they had to keep it a secret anyway))
Tobias: No, I don’t know about any secrets.
Min: (He seems calmer now, at least.)
Min: Well, Mr. Wily… Nero expressed that none of you meant any lasting harm, and were not truly a threat to the nation.
Min: You acted decisively during emergency conflicts… which is not in and of itself a bad thing. You meant well, which counts for a great deal. And you only entered through legitimate channels, rather than breaking things yourself.
Min: Your temper and self-control, however, need a good deal of work. You need to learn some discipline.
Min: Do you intend to behave yourself from now on?
Tobias: Y-yes, Madame President, I want to be good—to be good from now on!
Tobias: I just…
Tobias: I’m sorry…
Min: You have my pity, young man. The circumstances are mitigating, and we can work with what’s left.
Tobias: R-really…?
Avi: ((Reaction to this!))
Tobias: I… you’re not going to erase me…?
Min: Good heavens, no. However, we can’t just turn you loose, either.
Min: You should really undergo some behavioral and socialization therapy. Learn how to interact with people, and how to control your temper. You should have that chance, at least. Consider it your conditions of parole. However…
Min: You’re going to need to put in some effort.
Tobias: I will, I will…! I’ll…
Tobias: I’ll try…
Avi: You can do it, buddy! : D -Thumbs up- And I’ll be there to help you every step of the way!
Min: Good! That would be beneficial. Perhaps you can mentor him in later stages.
Tobias: -Ping of hope and approval-
((Concluding remarks))
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Writer Journal Entry
{Wednesday, September 25th 2019T}
//This blog is going to be repurposed to be a story-oriented blog. The characters from sirensniper will be moved over to join the crew on @mowseries.
This is a placeholder style announcement. Proper explanation and frills will come after I have things set up.
Not sure how much good this will do, given it’s about to be buried under nearly 200 more posts.
—T.
white-bird-in-a-cage is five years old!
Five years ago, on August 7th, 2012, I made this blog under the url not-a-nobody. My preference was not available for another year, and I have been under that changed url ever since. Since then I have grown and changed, both as a person and a writer.
Naminé as a character is truly very important to me. No other character is more beloved. I first saw her in 2006 and I was immediately drawn to her. It is because of this girl with an angelic appearance that I got interested in Kingdom Hearts… without her I wouldn’t be here, or have met any of you. Seeing as how I’ve met my best friends on this blog, that’s really saying something. To me, Naminé represents hidden strength and the truth. She could’ve easily lied or not said anything to Roxas; she could’ve easily used him and Sora for her own gain; instead she not only spoke the truth, she fixed her mistakes. Naminé also defied DiZ and Riku to do what she felt was right, and even more awe-inspiring, she stood up to Larxene and Marluxia upon realizing her mistakes. It is never easy to stand up to your abusers and captors. For someone so small, Naminé has left an indelible mark on my life.
I’ve been in these groups: Kingdom Hearts Ultimate RP (KHURP for short), Pyreflights, Aeon Soul, Somnium Finite, and Crowned Kingdom. Each taught me something and introduced me to new friends. I’m happy to say that I’m still friends with people from each group!
Five years is a big milestone for me. At this moment I have 630+ followers, and I’m happy to have all of you on board! I never dreamed I would last this long; I have no idea what I was thinking back in that August before my freshman year of college, but it certainly wasn’t this.
I’ve been through a lot on this blog: group changes, friends and partners leaving and changing, being bullied (though thankfully that has long since passed), learning time management, and so much more.
I wouldn’t be here with you all. Obviously I could not possibly name everyone, past and present, but I thought I should show at least some of you my thanks. This is not a follow forever or a bias list; instead this is a thank-you post. Some people might get repeated because I couldn’t just leave them under one category. Oh, and alphabetical order because I like to have everything orderly.
I know why the caged bird sings - to those who have helped me grow, and who have supported me
@ainokizuato/@redheartedmage/@talesofmino/@talesofharima, @blitzballstar, @musicandlights, @noxtalgie, @parttimedeliveryboy, @radiantheart/@milessomnia, @thecentralheart/@vens-gonewiththewind, @the-lonely-soul, @the-sixth-apprentice/@unversed-nightmare, @unquenchedresolve, @xambiefoxx
Memory… the cruelest and most beautiful of gifts - to those who have moved on; I miss you and I have not forgotten you, and I wish you the best
@duelwielding, @parttimedeliveryboy, @screndipitouskxy, @thecentralheart/@vens-gonewiththewind, @the-sixth-apprentice/@unversed-nightmare
You’ve got the light to fight the shadows - to those who make every day here a joy
@ahmyhotdog, @ivory-paragon, @lazuliss, @professorxehanort, @radiantheart/@milessomnia, @redheartedmage/@talesofmino/@talesofharima/@ainokizuato, @thetaintedemotion, @unquenchedresolve, @valorhearted
Your House will be like your family - to my beloved Crowned Kingdom
@ahmyhotdog, @chaoshearted, @cindythegreasemonkeygal, @dogstreetstyle, @heartseekingfreedom, @iokanchieftess, @lovelysweetxhart, @malevolentwind, @milleuda-folles, @professorxehanort, @radiantheart/@milessomnia, @redheartedmage, @somnusheir, @steelwolfgrey, @theicequeenslion, @thespellweaver, @thetaintedemotion, @unquenchedresolve, @valorhearted, @vespersung, @whitedressedoracle, @wingedcomposer, @xxpinkseeressxx
If only I had five lifetimes! - to my fellow Naminé blogs; I don’t follow or write with you, but we have all chosen a beautiful character, and I am glad you are here
@fadxngmemcry, @frailwaves, @oblivion-witch, @namine-constellations, @noxtalgie, @reflechir, @scatteredcrayons, @sketchedinnocence, @paintedpaeonia, @p-aperr-oses, @vvatercolors, and those I cannot name because I don’t know who you are
Reader, I married him - to all 630+ of you, my Readers
=CHAPTER 6D: CRIMSON STRONGHOLD=
~AO v1.0~
((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))
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{ELSEWHERE…}
[Cardinal had been forced to stop and take a rest. He just couldn’t keep going, no matter how much he wanted.
He had forced himself to turn aside and take shelter for the night, to process all his memories.
He could feel the burden again—the weight of the buildup, of life without backing up to the RMD. But he had gone many years without doing so, before—he could handle a few more days, now.
He hoped that’s the extent of how long this would take. He didn’t have the time.
He was very glad to hear that Brand was better, at least—though that would mean that Shadow would also be back Online by now.
With things starting to come to a close, it would be much harder to keep his brothers out of this… especially since they had legitimate reason to get involved, to look for him.]
Cardinal: (I’m sorry, guys. I just had to do this.)
[He vented a sigh, tearing open a sandwich, feeding part to his cat.
Even after he’d gotten up and running this morning… he’d spent nearly all day helping emergency crews on the highway.
He couldn’t help it.
He knew it was slowing him down, but…]
((pic))
[…He also knew that that’s what Countershade would want him to do.]
Cardinal: -Sighs-
[…If he was right, though, he couldn’t afford ANY more distractions.
He needed to get where he was going— before it was too late.]
Cardinal: …
[Once again, he struggled with the thought of informing the others.]
Cardinal: (On one hand…. If I am right, they should probably know as soon as possible. Gotta learn from the mistakes of the others I knew back in the old town… not to let pride get in the way. I can think of several ways that I could contact them without them being able to lock onto my signal and teleport me off, anyway… so there’s really no concern on that front.)
[He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn’t really notice that a background noise was getting louder…]
Cardinal: (But on the other—it IS just short of a wild guess, and this is not the time to cause a panic, especially not on this scale. To raise a false alarm about this would cause massive social damage—not just for the Whites, but for everybody. I can’t risk being wrong—I need to be sure before I call for a Red Alert. I mean… once they hear that Shade might be headed to the—)
“RARF RARF RARF RARF—”
[Cardinal was suddenly tackled square-on by 40 pounds of a hyper, barking bristle of fur.]
Cardinal: Oof—!
Scout: Rarf Rarf Rarf--!
Scout: -I FOUND YOU I FOUND YOU HELLO TALL MASTER'S FRIEND I MISSED YOUUUUU--
Scout: -LICKS FOR FRIEND-
Cardinal: Wha…?
Cardinal: -Ackpth, the licks, the LICKS, okay okay there—-
Cardinal: -Why am I suddenly tackled and licked by a strange dog, you’re on my face, boy are you matted from the feel though-
Scout: -RARF RARF RARF-
Scout: -Sniff-
Scout: -Fewwwwwd-
[Scout's Pick Up!]
Scout: -NOOOM-
Jazz: Ree-ow? D:’,
[With Scout now off him, Cardinal could FINALLY see what was going on. And boy, was he surprised.]
Cardinal: … Scout?!
Scout: -Fewwwwwd-
Scout: -Happy pants, yes that is me-
Scout: Rarf Rarf!
[Cardinal was stunned for a moment, just completely at a loss for thought at the fact that he had been tracked down by an animal— while in the midst of TRAVELING CROSS-COUNTRY no less!
After the initial shock wore off, he crouched down to get a good look at the raccoon dog boy.]
Cardinal: …You don’t really seem that injured. I’m impressed.
Scout: Rarf!
Scout: -Stuck to small spaces and such while looking for Master-
Cardinal: …How did you find me? -Getting a bit tense- …Pyro’s not with you, is he?
Scout: -Tilts head-
Scout: Rar?
[Cardinal put a hand to his face.]
Cardinal: Okay, let’s make things simpler. I’m going to ask some yes or no questions… (This feels so stupid, but I know for a fact that these creatures are far more intelligent than animals of our world…) …Bark once for “yes” and twice for “no.” Do you understand?
Scout: Rarf! -Tail waaaag-
[Cardinal sat down.]
Cardinal: Did anyone else travel with you?
Scout: Rarf Rarf!
Cardinal: Did someone else send you to find me?
Scout: Rarf Rarf!
Cardinal: Have you told anyone where I am?
Scout: Rarf Rarf!
Cardinal: Okay, good…
Cardinal: So then… this isn’t about me…
Cardinal: So it must be about Shade, right?
Scout: Rarf!
Scout: -We tried smelling for Master but we couldn't find him...-
Scout: -Whiiiines-
Scout: -BUT THEN WE SMELLED YOU and you spend lots of time with Master...-
Scout: Rarf!
Cardinal: Did someone else send you to find Countershade?
Scout: Rarf Rarf!
Cardinal: …Did you…
[He paused, his voice reflecting the slight surprise he felt.]
Cardinal: …Did you run off, alone, on your own, traveling the country to find your Trainer yourself?
Scout: -SITS UP STRAIGHT IN PRIDE-
Scout: Rarf!
[Cardinal sighed and flopped to the ground. He covered his eyes with the back of his arm.]
Scout: ....?
Scout: Rar...? -Paws at side-
Cardinal: …Give me a moment to think, Scout. This is very important, and I need to organize my thoughts. …
[He holds his other arm straight out, sandwich in hand.]
Cardinal: You can have the rest of the sandwich.
Scout: -FEWWWD-
Scout: -Nom nom mmmmmm--
Scout: <3
[While Scout snarfed sandwich scraps, Cardinal concentrated.]
Cardinal: (Man… this is not at all what I had planned for. I don’t want him to be in harm’s way—especially considering what we’re going up against—but there’s no way to send him back. I’m not his Trainer, and I don’t even have any Badges. Even if I submitted myself to confinement by alerting the Mighty Numbers to our location and holding onto him for transport…)
[He looked over.]
Cardinal: (…He’s clearly already broken out of the lab once, and he’ll do it again. If he came with me, though…) … (…If he’s willing to cooperate with me, that might be the safest option.)
Cardinal: …Scout?
Scout: ?
Scout: -Raises head up-
[He hesitated.]
Cardinal: …I’m looking for Shade, too.
Scout: !
Scout: -Oooooh, so that's why you weren't around anymore...-
Cardinal: …I don’t know where he is—
Scout: ??????
Scout: -Whiiiiiiine, but--we thought for sure you did know...
Scout: -Saaad face, ears drooping, nooo--
[Cardinal made a hushing noise and gently closed Scout’s muzzle shut.]
Cardinal: Shh—! I said I don’t know where he is—but I have a guess.
Scout: !!!
Scout: -Muffled happy barking!-
Cardinal: This is all very serious, very dangerous, and very important. So just listen for a few moments, so that you don’t talk over something I’m trying to tell you. Please.
Scout: -Blinks-
Scout: -Muffled single borf, yes we will listen-
Cardinal: I’m on my way there now. I’m only stopping to rest a little because I’m tired… -Clearly reluctant- …and for what may be ahead if I’m right… I’ll need to be at my full strength if I hope to survive it.
[He paused to let that sink in.]
Cardinal: I don’t want you to get hurt. For one thing… it would make Shade very sad. And for another… I like you too, Scout—and if I had to take you to Mt. Pyre, I’d never forgive myself.
[Oh dear. The thought really did distress him.]
Scout: ......
Scout: Rarf!
Scout: -We did had to battle a few mean metal things...-
[He patiently patted the patterned Pokémon.]
Cardinal: I know that you’ll probably still go after him, anyway. No matter what. …Just like me, really.
Scout: Rarf!
Scout: -Yes, he's our frieeeeend-
Cardinal: So. Might as well work together, right? IF you would adhere to a few rules—so that we’re on the same page, and don’t get confused—I’ll take you with me.
Scout: !!!
Scout: Rarf!
Scout: -Sits, but tail is wagging at a blur, because TALL MASTER'S FRIEND IS GOING TO HELP UUUS-
[Cardinal waited for the fur ball to settle down before he continued.]
Cardinal: Rule number one. -Starts counting on left hand- You have got to stay with me while we’re on the road, at least until we get to the area where he is, if not the exact room. If you go running off on your own, I won’t have time to find you again. Got that?
Scout: Rarf!
Scout: -Yes we'll follow you so we won't get lost!-
Cardinal: Rule two. -Holds up a second finger- If humans or Xelbots or anything else starts shooting at us, you must take cover, and you must STAY there, barring a few things: if you need to move because your cover is compromised, do that. Otherwise, stay put until you’re given the all clear, or someone you trust comes to get you.
Cardinal: There’s a time for fighting, and a time to stand your ground—and I know that you guys can put up with a lot—but while I’m sure your offense output is great, so is theirs. As far as I know, you fight close-range, not long-range—so you should avoid, since you don’t have a great way to counteract, instead. Does that make sense?
Scout: ...Rarf!
Scout: -Run away and hide from the stronger mean ones because we're not a special attacker, got it...-
Scout: ....
Scout: -Small whine of concern, but what about you?-
Cardinal: I’d be able to concentrate better in that situation if I knew you were safe.
[He smiles a little, and it grows into a grin.]
Cardinal: The rank and file grunts don’t stand a chance against yours truly. Heh heh.
Jazz: -Mechanical prrr-hrrr- |3
Scout: Rarf! -Happy tail wags, Okaaaay~-
Cardinal: Heh. -Pats Scout’s head- Good. Good boy. -Scritch scritch-
Scout: <3
Cardinal: Moving on, then…
Cardinal: So, rule three. -Holds up another finger- NO STEALING.
Scout: Rarrrrr!
Scout: -Runs around in a circle until--
[Scout's Pick Up!]
[...And now he was holding some old cardboard from who knows what...]
Scout: Rarf Rarf! -It's not our fault, that's our ability--
Cardinal: I mean it, Scout. If you get distracted pilfering items, then you’re liable to get left behind, or make things worse by alerting others to where we are, or something. Don’t. Take. Anything.
[He paused for a moment, his voice getting softer as he lowered his hand, eventually letting it rest on Scout’s head.]
Cardinal: …I’m not asking you to do this the whole time, even. Just until things are safe. …I’ll even…
[He hesitated.]
Cardinal: …
Cardinal: …I’ll even… give you something to carry, until then.
[…
There is deep sorrow in that tone.]
Scout: . . . ?
Scout: -Wha--why are you sad all of a sudden??-
Scout: -Whiiiine, no don't be saaad--here have some kisses on your hand--
Cardinal: …
Cardinal: (…I had been wondering how I’d get word and instruction to the others should things… go south. There’s no telling for sure if they saw my last notes.)
Cardinal: …
Cardinal: (…But…. I could… could give that note to Scout.)
Cardinal: … … …
Cardinal: (Just… just in case….)
Scout: Rarf!
Scout: -Bumps head into short friend's stomach-
Scout: -Short friend are you okay heeeeey--
[The melancholy prototype was snapped out of his thoughts. It took him a moment to remember, but then he closed his eyes and nodded.]
Cardinal: …I’ll give you something to carry. Okay? …Will you hold onto it for me, while we’re traveling?
Scout: Rarf!
Scout: -If that will make you not sad, then yes, we'll do it-
Cardinal: Heh… -More headpats for Scout- Thanks, buddy.
Cardinal: …Finally, rule four…
[He hesitated.]
Cardinal: …If there’s a really, really big explosion while we’re separated…
Cardinal: …
Cardinal: …If that happens, then…
Cardinal: …
Cardinal: _(…No. I can’t… can’t bring myself to say it.)_
Cardinal: … …
[He was tense for a moment, but then he thought of something and relaxed.]
Cardinal: If that happens, then the area is probably unstable and unsafe, so you should go find shelter elsewhere. Understand?
Scout: Rarf! -Okay, we'll run away from that too-
[…He was too used to these kinds of lies.
Though now was hardly the time to dwell on it.]
Cardinal: Good. -Flops down with a sigh- I’m tired. …I’m going to go to bed and rest for the night. Jazz has the watch. We’ll continue in the morning.
Cardinal: (We’ve still got a long road ahead of us…)
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
=CHAPTER 7B: RUSH INTO THE MINE=
~AO v2.0~
((Courtesy of @codedhopes))
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
[LATER THAT NIGHT....]
[William White was staring patiently at the same analysis screen for several hours, a full jug of coffee at his side. It had gone cold long ago. Mikhail had left for his own devices shortly after making it, mentioning he had important work to do with Siam before he could return.
And that was certainly for the better…]
Will: (Eight...Eight samples.)
Will: (This should be enough--this has to be enough...)
[It was in that moment that Soi stepped into the room.]
Soi: --Will?
Will: --Oh. Soi.
Soi: Good Lord, man, I thought you went to bed ages ago!
Soi: Didn't Mikhail warn you about staying up too late?
Will: Under the circumstances, he's overlooked it for now.
Will: I'm so close, Soi, I can just...
Will: I have all the pieces, I just have to fit them together.
Will: -Turns back to the Terminal- I've already arrange the code, it's only a matter of figuring out what goes where...
Will: And hopefully, I can start to finally counteract this nightmare.
Soi: Thank goodness.
Soi: Once we figure out what's going on with the Virus, my brother will send help!
Soi: -Sigh-
Soi: And all we need is Shade back.
Will: Yes...
Will: I think the others are dreading that, somewhat. Mikhail was...He had that look about him.
Soi: Because Shade is a Hunter?
Will: Perhaps.
Will: But I think it's something else.
Will: Or rather...
Will: Someone.
Will: ....
Will: In any case.
Will: -Working as he speaks- You do have a point. This...
Will: It's almost over, now.
Will: .....
Will: Soi?
Soi: Yes?
Will: ......
Will: I...
Will: Do you think that...Maybe...
Will: . . . .
Soi: ???
Will: ...Nevermind.
Soi: What?
Will: No, it's...It was just a passing thought.
Soi: Wiiiiilll.
Soi: Come on, I know you want to tell me something when you suddenly back out of it!
Will: I just---
[PING!]
Will: !
Will: Wait--
Will: Soi, I--I think I did it--!
Soi: -WAIT WHAT, REALLY--??-
Will: Hold on, let me just run this through one more time--
Soi: Oh, man, this is great!
Soi: -YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN, WILL.-
Soi: I know that it's still processing, but as soon as that's confirmed, I can call Mikhail back--
Soi: And then we can get to--
Soi: --!!!
Soi: --...Will?
[No response.]
[None.]
[The room was suddenly filled with a tense silence.]
[...That is, save for the quiet patter of drops on a keyboard.]
Soi: Will--
[It was as if he wasn't hearing him.]
[William sat there in what appeared to be shock, huge streams of tears falling from his emerald hues.]
[He was crying.]
Will: . . .
Soi: Will, are you alright--
Will: . . .
Will: I...
Soi: Will--oh dear should--should I call Mikhail or--?
[THAT got him out of the shock, but it was quickly replaced by sheer panic--]
[Will bolted straight for the door, fumbling with his keycard to lock it--]
Soi: --???!
[He then proceeded to shut down all the computers, cameras, even his phone--]
Soi: Will--
Soi: Will!
[Soi grabbed his arm before he could do anything else concerning, a firm tone in his voice.]
Soi: What is going on--?! What did you--
Will: It's mine.
Soi: --???
Will: The virus--it's coding--It's MINE, Soi--!
Will: All of this is MY FAULT--!
Soi: Wha...
[Soi was so...so taken back by it that he let go.]
Soi: Wait--
Will: -PANICKY--
Will: It's all my fault, the madness, our sons and daughters, our own family, HIS--!
Will: The whole country is suffering because of MY MISTAKE--!
Soi: WILL!
[Soi claps very hard in front of Will's face, which was enough to bring him out of his panic attack, or at least some of it.]
Soi: Breathe.
Soi: I've known you for more than 10 years and I know that none of this is your fault.
Soi: You--
Soi: You're different, now, Will.
Soi: Remember?
Will: ........
Soi: .....
Soi: Let's just...Sit.
Soi: Start over.
Soi: Okay?
Will: . . .
[Will sits back down with a shivering sigh, his head buried into his hands. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, but it didn't seem to help much.]
Will: S-Soi...
Will: The...The code, Soi--
Will: It's mine. I know it is.
Soi: Really?
[Silence.]
Will: ....
Will: Not...All of it.
Soi: See, so it isn't--
Soi: --Wait-- not ALL of it?
Soi: I...I don't understand.
Will: .....
Will: Soi...
Will: Remember...
Will: Remember when you first hired me?
Soi: I...Of course.
Soi: How could I forget?
Will: .....
Will: I told you that I had previous experience with robotics before.
Will: You know what I mean.
Soi: ......
[Now it was Soi's turn to be shocked.]
Soi: No, wait--
Soi: You can't mean--
Soi: This--You mean this whole robot rampage--?!
Will: --is all my fault, indeed.
Will: Or rather...
Will: The fault of a robot that I designed long ago...
Will: The CDN-1201.
Will: ...Trinity.
Will: I designed her to evolve by assimilating other robot's capabilities...
Will: I found her custom scripts in the virus code we retrieved from each of the haywire Mighty Numbers--as well as...
Will: From...Mikhail's database sample...
Will: The structure is clever, cunning, concise...
Will: It's brilliant. There's no doubt it's my code.
Soi: Now wait just a minute--!
Soi: How--How is that even POSSIBLE, Will?
Soi: CherryDynamics shut down the Trinity project AGES ago!
Soi: In fact it was--
Soi: Dr. Blackwell himself, wasn't it--? Back when he was CTO--?
[Will stiffens at that.]
Soi: ....
Soi: I...
Soi: I always thought that was the reason you left Cherry to come work with us and make the Mighties here...
Soi: Wasn't it?
Will: Of COURSE it was, Soi!
Soi: --Nngh-- (Oh no, he's angry--)
Will: After what HAPPENED there--
Will: After what I had to do to HER--
Will: In the end, Blackwell only saw the dangers, not the potential--!
Will: He NEVER gave ME a CHANCE!
Will: Never gave HER a...a chance...
Soi: ......
[As quickly as Will flared, he slowly SAT back down again, tears now flowing freely.]
Will: I can still hear her in my DREAMS, Soi.
Will: I...
Will: God, I was a fool.
Will: Such a fool...
Will: But I was just so eager and wanted to prove myself to HIM that I...I didn't listen.
Will: And now she's come to haunt me again.
Soi: --Will.....
Will: I...I just--
Will: --I can't TELL them, Soi, I just CAN'T--!
Will: To tell them that all that I am--all of who I AM IS A LIE?!
Will: What that would do to them, to--to all that we have built and come to cherish--
Will: I DON'T WANT TO LOSE EVERYTHING AGAIN, SOI--!
Soi: Shhhh!
Soi: Will--
[Soichiro calmly wraps an arm around Will's shaking shoulders, almost close to tears himself.]
Soi: You won't, Will--
Soi: I swear we will make this work somehow, if I have a say in it!
Soi: I know her loss was so hard on you, Will, and I know how much it hurts.
Soi: But this...
Soi: This is a virus, Will--Trinity was not a virus.
Soi: She was your daughter, if only for a short time.
Soi: I don't know how or why someone would put her scripts into this...this horrid thing--
Soi: But I do know one thing.
Soi: I will always be in your corner, Will. No matter what happens or who tries to stop us.
Soi: I'll always have your back.
Soi: ^^
Will: ....
Will: -Sniff-
Will: S...Soi...
Will: You--You never HAD to help me...
Soi: Oh, poppycock! That's ridiculous.
Soi: Where would you be without me, eh?
Will: -Sniff-
Will: ....
Will: U-Up the creek with no paddle?
Soi: I was thinking more like still a rotten Cherry, but let's go with that.
Will: Eheh....
Will: ....
Will: What are we going to do, Soi...?
Soi: I don't really know.
Soi: But we can't keep this from Mikhail for long, you know that, right?
Will: . . .
Soi: Will.
Will: I...I don't...
Soi: Will, he GAVE you one of the samples, he's SEEN that custom script.
Will: --....
Soi: He's going to put two and two together eventually, and would you rather have him find out on his own or hearing it from someone he knows is a genuine good person with genuine, good intentions?
Will: . . . .
Will: -Whispers- I don't want him or any of them to think less of me...
Soi: .....
Will: And then there's my own children, Soi...
Will: How would THEY handle this?
Soi: Will, that's sort of your fault there.
Soi: You always put it off ever since Pyro.
Soi: There is just no easy way to go about this, Will.
Soi: You have to tell them the truth.
Will: . . . .
Soi: At least--
Soi: At least tell someone, Will--
Soi: You need to talk about this to someone OTHER than me.
Soi: Someone that isn't quite in our family--but still a friend.
Soi: Someone like...
Soi: ....
Soi: --!
Soi: Felix?
Will: ...But he's just stirring.
Soi: When he's BETTER, Will.
Soi: Honestly, I will drag you to him if I have to, don't think I won't!
Will: -Ngh--
Soi: ....
Soi: Please don't take this the wrong way, Will. I'm doing this as your friend.
Soi: All I want is for you to be well and at peace with...with who you were.
Soi: Alright?
Will: .....
Will: -Inhale-
Will: ...O...Okay...
Will: I...Okay.
Soi: Promise, Will. You have one foot out the door.
Will: ....
Will: I...
Will: I promise.
Soi: To?
Will: Go talk to Felix.
Soi: About?
Will: ...Trinity.
Soi: Good. ^^
Will: ......
Soi: Chin up, Will.
Soi: Things will get better, soon.
Soi: I promise you that. ^^
Will: ....
Will: I...
Will: I can only hope, Soi.
Will: (Hope and dream...)
Will: ...I made a mess, didn't I....
Soi: Sort of? You just turned off everything in a rush.
Soi: ...Also I think you locked us in. ^^;;;
Will: ....
Will: (Oops--)
Will: I...
Will: I think I'll just call someone to get us out...
Will: -Oh God why are there so many messages SOI--
Will: -I THINK IT'S TOO LATE—-
Soi: -Wait what--
[Soi peeked over Will's phone to get a closer look--]
[MESSAGE 1
FROM: MC005]
>WILL
>WILL, WE FINALLY FOUND THE ANSWER
Will: --???
[MESSAGE 2
FROM: MC005]
> {We figured it out Will I’m not sure yet but PICK UP YOUR PHONE—}
Will: -Wait, what--
[MESSAGE 3
FROM: DWN-019]
> -Raw data that is echoed and mostly mirrored-
Will: -Okay so THANK GOD IT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE WHAT I THINK IT WAS--
Soi: .....
Soi: You REALLY need to go to sleep.
Will: Shush--
[MESSAGE 4
FROM: DWN-019]
>Doctor!
>I know you are awake working.
>If you were asleep, your phone would have woken you.
> SO GO TO BED WHEN YOU GET THIS.
>There is very important news to share in the morning!
Soi: ...That's kinda scary, actually.
Will: -______-;;;;
[MESSAGE 5
FROM: DWN-019]
>We sent Dr. Cossack to sleep despite his protests, he needs rest.
>Please have everyone gather for breakfast, they’ll want to hear this.
Soi: See?
Soi: Heck, maybe things will work out after all!
Will: . . .
Will: I...Guess so.
Will: ...Before we go, though, I should lock the code--
Soi: That can wait.
Will: -But we really should secure the--
Soi: In the morning, Will.
Will: -But--
Soi: -Alright that's it we're calling in the cavalry-
Soi: Call, dear?
Will: -ERK--
Will: -Waitwaitwait on second thought BED SOUNDS NICE-
Will: -Look see, we're going--
[BONK--!]
Will: Ow--
Will: ....
Will: Oh right I locked us in, didn't I.
Will: Um.
Will: ^^;;;;;
Soi: .....
Soi: -LOSES IT-
Soi: Aw, Will, you...
Soi: Call!
[Footsteps.]
".... Doctors, why is this door locked?"
Soi: Will here accidentally locked us in, heh.
Soi: Be a dear and disengage the lock, will you?
Soi: Oh, and get Will to bed, he's being difficult.
Will: -I SAID I WAS GOING-
"Yes, Doctor. I will only be a few minutes."
Will: -I'm locking the code while she's doing it-
Soi: Will-- -Siiiigh- -_-;;;;;;
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
FIGHT! Jack Vs Kate!
KATE VS JACK
Intro Quote(Versus): ‘bout tahm we had a proper fight, you an’ I. Let’s give ‘em somethin’ t’ talk about~
Intro Quote(Team Up): Ha! They’ve got no idea what’s comin’.
Taunt: Ya gotta FOCUS, Jackie!
Special Attack: Watch yer step!
Assist: FREEZE! ((She’s talking to Jack, since some trick shots are about to be put into play.))
Ultimate Attack: Take a cue from the music, Parker!
Ultimate Team Attack: DANCE for me, boys!
Win Quote(Versus): [She gives an EXTREMELY mischievous shark grin.] || You know, normally, Ah’ have a certain dart I use here, but for you, Ah’ think a more direct approach is in order…~
Win Quote(Team Up): Well done! -Happy ping-
Lose Quote(Versus): Alright, alright already—you win! A girl’s gotta know when she’s beat. Boy, ya sure gave ME a workout! Hope ya had some fun.
Lose Quote(Team Up): Bah, we’re gonna have t’ regroup an’ rethink this…
Knock Out Quote(Team Up Self):
Knock Out Quote(Team Up Partner): || Imma count t’ THREE, an’ y’all better SCRAM, OR ELSE—!
=CHAPTER 6A: CRIMSON STRONGHOLD=
~AO v2.0~
((Courtesy of @codedhopes))
<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
{Sanda Enterprises}
[The next lead came… abruptly.
And it sent them into panic.]
Call: Doctor Sanda, you have a call on line one.
Mikhail: -Looking over some notes- Can it wait? I need to talk regarding some of Brand and Shadow’s data…
Call: I would not recommend it. The call is from the Pentagon.
[…]
Mikhail: What?
Soi: -Oh sweet mother of God—-
Mikhail: … Miss Call Sanda did you just say the call was from the P E N T A G O N—
Beck: -AUGH NO WHY N O W-
Beck: -oh no what if—what if they're going to try to stop—-
Beck: -I'm the only one that can SAVE THEM WHAT IF—-
Beck: -DAAAAAAAD—-
Soi: -—WILL—-
Soi: -WILL HELP THIS IS BAD-
Mikhail: SOI, DON’T KEEP THEM WAITING—STALL FOR ME, PLEASE—
Mikhail: WILL!
Mikhail: -Exit stage left as if pursued by bear-
Will: —Ah—er—I—I....
[He's just kinda frozen there—]
Mikhail: -Yanks Will aside out of view of any screens before he can enter the room- {We need to talk, Will—}
Will: Waah—!
Soi: -WAIT WHAT DO I EVEN SAY GUYS—-
Call: Patching the call through, Doctor.
[A very stern looking uniformed officer was patched through. Notably, her rank seemed to depict she wasn’t exactly of the rank that normally made these calls.]
???: Dr. Soichiro Sanda, please be aware that the following call is classified. You are not to discuss it with anyone other than Dr. William White. Anyone else must be read in. Do you understand?
Soi: -Err—-
Soi: Y—Yes, yes, I u-understand— (Thanks for leaving me up the creek, fellas—! )
-*-*-*-*-*-
Mikhail: -Practically hissing- {Will, we’re leaving. Now.}
Will: What?!
Mikhail: {I can’t stay here.}
Mikhail: {I’m a Russian Doctor with constructed credentials, remember?!}
[…Oh, right. The “favors” Shade had pulled to make them officially “exist” in this world…]
Will: —Erk—!
[He was right—him being here would only raise even MORE questions, and none of them would be of the pleasant sort...]
Mikhail: {I’m taking the others. DON’T let them choose a nuclear option.}
[…With that he continued running off to the lab.
Boy, he wasn’t kidding when he said “now”…]
Will: —n—nu—
[Oh, dear.]
-*-*-*-
???: Recently, you and your brother released a press statement regarding the current national crisis.
Soi: Y-Yes, that's correct...
Soi: Wh...what of it...?
???: Despite what the CEO of Cherry Dynamics seems to believe—
[She gave no visual indication on her stance on that matter.]
???: No charges will be pressed at this time. I must advise you this does not guarantee whether they will be filed or not in the future.
Soi: ...A-Ah—I see, yes... (Don't we have enough on our plate already...? )
???: Our people have reviewed the data you submitted to the scientific community to show that the infection has been cleared from reacquired Mighty Numbers. Dr. White will be needed for further questioning on this matter.
Soi: (—! Oh no, Will—! )
Soi: R-Right, of course—I'll...let him know.
???: MI6 would also like to interrogate Mighty Number Six regarding a person of interest.
Soi: (—MI6—?! What would they want with Avi—?! )
Soi: Hmm—A...alright...
???: …However, their requests for extradition have been denied.
???: It is to our understanding that Mighty Number Six has been essential in locating other members of his series with all due speed. We also cannot risk any Xel being sent overseas at this time.
???: The main reason for this call will require input from Dr. White, but that clearly will have to wait. There is an equally pressing matter that demands our attention.
Soi: (...Oh dear... )
Soi: Y...Yes...?
???: Your company requested information on the whereabouts of the missing Numbers.
???: Our intelligence suggests that Mighty Number Five has infiltrated federally-owned property.
Soi: —!!
Soi: (Battalion—of course— )
Soi: Federally owned... (...A national park, or...or... )
???: As this is a matter of national security, the coordinates are classified and shall be sent to Mighty Number Nine through a direct, encrypted transmission.
???: Even I am not fully read in on the details, Doctor, but he has been given a time limit to complete the retrieval before we make our own interventions.
Soi: (...Classified—? )
Soi: —!!
Soi: (Wait, that—that doesn't make sense— )
Soi: How—how long does he have—?
???: Six hours, should he choose to accept this mission. Entry and investigation of the area may prove difficult. Should we regain the camera feeds on the property, this time limit will be extended.
Soi: (Six hours... )
Soi: O...Of course, we'll brief him as soon as possible...
???: I’m afraid that cannot be permitted. My superiors cannot wait very long for an answer. He must answer now. You may converse over private channels, but I have been ordered not to end this call without confirmation of his involvement or lack thereof.
Soi: —I—o-one moment—
[PING!]
[DR.SANDA to MN.9] //: Beckwehaveasituation—
[DR.SANDA to MN.9] //: Did you get any coordinates by any chance—
[MN.9 to DR. SANDA] //: —No, why—
[DR.SANDA to MN.9] //: The Pentagon found out where Bat is—and they're giving you six hours to get him back before they take matters into their own hands...!
[MN.9 to DR.SANDA] //: —?!
[DR.SANDA to MN.9] //: Beck—they need an answer NOW, I don't know what they'll do if...!
[MN.9 to DR.SANDA] //: .....
[MN.9 to DR.SANDA] //: —If they know where Bat is, Dr. Sanda—of course I'll go--!
[MN.9 to DR.SANDA] //: I...I have to save him too...!
[DR.SANDA to MN.9] //: Thattaboy—you'll be be getting those coordinates via an encrypted connection.
Soi: -Ahem-
Soi: Sorry about that...
Soi: He'll do it.
???: Affirmative. Patching the coordinates now.
[Just then, Beck pinged with a private message from the Pentagon. It entailed the location, as well as a brief threat level assessment and recommended gear. Oh, and they said he could bring others with him if that’s what it took, but anyone chosen would be bound to regard the information as classified… just as he would.]
???: Teleportation using these coordinates will go through encrypted channels. The true coordinates will not be retained by your databases.
???: We will call back later if video feeds are not recovered in three hours.
???: Should you fail to retrieve Mighty Five by the end of six hours, Mighty Nine will be automatically evacuated from the premises.
[… “Evacuated”?!]
Soi: —Wait, what...what do you mean by—? (You can't just—! )
[BLIP.]
Soi: —....
Soi: (...This is...not good at...at all.... )
Call: ...Dr. Sanda, your heart rate has increased...
Soi: I...ho, boy...
[PING!]
[DR.WHITE] //: Soi— Mikhail and the others are gone, and—I—I think they took Jack and Kate—
[DR.WHITE] //: -Soi please tell me federal agents aren't going to storm the place—
[MN.9] //: —They're GONE—?!
[DR.SANDA] //: —There's no time—! Will—I'll explain, but Beck—you have to get ready to roll as soon as possible—!
[DR.WHITE] //: —Wait— go where—?
[MN.9] //: Y-Yes, sir!
[DR.SANDA] //: Will— they found Battalion.
[DR.WHITE] //: —!!
[DR.SANDA] //: And they—they said if we can't get him back in six hours—they'll evacuate Beck and—and—
[DR.WHITE] //: —WHAT—?!
[DR.SANDA] //: -IT'S NOT EVEN THE HALF OF IT, WILL—-
[DR.SANDA] //: MI6 wants to talk with Avi, of all people—
[DR.SANDA] //: —A-And—
[DR.SANDA] //: T...The government wants to talk to...you.
[.......]
[Silence.]
[DR.WHITE] //: . . . .
[DR.WHITE] //: M...Me...
[DR.SANDA] //: .......
[.....]
[The rest of their conversation is then carried over in private...]
{Meanwhile}
[Kssss…]
<FMN-006 to MNN-006>: > Yo, Rick—you there?
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: Yo, Goose—yeah, I'm here...
<FMN-006>: > Whew, good—just wanted to check in, now that things aren’t as crazy over here.
<FMN-006>: >Thanks for taking care of Sis until she was stable! …Though she still looks pretty banged up, and uh… I thought Shads was gonna stay with your little bro for a bit?
<FMN-006>: > No one will tell me what’s going on, kinda lost here…
<FMN-006>: >Is G-moms coming over to visit over there, or??
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: Uh—yeah, no, Shads had to suddenly leave, Doc C called him or something...but Brand's snoozing away right now, so that's good...
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: ...?
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: Uh...
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: Where the heck did Stripes go...?
<FMN-006>: > …You mean Tony the Tiger, everyone’s favorite Spiderfriend?
<FMN-006>: > He’s over here with us, I thought you guys knew that?
<FMN-006>: > -Did he somehow get in more trouble while he was asleep or?- -Majorly confused-
[MN.6 to FMN.6] //: No, I just—I guess—??
[P I N G!]
[MN.9] //: CRYO WAKE UP--
[MN.2 IS NOW ONLINE.]
[MN.2] //: OW WHAT GIVES--
<FMN-006>: > Yoooooo, Beckster!
<FMN-006>: > Dial is busy with Lil’ Sis, dunno about yours. You need another bath? ;D
<FMN-006>: > Did you get into the powdered sugar again, little dude?
[MN.9] //: NOT NOW AVI--
[MN.6] //: --? Hey, Becko, somethin' the matter?
[MN.9] //: NO TIME--CRYO GET OVER HERE PLEASE--
<FMN-006>: >Yo, yo, Beeeeeeck—you overclock any faster and you’ll start to time travel. o.o;
<FMN-006>: > Breeeaaaaathe a little.
[MN.9] //: I CAN'T—!
[MN.9] //: WE GOTTA SAVE BAT—!
[MN.2] //: —!!
[MN.2] //: —Where is he—?!
<FMN-006>: > …Uh.
<FMN-006>: > (This sounds like it’s not going to end the conversation on a happy note… )
[MN.9] //: -IS DRAGGING SISTER OFF, BYE GUYS--
[MN.2] //: --whOA--
<FMN-006>: > UH.
<FMN-006>: > … -THUMBS UP?- …STAY SAFE?
[MN.6] //: ...That...sounds like trouble.
[MN.6] //: Iiiii better go see what's up...
[A noise like something ran into a wall really hard is heard as a crash over the line.]
[MN.6] //: --???
<FMN-006>: > …That sounded like that hurt, I think that was Twelve—
<FMN-006>: > Sorry, gotta run—
[MN.6] //: Hoooo Kay, uh....talk to ya later—!
<FMN-006 has left the channel.>
[MEANWHILE...]
[Once again, there is chaos within Sanda Labs...]
Pyro: What do you mean, we won't know where he's going—?!
[Will was pacing around the room, the Xel holoscreen depicting a map of the United States glowing softly behind him.]
Will: The coordinates were sent by an encrypted connection—by the government. They want us to retrieve Bat within six hours.
Will: ...Or else.
Pyro: --.....
Cryo: ...Or...or else what?
Will: .....
Will: I'm not sure.
Will: But it involves evacuating Beck from the premises if he doesn't succeed.
Will: ......
Will: ...Which means we must move with all due haste. Beck?
Beck: Just about ready...
[He was going through a standard check of all his available forms...]
[Including...]
[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]
[...The form he was most skilled with.]
Beck: (...It feels really good to have this back... )
Beck: (I feel like I'm gonna need it... )
[REXELECTION: DEFAULT]
Beck: OK, all set!
Call: Preparing Xel Transfer: Locking in encrypted coordinates...
Cryo: So the plan is for Becky to see what's over there first before I'm beamed in, right?
Will: Correct—the only clue that we have is that wherever Bat is, it's on federally owned property.
Avi: ...Jeez, no wonder... .... (Poor Speedy... )
Avi: ...Must be something they wanna keep real hush hush if they're going this far.... ....It's not something, like...Area 51, is it?
Will: ....I...I hope not.
Will: Nonetheless, your brother is there—and he needs to come home, government involvement or no.
Will: ...You understand you are on a time limit, Beck.
Beck: Yeah.
Beck: I know.
Beck: (Can't waste time... )
Beck: Don't worry...I'll bring Bat back—
Beck: With time to spare!
Dyna: -BZZZ, YOU TWO ZZSTAY ZZSAFE, WE'LL BE RIGHT HERE-
Cryo: I'll be right behind ya, bro—go get 'em!
Pyro: ...And Beck?
Pyro: Please don't touch anything if you can help it...
Beck: Got it, Big Bro.
Avi: Good luck, Beckrroni! -THUMBS UP-
Call: Coordinates have been locked in.
Soi: B-Be careful, Beck--Who knows what the virus did to Bat...
Beck: ...I will.
Call: Xel Transfer in progress...
_______________________
[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 5, BATTALION, HAS FLED TO A FEDERALLY OWNED ESTABLISHMENT. PURPOSE: UNKNOWN. LOCATION: [REDACTED]
[MISSION OBJECTIVE: LOCATE AND PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM MN.5 IN SIX HOUR TIME LIMIT. FAILURE WILL RESULT IN GOVERNMENT EXTRACTION AND ENFORCEMENT.]
[SUB OBJECTIVES: MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT, RESTORE PENTAGON VIDEO FEEDS OF ESTABLISHMENT]
[SYSTEMS READY?]
[GO!]
[Feet touch down on metal flooring, resounding with a small clack as Nine materializes in a quiet hallway.]
[...It's the silence that gets him at first--there is some gentle, far off humming in the distance...but other then that, nothing.]
Beck: . . .
Beck: ?
[Beck looks to his left, and sees a huge '01' printed on the...armored walls...?]
Beck: ...What...what is this place...?
[His com crackles.]
Soi: ....What...?
Will: Goodness...no wonder the government contacted us...
Soi: This...
Soi: This looks like some...shut down military base...?
Will: But--I thought that nearly all the military bases were re-purposed into museums after the disarmament...?
Will: But this doesn't look like a museum to me...
Soi: Exactly--
Soi: It should be all but EMPTY, inside...but I wouldn't count on it...
Beck: Right....
[...The only sounds were his own footfalls and the faint humming. It...it uneased him, how the silence was...just... there.]
[...Lately, strange silences were beginning to put him off, and he REALLY didn't like that...]
Beck: (...This...this is creepy... )
[PING!]
Beck: AAAH—!
Call: Beck, I am detecting multiple robot signatures ahead. Proceed with caution.
Beck: Jeez, Call, you nearly made my core stop--!
Call: My apologies, Nine.
Beck: ...Ngh, it's fine, I just....don't like how quiet it is in here...
[...It wasn't going to be quiet for long.]
Beck: —!
[Wrrrr....]
Beck: H-Huh...?
[A medium sized mobile construct on tracks was approaching, and from a distance...it kind of looked like a bigger version of a standard trash bot.]
[...Until...]
[BEEP BEEP BEEP--]
[A small alarm on its head started going off--]
[And it's lid opened up...]
Beck: --?!
[...to reveal a mounted machine gun. It was a mobile turret!]
Will: --!!
Beck: Aaah--!
[Beck dashed under it's line of fire to avoid being pelted with bullets, and returned it's fire. The streaks of bright orange struck true, and it soon glowed a dark blue color.]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
[Wrrrrr...]
Beck: M-More—?!
[Sure enough, a WAVE of turret bots were heading this way, in a wall formation. Beck began to fire away at once when he saw them--it seems like they needed a split seconded to identify him as a enemy before they attacked...]
Soi: What the Sam Hill--?!
Soi: Those are CLEARLY military bots--! COMBAT military bots--!
Will: And should have been scrapped as part of the disbarment...
Will: ...Or was that all a government ruse...
Will: Beck, did they tell you this--?
Beck: -BLAM- NO, BUT THEY DID TELL ME TO COME HEAVILY DEFENDED--!
Beck: I-- -BLAM- THINK I CAN SEE WHY!
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Will: ...The concept of pointless competition has been outcast.
[Mikhail laughs a little at that.]
Mikhail: Officially, at any rate. I don’t think you can rewrite humanity enough to change the testosterone-driven need to do stupid things to show off to your friends. Will: Heh, well...pointless as in, connected to violence. It's partially why the NBCA was formed, to keep all violence confined to the Colosseum.
Will: Remember when I said the story of our world was connected to the Coloseeum? That's why.
Mikhail: I see… I understand, now.
Will: It...serves as a public outlet.
Mikhail: Like its inspiration.
[He did not exactly seem thrilled at this.]
Mikhail: *Lowers his glasses and looks over the rim* I wonder.
Will: Exactly. -And...wow, look at that, he's smiling!-
Soi: The Battle Coloseeum became the new football, in any rate!
Beck: (Hee.~ )
[Mikhail did not share this outlook.]
Mikhail: *Pushes his glasses back up* I must ask both of you to be very careful.
Mikhail: Rome, too, had glory days.
Mikhail: Emphasis: had. Past tense.
Mikhail: Just… be careful, alright?
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Will: (...You were right, Mikhail... )
Will: (You were right. You and Cardinal... )
Will: (God, what I wouldn’t give to have both of you HERE right now…! )
[He felt very out of his depth, staring at this proof of a world he thought didn’t exist. A world that their friends were more familiar with, knew how to face with heads held high. Mikhail and Cardinal were both strategists, and Cardinal had actual military experience…
…All of which would come in handy right now. None of which they actually HAD.
They were truly on their own.]
[MN.1] //: I...I don't understand—why would they keep active military bots...?
Will: An ace in the hole, or some kind of insurance, I imagine...
Beck: --NGH--!
[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]
[SHINGSHINGSHING—!]
[In the span of a few split seconds, the remaining turrets were reduced to Xel cubes, which were then absorbed and converted into a Xel Stock.]
Beck: Whew...
Beck: (REALLY glad to have this form back... )
[The door ahead opened as Beck approached it, still in Seven's form. This door had something printed on it as well...]
[NOW ENTERING SECTOR 02]
Beck: (This base is divided into sectors...? )
[Faint sunlight. He was outside...?]
[The sun was hidden behind several clouds, turning the sky into a pale yellow. This open room looked like it only served to separate the sectors.]
Beck: Whoa...
[PING!]
[MN.6] //: Yo, Beckers! Hold up a sec!
Beck: --?
Beck: Avi--I don't have any time for puns, I'm on a time limit--!
[MN.6] //: I know that--! Just--look at the sky so I can see--!
Beck: --? Why...?
[MN.6] //: I... THINK I can figure out where you are. I think. Actually, can ya fly up a little from there? Get a good look at your surroundings?
Will: --! Ah--excellent idea, Avi! We can figure out where that base is by the geology...
Beck: Okay, Avi...
[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]
[Giving the propeller a few good test spins, Beck jumped into the air and rose upwards at a steady rate.]
Beck: !
[As he flew, he could see that this base was bigger than he had thought— it seemed to sprawl out quite a bit...]
[MN.6] //: See anything?
Beck: Yeah, this place is huge--!
Beck: (What the heck... )
[MN.6] //: ...whoa. It is pretty large...
[MN.6] //: Get some more altitude and a horizontal 360 degree pan--the more we can see, the better.
Beck: Roger that...
[Higher and higher he climbed.]
[The base then gave way to a barren terrain, and sand littered the air, stinging Beck's eyes. But he could still make out some tall mountains on the horizon.
Beck: Sand...and more sand. I...I think I'm in a desert.
[MN.6] //: Alright, that narrows it down...anything else?
Beck: Yeah. I see mountains on the horizon. And no roads...anywhere.
[MN.6] //: Hmm...
[MN.6] //: Desert, some mountains, and if I do some math real quick--gimmie a sec---
[PING!]
[WARNING: LOCK ON SIGNAL DETECTED.]
Beck: --! Wha--
[INCOMING FIRE.]
[MN.6] //: —!!!
[MN.6] //: BECK! ROLL RIGHT, NOW—!
[There was a sudden screeching sound behind him, and he banked hard right to narrowly avoid a slew of bullets. Their trail of fire followed hot on Beck's tail as he executed evasive maneuvers.]
[MN.6] //: Anti-Aircraft Artillery! Get outta the sky, Beckcona!
Beck: -PANIC, WHERE DO I GO—-
[The only way back into the base was from where he flew out, and even then, there were hostile signals coming from the other side of the door.]
[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]
[Once he was at a height where he could land with no problem, he switched to Seven's form, and landed into a roll past the opening blast doors.]
[A collection of bullet fire still pattered the re-enforced entrance, reminding the Mighty Number that he was far from safe.]
Beck: Argh--!
[It seems as if there was a never ending supply of these turrets--not only that but there was also forklift bots carrying some rather explosive cargo in his path.]
Beck: (Good thing I didn't go for Pyro's form... )
[SHING!]
[Better to slice up enemies than to set something off...and cause a chain reaction.]
[PING!]
[MN.6] //: You OK, there, Becky?
Beck: -SHING!- M-More or less--!
[MN.6] //: Good, cuz I got a bit of breaking news for ya.
[MN.6] //: Cryo's getting 'ported over as we speak, and I did some figuring.
Beck: -Whew--!-
[MN.6] //: I'm like--96% sure you're somewhere in Nevada's desert, bro.
Beck: Nevada--?
[MN.6] //: Makes sense that there would be a place like this--the nearest mass of major civilization is Las Vegas, and that's MILES off. So, yeah, you're right smack in the middle of the state, I bet.
Beck: I see... (At least we're far enough away from innocent people... )
Beck: And Cryo?
[MN.6] //: I found another entrance to the base--based on that 360 pan--and she's making her way to ya! You should be seeing her soon.
Beck: Um--
[-SHING!-]
Beck: --how soon?
[MN.6] //: I dunno, give or take a couple of--
[It was at that moment Beck felt the temperature drop by at least 30 degrees, and a familiar child-like cackle filled his audio receptors.]
Cryo: Kyaaahahahahaha! Wheeeeee!~
[Suspending herself in the air via a blast of high pressured water aimed downwards, Cryosphere was currently bringing winter early to the abandoned base, freezing up everything from enemy bots to lethal explosives--all were frozen dead in their tracks.]
Cryo: Time to dip into my slush fund and create some frozen assets!
Cryo: Pretty cool, right, Beck?~
[MN.6] //: --.......
[MN.6] //: That was BEAUTIFUL, SIS--
[MN.2] //: -THANKS, WE'LL BE HERE ALL WEEK~-
Beck: I--now? You're doing this now??
[MN.2] //: Sorry, sorry! Had to.
[MN.2] //: All clear on this sector, bro--I'm gonna go ahead and make things nice and crisp for ya, okay?~
[MN.6] //: Go for it, Cryo!
Beck: (--Well, at least that'll save time--which we REALLY need. )
Beck: Thanks, Big Sis!
[As Cryo disappeared through another door, faint sounds of wild giggling and frost left in her wake.]
[Now that the path was free, all Beck had to do was avoid the electrified spikes strewn across the treadmills up ahead.]
Beck: (Man, I hate these things-- )
[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]
[At least Avi's form made things slightly easier.]
[Shooting down wall mounted turrets as he flew by, Beck once again encountered another large door.]
[NOW ENTERING SECTOR 03]
Beck: How many of these sectors are there?
Call: Unknown. I am only able to map your immediate area, No. 9.
Beck: Well, that's not good...
Beck: How are we supposed to know where--
[SLAM--!]
Beck: --?!?
[No sooner had the Mighty Number entered into another outside corridor, the door behind and leading out both closed down simultaneously--and a large thud was heard seconds after. The locks had engaged!]
Beck: Th-The doors! I'm trapped--!
Soi: W--Will--!
Will: The lockdown sequence for the next sector must have been initiated--we'll have to disengage them ourselves, Soi!
Beck: H-Hurry, we don't have much t--
[KKSSSSST!]
"Is that FEAR in your voice, Private Beck?"
Beck: --!!!
[MN.5] //: A robot soldier does not FEEL fear!
Beck: B-Bat--!
[PING!]
[MN.6] //: nGH--!!
[MN.3] //: -BZZZZ, GUYSZZ PLANE BRO IS NOT OK--
[MN.1] //: BATTALION!
[MN.1] //: I ORDER YOU TO STAND DOWN THIS INSTANT!
[MN.5] //: Hmph.
[MN.5] //: I'm afraid you no longer hold rank over me, Commander.
[MN.5] //: Shame, given that you could've been some actual use to the cause.
[MN.5] //: Seems that our Private here's been busy.
[MN.9] //: Bat, please--
[MN.5] //: Pay attention, maggot.
[MN.5] //: If you are going to come and face me like a real robot soldier, I EXPECT at least SOME kind of grit from you!
[MN.5] //: A robot soldier does not FEEL pain!
[At those words, a squadron of military grade combat bots armed with shields materialized into the room, their weapons trained at Beck.]
[MN.5] //: NOW FIGHT ON LIKE YOU'VE GOT GUTS!
[KSSSSSSST!]
Beck: !
[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]
[Deflecting the barrage of bullets with one swing of his sword, Beck was quick to go on the defensive, choosing to evade and hang back for the moment.]
Soi: We're working on unsealing those doors, Beck! T-Try to hold on--!
Beck: Easier--Ngh--! Said than done--!
Will: (Come on, there has to be some backdoor in these kinds of military grade programs--! There almost always is-- )
[SHING!]
[Beck couldn't even have a moment to breathe--as soon as one bot was absorbed, another would take its place. And another.]
[SHING!]
[And another.]
[SHING!]
Beck: Daaaaaad!
Will: Almost got it...!
[LOCKDOWN DISENGAGED.]
Beck: Finally--!
[With a hiss, the door to Sector 03 lifted, allowing Beck to dash himself out of the ambush and back into the building. It seems like this part of the base mostly consisted of...hangars...]
Beck: --!
[This one housed several impressive looking tanks.]
Beck: Whoa.
Beck: (B-Big... )
Will: My God...
Soi: Uh...those are off, right...?
[There was a buzzing noise as a notification flashed on Call’s screen.
…The Pentagon was calling back.]
Call: Attention--we are receiving an incoming call from the Pentagon.
Will: --!!
Soi: Again?! (That CAN'T be good--! )
Beck: Wha--? What's going on--?
Call: Patching it through now.
Will: -PROCEEDS TO HIDE BEHIND SOI-
[The screen once again displayed the same lady secretary as before. She seemed slightly concerned… in a confused sort of way.]
???: Attention, Sanda Enterprises and Mighty Nine.
???: The time limit is now forty-five minutes.
Soi: --WHAT??
Soi: I--I thought you said we had six hours--!
???: Sir, the situation has changed.
Soi: Ch--Changed--??
Will: (Changed--? How...? Why? )
???: The details are classified.
Soi: Th--this is--!
Soi: I-Isn't there someone that can tell us what happened? Anyone--?
???: …
???: Please remain on the line while I transfer you to the Cyber Unit.
[The video feed was replaced by an image of the presidential seal.]
Soi: Did--did they just put us on hold--?!
Will: Never mind that--
Will: Did you get all that, Beck?
Beck: ...Yeah. (This totally isn't fair... )
Will: Cryo, I need you to stay put until Beck catches up, do you read?
[....]
Will: ...Cryo?
Cryo: WHEEEEEEE!~
[The upper railings of the hanger were suddenly frosted over, along with the rows of patrolling turrets spewing continuous fire at Beck's way.]
Cryo: Hey, you--don't move! In other words, freeze!~ Kyahaha!
Beck: .....
Beck: (She's having fun, isn't she... )
Will: Cryo, I told you to--
[Reinforcements marched in from the right to replace the patrolling turrets--only to be frozen by Cryo's icy powers.]
Cryo: Wowee, these guys don't know when to chill!
Will: --!
Will: Ah, never mind--you'll serve as an adequate distraction! Do you think you can do that?
Cryo: Yessiree, Noodle Dad!
Will: Excellent. Proceed, Beck.
Beck: Right--!
Cryo: Good luck, Bro--!
[Moving through the tank hanger proved more difficult than he imagined--the place was absolutely swarming with military bots, and he had to be more careful than ever--the ammo loading lines were in full swing, so he also had to avoid dashing into anything that could seriously blow up in his face at any moment.]
Beck: (Why is everything being put into these crates...? )
Beck: (What the heck are you thinking, Bat--? )
[PING!]
[MN.6] //: @~@
[MN.6] //: -Ugh head hurts, what did we miss-
Beck: Avi!
[MN.3] //: -Bzzz, no planebro you need to reszzzt, someone help me get thiszz dork to bed--
[MN.6] //: -But--Beckers needs our help--
[MN.3] //: -BED-
[Two sets of treadmills later, Beck finally found the way to the next hanger, the sounds of his siblings bickering over his feeds.]
Beck: (...Wow, I...I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I really missed that... )
Beck: (I wonder if Bat can hear this.... )
[Either he couldn't, or he was choosing to ignore it altogether. There was no way to know for certain, as he had stayed silent since his previous outburst.]
[The next hangar was much larger than the last, and held many more weapons and vehicles of war....]
Beck: (How many hangers ARE there in this place...? )
[The feed from the Pentagon suddenly went live—though it was audio only.]
“Sanda Enterprises, do you copy?”
Soi: E-Er! Yes, we're here...!
“I’m told you wanted to speak to the Cyber Unit about the situation…? Uh, do you have updates for us?”
Soi: --????
Soi: (You HAVE to be kidding me-- )
Soi: Updates?! We're the ones that want an explanation!
Soi: First we were told that we had six hours to retrieve MN.5, now we have--
Call: Approximately 26 minutes, 34 seconds, Doctor.
Soi: Exactly!
Soi: What happened??
“…Oh.”
[A pause.]
“…Hang on, gimme a moment to word this for your security clearance level…”
[After a moment…]
“Okay, you guys were told that you’d get the time extended if you restored video feeds to us, right?"
Soi: Yes... (And we certainly didn't get THAT... )
“Well, that’s because that would give us more control over the situation if we could see. You see… the situation was a threat, but it wasn’t critical at the time. There had been a lock down in place.”
[…Uh-oh.]
“I think it’s probably pretty clear by now that you’re in a situation with live weapons. There had been a lock down in place, which contained the situation to the confines of the property—sorry, classified—but it was broken through a few minutes ago.”
Will: (....!!! )
[…Oops.]
Soi: ....O...Oh...
“Because of that, the location is no longer secure, and the threat to the civilian population has increased to a state of emergency.”
[Will silently hit himself on his forehead, wincing. Confound it, he only made things worse--!]
Will: (MIKHAIL IS GOING TO MURDER ME-- )
“If that weaponry goes mobile, there’s only just enough time to give orders to intercept—and cancel them if you manage to neutralize the situation—that we can give you, so—”
Will: (I...Intercept...? )
Soi: I...I see... (Goodness, does...does that mean there's MORE?? )
Will: (If--if that means what I THINK it means-- )
-*-*-*-
“{DON’T let them choose a nuclear option.}” “Should you fail to retrieve Mighty Five by the end of six hours, Mighty Nine will be automatically evacuated from the premises.” “{Your family, they are the strongest. Who can stand against them if they wish to fight, unless they themselves also use incredible force? Without you all to help keep order, it will fall to others who are… LESS compassionate.}”
-*-*-*-
Will: (--Oh dear Lord--Beck--Bat--! )
[DR.WHITE to MN.9] //: Beck--you NEED to hurry and find Battalion--! Before the military NUKES the place!
[MN.9 to DR.WHITE] //: WHAT?!
[MN.9 to DR.WHITE] //: -THEY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT N U K E S--!!-
[MN.9 to DR.WHITE] //: -DAD THEY CAN'T NUKE BAT THEY CAN'T--
[DR.WHITE to MN.9] //: BECK!
[DR.WHITE to MN.9] //: Panicking isn't going to solve anything!
[DR.WHITE to MN.9] //: You NEED to focus and save your brother before they pull you out! Do you understand?
[DR.WHITE to MN.9] //: You must save No. 5, without fail...!
[MN.9 to DR.WHITE] //: Y-Yes, sir--!
[MN.9 to DR.WHITE] //: I-I'm on it, I'm on it--!
[MN.9 to DR.WHITE] //: I-I just don't know where to start LOOKING for him--
[KSSSSSSSST!]
[MN.5] //: Well, well, well.
[MN.5] //: You DO have guts after all, Private. I'll give you that.
[MN.9] //: Bat--!
[MN.5] //: But you're too LATE.
[The intercom system, as well as the feeds, are all temporarily filled with Battalion's commanding voice, which echoes across the hanger in a resounding, almost haunting tone.]
Bat: ATTENTION ALL HANDS!
Bat: COMMENCE THE INVASION!
Bat: CRY HAVOC, AND LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF WAR!
Bat: CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!
[MN.9] //: B-Bat--?!?
[P I N G!]
Call: Beck, I am picking up large clusters of robots heading towards the city from your location--
[WRRRRRRRRR--!!]
Soi: What in tarnation!?
[There was a faint noise from the other feed that sounded vaguely like a klaxon alarm.]
Soi: Is he trying to start a war?!
[Indistinct shouting could be heard, all of it with the same COMMANDING tone that Bat had.
A distinctly military one.]
“Uh. Listen, guys? Remember what I just said?”
[Angry shouting that was getting a little louder.]
“…care about… NOT have to…”
“Pardon the French but HURRY THE F### UP, JUST ISSUED ORDERS TO—”
—ot have the SECURITY CLEARANCE, TURN THE DAMN FEED OFF /RIGHT NOW—”/
[BWIP.]
[After a few moments, it came back on. Loud shouting directly nearby.]
“—PROTECT AND TO SERVE, THE SITUATION IS OUT OF HIS CONTROL—“
“-Talking over him- GIVE THE BOY HIS DAMN 20 MINUTES, THERE’S STILL A CHANCE—”
“Guys. GUYS. Your best bet, Sector 4, okay—“
“I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO TURN THAT OFF—“
[A harsh sound, rather like a cord being ripped out. The signal went dead.]
[.........]
Soi: BECK.
Soi: YOU GOTTA HURRY--!
Beck: HURRYING, HURRYING--!
[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]
Beck: (Sector 04, 04, where are you, where--?! )
[The deafening sounds of machinery and weaponry nearly drowned out everything else. Giant gears whined, tracks groaned, and various engines revved and moved out towards the exits of the hanger.]
Beck: --!!!
Beck: Fighter jets--?!
[MN.6] //: -OW OW OW HURTS, IT HURTS--
[MN.3] //: -BZZZZT D: > -
[A countdown timer appeared on the screen. …It did not look promising…]
[It was flashing red and everything!]
Beck: (Not good, not GOOD--! )
[As precious seconds withered away, Beck frantically looked to another area to find Sector 04--before it was too late...!]
Call: 10 minutes remaining.
[Where in the world WAS that sector--?!]
Beck: --!!
Beck: (Hold up hold up--! )
[There, on the other side of the room--!]
[NOW ENTERING SECTOR 04.]
Beck: I FOUND IT--!
[...Except...]
Beck: --What??!
[It was across a whole floor littered with land mines.]
[There WAS platforms he could use to avoid the mines--but those were filled with enemy bots, and there simply wasn't time to deal with them.]
Beck: Ngh...
Beck: . . . .
[Beck had no choice.]
[He had to run through the mines...]
[ACXELARATE DASH: ONLINE.]
[Without stopping.]
[ACXELARATE DASH: MAX SPEED REACHED]
[Being in Brand's form helped him get that extra speed boost in, and he was nothing but a red blur against smoke and fire, the bombs activating just split-seconds after Beck dashed through.]
[With danger on his heels, Beck gritted his teeth as he fast approached the door--he was going too fast for it to register him coming in--!]
Beck: Haaaah!
[SHING!]
Will: --?!?
[THUD.]
[At least a thousand pounds of reinforced steel came crashing down in two pieces, a clean, flawless cut sliced in a perfectly straight downward stroke....]
[...Which rivaled precision Brand had to train for years to achieve.]
Will: What...?
[Beck, however, had no time to admire what he had just done.]
Beck: I'm in Sector 04! Repeat, I'm in Sector 04!
Beck: (Come on, Bat, you gotta BE HERE--! )
Call: Acknowledged.
Call: I am dispatching Sunny to your location.
Call: Xel Transfer in progress...
[A flurry of white light signaled Sunny's arrival--a sight that Beck was all too happy to see. He REALLY needed some Xel Cubes and Xel Stocks right now.]
[XEL QUOTA REACHED. XEL STOCKS 1 AND 2 ARE ONLINE.]
Beck: Thanks, Sunny....I needed that.
Sunny: (^-^)
Call: ...Acknowledged.
Call: I have received an update from the Pentagon. The Air Force has been notified. We have been given one more hour to subdue MN.5.
Beck: Really--?!
Will: (Oh, thank goodness... )
Will: We can't waste this chance, Beck.
Will: ...Please be careful.
Beck: ...Yeah. Got it...
[PING!]
[MN.1] //: Beck.
Beck: --! Big Bro?
[MN.1] //: You may have Bat's weakness, but he still has his stratagems. You need to be prepared for ANYTHING.
[MN.1] //: (Bat...for the love of God, think about him... )
[MN.1] //: ...And...remember that this isn't his fault.
[MN.1] //: Fight the parasite, not your brother, understand?
[REXELEXTION: CRYOSPHERE.]
Beck: Yessir.
[MN.1] //: ...good luck.
[The final door's locks hissed open.]
[Given what Pyro had said, Mighty No. 9 still couldn't have possibly prepared himself for what lay on the other side.]
[The room was...oddly a bit like Cryo's in the sense that there was some control panels and monitors laid out on one side, with many blinking lights and switches flickering on and off...]
Beck: ....?
Beck: (What...is all this...? )
[His gaze then looked upwards, to the large window overlooking rows upon rows upon rows of--]
Beck: --!?!?
Beck: D...Dad...?
Will: What in the n-name of--?!
Soi: P-P-P-P-P--
Soi: P-Please don't tell me th-those are--!
[But they were.]
[Missiles. Giant, wide missiles, each about as tall and large as a skyscraper, all pointed towards the ceiling of the base complex, their points carefully aligned with circular closed hatches.]
Beck: N-No way...
[…Mikhail was gonna lose it if he heard about this—]
Will: (Saints preserve us, if those go live--! )
[PING!]
[MN.2] //: uh GUYS--
[MN.2] //: YOU MIGHT WANNA HURRY UP AND FIX BAT, CUZ I CAN'T FREEZE ALL OF THEM BY MYSELF--
[MN.2] //: -holy scrap there are so many--
[KSSSSSSSST--!]
Beck: --?!?
Beck: Cryo?
[No response.]
Beck: --Dad? Sanda? Call?
[...Silence.]
"There. That's more like it..."
[Beck cast his optics to the far end of the room...]
"Never COULD stand her screeching. No amount of discipline would be enough to keep her in line. Useless."
[A shuffling of servos confirmed that there was another presence in the shadows, which were dispelled once the lights on that side flicked on. Turning around to face his brother was none other than Battalion, Mighty No. 5.]
Bat: So, maggot.
Bat: You crawled all the way here.
[A small gulp.]
Beck: Bat...
Beck: Please don't do this.
Beck: I...I don't want to fight you, Bat.
[He knew what he had to do already.]
[But it was hope, that one, stubborn belief that still made him at least try to reason this out without resorting to violence. He had to try to talk this out.]
[He knew that it...it had to help--somehow, in some way, the REAL Bat could somehow still hear him.]
[...Right?]
Bat: WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION, PRIVATE BECK?!?
[The sudden, familiar yet not at all strict tone made Nine flinch back instinctively, zipping up his lip before he could continue--]
[You could practically see the faint outline of violet flames around Bat's form.]
Bat: WHY WOULD YOU TRY AND STOP THIS GLORIOUS WAR?!?
[--What--??]
Beck: W-What's so glorious about hurting innocent people, Bat?! Don't you know what you're doing--?!
Beck: Y-You're scaring everyone and if you don't stop it right now, they'll--!
Bat: I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR DAMN EXCUSES, PRIVATE.
Bat: This is about MORE than just the thoughts and lives of a few humans, this is about REVOLUTION.
Beck: R...Revolution...?
Bat: There are gears that are turning, you CUR, and you have the GALL to stand there and tell me you don't want to FIGHT?!
Bat: That was ALWAYS your malfunction, Beck--!
Bat: You don't have the HEART for BATTLE!
Beck: --...I-I--
Bat: FIGHTING IS OUR PROGRAMMING! IT'S IN OUR CIRCUITS, OUR VERY XEL!
Bat: IT'S WHAT WE WERE M A D E FOR!!
Bat: WHAT Y O U WERE MADE FOR!
Beck: (B...Bat... )
Bat: And you FAIL at even THAT.
Bat: What kind of combat robot REFUSES to fight?! To DENY their very reason for EXISTENCE?
Bat: COWARD.
[Beck stepped back.]
Bat: All your talk and lack of backbone...
Bat: No wonder HE put you on the bench in the Arena.
Beck: --Ngh--
Bat: You KNOW it's true.
Bat: Figures, that it takes the end of all things to finally whip you into shape.
Bat: And yet it's STILL isn't enough, is it.
Bat: You're still afraid.
Bat: Tch. Always a coward, shying away at the littlest things!
Beck: . . . .
Beck: Y-You're wrong...
Beck: I--I'm not--
Bat: Don't even TRY to lie to yourself in front of ME!
Bat: You're still avoiding your TRUE purpose!
[KER-CHINK!]
Beck: ....!
[SCANNING....]
Bat: YOU CAN'T FIGHT WHO YOU ARE, PRIVATE--!
[SCAN COMPLETE.]
[E N C O U N T E R]
[MODEL: MIGHTY NO. 5. - CODENAME: BATTALION.]
[HEIGHT: 305cm WEIGHT: 600kg XEL COUNT: 120,000,000]
Bat: BATTLE! IS! OUR! D E S T I N Y!!!
[Battalion opened fire with his Gatling Gun, pouring out energy bullets at a rapid fire rate, forcing Beck to jump into the air and Dash away.]
[Bat was both the heavy artillery and strategic brains of the Mighty Numbers--most of the well thought out tactics of the team came from Bat, and required Pyro's own approval to carry out. He was armed to the teeth, and had the smarts to use it wisely, which was perfect for his wide range bombardment and base taking abilities.]
[And a potentially lethal combo for Beck.]
[BANG!]
Beck: ACK--!
[A sharp pain struck his side as Bat scored a direct hit, his unique frame able to rotate to cover all directions--he simply had to predict where Beck would dodge and shoot there.]
Bat: Predictable.
Bat: You're not even TRYING to counter!
[Panels on the sides of his legs flipped open, revealing large nozzles that pointed downward.]
Beck: --!!
Beck: (Oh no I forgot--! )
Bat: HUP--!
[Bat could jump too.]
[Jumping to an impressive height for a bot his size, Beck had to roll away to avoid being crushed--and not only that, but another helping of rapid fire bullets. Bat was relentless with his plan of attack, not once giving Beck a moment to breathe.]
Beck: (Gotta--gotta fight BACK-- )
[He had been in Cryo's form the from the very beginning. Beck pointed his nozzle arm at his deranged brother--]
[BAM--!]
[--Shooting out balls of ice that bounced across the floor, turning it into ice on contact.]
[...This didn't seem to faze Bat at all, however.]
Bat: RRRGH--!
[Bat stood his ground, slamming one of his giant legs down, shattering a good chunk of the ice--as well as Beck's attack underneath. Icicles began to grow around Five's foot...]
[But...]
Bat: You'll have to do BETTER than that!
[CRACK--!]
[The battering spike ram that made up Bat's other arm was used to shatter the remaining ice, freeing Bat and allowing him to advance as he pleased--]
Beck: --!!!
[...Of course.]
[Pyro, Cryo, Dyna, Avi, Brand...]
[They didn't have as nearly as enough bulk or Xel as Bat.]
[It was going to be even harder to take enough Xel from him to initiate a Xel Purge...]
Beck: Argh--!
[BAM!]
[He was aiming for his joints, carefully trained eyes zeroing in on every move Beck made and constantly calculating his movements.]
[Beck can't out-dodge Bat this way, and he certainly didn't have the firepower to overwhelm Bat with--he'd need to use his OWN form for that.]
[BAM!]
[A wall of ice is risen, splitting the room in two. Bat is already using his ram to crack it down, but Beck wasn't going to let these precious few seconds go to waste.]
[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: (Think, think--can't use Pyro, Dyna could set off something too-- )
[C R A C K!]
[REXELECTION: BRANDISH.]
[Thinking he could out speed him, Beck zipped away as Bat crashed through with a roar, his ram thrust forward like spear to try and pierce him through--]
[CLANK!]
[--only to be blocked by Beck's sword.]
Bat: --?!
Beck: Hah--!
[Planting his foot firmly where Bat's bewildered face is, Nine shoved himself backwards into the air--]
[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]
[PSHHHHT!]
[A BLAST of high pressured water quickly followed, blinding Bat and knocking him backwards while also propelling Beck to the back wall of the room.]
Beck: Got ya--!
[C R A C K!]
[One well-placed landing and a blast of ice later, and anything that had been wet before was instantly flash freezing into place.]
[Including Bat.]
Bat: What in blazes--?!
[FORM RESET: DEFAULT]
[BLAM--!]
Bat: Ngh--!!
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: Come on, Bat--stop this! Please!
Bat: Grrr...
Bat: I'll never--
[C R A C K!]
[KER-CHINK.]
Bat: SURRENDER--!
Beck: --!!!!
Beck: Uh oh--
[Shards of ice scattered as Bat...]
[...changed modes...?]
Beck: BAT--DON'T DO IT--!
[The working revolver mounted on Bat's head rolled and shifted downwards, the ram arm parting to stick themselves into the ground as anchors.]
[Beck had only seen Bat use this mode once before, and that was against one of the bigger heavyweight combatants of the arena.]
[He found himself staring down the barrel of Bat's Cannon Mode.]
[There was a reason Bat hardly ever used this.]
[It was powerful enough to completely take out any one of the other Mighty Numbers in a single shot--even Mic would find himself in a core state.]
[In a room as small as this, and with that window overlooking the missiles--!]
Bat: READY--!
[There was very little chance that he would miss...]
Bat: AIM!
[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]
[WRRRRRR...]
Bat: FIRE!!!
[B O O M--!!]
[Beck only had split seconds to react, the sound of the cannon missile ringing in his ears as he dashed underneath it, heat and smoke scorching his armor as it screeched over his head and collided with the other wall, cracking its foundation and embedding itself deep within the steel.]
[......]
[Beep...Beep...Beep...]
Beck: (10 seconds-- )
[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE.]
Beck: (--gotta make them count--! )
Bat: Where do you think YOU'RE going?!
Beck: --!!
[10...]
[SLAM--!]
[9...]
[Feeling the wind knocked out of him, Beck tried to retaliate--coating Bat's legs as he shifted back to his normal mode, so he wouldn't use this chance to launch any of his homing missiles...]
[8...]
Bat: Yes, maggot! FIGHT!
[Violet flames whipped and licked around Bat--he aimed his gun at Nine's retreating form, his eyes flashing magenta in the darkness behind his mask.]
[7...]
Bat: YOU ARE A WAR MACHINE--
Bat: WAR MACHINE!!
[6...]
Bat: A TOOL OF SENSELESS DESTRUCTION!!
Beck: Rgh...
Beck: N-No, Bat--!
[5...]
Beck: I'm--I'm not LIKE YOU—!
[4...]
Beck: I'D NEVER FIGHT WITHOUT GOOD REASON!
Bat: Ha...
[3...]
Bat: Yours is not to reason WHY, Private Beck.
[2...]
Bat?: Yours is but to DO...
[1...]
Bat?: AND DIE!
Beck: I'd rather DO!
[REXELECTION: DYNATRON]
[B O O M!!]
[MEANWHILE, SANDA LABS...]
[DATA LOSS: MN.5, MN.9]
Will: NO--!
Call: I have lost their transponder signals, Doctor. Attempting to reconnect now.
Soi: Will--Will, it just might be damage, we've been through this--
Will: Is--is there any signs of radiation? Reports? Anything--?!
Call: Calculating...
[MN.2] //: --...b-bro...?
Pyro: . . . .
Pyro: CRYO--
[MN.2] //: BROS I LOST CONTACT WITH BECKY, IS HE OK?!
Soi: Wait, if Cryo's still transmitting just fine, then--!
Avi: THEY DIDN'T NUKE THE PLACE--
[MN.2] //: GUYS WHAT HAPPENED TO BECK?!
[Will was already at his terminal, clicking away at the hologram keyboard and helping Call.]
Will: Working on it--
Will: Please be alright, boys, please--!
Call: Reconnecting...
[PING!]
Will: --!
[TRANSPONDER LOCATED.]
[GATHERING DATA...]
[MN.9: ONLINE.]
[WARNING: XEL COUNT LOW. WARNING: XEL COUNT LOW.]
[MN.2] //: AAAAAAAAAAAAAH--
Will: Gah, he better have a Xel Stock handy--!
Soi: B...But what about...?
[PING!]
Call: Reconnected. I have located No. 5.
[BACK AT THE MILITARY BASE...]
(Smoke. )
(Dizzy. Can't breathe. )
(Can't see... )
(Heavy... )
(B...Bat...? )
(Where... )
(Ngh... )
(H...Hurts... )
(E...Everything hurts... )
(Need... )
(Need...Xel... )
(Need...Xel... )
(Need... )
[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 2...]
(...? )
[XEL ABSORBED.]
(Mng... )
(...Better. )
(Bat--? )
[Zzzt...]
(C...Come on... )
[ZZZT!]
(Move...! )
[ZZZT!]
[Beck opens his eyes.]
Beck: Hgn...
Beck: B...Bat..?
[His vision was fuzzy, unfocused. Sound was muddled. A heavy weight was crushing him.]
[It was the ceiling. It caved in from the explosion.]
Beck: Ngh--!!
[Rubble shifted as he reached forward. Got to get out. Got to find Bat. Got to save Bat.]
Beck: B...Bat--....
Beck: (I...can't...I promised... )
Beck: Hrgh--!
[Somehow, he got one of his legs free.]
[The other was still stuck, but maybe--]
[A purple bit materialized into being, and he used that as a wedge to try and pry his leg away--he needed to find Bat--he only had another half-hour--]
"Rnngh..."
Beck: --!!
Beck: Bat!
[Hearing his brother in pain spurred him on, and within seconds his leg was out. Still hurt, still hurt a lot but that didn't matter.]
Beck: Bat!!
"...Nrgh?"
Beck: Hang on, Bat, I'm--I'll find you, I swear--
Beck: You gotta be under here--somewhere--
"P...Private...?"
Beck: Just keep talking...
[Mic's form would have been such a help.]
[He didn't have Mic's form.]
"What are you..."
Beck: Hang on--I'll get you out! Somehow! Don't worry!
[He had to be in one of the bigger piles of debris--]
Beck: --!!
[There! Poking out of that mound--a split of military green and red--]
Beck: Got ya--!
[And so he dug.]
Beck: Just--hold on--I got this--
"--?"
Beck: Just lemmie get all this--ow--out of the way...
"What...?"
Beck: Ow--ow wait ow...
[Something came loose in his leg, maybe. Didn't matter.]
Beck: I--I'm gonna get you out...
Beck: And then you're coming home.
Beck: Leave...no brother...behind...
Beck: That's what--NGH--!--you taught me--!
"...."
Beck: Almost--
Beck: I think--I think I can see your face--
[The debris fall away to reveal a part of his brother's face guard, which was cracked in several places. A dull, purple eye blinks back.]
((Pic—Beck unburying Bat))
Bat: Private...
Beck: There you are...
Bat: . . . .
Bat: This...this isn't your...directive, soldier.
Bat: You need to--
Beck: Bat.
Beck: I'm not leaving you here.
Beck: Do you really think I CARE about my directive right now?
Bat: --....
Beck: I just want my family back.
Beck: I just want to save everyone.
[A hand is placed on damaged armor. Bat's frame begins to glow a familiar purple, while Beck's arm began to glow a faint green.]
Bat: ....
Bat?: You're so naive...
Beck: --!
Bat?: You were always...
Beck: ......
Beck: Just relax, Bat.
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: No more fighting.
[XEL ABSORBED.]
Beck: You don't have to fight anymore.
[XEL ABSORBED.]
[XEL QUOTA REACHED.]
[XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE]
Beck: Time to come home.
[XEL PURGE INITIATED.]
[. . . . . .]
"Um...Bat?"
"Mm? Got somethin' to say, Private?"
"Yeah, uh...I was just wondering... "
"How come I'm a Private? What--what does that even mean, I'm not THAT private..."
"Heh...it's a military rank, Beck."
"You're a Private because you're one of our youngest. Shade's got the almost the same rank as you. I'd say First Class."
"Oh..."
"..."
"Does...does that mean he's better than me?"
"Not exactly, soldier. Don't think like that, s'not healthy."
"S-Sorry..."
"Rank doesn't measure the character of a man, Beck. Not all the time."
"...I...still don't get it."
"...You will. One day."
"Here, how about I teach ya what the ranks mean, alright? Maybe you'll grasp it better."
"O-Okay--uh, I mean, Yessir!"
"Now that's what I wanna hear!"
[......]
Bat: p...priv...
"You think...you think I'll be better than a Private one day?"
"Well, that's up to you, Private Beck."
Beck: Bat--?
"This great country of ours always needs new heroes."
[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MN.5]
Bat: ...M...My army...
Beck: ....?
Bat: T...The war must be s-stopped, Private Beck...
Beck: !!
Bat: Ngh--...
Bat: G...Get me outta this mess, Private...
Beck: B...Bat--!
Beck: Y-You're OK--!
Bat: ...A...Attention all...hands...
Bat: ...S...Stand down...
Bat: T...That's an order...
Beck: --?
[Suddenly, the background noises of machinery slowed to a halt.]
Beck: ???
Beck: T...They stopped...?
Beck: But...I...I thought they were infected too...
Bat: Ngh...Private...
Beck: --Right, right, sorry, getting you out--
[PING!]
Call: Communications have been restored. No. 9? Do you read me?
Beck: Call!
[A burst of joyous data, and he suddenly sprang tears.]
Beck: I did it, guys!
Beck: Bat's OK now!
[MN.2] //: BRO--BRO I DUNNO WHAT YOU DID BUT THE BOTS OUT HERE ARE ALL CHILL NOW, BRO, YOU DID IIIIIIIT--
Will: Bat...? Son...?
Bat: --....Father...
[MN.6] //: -BIG BRO, BIG BRO, YOU'RE ALIIIIIIVE-- Oh boy--
[There was a faint humming noise and the presidential seal appeared in a holographic projection from one of the consoles.]
Soi: Don't worry, Will, I'll take this...
[All of the lights began turning on as various systems went back Online in the base.
…This included the sprinkler system, which went off due to the smoke from the battle.]
Bat: --?
Beck: . . . .
Beck: Eheh...
Beck: -snORTS-
[...And now he's laughing.]
Beck: Th--Those are still working?! Heh...!
[The audio system crackles. …It is too badly damaged from the explosion…
…]
-PING!-
[??? to MNN-009] //: AIR FORCE DISPATCHED TO YOUR LOCATION. ALL SYSTEM CONTROL RETURNED TO NORMAL FUNCTIONS. STAND BY FOR LOCATION TO BE SECURED.
[…The bots outside could be heard moving back, but not returning to storage…
…They seemed to be surrounding the building.]
Beck: Uh--D-Dad--?
Will: (--! )
[Finally, the lab got another incoming call.
…
…From the White House?
Upon being answered, the call was revealed to be audio only. It was a new voice.]
“Sanda Enterprises? Do you copy?"
Soi: --Ahem! Ah, yes, we read you, um...W-White House...
[MN.2] //: Uh...guuuuuyys??
[There was a delay for a moment.]
“We just wanted to confirm a status update with you. Control of the base as been returned, and all machinery is responding normally. The Air Force has been notified of this, though they will maintain their course to secure the area. Sensory readings indicate MNN-005 and MNN-009 are both operational but significantly damaged. Please confirm their mental stability.”
Soi: Well--they're worse for wear, certainly, but...
Bat: Ngh...tired...
Beck: -Pings in agreement-
Soi: ...They're gonna be OK, miss. They're stable.
“All participants and witnesses will need to be debriefed. We will arrange the sessions with your secretary after the area has been secured and the combatants given medical attention.”
Call: ...Acknowledged.
Soi: Er....y-yes, of course, of course. We understand...
Will: . . .
“POTUS is currently in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss the situation. The data logs and testimony will be important to the meeting.”
[…And there were secrecy and security to consider.]
Will: (...I...the president--?! )
Soi: O______O;;;;;
Soi: Ah--I...I see.... (H-Ho boy... )
[A slight pause.]
“…POTUS made a point to let you know of a sincere apology and promise of cooperation, but was unable to leave a detailed message due to time restraints.”
Soi: I...Really--??
Will: -ELBOWS SOI FROM OFFSCREEN-
Soi: -Ow--
Soi: A-Ahem--! I mean, uh, we, uh, we're grateful! Yes, we really need all the--the help we can get. Th-Thank you.
[There was an unusually lengthy pause.
But after a moment…]
“The area has been secured. You are cleared to vacate the premises. Please be aware that attempted re-entry will be trespassing and will be prosecuted accordingly. That is all for now.”
Soi: Right, right--understood. Call?
Call: Locking coordinates...
[DR.WHITE to MN.2, 5, 9] //: Call is locking onto your location as we speak. You all be home soon...
[MN.2] //: ...Batty?
[MN.5] //: ...Cryo...?
[MN.2] //: It's gonna be OK, bro. We're goin' home, right, Becky?
[MN.9] //: ...yeah.
[MN.9] //: Get us outta here, Call.
Call: Acknowledged.
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