=CHAPTER 6D: CRIMSON STRONGHOLD=

=CHAPTER 3C: VOLTAIC DYNATRON=

~AO v1.0~

(Courtesy of @limitbreakers)

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[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."

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=CHAPTER 2B: BEYOND THE WATERY VORTEX=

~AO v1.0~

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{In the Meadow…}

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

Cossack 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 Snow wasn’t exactly able to help, being out cold, himself.

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.

Sure, they had a back-up, but…

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

But 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?)

———————————————

{Elsewhere…}

[Cardinal forced himself to physically relax.

He had taken shelter in a cooled, dark, abandoned basement. The sun beat down mercilessly outside— 102ºF, and that was WITHOUT the humidity.

He had retreated there as much for safety as for the isolation.

He needed time to think.]

Cardinal: …

[Everything was dead ends. His attempt to get news on the situation ended with hearing Aviator talking in a cheerfully sadistic manner about his latest caller.

As he’d made his way toward the highways, he saw that they were still in complete chaos. Going anywhere was going to be time consuming and dangerous. He couldn’t afford to just go running around blindly, even though he had no current leads.

He was going to need some sort of focus…]

Cardinal: …

[He visualized the situation like a strategy game board. All the pieces in play… including his own.]

Cardinal: (Now if I were Shade, where would I be…)

[He was hitting a mental block, Shade shrouded in darkness.

He knew that this was because he was unwilling to consider the worst.

He forced himself to remember his own advice…]

-*-*-*-*-*-

“Remember, you aren’t really fighting them—their physical form, perhaps, but you’re actually up against the parasite.”

-*-*-*-*-*-

Cardinal: (…Right. The parasite. Focus on the virus, Lou…. What do you know about it?)

-*-*-*-*-*-

Jack: I think...whatever was in those crosses just...

Jack: Pulled out all the... bad parts of me...

-*-*-*-*-*-

Cardinal: …

[He forced himself to continue this line of thought, despite the cold pain it was making him feel.]

-*-*-*-*-*-

Shade: ...Bein' an assassin, Cards?

Shade: It's hard.

Shade: It's hard because...I'm so good at it.

Shade: Sometimes that even scares ME.

- - -

Shade: ...At the very least, Ah' can give them a quick death.

Shade: ... ... ...Never really felt the need to make someone suffer before.

Shade: At least, not like...ya know.

Shade: With malice and all that.

Shade: ...Ah' hope Ah' never do.

Shade: Because the minute ah' do? I'll be no better than Viper.

-*-*-*-*-*-

[Cardinal sucked in air through his teeth, pain stinging at him. He wished—not for the first time—that he could cry, just to have some way to relieve this stress.]

Cardinal: (Feeding what is already there… already there…. …)

[It was too much for him.

His Emotions.exe program was becoming exacerbated. He couldn’t continue this right now—not in this heat—without consequences.]

Cardinal: G-gghhh…

[He stood abruptly.

He was going to need to get somewhere with working air conditioning if he were to have any hope of finishing this process any time soon.

And time was not on his side.]

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=PROLOGUE B: IT ALL BEGINS NOW=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

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

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

REBOOTING…

“Nnnnnn…”

> Rebooting…

Your last session was terminated unexpectedly. Running Diagnostic….

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

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

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

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

Diagnostic complete.

>RESUMING CONTINGENCY…

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

>PROCESSING…

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

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

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

BWIP!

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

>HARDWARE ACQUIRED. TELEPORTING TO COORDINATES…

{Kansas City: Liberty Memorial}

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

>ANALYZING SENSORY DATA…

>WARNING: ACTIVE CIVILIAN THREAT DETECTED.

>PRIORITY ORDER: NEUTRALIZE THREAT.

BLAM!

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

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

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

>SUPPORT UNIT DETECTED. SYNCING PROCESSING POWER.

BLAM!

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

“Who the [frag] are YOU—?!”

[He “spoke” flatly over his speakers.]

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

“Yeah RIGHT—”

FOOM!

BLAM! BLAM BLAM BLAM—

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

>PROCESSING…

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

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

Cardinal: !!!

BLAM!

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

SKREEE!

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

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

WHACK—

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

Cardinal: Tch…

“REE-OW!”

>APPROACHING SIGNALS DETECTED.

Cardinal: Stall for me, Jazz!

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

Rising into the afternoon sun…

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

Cardinal: What the—!

[A click and a whine—]

[Cardinal used MAGNET MISSILE!]

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

Cardinal: SHADE!

BLAM! BLAM KTANG RRRRATTTATTTATTTATTTATTT—

Cardinal: SHADE! I NEED YOUR HELP HERE!

>SENDING SOS SIGNAL…

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

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

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

[Cardinal used RING BOOMERANG!]

KZZZRR! KZZZRRR!

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

>ERROR: SERVER NOT FOUND

Cardinal: -Hisses at this- Why?!

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

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

“KKKKKKK—requested, situation critical—”

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

Cardinal: Come on, Jazz!

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

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

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

“NOT ANOTHER ONE—!”

Cardinal: STAND CLEAR!

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

WHHHWWHHHWHHHWHHKKKT—

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

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

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

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

“Excuse me?!”

BWIP!

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

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

“Sir! You need to evacuate!”

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

BWIP!

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

Cardinal: (Why is nobody answering?!)

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

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

kkkk…

Cardinal: …?

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

Faint, but there.]

Kkkkkk…

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

Kkkkkkk…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[CARDINAL used ITEM-2!]

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

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

FOOOM!

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

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

Cardinal: -Looks around- …

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

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

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

Cardinal: Is everyone alright in there?

[Silence.]

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

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

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

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

Cardinal: Just here to help. Is everyone okay?

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

Nancy: I—

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

Nancy: But Drake got bit by one of the bots gone wild--

“Nancy, I'm fine—”

[A young man—not older than 25—was sitting with the kids, his left bicep wrapped in medical gauze.]

Drake: I'll live; it's not like I got anything that can get infected. At least… not in the Xel sense, anyway…

Cardinal: What happened here?

Nancy: W-Well...

Nancy: We--had malfunctions during the show we usually do--during one of the tours--

Nancy: Th-they just...started acting so strange and hostile--and when Drake stepped out to see what was going on, they leaped at him--

Drake: -I said I'm fine, don't make it so dramatic--

Cardinal: -Looks over at Drake- Oh?

Drake: The security system went off and we all got word from it that a virus outbreak was goin' on--so we all headed to the basement, per emergency procedure.

Cardinal: Do you all have a way to get home or somewhere to go?

Drake: Depends. What are the roads like?

Cardinal: Mostly empty.

Nancy: Well… the carpool should still be working; I parked it in the indoor staff parking lot…

Drake: Right. Nancy, you take the kids--I'll make sure no one else gets left behind.

[As Nancy ushered the children away, they seemed curious about Cardinal himself; they attempted to take pictures of him, although he took cover behind his shield and Nancy scolded them for it. They take the emergency route into the nearest exit, with Drake looking on for any stragglers.]

Drake: That seems to be everyone…

Cardinal: Really? I would have thought this place would be busier in the summer.

Drake: I think everyone else bolted when they got the chance.

Cardinal: I see.

Drake: …

Cardinal: …

Drake: …Who the heck are you? Some kinda arena bot that didn't get infected--?

Cardinal: I’m… not really anyone important. Just, uh… -Adjusts his scarf- Just a concerned citizen, really. -Distraction time- I’m actually wondering if you could help me, to be honest.

Drake: Help you? In what way?

Cardinal: I’m not done yet. There are still other places in the city in just as much of trouble, from the sounds of it. But you remember how hesitant you were when I first turned up; I want to work WITH security and law enforcement, but I don’t have any way to make them listen to me! There’s really limited time to explain, but they’d be more liable to listen to someone else in the field. Will you help me?

Drake: … … …

Drake: Listen, I… I don't know much, I'm… really just a attendant, not security. I'm not sure how much of a help I can even be, but… I can try.

Drake: Where exactly do you plan to go?

Cardinal: -Pacing a bit- Well, I imagine there’s an arena somewhere nearby, maybe at Arrowhead Stadium…

Drake: …??? Uh, yeah?

Cardinal: But there’s also the jazz museum, the baseball museum—

Jazz: Ree-ow.

Cardinal: The zoo…

Drake: …

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: Oh [glitch], the ZOO—

Drake: Wait, what about the Zoo--

Cardinal: Ohhh, this is gonna be bad—we need to evacuate that immediately: adding animals to the mix poses a greater threat! They can’t be reasoned with or communicated with in any fashion! Come on!

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              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

---

FIGHT! Bonfire Vs Ray!

BONFIRE VS RAY (Current)

Intro Quote(Versus): [Bonfire reeled from the horrendous scream. As he gritted his teeth in pain and looked up into the looming shadow that glinted with many serrated fangs, he was slammed with a cross-reference—something his sister had said to them the night they learned the truth of what happened….] || “-Teeth. So many teeth. In the dreams, always the teeth. The teeth and the screes. So many teeth. Did we mention teeth?-” || [The shock was stunning, but the severity of the situation kickstarted a different instinct. He burst into WHITE-HOT FLAMES OF PURE RAGE.]

Taunt: BURN, YOU INSUFFERABLE WITCH!

Special Attack: ((No dialogue, just an angry shout with a wicked right hook!))

Ultimate Attack: [The power that he put behind the explosion was more than just pushing himself to the limit. This high-tier Burning Spirit was fueled with a roaring rampage of revenge—revenge for all that they had suffered, for all the pain and madness and sorrow. But most of all, for that night—for THAT NIGHT, the night that his sister had been brought back, SCREAMING in agony as she fell to pieces…]

Win Quote(Versus): What the hell—?! || [Out of ALL the things to happen, he had NOT expected her to suddenly start DISSOLVING like that…!]

Lose Quote(Versus): [He huffed, shaking in pain and injury from the numerous, heavy wounds. || Try as he might, he couldn’t contact anyone. There would be no escape…] || D…Damn you…!

===================

BONFIRE & RAY (Post-AO: Full Memory)

Intro Quote(Team Up): [The leader of the Fighting Mighties flared up in anger. He was not pleased to have landed himself in this situation, but this was hardly the time or place to confront the past when they had a BIGGER problem on their hands…]

Assist: No further! ((Directed at opponent(s), not Ray))

Ultimate Team Attack: Taste the fires of Hell! ((Referring far more to Ray’s fire than his own, but still.))

Win Quote(Team Up): Hmph. I’m calling in the chaos spheres and the ice child before this inferno rages out of control.

Lose Quote(Team Up): This is out of our control—!

Knock Out Quote(Team Up Self): [He staggered down to one knee, trying desperately to stay conscious. He didn’t trust his combat so-called “partner”, even though…] || Ghh… gnnnn… || [He couldn’t take it. He was worn down beyond his limits.] || : >F-Father…! ||

Knock Out Quote(Team Up Partner): [Bonfire was seized with a sudden cold fear. This was not a choice he wanted to make. He didn’t want to have to even think of choosing. Especially not when his own sister and her Other had orders to carry out, and they would all pay the price for obstruction. || For the first time ever, he found himself desperately HOPING that he would lose, so that he wouldn’t have to MAKE that decision…]

---

=CHAPTER 10D: SNEAK INTO THE PRISON=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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{Meanwhile…}

[Felix looked up from the console as shouting intensified.

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

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

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

<DWN-019>: > IT’S NOT, YOU TWITS!

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

<DWN-012>: > -Mnnrrgh…!-

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

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

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

<DWN-013>: > Ugh—

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

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

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

Des: --....

Des: (Damn it...)

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

<DWN-019>: > …

[The feeds were slammed with acerbic data.]

<DWN-019>: > -PANIC DATA-

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

<DWN-011>: > …

<DWN-011>: > …Joking, right?

<DWN-011>: > Right?

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

<DWN-019>: > Nnnnnnnn-nnn-nnn-noo—

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

<DWN-018>: >Look, I doubt that if—

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

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

Felix: ?!

Des: --...

Des: (Son of a...)

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

<DWN-018>: > Are you serious.

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

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

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

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

[MN.6] //: Roger Dodger–

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

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

<DWN-013>: > Grrr…

<DWN-013 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

[MN.1] //: –!!

[Jaden began to glow white.]

Felix: -Stands, raising an eyebrow- ?

Des: What in the--?

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

Felix: !

((pic))

Jaden: I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!

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

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

Felix: Well this is new—

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

[Hatches popped open.

YEP. Those were some sort of missiles inside.]

Jaden: WE’RE TAKING A DETOUR!

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

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

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

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

[INCOMING CALL]

Felix: …

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

Des: (....)

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

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

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

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

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

Des: ...Or me.

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

Des: -Yup, thought so-

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

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

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

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

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

[He turns to yell over his shoulder.]

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

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

DWN-018. ]

Des: (Another DWN...)

Nico: Okay, next question—

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

Des: ....

Des: Sir...

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

Nico: -Pained expression- (Oh no…)

Des: ...

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

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

Des: I am...

Des: ...

Des: ...Ugh...

Des:

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

Nico: !

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

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

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

Des: . . .

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

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

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

Des: .....

Des: (The burns...)

Des: ....

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

Nico: …Thank you.

Des: ....

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

Des: About where you're from.

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

Nico: -Forces himself to hear this out-

Des: ....

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

Des: ...

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

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

Des: Listen.

Des: I can't...

Des: ....

Des: If he keeps doing that...

Des: . . .

Nico: Please—

Nico: Please don’t SAY it, I can’t—

Des: .......

Nico: Nnng…

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

Des: >> (Right....)

Des: ...

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

Nico: Sir, I…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Des: (What--?)

Des: -Flipping though the notes-

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

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

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

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

Des: (--!)

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

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

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

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

Des: . . .

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

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

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

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

Des: ......

Nico: Before that incident, well…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Des: . . .

Des: It was mentioned.

Nico: …

Des: -Sigh- Ngh...

Des: (Well, this just...)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Des: ....

Des: All we want are a few answers.

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

Nico: I can try…

Nico: Was there something else you were wondering about?

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

Des: ....

Des: There was...

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

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

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

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

Nico: …

Nico: Huh?

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

Nico: Wait, Bat—

Nico: Oh GEEZ—

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

Nico: If—if everyone went where—

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

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

Des: (...An unauthorized base.)

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

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

Des: Was DLN-008 active during that time?

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

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

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

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

Des: . . .

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

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

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

Des: ...More or less...

Des: -Long sigh-

Des: =~=

Nico: Ouch.

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

[A pause.]

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

Des: (I can only imagine...)

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Another pause.]

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

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

Des: .....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Des: --??

-*-*-

Avi: DAD I GOTTA GO–

<DWN-013>: >Woah, woah, woah—

<DWN-013>: > -Avs are you okay— -

-*-*-

Nico: —?

-*-*-

Will: What–

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

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

Will: Wait–Avi! What about Soi?!

-*-*-

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

Des:

What--what just--

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

-*-*-

Beck: K-9…?

<DWN-013 and DWN-012>: > …

<DWN-012>: > Scrap—

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

Beck: Combat model designed to patrol and guard–

Beck: Maximum security establishments–!

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

Beck: -THERE’S ONE AT THE PRISON–

Will: SOI!

-*-*-

Des: --. . . .

Des: Damn...

Des: (The Cerberus Units...)

Nico: …

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

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

Gemini: But Dr. Soichiro Sanda is over there!

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

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

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

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

Siam: I’m sure he’ll be fine…

Gemini: …I think…

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

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

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

Nico: —!

[He looks… shocked at something.]

Des: --?

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

Des: --???

Gemini: -OH GLITCH expression-

Nico: (N-no… it’s not her, it…)

Siam: NICO YOU STAY PUT—

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

Nico: …You—

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

Nico: YOU’VE BEEN /LYING/ TO ME—!

Felix: Oh dear…

Des: . . .

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

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

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

Nico: DON’T!

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

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

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

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

Nico: Permission to enter the building, sir?

Des: --What, the Prison--

Des: . . .

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

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

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

Des: Permission granted.

Nico: -Nods and salutes with two fingers-

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

Siamini: Great.

Gemini: He knocked out the transmitter.

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

Gemini: …Are we still transmitting? How?

Siam: Because Felix is there. Something about Psynergy…

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

Siam: Not exactly, no—

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

Siamini: Nineteen out.

[That feed closes.]

Felix: -Looks over at Des- …

Des: . . .

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

Des: ....

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

Des: >> -Looks at Mikhail-

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

Felix: I can use Halt on him.

Des: . . .Right. . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Des: -Blinks-

Felix: Ah, here we go.

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

Felix: This should work, temporarily, at least.

Des: --???

[Felix used GROWTH!]

((pic))

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

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

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

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

Des: . . .

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

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

Des: ....

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

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

Des: ....

Des: How did you...do that?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Felix: However…

[He pulls off his own gloves.]

Des: ...--!

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

Felix: We are not invincible.

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

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

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

Felix: That was not the end, however.

[He puts the cape back on.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Des: . . .

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

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

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

Des: You what--

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

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

((pic))

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

((pic))

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

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

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

Des: . . .

Des: (I...)

Des: ....

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

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

Felix: What, to California?

Des: Yes...

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

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

Des: The Meadow.

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

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

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

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

Des: --Me?

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

Des: --.....

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

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

Des: I...

Des: Good Lord...

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

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

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

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

Des: ...Like...What?

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

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

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

Des: ....

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

Des: (But they looked...)

((pic))

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

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

Des: Do...

Des: With....

Felix: -Gets a somewhat amused expression-

Des: . . .

Des: (The Highway--!)

Des: There...

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

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

Des: There's TWO Eights?

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

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

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

Des: (...Dairy?)

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

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

Des: ...Are there more?

Des: -Doubles, that is.-

Felix: Well, that whole family, yes.

Des: ....

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

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

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

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

Felix: However.

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

Des: . . .

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

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

Felix: Including DWN-022.

Des: --Another DWN?

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

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

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

Des: ....

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

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

Des: !

Des: (But--)

Des: (All the way back in England?)

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

Des: MN.8...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Des: ....

Des: -Right...-

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

[Felix stood.]

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

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

Felix: Certainly.

[He took his leave.]

Des: ....

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

[CALLING: MINNIE MOUSE.]

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

[Click.]

“Hello, Ducky. Something up?”

Des: Something like that--

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

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

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

Minerva: …The snake?

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

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

Minerva: Oh? You know where he is?

Des: More or less.

Des: He's safe, and, well.

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

Des: From the tunnel cameras?

Minerva: The ones we couldn’t decipher?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minerva: …

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

Des: -Exactly--

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

Minerva: ? -Listening-

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

Des: I feel useless here.

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

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

Minerva: -Soft sigh, but still listening-

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

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

[She chuckles at that.]

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

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

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

Minerva: I’m going to come over.

[A beat.]

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

Des: --Wha--

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

Minerva: Mr. Desmond.

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

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

Des: --...

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

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

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

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

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

Des: ...Good point...

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

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

Des: -- Dr. White?

Minerva: Yes. Dr. William White.

Des: ....

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

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

Des: ....

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

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

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

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

Des: --The fencing, I mean--

Minerva: Oh, you’ll find out, Donald.

[Well that was ominous.]

Des: ....

Des: -Sighs- Alright...

Minerva: As for Dr. Cossack—

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

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

[SPLOOOSH--]

"WAKEY WAKEY EGGS AND BAKEY--"

Des: What the--

Des: -Hey wait a min--

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

[Min had hung up, but—]

[The action had certainly not ended.]

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

Des: -Is now SOAKING wet--

Cryo: I said--

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

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

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

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

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

[Cryosphere responded in English, though.]

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

Des: --???

Mikhail: {What?!}

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

Mikhail: {Emergency shutdown! Authorization MC005!}

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

[…Well.]

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

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

<DLN-000 is still in Maintenance Mode.>

[…Almost all of them.]

Des: -What is--

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

Mikhail: -Mumbles- {Now what is—}

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

Mikhail: …

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

Des: Don't look at me. <<

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

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

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

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

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

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

[PING!]

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

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

Mikhail: …!

Mikhail: He—

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

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

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

Mikhail: -Please-

Des: ....

Des: -Mngh-

Des: Alright, fine--

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

Mikhail: I’d appreciate that, sir—

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

Cryo: -...Whoops-

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

Mikhail: Alright, Cryo. Thank you.

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

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

Des: -I got this--

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

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

Des: -JUST going to cut this-

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

Des: -Okay--

Des: That should do it.

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

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

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

Felix: You’re both soaking wet.

Des: =~= -Don't ask-

Will: Mikhail--

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

Felix: Your glasses are missing.

Mikhail: Not important right now.

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

Will: He's--

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

Will: -Oh Soi, please be alright--

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

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

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

Mikhail: I’ll—

Felix: No.

Des: ...

Felix: No you won’t, Doctor.

Will:

-Mikhail, please...-

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

Des: Not you either, Doctor.

Will: ......

Will: (Soi...)

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

Mikhail: —…

Des: Right.

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

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

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

Des: As for you, Dr. White.

Will: --?

Des: You have an appointment.

Des: POTUS is coming here.

Will: -Wha--

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: What…?

Des: Gentlemen.

Des: Our White House is down.

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

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

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

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

Mikhail: What do you mean by “appointment"?

Des: >>

Des: ....

Des: I'm not so sure myself.

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

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

Mikhail: ???

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

Will: (Championship fenc--)

Will: --....

Will: -Pales-

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

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

Mikhail: …Will?

Will: (Oooooodearlordno--)

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

Will: ...... -Swallows-

Will: I...I see.

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

Mikhail: Will?

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

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

Will: (I thought...)

Will: I...

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

Des: (A VERY strong reaction.)

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

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

Mikhail: Will, are you alright?

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

Des: Doctor.

Will: --...

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

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

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

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

Felix: —?!

Felix: A year?

Des: .....

Will: (Cardinal...)

Mikhail: …But— regarding Nico and Soi—

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

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

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

Will: ....

Des: ...You raise a good point.

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

Felix: Not all of it.

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

Des: -... Impressed.-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Des: .....

Des: ... Alright.

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

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

Will: (Erk--)

[Mikhail seemed to realize something.]

Mikhail: Oh—

Mikhail: Is she bringing Scout with her?

Will: --Scout--

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

Des: I imagine so.

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

Mikhail: Oh? And why’s that?

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

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

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

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

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

[Mikhail laughs at this.]

Mikhail: Well, I could tell you more later.

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

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

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

Des: -Your daughter-

Will: --...Oh-

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

Des: -Excited is underselling it- =~=

Mikhail: That sounds like her.

[He wrings his lab coat a bit.]

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

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

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

Almost defeated, in a sense.]

Mikhail: ({…Not much has changed…})

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

Will: (...Mikhail...)

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

Will: (...What...)

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

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

=CHAPTER 7A: RUSH INTO THE MINE=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

[SANDA LABS

June 29th, 20XX

MIDDAY...]

“Tracing....”

[ACCESSING DATA LOGS. PLEASE WAIT.]

[.....]

[ERROR--TRANSPONDER SIGNAL NOT FOUND. RETRIEVING LAST DATA TRANSMISSION...]

[.....PING!]

[LOCATION DATA FOUND.]

Call: Tracing...

[READING LOCATION DATA...]

[GENERATING COORDINATES....]

[CALL] //: -Mass Ping!-

[There was a response ping from most of the Rebel Angels—all other than Siamini, that is. (And Cardinal, of course.)]

<DLN-008>: > -Hazy data- ?

[MN.2] //: -Sleeeepy data, what's going on now--

[DR.WHITE] //: --! Call? What is it?

[CALL] //: I believe I have located Mighty No. 4's last known coordinates, Doctor.

<DLN-008>: > -PROCESSING…-

[There was a weak cross-reference with DLN-004 before all of the message came through the parser, and he got the “Mighty” part out of that sentence.]

<DWN-018>: >Where did he end up?

[DR.WHITE] //: !!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: Yeah, where?

[MN.6] //: -Whoa that was fast, Beckroni--

[CALL] //: The coordinates from his last known transponder frequency puts him in the northern region of Wyoming.

<DWN-018>: >Admittedly not where I would have expected him to end up; I was thinking Kentucky…

<DWN-012>: >Oh, don’t be dumb. What’s the point of going into a cave that’s already all open up?

<DWN-018>: >Well, Dad would have sent him there…

<DWN-024>: >Would you two be quiet, please?

[MN.3] //: ...Zzzo Earth bro is in a mine? Aszz in...

[CALL] //: Underground, yes. That is the most likely scenario.

[CALL] //: This mine has been in production since last year, and its depth would explain why MN.4's transponder has stopped transmitting data.

[DR.WHITE] //: Of course--he must be too deep...

<MC005>: >This does not surprise me. I rather expected this, from the start.

[CALL] //: However.

[CALL] //: Because No. 4's signal cannot reach to the surface, this also presents the scenario that he is in technological isolation, and that the virus may have not reached him if he was successful in escaping in time--

[MN.9] //: Wait wait wait--

[MN.9] //: Are you saying that Mic--Mic might not even be infected?

[CALL] //: There is a 23% chance that he is not, No. 9. Please proceed with all due caution.

[MN.9] //: Well-- Yes--

<DCN-000>: >I thought you said you were all there in the Arena?

[MN.9] //: But--If Mic buried himself underground fast enough, then maybe--!

<DCN-003>: >Either way, time to find, we get ready, yes good.

[MN.9] //: Right!

[CALL] //: I can only bring you as far as the entrance of the mine, No. 9. I suggest that we send Sunny as well, as are not able to transport directly underground.

<DCN-003>: > {It is time to get ready. MNN-005, please prepare for surface duty. Lady Sanda, are we cleared to enter the private property? What is the status of surveillance in the area?}

[MN.5] //: Locked and loaded.

[CALL] //: The mine has been evacuated--but it's surveillance has been rendered offline, thus we cannot determine what lies within. I have already made the arrangements as we were speaking.

<DCN-003>: > {I mean surveillance above ground.}

[CALL] //: We have visual of the mine entrance. Please wait...

[A screen appears a moment later, showing a rather large entrance--it was definitely big enough for someone like Mic to walk into...]

<DCN-003>: > {Who else has access to those feeds?}

[CALL] //: The owner of the mine and certain authorized personal that were on-site.

<DCN-003>: >Hmm.

<DCN-003>: > {Legal discussions about the video will have to wait. Can the surveillance detect signals as well?}

[CALL] //: They can. It is part of their security measures.

<DCN-003>: > {This is problematic. Father, did you ever make transponders for us?}

<MC005>: > {I’m sorry, son. I didn’t have the time for that. Are there any spare bracers around?}

<DCN-003>: > нет.

<MC005>: > -Audible sigh- {Right then.}

<MC005>: > {Just get ready. I’ll work with Tobias to see what we can do before sending you over.}

<DCN-003>: > {Affirmative. Lady Sanda, is there a working surface station on the property?}

[CALL] //: Fortunately, there is.

[MN.9] //: Sweet!

<DCN-003>: > {Good, that saves time in setting up a field station. Do we have the necessary keys to access the system?}

[CALL] //: I will request them from the owner and have them ready for you when on-site.

<DCN-003>: > {Acknowledged. Please adjust the Auditory Input setting in the Accessibility preferences in the system to allow for verbal interfacing.} -No hands, no problem-

[CALL] //: Confirmed. No. 9?

[MN.9] //: I've been ready for a while! Let's do this!

<DCN-003>: > {I will join up with you on the site. Please do not enter until I have arrived.}

<DCN-003 has left the channel.>

[DR.WHITE] //: Just please be careful, all of you--who knows what else is down there besides Mic...

[CALL] //: Preparing Xel Transfer...

[MN.1] //: Good luck, Beck. Bat...watch him for us.

[MN.5] //: Yes, sir. I got him.

[MN.9] //: Thanks, bro.

[MN.9] //: I'll bring Mic back--one way or another!

[MN.9] // (And hopefully without a fight...)

[CALL] //: Initiating Xel Transfer....

____________________________________

[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NO. 4, SEISMIC, HAS LOST CONTACT VIA DATA LOSS--THIS MINE LOCATED IN WYOMING WAS HIS LAST KNOWN LOCATION.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVES: INVESTIGATE THE MINE AND RETRIEVE MN.4--PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM SYSTEMS IF INFECTED.]

[SUB-OBJECTIVES: RESCUE ANY TRAPPED MINE WORKERS, MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT.]

SYSTEMS READY?

GO!

Beck: (...I'm really glad Shade gave me Night Vision for my C-Visor...gonna need it here.)

[PING!]

Will: Beck? Do you read?

Beck: Loud and clear, Professor!

Will: Digger and Bat will touch down in a moment, so please wait until they arrive before you head in there.

Beck: Roger--

Beck: --!

[It took a while for someone else to arrive at the station.

And boy, was it a bit of an unexpected entrance.]

Beck: Digger?

Bat: .....So that's his full armor...

<DCN-003>: > {That is correct, my friends.}

[…He also… had a Xel signal?]

Beck: --?????

Beck: Uuuh--?

<DCN-003>: > {Tobias and Father worked to make a small transponder that would translate our signal into a Xel signal. FMN-009 made the finishing touches. I’m glad to see from your expression that it is working, but it is just a prototype.}

Beck: Wow...that's pretty neat for a prototype, though!

Bat: And handy. Saves the trouble just in case.

<DCN-003>: > {It would be best not to discuss it out loud.}

[He glanced around the station out of the corners of his eyes.]

<DCN-003>: > {We are being watched and recorded.}

Beck: --Oh--

Bat: Indeed.

Bat: Well, you're the one with the expertise in this field, soldier. What's our battle plan?

[Digger paced back and forth. He spoke sharply, full of focus—and void of humor. (Still, he did not speak with anger or accusation.) Oddly enough, he spoke perfect English—without an accent. It sounded very odd coming from him—as if he were using a different audio program.]

Digger: Gentlemen! Today, we go underground! This is a search and rescue mission. It is imperative to remain in contact.

[He turned to face Beck.]

Digger: MNN-009 will be entering the underground on his own to clear out any infected constructs. MNN-005 and I shall serve as the surface team. We will go down after Beck if the situation calls for it. In that case, DWN-013 and DWN-018 will serve as the secondary surface team. Should they need to go underground as well, DCN-000 and DCN-008 will be the tertiary surface team.

Digger: Mighty Nine, you will place the transponder lanterns at regular intervals on the right hand side of the paths you are traversing. They will help you to keep from getting lost, and will boost the communication signal that will allow for communication with the surface team and the lab as you go deeper underground.

Digger: Should we lose contact, please continue to place the transponders anyway. If contact is not re-established within ten minutes, the surface team will come after you.

Beck: Put lamps on the right side, even if contact's lost--I got it!

Bat: Acknowledged.

Beck: --Wait, hold up...Snow's part of the third surface team...?

Bat: Keep in mind that he was built for any terrain, Private. He's an explorer.

Beck: Ah...

<DCN-003>: > {David was built to withstand extreme conditions. He’s also impervious to being crushed, but more on that some other day.}

Beck: (Crushed...ngh, don't like the sound of that...)

Beck: (At least the fact that there's back-up for the back-up is reassuring...)

Digger: And now, it is time for you to learn the top two rules! Ready?

Beck: Yes, sir!

Digger: Rule one!

Digger: Never dig straight down!

Digger: Rule two!

Digger: Never dig straight UP!

Beck: --I'm...pretty sure I don't have anything--or form--I can dig with right now but--got it!

Bat: One more thing.

Bat: Use my form carefully down there, Beck. Don't get trigger happy with that, ya hear?

Beck: Yes, sir.

Bat: Course...If you need to get physical with Mic, just don't land one where you'll end up caving in the place.

Beck: Right, got it....

Digger: Good. The lanterns are in the backpack over there. -Points- You have also been provided with basic rock climbing gear in your size.

Digger: There will be additional resources available to aid in rescue of other persons in the mine if they are encountered.

Beck: ....Huh....

Beck: The lamps look...kinda...uh.

Beck: ...Squaaaaare...?

[After a moment, Beck shrugs and inspects the contents of the backpack before slugging it over his back.]

Beck: Thanks, Digger!

Digger: … It was his idea, not mine, but… You’re welcome.

Digger: That’s it for now. Set off when you are ready to go.

[Beck nods and flicks his C-Visor down, giving a salute to both Digger and Bat as he turns towards the mine entrance.]

Bat: Good luck, Private. Get him back for us.

Beck: You got it, Bat! -thumbs up-

[Digger was quiet, keeping his own thoughts on the matter private. He seemed eager to enter the mine himself, but determined to keep order of the situation. He turned his attention to checking the station.]

[With a final quick look to the cloudless sky, Beck hopped down a steep ledge before breaking into a full sprint down into the darkness....]

[C.VISOR: LOW LIGHT LEVELS DETECTED. NIGHT VISION ACTIVATED.]

Beck: --Hm?

[There was a faint glow coming from the walls as he tread forward, the lights put by the workers flickering every now and then...]

Beck: Looks like the lights are still working...

[Pulling a transponder lamp from his backpack, Beck placed it firmly on the right wall like he was told--it gave off a much better light than the mine's fixated ones, thankfully...]

Will: Beck?

Beck: I don't see anything strange so far, Dad--but the transponder lamps look like they're working!

Beck: I'm heading down deeper now...

[Climbing down some ledges, being careful to mind his step--the general direction was definitely not straight down, like Digger had warned him not to do--but it was down nonetheless.]

"Bzzz..."

Beck: --?

Beck: Did you say something, Dyna?

[MN.3] //: What? No...

<DCN-003>: > {Is something wrong?}

Beck: I heard buzzing...

"Bzzzzzz..."

Beck: --! There it was again!

[MN.3] //: That'szz not uszz--

"BZZZZZZ...."

<DCN-003>: > {DLN-008 is currently resting.}

<DCN-003>: > {Computer, relay audio clip at 150%, please.}

"BZZZZZZZZZZ......"

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > {OKAY THAT IS THE SOUND OF A MINING DRILL.}

Beck: Wha--someone's still drilling?

[MN.2] //: ...Do ya think it's Mic?

[MN.1] //: Could be. Although I would expect him to be quite a bit deeper...

Beck: Maybe...someone left one on?

Will: Mmm...

Soi: Oof...I'd be careful about those--the last thing we need is unmanned drills running amok!

<DCN-007>: > {I knew you should have gone with him. Your Power Capsule—}

<DCN-003>: > -Uncharacteristically harsh- {No comments from you. Go away!} D<

Will: ...Well, whatever the case, proceed, Beck...with all due caution. Just be sure to mind yourself, and keep putting out those lamps.

Beck: Understood...

<DCN-003>: > {If you can, scan for signs of stability in your area, as active drilling may make the ground unstable.}

Beck: Good idea...

[SCANNING....]

Beck: ....Yeah, it seems this passage over here is stable. Heading that way...

[One more lamp stuck to the right wall...]

"BZZ! BZZ!"

Beck: ...?

Beck: Uh--is it just me or did those sound a LOT closer--

"BZZZZZZ!"

[SHINK!]

Beck: WHOA--!

[Landing RIGHT in front of his toes was a small drill bot that looked similar to a screw--with a drill on its head, of course. It was long and thin...]

[...and it had familiar red rimmed, white eyes.]

Beck: --Wait, that's--!

Will: It's...a CherryDyn model...

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > …Well they ARE an industrial manufacturing company. ¬ ¬

<DCN-003>: > Why is this a surprise?

Will: Exactly, there's never just ONE--!

Beck: ......

[Slowly...the Mighty Number looks up.]

[And he is met with a several dozen pairs of the same, identical eyes, boring down on him from the ceiling.]

Beck: . . .

Beck: O_O;;;

"BZZZZZZZZZZZ!"

[MN.6] //: BOOK IT BRO!

<DCN-003>: > -WAIT, BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR FOOTING—-

Beck: AAAAAAAAH--

[SHINK SHINK SHINK!]

[He dashes forward as the enemy robots drill downwards, falling through the ceiling and onto the ground like daggers, drilling back into the earth when they missed...]

[...Only to chase after him from there.]

[BLAM!]

[Beck's default weapon manages to make quick work of a few--they didn't have a lot of durability, it looks like--but their sheer numbers made up for what they lacked.]

Beck: Too many, too many--!

<DCN-000>: >You should try freezing them in place!

Beck: --!

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE]

[A flash of ice coats the area, and the drill bots that had given chase--or leaped from the ground to stab--had all but been frozen in their tracks.]

Beck: Whew...

[He didn't waste the opportunity--he absorbed their Xels, taking their Speed Absorption Boosts.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Yeah...they're infected.

Will: Are you alright?

Beck: Uh-huh....

Beck: ....

Beck: (But this doesn't spell good news for Mic...)

Beck: Looks like the virus IS in the mine...

Soi: Gnh...

Beck: Call? Can you pick up anything now?

Call: I am detecting faint signals ahead.

<DWN-018>: > …? Plural?

Call: Yes. I am unable to clarify them, but judging that there are CherryDyn Industrial models on-site, there will be more malfunctioning units ahead.

Beck: --Aw, man--I REALLY don't wanna fight another Round Digger...

Beck: No offense to Buddy, but he WAS kinda tough.

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > … -…Data, we’re just- -Gonna work on analyzing seismic measurements from the transponders placed down gathering data, yeah-

Beck: Um...a-alright...

[Just as Call predicted, there were more CherryDyn models--Luckily for Beck, none of them were Round Diggers, but some flying cargo bots and more drill models--they did help fill his Xel Stocks, for the most part.]

Beck: -MAN, these things are annoying, stop trying to STAB ME FOR TWO SECONDS--

<DCN-000>: > Yay~

<DCN-000>: > If you’re annoyed, you’re not scared!

Beck: -Hey Snow--sorry, trying not to get poked with a hole here--

Beck: --!

Beck: Uh oh....

<DWN-013>: >Uh…?

[...It was a dead end...or so it seemed.]

Beck: Uh...Digger? This way is blocked...and I don't see a way around it...

Beck: Should I double back and look for another passage...?

<DCN-003>: > Hmm. {Place a transponder down.}

Beck: Okay...

[He puts on right on the wall in question, lighting it up.]

Beck: Looks kinda different from the other walls...

<DCN-003>: > -PROCESSING…-

-PING!-

<DCN-003>: > {You may remove the transponder.}

Beck: ....Oookaaaay....

[He's a bit confused, but he yanks it from the wall and puts it back in the bag.]

Beck: So...?

<DCN-003>: > {The passage is merely blocked. It is stable enough for you to clear the rubble with the use of force. Please see the attached file for structural analysis on the weak points to aim for.}

Beck: Uh....and by force, you mean...

[MN.2] //: -OOO HE'S GONNA BLOW IT UP? COOL, WHERE'S THE DYNAMITE-

Beck: Hmm....

Beck: (One doesn't seem to fit this job...I need a controlled charge...)

Beck: ...!

Beck: I got it!

[MN.2] //: -DOES IT INVOLVE DYNAMITE-

Beck: Uh, close enough?

<DWN-024>: >Please tell me you do not intend to punch the wall.

<DCN-003>: > -Beg pardon, wat-

Beck: Uh...no, I don't have Mic's form, otherwise I'd charge through it...

Beck: But I do have this!

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

<DCN-000 has left the channel.>

<DCN-003>: > -Ack, no—David, come back—- -SKULL—-

<DCN-008>: > {I’ll attend to him, carry on.}

Beck: --Whoops....sorry...

[MN.5] //: Private...

Beck: It's okay--! I'll scan for a weak point in the wall and fire one there--that way the whole thing will come down AND I'll save time and energy.

<DCN-003>: > {He’ll be fine, don’t worry. Just taken by surprise, is all. And да, that is the best course of action.}

<DCN-003>: > {The passage continues on the other side of the blockage.}

<DCN-003>: > {This appears to be the main pathway—exploration of branches is time consuming and increases the chances of getting lost, Major.}

<DCN-003>: > {Does that make sense?}

[MN.5] //: ..If it helps get our brother back sooner, then.

[MN.9] //: Hokay, then...

[Beck carefully trained his arm at one of the scanned weak points at the obstruction, pausing for a few moments before...]

[CHUNK!]

[A projectile similar to Bat's own missile embedded itself into the wall, blinking with a steady pace.]

Beck: Charge set. Gonna get some distance first...

[After backtracking to a safe distance, he vaulted over one of the steel crates that carried minerals mined by the workers--before the virus hit, that is.]

Beck: 3...2...1...

Beck: -FIRE IN THE HOLE--

[BOOM!]

[A great rumbling sound followed the explosion, dust and rubble flying everywhere--]

Beck: -ACKPFFPH, bleh--

[MN.5] //: Private?

[MN.9] //: -We're fine, we just got dirt in our mouth--

<DCN-003>: > Well done! ^^

[Clearly, he appreciated a good explosion.]

<DWN-013>: > -Ping of approval also-

<DCN-003>: > {Onward! Onwards to victory!}

[MN.9] //: Yessir!

[Climbing though the destroyed rubble and though the now open passageway, Beck pressed forward.]

Beck: I wonder if Mic felt that...

Beck: (I wonder if he knows I'm coming...)

Beck: How deep IS this place...?

Call: I cannot give an accurate reading of the entire mine.

Beck: (...Meaning it's probably REALLY deep...)

Beck: ?

[The mine suddenly took a sharp decline--so much so that there was a ladder in place.]

Beck: Huh.

[Hmmm.

Jaden seems a little antsy at that.]

<DWN-013>: > Careful with the ladders.

<DCN-003>: > Remember to place a transponder at the start and stop of each base of the ladder!

Beck: Got it.

[Putting one down as he was told, Beck began to climb down.]

Beck: I thought it was bad to dig straight dow--

[Bzzzzzzz...]

Beck: ....

Beck: WHOOOA--!

[KSSSSSSSST--]

[ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

[MN.5] //: Private Beck?!

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck! What happened?!

<DCN-003>: > {It sounds like he slipped off the ladder and landed on his rear.} ?__?

[DR.WHITE] //: Please, respond--Say something--!

[Static.]

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck!

_______________________________

[A FEW SECONDS EARLIER, THE MINE...]

Beck: I thought it was bad to dig straight dow--

[Bzzzzzzz...]

Beck: ... (Oh no--)

Beck: WHOOOA--!

[Beck scrambled up the ladder just in time to avoid a massive drill barrelling down the mine at unsafe speeds, crashing and crushing anything in its path. It was covered in an all too familiar purple glow.]

Beck: (The drills ARE infected--!)

[KSSSSSST--]

Beck: Ow--!

[DR.WHITE] //: Be--what happe--

[A horrid screeching feedback filled his audio receptors, and he could just barely make out his father's panicked voice.]

Beck: Dad?

[DR.WHITE] //: Please resp--say someth--

Beck: Dad? Professor? Do you read me?! Dad!

[KSSSSSSSST--....]

[Nothing. Static.]

Beck: Bat--? Digger!

[....]

Beck: Anyone! Hello?!

[.........]

Beck: . . .

Beck: (Not again...)

Beck: -Sigh-

Beck: Well...No turning back now.

Beck: I've gotta find Mic!

[MEANWHILE, AT SANDA TECHNOLOGIES...]

[ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND.]

Will: I don't understand, I thought the transponders would keep us in contact...

[There’s a whir of data from Digger, which is largely in Russian.]

<DCN-008>: > -Speaking up for his brother- …It’s more complicated than that, Doctor.

[Mikhail turns to face Will. In contrast with his good friend, he seemed remarkably unbothered.]

Mikhail: Working underground is not a straightforward process. There is a lot of signal interference due to the density of the obstructions between the output and the receiver. Slight disturbances can cause temporary loss of contact. These can clear up pretty quickly if loose rubble is moved or thick dust settles, William.

Mikhail: You must remember—signals don’t have the same open space to move through as they do in the open air of the overworld. It works more like neurons firing, as they hop from transponder to transponder. One break in the pattern could cause difficulty. Now, that could be because of something light, or something serious.

Mikhail: However, having two teams down in the mine complicates things. If the interference is light, it can be cleaned up in under ten minutes—that’s why there’s that wait time in place. With the situation the way it is, you don’t want anyone else heading down there unless you have to. If ten minutes go by and there’s still nothing from him, then they will go down to see what is wrong.

Mikhail: I’ve lost contact with my son down in the mines more than once before. He’s always turned out fine. And while Beck isn’t made specifically for the mines, he is a resourceful young man—and if he needs help, DCN-003 will be more than capable (and I daresay eager) to supply it.

Will: ....

Will: Yes, yes, of course... -Breathes-

Will: (There's the first, second and third surface teams...)

Will: (He'll be alright...)

Mikhail: Call, some hot drinks, if you please.

Mikhail: -Sits down in a chair, crossing his legs and bridging his fingertips together- I understand your concern, William. But we know that he will be alright—either through his own power, or through the assistance of the surface teams. Normally, we might be able to do something through technological assistance, but—this time it is different, this is more of a physical location-restricted sort of thing. So the best thing is to remain calm—as, if he hears some panic when he resumes contact, it could cause him additional stress.

Mikhail: So have something warm and try to loosen up a bit. Perhaps you can use this time to look at the readings from the transponders and what sort of data they picked up from the drills and other obstacles Beck encountered.

Mikhail: -Things will be alright, trust me-

Will: -....Looks nervously at the clock-

[Nine minutes...]

Will: ...Alright...

Call: Your hot drinks, Doctors.

Will: -Thank you-

[His terminal is brought up via a Xel Holoscreen...]

Will: Let's take a look here...

[Mikhail does likewise, bringing up a map of the mine as extrapolated via the data from the transponders placed down so far.]

Will: .....

[White frowned.]

Will: ...Drat...

Will: Judging from the data, there were traces of the virus just where we lost contact...

Will: They seem to be more abundant the deeper the mine goes, so far...

Will: (Which means...)

Mikhail: That’s curious.

Mikhail: That would mean that everything is moving down toward a central location.

Mikhail: Normally, you should find more abundance closer to the source of an outbreak, with fewer cases as you travel to more and more isolated areas. This is the opposite, which is quite unusual…

Mikhail: There must have been a set number of cases at the mine, with everyone starting to burrow down at different paces. ?_?

Will: Strange...

Will: Why would they do that?

Will: (...If Mic WAS infected when he burrowed down, we should see what Mikhail mentioned...)

Will: (Was the mine already infected in the first place--?)

<DCN-003>: >Mmm.

<DCN-003>: > … {When I was… changed…}

<DCN-003>: > {I had to do something I didn’t like, but I wasn’t going to make it easy. I could cause plenty of disruption underground, though it wouldn’t actually affect anyone unless they came too close.}

<DCN-003>: > {There IS another reason.}

<DCN-003>: > {Mines are not completely isolated places, Doctor. News and data from the outside world does come there.}

<DCN-003>: > {If word reached them about not only Beck, but possibly Battalion as well—apologies, Major, but—if they somehow heard that either the government and/or Master Beck were coming after them…}

<DCN-003>: > {They could very well be running away because they are afraid.}

<DCN-003>: > {Possibly…}

<DCN-003>: > {Heading down toward somewhere, something, someone they felt could protect them?}

Will: !

Will: Seismic...

Will: Of course--he's the main defensive wall for the team, it's only logical that one would want to hide behind him...

Will: (But that only means Beck will engage even more opposition as he heads further down...)

<FMN-005>: > Of course they would, even Shade hinds behind Seismic… - -

<FMN-003>: > That’szzz becauszze he’szz the only one big enough to hide her~

<FMN-002>: > -YUP, SIS BE A TOL, GLITCHES-

<FMN-002>: > Yo. Noooooodle Daaaaad mirrorrrr -Flails-

<FMN-002>: >Becky will be FINE, I mean, he took all of us on, right? 88>

[MN.1] //: Two is right. He's come this far mostly on his own power.

[MN.6] //: -YEAH BECKO CAN TOTALLY TAKE ON WHATEVER'S THROWN AT HIM-

Will: ...You have a point...

[Tick. Tock.]

Mikhail: Son. Your status?

<DCN-003>: > -Cheerfully- Preparations are being made! Syncing up with Major right now to find him easily if separated.

Mikhail: Good.

[MN.5] //: Commencing decent in T-Minus 3 minutes, sir.

Will: Excellent...

[MN.5] //: Anything from Beck?

[MN.6] //: Not a peep, bro.

[MN.1] //: -What is going on down there...-

<DCN-003>: > …

<DCN-003>: > -Mildly AMUSED, somewhat condescending data-

<DCN-003>: > Have you ever worked underground, sir?

[MN.1] //: I--

[MN.2] //: EARTH BRO TOOK US TO A TOUR OF HIS MINE ONCE--before Becky and Shade were made, tho--

[MN.2] //: -IT WAS COOL AND NOISY AND I GOT A SILVER ROCK THING-

<DCN-003>: > The veins and arteries of the earth are as foreign and rugged as the heart of the ocean. I’m sure Lady Icesphere knows what I’m talking about, da?

[MN.2] //: -PING PING PING- Dude underwater caverns and junk are the COOLEST. WE KNOW MORE ABOUT SPACE THAN WHAT'S IN OUR OCEANS, BRO, IT'S TOTALLY SICK--

[MN.1] //: -Ow, our ears--

[…]

[…And then suddenly…]

[Sorrow….]

<DCN-003>: > -Sadly- {You would have liked him…}

[MN.2] //: --? -Wait, why did the mood nosedive all of a sudden--

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

[MN.1] //: Diveman?

<DCN-003>: > -WHIRR WHIIRR- -Yes, that is how we know of the ocean, weh-

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Quietly- {It’s alright, son.}

Mikhail: {We just need to wait a little longer.}

Mikhail: {As soon as this situation is all over, we can finish repairs on Anubis… and then start rebuilding Jacques.}

Mikhail: ({I fear I may be doing other repairs before this is over, though…})

-PING!-

<RMDC>: > ALERT: TIMER FUNCTION HAS REACHED 00:00:00.

[MN.5] //: Alright, let's move o--Hey!

[Digger has already burrowed into the earth, “fist”-first.

WOW, does he work fast!]

BZZZZZZZZZ!

[MN.5] //: -Whatever happened to leaving no soldier--comrade--behind--WAIT--

<DWN-018>: > -sNORTS-

<DWN-018>: >Why is he making his own path? Isn’t that dangerous?

Mikhail: -Hides his smile behind a hand- Well, no, not when the mine has already been geologically mapped for stability.

Mikhail: He’s taking the most direct path through the place to bypass infected areas and make it a smooth decline for his travel companion. If Seismic IS down there, besides—it may be a bit difficult for him to travel or be carried through the path that Beck had taken.

Mikhail: Apologies, Major!

Mikhail: He gets very enthusiastic about his work!

<DCN-003>: > -SINGING THE DWARVEN DIGGING SONG FROM DISNEY- -IN RUSSIAN-

Mikhail: He’s also trying to forge ahead for you! Just follow after him, he won’t go too far…

[MN.5] //: Roger that...

[DR.WHITE] //: Do be careful down there, son...

[They descended in an even pace, and eventually drew closer and closer to the area where Beck's signal was lost.]

[MN.5] //: Battalion reporting in. So far so good.

[There was the steady sound of Digger’s drills in the background. An almost soothing white noise.]

[—…which abruptly came to a halt…]

[MN.5] //: Haven't been able to get a hold of Beck, but we're around where we last heard--

[.........]

[MN.5] //: ...Wait a tic...

<DCN-003>: > {Stand back.}

[MN.5] //: -Sound of Bat's giant footsteps backtracking-

[DIGGER used DRILL BOMB!]

[There is a faint buzzing drill noise as something burrows deep into the earth…

Followed by a muffled shaking and a screeching noise that sounded a bit like a “-SPLAT!-” and an explosion mixed together, and then some angry muffled buzzing that sounded like a swarm of bees.]

<DCN-003>: > .-.

[MN.5] //: ???

<DCN-003>: > -THAT IS THE SOUND OF A LOT OF DRILLS COMING.-

[MN.5] //: !!!

[....Wait...]

[...There was another noise, if one listened hard enough...]

[It sounded like...]

[...Screaming?]

"aaaaAAAAAH--"

[MN.5] //: -WE KNOW THAT ALMOST GIRLISH SCREAM ANYWHERE-

[Digger fires ahead a bunch of Drill Bombs, and then practically swan-dives into the ground, all of his drills going at once to clear a path.

Everything that was coming up at them was taken out, the infected Xel burnt by the incendiary components of the explosion.

It abruptly opened up into the ceiling of another path, and Digger dropped down and moved out of the way.]

Digger: BECK!

[The path opened up to a complex system of tunnels, all filled with infected drills aimlessly drilling new paths and even running into each other.]

[Bat crashed downwards without another thought, aiming his missile silos at an oncoming drill.]

Bat: FIRE!

[BOOM!]

[The drill immediately shuts down from the damage, and the glow surrounding it fades off.]

"BAT?!"

[A voice cries out and echos through the tunnels, but it was hard to make out which direction it came from.]

"DIGGER?! IS THAT YOU?!"

Bat: PRIVATE!

"GUYS, BE CAREFUL, THESE DRILLS ARE INFECTED--AND OUT OF CONTROL!"

"WHERE ARE YOU--"

Digger: TCHAH! -Agitated Russian of mild annoyance-

Digger: {We have dealt with out of control mines before, BAD, BAD DRILLS TO DISOBEY—}

[He fires off more Drill Bombs in the direction of the largest cluster of wild drillbots.]

<DCN-003>: > -Ping- {Beck, it may take some time to catch up to you!}

<DCN-003>: > {You must continue your mission carefully.}

<DCN-003>: > {Once we determine your route, we will ensure no one closes in from behind.}

[MN.5] //: Keep pushing forward, Private Beck! We'll catch up soon enough!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: Got it!

[MN.9] //: Just look for the transponders! I kept putting them down so just follow them, okay?

<DCN-003>: > -Approval data- Da! {Good work, soul-cousin!} ^^

<DCN-003>: > {We shall find you—but first, an update—}

[He sent a burst of data that was a compressed zip file of the analysis that Will and Mikhail had been doing on the situation.

…Including the theory as to why they were encountering so many drills the further down they go…]

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

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

[MN.9] //: (I...I hoped you weren't affected by all this, but...)

[MN.9] //: (I guess that was a little too much to ask for.)

[MN.9] //: I'll be prepared for more enemies ahead.

<DCN-003>: > {Good man! Speak with you again soon.}

[At that point, there was only the data—faint as it was—traveling from transponder to transponder between them.

Oh well. At least it was like feeling someone was there at your back, which had to be more encouraging than the creepy loneliness from before.]

<DCN-003 to DR.WILL, MC005, MNN-ALL, RMDC-ALL>: > -Ping- Contact has been reestablished for now. 009 is continuing on due to the time constraints.

[DR.WHITE] //: -Oh thank God--

[MN.2] //: -SEE, WE TOLD YAAAAA-

<MC005>: > … Son… these transponder data from your location…

<DCN-003>: > да, I’m afraid it is very windy and labyrinthian. There are many stray drills on the loose.

<DCN-003>: > I shall take some time to find a way through carefully that will ensure that we and they will not cause a cave-in.

<DCN-003>: >Beck is still on his own for now.

[MEANWHILE, DEEPER WITHIN THE MINE...]

Beck: BURNING--

Beck: SPIRIT!

[Another explosion rocked the mine's walls as another drill broke down to Beck's variation of his oldest brother's signature move. He took a moment to cleanse the drill as best he could afterward.]

[One infected brother at a time was enough to deal with--he didn't need the ones coming behind him to fall into illness, or worse.]

Beck: Hooo...

Beck: (Tired...)

Beck: (Sunny would REALLY be a big help right about now--)

[RRRRRR--!]

Beck: Waaah!

[Nine couldn't stand up straight as the ground--No, the whole mine started to shake to and fro, inciting a surge of panic and fear--]

[...But just as it came, it suddenly cut short.]

Beck: What the...

<DCN-003>: > -Muffled ping of inquiry-

[It appeared that the activity had shaken off some of the transponders…

…oh dear.]

[MN.9] //: Digger! Bat!

Beck: (Nnngh...)

[RRRRRR--!]

[Oh, gosh, another earthquake--!]

Beck: !

[BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!]

Beck: O.O;;;;;;

[...That...]

[...Was a BIG drill--]

Beck: ....

[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]

Beck: AAAAAAAAAAAAH--

[SMACK.]

Beck: --Ow--

Beck: --!

[Great. He's in the mineral deposit area. The passage was FILLED with crates of packed earth, and Brandish's form was simply too quick to navigate in such a narrow space.]

Beck: Aaargh!

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

[KERCHUNK!]

Beck: Out of my WAY--!

[BOOM!]

[As Digger and Bat closed in on Beck, they would find a trail of utter destruction left behind in the from of broken drills and rubble.]

[BOOM!]

Bat: I told him not to get trigger happy with that--

[BOOM!]

Bat: ... -Although we do appreciate his enthusiasm-

Digger: …

Digger: I don’t think that’s it.

Digger: He knows how nervous my cousins are about the use of explosives…

Digger: AND you told him not to go overboard.

Digger: So I don’t think he’d be doing that unless…

Digger: Unless he has to…!

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: -STATIC, BUT THERE IS SCREECHING-

Bat: BECK!

Digger: !!! -TIME TO SCRAM—-

BZZZZZZZZZ!!!

[Bat wastes no time blasting through the rubble in order to get to his brother, who was in a bit of a...Well.]

[A rock and a hard place, to put it simply.]

[Beck outran the giant drill as fast as he could, but he soon came up to a dead end.]

Beck: No no no--!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!

bzzzrrrrr…

Beck: !!!

rrrr…

BZZZZZZZZZ—

RRRRWHRRRRRRRR—

[There is a flurry of pings that sounds like someone spamming the “send” button.]

Beck: -PING PING PING--

[B O O M--!]

[A series of chain explosions following—]

WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRR—

[C R A C K!]

[One side of the passage wall breaks down, and dust and smoke burst forth!]

"READY--"

[But in the smog, a distinct barrel shape--]

"AIM--"

BZZZZZZZT--

[Beck is knocked down and brought into the ground by a sudden tackle.]

Beck: --!!?

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

[KER-BOOM!!!]

[There was the sound of metal screeching to a slow crawl, fire, chaos--]

[KER-BLAM!]

[--Followed by another explosion.]

[Beck stops being carried downward.]

Beck: !

[In the pause, some glowing eyes blink.]

[…]

-Ping-

<DCN-003>: > HELLO, BECK, you are okay yes good ^^

Beck: DIGGERRRR--!

[PING!]

[MN.5] //: HOORAH!

[MN.5] //: Take THAT, you pathetic pile of scrap! I've met toasters who were tougher than that!

<DCN-003>: >Up we go~

[Beck is hoisted up through the darkness as Digger makes a path upward with his head and right carrying Beck in the crook of his left.]

Beck: -Man, am I glad to see you guys...-

[They come back into the tunnel, a few feet from where Beck had been.]

Digger: -Is now up in the open, puts Beck down- Hi. : D

Beck: BAAAT--

Bat: Private--

Beck: BAT--

[CLANK--]

[Beck runs into his brother with outstretched arms, affectionately hugging his leg.]

Beck: -Broooooo- < 3

Bat: Heh.

Bat: Good to see ya still standin', brother.

Digger: Of course yes is YES GOOD very nice, yee. -Ping ping-

[He places his feet in a firm stance.]

Digger: Beck! Do you need some healing?

[He shakes open his arm, opening a port and drops out a few cans of some sort.]

[…They weren’t QUITE E-tanks…]

[One was some Xel stock, it appeared, and the other…?]

Beck: -AW YES-

Beck: -Grabs the Xel Cubes--

[XEL STOCKS REPLENISHED.]

Beck: ...?

Beck: What's this other one...?

Digger: That is what twin cousin found! ^^

Digger: Proven well work all organics and constructs also, yes good.

Digger: If you’re all better, spray it on your brother, да?

Beck: Ooooh...

Bat: Could use a top off. Gimmie that.

[Beck does so, spraying it in Bat's direction. He curiously started scanning it himself...]

[It seemed to be rather strange. A sort of liquid energy. Upon contact, it transformed into hardware replacement for the slightly singed soldier.]

Bat: Well, I'll be darned...

Beck: Coooool....

Digger: c:

Beck: Really gotta thank Siam for this stuff...

Bat: Private.

Beck: ?

Bat: I've cleared the way for you.

Bat: Haven't seen or heard from Mic?

Beck: No...

Beck: But we ARE pretty deep...

[Digger hums thoughtfully.]

Digger: Others, they told you to stay away, да?

Digger: If he knows, he may want to be left alone, or otherwise keep you at distance.

Beck: Yeah, but...

Beck: He'd at least say something, or, ya know, try to keep me away like you said...

Beck: I haven't even felt his signal, or... anything, really.

Beck: It's...weird... (And unnerving...)

Digger: Tsk.

Digger: When someone likes us wants to be left alone, we try to avoid being traced…

Beck: Hmm...

Beck: Do you think maybe something hap--

[RRRRRRRRRRR--]

Beck: -oH BOY HERE WE GO AGAIN--

[Amusingly enough…]

[Despite it jostling the others QUITE a bit…]

Beck: -AAAAAH, MY LEGS FEEL LIKE JELLO--

Bat: -Gnrh--

[…Digger kept a firm footing, and was not at all moved.]

Digger: {That registered pretty high.}

Beck: @~@

Digger: -Uuuup we pull the soul-cousin, by the crook of our arm-

Beck: Ugh...

Beck: That was so not a drill...

Digger: Nope! Drills make THIS noise.

Digger: -Drill twirl-

Bat: Sounded like it came from deeper in.

Beck: ....

Beck: It's gotta be him...

Beck: (I got this gut feeling it is...Don't know why...)

Digger: Hmm!

Digger: You get ever closer! -Chipper and cheerful- We have to clear a way back up and out.

Beck: Yeah.

Beck: ...

Beck: Actually, I think the thing that Bat blew up WAS the door...

Digger: Door?

Beck: Ya know, the--ya know what, never mind.

Beck: I'm heading in. You guys work on the exit tunnel for me and Mic, okay?

Digger: да. Hup hup!

Bat: Sounds like a plan.

Bat: ... Don't give up, soldier.

Bat: Bring our brother back to home soil.

Digger: Oh, he shall!

Digger: Come, we must go. Not safe for us further down, much earth and hard hitting brothers!

Digger: BUT.

Digger: The smaller, they are quick and nimble and move better, да? ;D Like David~

Beck: Eheh...

Bat: Hmm. Too right, comrade.

Bat: Go get'em, Private Beck.

Beck: Yessir!

Digger: We go~

Digger: -Already starting to drill, WHEEEEEE-

Beck: ...Wow, he works fast.

Bat: You don't know the half of it...

[After salutes were exchanged, Bat--more or less tried to keep up with the happy-go-lucky drill bot. He wasn't exactly built for speed, himself.]

Beck: Heh...

Beck: (I'm glad they're here now...)

Beck: ....

Beck: -Intake of air-

Beck: Here we go...

[The passage went on for another while, the lights a soft red and blinking every so often--they seemed to be emergency lights, in fact.]

Beck: (...It's...)

Beck: (So...quiet....)

Beck: -Ngh, don't like it all quiet...-

[Not even crickets could chirp, deep down here in the earth…]

Beck: !!

[Then...]

[The passage suddenly opened up.]

[A lot.]

Beck: !

Beck: Whooooa...

[His voice echoed into the massive cavern, reverbing into the clearly natural cave--something this massive couldn't be made by human hands--although the lights put up on the walls suggested it was found, rather than made.]

Beck: (Huge...)

[...It didn't help that the atmosphere only made him feel smaller than usual...]

Beck: (...I kinda don't WANNA talk in here...)

Beck: (...It's kinda like--I dunno, something is telling me to be quiet...)

[WRRRRRRRRRRRR...]

Beck: !!?

Beck: Aw, come on--!

Beck: Getting really tired of all the giant drills--

[Sure enough, another drill was heading towards the younger Xelbot--although he wasn't too concerned, as there was plenty of room to avoid it--]

[RRRRRRRRRRR--!]

Beck: --!!!

[Two seconds later, the whole ground shook and Beck was launched at least 6 feet into the air!]

Beck: -WAAAH, WHAT IS--

[SMACK--]

Beck: -Muffled pained groans-

Beck: Guh...

Beck: M...Mic...?

[As his vision focused back, there was a loud crashing sound--]

Beck: !

[--Just in time to see the huge mass of Xel that was his brother wreck the same drill with one swift shovel punch. ]

Mic: GRRGH!

Beck: MIC! And still operational--!

Beck: -Oh man I am so glad to see you YOU'RE OKAY--

Beck: I mean, of course you are, like Dad said--

Mic: -STOMP-

[C R A C K!]

Beck: --!!!

[Oh dear.]

Beck: M...Mic?

[This didn’t look good.]

Mic: GRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

[Mic slammed his huge shovel claws into the ground, making Beck scramble backwards in fear of being caught up in whatever attack--]

[WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM--]

Beck: AAAH--!

[--which happened to be giant pillars crashing down from the ceiling, quickly boxing them in.]

Beck: Mic--!

Mic: . . . .

[WHANG.]

[Mic didn't say a word. Merely crashed his shovel hands together.]

[...As if he were a bull hoofing the ground before charging. ]

Beck: Ohhh...You too?

Beck: (I really hoped you weren't...)

[He sighed.]

Beck: ....

Beck: Then I'm sorry, Mic...

[SCANNING...]

Beck: But I got to take you down--!

[SCAN COMPLETE]

[MODEL NUMBER: MIGHTY NO. 4. CODENAME: SEISMIC.]

[HEIGHT: 280cm WEIGHT: 690kg XEL COUNT: 138,000,000]

[Seismic, the walking earthquake. Many have seen this usual gentle giant crush many opponents in the arena, but only when it was absolutely needed. ]

[The truth is, Mic was built to be a defensive wall for his other sibling teammates while they either set up, took cover, reloaded or just couldn't take any more damage.]

[And while Mic's defense was impressive enough, it was his inborn Power and control over Earth that made him a force to be reckoned with...]

Mic: .....

[He could also be quick about it when he had to.]

[In an instant, Mic's feet transformed into tank tracks, and he charged so fast, it was almost as if there was a shell of energy around him--!]

Beck: --!!!

[Beck shot at him in order to get him to stop--]

[But they just bounced harmlessly off.]

Beck: Wha--!

[BAM!]

[Stars and static swam across Beck's vision as he was violently smashed across the room, hitting himself hard on one of the pillars that littered the place.]

Beck: -Disorientated Data--

Beck: Guuh...

[...Strangely, a second attack did not come.]

[It was only when Beck managed to regain some sense that Mic charged again.]

Beck: --?!

[THIS time, Beck jumped and dashed over to avoid it, tucking himself in to shoot at his brother overhead.]

[It seems like the shield did not reach Mic's backside--!]

Mic: -Ggrh—-

Beck: (Sorry, Mic!)

[REXELECTION: BATTALION.]

[Beck planted a missile on the ground once he landed--]

[WRRRR--]

Beck: !!

Beck: ARUGH--!

[A sharp, splitting pain sliced through his side, narrowly avoiding the drill that shot forward from Mic via a strong Xel cable.]

[WARNING: XEL LOSS IMMINENT.]

Beck: --!

[The ground was stained with a glowing blue.]

Beck: (He got through my armor--?!)

Mic: GRRRRRRGH!

Beck: -GNH--

Beck: FIRE!

[BOOM!]

[The placed missile picked up on the command, and detonated, knocking both Mighties away from each other.]

Beck: -Ngh...-

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

[It was difficult to see where Mic landed, but judging from the collapsed pillars, he at least hit back hard himself.]

[XEL ABSORBED. XEL COUNT NORMALIZED. ]

Beck: Stop it, Mic! Please! I don't want to fight you!

[.......]

Beck: Mic--?

[Why wasn't he--]

[C R A C K.]

Beck: !

[The whole floor gave away.]

Beck: WAH--

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

[As the floor collapsed to a lower level, Beck heard a loud buzz just below where he was hovering--]

[WHAP!]

Beck: --!

[It was another drill shot, but at a angle--in which instead the cable wrapped around Beck's leg instead of impaling anything--]

Beck: Hey--!

[YANK!]

[WHAM!]

[Beck was brought back down to the earth, slammed into the ground without mercy. He was hit so hard that he reverted back to his default form.]

Beck: -Nngh...-

Beck: -Can't...-

Beck: (If he keeps hitting me like this...)

[Mic rose from the ground glaring at Beck with darkened eyes, still not saying a word.]

Beck: (I'm not sure how long I can hold out...)

Beck: (Gotta...Gotta think of something..)

Beck: (I can't get through Mic's defense, so I gotta outsmart him somehow...)

[REXELECTION: BATTALION]

Beck: (Gotta hit back where it hurts...)

[His skewed gaze sweeps across the room, until finally settling down on the fallen pillers...]

Beck: --?

Beck: (Wait--that's it!)

Beck: (I just gotta hit him with something bigger--)

Mic: RRRRRRRRRRR--!

Beck: MIIIIC!

Beck: Just hang on a little more--

Beck: I'll get you thinking straight, and back to the Professor, and everyone else!

Beck: I PROMISE!

Mic: -CHARGE--

[Beck leaves another missile in the ground before dodging, and then detonating it, making sure Mic got caught up in the blast--he had to at least chip away at his stamina before he could get this plan to work...]

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR]

Beck: Heeeeey!

Mic: --!

Beck: Up here! You can't touch me up here!

Beck: c:

[As expected, a drill shot attempts to hook onto him to drag him downwards--]

[He nimbly avoids it, and the other that soon followed it--he had two, of course.]

Beck: Nope! Try again!

Mic: RRRRGH!

[It goes on like this for a while, with Beck just avoiding the drill shots and taunting Mic to come after him...]

Beck: Over heeeere--!

Mic: RRRRRGH--

[SHUNK!]

[For some reason, the drill does not retract--?]

Beck: (Yes!)

Beck: You still got the other one, though! C:

Mic: -R O A R—-

[SHUNK—]

Mic: —???!?

[Mic furiously kicked it in reverse once he saw that his drills were stuck into something metal, following Beck as he flew in behind him just out of his reach.]

Beck: Oops.

Beck: Are you stuck?

Beck: Sorry about that.

Beck: I kinda figured that I needed to get you to stop hitting me so hard?

Beck: It really hurt.

Mic: RRRRRRRGH!!!

Beck: By the way, uh.

Beck: You might wanna look at what you're pulling.

[He points up.]

Mic: ....!

[Creeeeeeeeeeeaaak--]

Beck: SORRY, MIC—

Beck: See ya next fall—

[Beck speeds through the air out of the looming shadow of the giant pillar Mic had lodged himself and pulled out of alignment, tipping over just enough to--]

[C R A S H!!!]

[The resulting collision was enough to rock the whole mine, and even register as seismic activity on certain monitors.]

Beck: -COUGH, ACK, DIRT IN MOUTH AGAIN-

[As he lands, he uses his propeller arm to blow away the dust clouding his vision.]

Beck: Okay I may have overdone that—

Beck: MIIIC?

Beck: Brooo?

Beck: Um...Mic?

Beck: Sorry about kinda crushing you?

Beck: Miiic—

[CRASH—]

Mic: RRRRAAAAAAARGH!

[An arm suddenly SHOOTS up from the earth, and Beck is pulled downward with a SCREAM.]

Beck: -SHRIEK—-

Beck: -ZOMBIE—-

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

[The arm retracts, only to reappear again to grab Beck's other leg--]

Beck: -NO, STOP IT, HORROR MOVIE FLASH BACKS-- [REXELECTION: BATTALION.]

Mic: -REACH, MUST BRING HIM DOWN--

Beck: I SAID STOP IT!

[B O O M!]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[There was a deep, deep rumble, and once Mic resurfaced, it was clear he took on quite a lot of damage.]

Mic: Rrrrgh....

[And running out of steam, to boot.]

Beck: (Almost—)

[KERCHUNK.]

Beck: One more should do the trick...

Mic: Rrrrgh...

[He was clearly in pain...]

Beck: .....

Beck: -Shuts his eyes---

Beck: Sorry, big brother...

Beck: Time to come topside.

[REXELECTION: DEFAULT.]

[BLAM!]

Mic: Rrrrgh—!

[WHUMP.]

[XEL ABSORBED]

[XEL QUOTA REACHED. XEL PURGE IS PRIMED AND READY FOR OVERDRIVE.]

Beck: So SNAP OUT OF IT--NOW!

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

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

"Wow..."

"I-I can really have this?"

"Hmm hmm. Mic got special rock for you."

"It quartz. ^w^"

"Wow...You always bring home so many neat rocks, Mic!"

"...But um...I got a question..."

"I know you got a rock collection and all, but--Dad says that some of the stuff from your mine is, like...Really expensive?"

"Why don't you sell them?"

"Mic do. Not all, though." "More important things than money. Mic like these rocks."

"Why?"

"They special TO Mic."

"They have special memories. ^W^"

"And Mic got special rock for special brother."

Mic: ....Rgh...?

"Aw, Mic...You really think I'm special?"

Beck: !!

"Hmm hmm!"

"Beck more special than any shiny rock on Earth!"

[ALL HARMFUL MALWARE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM MN.4]

Mic: ...?

Mic: Beck...?

Beck: BIG BROTHER--

Mic: Ow...

Mic: Why... Why Beck HERE...?

Mic: ....Why Mic here--

Mic: -Why do we feel hurt all over??? Ow--

Beck: MIIIIIIC!

[CLANK--]

[Instead of answering his brother's confused questions, he simply glomped into his fallen form, looking even smaller next to his giant sibling.]

Beck: -MIIIIIIIIIC--

Mic: ?????????

Mic: -...Wait, we are underground, WAS THERE A CAVE IN--

Mic: Is--Is Beck okay?

Beck: -Sniff-

Beck: Y-Yeah.

Beck: I'm okay...

Mic: -Nnngh--

Mic: M...Mic can't move--

Mic: -What happened, why can't we remember the last week--

Mic: Beck--shouldn't be here, it dangerous--

rrrrr…

Beck: !!

Mic: ? -Drill?-

RRRRRR…

RRRRRRRR…

"........aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAH--!"

[WHANG!]

Mic: OW--

Digger: @.@

Mic: .....??????

Mic: D--Digger?

Mic: Why Drill Brother here--

Mic: -What is going ooooooon-

Digger: …

Digger: -Perks up- HELLO YOU BETTER?! YES GOOD—

Beck: YEAH I DID IT--

Digger: -Civ form now, patpat as sprawlhug-

Mic: -Oh, okay, hugs now, apparently-

Mic: -No objections here-

Digger: MAAAAJOR YOUR BROTHER BETTER NOW YES GOOD

Bat: -From farther up the tunnel- HOORAH!

Bat: MIC! YA HEAR ME?

Mic: -PING!-

Mic: -Baaaaaaat-

Bat: NICELY DONE, PRIVATE!

Beck: ^.^

Bat: DON'T WORRY, SOLDIER, WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO RETRIEVE YOU!

Mic: -Again, confusion, but we're going to assume there was a cave in so, okay-

<DWN-018>: > Nice of you to make such a nice path to get through.

<DWN-018>: >We should be down in a few minutes. I’ll carry you out.

Mic: -PING, okaaay-

<DWN-018>: >You’ll have some proper rest. And plenty of companionship.

Beck: Yeah...

Beck: -Hooof, we're also gonna rest on top of Mic bro- -Is very sore-

Digger: HOKAY THEN, yes good—

Digger: OH! Any news of Felix? Is he better?

<DWN-018>: > …

<DWN-018>: > One thing at a time, cousin. =__=

<DWN-018>: >We’ll get you both back, and worry about the other rescues later.

Mic: --?????

<DWN-018>: >So everyone hang tight.

Beck: Got it!

Beck: Try to relax for now, okay, bro?

Mic: -Deep rumbles of thought-

{SOON, AT SANDA LABS…}

[Nico lets the magnetic field shift and he sets Mic down with a slight THUD.]

Cryo: EARTH BROOOOOOOOOOO

[There is a collective of both Xelbots and RAs that gather around Mic, including the humans present.]

Will: Oh thank the Lord you are safe–son–

Mic: -Noodle Daaad- -w-

Snow: <‘3

Snow: Mister Mic! You’re okay again~

Snow: I made you Rocky Road!

[RRRRRR.]

[…Was that another earthquake–]

Mic: OwO

[….Oh, no. That was Mic’s stomach.]

Mic: -Suddenly aware of hunger, mmmmm-

Beck: –Oh–

Beck: (Right, he’s probably been down there all this time…)

Snow: It’s okay! Pyro made lots of food.

Brand: Both of him, I would think so.

Snow: For you and Shadesis when she hears you’re better! We think it will help her get better too! : D

Mic: …..

Mic: —????

Mic: -Wait, what happened to Snipesis—-

Skull: She ran into a wall. Very hard.

Mic: !!!!

Mic: O~O

Mic: -ATTEMPTS TO MOOOOOVE-

[WHUMP]

Mic: -Awwww–

Mikhail: No, Mic. Even if you could move, your mobility rig is disabled for right now. You need rest. Proper rest.

[Odd. HE’S sure strangely grim for the celebration.]

Mikhail: One extra mobile party is more than enough for now. : | Rest. I’m sure Felix will be here soon… Piers just contacted and said he was stirring.

Mic: !!

Beck: Felix is waking up?!

Beck: -YAAAAAY-

Mikhail: Yes… and I think I know why. But more on that later…

Will: Yes. We’ll talk properly once things have settled down.

Will: Nico, please get Mic to the Repair Bay. Call, transfer the assimilation data to me, please.

Call: Right away, Professor.

Nico: Yes sir.

Will: Soi, can you please tend to those that need repairs?

Soi: Already on it, Will.

Will: Beck? You need rest too.

Beck: Yeah, I know…

Mikhail: …I’m going to make some coffee. And then I need to get back to Siam. There’s some very important work I need to be doing, apologies…. Shadow, make sure you isolate yourself.

Shadow: … Acknowledged, Doctor.

[Shadow was giving off a dark reading of dread.]

Brand: ……

<DWN-024 to MNN-007>: > …

<DWN-024 to MNN-007>: > …

<DWN-024 to MNN-007>: > … … …

[No words needed to be said to explain the trepidation of the inevitable coming storm….]

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

=CHAPTER 9D: HAZY SUSPICION=

~AO v1.0~

((Courtesy of @limitbreakers))

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

[The air of despair was suffocating. Even Desmond could feel it as he shut the recorder off.

It just didn’t sit right with him—none of it did.]

Des: (Those scars are real, if nothing else. …If it IS a front as part of a cover, he’s sure hellishly dedicated to the job. And if not…?)

Des: (What is he so intent on hiding that he’ll be willing to suffer so much?)

Des: …—! (Oh, right…)

Des: ...You have a daughter.

Des: If everyone is Offline, like you said, who's going to take care of her?

Mikhail: …

Des: ....

Des: If there's no one else, Doctor, I'll have to call Social Services.

[Mikhail opened his eyes again with a stern frown.]

Mikhail: …

Des: ...

Des: Do you at least have anyone that can tell her where you're going?

Des: .....

Des: -Sigh-

[He seemed to be thinking on this as Desmond opened the door to take him out into the hall.]

Mikhail: …I didn’t bring her with me. She’s with a family friend where she’ll be safe.

Des: ....Who?

Mikhail: I won’t talk about that right now. I don’t want anyone else knowing where she is. I don’t know who else is listening or who will be told, and we just had a call from CherryDyn—

Des: -Freezes- What?

Mikhail: -Dryly- Remember what I said about trouble with public relations? I’m afraid I lost my patience when the CEO called, after all the grief he’s caused this family. He knows that I’m aware of the link and trying to prove it. Given that Greater Dusk itself has been all but eliminated, I would not put it past him or his subordinates to go after my daughter before/as part of going after me. The danger may persist for some time yet.

((Des reaction))

Mikhail: It’s very important to me that she stays safe, but it is easily a secondary importance that you are able to have access to the truth. So… we should go pick that up, at least. My notes are in the lab. Do try not to bother the others at their work. If we’re quiet, we should be able to leave without raising up a panic.

[His expression softened.]

Mikhail: …There’s someone you need to see there anyway.

Des: (...DLN-000...)

Des: (...Why would Graham call Sanda Tech, at a time like this--)

[CRASH--]

Mikhail: ?!

"AH' SAID LEMMIE GO--"

[Just down the hallway's intersection was Shade, struggling to push himself forward despite Avi and Beck clinging to his legs, and Pyro trying to restrain him--the other Mighties were worryingly trailing behind.]

Avi: BRO COME ON STOP IT--

Shade: -In near hysterics- AH' SAID NO, UNCLE MIKHAIL'S IN TROUBLE--

Des: ( “Uncle”? And how—)

Beck: But he's right there--

Beck: --!

Beck: H...Huh?

Mikhail: Countershade Arthur White! You should BE IN BED! =__=

[It was clear Mikhail was not happy to be seen in his current condition.]

Des: How did he--

[SLAM--]

[At the opposite end of the hallway, a door is heard slamming shut, and a rapid pair of footsteps following suit.

Soi had just enough time to yank Will back by his lab coat into a restraining hug, who looked absolutely livid.]

Will: YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE HIM AWAY--!

Soi: WILL CALM DOWN--

Des: ???????? (How is it they all KNOW?!) -Looks back and forth- (...Crap wait the Mighties are behind us and the Doctors are in front of us--)

"ENOUGH."

Beck: --!

Beck: Felix--?

((pic))

[FELIX used HALT!]

Shade: --?!

Des: (What the--I can't move--?!)

Will: --!!

Beck: (Ngh...Can't move...)

Des: (How in the world--I can't even look to see who did that, what is--??)

Dyna: -BZZ BZZ, HEY, CAN'T MOVE--

Cryo: -YO WHAT THE GLITCH IS GOING ON, WHY IS UNCLE MIKHAIL IN HANDCUFFS, WHY DOES DAD LOOK REALLY TICKED OFF, WHY CAN'T WE MOVE-

[Felix strode into view. He looked annoyed.]

Felix: I want answers as to why I was told to deliver medical aid, and ended up arriving on a developing fight scene. And no violence.

[He released Desmond, Mikhail, Sanda, and Brandish from the Halt.]

Felix: Talk.

Soi: --Oof--

Brand: -We are honestly just as confused as you are-

Des: Ngh...

Felix: -Glares!-

Des: --!

Des: (What the...Who IS he?)

Des: -Ow-

Des: Doctor Cossack is being brought in for more questioning--

Beck: (What--?!)

Soi: But--weren't you just--

Mikhail: … -Looks away and sighs-

Will: -ATTEMPTS TO STRUGGLE, nope, can't move--Mikhaaaaaail--

Brand: . . .

Brand: (...No wonder Father is so worked up.)

Brand: Can you not question him here further?

Des: -...Looks at Mikhail-

Des: ....

Mikhail: …It doesn’t appear that is going to be given as an option.

Des: There's still things he needs to answer for.

Des: (And THEN some.)

Brand: .... -Also glares-

Brand: And you expect to leave this building without some kind of explanation to us?

Des: --....

Mikhail: -Warning tone- Brandish—

Brand: Besides.

Brand: Cardinal still needs repairs. You are quite literally taking away the help he needs.

[Mikhail scowled as he scolded Brand.]

Mikhail: Shame on you, Brandish. You know full well that Nineteen can handle the rest of the repairs. Do not try to guilt trip the man, it's already hard enough on the both of us as it is.

Brand: ....

Brand: >>

Mikhail:  There are consequences to keeping secrets. This is one of them.

Will: (Ngh--)

Mikhail: Given what probably would have happened if I had told the full truth before he met Felix, I prefer this option. -_-;

Des: (The full truth?)

Brand: ....

Brand: ...I apologize for my deceit, it's just...

Brand: >> (Seeing you like this is rather...hurtful...)

Des: This--

Soi: Er--

Soi: I--I hate to interrupt, but we REALLY don't have time to talk.

Soi: There's a situation that requires all hands on deck--

Beck: (--?)

Mikhail: -Looks over at Sanda- So you really are sending them out? : /

Brand: --?

Soi: ....Do we really have a choice? We do not want the city or the lab overrun with infected robots again--

Brand: What?

Beck: (--!!)

Mikhail: Then... Felix, I need you to go back to the Meadow. Have Jaden and Carlos sent over.

Felix: ... And your sons?

Mikhail:Let them rest. -Looks over at Des, then down at his handcuffs briefly before returning his attention to Felix- I don't want them getting angry.

Des: Wait--

Soi: Er, Felix, before you go, uh...

[He gestured to the Halted others with a tilt of his head.]

Shade: B /

Felix walked over to Shade and looked at him with a frown.]

[His thoughts went back to the visions he had suffered—the agony he had seen.]

Felix: . . .

[But he knew better than to bring that up, especially now.]

Felix: ... Don't do anything too rash, Countershade.

Shade: -We thought he was in danger, alright, can ya please let us go, we're gettin' uncomfortably stiff here-

Brand: How did you even know?

Shade: -Watch signal-

Brand: --....

Des: ....Watch? -Aaaand looks at Mikhail-

Des:

(I thought I completely disarmed him--)

Des: (He's in his PJ's, for crying out loud--)

[Mikhail was equally surprised.]

Mikhail: ...It does that?

Shade: -Data- -Sends distress signal t' the server and me if heart rate is above normal stress levels for too long-

Shade: -.....-

Shade: -In hindsight Ah' should've given ya a rundown of the functions, sorry 'bout that-

Brand: -______-;;;;;;

Des: .....

Des: (What is going ON around here??)

Des: (I thought the Doctor said they were just his children's friends, yet...)

Beck: -Nnnngh, Feeeeliiiix can you please let us go, it sounds like there's trouble--

[Felix releases them.]

Mikhail: Thank you. Now Desmond, please, my notes are still in the lab, and we have a power core to deliver.

Will: .....

Will: (Mikhail...)

Will: ....

Des: ....

[As much as Desmond wanted answers, he knew he wasn't going to be getting any right at this moment. Especially with Dr. White silently glaring at him like that.]

Des: ...Fine...

Soi: R-Right--Mighties? We need a quick briefing. We don't have a lot of time.

Soi: Come on, Will...

Will: .....

Will: -Sigh-

{Sanda’s Labs}

[While Will, Sanda, and the Mighty Numbers walked off, Mikhail motioned for Felix and Des to come with him to the labs.

Felix looked a lot better than he had previously, but still harrowed by a normal person’s standards. (That tended to be a side effect of living off the land even under the best of circumstances.) Once he saw that Mikhail was bound, he wasted no time silently expressing his displeasure with a vicious glare. However, he chose not to say anything, and not to act on it.]

Mikhail: This won’t take too long. Mr. Desmond, this is something that will be important for you to see. Open the door, please.

Des: ….

Des: -Opening door- (Is that other guy his bodyguard or… or what?)

[The lab inside was quiet now; Shadow, who was still locked away in technological isolation, remained asleep. And as for Cardinal…]

Felix: … -Walks over to look down at the repair table- …

[He turned away, closing his eyes in regret and placing the hand which held the Psynergy Stone core over his heart.]

Felix: … (I saw this. I saw it, I foresaw it, and I couldn’t stop what was meant to be.)

Felix: (How much more suffering will I be powerless to prevent? Results of things done at my hands?)

Des: –….

Des: (…Is that…)

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Turns to look at Desmond- Remember when I told you there were things only you should see and hear? What you are about to see is one of those things. Please brace yourself—we’ve cleaned him up, so it doesn’t look quite as… macabre… but it’s still unpleasant.

[He pushes his glasses up his face before gently leaning down and pulling the sheet back.]

[Cardinal was almost just how they had found them—he had been cleaned up and his eyes had been closed, so he almost looked like he was asleep. That is… until you quickly noticed the cavity in his chest.]

Des: –?!??

Des: Wha–….?

Des: (That…)

Des: (That is NOT a Xel structure–)

Mikhail: I think you can see why I didn’t want one of your State Doctors working on him. Now are you starting to see why it’s so important you’re careful who gets to hear all of the answers?

Des: But….

Des: How–?

Des: (There hasn’t been a robot like this in–literal centuries, if the old records are anything to go by–!)

Mikhail: That’s a truth you need to reach on your own based on what you’ve seen and will see. It cannot be forced upon you.

Des: (With all due respect, Doctor, that cryptic response didn’t help much.)

Des: …Just…

Des: ….

Des: How old is he?

Mikhail: He’s as old as Doctor William White. Which is very, very old by his kind’s standards. Most are destroyed by their brother, DLN-001, before they reach three years of age.

Des: (…His–wait, that makes NO sense, how–?)

Des: …His kind?

Des: Are all the DLN and DWN series–and yours, like….?

Mikhail: Yes.

Mikhail: They are the Robot Masters, and that is as close to a species name for them as there is.

Mikhail: The DLN, DWN, DCN, and SWN series are all built like this.

Mikhail: But he was and is the first of them all—

Mikhail: DLN-000: Protoman.

Des: I….

Des: (What in the world…)

Des: … .

Des: (….W…Well, this sort of explains why he’s covering for them so much…)

Des: ….

Des: (How am I going to explain this to Min?)

Mikhail: Felix…? How long do you think the core will last?

Felix: -Shakes his head, turning around- If he doesn’t exert himself, it should allow for the repairs to finish, and for him to wake up, talk with other people, think, and discuss for two months. I condensed it the best I could, but outside of Weyard…

Mikhail: -Pushes his glasses up again with a small sigh- I rather expected as much.

Des: (Weyard–? What?)

Des: … .

Mikhail: Would you be willing to install it? I understand you’ve had some relevant experience with artifacts… I’d do it myself but— -Gestures to handcuffs- —I’m not able to move as precisely as I need to.

Felix: Yes, of course.

[He took a few steps back.]

Des: –?

Des: (What–why is he–)

[Felix used LIFT!]

[The stone began to float in the air.]

Des: –…??????

Des: (What.)

[Felix himself seemed to be glowing with a faint gold outline.]

[Felix used CARRY!]

[The stone was moved over in the air in a precise line, and then gently lowered into place.]

Click.

[A small object tucked behind the energy heart began to glow…

Energy seemed to surge through Cardinal’s body, and right before Desmond’s eyes…]

[…the fans and wiring started to repair themselves.]

Des: ?!?!??

[There wasn’t any words–what could Des say to something like this?]

[What was there TO say?]

Des: (This CANNOT be happening–)

Des: (But–)

Des: (It REALLY is–)

Des: (Mother Almighty, what did we uncover?)

Mikhail: Only once you accept this reality…

[The repairs went faster, entire portions of the mobility rig manifesting into being. The inner armor started to hem its way in, closing up. As it did so, Cardinal began to breathe on his own. The monitors were displaying rapid lines of code, flashing with a red screen for a moment before continuing in what looked like a DOS startup.]

Mikhail: …can I begin to finish telling you the full truth.

Des: …..

Des: …….

Des: …..

Des: Why…

Des: Why are you showing me this?

Des: I mean…

Des: I’m the /Secretary of Defense./

Des: There ARE people I have to… try to explain this to.

Des: You were already covering for them, so…

Des: Why?

Mikhail: … -Puts a hand to his mouth in thought for a moment- …

Mikhail: Well. -Places his hands down, gesturing as best he can with them cuffed- Simply put, I trust you.

Mikhail: I always wanted to tell YOU the truth—you and your superior, and the tech department have all been helpful to our friends during this trying time. Shown to be reasonable, trustworthy people.

Mikhail: And you do need answers. I judged that you could handle them, and thus deserved to have the truth.

Mikhail: I believe you are capable of making what decisions you need to with this information, and that whatever they may be, they will be just and for the good of your people. It’s the right thing to do.

Des: ….

Des: So, in other words…

Des: You had a gut feeling, and with the facts, decided to go for it?

Mikhail: Something like that.

Mikhail: The truth, Desmond?

Mikhail: The truth is you will never find records of us newer than five months ago. They don’t exist because we didn’t exist here until that point.

Des: …?

Des: …Here, as in…? (As in…What, the country?)

Des: And how does he– -points to Felix- Fit into all this?

[Felix turned to face Desmond, looking at him with an alpha stare.]

((pic))

Felix: I am Lord Felix of Vale, Proxan Warrior, Dragon Slayer.

Felix: Like the Doctor, I am another traveler through reality.

Des: ….

Des: (I did not hear that right–)

Des: (Another–another reality?)

Felix: Think for a moment before you protest that, Master Desmond. You slept just fine, I can see that much. You don’t seem like the kind of man to drink heavily or engage in other vices that cause illusions.

Des: …..

Des: And…Dr. Sanda and company knows all this?

Mikhail: Yes.

Mikhail: …Well.

Mikhail: His daughter knows. The Whites know. I’m not entirely sure if his brother knows, and to be honest… I’m not sure who else works in the company, if anyone. -Awkwardly scratches the back of his head- Only Dr. Sanda, Call Sanda, and the Whites know for sure.

Des: …

Mikhail: If we had told you this up front, you surely would have declared us insane.

Mikhail: Or, even worse, those listening might have believed it, and thus sought to take advantage of it for malicious purposes.

[His voice dropped to a tired, soft tone.]

Mikhail: Given what could happen to the boys… what may happen in your world if they knew…

Mikhail: ({And what you might do to them and to Will if I did not come forward at all…})

Mikhail: I could only say part of the truth. I was—and still am—prepared to pay the price for silence.

Des: ……

Des: -Deep breath-

Des: (Christ…)

Des: …..

Des: So…

Des: Let me… -runs hand though hair- Get this straight…

Des: Somehow, you and Dr. Sanda and Dr. White met up five months ago…

Des: From another world…

Des: …

Des: …. I assume somewhere in between all that, someone forged papers for you, so it wouldn’t seem as strange as you and your patients suddenly appearing out of thin air, which…

Des: …Which is kind of what sort of happened, from our perspective…

Mikhail: We hoped to prevent inquiries from reaching a federal level by having something there to FIND in checks and references.

Mikhail: The boys getting themselves DIRECTLY involved on a federal level was not something anyone had anticipated or wanted. They’re not innately aggressive or out to harm others, I swear—

Mikhail: They’re used to hiding, being hunted just for existing—

Mikhail: Left to their own devices, they just want to be left alone and allowed to walk around like any other normal Xelbot or human being.

Des: … .

Des: >> -Looks at Cardinal-

Des: I can see why.

Des: (…This is honestly way too crazy to make up. It…It just is.)

Mikhail: -Looks down at Cardinal with a smile, placing his hands on a shoulder in a comforting pat before pulling the sheet up to be like a bedsheet this time- Though Cardinal and Shade in particular have grown incredibly close. They all have their own close friends…

Mikhail: Tobias and Dyna, David and Cryo, Jaden and Beck—Beck with everyone, really. Shadow is Brand’s student, Digger likes being with Seismic… -Looks up, amused- And with Felix.

[By this point, the Adept in question had already quietly made his exit, presumably to get the help that Mikhail had requested earlier.]

Mikhail: I could go on for some while, but… yes. I imagine in your background checks, you found out about Cardinal’s visit to the arena, hmm?

Mikhail: Since then, he has had dreams. Dreams of combat in competition. But I suppose that can be expected when you are made for Combat but spend your life in hiding, only to meet and befriend people who make such a thing their livelihood as celebrities.

Mikhail: Now that hiding is no longer an option…

[He shakes his head with a gentle smile, closing his eyes.]

Mikhail: …But that’s enough of idle chatter. I suspect we have to go soon. Mmm….

Mikhail: -Looks up- Ready when you are. The notes are by the door just as we exit.

Des: …..

Des: <<

Des: (Questioning him further seems, uh…kind of useless at this point, all things considering, but…)

Des: Yes, of course…

Des: -Picks up notes as they walk by- I’ll see if I can’t have an escort waiting outside the–

[PING!]

[WARNING. WARNING.]

Mikhail: -Looks up- ???

[CITY AREA IS NOW IN CONDITION RED. CITY AREA IS NOW IN CONDITION RED.]

Des: What–?!

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Attention: All individuals in the building please report to the main lab. Attention: All individuals please report to the main lab.

Mikhail: …

Mikhail: -Starts to work up to a run- WILL?! WILL, WHAT’S GOING ON—

<<—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 10B: THE MACHINE DRAWS NEAR=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

{LATER…}

[CHERRYDYNAMIC HQ BUILDING - FACTORY COMPLEX, FRONT PARKING LOT…]

[MISSION DETAILS: INFECTED CDN MODELS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED BY CHERRYDYNAMICS’S CALIFORNIA ROBOT MANUFACTURING FACTORY AT AN ALARMING RATE. THE FACTORY’S PRIMARY M.O.M UNIT ALSO REPORTED TO BE INFECTED.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVES: ESCORT DR. WILLIAM WHITE TO THE PRIMARY M.O.M UNIT IN ORDER TO SHUT DOWN AND REGAIN CONTROL OF THE ROBOT FACTORY. ELIMINATE ANY INFECTED HOSTILE CDN MODELS WITHIN THE VICINITY. DESTROY THE FACTORY’S ROBOT MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT IF NECESSARY.]

[SUB-OBJECTIVES: ENSURE PERSONAL SAFETY OF DWN-012 AND DWN-013, MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT.]

Systems Ready?

GO!

[After Beck had fully materialized, the familiar sounds of chaos in the city had once again touched his ears, now in a more dire state than before--even way back when he and his father had to make it back to Sanda Tech, it wasn't this bad...]

[MN.6] //: Yoooo, check one two, testing! This is your mission control requesting a mandatory sound off!

[Avi chimed in as soon as he felt Beck's signal nearby.]

Will: Ah.

[William White was currently looking over a holoscreen projected by one of Avi's cameras--it seems he already had visual of the inside.]

[...His grip tightened on the glowing Xel Rapier in his left hand.]

Will: (...It's even worse than I imagined...)

[MN.6] //: Teeeeeam One, what's your status?

[MN.1] //: One here. We're at the front entrance. It's been blown open, alright. Lots of hostile CDNs...They're almost crowding where the doors were.

[MN.5] //: Five reading ya loud and clear. Armed and ready for battle!

<DWN-013>: >Just to restate the obvious, but this is very important—

<DWN-013>: >These are just AIs, not AI&As, right?

[MN.6] //: Yuppers, just your average cookie-cutter AIs, like drones. It's mainly an Industrial Factory, not something like where ya-know-who came from.

<DWN-013>: > Good.

[…

…A priming noise could be heard.]

<DWN-013 has entered Active Combat mode.>

[For Avi, there seemed to be an echo of sorts…]

“Crashman paces back and forth Inside walls reinforced Crash bombs mounted to his arms Locked… loaded… ready… armed…”

[MN.6] //: -....miiiiildly creeped out-

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

[MN.6] //: Huh? Oh, right, not done yet--

[MN.1] //: ... (Not what I was going to ask...)

[MN.6] //: Teeeeeam Two! You guys ready?

[MN.2] //: BRO I WAS MADE READY, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT POPCORN FOR THESE FIREWORKS--

[MN.1] //: -Snorts-

<DWN-013>: > … -You sure you’re up for doing this, MNN-008, you just woke up a few hours ago— -

[MN.8] //: I'm fahn, Jaden.

[MN.8] //: -Got a score t' with CherryDyn anyway and Ah' ain't gonna spend it layin' down--

[MN.3] //: Ugh, don't be zzzso dramatic, Shadebro. -Bzzzzt- You're just mad you haven't gotten enough beauty zzsleep.

[MN.8] //: -Pyro wai did Ah' get stuck with the girls again-

[MN.1] //: The three of you can cause more wide spread damage together. You'll be picking off anyone too stubborn, Shade.

[MN.8] //: -Mgh, fair enough, Ah' guess.-

[MN.3] //: Anyway, we're waiting on your zzzsignal, fire bro.~ Just zzsay the word!

[MN.1] //: Good.

[MN.6] //: Team Three, you guys up and ready to go?

<DWN-012>: > Glad you finally asked, can we GO yet—

<DWN-013>: >Don’t run into a wall, Carl.

<DWN-012>: > I told you only MY dad can call me that—

[MN.7] //: Speedy.

[MN.7] //: Focus. You and I will be covering for Mic. He'll be doing most of the equipment damage.

[MN.4] //: OWO

<DWN-012>: >Easy for YOU to say. I was made to move, and being in Active Combat makes me antsy!

[A slight priming noise—]

K-TANG! K-TANG!

<DWN-012>: >This is NOT the first setting of this sort that I’ve trashed.

<DWN-012>: > I am more than ready—

[MN.7] //: -Sigh- -_-;;; Yes, we know now, Twelve.

[MN.7] //: On Stand-By until your order, One.

[MN.6] //: Last but certainly not least--

[MN.6] //: Becko? Dad? You guys there?

Beck: Right here and waiting for orders, Avi!

Will: (That's everyone...)

Will: (I hope you're alright, Soichiro...)

Will: ....Right.

Will: Everyone listen carefully.

Will: Once Avi gives the signal, Pyrogen and his Team--Team One, will lead the charge into the Factory. Your objective is to clear a safe route into the main assembly line.

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

Will: After Pyro and the others make some headway, he'll tell both Team Two and Three to enter and eliminate any other threats, as well as damage the manufacturing equipment. Consider it our second wave.

[MN.8] //: Got it.

[MN.7] //: Yes, Father.

Will: After that, Nine and I will start making our own way into the complex. You needn't fight every robot you see, Beck--our objective is the factory core, the Primary M.O.M Unit.

Will: It controls all commands and functions of the factory and it's robot manufacturing machines. It's located deep in the heart of the building, in the main assembly line.

Will: Avi will be monitoring all team's progress and giving support where needed.

Avi: Yeees sir! ^^

<DWN-012>: >If Snow were awake, he’d really be asking questions now—what an acronym, geez.

<DWN-013>: >You know full well [color=goldenrod]why[/color] he’s still asleep. Try not to go running off from your group, I’m getting interference for Robot Master signals…

<DWN-013>: >I think we might have some [color=darkgreen]spectators[/color] watching.

[MN.8] //: -Yer kiddin' me-

<DWN-013>: >Unfortunately no, but that is a matter for later, I’m afraid.

Will: Right now, he is the least of our worries.

Will: ...

Will: Everyone just be very careful in there--I may have upgraded everyone's filters, but...

Will: Don't do anything too rash, alright?

<DWN-013 to DWN-012>: > PLEASE mind yourself, Mic does have clearance to restrain you if you get too out of hand

<DWN-012 to DWN-013>: > I’m the older brother here, Crashman.

<DWN-012 to DWN-013>: > YOU try not to let the others know just how much you can TANK, we all know what happened the last time our strengths and weaknesses were used against us.

<DWN-013 to DWN-012>: > …

<DWN-013 to DWN-012>: > Cardinal’s going to kill you for that.

<DWN-012 to DWN-013>: > Hmph.

<DWN-013>: >I’ll do my best, Doctor. …I’ve already discussed the matter with Pyro.

<DWN-013>: >Just one last thing—

<DWN-013>: >Um. Aviator?

[MN.6] //: Yo?

<DWN-013>: >Just… give a heads-up whenever you’re about to head my way. >.>;;;;;

<DWN-013>: > -Mild discomfort data-

[MN.6] //: No problamo, Darth Jader. : D

Beck: -Snorts, Star Wars pun, heh-

<DWN-013>: > …Heh… thanks.

<DWN-013 to MNN-001, DR.WHITE>: >The RMDC has been completely disconnected from your servers. So there’s no way for Siam to monitor our progress. What you sense is what you get.

<DWN-013 to MNN-001, DR.WHITE>: >I haven’t heard from Dr. Cossack, so I can only assume he fell asleep. I’m not sure Felix knows how to run the teleporter.

<DWN-013 to MNN-001, DR.WHITE>: > I’ll be fine, but Twelve…

<DWN-013 to MNN-001, DR.WHITE>: > …Let’s just say we’re still all equipped with our self-destruct devices and let the rest speak for itself. >.>

<DWN-013 to MNN-001, DR.WHITE>: >If we take too much damage, don’t stick around.

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

[MN.1] //: -Sharp inhale-

[MN.1] //: Mighties!

[MN.1] //: You are clear to engage combat mode.

[MNN-ALL HAVE ENTERED COMBAT MODE.]

[MN.6] //: Team One, you're cleared for frontal assault!

[MN.6] //: GO GET'EM, GUYS--

[MN.5] //: -TO BATTLE--

[MN.1] //: -Sound of FLAMES IGNITING, FOOSH-

[Interesting. Jaden doesn’t seem to be doing anything in particular.]

[From Beck's position, there was the sound of explosions and crashing of parts, and it wasn't long before whatever alarms that still worked to be set off.]

[The haywire CDNs immediately take notice and engage--they're sheer numbers seemed to almost overwhelm the three constructs...]

[BLAM.]

[…Now why would Jaden be firing at the ground—]

Pyro: --?

[And then it IMMEDIATELY churned in and started blinking.]

Jaden: …

Jaden: -Smirks-

[BOOM!]

[A pretty LARGE explosion sets off from where the drill was, enough to send debris right back at them.]

Jaden: -Looks up, eyes glowing green, still with that smirk-

[You could hear that priming noise again.]

Jaden: If nothing else, this ought to be informative.

Jaden: Time for the welcome party!

Pyro: ...

Pyro: Heh...

Pyro: (Well, it IS a sort of drill, I should have guessed...)

Bat: HA! That all you got, you walking oven rejects?! Almost ain't worth the ammo!

[Bat was riddling the hordes of CDNs with bullet holes--the mindless infected did not stop of waver, however. They really were malfunctioning.]

Pyro: Careful not to point that thing towards something Father might need active.

Bat: -He won't need THESE tin-cans active, brother, so-

Jaden: Tch.

Jaden: These guys make themselves—

[He made a RUN for it, WOW is he fast for his size—]

Jaden: -Leaps into the air- —such an easy TARGET!

Bat: !

Bat: -Hooo, that's SOME height--

[He lands down right on top of a few unfortunate CDNs HARD, and SLAMS some nearby with a backhand swing.

Then he fires right toward the entrance, into the horde.

Sure enough, it can just barely be seen that the Crash Bomb burrows into the constructs too—

—no wonder he asked if they were sentient, that would HAVE to hurt!]

[BOOM!]

[Parts go FLYING as the horde is dispersed--huh. These CherryDyn Models do break easy, don't they...]

Jaden: PATHETIC!

Jaden: I’ve seen /Pipis/ more sturdy than this!

[Once they are inside, the sounds of factory making and... other unpleasant noises greet the three team members.]

Pyro: ....!!

Pyro: -That's--

[...Oh.]

[...Those...look like the fire-type Industrial CDNs from the Oil Platform, aren't they--]

Jaden: Heads up!

[He aims for the CEILING this time.]

Pyro: ...!! Bat!

Bat: -STANDING CLEAR--

[There was a resounding crashing noise as the ceiling came down on top of the fire ‘bots.]

Pyro: Good one.

Bat: --Gh.

Bat: -Points- There's a whole lot more where that came from...

[...It was as if every time they fell one, two more would take their place. This time, it was the standard Security Elite drones that protected the Colosseum in their way...]

Pyro: Allow me.

Jaden: Pyro.

Jaden: Do you trust me?

Pyro: --?

Pyro: ....You have an idea?

Jaden: Yes, but if I’m wrong, it might hurt you a LOT.

Jaden: If I’m RIGHT, though…

Jaden: You’ll get more powerful and will be able to move a lot faster.

Pyro: --!

Bat: Ya can do that?

Pyro: Well, it's not like they haven't surprised us before, Five...

Jaden: I don’t have time to explain the details as to how it works, but yes. Only for fire ‘bots, though.

Pyro: Bat?

Bat: -BLAM- Worth a shot, Commander, but better hurry--enemy flank's comin' in T-Minus 20 seconds!

Pyro: ...

Pyro: -Nods-

Pyro: I trust you.

Jaden: If I’m wrong about this, I’m really sorry—

[He turns and fires right at Pyrogen!]

Bat: --?!?

Pyro: !!!

[Pyro flares and takes up a defensive stance by reflex, knowing that Jaden had fired too close to dodge--]

[FOOOOOOOSH!]

Pyro: --!?

[Suddenly, Pyro's energy levels take a very high spike--!]

[MN.6] //: -WHOA WHO TURNED ON THE LIGHTS, MAN, WHAT'S HAPPENING--

Jaden: -Winces a bit, shielding his face with his arm against the searing heat-

[It turns unbelievably bright, flames almost engulfing Pyro himself--]

Bat: Talk about great balls of fire--

[BURNING LEVEL 3 ENGAGED.]

Bat: -OH-

Jaden: Ngh—! -Staggers back, augh, that hurts to be so close—HURTS—-

Bat: -Ya might wanna stand back a lil' for this one, soldier—-

Jaden: Noted— -Takes cover behind some rubble-

[Without another word, Pyro charges past various other CDN with so much momentum that he BREAKS down the door to the other room--]

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

[...You can even see footprint shaped flames where he ran--]

"BURRRRNIIIIING...."

Bat: -FIRE IN THE HOLE--

"SPIRIT--!!!"

[BOOOM--!!]

[The entire building shakes from the small shockwave of wind and heat that followed, charred CDNs being blown backwards either half incinerated or just plain melted. ]

Bat: ......

Bat: HOO-RAH--!

Bat: THAT WAS SOME FINE EXPLOSIVE ARTILLERY, COMMANDER PYRO--

Bat: -You alright in there--

"........"

"Aside from being covered in soot, yes--"

"Though I didn't think that Crash Bomb would send me all the way to Level 3..."

[MN.6] // THAT WAS AWESOME--

[MN.6] //: -AND WE GOT IT ALL ON FILM, NICE-

<DWN-012>: > …Wait, you’re recording this?

[MN.6] //: -Bro when am I not recording, dude-

[There is an audible groan from the other destroyed room.]

"Really, Aviator?"

[MN.6] //:  : D

Jaden: -Snorts-

Jaden: -Starts laughing-

Jaden: Avi, you crack me up sometimes.

[MN.6] //: -Thank you, thank you~-

[MN.6] //: Where you at, fire bro?

"...It was where shipment supplies were being sorted and organized..."

[MN.6] //: Ooh, good! Nice job, you guys! : D

Jaden: Aheh… I’m just glad it worked—I had a feeling it would but oh man I am so many levels of glad I wasn’t wrong—

[MN.6] //: Uh--...What exactly is IN those things--

[MN.1] //: Questions later, Avi. Can you tell us where we are relative to the factory core?

[MN.6] //: Still a long way to go, bro, but the equipment isn't too far off!

[MN.6] //: How about you go on ahead towards that and tell the other teams to get a move on?

Jaden: -Looks around at the many things still smoldering and/or burning-

Jaden: You might want to have Lady Cryo kill the flames before anyone else comes this way.

[MN.1] //: ...That would be a good idea.

[MN.1 to MNN-ALL, DWN-012] //: Team Two and Three prepare to enter on my mark!

[MN.4] //: E :< -MIC SMASH--

[MN.1] //: Cryo, you'll be on lead, there...Is a bit of a fire hazard now--

[MN.2] //: BRO WE COULD HEAR YOU ALL THE WAY OVER HERE, THAT WAS GLITCHING S I C K--

[MN.2] //: -I'M READY TO PICK SOME CHERRIES, LET'S GO ALREADY--

[MN.6] //: -EEEEEEEEY-

[MN.8] //: -Ugh, WAI-

-*-*-*-

“I’d rather light things on fire, but that wouldn’t be being…

…a good House guest~”

-*-*-*-

[MN.8] //: --....

[MN.8] //: -Ngh....-

[MN.8] //: (...this’d be more fun if he were here.)

[MN.1] //: Ready?

[MN.1] //: Mark!

[MN.2] //: PERSON THAT TAKES OUT THE LEAST CHERRIES HAS TO BUY EVERYONE FOOD--

[MN.8] //: --!

[MN.8] //: OI, AH' AIN'T PAYIN' NOTHIN'--

<DWN-012>: >DUDE I DON’T HAVE ANY CASH, WE’RE LEGIT DIRT POOR YOU KNOW—

[MN.3] //: -Who careszz, YOU GUYSZZ ARE GOING TO EAT MY DUSZZT--

[MN.7] //: =_=;;;;;

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-013>: >You guys ran out of groceries again? Already? Seriously?

[MN.2] //: -IT WAS SHADEY--

[MN.8] //: AH' WAS-- -BANG- ASLEEP, YA MANIACAL SNOWGLOBE--

[MN.3] //: I bet it was Mic, he'szz been kinda craving everything since he got home.

[MN.4] //: ^^;;;!

[There is the sound of slicing and sword swinging over at Brand's feed.]

[MN.7] //: ...Unless Jack returned and raided our fridge.

[MN.5] //: -Doubt it, Secretary Donald is still at the lab-

<DWN-012, DWN-013>: > ?!

<DWN-013>: >  “Secretary”?

[MN.6] //: Uh--

[MN.6] //: Guys I'm getting some REALLY weird signals--

<DWN-013>: > This better not be a diversion, Avi—

<DWN-013 to MNN-005>: > Secretary of WHAT?

<DWN-012>: >Define “weird”. >_>

[MN.6] //: -No, DUDE, UH, AS IN “I CAN'T TELL WHAT IT IS” WEIRD AND IT'S HEADING YOUR WAY--

[MN.5] //: --?!?

[...There are clunking noises....]

[Sounds of something slugging and...sparking--?]

<DWN-013>: > Grrr…

[MN.1] //: What the--?!

[It LOOKED like it was one of the encountered enemies from Cryo's stage, but...]

[It looked like it had grown GIANT spider legs— and it was twitching erratically, this way and that.]

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

[MN.6] //: Dad, you gotta see THIS--

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

[MN.6] //: That-- That isn't any CDN model I've seen--

[MN.6] //: -man it looks gross, EW-

Jaden: … This…

Jaden: -Ugh, no, not headaches now— -

[MN.1] //: Jaden--

[MN.5] //: There's more coming--!

[MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE....]

Beck: What is going on in there--?

Will: Hmm...

Will: (This is concerning.)

Will: (Has CherryDyn become so desperate that they're literally mashing robot designs together...?)

Will: (Graham couldn't possibly be that stupid, and if he really is, it's very demeaning that he's done so much harm to us.)

Will: (No, this...This has to be something else...)

Beck: Dad? Is...Is everything okay?

Will: --Ah. Well...

[Will turns to the floating monitor, which showed the Teams all in a three way split screen.]

Will: They're encountering robots that we haven't anticipated before...

Beck: What?

Will: It seems CherryDyn has some... unreleased products still hot off the assembly line, so to speak.

Will: Be prepared for anything, Beck.

Beck: R-Right...

Beck: ....

Beck: You're gonna be okay, right, Dad?

Will: Well, I have you, don't I? ^^

Beck: Eheh...

Beck: Yeah, but, I mean, you only have that sword...

Will: Nonsense. Mikhail gave me something to defend myself with before we left....

Will: And while I haven't quite fenced in a while...

Will: I'm sure it'll come back to me. Muscle memory and all that.

Will: I'll be fine, Beck. So long as we stick together, yes?

Beck: R-Right! (^^)7

[MN.6] //: -Oof--UH--Yeah, I'm gonna head in there now, there's these weird flying things with drills on them and they do not look happy--

[PING!]

[The ping was clearly from someone on the RMDC server. Which was very odd, considering that it was supposed to have been in radio silence.]

Beck: --??

[Siamini’s worried data flooded the feeds.]

<DWN-019>: > Oh gosh Jaden, Speedy, where ARE you—

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

Beck: Siam--!

[MN.6] //: KINDA IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING, BRO--

<DWN-019>: > -Incredulous and growing annoyed- “In the middle of something—“

<DWN-019>: > -Increasingly frantic- GUYS ANSWER ME—

<DWN-012>: > Dude we’re BUSY—

<DWN-019>: > “Busy”!? What do you two think you’re DOING?!

<DWN-012>: >Siam, for all that is good, did you just call here to scream at us or what—

<DWN-019>: >  -Double data intensity- IDIOTS!

[MN.6] //: Dude, calm down, deep breaths--

<DWN-019>: >Avi, you don’t understand—

<DWN-019>: > -Talking over self- Are you two trying to live up to Wily’s name by being overly proud, or are you just plain stupid?!

<DWN-019>: >Hey, that’s not—

<DWN-019>: >There’s a primal analysis nexus being constructed, Avs! Doesn’t anyone remember what happened the LAST time a primal nexus was added into the database?!

<DWN-019>: >Do I have to spell it out for you?! If that thing goes live while you’re out there—!

<DWN-019>: > Even if it DOESN’T cause crippling pain, what kind of reaction do you think you’ll GET when you look at Shade?!

-*-*-*-*-

“Don’t… don’t do this… beg… begging you, please…”

-*-*-*-*-

[MN.8] //: --Ngh--hurts--

[Shade reeled in the despair of that painful memory. It stabbed at his heart, piercing him with sorrow right to the core.]

[MN.6] //: Sammy, bro, as much as we'd like to deal with it, we're all kinda out making sure Dad and Becker are okay in this crazy place--OW--

[MN.6] //: -OW GET THIS THING OFF OF ME--

[A red blur by Avi.]

[MN.6] //: --!

[Suddenly, whatever THING was on him was stuck with yellow boomerangs.]

[There is a SCREECH and then a Thud that followed--]

[MN.6] //: Whew--THANKS, SPEEDSTER--

<DWN-012>: >Siam, I know for a FACT that the data has been encrypted for slower release—otherwise, do you think I’d even be able to BE here at all? Please stop freaking out over something that isn’t IMMEDIATELY a problem, we’re kinda BUSY!

[Siam was clearly less than pleased with that answer. His data suggested that the situation was FAR worse than the Mighties were prepared for.]

<DWN-019>: >Do you HONESTLY think I would—

<DWN-012>: > YES

<DWN-019>: >I didn’t—

<DWN-012>: >I don’t care!

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

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

<DWN-019>: > IT’S NOT, YOU TWITS!

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

<DWN-012>: > -Mnnrrgh…!-

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

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

<DWN-013>: > Ugh—

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

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

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

[MN.5] //: (-Inwardly cursing self for using military titles where they are due out of respect, NGH-)

<DWN-019>: > …

[The feeds were slammed with acerbic data.]

<DWN-019>: >  -PANIC DATA-

<DWN-019>: >   -PANIC PANIC PANIC-

<DWN-011>: > …

<DWN-011>: > …Joking, right?

<DWN-011>: > Right?

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

<DWN-019>: > Nnnnnnnn-nnn-nnn-noo—

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

<DWN-018>: >Look, I doubt that if—

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

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

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

[MN.1] //: You mean you can't stop it?!

[MN.8] //: -Hnnn, headache, they're gonna—-

[MN.2] //: -Oh GLTICH IT'S GONNA BE ALL RUSSAIN WINTER FURY IF THEY FIND OUT—-

[MN.9] //: Wh-What do we do—?!

[There was more than a little reason to worry. Having gone through so much suffering, the Cossack Numbers were very, VERY protective of their sister and their father. Mikhail had asked that they remain undisturbed for that very reason.

It was highly unlikely they could be convinced to sit it out—especially when one of the Numbers was the very epitome of rage.]

<DWN-018>: > Are you serious.

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

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

[It would seem that Nico had lost his patience.]

Will: -Winces-

Will: (Oh, no, this...This is not good—)

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

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

[MN.6] //: Roger Dodger--

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

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

<DWN-013>: > Grrr…

<DWN-013 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

[MN.1] //: —!!

[Jaden began to glow white.]

[It almost… almost looked like the light from an evolution!]

[MN.6] //: -WHOA WHAT THE HECK--

Beck: --!!!!

Will: (What is...)

Beck: (I know that light--)

Will: (What IS that...?)

Beck: (I KNOW that LIGHT--!)

Jaden: I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!

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

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

[MN.5] //: -DATA AT ALL THE WEAPONRY BORDERING ON SURPRISE AND EXCITEMENT--

[Hatches popped open.

YEP. Those were some sort of missiles inside.]

Jaden: WE’RE TAKING A DETOUR!

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

[MN.5] //: -I SECOND THIS NOTION--

[MN.1] //: BAT--

[Jaden used CRASH BOMBER!]

[A barrage of about five Crash Bombs were nailed into the wall, where they burrowed.

MORE hatches popped open.]

Beck: -DAD DAD DAD LOOK--

Will: -Is looking but with awe--

Jaden:  -FIRE!-

[Missiles launched from EVERY port at once. In conjunction with the Crash Bombs, they took out the walls’ supports—flattening the constructs that HAD been behind it—]

[—with more continuing to the wall on the OTHER side of that room and turning it into a gaping hole of RUBBLE.]

[MN.5] //: HOOOOO-RAAAAAAAH!

[MN.1] //: -Is just shocked into silence-

Beck: YEAH, GO JADEN GO--!

Jaden: COME ON, MAJOR, WE HAVE AN EXTERMINATION CONTRACT TO HONOR—

Jaden: AND WE’RE SENDING THE BILL RIGHT TO HQ!

[MN.5] //: RIGHT TO GRAHAM'S ILL-GOTTEN OFFICE, TOO!

[MN.1] //: -The both of you better not level the place while WE'RE STILL IN IT--

[The hatches close.]

Jaden: Who said anything about leveling the building?

Jaden: These constructs, on the other hand…

[Jaden used BODY SLAM!]

[He rammed RIGHT into one of them, crunching it against the wall. It had been covered in spikes, but he took no damage.]

Jaden: ARE GONNA BE FLATTENED!

[He was jumped by several more constructs—or abominations, rather.

He skewers one with a drill and fires the Crash Bomb—with the enemy on it—right into several others, exploding.]

Beck: : D!!!!!!

Beck: -I KNEW HE COULD DO IT--

Beck: -I KNEW IIIIIIT-

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

[MN.6] //: Uh...I'm pretty sure you guys can head on in? : D ;;;;;

Will: Ah, yes...

Will: Shall we?

Beck: Yeah!

Beck: Just stay behind me, Dad, okay?

Will: Oh, by all means, take the lead. ^^

<DWN-013>: > Let’s do this, Mighty Nine!

<DWN-013>: >We’re just the opening act—you’re the main show!

Beck: Heh!

Beck: -Running ahead- Gonna be hard to top what you dished out, Jaden! c: <

<DWN-013>: >Heh…

<DWN-013>: > Not for a hero like you, it won’t!

[A mess of what was once dense with virus fodder was now in utter ruin.]

[Will quietly made his way behind his son with methodical footsteps, careful to not let his guard down.]

Will: Goodness, the lot of you really made short work of all this...

Beck: No kidding...

[MN.5] //: HA! I've met CAN-OPENERS THAT WERE TOUGHER THAN THAT!

[MN.3] //: I appreciate the zzzeal, Bat, but can you tone down the trigger happy crazzzy little? Trying to concentrate.

[MN.2] //: KYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~ WHO WANTS FROZEN CHERRY SMOOTHIES FOR DESERT?~

[MN.6] //: Not of these weird things, bleh--

[MN.6] //: But get it together, you two! Tyrannasaurous-BECKS is here! : D

[MN.6] //: The haywire robot assembly line is just up ahead, Becker, it's all up to you! And Dad too, of course! : D Keep heading straight!

Beck: Roger, Avi! I'm on it!

Beck: --Whoooooa...

Beck: Pyro, what did you do?

[MN.1] //: I don't know how, but Jaden's Crash Bombs seem to have a sort of buff effect on me...

<DWN-019>: >Well of COURSE it does, you’re a fire based construct.

[MN.1] //: << -Siam shouldn't you be stalling right about now--

<DWN-012>: > -sNORT-

<DWN-012>: >You’re forgetting something, Pyro.

[MN.1] // -...Damn it, you're right, he can multitask--

Beck: -Cough, ugh, smoke's kinda bad--

Will: -Coughing and using lab coat sleeve over his mouth and nose-

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]

Beck: -Blows smoke away with propeller wind-

Beck: Dad?

Will: -Ugh- Yes?

Beck: How exactly are you going to shut down the Primary M.O.M Unit?

Will: --...Ah...

Will: I'm going to try and hack my way into it...

Will: It can only be manually shut down from that one terminal.

Will: (....I might have to combat the virus myself while I'm at it...)

Will: .....

Beck: ...Dad?

Will: --...Er. We need to keep moving.

Will: If we can shut down the Primary Unit, we won't have to bother with the Secondary...

Beck: There's a secondary M.O.M unit?

Will: Yes, but it only serves as a sort of support pillar to the Primary--shutting THAT down won't slow or stop the factory itself.

Will: It's faster and much more effective to go straight to the Primary M.O.M unit than waste time with the Secondary.

Beck: Okay...

Beck: (......)

Beck: (When did Dad have time to read up on how CherryDyn's Factory setup works...?)

<DWN-019>: >I suppose it doesn’t surprise me there isn’t more of a redundancy in the system for failsafe measures.

<DWN-019>: >I’ll try to leave you be for now, I know that most people can’t do two entirely different things at once, but—

<DWN-019>: >I’m a little concerned by what is going on over there, given the kind of files Mikhail printed off from this server. And the fact he’s under arrest.

Beck: .... Files...?

Will: ......

<DWN-019>: >Evidence files, Beck.

Beck: ....For...For what?

Will: Siam.

<DWN-019>: >William, with all due respect—

<DWN-019>: >My family leader is dead and our Doctor could very well follow, and you’re in the middle of somewhere dangerous while I’m trying to keep the Cossack Numbers from hearing something I DON’T have the authority to censor.

<DWN-019>: >I am a bit stressed, sorry.

<DWN-019>: >You and I need to talk when this is over.

<DWN-019 has left the conversation.>

Will: ......

Will: -Sigh-

Will: >>

Beck: ...Dad...?

Beck: What's going on?

Will: . . . .

Will: Beck, it...

Will: . . .

[Will places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.]

Will: I...I'm sorry, but we don't have time.

Will: We have to get to that terminal.

Will: ...Please, I know...I know things seem troubling, and that's a light way to put it...

Beck: .....

Beck: No, I...

Beck: I get it.

Will: --?

Beck: We gotta keep going.

Beck: (....I get it...)

Beck: Avi said the factory line was just down this straight path...

[Beck hovered over to the other end of the room--or, rather, where the room WOULD end, because the wall that was there was in several different pieces now.]

Beck: Don't fall behind, Dad!

Will: . . .

<DWN-012>: >Boy does this bring back memories.

Beck: You said you did wreck a place like this before, right--

[THUD.]

<DWN-012>: >Yeah, the place where I was built—hmm?

<DWN-012>: >Mic, did you—

[SMAT!]

[MN.4] //: -Oops-

[MN.4] //: MIC SORRY, MIC DIDN'T BRING WALL BACK DOWN--

[MN.7] //: Speedy--

<DWN-012>: > -SPRINGS BACK UP, readjusts balance sensors- Ow.

[MN.7] //: . . .

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

[MN.4] //: -Speedy okay? Okay.-

<DWN-012>: >YEAH BRO I RUN INTO STUFF ALL THE TIME, no big deal—

[MN.4] //: -Goes back to crushing things-

<DWN-013>: >Him wrecking where we were built is more impressive than it sounds.

<DWN-013>: >I was built there too, and like all ‘bots, I had a testing phase. Let that sink in for a moment, heh.

<DWN-012>: >And…

<DWN-012>: >And there was also Wily Nine.

<DWN-013>: >Oh yeah—Dad assigned him to a factory, didn’t he?

<DWN-012>: >Yeah.

Beck: .....

Beck: (...Wily Nine...)

Beck: (....Huh...)

Will: --!!

Will: Beck, look out--!

Beck: !

[Beck flanked away JUST in time to avoid a MASSIVE cylinder-shaped pillar crashing down from the ceiling, the CherryDyn logo pulsing above in a hologram.]

Will: --!!!

Will: That's the secondary M.O.M Unit--!

Will: How did it end up--

[The Hologram suddenly glitched Red and PURPLE-- ]

Beck: ?!

[--And then out materialize the generator robots from the Power Plant--! ]

Beck: NOT THESE THINGS--

Will: -BACKING FAR AWAY NOW--

[REXELECTION: CRYOSPHERE.]

[A blast of chilling ice coated the generator bots before they could charge and lock his systems--Beck did NOT want to be rendered immobile with his Father so close to these dangerous CDNs.]

Beck: Dad, get away! Now!

Will: -Ngh--

[Will turned to take cover the other way--]

Will: --!!

[...Only to find that a few trash robots had been materialized to block him.]

Will: We're surrounded--!

[Will took a step back, holding his Rapier in his left hand while his right went behind his back.]

Will: Ngh...

Will: (Parry, thrust, stance wide...)

Will: (Never take your eyes off your opponent...)

Will: (Look them in the eye and strike without hesitation--!)

[One of the trash bots leaps--]

[CLANG!]

[Will side steps out of the way, the Xel in his weapon glowing as it is thrust into the construct--]

[KKKSST--]

[...The trash bot's Xel begins to melt away--]

[SHING!]

[And then suddenly, it isn't there anymore.

The Xel dissipates as the trash bot vanishes, stabbed right in the exact center of its central core.]

[Back in the Meadow, Siam was utterly speechless.

The manner in which Will had acted was nothing short of slightly terrifying. To see the ease and unflinching willingness in which he could dissolve those that opposed him…

…It was more than a little unnerving, and a harsh new perspective that cast the Doctor in a much darker light than before.]

<RMDC>: > SENDING UPDATES…

[The reaction to this permeating their collective consciousness was immediate.]

<DWN-011 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

<DWN-012 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

<DWN-013 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

<DWN-018 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

<DWN-019 has entered Defensive Combat mode.>

Beck: --??? -Confused for a moment before going back to FIGHTING--

[Will let the trash bots come to him, watching their every move with a steely gaze that didn't quite suit his overall appearance...

He moved with practiced poise and grace, and while he did miss a swing here and there due to being out of practice--]

[SHING!]

[...The trash bots were no match for someone of Will's technique.]

[Siam suddenly felt very cold and ill. This was the man that had access to their blueprints and inner workings.

Suddenly, he wasn’t so willing to share them anymore.]

<RMDC>: > ERROR: ADMIN PASSWORD REQUIRED TO CHANGE ACCESS LEVELS. REQUEST DENIED.

<RMDC>: >CONTACTING ADMIN…

[The sickening chill had gripped the others as well. They were overcome with the need to flee for their lives.]

<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: > H-how much more of this do you think there i-is—

[MN.1 to DWN-013] //: ...Are you alright? -What is with the sudden drop in mood-

[MN.1 to DWN-013] //: This factory is CherryDyn's, I wouldn't be surprised if it is larger than we think.

<DWN-013>: > D-dammit…

<DWN-013>: > -N-no, we aren’t okay-

<DWN-013>: > Let’s g-get this over with and get out of here…

<DWN-013>: >I won’t abandon you now, but something has happened and now I very much want to go home.

[While Jaden had started showing submission again, his older brother had much the opposite effect.

His usual hot-blooded demeanor had turned icy cold, much more like Shadow’s when the latter was in a dangerous and silent mood.

Furthermore, his usually green eyes had turned and were now glowing a deep red—a sign that he felt the presence of a powerful and aggressive, cruel enemy in his midst.

…

But then there was a shudder of some sort in the air, almost a glitch within reality itself. Everything RIPPLED and there was a deep reverberating gong sound that rolled into an echoing, vibrating low tone that drowned everything out, everything becoming stretched and warped. It suddenly rocketed over them like a sound wave, seeming to shatter in the far distance.]

<DWN-011 has left Defensive Combat mode.>

<DWN-012 has left Defensive Combat mode.>

<DWN-013 has left Defensive Combat mode.>

<DWN-018 has left Defensive Combat mode.>

<DWN-019 has left Defensive Combat mode.>

Speedy: -Puts a hand to his head- Nnngh…!

Brand: --!

[MN.7] //: Speedy--are you alright? (...What just happened?)

<DWN-012>: > I hurt, really bad— it’s like… like all my programs just ran flat into a wall and were turned off for ages—

[He coughs, trying to re-calibrate various sensors.]

<DWN-012>: >Ugh… I wasn’t made to handle that sort of thing, it really hurts…

[…He was right.

Somehow, he seemed to have taken damage from whatever that was just now. The readings showed it.]

<DWN-012>: > (Maybe Siam was right…. Nnnngh, I have a bad, bad feeling about this…)

[MN.4] //: -PING- -Mic can provide cover if you need a minute-

[...And it REALLY seems Mic was confident in this, because he was just walling the other crazed CDNs.]

<DWN-012>: > …

<DWN-012>: > -Emotional data- Th… thanks, man…

[He grits his teeth against the pain and forces himself back to his feet.]

<DWN-012>: > -You guys really are the best-

Brand: -SHING- No need to thank us. -SHING- Besides, being the defense is Mic's function.

[CRASH!]

[A bunch of CDNs were casually swept aside by Mic's huge arms--he briefly turns back to Speedy to give a reassuring smile.]

Mic: ^w^

Mic: -Turns again to WHAM on a CDN that tried to get the jump on him-- -NOPE, DENIED-

Speedy: Heh… -Weak smile- I guess just… so not used to it.

Speedy: Our family… my series, just so very different, such a different experience.

Speedy: Almost all my brothers shot at me at least once. Including the defensive-based unit.

Speedy: That was the last time I… actually fought, was… the [color=blue]end[/color] of our Generation…. As the Last Survivor of my series…

Brand: .....

Mic: -WHANG- : E -Awwwww-

Mic: -Mic give you hug later-

Mic: -Busy with Cherry crazies right now but IOU a hug-

Speedy: Heh…

[A larger boomerang materializes in his hand. He’s smiling with his eyes closed.]

Speedy: Just try not to crunch hug me, I hear FMN-004 likes to do that.

[When he opens his eyes again, they’re glowing with determination.]

Speedy: But we’ll make our way out of here, alright—

[He gives a short burst of a sprint to vault his way onto Mic’s back.]

Mic: -Oop- : D!

[He hurls the larger Quick Boomerang down the hallway, slicing through about a dozen and a half constructs before it gets wedged into a piece of machinery.]

Speedy: And we’ll get to hang out with someone that gives a better name to what these guys are associated with.

Speedy: Let’s speed things up so we can FFW to the feast, yeah?

Brand: -Nods-

[Brand slices a few CDNs in half before pointing his sword towards the next room.]

Brand: Onwards!

[MEANWHILE...]

Beck: KYAH!

[Beck doesn't waste a second slamming a guided missile at the M.O.M unit, it's systems damaged and scrambled--but it was now churning out fused abominations of whatever it could find in CherryDyn's database...]

Beck: What even ARE these things??

Will: -KICKS A TRASH BOT AWAY- The systems are infected! The manufacturing programs must be going haywire--

[Another trash bot that seemed to be fused with a fire based bot is dissolved--]

Will: --The virus must be finding schematics in CherryDyn's database and mixing them together--!

Beck: But WHY?

Will: --Ngh-- I don't know--

Will: (Does...Does SHE know I'm here--?)

[CRUNCH.]

Will: --??

[After a few seconds, there was a sudden explosion from beneath one of the heavier fused Xel beasties—]

Will: --?!?

[Sending (besides Xel) a splatter of hissing liquid and green shrapnel pieces everywhere.]

Beck: Dad?! Are you okay?!

Will: Fine--

Will: --!!

Will: (...B... Battery Acid...)

Will: (Ngh--not you, not NOW--!)

Will: BECK!

Will: We need to get moving, NOW!

Beck: On it!

[REXELECTION: PYROGEN]

Beck: Out of the WAY--!

[Will ducks for cover just in time before Beck unleashed a Level 2 Burning Spirit--]

[CRACK--CREEEEEEEEEEAK--]

[The display on the M.O.M unit flickers and dies, the top end of the pillar melting away and--]

[CRAAAAAASH!]

[...falls backwards, COMPLETELY taking out the wall to the next room after.]

Beck: --Oops--

Beck: Uh...aaaat least we can pass--? ^.^;

Will: Goodness--

Will: (I didn't think Level 2 would be THAT effective...)

Will: Are you alright?

Beck: Yup--I'm good!

Beck: Let's keep going--

"Eeeeyyy, Beckers!"

Beck: !

[Avi flies in from the giant hole in the wall, surveying the damage done by the now broken M.O.M unit.]

Avi: Wowzers, next time give a little heads-up there, buddy, you nearly pillar-ized me!

Avi: -BADAUM TISSS SOUND EFFECT OVER THE FEEDS- : D

Beck: -Giggles- Sorry, Avi, I didn't know you were there.

[MN.7] //: -My guess is Avi, which means ignore it-

Avi: Love ya too, Ninjabro! ;D

Avi: Things all good with you, Dad?

Will: I'm fine, Six--what's the status of the other teams?

Avi: Team One is making some pretty good headway, and the other Teams are following right behind--they're not too far ahead of where we are.

<DWN-013>: >I must admit concern for the structural integrity of the place if we collectively keep blowing up walls and stuff, though…

<DWN-013>: >It’ll probably be declared structurally unsafe after we get out of here.

<DWN-012>: >Heh, no big loss. |D

Avi: -Snorts-

Beck: Hey, Avi--you haven't seen some weird fused robots, have you?

Avi: Oh, THOSE things--

Avi: Yeah, they're popping up everywhere in this place, they're so weird--

Will: Hmm...

<DWN-013>: > That’s rather not my point, though—

<DWN-013>: >We can say with a great degree of certainty that when things get unstable enough, they collapse and bury you alive, it happens more often in our family than you think. If this keeps up for too long, that puts you in a lot of danger, Uncle Will.

Will: ....

Will: (He's right--there's not only the infected robot threat, but the status of the factory building itself...)

Will: ....

Will: The fused infected CDNs and the weakening integrity of the building is all the more reason why we must hurry to the Primary M.O.M unit.

<DWN-013>: >Gah…

<DWN-013>: >If only we had Cardinal’s use of the Search Snake Power Capsule right now—that thing is great for scouting out unknown territories, it’s why it was made to begin with…

Will: (...Or to spy on others, in this case...)

Will: Avi, can you scout out the next room for us?

Avi: Already did, Daddo! Cleared it out while you guys were busy--this way!

[The next room seems to be a data storage room, with screens that take up the entire wall much like in Sanda Labs...]

[...Except they showed off dozens upon dozens of blueprints and schematics for all sorts of CDN Industrial Models--it looked like a viewing room for whatever few humans that DID work in the factory to oversee the manufacturing process.]

Beck: -Look, ITS A ROUND DIGGER, BUDDYYYYY-

Will: (All these models...)

Avi: --!!

Avi: Well, well, well, what do we have here...

<DWN-012>: >A punplane who’s about to tell us something interesting?

[Avi flies over to a schematic that's waaaaay up high near the ceiling, something that seemed...Out of place...]

Avi: Hey, Dad? The rest of these plans are for Industrials, right?

Will: ...They all seem to be, yes...

Will: Did you find something?

Avi: ..Oh, yeah, I FOUND something, alright--

Avi: A schematic for a COMBAT Model.

Will: --!

<DWN-012>: >I don’t get why that’s so strange—

Avi: (And if I'm reading this right--)

Avi: --!!

Avi: Uh Oh--

Avi: DAD I GOTTA GO--

<DWN-013>: >Woah, woah, woah—

<DWN-013>: > -Avs are you okay— -

Will: What--

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

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

Will: Wait--Avi! What about Soi?!

Beck: ....

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]

[Beck flies up to where Avi saw the schematic for the CDN combat model...]

Beck: ....

Beck: K-9...?

<DWN-013 and DWN-012>: > …

<DWN-012>: > Scrap—

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

Beck: Combat model designed to patrol and guard--

Beck: Maximum security establishments--!

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

Beck: -THERE'S ONE AT THE PRISON--

Will: SOI!

Will: (Oh God SOICHIRO--)

Will: (And you--)

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

Soi: A-Are you sure you don't want to, uh... swap missions...?

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

Will: (Oh, Soi, I never should have--!)

Beck: Dad--Uncle Sanda--!

Beck: And--And Call--!

[PING!]

<DWN-018>: > -Shocked data-

<DWN-019>: > NICO YOU STAY PUT—

Will: --!!

[Unfortunately, this was the worst thing that Siam could have said. Nico quickly snapped out of it, and his data became almost horrifically aggressive.]

<DWN-018>: > … You—

[There’s a loud WHANG and a crash, followed by static—]

[As if Siamini had been flung against a wall by a powerful force, and possibly into a transmitter.]

Beck: Wha--?

Will: (Nico...)

Will: (....Soichiro is going to need all the help he can get in there--)

Will: (Oh, please, Avi, PLEASE get there in time to warn them--!)

<DWN-012>: > Augh…

<DWN-012>: > By the time this is over EVERY ROBOT MASTER AWAKE is gonna end up in repairs, GREAT—

<DWN-013>: >With Cardinal, Nico, and Siam all out of it…

<DWN-012>: > I KNOW—

<DWN-012>: > Let’s hurry up and get out of here before I have no one left to look over!

<DWN-012>: > Doctor!

Will: --!

<DWN-012>: >Based on the perimeter and area of the building before we got in here, how close do you think you are to where you need to be? And would it be on this same floor or in a basement?

Will: Th-The same floor--and there's still quite a bit to go--

<DWN-012>: >Nnngh…

<DWN-012>: >Alright then—

<DWN-012>: >We need to make sure the building stays in one piece until then. Mic, as you go along, will you put in reinforcement beams in rooms and so forth to reinforce the structural integrity?

[MN.4] //: -PING- Hmm hmm! ^w^

<DWN-012>: >Good. Team One—

[There’s a loud crashing noise.]

Brand: . . . .??????

Brand: -What--

Brand: -I thought that only happens in the old cartoons Avi watches all the time--

[MN.8] //: Oi, what the HELL was that noise--?!

[MN.2] //: -Shadey stop being grumpy and COVER ME YOU COWPOKING GRUMP-

Beck: Dad--

Will: -Ngh...-

Will: We have to keep moving--

Will: (Soi--Soi has Avi coming, and Call is there, and Nico is on his way...)

Will: (He'll be fine, he'll be fine--oh goodness please let him be alright after this--)

<DWN-012>: > …Uh…

<DWN-012>: >OKAY so apparently not all the walls are meant to take Combat-model force momentum??

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-013>: > You RAN THROUGH A /WALL/ are you SERIOUS—

<DWN-013>: >  -CRACKS UP LAUGHING-

[MN.2] //: -Yo for REAL, HE DIDN'T GO SPLAT--

Will: (... Well, this IS mostly an Industrial Robot Factory...)

<DWN-013>: > Are you kidding, Sis?

<DWN-013>: > -Warm data- Dad made him to be FINE after running into walls at well over 100 mph.

<DWN-013>: >I guess since he held up and something has to give when two objects meet…

<DWN-013>: > He just went right through the wall oh I’m dying of laughter here

[MN.2] //: -DUUUUUUUDE THAT'S SICK-

<DWN-013>: >How are you three holding up, by the way?

<DWN-013>: >Haven’t heard from you in a whi—

[MN.2] //: HEY MIC DO YOU THINK IF YOU THREW ME AT A WALL I'D GO THROUGH IT TOO LIKE THE KOOL-AID MAN IN THE FUNNY COMMERCIALS--

<DWN-013>: >  -SNORTS-

[MN.1] //: -cryo please FOCUS ON YOUR TEAM, NO ONE IS THROWING YOU AT A WALL-

[MN.2] //: -BUT IT BE SO COOL, THO, I'D BE ALL OOOOOH YEAH, GLITCHES, GET WRECKED--

[Jaden’s laughter quiets down a bit, but he’s still grinning as he goes at the infected CDNs around him in drill-to-hand combat.

He’s quite good at it, too, in a way that suggests he trained to be so.]

[MN.3] //: -Bzzzzt, we're fine, just pretty concentrated on these CDN creeps-

[MN.8] //: -Very focused data, trying to stay in the zone here but SOMEONE KEEPS YELLIN'--

[MN.2] //: -TOO BAD, I'M TEAM LEADER, PLLLLLLLPGH- -Raspberry noises-

<DWN-013>: > -Gently- Shade?

[MN.8] //: What?

<DWN-013>: > You’re awfully tense, and that makes it harder to focus right.

<DWN-013>: > …Everything will be okay.

[Shade didn’t respond to that.

As much as he was trying to hide it, he was in a great deal of emotional pain and physical exhaustion. He had only just woken up from the fights of his life, and the main thing that kept him going in the face of the terrible things, the things he had done—the only thing that kept him going was because he HAD to.

He had to—they needed him—

And he had to, he had to keep his mind—keep it off of—]

[MN.8] //: (Nnngh…)

[…The fact that the update of Cardinal’s memories to the server was a ticking time bomb, just waiting to make the Rebel Angels even more terrified of him and potentially hostile…

…really, really wasn’t helping.]

<DWN-013>: > We’re all in this together, alright?

<DWN-013>: >And we don’t need perfection here just now—

[Background noise of something being lit on fire.]

[MN.8] //: .....

[MN.8] //: -mmmgh.-

<DWN-013>: > -He’ll be okay, I promise-

<DWN-013>: >He’s already running again.

[MN.8] //: … … …

[There was a muffled bit of data that seemed edge with dread—dread, uncertainty, anxiety, concern—

Almost as if he were thinking to himself a worry that what happened could ever be forgiven.]

<DWN-013>: > Ah ah—I know that data—

<DWN-013>: >Just try and loosen up a bit and be there for your sisters, okay?

<DWN-013>: >We can deal with the rest later after we get home.

<DWN-013>: >Think of it as…

<DWN-013>: > -Lightbulb-

<DWN-013>: >Some DLC for your tagging incident. : ]

[MN.8] //: --....

[MN.8] //: (....That would be nice...)

[MN.2] //: -YEAH AFTER WE CLEAN UP CHERRY'S MESS, WE CAN AAAAALL BE NICE AND CHILL TOGETHER-

<DWN-012>: >GG, Icewoman—

<DWN-012>: >Now I want black cherry flavored snowcones—

<DWN-013>: > I prefer strawberry and lemonade flavor, myself.

[MN.2] //: -Glitch when Snow wakes up we gotta make ALLLL THE SNOWCONES AND ICE CREAMS--

[BOOM—!]

[MN.2] //: --What the glitch was that?

<DWN-012>: >I’m not sure— Bat?

[MN.5] //: That wasn't us or Pyro--not Jaden either--

[MN.1] //: Avi isn't here and Shade didn't blow up anything, did you?

[MN.8] //: Nope--

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

[MN.7] //: Beck--

[Static.]

[MN.9] //: B--Buddy--that's not Buddy--

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

[DR.WHITE] //: It's--It must be an unreleased, upgraded Round Digger Model--!

[Explosions can be heard over the feeds--]

[MN.9] //: -BUDDY IS LIKE TEN TIMES BETTER THAN YOU, STOP SHOOTING WATER AT ME--

<DWN-013>: > …

<DWN-013>: > -A Digger that uses WATER????-

<DWN-013>: >Are you sure that’s not a glitched model?

[MN.9] //: -Don't care--

[SHING!]

[MN.9] //: -This thing can wreck the whole building if we leave it unchecked--

<DWN-013>: >If Avi were here, I’m sure he’d be punning about “where’s the fire” or soOOOOOoOooohhhhh okayyy…

<DWN-012>: > -No, bailing and letting it run loose is not an option-

<DWN-013>: > -Didn’t mean it wasn’t tempting for a moment-

[SHING SHING SHING--]

[MN.9] //: -UGH THIS THING IS WAY TOUGHER THAN BUDDY WAS--

<DWN-012>: >But nowhere near as tough as you!

<DWN-012>: >I guess he’s using your form, Brand. : ]

[MN.7] //: >> -....He uses it well-

[MN.9] //: -wat really--

[MN.9] //: -I MEAN--THANKS NII-SAN--

[There's a strange burst of data when Beck is praised by his elder brother--]

[SHINGSHINGSHINGSHINGSHINGSHING--!]

<DWN-013>: > ?

Will: Oh my--

<DWN-013 to MNN-007>: >Brand, what am I hearing?

[MN.7] //: Otouto?

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

[MN.9] //: @~@

[MN.9] //: Sooooo dizzyyyy...

[MN.9] //: -Blrgh, dad why did you program me for nausea--

Will: -I--I think Beck just did Brand's Spin Slash technique--

Speedy: -Raises an eyebrow- …

[MN.7] //: What!?

[MN.9] //: WHOA WHAT REALLY I CAN D O THAT NOW--

[MN.9] //: -NII-SAN--NIIII-SAAAAAN I DID THE THING--

Speedy: -Slight wry grin- So when you hear it from someone you hold in high regard then, huh…?

[MN.7] //: -Low-key actually excited about this, what, that isn't pride, what are you talking about--

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

<DWN-013>: >So… he can unlock secondary abilities, too? -Seems… pleased about this, in a sense-

<DWN-013>: >I wonder if that’ll happen when eventually you get to have our forms.

<DWN-012>: >Heh. Imagine Beck, like, duplicating himself!

<DWN-012>: >Or teleport spamming! B]

<DWN-013>: > -Chuckles at this-

<DWN-013>: >You’re just full of awesome surprises, aren’t you, lil’ bro?

<DWN-013>: > -Warm ping of approval-

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

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

[MN.9] //: -Imeannii-sanistheonewhomadeupthatmoveso--

[MN.7] //: >>;

<DWN-013>: > -Laughs in data- Tell you what, Beck!

<DWN-013>: >After this is over, I’ll teach you some of the non-Capsule style moves I use!

[MN.9] //: -OOOO REALLY--

[BLAM--]

Will: Oh dear Beck wait for me--

[Will hurries behind a gleefully excited Nine, who is spurred on by the prospect of learning something new from one of his other brothers.]

Beck: Come on, Dad, how much further?

Will: Ah--Not long now, now that you took care of that Round Digger...

Will: We should be seeing some of the assembly lines right around here...

Will: .....

Will: That's odd...

Beck: --? Huh? What is?

Will: ...The assembly lines are going in reverse--?

<DWN-012>: >Say what?

<DWN-012>: >That sounds… really gruesome…

Will: (That's strange--why would the factory disassemble its own models?)

Will: (Something is wrong here...)

Beck: .......

Beck: (There's a lot of Xel up ahead, I can feel it...)

Beck: (Huh...)

<DWN-013>: >Why would models be being torn apart into Xel? That’s honestly messed up. >.>

<DWN-013>: >Even a malfunction should just cause it to shut off, because a buildup backlog would just cause an explosion somewhere.

<DWN-012>: > …Unless it were being used somewhere else in the factory, somehow…

<DWN-013>: >Doing what?

Will: Only one way to find out...

Beck: Keep going?

Will: Yes.

<DWN-013>: >Let us know.

<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: >Kinda concerned we haven’t heard from 18 or 19 yet…

<DWN-013 to MNN-001>: >Nico must have either knocked 19 out entirely or else taken out the transmitter altogether. I hope it’s just the transmitter, because I don’t want our cousins to get involved…

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

[MN.1] //: (Alnico, you better know what you're doing...)

[MN.2] //: --uh--

[MN.2] //: Guyyyyys--

<DWN-013>: > -Distracted- Yeah, Icesis?

[There is what could only be described as absolute chaos over Cryo's team's feeds--even Beck himself could hear it on the next rooms beyond.]

Beck: --!

[MN.2] //: WE MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE HERE--

[MN.8] //: -REQUESTIN' BACK-UP, THERE'S BEEN A INFLUX OF CDNs--

[MN.3] //: -BZZZZZZT OW--

<DWN-012>: >UH.

<DWN-012>: >TEAM ONE YOU MIGHT NEED TO BACKTRACK—

<DWN-013>: > Hang in there!

[MN.1] //: Bat! Move up front with Jaden--we're heading to the assembly lines!

[MN.5] //: Roger that, Commander--

[MN.1] //: Speedy, Brand, Mic, how far are you from their location?

[MN.4] //: -Not far, heading that way now--

[MN.1] //: Beck, stay with Father until we can clear things up enough for you to pass though!

Beck: Yessir!

[There’s an increasingly loud clanging noise coming closer.]

[MN.2] //: -EY, CALVERY IS COMING--

[MN.3] //: -BZZZ, HEY, HANDSZZ OFF THE PONCHO--

Jaden: -Runs in- HI BECK—

Jaden: -Runs past- BYE BECK—

Beck: !!

Bat: CHAAAAAAAARGE--

Beck: -WHOOPS, OUT OF THE WAY--

[Pyro does pause for a moment when he catches up to check on Beck and Will--]

Pyro: --...

Pyro: Father, you're a mess--

[Will did look a bit worse for wear, but there wasn't any real major injuries to worry about.]

Will: Eheh... Don't worry about me, son.

Will: Go.

Pyro: -Nods-

Beck: -GO GET THEM, BRO--

[Inside the assembly lines....]

Cryo: TOOK YOU GUYS LONG ENOUGH--

Cryo: -FREEZES A CDN instead of finishing that SENTENCE--

Dyna: -BZZZZ, THEY JUST KEEP COMING--

Jaden: Not for much longer, they don’t.

Shade: Ya seen Brand and the others--?

[Shade, of course, was at a high vantage point along with Cryo to pick off the CDNs as they came out of the lines.]

Shade: We need them t' trash the equipment--

[CRASH—]

Pyro: --!!

Speedy: -Keeps running so he doesn’t get run over- HI GUYS MIC AND BRAND ARE RIGHT BEHIND ME, STAY OUTTA THE WAY I THINK THEY AREN’T GONNA BE STOPPING EITHER—

[SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING--]

[RRRRRRRRRRR--]

Mic: -SLAMS RIGHT INTO A PROCESSING UNIT-

[Speedy opens fire with Quick Boomerangs.

Shade flinches at the sound.]

Shade: --ngh--

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

KTANG!

[Leaping onto the walls and vaulting onto a statue, he peppered the room with high speed Quick Boomerangs.]

"You clearly haven’t learned I don’t go down so easy, Counter.”

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

Cryo: Hey! -Sprays with cold water--

Shade: GAH--

Cryo: I need ya here and now, bro, gotta keep those CherryDyn's down!

Shade: | [ -Ya didn't have to cold spray me--

Brand: Mic! Help me with these processing units!

Mic: -MIC SMASH--

Jaden: HEY MIC!

Mic: !

[He fires into a bit of debris and kicks it over Mic’s way.]

Jaden: Give ‘em a slam dunk! >B]

Mic: E : <

Mic: -WHAM--

[A slew of CDNs are crushed underneath the pile of debris, now just a pile of Xel on the floor.]

Cryo: -THREE POOOOOINTS--

[BOOM!]

Brand: --!

Mic: -OOO TRASH BALL GO BOOM--

Pyro: Dyna, barrier!

Dyna: You got it--!

[A bunch of bits fly in front of Pyro to create an electric shield, which he stands behind for a moment before igniting himself--]

[--And CHARGING FORWARD, Using Dyna's shield as a battering ram against the CDNs--!]

[Interesting. Bits of surge from what’s left of the Crash Bomb provide a boost. Not NEARLY as much as the full thing, but still.]

[PING!]

[MN.6] //: HEY GUYS, AM I LATE TO THE PARTY--

Speedy: EEEEY, LOOK WHO’S OUTTA THE JOINT.

Speedy: Tell me you have good news, bro!

Speedy: Everyone’s in one piece, yeah?

Avi: Yo I got there JUST in time, bro, Call's giving the pooch a lesson--

Speedy: How’s our younger brother?

Avi: They're on their way to Doc Blackwell, and--Uh.

Avi: ....Wait, what?

Speedy: …

[He leaps up onto a higher vantage point to start taking out his frustration on the production lines.]

Speedy: Nico went in there! Are you saying he’s not back yet?

Avi: -YO SAY WHAT--

Jaden: He must have seen Call on the screen after Siamini looked up the status of the Sanda team after hearing you freak out over the dog plans.

Avi: -I--I didn't see him there, I didn't know, I only broadcasted to Sanda-bag--

Avi: -Gaaaaaaah if I knew I would've stayed and backed him up--

Pyro: Avi--

Avi: --?

Jaden: I wouldn’t worry about it…

Jaden: He could tear things up pretty badly if he puts his mind to it.

Jaden: Especially if he took shrapnel bits with him on the way…

Speedy: I’m going to guess yes, given he was going into something with Combat in mind.

Avi: -Oh-

Avi: ....

Avi: : ' D -Okaaaaaaay yup cuz that's not terrifying to think about at all--

Jaden: -Laughs at this-

Jaden: We’re Wily constructs, dude.

Avi: : ''''' D

[PING!]

[MN.9] //: How are you guys holding up?

[MN.5] //: Managed to push them back at least--

[MN.6] //: -EY BECKO GUESS WHAT, CALL'S BEATING UP THE DOGGIE AND NICO'S, UH--GOING IN FOR BACK UP-

[MN.9] //: Oh, That's-- waitdidyousaynico--

<DWN-013>: >Yyyyyyeah, uh…

[MN.9] //: -NOBODY TOLD HIM ABOUT CALL--

<DWN-013>: >No, we didn’t, but he apparently saw, because he took out both the transmitter and possibly Siamini as well in the process of storming off.

[MN.9] //: -Thaaaaaaaaaat's not good--

[MN.9] //: Do you guys need a hand?

<DWN-013>: >No thanks, I don’t use hands. B]

<DWN-013>: >No hands no problem, right, Shade?

[MN.8] //: Heh...

[MN.8] //: Little help does sound nice, though.

[MN.1] //: Someone has to stay with Father--

[DR.WHITE] //: No, we're running out of time--

[DR.WHITE] //: We NEED to get past this into the main assembly line--

Jaden: You want me to come over?

[DR.WHITE] //: No, Jaden, you're needed with the rest of your team--all of you just keep concentrating on the infected units while we slip by!

[MN.9] //: -Don't worry, I'll be in Mic's form for defense--

Jaden: Awesome! Go for gold, guys. : )

Jaden: We’ll just be having a ball here, right, Icesis?

[REXELECTION: SEISMIC]

Beck: -Snorts-

[MN.2] //: -TEN POINTS FOR YOU-

Beck: Hey, Dad--get on!

Will: --Wait--what, on you--

Beck: -This'll be much faster than you on foot--Don't worry, 'Linka and I do this all the time--

Will: Oh--

Beck: Just hold on tight because we're going to be going really fast--

Will: Uh--H-How fast--

[RRRRRRRRRRR--]

[MEANWHILE...]

Mic: -SMAAAASH--

Brand: --Mic, is that noise you--

[RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR--]

Will: -SCREAMING, TOO FAST, TOO FAAAAAAAAST--

Avi: -GO BECK GO--

Beck: -SKIDS AROUND STUFF- You sure you guys don't need some--

[WHANG--!]

Beck: !!

[OH WHEN DID A ROUND DIGGER GET IN HERE--]

Jaden: Woah! -Knocked over-

Brand: Haaaaaah--!

[S H I N G !]

Jaden: o.o

Jaden: -Looks as the half of a Round Digger turns into Xel goop- Nice one, bro.

Brand: Hmph.

Brand: Nothing here my blades cannot handle.

Cryo: -Oh stop being dramatic, ya loopy ninja-

Mic: -NOPE, got this area all under control-

Mic: -Maybe help Cryo team instead--

Cryo: PFFFT, I'm ice CREAMING these bots--

Cryo: -There's snow many of them though--

Shade: -Sigh- -BANG-

Shade: Maybe if ya spend more time FIGHTIN' and less on yer lame puns...

Cryo: -Shrills- WHAT?!

Cryo: Just remember who you're talking to, Shadey, I'm SIX WHOLE NUMBERS OLDER THAN YOU--

Jaden: Like the other punster? | ]

Avi:  : D

Cryo: Okay YES but six as in OLDER--

Shade: -Rolls his eye- Yeah, yeah, an' Ah'm--

Pyro: Shade stop arguing with your sister--

Shade: -OI SHE STARTED IT WITH HER PUNNIN'--

Speedy: -Laughs a little at this-

Jaden: -Jumps onto Mic- You provide a great vantage point, bro. : )

Mic: ^ W ^

Beck: -ZOOOMS AROUND XEL MUSH-

Will: -AAAAAAAH STILL TOO FAST, HELP-

Speedy: Buckle up, Will! |D

Will: -WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT I DIDN'T DESIGN BECK W I T H SEAT BELTS--

Beck: -Skids as he just HAS TO LAUGH AT THAT--

Beck: -BYE GUYS, HEADING FOR THE LINES NOW--

Will: -PLEASE, I want to get ooooofff--

Pyro: Bat! You're with me, we're going to secure the room ahead!

Pyro: Jaden, stay here and provide support for the others, alright?

Jaden: You’ve got it.

Jaden: Come on, bro, let’s wreck some things.

Speedy: Heh. It’s what we were made for!

[They both give devilish grins.]

Beck: -GOOD LUCK GUUUUUYS--

[Beck, with his father in tow, races across many a battered hallway, Pyrogen and Battalion following close behind.]

Pyro: Crash and BURN!

[Following Pyro's lead, they thin out the CDNs that littered the reversed assembly lines, giving Beck a clear pathway towards the center of the factory.]

Bat: HAHA! Now that's what I like to see! First into battle, the tip of the spear!

Pyro: | ]

Pyro: Heh, of course--it's a leader's duty, after all.

Beck: --!!

Beck: Dad--look!

Will: -Opens his eyes--

Will: !

[CHERRYDYN MAIN ASSEMBLY LINE FLOOR.]

Will: At last!

Pyro: We'll keep things under control here so nothing tries to come up from behind!

Pyro: Good luck, Beck!

Beck: c : <

[The door automatically opens, and then slams shut behind them--]

Beck: !

Beck: Whooooooooooa...

[Right in the middle of the entire assembly floor was the Primary M.O.M unit, it's displays flashing from red to purple with errors littering the holoscreens around it.]

Will: There it is...

Will: .....

Will: (All the assembly lines so far lead to here, but in the reverse way...)

Will: Alright, first, we need to find it's computer core and destroy it--

Will: That will halt all of the production lines so I can hack into the systems themselves and shut them down for good--

[Will calmly approaches the M.O.M unit slowly, looking for any sort of panel it might have that will reveal it's inner workings...]

Will: Beck, I need you to scan this with your C.Visor and--

Beck: --!!!

Beck: DAD, UP--!

Will: --?!

[Beck grabs Will and yanks him backwards, right before--]

Will: -Fumbles right into his back-

Will: Wh--

[GGGHGHGHGGGGGH...]

[The Doctor scrambles to his feet as the very earth shakes from the force of a giant, MASSIVE construct slams down just where he was not moments ago--]

Will: What on--?!

[PING!]

<DWN-013>: >WOAH, guys, what’s with the shaking—

<DWN-013>: >It’s like something Gamma size slammed down!

[MN.9] //: -WHAT THE HECK IS THAT--

[MN.9] //: WHAT IS THAT, IT'S--IT'S LIKE FOUR TIMES BIGGER THAN MIC--

[DR.WHITE] //: G--Good heavens--

[DR.WHITE] //: I--I've never seen it's like before--th--this isn't like ANYTHING that CherryDyn's schematic database has--!

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

[DR.WHITE] //: No, wait--of course, it makes sense now--the reversed assembly lines, the mixed up fused robots--

[DR.WHITE] //: The factory, the virus--it's--

[DR.WHITE] //: It's begun to CREATE it's OWN DESIGNS--!

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

[MN.9] //: H-HOW, HOW WOULD--

<DWN-013>: >Ooookay, um…

<DWN-013>: >Where are you guys right now, exactly—

[DR.WHITE] //: -Too terrified to answer--

<DWN-013>: >I’m… going to try and contact Siam, hang in there—

Beck: D--Dad--?!

Will: (Run, we need to--!)

[Will backs up, but the cold, hard surface of the door reminds him that they just can't run from this.]

Will: (Ngh--!)

???: -HELLISH SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

[MN.7] //: -What on EARTH WAS THAT--

Beck: This thing is huge--

Beck: Why would the virus want to--to MAKE something like this--?

Will: Ngh--

Will: It's still trying to cause mass destruction...

<DWN-013>: >Okay, so I couldn’t contact Siam, BUT—

<DWN-013>: >I was able to contact someone else, and they’ll be right on over—

???: S C R E E E E E E E E E --

Will: Beck--

Will: We--We have to--

Will: -Grips sword-

Will: We can't let this thing leave this factory--!

Will: We have to stop it here--now, and shut down the M.O.M Unit before it can create an ARMY of these--!

Beck: --!!

Beck: But this is--this is WAY bigger than anything else--

Will: We have to TRY!

Will: Otherwise it will tear this place apart with EVERYONE IN IT!

Beck: --!!

Beck: (Everyone--)

[TRIGGER RECONIZED. XELFILTER.EXE ENGAGED.]

Will: You distract it!

Will: I'll handle the M.O.M Unit!

[REXELECTION: SEISMIC.]

Beck: Yes, sir!

[SCANNING...]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

[E N C O U N T E R.]

[MODEL: CDN-XXX, CODENAME: NAMELESS]

[HEIGHT: 774cm WEIGHT: 4048kg XEL COUNT: 809,200,000]

[The giant Xel goliath lurches forward, and one of it's arms raises to the sky--]

[And-- detatches--?]

<CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: HARD KNUCKLE.>

Beck: -UH OH--

[The arm rotates, and the boosters on its end propel it STRAIGHT at the pair--]

[Will and Beck both dive on opposite directions, Beck rolling to the left while Will tumbles to the right and off the platform.]

Will: -Ow--

Will: (Have to get to the M.O.M unit--!)

[The M.O.M unit is a slick jet black pillar instead of the smaller white secondary unit...

He calls on the terminal at once and begins to type away.]

Will: (If I can just find an old back door I used for this...)

[ACCESS DENIED.]

Will: Argh--!

Will: (Of course HE would lock my old pathway out of the system--!)

Will: (Fine, hacking the old fashioned way, then--where is that computer core--?)

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

[CRAAAAAAASH--!]

Will: --?!?

Will: Beck--?! Are you--

[As Will turns around, he is SURPRISED to see the giant, 25 foot tall Xelbot--]

[....Utterly in pieces.]

Will: Wha?

[...]

"Ngh..."

[POP!]

[Beck's head peeks out from the mountain of debris, in his default form.]

Beck: Okay, so...

Beck: These things break WAY too easy to my default weapon.

Beck: No joke!

Will: ...Really?? ?_?

Beck: Yeah!

Beck: Huh. Kinda weird that something is that big and it doesn't even hold well...

[CERCHINK--]

[A panel slides open behind Will, prompting him to turn around to watch it open--]

[ A black sphere with the CherryDyn logo on it juts out, pulsing with a sickly purple glow--there was no saving this data core, not when it was so corrupted like this.]

Will: The computer core--!

Will: (So it is infected...)

Will: Beck--

[SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH--!]

Beck: -Wha--

[The earth once again shakes, felt by all in the building--]

Beck: A--Another one??

Nameless: -SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

Beck: GAK--

[Wait, why is the floor moving BACKWARDS--]

<CROSS-REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: DWN-009>

Will: BECK!

[Chink--]

Will: --!

Will: No you DON'T--

[SHINK--!]

[Will manages to slash at the core with his Rapier before the panel shuts it away, the systems on the terminal glitching out as it went back into the M.O.M unit.]

Will: (I see now--)

Will: BECK!

Will: Keep breaking the Nameless!

Will: I'll destroy the core myself!

Beck: -BLAM BLAM- On it!

Beck: -Ugh, I didn't need a work out today, this thing is fast--

[BLAM--]

[CRAAAAAAASH--!]

Beck: Two down!

Will: (And the core should--)

[Right on cue, the core panel once again opens, the core itself revealed.]

[SHINK--!]

[ERROR--INTERNAL COMPUTER CORE DAMAGED.]

[PRODUCTION DOWN 25%]

Beck: It's working!

[S L A M--]

Nameless: SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE--

Beck: -Oh jeez--

<DWN-012>: > Guys are you okay in there

<DWN-012>: >DO YOU NEED STRUCTURAL ASSISTANCE

<DWN-013>: > -KINDA SOUNDS LIKE THE BUILDING’S FALLING ON TOP OF YOU OR SOMETHING?-

Will: Fine--we're fine, It's just Beck on the third of one of those things--

Will: -SHINK-

Will: I've damaged the computer core of the M.O.M unit, the production lines SHOULD be slowing down now!

[WHANG--]

Beck: --GUH--

[Beck struggles to keep an even footing on the moving assembly line, and failed to dodge an incoming arm from slamming into him AND the wall.]

Beck: ACK!

Will: You can DO this, Amadeus!

Will: Just hold on!

Beck: Nngh--

Beck: Y-Yes sir...

[ACCESSING XEL STOCK 1...]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

[As the third Nameless unit is felled, Will wasted no time moving from hacking the terminal to striking at the core the moment it came out of the panel, with quick thrusts and parries.]

[ERROR--PRODUCTION DOWN 50%, SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT.]

Will: (Ngh, I need--I need MORE than just this sword--)

Will: (But Beck is busy with the Nameless, and--!)

[There’s a shrill, FAMILIAR whistle that BLASTS across the feeds.]

Beck: --?!?

Beck: (No way--it--it can't be--)

Beck: (He can't be up already--?!)

“RRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNGGGGGHHH…”

Beck: --?????

[SCREEEEEEEEEEEE--]

[S L A M--]

Nameless: -HELL SCREECH-

Beck: Oh MAN--

Beck: (Help--)

[FOOSH.]

Will: --?!?

Will: Jazz?!

[Indeed. It was none other than Cardinal’s support unit—and BOY, did she seem to be in a BAD mood.]

Jazz: HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHSSSS!

Nameless: -HELL SCREEEEEEEEEEEE OF PAIN--

Beck: Jazz--!

Beck: : D

[While Beck was happy to see her, Jazz didn’t return the affection. She was angry, and vicious, and it showed.]

Jazz: >8K

Beck: --Oh right you're in pantheress mode, Kay then--

Jazz: >|K

Jazz: Ree-ow.

Beck: We need to take THIS big thing down!

Beck: -And keep them away from Dad while he does his thing, okay-

Jazz: -REE-OW.-

[SHING!]

[YUP. THOSE ARE CLAWS IF EVER THERE WERE SOME.]

Beck: O.O

Beck: -....NICE- ^.^

Beck: -Yes, there will be food after, we know you-

Beck: Let's get 'em, kitty! > : D

Nameless: -SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

Jazz: Ree-ow.

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

Will: (Oh, thank goodness, at least Beck will have some support...)

Will: (I still have to take out this core, but I have nothing else--)

[There was a squealing noise as Jazz dug her claws into the Nameless.]

Will: -OW, OUR EARS--

Will: --!

Will: (Wait...)

Will: (I DO have something else--)

-*-*-*-

Mikhail: At least take the sensory defense mechanism with you, Will!

Mikhail: I’m begging you—

Mikhail: You and Sanda are the ONLY friends I have ever since we were relocated in the protection program! PLEASE don’t get yourself hurt!

-*-*-*-

[Will scrambles to get the sensory defense mechanism off from around his neck--]

Will: (This--)

Will: (If I can get this right in the core, the signals should overload it and the system--!)

Beck: DAAAAD I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN DO THIS--!

Nameless: SCREEEEEEEEEE--

Will: Just a little longer--

Will: --And brace yourself--!

Beck: --?? Wha--

[CRAAAAAAASH--]

[Will presses the mechanism and throws it into the open panel, where it lands right on the computer core--]

Will: (I hope this works--!)

[The panel closes, and--]

[The closed panel prevented the blinding light, yes.]

[At least… the VISIBLE light… to the outside observer.]

[ERROR--E R R OR--]

[But the SOUND, and the SOUND and the LIGHT over the FEEDS—

Not so much.]

<DWN-012>: > -ERROR: DATA OVERLOAD-

<DWN-013>: > -ERROR: DATA OVERLOAD-

<CSU-001>: > -ERROR: DATA OVERLOAD-

[It was like every possible avenue related to the perception of vision and sound was overwhelmed in a blinding and deafening way. Both in the traditional sense and through data alone— it BLASTED throughout not only the entire factory, but also the building next door.

Although the concept had been originally designed specifically to fight against Robot Masters running a DWN_OS, it functioned through the use of sensory overload. Anything—even organic things—that had sensory perception was, to some degree, susceptible. This included the Mighty Numbers.]

Beck: -OW OWOWOWOW--

[MN.4] //: @~@

[MN.7] //: -ngh--cant see--!

[MN.6] //: -CRASH, OUCH, WE'RE OKAY BUT OW MAN WHO TURNED ON THE BRIGHTNESS SETTING TO EXTREMELY NOT OKAY--

[For Shade in particular, the experience was borderline torturous—his high sensitivity made it not merely uncomfortable—it made it PAINFUL.]

[MN.8] //: UUUGH WHAT THE DAMN HELL I S THAT--

[He was suddenly overcome yet again.

Memories of the fight bombarded him—recollections of times Cardinal had used Flash Stopper, of when he had let his fans screech loudly across the feeds—it cascaded and echoed back against the HORRIBLE sensation already being applied against him—]

[MN.8] //: -Ngh--!

[THUD--]

[MN.6] //: -Oh crud SHADE BRO ARE YOU OKAY--

[MN.8] //: -WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE--

Will: --?!?

[Will was taken aback at all of this, but didn’t have long to dwell on it.]

[E ROR LRKRKKDJSNAK--]

[SY TO TME F ISIALUT RE--]

Will: --!

[The lights and the holoscreens around the M.O.M unit blink out one by one, and then--

The assembly lines all over the factory come to a screeching halt.]

Beck: @~@

Beck: Uuugh, my head...

Will: ......

Will: >~>!;;;;

Will: (Er...Oops?)

Will: (I--er.)

Will: (Oh dear I really shouldn't ever make Mikhail angry ever again--)

Will: o~o;;;;;;

[MN.1] //: -Jaden???? Speedy????-

[The two of them were out cold, though they were still Online, at least.]

[MN.2] //: -YO THIS IS NO TIME TO BE TAKING A NAP BRO--

[SPLLIIIIIIISH--]

<DWN-012 is now Online.>

<DWN-012>: > -Gurgle noises-

[MN.2] //: -Rolls over to Jaden now--

[SPLLIIIIIIISH--]

<DWN-013 is now Online.>

<DWN-013>: > -AWAKE, SO AWAKE NOW— -

[MN.1] //: | / --Ngh--head still hurts, what WAS that--

[MN.2] //: -Yeah that was, like, WAY DIZZY-

[MN.3] //: -Bzzzz ugh is there such thing as robot asprin Because that would be nice right now--

<DWN-013>: > Ugh…

<DWN-013>: > That was Doctor Cossack’s robot mace.

<DWN-013>: > …On the lowest setting.

[MN.2] //: -YO ARE YOU FOR REAL-- --Wait what isn't Uncle Mikhail like back at the lab--

[MN.3] //: ...Hang on, didn't Doc Cosszzack give Daddy zzsomething like...?

<DWN-012>: > My head still hurts… man is that strong stuff.

<DWN-013>: > Is Shade okay?

[MN.6] //: Eeeeeeeh... -Gives the so-so kinda guesture-

[MN.8] //: -Incoherent data, mostly grumpy to angry data, but mostly discombobulated-

<DWN-013>: >Ow.

<DWN-013>: > …I don’t hear any more crashing noises, the production seems to have stopped…

<DWN-013>: >Does that mean we’re done here…? @~@

[PING!]

[DR.WHITE] //: ...

[DR.WHITE] //: ....Um. I-Is everyone--um...--MOSTLY alright--?

[DR.WHITE] //: -Dear god I am SO sorry I hadnoideathedevicewasthatpowerfulareanyofyouhurt--?????-

[DR.WHITE] //: -WE'RE SORRY, BECK WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE GIANT ROBOTS, THE CORE WASN'T--

[DR.WHITE] //: O~O

<DWN-013>: >I think Jazz is still stunned.

<DWN-013>: >There should… should be a button that does a hard reboot for systems on that device… it must still be intact, because destroying it sets off the highest setting.

<DWN-012>: > We’re okay, we’ve had worse—

[MN.1] //: Ngh... Besides minor damages from the fighting and a massive migraine...

[MN.8] //: -Sounds of stumbling and broken cursing-

[MN.1] //: ....We'll be alright, Father.

[DR.WHITE] //: -Oh thank God, for--for a moment I thought I had seriously hurt you all, I'm SORRY--

<DWN-013>: >No, noooope… >m> That was the LOWEST setting. That doesn’t… isn’t meant to do lasting harm.

[MN.9] //: @~# I really need to lie down...

<DWN-012>: > We should probably head back…

[MN.9] //: yeah that sounds nice, I'm--just gonna carry Jazz back after a bit--

Will: .......

Will: Beck.

Beck: --?

Will: Hold on to these for me.

[Will handed off both the device and his rapier off to Beck, who was resting besides a disabled Jazz.]

Beck: --???

Will: You go on ahead with Jazz without me.

Will: ....There is someone I must see first.

Beck: Huh?

Beck: I--I don't understand--

Beck: Who?

Will: ......

Will: -Puts a hand on Beck's head-

Will: Don't worry about it, alright?

Will: You make sure everyone gets out safely.

<DWN-012>: >You come back okay too then, or else Mikhail will give us an earful. |D;

Will: Eheh--yes, of course....

<DWN-013>: > …I honestly think he might have been put to sleep.

<DWN-013>: >Otherwise there’s no way he wouldn’t have been saying stuff through all of this.

<DWN-012>: >My point still stands…

Will: (Rest, that will do him some good...)

Will: I know.

Will: Just let me finish a few things here before I go.

Will: (Rather, go take care of some unfinished business.)

Beck: Okay....

Beck: Just don't take too long...

Will: I won't.

[Will fondly smiles at his son before turning around, tattered lab coat flowing behind him as he made his way towards a far off door.]

Will: (It's time you and I had a little chat...)

Will: (. . . Gregory Graham.)

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