=CHAPTER 5C: DESOLATE HIGHWAY=

              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

---

=PROLOGUE B: IT ALL BEGINS NOW=

~AO v1.0~

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

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

Worlds intertwined, destinies tethered….]

{JUNE 21st, TUMBLR 2016

11:45:08 AM}

<SEDW to RMDC>: >UPDATING DATABASE…

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

<RMDC>: >GENERATING CROSS-REFERENCES…

-PING-

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

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

<SEDW>: >OPEN FILE: REVELATION.EXE

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

<SEDW>: >OPEN FILE: DLN_COMBAT.EXE

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

[… … … …]

<RMDC>: >WARNING! UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED!

<SEDW>: >SYSTEM OVERRIDE

<RMDC>: >SYSTEM ERROR—

[DOWNLOAD IN PROGRESS: REVELATION.EXE

—AI_DWN_000: Loading…

—AI_DCN_000: Loading…

—AI_DWN_008: Loading…

—AI_DWN_011: Loading…

—AI_DWN_012: Loading…

—AI_DWN_013: Loading…

—AI_DWN_018: Loading…

—AI_DWN_019: Loading…

—AI_DWN_024: Loading…

—AI_DCN_003: Loading…

—AI_DCN_004: Loading…

—AI_DCN_007: Loading…

—AI_DCN_008: Loading…]

{The Meadow}

[…Sickness.

Madness.

Memories of the darkest times flooded the server.

Everyone woke up immediately.]

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

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

<DWN-012>: Wha?

<DWN-024>: What is happening?

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

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

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

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

[But no one heard him.

Everyone had suddenly been overcome by the directive.

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

A command to destroy.]

<DLN-008 has gone Offline.>

[…]

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

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

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

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

Cardinal: (Nnngggghhh…)

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

Memories bombarded him.]

-*-*-

((Art by dA user Thormeister))

-*-*-

[And then, suddenly…]

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

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

Cardinal: What was that?

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

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

…But why?]

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

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

Cardinal: …

“There was an attack on the server.”

Cardinal: ?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cardinal: What?

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

[…

…

There was suddenly an overwhelming surge of alarm.]

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

[Cardinal felt it, too.

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

Cardinal: (No, this can’t…)

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

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

What he saw…]

Cardinal: No…

Cardinal: -System scREECH- NOOOO!

<DLN-000 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DCN-000 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DLN-008 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DWN-011has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DWN-012 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DWN-013 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DWN-018 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DWN-019 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DWN-024 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DCN-003 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DCN-007 has entered Alert Combat mode.> <DCN-008 has entered Alert Combat mode.>

[Snow screamed.]

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

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

Things were rapidly getting out of control.]

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

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

[Tobias practically flung himself at the mainframe.]

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

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

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

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

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

“Once again, the president has declared a nationwide state of emergency. This, based on reports of haywire robots rampaging out of control in all 52 states. I’m being told we have a comment from Gregory Graham—“

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

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

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

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

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKHHHHH—

“Hellooooooooo! Is this thing on?”

Siamini: -Trills- What?!

Tobias: !?

[The electric optimist immediately sent out a notification.]

-PING!-

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

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

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

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

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

"EVERYWHERE!~ BWAHAHAHAHA!"

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

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

The cross-references were too strong.]

Jaden: (Saints preserve us…)

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

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

[Tobias was starting to feel frustrated.]

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

[Still no response.]

Avi: "Yup, we've got chaos here, chaos there on this BEEEEEAUTIFUL June 21, 20XX! Here on Avi News today, we've got exclusive coverage on today's top story!~

Avi: THE END OF THE WORLD, BABY!~

Tobias: Grrr…!

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

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

[Tobias…

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

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

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

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

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

<DLN-008>: > NOW!

[.......]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<DLN-008>: >Hilarious.

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

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

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

[MN.6] //: Who?

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

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

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

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

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

[…

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

[MN.6] //: BUT.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Suddenly--]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<DLN-008>: > Nggh—!

<DLN-008>: > NO!

<DLN-008>: >NO YOU WON’T!

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

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

[A surge of spurning willpower.

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

…And yet…]

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

He was holding back.]

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

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

<DLN-008>: > Grr…!

[A…

BLAST of RAW /GUILT/ AND REGRET]

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

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

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

[MN.6] //: NGH--

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

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

<DLN-008>: > …

<DLN-008>: >S-sorry…

<DLN-008>: >Nggh…! Now… please, stop!

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

[....Data.]

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

[Anger.]

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

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

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

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

[He never did finish his warning.

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

Tobias: -SCREAMS-

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

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

[MN.6] //: HA!

[Almost...Almost--!]

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

<DLN-008>: > S-stop… Avi, please…

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

[KKKKSSST!]

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

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

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

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

…He weakened.

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

And in that moment…

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

[MN.6] //: Finally--

[......]

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

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

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

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

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!”

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

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

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

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

…and the abyss was staring back.]

>PROCESSING ERROR: BETAEMOTIONS.EXE CONFLICT

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

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

>DISPLAYING ALL ENTRIES…

————————————

>VARIABLE: MNN-001

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

——————

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

——————

>ENTRY 3: DLN-000 JOURNAL ENTRY

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- -—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-002

>ENTRY 1: DLN-000 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: IALS JOURNAL ENTRY: CRUEL WATERS

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-003

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

——————

>ENTRY 2: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-004

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

——————

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

——————

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

——————

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

——————

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

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-005

>ENTRY 1: DLN-005 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 3: DWN-012 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 4: 05.07.2016 MEMORY DATA

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

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

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

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

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

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

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

>ERROR: EMOTIONS.EXE OVERLOAD

[…It only got WORSE.]

————————————

>VARIABLE: MNN-006

>ENTRY 1: DWN-012 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 2: IALS JOURNAL ENTRY: VENUS LIGHTHOUSE

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

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

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

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

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

——————

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

——————

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

——————

>ENTRY 5: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 6: DLN-008 JOURNAL ENTRY

——————

>ENTRY 7: DLN-008 DATA ENTRY

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- -—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

>VARIABLE: MNN-007

>ENTRY 1: IALS DATABASE JOURNAL ENTRY: RANGER TRAINING

"Too slow!"

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

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

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

"Let him go, Karst."

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

——————

>ENTRY 2: IALS DATABASE JOURNAL ENTRY: VENUS LIGHTHOUSE

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

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

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

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

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

——————

>ENTRY 3: IALS DATABASE JOURNAL ENTRY: JUPITER LIGHTHOUSE

——————

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

——————

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

——————

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

——————

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

——————

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

-*-

——————

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

——————

>ENTRY 10: 06.03.2016 MEMORY DATA

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

Blade: YOU FORFEIT.

[SHING!]

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

Dyna: -HISS-

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

-*-*-

SHINK.

Jack: —GNH!

All: !!!

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

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

-*-*-

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

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

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

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

Blade: ---?!?!

Dyna: Wha--!

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

Far from it.

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

Tobias was gathering all the negative charge to himself!]

Avi: oh SWEET MARMALINE--

Tobias: -D I E-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[And Blade?]

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

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

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

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

[Indeed.

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

Only moment had passed, but…]

Tobias: -THERE ARE MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM-

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

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

He had disregarded something very, VERY important.

Bladeblaster held his weakness.]

[What followed...]

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

Blade: -GLITCHED SCREECHING-

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

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

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

Avi: NO--!

SKLLLKTTKRRRSHHHLLLRRRKKT—

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

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

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

——————

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

————————————

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

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

…But STILL, it was not yet over.]

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

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

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

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

————————————

>VARIABLE: MNN-008

>CROSS REFERENCE IDENTIFIED: D E A T H

>DEATH WEARS BLUE

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

-*-*-

————————————————————————

[An error message then pops up.]

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

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

It became too much for him to take.]

[…]

[Uh-oh.]

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

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

<DWN-024>: > How dare you.

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

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

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

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

[MN.6] //: -GASPS-

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

[...Then...]

[Whatever was controlling him came right back.]

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

[KKKKKSSSSSST!!]

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

He had NOT been bluffing.]

<DCN-003>: > {FATHER!}

[…]

<MC005 IS ACCESSING ADMIN CODES…>

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

[MN.6] //: ngh--

[Suddenly--]

[With one fell swoop--]

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

[WARNING--SIGNAL HAS BEEN LOST.]

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

Mikhail: {NO! We were so, SO close—!}

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

Siam: Wait.

Digger: …?

Siam: WAIT.

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

Mikhail: ?!

Siamini: THE MAIN CHANNEL IS OPEN!

Mikhail: !!!

Mikhail: We… we have to—!

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

-PING!-

<MC005 to MNN-001>: > -STATUS INQUIRY-

[.......]

[MN.1] //: RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

[Mikhail was quite taken aback.]

Mikhail: ?!

[MN.1] //: B U R N.

[MN.1] //: A L L... M U S T...

[MN.1] //: BUUUUUUUURRRN!

Mikhail: .______.;;;

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

Said hands were in gloves, as usual—

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

[MN.1 HAS BLOCKED MC005]

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

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

Shadow: (I do not understand…)

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

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

[No response, at first.

He tried again.]

<DWN-024>: > -Ping.-

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

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

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

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

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

[Shadow scowled.]

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

<DWN-024>: > {We need your help—}

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

[Despair. Horror.]

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

[…Fear.

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

Fear. Overwhelming, growing FEAR.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Okay, now he was beginning to panic.

He tried to lock onto Brandish’s signal.]

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

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

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

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

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

[MN.7 HAS BLOCKED DWN-024.]

Shadow: -Just. Speechless.- (No…)

[…Was this… despair…?

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

[Things were looking very grim.]

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

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

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

((Just some pics of our lady sniper. Just stuff I did for fun, really.))

---

=CHAPTER 2C: BEYOND THE WATERY VORTEX=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

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

{Meanwhile, in Kansas City…}

[Cardinal and Drake had worked through the rest of the afternoon and evening, and into the morning hours.

It had been hard on them both, and they were both very tired. The blazing heat of the summer sun beat down with a merciless 102ºF.

Drake had valiantly pulled an overnighter as they went around from landmark to landmark; after their help at the zoo, word had started to spread about their actions. Not all communications were down for the count, though they were pretty limited to specific radio frequencies.

Cardinal was grateful that security officers, policemen, and employees were no longer hostile to him. He really preferred working WITH people, rather than having to deal with (un)friendly fire and explain after the fact.]

Cardinal: You holding up there okay, Drake…?

[He was starting to get concerned for his human travel companion. The only rest he’d been able to get was here and there while Cardinal was out in the field, fighting infected Xelbots. For the most part, he had refused to rest, instead helping out with evacuations. Cardinal had more or less forced him to rest at their last stop, as he knew he’d be in the museum a while. He was pretty sure that the man hadn’t eaten, either.]

Drake: You're asking me if I'm okay? You're the one doing all the fighting. I can handle this, don't worry.

Cardinal: (Uh-huh. And I’m… … I’m too tired to think of an analogy, ugh…)

[As much as Drake’s presence helped things go smoothly, though, he was relieved that their time evacuating the landmarks was just about at a close. While things were far from safe in the city, all the forces he had helped free up were spread out and assisting in curbing the damage. Things were almost stable… for an apocalypse, that is.

And not an hour too soon.

While Cardinal didn’t need to eat or sleep the way a human would, and could handle the heat a lot better… he still required energy, and was really prone to wearing himself out the longer he engaged in combat. Especially in the sweltering summer rays.

He was getting uncomfortably hot, and perilously close to overheating.]

Drake: ...You don't look so good either, friend. Don't you think you should take it a little easy? You're gonna burn yourself out at this rate.

Cardinal: Ha… I’ll be fine, I’ve been through much worse than this…

Jazz: Ree-owwwr…

[Cardinal looked down at his cat. She was staring up at the arena they had teleported to, tail twitching in anticipation of battle.

Cardinal put his hands to his hips and vented a deep sigh and as much heat as he could rid from his system.]

Cardinal: …I keep forgetting how big these buildings are. I’m used to an aerial view…

[Technically true.

But it was more that in his world…

…Arrowhead Stadium wasn’t a battle arena.]

Cardinal: Well, no time like the present. Do the people inside know we’re coming?

Drake: They know YOU’RE coming. There’s apparently a recruiter trapped in the basement who’s very curious about where you came from.

Cardinal: They wouldn’t be the first. I got that the last time I visited the arena in Titus, too, heh… though I left before the recruiters showed up.

Drake: I still can’t believe you’re friends with the Mighty Numbers. -Shakes his head- Crazy world…

Cardinal: -Looking up at the sky- About to get crazier….

Drake: …Heading on in?

Cardinal: Yeah. This time, though, Jazz stays with you.

Drake: …? Are you… sure about that?

[Cardinal turned and looked over his shoulder with a frown.]

Cardinal: There are a number of Combat ‘bots around here that have gone crazy. You’ll need the protection.

Drake: …Truuuuuue…

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: “But…”?

Drake: …But you’re…

Drake: Kinda going into the middle of a lot of high- and mid-ranking battle ‘bots…

[Cardinal put on a cheeky grin.]

Cardinal: Nothing I can’t handle.

Drake: By yourself?

Cardinal: Just long enough to get backup from the security people once the building is evacuated. So, what… fifteen minutes?

Drake: If you’re sure.

Cardinal: I’m very sure. However…

Drake: Yes?

Cardinal: -Points- After this, you should go home. I’m afraid I can’t teleport you there without exact coordinates, but…

Drake: -Handwaves it- I’ll get a ride or crash at somebody’s place or a church or something. What about you? Will you head back to Titus?

Cardinal: -Shakes his head- I wish. If I go home, or to Sanda Enterprises, they’ll make me stop. I can’t go home until my mission is over. (One way or another.)

[Cardinal used ITEM-2!]

Cardinal: See you as soon as things get under control.

[With that, he took off into the sky. It wasn’t long before he was looking down at a familiar scene of chaos—]

KKKKKWWWWWWHHHHHHHH!

Cardinal: !!

[He was suddenly hit by a blast of turbulence. He had to overcompensate for it—]

WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!

Cardinal: Gyah—!

[Another blast!]

Cardinal: (These aren’t random! They’re—)

[There was a deafening noise as he was caught up in a blast that had also sent dust and debris flying. Blinded by the grit that slammed into his vents, he couldn’t see well enough to combat the next blast.]

Cardinal: AAAAAAHHH—!

[He was knocked from his windsurfer and sent crashing to the sands below.]

Cardinal: (Not this time!)

[He immediately teleported to the ground. The momentum he had gained in that brief moment still traveled with him, and he hit the ground hard enough to really feel it.]

Cardinal: (Ugh!)

[Just as the dust was clearing up, there was a loud whipping noise and something snagged his left ankle.]

Cardinal: !

“Got the little blaster!”

Cardinal: -More than a little aggravated- Oh do you really?

[YANK!]

[He was dragged a good yard upon the sands.]

Cardinal: Hey! -Reverting to heat vision- Cut that out!

[Cardinal used QUICK BOOMERANG!]

“AUGH!”

[His aim held true, which wasn’t hard—he just had to follow the trajectory of the rope tied around him, and the sharp projectiles found a score deep in the Xel of the ‘bot trying to wrangle him. Five shots, all fired in extremely quick succession. The rope went slack.]

“Get your act together, Cassidy!”

[Cardinal could now make out what appeared to be a rancher-themed Xelbot, seething as he tried to minimize the Xel loss from the wounds. One of his hands had been badly gashed, and a couple of the boomerangs had nicked his abdomen.]

Cassidy: Easy for YOU to say, Laura!

[Cardinal took the chance to cut himself loose and spring to his feet.]

Cassidy: [Glitch—]

[BANG!]

Cardinal: -Glares- Are you seriously—

[K-ZAP!]

[Cardinal’s words were stolen by a bolt that jolted through him like white fire.

While he wasn’t really particularly vulnerable to electricity, he was running hot. It didn’t help, and he felt seared by the heat.]

Cassidy: HA! Good one, Jones!

[The female voice called out again.]

Laura: Get ‘im, Dell!

[Cardinal had to roll to the side to avoid an incoming throwing axe. He scrambled to his feet, but…]

Dell: Yer gonna be nothin’ but Xel stains, city slicker!

[Cardinal leaped into the air, jumping to avoid shots from Cassidy as another axe came bearing down on where he was. It was only then that he noticed it.

The sands were covered in piles and puddles of sickly looking Xel, with some cores scattered here and there.

Whatever had been going on before he turned up… it hadn’t gone well for a loooooot of people.]

Cassidy: Regular jackrabbit, aincha!

Dell: Oi, Laura! This one’s puttin’ up a fight! You want in on the fun?

[When the lady turned around, Cardinal got a sinking feeling.

She must look fair enough on a normal day. Dirty blond hair done up in pigtails, with freckles and a big smile. Sturdily built—strong and stocky enough to wield her weapon of choice effortlessly.

But with the infected glow in her eyes and the Xel that covered the wicked scythe she was holding—not to mentioned splattered all across her overalls—she looked axe-crazy.]

Laura: He’s not going anywhere! Strike him!

[Cardinal teleported across the sands to be closer to her, and not a moment too soon. Another bolt of electricity zapped the spot where he had been.

Getting closer also proved to be a bad idea. He was immediately forced to shield against a threshing blow.]

Laura: Bah! Think you’re all that with that trick of yours? You must be—

[Cardinal dropped to the ground and gave a low kick, knocking her off balance. He teleported rather than scrambling to his feet, opting to stand against a wall with his shield out in front of him.

As the team gathered out together, he could finally make out who they all were.]

((Pic—Cardinal v Prairie Kings))

[There were five of them, mostly the size of an average human person. They all seemed to carry a farming and ranching theme, though the enormous wind ‘bot in the back stood out.]

[KRAK—]

[This time, he shielded against the bolt that came hammering into him.]

Cardinal: (Augh! I’ll have to keep moving around as long as they keep throwing lightning at me! Who is even doing that? I don’t see an electric ‘bot out there!)

[He didn’t bother thinking on it much.]

[Cardinal used MAGNET MISSLE!]

[The three homing shots zoomed off to their different targets. Cassidy tried to dodge, only to find that they were HOMING shots. Dell tried to axe his, causing it to explode on impact. As for the third…]

The path was disrupted and the ground shook as a fierce wind ripped up the sands. It was a stronger wind than the Magnet Missile was meant to handle, and it exploded harmlessly in the air. The same could not be said for Cardinal, however.

It was all he could do to keep ahold of his shield. He WAS, however, tossed a good few yards before the wind subsided.]

Cardinal: (Gaaahhhh…! I can’t fly in this, and I can’t use homing shots either! If those don’t work, there’s no way any of the other projectiles would, either! And I can’t use fire here… there are people’s cores in the sand!)

Laura: Got you on the run, do we, ya big wannabe? What’s the matter, at a loss for words?

Cardinal: Who are you people?

Laura: Boy, you must really have your self-important big-city head up your chass, or live under a rock so primitive it’d make the Flinstones ashamed. -Holding her hand out in a “stop” gesture at the one with a pitchfork- You really ARE a special kind of stupid to come challenge us without even knowing what you’re dealing with! But then again…

[She flared up with aura, bearing down in his direction with surprising speed.]

Laura: Nobody out there CARES as they should about them “flyover” states!

[Cardinal turned to shield it, using the small port at the top of the shield to open fire.]

[BLAM!]

[The short range plasma blast only seemed to serve to make her angry. Cardinal moved quickly on his feet, turning to teleport out into the open where could fire out of her range.

Doing so earned him another blast from the wind, kicking up Xel and sand in his face. Momentarily blinded by the Xel interfering with heat signals, he was easy prey for a merciless lightning strike. This time, it left behind persistent static in his audio receptors.]

Cardinal: (NO—!)

[The farm girl fighter laughed to see his predicament.]

Laura: Sturdy for something your size, aren’t you? Well! You sure still can’t keep up with the Prairie Kings, that’s for sure!

Cardinal: Grrr…!

[He refused to be taunted like this. It set off something deeper within him—a resentment, a malice—a wounded sense of pride.]

Cardinal: If I can handle the Mighty Numbers…

[He abruptly teleported atop the wind bot.]

Laura: ?!

Cardinal: I can certainly send you lot PACKING!

[Cardinal used CRASH BOMB!]

[The wind bot whipped up a violent gust as drills bore into it, the bombs flashing.]

Laura: JONES! COVER FOR ALLEY!

[Cardinal used LEAF SHIELD!]

[The sudden swirling cloud of ceratanium leaves served as a shield against the lightning strike that followed.]

Cardinal: -Broadcasts his whistle, LOUDLY-

[The piercing tones seemed to cause as much pain and discomfort as they did for Shade. It was the few second distraction Cardinal needed.

He vaulted off of Alley’s back and cast the sharp cloud of leaves behind him.

There was a satisfying grinding and scraping noise, followed by broken squeals. Just then, the bombs went off as well, causing the massive fighter to sway in pain.]

Cardinal: Sorry to ruin your slaughter show, Miss Laura!

[BWIP!]

[Cardinal used SUPER ARM!]

[WHOOMP!]

[The wind generator was knocked over onto his face by a powerful punch from behind. When Cardinal emerged again, he was using another windsurfer. He shot up into the air.]

Cardinal: But your fun and games are OVER!

Laura: GET HIM!

[Cardinal shielded to avoid a lightning bolt from frying his systems. He took comfort in the rush of movement, which served to help cool his systems.

It was now a matter of time that would determine if he could last, more than anything else. If he didn’t wrap this up before his core got too hot, then…]

Cardinal: -Shakes the thoughts off- Time for a lesson in versatility, Prairie Kings!

[Cardinal used MAGNET MISSILE!]

[Without Alley to sweep aside projectiles with gusts of wind, the missiles could not be prevented from reaching their targets. Cardinal didn’t wait in the same spot, instead increasing his speed to head right for Cassidy.

The ranch hand cursed and fired at him, but Cardinal shielded that easily.]

Cardinal: Sorry, kid, but it’s time you moseyed on home!

[Cardinal used QUICK BOOMERANG!]

[Abruptly making a sharp bank, the veteran turned and fired at the team member with the pitchfork.

Dell tried to take advantage of the opening to hurl an axe at him, but Cardinal had teleported out of the way in plenty of time.

He chose to land right by his target, lashing out in a new cast.]

[Cardinal used TOP SPIN!]

[The sharp wires ensnared the pitchfork and recoiled, whirring mercilessly as they cut their way right through it with a satisfying SNAP!]

Dell: By George, he’s stolen Jones’s thunder!

[Ah. So THAT’S where the lightning had been coming from.]

[BLAM! BLAM BLAM BLAM!]

[His quarry was not very defensive based, despite his stocky build. Jones swung to box at Cardinal, but the latter just dropped to the ground and rolled aside. He grinned as he looked up on his back, and—]

Jones: -PAIN!-

Cassidy: Damn bastard! That there’s fightin’ DIRTY!

[Cardinal laughed mercilessly as he sprung to his feet and vaulted over Jones, pushing him face-first into the sands.]

Cardinal: All’s fair in love and war, kid!

[He teleported during his flying leap, bearing down on the ranch hand with the full force of the tackle. The two of them hit the sands.]

Cardinal: Game over!

[Cardinal used QUICK BOOMERANG!]

[He riddled his opponent with boomerangs, causing him to cry out in pain. Cardinal gave a ping of sympathy as he teleported off of him, leaving him to bleed out into the sands.]

Cardinal: (I’m sorry, Shade!)

[Cardinal used MAGNET MISSILE!]

Cardinal: (But…! There’s still a chance for these people to be detained, if they’re hurt badly enough! If I have to, I’ll put them out of their misery, but…)

Cardinal: (If it comes to that, grant me your strength of nerve!)

[He turned his attention to Dell, who did not seem to be pleased to deal with a flying opponent. Cardinal couldn’t help but smirk a little—it was obvious to him that as a close-combat type of fighter, he relied on Alley to knock opponents out of the sky and keep them grounded.]

Dell: Ugh, condescending punk! Get off your high horse, ya big coward!

[He tossed a throwing axe at the windsurfer, but Cardinal swerved aside to avoid it.]

Cardinal: Time’s up, Dell.

[Cardinal used QUICK BOOMERANG!]

[A stream of the projectiles littered the sands in a straight line before finding score on the infected fighter. He gave a glitched screech of pain, becoming frenzied.]

>WARNING! WEAPON ENERGY LOW: QUICK BOOMERANG

Cardinal: (Ugh, great—)

[He quickly set the hardware that held additional capsules to switch out that particular Power Capsule for the one containing the Ring Boomerang.]

[WHUNK!]

[This time, the windsurfer was hit. Cardinal gave off an annoyed buzzing sound, impatient for the capsule to load into place.]

Cardinal: Send my regards to dreamland!

[Cardinal used RING BOOMERANG!]

[A direct hit, right to the collarbone! Cardinal grimaced at the damage, infected Xel beginning to seep out of the wounds.

He didn’t get long to dwell on the carnage, though.]

WWWHHHKT!

[He abruptly fell over backwards off of the windsurfer as a rope of sorts suddenly ensnared him by the neck. As he hit the sands, he was dismayed to see Cassidy back on his feet, hellbent on destruction despite his heavy injuries. He was flared up with the infected aura, and gave a hard yank on the noose.]

Cardinal: HNNN—!

[The crushing bind caused fraying in his audio cables, deafening him entirely. It was also crushing parts of his coolant system and mobility rig, causing oil and other fluids to build up at his jaw hinges and leak out the sides of his mouth.

Heat was also starting to build up in his skull, and he felt disoriented by the system-wide warnings that he was approaching dangerous temperatures. If he teleported while running this hot, he would definitely overheat and start taking damage to his mobility rig and processors.]

[YANK!]

[Cardinal dropped his shield, grabbing at the rope as he used some surge to repair the audio cables.

It was lucky he did, or he might not have heard the two other fighters bearing down on him.]

Cardinal: !!!

[Cardinal used SKULL BARRIER! Cardinal used SUPER ARM!]

[He flared up with ghostly flames and pulled on the rope with all his might, pulling it right out of the rancher’s hands. The knot of the noose was sliced clean through as Laura’s scythe came down right on his throat. There was a shrieking noise as the blade clashed against the barrier protecting him from getting beheaded.

It also served to bounce off the broken pitchfork that had been slammed into his left foot in an attempt to pin him in place.]

Cardinal: This ends NOW!

[Cardinal used THUNDER BEAM!]

[Shrieks of pain as an extremely powerful bolt of lightning shot out in three directions. Laura was caught directly in the crossfire of the tri-directional beam.]

Cardinal: Shoulda brought candles, Laura!

[Cardinal used SPARK SHOCK!]

[He immediately followed up with another electrical attack, broadcasting his quips over the blast of electricity.]

Cardinal: It’s LIGHTS OUT for you!

[Cardinal used SUPER ARM!]

[He grabbed the fallen leader and slammed her into Jones, who was still trying to skewer him with what was left of his pitchfork. The two were sent flying into a wall.]

[Cardinal used NEEDLE CANNON!]

[He quickly turned and fired at Cassidy, impaling him dead-on with an enormous needle. The rancher staggered back and fell to the ground.]

Cardinal: So STAY DOWN!

[Cardinal used HYPER BOMB!]

[He hurled the massive explosive right at the two of them, as well as one at the fallen wind ‘bot.]

<DLN-000>: >EVERYONE TAKE COVER!

[He grabbed his shield and braced himself.]

[The explosion was a deafening roar of fire, and there was a great crashing noise as parts of the stadium seating were sent flying. Even with his shield taking the brunt of the blasts, he was still slammed into the wall.]

>WARNING! INTERNAL TEMPERATURE HAS EXCEEDED SAFE LEVELS!

[It was only when the debris finally stopped falling that he finally dared to look out from behind his shield, gasping for air.

There was no sign of his opponents, nor of their weapons. Sand had been kicked up everywhere, covering up the cores that had been scattered throughout the field. Not surprising, considering he’d used explosives that were designed for flattening buildings. Rather excessive.

No kill like overkill.]

Cardinal: (No… where IS everybody…)

>WARNING! INTERNAL TEMPERATURE HAS EXCEEDED SAFE LEVELS!

[Cardinal fumbled for an E-tank. It was a precious resource to use, but he had to do his best to heal all the damage done before anyone tried to give him medical attention.

The high dose of concentrated surge was like a refreshing plunge into warm water—he felt revitalized, and no longer as thirsty. All the beating he’d taken melted away, leaving him whole…]

>WARNING! INTERNAL TEMPERATURE HAS EXCEEDED SAFE LEVELS!

[…if on the edge of blacking out.]

Cardinal: -Staggers to his feet, venting heavily- (Need to at least make it into the shade…)

[He only made it to the entrance before the heat became too much.]

>INITIATING PROTOCOLS…

>POWERING DOWN…

[He didn’t even have time to respond to the incoming radio messages before dropping down to the sand.]

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

=BONUS CONTENT: BONUS SCENE #4=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

((Incomplete prewriting: 07/04/2016T medal ceremony and speeches))

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

{July 4th, 20XX}

[The sky was clear and bright on the morning of Independence Day as the Mighty Numbers took their seats in the crowd.]

((Pings between them as someone—maybe Beck—asks if they know what’s going on. Jack adds that it’s a good question.))

[They were not alone; Jack, the Rebel Angels, the Sandas, and the Cossacks were all there with them. The Robot Masters were in their armor, looking very much uneasy and feeling out of place.]

<DWN-024>: > {All we know is that President Morandi is making a speech. Why we have to be here, I do not know—but Mikhail seemed to think it was important.}

((Some back and forth about this))

<DWN-019>: >Well, I for one find it rather impressive <DWN-019>: >that they put together the setup so quickly!

[They were all gathered together in one of the city gardens. There was a large, grassy field where tables and chairs had been set up, as well as a small platform and a podium. The garden was decorated in red, white, and blue, with the Old Glory proudly on display in the form of small flags in the centerpieces on the tables, and as a large flag near the podium. The garden seemed untouched by the chaos of the last two weeks: indeed, it was as if it had never happened here.]

((Someone remarks that Felix must have come by in the night to restore the gardens to their former glory.))

[The man in question was seated at a nearby table, quietly playing with string. He was hard to recognize at first; he wasn’t wearing his usual gear, and was dressed instead to fit in with the rest of the crowd as much as possible.

Beside him sat several others that they had met on their journey or otherwise knew well—some having traveled for the occasion, and others having returned home to Titus itself.]

Beck: (There’s Mao, Felix… that must be Eli with Gwen and the baby…. And I’ll bet that’s Drake there with them, too.)

[He could see other Xelbots in the crowd as well—most he recognized from advertisements, though a few he had met in person.]

Beck: (Plume, Cassidy, Laura… not sure who the one with the wolf outfit is, but I know I’ve seen her before…)

[There were many dozens of other people he didn’t recognize, and the reporters—]

Beck: -Double take- (Goose?)

[MN.9] //: Goose, is that you?

[The mirror punplane give a winning smile and a thumbs up in the distance. He was in his Civilian form, and only recognizable to those who knew him. He seemed to be standing in for Avi, as far as Beck could tell.]

Beck: (I guess Kate must be here, too…. I don’t see her, though…)

[He turned around to sit back down in his seat, swinging his legs a bit beneath the table.]

Beck: (I wonder what everyone’s here for…)

[He didn’t have long to wait to find out. Soon, the music from the live band faded, and the chatter started to die down. When everything was quiet, the person at the podium began speaking.]

“Would everyone please rise for our national anthem…”

[There was a slight rumble from chairs being pushed back and people standing up. Attention was given to the flag as the song began to play, and the woman at the podium sang in a clear voice. Emotion flickered through the crowd, and the public channels became an almost stifling sea of pride, devotion, sorrow, joy, anxiety, and hope. Even with tuning all but his family out, the channel was still filled primarily with Bat’s rather strong emotion stirred up by the anthem, which overpowered the others’.]

[MN.2] //: Careful there, Batty! Don’t go all waterworks on us when we’re on TV!

[MN.5] //: ((Some sort of retort to this))

[MN.1] //: Settle down, you two. Secretary Donald is about to speak.

[The Secretary of Defense was sharply dressed, and gave off an air of authority.]

[MN.3] //: I wonder when he got hiszz other clotheszz. He didn’t have that uniform with him when you brought him back from the White House, did he?

[MN.7] //: Quiet—

[MN.3] //: Oh, pleaszze—he’szz juszzt introduczzing Madame Prez. No biggie.

[MN.5] //: Look sharp! He just said for the audience to be seated!

[There was a moment of quiet whispering as President Minerva Morandi came and took the podium. A hush fell over the crowd, and then she began speaking.]

Min: Thank you all for coming here. Some of you have traveled long and far to be here, and I assure you—each and every one of you is appreciated and welcomed here today.

[She spoke in a relaxed tone, one that was informative in nature. The same kind of tone you might find in a classroom.]

Min: Today we celebrate and honor Independence Day. This living memorial to the American spirit dawned this year on the tail of one of the most devastating disasters in our nation’s history: arguably the worst crisis in living memory for many of us here today.

Min: A fortnight ago, a crippling virus went live and swept across the nation. This plague of violence and destruction lasted eleven consecutive days. During this time, many homes were destroyed, families scattered, and priceless lives lost forever. We stand here today in a nation recovering from grievous injury: a desolation that has not been seen outside of times of war or terror. The scale is a likes of which has never before been seen in our nation’s history, and will be remembered in the tides of time along with 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. We are all—at most—only one or two degrees of separation from loss. Truly, it has been an ordeal that we will never forget.

[There was a moment of somber silence out of respect for the honored dead, leaving them alone in their thoughts.]

((Reflection on this))

[Min spoke up again.]

Min: And yet, the sun rises. It rose today on a free nation, full of brave men and women who stood tall against the darkness. It rose today on a people of unbroken spirit: a people unconquered by fear or despair. It rose today on a nation that still retains her greatest assets: the dream of a bright, prosperous, and peaceful future… and the people who live to carry out this dream through their force of will.

[She spoke more intensely now.]

Min: You all have heard tales of our countless heroes: from those who serve in an official capacity, to the everyday man brought up to the challenge. For every report of chaos, there is a report—or several—of great deeds. But the greatest story has yet to be told: and that is one we must write ourselves. A story we will write together, standing truly united.

Min: And that is the story of how we rose again, like a phoenix from the ashes, to stand once again as the shining city on a hill.

Min: This is our story. It does not end with desolation and despair—instead, it carries on past the dark and into the dawn. Yes, the sun rises: and it shines down on potential. From the clouds we will spin our own silver linings. We are not a people who break under terror—not in the dismal moments of our distant past, and not after the dark days of the present.

Min: We are a people of spirit: the drive to produce, to create something new. The burning desire to secure a safe and eager future for our friends and loved ones has not diminished, and this fire will carry us through as we pull together and rebuild.

Min: We will work together, side by side. Not just with each other, but also with our friends and allies. Together, we will bring life back to our cities, and peace back to our people!

[There were loud cheers at this, and much applause. Minerva smiled and looked down over her glasses.]

Min: It will not be easy, but nothing worth doing is painless. There will be obstacles—for that is the way that life is.

Min: But we shall overcome them, just as our ancestors overcame the great trials of their pasts. Working together, we will reach for the stars—and together, we shall thrive.

Min: I leave you now with the words of one such hero—words we all can live by.

Min: “Hope LIVES.”

((Undoubtedly some reaction to this))

Min: As long as we hold on to that hope, and do not let it die… working together, we can travel the roads wherever our dreams take us.

Min: Let the fire of hope burn brightly within each and every one of you not only this day, but in the days to come. Do not be afraid to pitch in—no good deed, however small, is without meaning.

Min: And remember: greatness starts with you. It cannot be done without you.

Min: Thank you.

[There was another round of applause, and Minerva stepped down and off to the side, speaking with some individuals who were standing near a table in the back. Meanwhile, Desmond came back up to the podium. He began to speak when the noise died down.]

Des: As the President alluded to, the past few days have been filled with tales of heroic deeds, great and small. The greatest of these have caught the media by storm, and their stories have been heard across the community. Today, we shall recognize these heroes, and give them the full honors that they have earned.

((Some reaction and excitement as they suddenly realize THAT'S why they're there today))

[As they were talking among themselves, Desmond began calling off names. As each person was listed off, they came forward to the platform. There, after Desmond gave a brief description of their bravery and heroic deeds, Minerva presented them with medals and shook their hands.]

((More excitement, Avi recognizes half these stories, Bat’s explaining what the medals are for, etc. etc.))

[There were now only three boxes left on the table.]

Des: ((Calls off Jack’s name))

Jack: —?!!?!

((YAAAAY JACKIE))

[An invisible hand yoinked the stunned CDN out of his seat and gave a prompting nudge forward, almost causing him to stumble.]

<FMN-008>: > Congratulations, Jackie. <3

Jack: ((STILL VERY MUCH ALL ???!?))

((Pic—Jack receiving his medals))

Des: ((Gives an account of Jack’s daring and heroic venture to evacuate the Space Needle in the midst of a rainstorm while under fire, and awards the Secretary of Defense Medal for Valor and Presidential Citizens Medal))

[There was a loud round of applause and the Mighty Numbers cheered.]

((Various more YAAAAAAY JACKIE, and then he goes off to his seat again rather stunned))

[There was a moment of silence after the applause died down, with Des taking a pause. It seemed to draw and heighten attention.]

Des: With heroism comes sacrifice—the sacrifice of self for the sake of others. Not every tale of heroic deeds is without price—and it is such a sacrifice that we recognize now.

((Reaction to this))

Des: At this time, we ask that Cardinal Light’s representative please come forward to receive the medals in his place.

[There was a sudden burst of anxiety across the feeds.]

<DWN-012>: >Wait—one of us has to go up there? On international TV?

<DWN-011>: >Who?

<DWN-013>: >Well, with Cardinal gone, Nico's the acting head of the family…

<DWN-018>: >I don't—!

<DWN-018>: >Can't— can't someone—

<DWN-018>: > -HELP, CAN'T SOMEONE ELSE DO THIS— -

[Aww, that was very much pleading data being sent to the Mighty Numbers—]

[MN.2] //: ...UH, OKAY, SHADE BRO—

[MN.8] //: -Grumbles- -Me goin' up there is gonna stir up trouble-

[MN.5] //: -THEN WE WILL—-

[MN.1] //: Stand down, Bat.

[MN.1] //: As head of this family...I think I should go. From one leader to another.

[Pyro strode up to the platform, standing at the ready. He looked very snappy in the fireproof suit that Felix had made for him, which had finally been put to good use.]

((Pic—Cardinal (as a ghostly entity) being presented with his medals))

Des: When the virus broke out, Cardinal Light set about personally evacuating all of Kansas City’s major landmarks, fighting his way non-stop through several days of combat before he succumbed to internal injuries. This did not deter him from setting out to find his best friend—a journey which took him to the White House. Working under fire, he successfully evacuated the White House of all visitors and personnel with only one casualty—himself.

((Reactions to this))

Des: Although he is sadly not able to be here today, we recognize Mr. Light’s great efforts in helping the heartland and the nation’s capital. He is hereby awarded: the Presidential Medal of Freedom…

[Minerva began pinning the medals to his suit.]

Des: …the Medal of Honor…

Bat: ((Remarks on how he is getting REALLY high honors))

Shade: ((Reflects on this))

Des: …the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal…

Shade: ((More internal commentary))

Des: …and the Purple Heart.

Shade: ((Final—likely wistful or rueful—commentary))

[There was another round of applause, and Minerva shook Pyro's hand firmly.]

Min: When he wakes up again properly, let him know that we'd like to see him, hmm?

Pyro: I will make sure he knows.

[After the applause died down, Pyro took his seat again.]

Pyro: -Touches the medals lightly- ((Internal commentary/reflection))

[Murmurs ran through the crowd with excitement. The air seemed charged—and not just with Tobias and Dyna being on the edge of their seats in anticipation.]

Des: Finally, we recognize the hero who made today possible. The young man who saved not only his family, but the lives of everyone across this nation—and the welfare of those in nations beyond it.

((EXCITED CHATTER))

Des: ((Calls Beck forward))

[Loud cheers erupted from EVERYBODY there as Beck took the stage, creating a din that Des didn’t even try to talk over.]

Beck: ((Reaction to this))

[The noise _eventually_ died down.]

((Pic—Beck getting his medals))

Des: ((Goes on to summarize and praise BECK, THE HERO, going over how he rescued his family and those that had been trapped, cleaning up Titus, purging the virus once and for all, and restoring everyone back to their healthy selves. He is awarded with: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Secretary of Defense Medal for Valor, and Health and Human Services Secretary's Recognition Award.))

Beck: ((ALL THESE FEELS, HOW TO HANDLE THEM))

[The crowd roared and cheered again, and he got a standing ovation. Fireworks went off overhead.]

((YAAAAAAY BEEEEEEECK, OUR HEROOOOOO

HEROOOOOOOO))

Beck: ((PEOPLE BELIEVE IN ME NOW, AAAAA))

((HEROOOOOOO))

Min: Congratulations, Mighty Number Nine!

((HEROOOOOOOOOOOOOO))

Beck: ((Concluding thoughts on the matter, hope lives))

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

=CHAPTER 8A: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @unluckyadept,  @codedhopes))

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

{ Sanda Enterprises

JUNE 30th, 7:30 AM }

[Breakfast that morning started out as such an exciting and encouraging affair.

The house was full again—full of noise, that is, and commotion.

Pyrogen had been forced to go out early to buy groceries, as Seismic had cleared out everything from both fridges and all the pantries once he was well enough to slightly move. Considering he hadn’t eaten in days, that wasn’t really a surprise.]

[In addition to the sticky glory and sugar that was syrup, there was plenty else to give one reason to bounce off the walls…

…not that the syrup wasn’t enough a reason on it’s own, of course…]

Beck: -IT'S MINE.-

Avi: -BECK COME ON YOU CAN'T JUST HOG THE SYRUP BOTTLE LIKE THAT, BRO-

Beck: -RUNS-

Beck: -SUGAAAAAR-

Avi: WE GOT A RUNNER--

[Cryo suddenly springs forth from her own personal freezer in an effort to stop him--]

Cryo: HAND OVER THE SYRUP BOTTLE BRO--

[...Only to find that Beck had vaulted over her to skid around towards the kitchen exit.]

Cryo: HEY NO FAIR--

Beck: -THE SYRUP IS MINE, NO ONE CAN HAVE IT-

[Avi hovers after him, camera drone floating beside him.]

[MN.6] //: -PING- -WE GOT A RUNNER, FOUR FOOT NINE, BLUE NEBULA SHIRT, WE ARE IN HOT PURSUIT, SUBJECT IS HYPER AND VERY STICKY--

Pyro: AVI, NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE--

Brand: ........

Brand: -It's too early for this--

<DWN-024>: > -Snorts- Is your breakfast always this chaotic, Sensei?

Shadow: -I can hear you all ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FLOOR, how even-

[MN.7] //: I'd say 'you have no idea' but then again....

[MN.5] //: -PRIVATE WHAT IN TARNATION ARE YOU DOING--

[MN.4] //: -Whoops, Beck's on a sugar rush, better stay out of the way-

Dyna: I'M NOT CATCHING HIM, HE'LL RUIN MY CLOTHES--

Pyro: -SIGH-

Pyro: -Just USE YOUR BITS, DYNATRON-

Dyna: -But he'll get those sticky toooooo--

Pyro: They're ALREADY STICKY--

[It was at this point that Will came in with a cup of stronger coffee than usual...]

Will: -Yaaawns-

Will: Mmmn....Good morning.

Pyro: Ah--Good morning, Father.

Avi: -FLIES BY THE DOOR- Morning, Daddo! Sorry, gotta fly-- -ZOOMS OFF, UH, WE LOST HIM, BROS--

Will: ?

Pyro: Beck won't share the syrup bottle.

Will: Ah...

Will: Well, that's expected. He's making up for the energy spent this whole week, though...Sugar isn't quite the answer...

Will: ...Oh well. -Sips-

<DWN-024>: >Good morning, Doctor.

<DWN-024>: >How are you this morning?

Will: ! Ah--Good morning, Shadow.

Will: I'm a little worn down, but--that is what coffee is for, eh? ^^

Will: Soi's getting the lab ready for the day, I believe. I heard that Mikhail and Siam have good news to share.

Pyro: !

<DWN-024>: > …

<DWN-024>: > If that is what I hope it to be… -Vaguely eager, because how do emotions work- We must let them know you are awake, as they will want to share at once.

Will: Oh, of course! Ah, just--let me locate Nine first, there's a bit of a situation, it seems. I'm sure he'll want to hear this too...

<DWN-024>: > -Muffled anticipation-

[After Beck was found hiding in the closet of his room with the syrup bottle--now empty--he agreed to come down to hear what Mikhail and Siam had to say.]

Avi: -Toting him around on his shoulders- Lil' bro acquired! ^^

Beck: -w-

Beck: -Syruuuup-

[By this point, the Cossacks were on the line. They appeared to be having breakfast, themselves.

Digger laughed at the spectacle, giving a slight “fist” pump.]

Digger: Haha!~ How is you say, “brother GET!”? You are lucky is not gingerbread man!

[Skull looked over at Keltso. They seemed to share a private joke, because Keltso snorted into his drink.]

Mikhail: It’s good to see you all like this again. Heaven knows it’s been missed.

[The doctor looked VERY tired, but content. He gave a pleasant smile.]

Mikhail: I do indeed have some excellent news to share. Something that’s been long overdue.

Cryo: OOOOOO~

Avi: -THIS SHOULD BE GOOD-

Beck: -Wipes syrup off of his mouth- So what is it, Dr. Cossack?

Mikhail: Well, you know what my overreaching project has been since before we met one another, da?

Digger: Repairing little brothers? :^DDD

Mikhail: Among others, yes.

Mikhail: I must thank you all for your help along the way. Beck, your molds have proven invaluable.

Beck: (^.^)7

Beck: It's no problem, Doctor!

Mikhail: It’s taken quite a lot of searching, but I do believe we have found a suitable answer. It honestly was hard to believe at first, the specs are quite—

WHACK!

Beck: --???

Avi: --The heck was that?

[Out of nowhere, there was an incredible racket coming from the direction of the windows.

It almost sounded like something was trying to break in.]

Cryo: --Yo, It's coming from the window--

Pyro: ???

[Pyro goes over to look at what is causing all the racket—]

Pyro: What is going on out--

Pyro: !!!!!

[...And IMMEDIATELY unlatches the window lock.]

Avi: Uh...Bro? What are you--

[Something feathered and shrieking dashed into the kitchen. It flew right into the toppings and condiments on the table, knocking over drinks and getting grimy feathers into breakfasts. A red and white sphere rolled out of its grasp.

This bird had certainly seen better days. It looked like it had flown through a pretty hard-affected area—sooty, muddy, and overall filthy.]

Mikhail: -Stands, utterly confused- Pyro, why—

[The poor thing didn’t even stop a moment to rest, but continued screaming.]

???: SCREE, SCREE!

Pyro: Doctor--

Pyro: That's BARON!

Beck: !!!!

Cryo: -Squints-

Cryo: -...DUDE HE'S RIGHT IT'S CARDINAL'S BIRD FORM--

Mikhail: What?!

[Baron was in hysterics, kicking up his wings as he took alight again, hovering in people’s faces.]

Beck: Baron! Calm down! -ACKPFFT FEATHERS IN MOUTH-

Avi: -DUDE YOU'RE GONNA RUN INTO SOMETHING--

Baron: -SCREE, SCREEEE—- -Flies over in Pyro’s face, SCREEEEE—- DDD8

Pyro: -Nearly has to take a step back, this bird is going crazy--

Pyro: Baron--We can't understand you if you just keep screaming--

[Frustrated, Baron flew over near the stove.

He started letting out bursts of fIRE—]

Baron: “●●● ——— ●●●” !!! SCREEE! “●●● ——— ●●●!” SCREE SCREE—!

Beck: ....

Avi: --Dude--Dude that's definitely Morse--

Pyro: ....

Pyro: SOS...

Beck: !!!

Beck: Is Cards in trouble--?!

Baron: SCREE—!  “●●● ——— ●●●! ——●     —●—●!!!!!!!!”

Avi: --? DC?

Avi: Uh, bro, you're gonna have to be a little more specific with the letters, man--

Will: --No, wait--

[There was a crash noise on the other side of the line. Digger whirled around to see who it was.]

Digger: … Felix?!

[He runs out of view. Baron flies over and starts pecking desperately at Avi’s camera drone.]

Avi: --HEY NO--

Beck: !!!

Avi: Dude no you're gonna scratch the camera--

[Luckily, Will is already opening another feed to the local news, with Soi coming in to see what was all the ruckus about.]

Soi: Why is everyone screaming louder than--

Soi: --Holy hamburger, is that BARON?!

“Felix, no—you’re unwell, you—!”

[Protests could be heard from the other line. Felix was speaking back in agitated Proxan. Dark, deadly looking plants were starting to curl around the doorframe.]

Beck: -Oh man--

Will: Yes, Soi, do me a favor and PLEASE check the news on TV for me--

Soi: Er--Okay?

Soi: --!!!??

Soi: WILL, WE HAVE A SITUATION--

“Let GO of me—they must stop him—”

Mikhail: What KIND of situation— FELIX! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF—!

Soi: -PANIC-

Soi: THE WHITE HOUSE IS UNDER ATTACK--

Will: What--?!?

Beck: The White House?!?

Avi: -WAIT--AS IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WHITE HOUSE--

Baron: -SCREEE D.C., D.C.-

Avi: -FINALLY GETS INTO THE FEEDS HIMSELF-

Avi: -Pales-

Avi: Oh man THISISBAD--

Avi: THIS IS VERY BAD--

Avi: GUYS--THEY'RE SAYING THAT AN UNIDENTIFIED BOT IS ON THE PRIMISES AND THE DESCRIPTION MATCHES CARDS--

Beck: Cards is THERE?!?

Mikhail: {WHAT?! NO—!}

<DLN-008 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DWN-011 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DWN-012 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DWN-013 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DWN-018 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DWN-019 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DWN-024 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DCN-000 has entered Non-Lethal Combat mode.>

<DCN-003 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DCN-007 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

<DCN-008 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

Beck: (But--!)

Beck: (If Cards is THERE, then that means--!)

Beck: (--OH MAN, THEY'RE IN--)

Mikhail:  {My God, if he gets caught, they are going to destroy him—}

Mikhail: {EMERGENCY SHUT DOWN! AUTHORIZATION MC005!}

[There was a string of notifications as everyone went Offline.

Well. Almost everyone.]

<RMDC>: > -PING!- ERROR: COMMAND FAILED. DLN-000 SIGNAL NOT FOUND.

Cryo: -FLAILING ARMS- WHY THE GLITCH IS THE PREZ'S HOUSE UNDER ATTACK--

Pyro: --....

Pyro: If Cardinal is in the White House--then--

Will: . . .

Will: N...No...

Will: NonoNO--!

Beck: SHADE--!

Felix: You… you must stop him, before—!

[Mikhail, taken by surprise (as he had forgotten all about the poor Adept in the chaos), turned just in time to prevent Felix from falling over something. Felix clutched at him, clearly in a very weakened state. He hadn’t eaten in a long time—and it showed.]

Beck: !

Beck: FELIX--!

Felix: There…

Felix: There is DEATH on the horizon!

Beck: --!!!

Will: NO--!

Will: (I will not lose another CHILD--!)

Will: CALL!

Felix: NO!

Felix: You don’t understand—!

Beck: --????!

Beck: -Already in combat form, loading up Xel Stocks-

Beck: You gotta explain FAST, Felix, I don't think we have much time--

Felix: He can’t…

Mikhail: -Helps Felix gently to the floor, turning pale- {Dear God…}

Felix: Couldn’t… he couldn’t outrun him…

Will: -Freezes at that-

————————

“You’re going to have to catch me first, hunting doggie!”

————————

“Catch me if you can!”

————————

Beck: . . .

Beck: -Starts preparing FASTER--

Avi: But--wait--

Beck: No TIME!

Beck: Call, how soon can you get us authorization?!

Mikhail: WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!

[He’s run over to the mainframe, working faster than one could think possible—especially given his state. He seemed desperate, and was shouting commands.]

Mikhail: Aviator White you find out who the security on the lawn is RIGHT NOW AND TELL THEM TO CEASE FIRE, /THIS INSTANT!/

Avi: ON IT--

Mikhail: {And somebody call back the Pentagon, dammit—that’s why we haven’t heard from the secretary, THEY MUST BE TRAPPED INSIDE!}

[PING!]

[CALL] //: Yes, Doctor. Contacting the Pentagon.

Mikhail: {FIND whoever you spoke to last time, we have got to get eyes in there, his signal is gone but we have to get him out of there, I’m waking up Tobias because WE DON’T HAVE TIME!}

Will: S-Soi-- -It's all moving too fast for him, Shade--

Soi: Will--Go get Beck as close to the House as possible! Can you do that?

Will: --!! Yes, yes--Right away--

Beck: (Shade--Shade, why this, WHY THE WHITE HOUSE, WHY--)

Beck: (Don't you know Cards is--?!)

Beck: Ready--!

Mikhail: {THEN GO, /NOW!/}

——————

[....Some time later…]

Beck: What is TAKING so long?!

Will: I'm going as fast as I CAN, Beck, but there are SECURITY measures preventing direct Xel Transfer that I HAVE to get through FIRST--!

Beck: We gotta get to Cards before SHADE does or--!

Beck: (Or...He'll do something WORSE--)

Will: Almost....

Will: --! GOT IT--

Will: Call!

Call: Affirmative, Doctor. Preparing Xel Transfer...

<DLN-008 is now Online.>

Beck: --!

Beck: Toby--!

<DLN-008 has entered Lethal Combat mode.>

Beck: --Uh oh--

[Mikhail is working at a terminal, apparently communicating with Tobias.]

[DR.WHITE to MN.9] //: Mikhail has things covered, Beck--your main focus should be to retrieve Countershade and Cardinal!

<MC005>: >Tobias has his own mission. Focus on your work!

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

Beck: (Hang on, guys, I swear--I swear I won't let anything happen to you--!)

[CAPITOL BUILDING, AKA THE WHITE HOUSE, A FEW SECONDS LATER...]

[MISSION DETAILS: MIGHTY NUMBER 8, COUNTERSHADE, APPEARS TO BE LEADING A ROBOT OCCUPATION OF THE CAPITOL BUILDING. SIGHTINGS OF DLN-000, CARDINAL LIGHT, HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED.

MISSION OBJECTIVE: LOCATE AND PURGE ALL HARMFUL MALWARE FROM MN.8, LOCATE DLN-000. PREVENT BOTH UNITS FROM ENGAGING.

SUB-OBJECTIVE: MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT.]

[SYSTEMS READY?]

[GO!]

[Beck appears in a flurry of blue Xel building upon itself, his feet meeting luxury red carpet. He seems to have landed in the foyer.]

[CALL] //: Attention. Beck has arrived at the Capitol Building.

[DR.SANDA] //: Y...You don't think Shade would actually...Try to...

[DR.WHITE] //: (A fine question indeed, but we all know the answer to that.) Focus, Soi.

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck, what do you see?

Beck: I see--

[Vrrrrrrr...]

[A red dot appears right in between Beck's eyes--]

Beck: --!

[Beck rolls out of the way JUST in time to avoid sniper fire from out of nowhere, the statue behind him becoming littered with bullet holes.]

[PING!]

[MN.8] //: Well, well, well.

[MN.8] //: If it ain't the infernal Wily child and the Lil' doggie.

[So far, Beck had to go and FIND his ill siblings, and while each case differed from the other--

Not two seconds into this and Shade held NO qualms about shooting him in the head.

...In all honesty, that made Beck just a touch annoyed.]

-PING!-

[MN.9] //: COUNTERSHADE!

[Static fill ted the coms.

Angry static.]

<DLN-008>: >Shut up, Shade.

<DLN-008>: > The only reason I haven’t fried you to a soot speck is because Beck’s my friend and Cardinal would kill me. |[

Beck: ...

Beck: (Whew...)

Beck: (At least I kinda don't have to worry about Toby frying big bro to a crisp--yet...)

[There was a slight noise, and it died down.]

<DLN-008>: > Yes—

Beck: --? (Yes? Yes what--?) Toby, who are you--

[Suddenly, gunfire, off in the distance--]

[CALL] //: Sniper fire detected, but I am unable to detect any robot capable of long range gunfire.

[DR.WHITE] //: No, you won't, Call. Mighty No. 8 won't show up on any of your instruments.

[DR.WHITE.] //: ...All part of my design.

[One of the monitors nearby became filled with static and then a familiar symbol—the Wily symbol.

Tobias’s voice came over a small-range frequency.]

“Cardinal is fighting his way through—I can hear him, but I can’t see him yet!I’ll do what I can to disrupt!”

Beck: !

Beck: Thanks, Toby!

“Don’t congratulate me yet, Beck—”

BWAAAAAAAAN—

“I CAN’T CONTROL THE SECURITY SYSTEMS!”

[As if to prove this point, the monitor cut out, and resumed a “RED ALERT” security message.]

Beck: ._____.

[REXELECTION: SEISMIC.]

Beck: -TANK MODE GO-

[Various turrets unlock from the ceiling and walls, but they couldn't keep up with Beck as he barreled down the next hallway, gunfire chasing after him.]

[He practically ran over various infected robots, not stopping for a second in his search for Countershade and Cardinal.]

Beck: (Where are you, Shade--?)

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck, Shade has to be somewhere in the building--trace the sniper fire back to its source!

[Indeed, Beck saw many red lasers bouncing off the walls and familiar dark orbs in the hall--Beck only saw them in use once in his entire life, and that was way back when he was still on the team...]

Beck: (Shade can see through them, I know that much--and he can use them to bounce his shots off of...)

Beck: (Meaning he has eyes everywhere--he knows exactly what's going on inside at all times--)

Beck: (I gotta get past them somehow--!)

[REXELECTION: BRANDISH.]

Beck: HAH!

[Beck leaps forward and slices one out of the air, both halves of the orb falling into carpet with a small thunk.]

Beck: Okay, so some of them can be smashed... (Or sliced, in this case...)

[CRUNCH--!]

Beck: --? -Looks down, what the heck did he step on--

Snake: -Beep.-

[...Gosh, that looked familiar--]

Snake: -Beep beep.-

Beck: --!!!

[His mind goes RACING back to that day when a Search Snake had snuck into the Meadow--!]

Beck: NO--!

[Beck KICKS IT AWAY--]

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

[The snake EXPLODED in the air, sending shrapnel and acid flying--some of it into the gathered orbs, themselves!!]

[There was suddenly distorted CURSING over the feeds as Beck breathed hard, his eyes wide and shaking, and...almost...]

[Glowing...]

Beck: WHAT IS A S E A R C H SNAKE DOING HERE IN THE WHITE HOUSE--?!?

[...Uh oh.]

<DLN-008>: > Because Cardinal is trying to find them, genius!

Beck: --!

Beck: .........

Beck: ....O...Oh...

[That seems to snap him out of it.]

Beck: S-...Sorry, I...

<DLN-008>: > HE TOOK ALL THE CAPSULES, REMEMBER?!

Beck: -Wince--

Beck: (Gnh, that's right--)

<DLN-008>: > Including MINE!

[BZZZRRRRRKKKZZZZZGGGHHHHHHHVVVV—]

Beck: --?!?

<MC005>: > No! They're... they must be already engaging!

Beck: No--!

Beck: (Cards--Shade is WEAK to DYNA'S abilities, you're going to--!)

[Beck swerved around a corner, heading to the place where he heard the electricity--]

Beck: (Ugh, this is like the Power Plant all over again--)

<DLN-008>: > DYNAAAAAA--

<DLN-008>: > I CAN'T FIGHT THE SYSTEM AND FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS AT THE SAME TIME, HELP--

[He did seem to be disrupting the security systems-- it was far from perfect, though, and it was clear he was struggling.]

[PING!]

[MN.3] //: I got thiszz, Toby!

[MN.3] //: Let'szzz zzsee, what can I do here....

[Dyna is silent for a few moments before--]

[PING!]

[MN.3] //: Ah! That'szz the biszznesszz--thiszz place MUST have it'szz own power grid! No wonder you're having zzso much trouble, Toby, the zzspecszz are totally different.

[MN.3] //: Hmmm...Let'szzz try thiszz--

Beck: Whoa--!

[Suddenly, gravity just vanished as EVERYTHING began to float up, suspended, the air crackling with energy--]

Beck: Dynaaaaa, put me down--!

[MN.3] //: Oopszz--

[MN.3] //: Okay, hmm. That waszzn't it--

[THUNK.]

[Aaaand gravity went back to normal.]

Beck: -Ow-

[MN.3] //: Wow, thiszzz iszzn't your typical power grid--I'm gonna need a few zzsecondszz. Can you hold off for a while longer?

Beck: -Back in default form- Yeah, I think...

Beck: --!

Beck: What the...

[He had arrived at the hallway where he heard the electric based weaponry going off.

It was utterly destroyed.]

Beck: Uh.

Beck: I think this is the right way. (Jeez...)

Beck: (Gotta watch my step...)

Beck: CARDS?! SHADE?!

Beck: WHERE ARE YOU?!

Beck: SOMEONE--

[BANG!]

Beck: --Gnh!

[Something hot grazed his shoulder, and he turned--]

Shade: Hello, runt.

Beck: --?!

[Before Beck could say a word, Shade fired off more shots, forcing Beck to find cover behind a presidential statue of sorts.]

Shade: Heh. Coward.

Beck: Shade, please, I--!

[Beck peeked out of his cover to return fire--]

Beck: --???

[...But he was gone.]

Beck: Sh...Shade--?

[Nothing.]

[CALL] //: Mighty No. 8's signal has vanished. We have lost the target. My apologies.

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

[DR.WHITE] //: ... It's not your fault.

[DR.WHITE] //: ...It's what I built him to do.

<MC005>: > And Cardinal was built to defend at all costs-- Tobias, where is he?!

<DLN-008>: > Kinds busy with the security--!

Beck: Gah...

[Finding nothing here, Beck doubled back to the foyer, and to the other adjoining hallway to the right. Perhaps, if they were going left, he can cut them off--]

Beck: --!

[A slew of infected combat models awaited him.]

Beck: Aw, you gotta be--!

[They opened fire, and this time there wasn't much cover to hide behind--Beck was forced to tank some hits before retaliating with his default weapon, restoring his Xel Stocks for later.]

Beck: Guuuh, lasers hurt...

[He shakes it off after a while, and continues to run down the hall...]

[BANG BANG BANG!!]

[--only to be CHASED by sniper fire soon after!]

Beck: AH--!

[MN.8] //: Heh. Run along nao, lil' doggy.

[MN.8] //: -VERY DISORTED VOICE--  Run and FETCH for your HUMAN masters.

<DLN-008>: > OW!

<DLN-008>: > -Incredibly aggressive data-

[Tobias seemed to be engaged in a fight against something very powerful…

…something that was making him angry.]

[KKKSST--]

[The connection cuts out.]

[DR.WHITE] //: He STILL has his sights on you, Beck--be careful--!

Beck: Ggh, trying--!

[He manages to dive into the next hallway--]

Beck: --?????

[...Oh that was a lot of Metal Blades.]

Beck: (Oooh, jeez, Shade's not gonna be happy seeing those out--)

Beck: (Not after what happened in the Queen's Finals...)

Beck: (Oh, please, PLEASE don't do anything rash, Shade--you--you gotta still be in there SOMEWHERE--!)

"RARF!"

Beck: --?????

Beck: ...Did...Did you hear that?

[It...It sounded like a very distinct bark--]

<MC005>: > …I must be imagining things, that sounded like Shade’s dog—

"RARF RARF!"

Beck: --!!!!

Beck: No WAY--

[Amazingly, despite all of the gunfire and chaos, madness, and overall hell on earth--

Scout the Zigzagoon was expertly and happily bouncing around the dangers of the White House, tail wagging with GLEE as he POUNCED into the young hero's chest with almost carefree cheerfulness.]

Scout: RARF! : D!!!! -IT'S YOU, TALL MASTER'S BROTHERRRR-

Beck: SCOUT--?!?

Scout: -ALL THE KISSES FOR YOU--

Beck: -GIGGLES, BWAAAA--

[DR.WHITE] //: .....I....? -Speechless-

<MC005>: > …

<MC005>: > …How did he—

<MC005>: > !

<MC005>: > What is he wearing?

Beck: --?

[Scout had something hanging around his neck, besides his teal scarf...]

Beck: Lemmie see that...

Beck: --?

Beck: It's...a whistle of some sort--?

<MC005>: > !!!

<MC005>: > That’s Cardinal’s!

Beck: --......

Beck: Wait--if this is Cardinal's--

Beck: Scout--did...Did you--did you come here WITH CARDS--?!?

Scout: Rarf! : D

Beck: -ARE YOU TELLING ME SHADE'S RACCOON FOUND CARDS, CARDS, BEFORE WE DID--

[You could hear Mikhail facepalming over the feeds.

....And again, over Will's feed.]

[DR.WHITE] //: -We got outsmarted by a raccoon, are you KIDDING me--

Beck: --! Scout--where is he--where is Cards--?!

Scout: ---......

[...He's...Not answering.]

<DLN-008>: > Gnhhhgghhh!

<DLN-008>: > I directed him to the Oval Office!

Beck: --?!? WHAT--?!

[DR.SANDA] //: -I KNEW IT, HE'S GOING TO ASSASSINATE THE MADAME PRESIDENT--

[DR.SANDA] //: BECK! HURRY!

Beck: (Gnh--!)

Beck: Scout--

Beck: I can't bring you back home, but, please--

Beck: If you find Cards--please tell him I'm going to save Shade!

[Beck didn't want to leave Scout in such a dangerous place, but--if he made it this far, then he should be fine...]

Scout: Rarf--

[Beck didn't wait for an complete answer--he ran ahead, leaving the Zig behind.]

Scout: -Whiiiines-

[After a moment of worry, the Zig soon bounces off, determined to find his master--either of them.]

[Meanwhile, Beck continued to forge his way through the capital building turned battleground, avoiding both Shade's sniper fire AND that of the infected robots.]

Beck: --....

[Despite all the noise, and chaos...]

[...He hasn't seen a single human in the building yet, and he didn't know if that was a good or bad sign.]

[PING!]

[Fortunately, that question was about to be answered.]

[MN.8] //: Wondering what happened to all the humans here, Lil' doggy?

[MN.8] //: They ran away, thanks t' that annoyin' songbird of theirs...Feh. Cowards.

[MN.8] //: Every single one of those meat-sticks fled at the first sign of trouble. Pathetic.

[MN.8] //: ...'Cept for the stupid ones, that is. Heh.

[MN.8] //: Like y o u.

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

[MN.9] //: Shade, PLEASE--!

[MN.9] //: That 'songbird'--you KNOW that person, Shade--!

[MN.9] //: Please don't hurt him!

[MN.8] //: Ya think I'm gonna listen t' YEW, lil' Doggy?

[MN.8] //: Ah' ain't no TOOL fer MAN no more. Not like the REST of ya.

[MN.8] //: Ah' think it's about time someone ELSE had a turn at orderin' fools around, eh?

[KKKSST--!]

Beck: SHADE--UGH--!

Beck: (Either he's ignoring me or he doesn't even RECOGNIZE Cards--like Pyro...)

Beck: DYNA!

[MN.3] //: Almoszzt got it--

[The lights flickered...]

[And dimmed.]

Beck: --!

[...Aaaand everything started floating again, oh no--]

Beck: Waaah--!

[MN.8] //: NGH, SONOFVA--

[PING!]

[MN.3] //: Oooooh, Shaaaaade!

[MN.3] //: BIG ZZZSISTER WANTSZZ TO HAVE A TALK WITH YOU.

[MN.8] //: -Oh, bite me, witch hag.-

[MN.3] //: YOU CAN’T PLAY HIDE AND ZZZSEEK FOREVER–

[MN.3] //: -CACKLES- BECAUSE I'LL FIIIIIND YOUUUU!~

[MN.8] //: GO T' HELL.

[KSSSSSST--]

<DLN-008>: > NICE TRY.

<DLN-008>: > You’ve made this place unbearable…

<DLN-008>: > So we’re already /here/, and we WON’T GO /AWAY!/

[MN.3] //: Niczze play on wordszz, bro.~

[MN.8] //: Grrr...

[MN.8] //: Glitchfraggin' motherscratchin' infested with lightnin' bugs--

[PING!]

[MN.1] //: DON'T TALK TO YOUR SISTER THAT WAY, EIGHT--

[MN.1] //: When you get back here I swear I am going to WASH THAT FOUL MOUTH WITH SOAP--

[MN.2] //: -OOO, CAN WE HELP--

[MN.1] //: -You know what yes Cryo you CAN help-

[MN.2] //: HECK YEAH, BATH TIME~~~

[MN.8] //: Ah' ain't got no TAHM for ya FRICKIN' PRATTLE--!

[KSSSSSSSST--]

[CONNECTION LOST.]

[MN.1] //:  | [

[MN.1] //: Dyna, have you managed to seize control of the--

[MN.3] //: ~~ < 3

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

[MN.3] //: -Mmmm high grade military level power voltage tastes SO GOOD--

[MN.1] //: You've got to be kidding me--

<MC005>: > …Why are you surprised by this, exactly?

[MN.1] //: I'm not. | [

[MN.3] //: Mmmmm!~

[MN.3] //: Go on now, Becky, I got thiszz, I KNEW thiszz place had it'szz own power grid, yum.~

[MN.9] //: Hookay, thanks, Dyna! c:

<DLN-008>: >Just follow the panels along the side—

[Some of them start lighting up, flickering down the hallway.]

[Unfortunately, Beck didn’t really quite make it too far before—]

POW.

[Someone had managed to blow a fuse, which turned off the security in that part of the White House…

…and the lights…

…and the air conditioning.]

<DLN-008>: > OW!

<DLN-008>: > -OUCH that hurt, WARN a guy before you shove him into a current like that—-

[MN.1] //: DYNA!

[MN.3] //: OW, THAT WASZZN'T ME, BRO--

<MC005>: > …That was Cardinal.

<MC005>: >He must have used Thunder Beam…

<MC005>: > It’s the only thing he had powerful enough to do that.

<MC005>: >I think that’s the last of the electric power he had at his disposal—he won’t have any left for fighting with…

Beck: (He's...Either getting more serious or desperate...)

Beck: (I gotta hurry, gotta--!)

<MC005>: >Tobias, are you alright?

<DLN-008>: > Nnnngghhhh…

[MN.3] //: -Kinda dizzy and a LITTLE peeved, she was enjoying a GOOD MEAL--

[BANG!]

Beck: --!!!!

Beck: That came from--!

[MN.8] //: Tch!

[MN.8] //: Keep gettin’ in mah way, Birdy, and Ah’ WILL make ya regret it!

Beck: --!!

[REXELECTION: BRANDISH.]

[A red blur speeds down the hallway at a frantic pace, but he's still slowed down by all the infected enemies around--it was like they were trying to stall him--]

Beck: Out of my WAY--

[SHING SHING--!]

[Then...]

[MN.8] //: Heh.

[MN.8] //: Was that ya soundin’ desperate there?

[MN.9] //: SHADE--!

[MN.8] //: -LAUGHTER-

[MN.8] //: Ah’ hate t’ disobey a lady, but m'afraid yer term is up.

[MN.8] //: Now.

[MN.8] //: R u n.

[The comms seemed to go live—as if Shade were broadcasting his twisted takeover—!]

[For a brief moment, silence.

…But then…]

“…Heh…”

Beck: --!

[Laughter.

FAMILIAR laughter—but it wasn’t Shade’s—!]

Beck: --!

Beck: Cardinal--!

“Shade, Shade, Shade…”

<DLN-008>: > ??? (What’s with the scolding tone?)

“You know what?”

“You’re right.”

Beck: --?!?!? (What....?)

[MN.8] //: -Ooooh, now ya got his attention-

[MN.8] //: Somethin’ change yer mind, Birdy?

[MN.8] //: Was it the fact that yer doin’ this all fer nothin’?

“Hardly.”

<DLN-008>: > … Uh-oh—

“More like… I don’t have time for this, Shade…”

[One could hear a faint priming whine…!]

“Guess I’ll have to make my own!”

[K-FLSH!]

Beck: --?????

<RMDC>: >WEAPON IDENTIFIED: TIME STOPPER

Beck: (Time Stopper--)

[Ah! Beck can see the hallway now--]

CRASH!

Beck: --?!?

Beck: (What are you guys DOING--)

PSSSHHHHT!

<MC005>: > …

<MC005>: > -Soi please tell me that wasn’t me hearing him SPRAY PAINTING something just now—-

[DR.SANDA] //: -Oh goodness I--I think it is-- CARDINAL THIS IS THE WHITE HOUSE, NOT A GIANT CANVAS--

[There was a sharp whistling noise.]

“-RARF RARF RARF–”

Beck: --! Scout--!

[Almost there--]

“Close enough. Group hug, everybody!”

“! Oh goodness— Now wait just a—”

[Beck turned the corner—]

Byuubyuubyuu…

Beck: --!

Beck: NO!

Beck: I was so CLOSE--!

Beck: (--But--at least the President is okay, right--?)

[KSSSSSST--!]

[MN.6] //: HEEEYOOOO, this is Avi bringing you guys a quick update--

[MN.6] //: I've managed to tell the boys in blue and black that Cards isn't a threat--and I got visual of him outside--!

<MC005>: > {AT LAST!}

[MN.6] //: Please hold, I think--I think if I can just get this cam over here, I can talk to him--

<MC005>: > {Yes— oh please let this WORK—}

<MC005>: >Beck, is Shade still in that hallway? I think Cardinal may have tagged him, actually—

[KSSSSSST--!]

[MN.6] //: I got visual! And input audio--so we can hear him--

Beck: -Looks around--

Beck: I...I don't see him...

“Heh.”

“Hello again, Avs.”

[MN.6] //: Cards--Cards, man, I missed you-- come ON I NEED AUDIO OUTPUT--!

<DLN-008>: > H-hang on… lemme try and fix that…

[The feed crackled.]

<DLN-008>: >Okay, try now—!

[KSSSSSST--!]

[MN.6] //: TOBY YOU'RE A LIFESAVER--

Avi: Bro you do realize can't hide from this, right--

“Sadly."

[He sounded weary and grim.]

“That’s a cost I’ll have to carry.”

<DLN-008>: > …

<DLN-008>: > -Ugh, I… suddenly don’t feel so good…-

Avi: OKAY GOOD JUST CHECKING.

Avi: Because sometimes you just kinda let these things fly wAY OVER YOUR HEAD--

[MN.1] //: Really, Avi?!

[MN.6] //: -WE PUN WHEN WE'RE STRESSED, OKAY--

<MC005>: > -sNORTS-

[Silence, other than the background chatter.]

<MC005>: > Just a little more…

[…Cardinal spoke up again. He sounded rather defeated.]

“-Quietly- I’m sorry, Avi. I’m not done yet.”

Avi: --....

[MN.6] //: -Ugh we--Cards, we NEED you too--

Avi: Dude, Beck's in there now, just--come on, man, can't ya believe in him too...?

Beck: (Please, Cards--you KNOW I'm the only one that can CURE him, PLEASE, I can DO THIS--!)

“Six, this is about a lot more than believing and proving and anything else, and quite frankly—”

[A splashing noise.]

[MN.6] //: --? Was that water--

“—I’m tired of seeing my brothers die.”

<DLN-008>: > -Uuuuugh…!-

<RMDC>: >WARNING: 06.30.20XX MEMORY DATA CROSS-REFERENCES TO MULTIPLE HAZARDOUS FILES. POTENTIAL SYSTEM OVERLOAD TRIGGER DETECTED.

<DLN-008>: > -Ghhh…!-

Beck --.....

Beck: . . . .

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

“I won’t risk any chance of that happening again.”

Beck: Ghn--

[But--but--]

Beck: (I--I promised, I won't do that, Cards, I--)

Beck: (I'm not like--like--)

[The Xel of the broken robots around him starts to float--]

Beck: Why don't...you...listen--?

[MN.9] //: -Hurt, hurtful data, that hurt--

<MC005>: > !

Beck: Why don't you b-believe me--

<MC005>: > NO!

<MC005>: > BECK, HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU—

<MC005>: > With the White House evacuated…

<MC005>: > The Pentagon would be able to target it!

Beck: --!

[DR.WHITE] //: Listen to Mikhail, Beck!

[DR.WHITE] //: Cardinal--he has his own personal reasons for going after Shade, you know this--!

[DR.WHITE] //: It's not that he doesn't believe in you, Beck, please...

Beck: . . .

[A lady’s voice breaks through.]

“Where do you THINK you’re going—”

[MN.6] //: -UH OH--

“Here, take this, it may help you on your journey—”

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

Avi: (....I guess I tried.)

“Ackpth—”

Mikhail: … -Facepalm- (He handed off the Pokémon to the President??)

[MN.6] //: Sorry, Doc, I'm...not a good staller. That's...more Shade's department...

Avi: please don't hurt him too bad.

“I don’t have time for this. You saw the file extension, you know my intentions.”

Beck: --......

[At the sound of Cardinal reminding him of this, The Xel fluxes, and then gently collects towards Beck, healing him.]

-*-*-*-

<DLN-000>: >I know. I know.

<DLN-000>: >But I’ll never give up on you Shade, not for any reason.

-*-*-*-*-

Beck: Never...give...up...on you...

Beck: Not for any...Reason..

[When Cardinal spoke again, he seemed to be in… pain.]

“…See you in clearer skies, Avs.”

[MN.6] // Ggnh--

[MN.6] //: Cards WAIT--

Mikhail: NYET—!

“Goodbye…”

BWIP.

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

<RMDC>: >ERROR: DLN-000 SIGNAL NOT FOUND.

[MN.6] //: Nghgh--

[MN.6] //: -Hurts, HEAD HURTS--

>A problem has been detected and AI_DWN_008 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, RMDatabase.exe

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

REBOOTING…

Mikhail: (Great. GREAT. Now Cardinal is gone, and Tobias is Offline. I have nothing!)

Mikhail: -Puts his head in his hands-

[…]

“…Get me Sanda Labs on a secure line.”

Mikhail: … -Not NOW—-

“NOW.”

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

[DR.WHITE] //: No--

[DR.WHITE HAS LEFT THE CONVERSATION.]

Mikhail: Will?

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

[DR.SANDA] //: G-Give us a minute--Will COME BACK--

[DR.SANDA HAS LEFT THE CONVERSATION.]

Mikhail: …

<MC005>: > Beck we need him out of there.

[Back at the White House, Beck had somewhat calmed down, but he seemed...somewhat tired. Emotionally, rather than physically.]

Beck: --I...yeah.

Beck: I'm going.

Beck: (Shade...Cards...)

[He had no idea where to start looking, and no idea what Shade would do now that the President was outside, and safe.]

[But...If he had to guess...]

Beck: --....

Beck: Oh no--

<MC005>: >Beck…? What is it?

Beck: (No, Shade, no--)

[If anything, Shade's obvious objective was to kill the President--but now that she was gone, and by Cardinal's doing--]

Beck: Shade's target is gone.

Beck: Remember what happened at the highway--Jack made Carmen's target get away, and who did SHE TAKE THAT OUT ON--

<MC005>: > {Dear God—}

[REXELECTION: BRANDISH]

Beck: SHAAAAAAAAAAADE!

[CRASH, BANG--]

[He had to get to Cards--before--before--!]

Beck: CAAAAAAAAAARDS!

[BANG–!]

[BANG BANG–]

Beck: NO--!!

Beck: (NO, don't do this, please, don't--!)

Beck: (That came from all the way back at the foyer--)

KTANG!

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT—

[Getting back ALL the way to where he started--]

[Beck even ignored the oncoming fire from what was left of the infected robots, even crushing one with a firm hand swipe--as if he pushed the Xel of it away--]

[BANG–]

Beck: Ngh--!

Beck: (Hurts, but--gotta keep going--)

KZZZRRR! KZZRRR!

Beck: --?!?

Beck: What the--

[Wires. Wires covered in purple, all over the hall, he couldn't pass though here--!]

Beck: RRRRUGH!

[Beck was so angry that the leftover Xel around him shivered, collected, and grew HOT, following him as he swerved on his heel in the other direction--]

Beck: (I swear if I see them beating the heck outta each other to an INCH of life, I'm gonna--!)

Beck: GUUUUYS!

Beck: Sto--

[WHAM!]

Beck: --?!?

[...Did he just run smack into George Washington's head?]

Beck: (This was NOT here before--)

CRASH!

[BANG!]

[VRRRRRRR--]

Beck: --????

[The entire bust and pedestal that the granite image of the First President suddenly started moving--]

[The mechanisms inside were robotic, and thus, ALSO affected by the virus--meaning--]

Beck: -EXASPERATED- EVEN THE FOUNDING FATHERS DON'T WANT ME NEAR MY OWN BROTHER--

Beck: WHAT IS UP WITH THIS PLACE--

[BLAM--]

[Shattering the granite head bust seems to work.]

[BLAM--]

[MN.2] //: Dude did you just blast President Lincoln--

Beck: I--

[BLAM--]

Beck: DON'T--

[BLAM!]

Beck: --CARE!

Beck: SHADE!

Beck: I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME--STOP IT! NOW!

kzzzZZZZZZZZGGGVVVVGGGHHHTTTT—

CRASH!!

Beck: --!

[...Silence.]

[Oh God, silence--]

Beck: (No--n-no, he--)

[BANGKSSSHHHHKKKGGHHHHT!]

Beck: --!

[BLAM--]

Beck: -MIXTURE OF RELIEF AND HORROR-

[BANG BANG BANG–]

[A LOUD EXPLOSION—]

Beck: Gh--

Beck: -Why are there so many of these STUPID STATUES--

Beck: (If only Shade didn't block that stupid hall on the right--)

Beck: (All of this is just-- stupid, nngh--)

Beck: (I just want my family BACK--!)

[He was halfway there, he could hear the noises of battle getting louder--]

[BANG–]

[CRASH!]

Beck: (Almost--just a couple of more hallways--)

[KKKKKKKRRWOOOOOOOOOOOOH!]

[A strong wind came through the hallway.]

Beck: ---?!?!

[The sudden strong gusts sent our lightweight hero tumbling backwards--]

[REXELECTION: AVIATOR.]

[--Before he switched into Avi's form, flying desperately against the unforgiving winds--]

Beck: Nnnngh--!

Beck: Dad, how much further--

[...No response.]

Beck: --?? Dad--Uncle Sanda--?

[Nothing--]

Beck: (Why aren't they answering--???)

[BANG!]

Beck: Nnnngh--

Beck: (Why is there so much wind, why is everything trying to stop me--??)

[BANG–

BANG BANG BANG–]

Beck: --!!

Beck: (No--Cards--I don't hear him firing BACK--!)

Beck: NO!

Beck: STOP IT! PLEASE--!

[BANG–!]

Beck: SHAAADE--

[The winds finally die down, and Beck instantly reverts back to his default before--]

[REXELECTION: BRANDISH.]

Beck: HAAAAAAH!

[Beck slices and dices anything that crosses his path in a red and yellow tornado of slashes that seem too quick for the normal eye to see...]

[SHING SHING SHING--]

[BANG.]

[A pause.]

[BANG!]

[A much longer pause. Beck was beginning to make headway.]

[BANG—]

[Shorter pause—]

“AUGH!”

Beck: CARDS--!

Beck: (He's already hurt, come on, COME ON--)

[BLAM! BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM—]

Beck: --!

[Wait, wasn't that...]

Beck: (Needle Cannon--)

Beck: Cards, please--just hold out a LITTLE longer--

[A set of large oak doors block the path--locked shut.]

[REXELECTION: SEISMIC]

[CRASH--]

[...Or, was.]

[BANG BANG BANG–]

[Silence.]

Beck: (No, please, STOP DOING THAT--)

[This time, the silence WASN’T broken.]

Beck: ......

Beck: (N...No, no, NO--)

Beck: (Oh, Cards, please, say something, a comeback, a pun, ANYTHING--!)

Beck: (YOU--YOU CAN'T BE--)

Beck: AVIIIIIIII!

[PING!]

[MN.6 IS NOW ONLINE.]

[MN.6] //: -LITTLE BRO IS SCREAMING--

[MN.9] //: Avi, I need eyes in the main foyer, NOW!

[MN.6] //: What, why--

[MN.9] //: I NEED TO KNOW IF THEY'RE STILL ALIVE--!

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

[MN.6] //: -Foyer, Shade, Cards, CRUD--

[MN.6] //: --! I GOT VISUAL--

[MN.6] //: -Oh man things are NOT looking good for Cards right now--

[MN.9] //: But he's still--!?

[MN.6] //: Yeah, they...They're talking, I think...I think Cards is getting through to him--!

Beck: -Stops in his tracks-

Beck: (Then maybe--)

Beck: (Maybe...Maybe Shade is...)

Beck: (If Cards can just keep him still--maybe we can do a repeat of the highway like Kate, or--)

Beck: -RUNS-

Beck: (If I can just get there, I won't have to fight Shade at all, or at least not alone--!)

Beck: (I just have to---)

BANG—

[MN.6] //: -DATA SCREEEEECH--

[MN.6 HAS GONE INTO SLEEP MODE]

[A thud can be heard over the comms--]

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

[Beck staggered and stopped dead at the sudden screech of horror from his own brother, his eyes widening as he came to the realization that--]

Beck: (Avi...Avi faints when he sees blood or something LIKE it--!)

—————————

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

SKLLLKTTKRRRSHHHLLLRRRKKT—

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

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

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

—————————

Beck: CARDINAAAAAAL!

[Shaking off his temporary stupor, Beck redoubled his efforts, smashing, crashing, and going through all the debris and such that have collected during Cardinal's run of the place...]

Beck: (Don't be dead don't be dead don't be--)

[He trips--]

Beck: (UGH--!)

[And lands on a pile of granite rubble, skidding around the floor and falling again over the small pebbles, picking himself up, and just running for it.]

[...He didn't think he'd ever been so desperate just to get to one place in all his days Online.]

[And the silence… The SILENCE just keeps GOING—]

ARUGH--!

[Or not.]

Beck: (--?!? That--...That was Shade--)

Beck: SHADE!

Beck: (Gotta get there, gotta get there before--!)

[--!!]

[At last! The hallway leading towards the foyer, with one locked double door standing in the way!]

[At this point, Beck could barely make out SOME voices...]

Beck: ---!!!

[WHAM!]

[Beck slams himself against the door, but it wouldn't budge--]

Beck: SHAAAAADE! OPEN THE DOOR!

Beck: OPEN THE DOOR N O W--!

"ENOUGH!"

[Shade--]

[REXELECTION: SEISMIC--]

"Ah' don’t have time t’ waste on you. Obviously ya ain’t gonna stay out of my way while ya still runnin’."

[WHAM--]

"An’ as we’ve already established, ya have this fraggin’ annoyin’ tendency to keep hangin’ on. Fahn, then—I’ll give ya the honor a’ takin’ ya out myself!"

Beck: Shade, NO!

"An’ just tah make SURE you don’t get out of sight at the last second…"

Beck: HE'S YOUR BEST FRIEND--!

[WHAM--CRACK--]

"This’ll be the last bullet Ah’ waste on ya."

Beck: DON'T KILL HIM--!!

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

=PROLOGUE A: IT ALL BEGINS NOW=

~AO v1.0~

(Starring @limitbreakers)

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

“Come ON, Beck! Hurry up, we’re gonna be late!”

It is the present year.

“C-Coming, Cryo!”

Breakthroughs in robotic technology have ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity. Violence is confined to the Battle Colosseum, where robot combatants face off in spectacular duels.

“We’ve spent enough time walking down memory lane in the trophy room. We have to get to the arena before they call us out for our return debut match.”

“WE KNOW, Pyro. Jeezzz, calm down.”

“I believe he is only excited to be back in familiar stomping grounds. Isn’t that right, Bat?”

“TOO RIGHT, Brand!”

“MAN, I am so stoked for this! Hey, I hope they get my good side, ya know? Course, I look good in ALL angles.”

“…Avi not focused.”

“Mic is right. It’s time to get out there. Everyone! PLACES!”

“YES SIR NO.1!”

Today, the colosseum walls once again echo with the shouts and cheers of excited fans…

…when suddenly…

….

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN–

Attention! Attention! This is Code Red! Please evacuate the arena calmly and quickly! This is not a drill! Please–

[WARNING. WARNING. VIRUS DETECTED IN SERVER. FIREWALL PROGRAMS HAVE FAILED.]

[MN.1-8 HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH HARMFUL MALWARE. RUNNING XELFILTER.EXE FOR MN.9]

[WARNING: MN.1-8 HAVE ENTERED FULL COMBAT MODE. RESTRICTIONS: NONE.]

[S Y S T E M E R R ROR–S YSTEM E R R ROR–]

“PYRO! BRAND! SHADE! GUYS! S T O P!”

[MN.9 HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY HARMFUL MALWARE. PREPARING HARD RESET. ALL FORMS WILL BE LOST.]

“GUYS–NO–NOOO–!!”

[....]

[XELFILTER.EXE PROGAM CYCLE COMPLETE. ALL MALWARE HAS BEEN FILTERED AND NEUTRALIZED FROM ALL SYSTEMS.]

[REBOOTING...]

[MN.9 IS NOW ONLINE]

Beck: ....Uuugh...

Beck: What...what happened...

[......]

[At first...nothing.]

[Then....]

"PYRO! BRAND! SHADE! GUYS! S T O P!!"

Beck: ......!!!!!

[MN.9 to MN.1-8] //: GUYS! GUYS!

[MN.9 HAS BEEN BLOCKED BY MN.1-8.]

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

Beck: What...?!

Beck: Why would... They...

BOOOM!

[...And that is when he noticed where he was. No longer was he within the Colosseum walls, he was now on some rooftop by a NBCA advertisement. It looked like he was simply DROPPED here, but the means of how and why were far from his mind.]

[At the sounds of the explosions, Mighty No. 9 ran across the rooftop ...]

Beck: !!!

Beck: N...No...!

[Screams. Fire.]

Beck: What....

[The whole of the city in absolute chaos, citizens screaming in terror, fleeing from literal hordes of rampaging robots, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.]

Beck: What is...happening...?!

Beck: .....!!!

Beck: DAD!

[His creator. His father. Doctor William Apollo White.]

[He was somewhere in this madness...]

[Without another thought, Beck jumped down from the rooftop. He had to find him. He had to know if...!]

Beck: PROFESSOR! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU?!

Beck: DAAAAD!!

[......]

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

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

[...!! There! In the distance--! That puff of hair that could only be--!]

Beck: Dad!

White: Beck!

[The sheer relief couldn't be plainer on their faces, as Beck ran up to his father, who seemed to have seen better days--his lab coat was torn here and there, and his face was covered in black soot.]

White: Ah, Beck--thank God--and functioning normally, it would appear!

Beck: Yeah...yeah, I'm fine, Dad. I'm fine...

Beck: I am so glad you're OK—

[Beck clutched his leg as hard as he could, and White bent down to give his youngest perhaps the hardest hug he could muster.]

White: ...God...what on earth has happened...? It's...chaos, everywhere...!

Beck: I...I dunno...I dunno...Dad...

[Tears filled his emerald green eyes.]

Beck: I...I can't contact the others...Pyro, Cryo, Dyna...they...blocked me...!

White: What?!

White: Why on...

White: . . .

White: oh God—nononoNO—

[He fumbled with his bag, which held his laptop. He opened it as quickly as he could and--]

[...His suspicions were confirmed.]

[The status of all Mighty Numbers...]

[To say he was both horrified and shocked was an understatement.]

[His sons...his daughters...]

White: NO!

Beck: .....!!!

Beck: INCOMING!

[Several airborne delivery bots had spotted them--and their load was less than helpful. They were bombs.]

[Beck pushes his father out of the way, with a strength he never knew he had in this default form...]

White: ooF--

[The blast knocked both father and son back some ways, but Beck's quick actions had saved them both from sustaining serious damage.]

[Thankfully, the trio of delivery bots no more cargo to dispel, and flew back the way they came--probably to get more of their ammo.]

Beck: Dad--Dad, are you OK?!

White: Ngh...

White: Y-Yes...mostly...

[Beck looked forward--this street...this was familiar...]

[...! Wait! He knew where he was! Just a few blocks from here was home!]

Beck: Dad--Dad, it's not safe--

White: ...

[After catching his breath, he stood--brushed himself off, and looked to the distance along with Nine. There, on end of this long street...]

[Sands Enterprises.]

White: ........

White: .......

Beck: Dad...?

[His expression hardened.]

[....His sons, his daughters...]

[What was happening to all the robots...]

[...He couldn't do anything from here.]

White: We won't figure out anything from here, Beck.

White: We must make for the laboratory--and quickly!

Beck: ...!

[But between them and home...a war zone.]

White: ........

Beck: ....

White: Beck...

White: I can't get through this by myself.

White: You MUST forge on ahead and clear a secure path.

Beck: --!? Wha--

White: Don't worry--I'll follow, and monitor your process. We only need to make it to the end of this street!

White: Do you think you can do that?

Beck: ......

[...He's walked down this street countless times--he's just never had to do it amidst gunfire.]

[But Dad...]

[His family...Dr. Sanda...Call...!]

[MN.9 HAS ENTERED COMBAT MODE.]

Beck: Yes sir!

[...Seeing that smile on his face, and the will that clearly shined beneath those eyes...]

White: Alright...

[...There was hope.]

[They could not lose that--not now!]

White: Let's move!

[OBJECTIVE: ESCORT DR. WHITE TO SANDA ENTERPRISES UNHARMED.]

[SYSTEMS READY.]

[....INITIATING COMBAT PROGRAMS.]

[Getting through the overturned vehicles and debris was easy enough, and provided good cover for Will.]

[...But it wasn't long before...]

Beck: ....!!

[A flash of purple, and a standard CherryDyn Security Model robot materialized in his path, waving it's arms around wildly, it's weapon primed and ready to fire.]

[White's voice filled his comm link--as long as they were near each other, they could speak above the chaotic noises that filled the blue sky.]

White: A security bot...and it's out of control like all the others...

[The CherryDyn bot, however, didn't notice Beck at all--rather, it moved on ahead...]

Beck: ....!!

Beck: Professor! Look!

White: !

[There, on a large public screen that overlooked the street...]

[Gregory Graham.]

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

[…!

Faint!

But there!

That was Toby’s signal, no doubt about it!]

Beck: !!!!

Beck: Toby!

White: Tobias?!

Beck: I felt his signal!

Beck: It's...so faint but...!

[The signal is fluctuating and faltering, as if something’s interfering with it.]

[KKKST!]

"Once again, the President as declared a country-wide state of emergency. This, based on reports of haywire robots rampaging out of control in all 52 States. I'm being told we have a comment from Gregory Graham, CEO of CherryDynamics."

Beck and White: WHAT?!

[There are some faint data streams that suggest anger—from DWNs—but it is still too faint…

Barely noticeable, given the matter at hand.]

"CherryDyn, of course, being the world's largest robot manufacturer. Let's go there now, live...

Graham: Ahem! Hello?...eh, hello...? Is this thing on?!

[...The CEO seemed...panicked...]

Graham: Ah! Ahem--...My fellow Americans...in this time of crisis, we at CherryDyn would just like to express....

Graham: That this isn't our fault!

White: ....!!

Graham: It's that Dr. Blackwell--HE'S the one that's behind all this! BLAME HIM!

Beck: What the--is he SERIOUS?!

[…Oddly…

…nothing, from their otherworldly friends.

Very odd, considering the LAST time that there had been a panic, and how loudly they had cried out in dismay.

But it seemed Graham wasn’t done yet…]

[Graham then composes himself...]

Graham: Ahem--we at CherryDyn are doing ALL we can to help fix the situation...BUT IT'S BLACKWELL'S FAU--

[KKKKKKSSST!]

"Heeeelllloooo! Is this thing on?"

Beck: ...Avi?

[PING!]

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

[He doesn't answer. Instead, he continues to give his twisted 'news report'.]

Avi: “Ahem! And now, let's go live to our eye in the sky, Avi, for today's Avi News traffic report!~”

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

Avi: "Thanks, Avi! As you can see, we've got a few accidents eastbound on, well--"

Avi: "EVERYWHERE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~"

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

Avi: "Yup, we've got chaos here, chaos there on this BEEEEEAUTIFUL June 21, 20XX! Here on Avi News today, we've got exclusive coverage on today's top story!~

Avi: THE END OF THE WORLD, BABY!~

White: MIGHTY NO. 6! STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!

Beck: A…Avi…

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

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

[.......]

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

[The screen cuts out to another camera while Avi switched his attention to Toby, leaving Beck and White to gaze in horror at the bird's eye view of their city...]

White: We're almost there...!

[Traversing the war-torn street, Beck and White are just one more block away from the entrance...]

White: ....!

Beck: ...? What is it, Dad?

White: Dr. Sanda's calling...

[DR.WHITE] //: Sanda? What's the matter--

[DR.SANDA] //: WHAT'S THE MATTER?!

[DR.SANDA] //: WHAT THE BLEEDING HECK DO YOU THINK IS THE MATTER?! ARE YOU OK, WILL?!

[DR.WHITE] //: ...Oh, fine. More or less.

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

[DR.WHITE] //: And yourself?

[…Yep.

He was his usual self, alright.]

[Dr. Sanda, however…]

[DR.SANDA] //: Good Lord do you EVER stop being tactless--

[...LOUD clanking noises in the background of his feed.]

[DR.SANDA] //: ohmyGod

[DR.SANDA] //: I'm less than fine--MUCH LESS! These robots gone wild are TEARING THE PLACE APART!

[DR.WHITE] //: What...in the building too?!

[DR.SANDA] //: I've sealed myself in the lab--but who knows HOW long before they break through?!

[DR.WHITE] //: Ah, I see. Understood. We're already on our way!

[DR.SANDA] //: ...We?

[MN.9] //: -PING!- Dr. Sanda...!

[DR.SANDA] //: ...!! Beck? BECK? IS THAT REALLY YOU?!

[MN.9] //: Yeah--it's me! I'm OK, I'm not crazy!

[DR.SANDA] //: THANK THE LORD--

[BANG!]

[DR.SANDA] //: -sCREECH--

[DR.WHITE] //: Just try to hold them off for as long as you can! We're coming!

[Soon enough, after what seemed like hours had passed instead of minutes...]

[...Sanda Enterprises.]

[The front door was completely blown open.]

White: Oh, no...

Beck: I...I don't see Call anywhere...

White: ......

White: Beck. We have no time to waste...calculate the fastest possible route to the lab!

Beck: Yes sir!

Beck: ......

Beck: This way!

[BWAN BWAN BWAN BWAN--]

Beck: nEVER MIND THIS WAY--

[The elevator down to the lab was out--they had to take the other way down.]

White: --!!!

[...Sanda Models.]

[Heading this way...]

White: BECK!!

Beck: !!

[Trash bots--designed to recycle waste and paper--harmless enough, but something had caused them to open and shut their lids with the force of a vice, looking for anything to chomp on.]

Beck: Uhoh--

[They were heading this way--but oddly enough--their target...wasn't Beck...]

White: --!!

White: They're locked onto me--!

Beck: NO!

Trash Bots: -GLITCHED BEEPING-

[.......]

[ANALYZING.]

[EMOTION MATRIX RUNNING...]

[THREAT CONFIRMED.]

[ACTIVATING WEAPON SYSTEMS.]

Beck: STAY AWAY FROM HIM!

[WEAPON SYSTEMS: ONLINE.]

-*-*-*-*-

Felix: Let me tell you something, Master Beck. It is your heart and your build, your purpose, to help others. That is where your greatest power, I think, will always lie.

Beck: ..........

Beck: (Well, that's not...I mean, I was just built to fight....)

Felix: When you truly believe in your cause, the strength comes to you.

Felix: I can tell you THAT from experience.

Beck: .....R-Really....?

Felix: Of course.

Felix: And after all.

Felix: You /are/ MIGHTY.

-*-*-*-*-

[XEL ABSORPTION SYSTEMS....

ONLINE. ]

[BLAM BLAM BLAM!]

[In an instant, Beck's arm had transformed into his default demolecularizing arm cannon--capable of breaking apart substances right down to the molecular level within a few shots.]

[The Trash Bots were nailed right in the face, and soon they were...glowing. Their Xels were being broken apart, floating around them...]

[ZOOOOM!]

[ACXELARATE DASH: ONLINE. ]

[A white-blue glow had enveloped Beck as he dashed forward, the Xels of the weakened robots being absorbed into his own body, seamlessly clicking into place.]

[Shocked from the sudden Xel loss...the Trash Bots shut down.]

[ABSORPTION BOOST: ONLINE. ]

Beck: --!!

[A soft red glow shined around him, energy SURGING through him in a way that he's NEVER felt before...]

Beck: Ah--

[It all seemed to pool into his arm cannon.]

Beck: .....

Beck: WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED.

Beck: -pANIC-

Beck: W HAT WAS THAT?!

White: .......

White: Beck...did...

White: Did you just...absorb the Xels of a weakened robot and--my goodness --assimilate them?!

Beck: I DON'T KNOW--YOU TELL ME!

White: Alright--alright--just CALM down, Beck--breathe, breathe...

Beck: .......

White: Beck--I DESIGNED you with this capability.

Beck: ....!! W-Wait--

Beck: ...So--THIS is my...my power? My OTHER power?

White: Yes, Beck. I designed you with THREE central powers: Xel Manipulation, Xel Transformation...

White: ...And Xel Assimilation.

White: ....But...

White: This is the first time I've seen it...active...I hadn't thought it functional yet...

White: (...So why now...?)

White: .....!

White: (Of course...)

White: (Seeing me like this--in danger. Amidst madness and chaos...)

White: (His emotional matrix must have activated his latent abilities...)

White: (In an effort to protect me.)

Beck: .......

Beck: Whoooooa...

White: ....!

Beck: .....

[The glow subsided. Along with the surge of power.]

Beck: --? Uh...what happened?

White: ---Ngh! I'd love to explain but we have more robots incoming--!

Beck: --!!

[Within moments, as they headed deeper into the building, more and more robots appeared.]

[The security system had also gone haywire, and the very same measures used to protect them was now being used against them.]

White: Almost there, almost there...hold on, Soi...!

Beck: OwowowowlASERSHURTOW--

White: ...Right--the Lab is just ahead...

[DR.WHITE] //: Sanda?

[.....]

[DR.WHITE] //: Sanda, are you still there?

[.......]

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

[DR WHITE] //: Have the robots torn you to pieces...?

[MN.9] //: DAD--

[DR.SANDA] //: Criminny! Tactful as ALWAYS, Will... -_____-;;;

[DR.SANDA]//: I'm FINE, but for PETE'S SAKE, HURRY--!

[DR.WHITE] //: Don't worry, we just need to go through the--

[There was a LOUD scream across the feeds.]

[No—two voices, both screaming in utter agony!]

[B A N G.]

Beck: ?!?

Beck: What was THAT...?!

[The door opened...]

[WWRRRRRRRRRRRRRR--]

White: --?!

[Literally CRASHING through the side wall was a huge, round robot nearly seven times Beck's size, crushing anything underneath it's round steel flattener...]

White: A CherryDyn demolition unit?! How on EARTH did it manage to get DOWN here?!

Beck: Oh C RUD--

[The destructive CDN CHARGED right into Beck's path--he dove out of the way in time, however, but the shock of the impact with the other wall forced the door to close, leaving Will on the other side.]

Beck: DAD!

[DR.WHITE] //: I'm fine!

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck, quickly--you MUST stop it, before it destroys the whole laboratory!

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

[MN.9] //: DAD THIS THING CAN CRUSH ME--

[DR.WHITE] //: YOU HAVE TO TRY! SOI IS STILL IN THERE!

[DR.SANDA] //: COME ON, BECKO--DO IT! OR WE'RE ALL TOAST...!

[MN.9 HAS ENTERED FULL COMBAT MODE.]

Beck: I'msodead--

[SCANNING...]

[SCAN COMPLETE.]

[ E N C O U N T E R ]

[CDN. 502 -- MODEL CODENAME: ROUND DIGGER]

[HEIGHT: 300cm] [WEIGHT: 450kg] [XEL COUNT: 90,000,000]

[The CherryDyn Number 502 charged once more, rolling across the room at RAPID speeds. Beck once again had to dodge, THIS time using his new AcXelarate Dash.]

[...It certainly was...Fast.]

[SPLAT.]

[A little...too fast.]

Beck: O-Ow--stupid wall-

[DR.WHITE] //: Your AcXelarate Dash is EXACTLY that, Beck! An acceleration! Use it wisely!

[DR.WHITE] //: You must weaken it with your weapon to destabilize it's Xel before you can absorb it with your Dash!

[MN.9] //: SO I JUST SHOOT AND RUN INTO IT?!

[DR.WHITE AND DR. SANDA] //: YES!

[The Round Digger reared up to charge once more--like a bull would.]

Beck: Crudcrudcrudcrud--

[WRRRRR...]

[BLAM BLAM BLAM!]

[Direct hits--but it didn't stop the CDN from charging.]

Beck: -nOT AGAIN--

[ZOOOM!]

[...And yet another splat.]

Beck: OW--

[DR.WHITE] //: Beck--are you alr--

Beck: NO IT'S NOT WORKING--!

[DR.WHITE] //: Perseverance, Beck! Aim for it's joints and head! Destabilize it's Xel structure!

Beck: Aim and shoot, joints, head--

[WRRRRRRRRRRR--]

[A panel opened up on it's back, revealing--]

[Bombs!]

Beck: --oh NO--

[Of course, it was a demolition unit!]

[BOOM!]

Beck: AAAAAAAAAAH--

[There he goes, dashing this way and that to avoid being blown to pieces!]

Beck: -SCREAMING-

Beck: DAD HELP ME--H ELP ME!

[DR.WHITE] //: I can't--! Not from here--!

[DR.SANDA] //: THE SYSTEMS ARE ALL SCRAMBLED FROM HERE, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING--!

[BOOM! BOOM!]

Beck: -I'MGONNADIEOHMAN-

[Nine keeps shooting--but they are wild and panicked shots, some hitting their target, some missing completely.]

[.....Eventually, however...]

[ERROR--ERROR--XEL STRUCTURE UNSTABLE--]

[...The CDN's head starting glowing purple! ]

[DR.WHITE] //: NOW, BECK!

[As soon as Beck saw it...]

[...He knew exactly what to do. As if it was instinct.]

[As if the thought was there all along.]

Beck: Here GOES!

[ZOOOM--]

[XEL ABSORBED. 100% --CDN XEL COUNT LOWERED 20%--]

[WARNING! WARNING! VIRUS DETECTED!]

Beck: --?!?

[RUNNING XELFILTER.EXE...]

[XEL FILTERED. ALL MALWARE HAS BEEN NEUTRALIZED.]

[ATTENTION: MORE XEL IS REQUIRED FOR A FULL XEL PURGE.]

Beck: (Xel...Purge...?)

[DR.WHITE] //: BECK! ABOVE YOU!

[The CDN had stopped charging--and--oddly enough, used it's extending legs to grab onto the ceiling...?]

Beck: ....???

[A panel UNDERNEATH it unlocks and--]

[PSSSSSSSSSH!]

[A HUGE high pressured blast of water SLAMMED into the Mighty Number, knocking him back into the door with a loud CLANK!]

Beck: AAGH!

[DR.WHITE] //: BECK!

Beck: Uuugh....

Beck: ...Ooooowww...

[...? What's this?]

[...All that did was... Just DAZE him, at best...]

Beck: That was...almost as hard as Cryo, ow...

[PISSSSSSSSSHHH!]

Beck: -gARBLING NOISES-

[DR.WHITE] //: MOVE, BECK!

[A bit shaky, Beck dashes away from the stream--]

Beck: sTOOOOOP--

[.....]

[OH! Wait--why didn't he think of this before?! He might not have his siblings by his side--]

[...But he had their FORMS, right?]

[...Right?]

[…]

[ERROR//: MN.7 REXELECTION FORM NOT FOUND. FORM WAS ERASED AFTER HARD RESET.]

[…Wrong.]

Beck: WHAT?!

[ERROR//: MN.1 REXELECTION FORM NOT FOUND. FORM WAS ERASED AFTER HARD RESET.]

Beck: NONONO!

[ERROR//: MN.2 REXELECTION FORM NOT FOUND....]

[ERROR....]

[ERROR...]

[ERROR...]

[...Gone.]

[They were all gone.]

[He had nothing. No forms except that STUPID golden one, and what good would THAT do?!]

Beck: NO!

Beck: DAD--I CAN'T CHANGE FORMS--!

Beck: I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO FIGHT WITH--!

[DR.WHITE] //: YES YOU DO, BECK!

[DR.WHITE] //: You have tools of which this world--or ANY world--have only just begun to see!

[DR.WHITE] //: USE THEM!

Beck: .....

Beck: --Shoot, dash, shoot, dash--

Round Digger: -R O A R S-

Beck: Shoot and dash, shoot and dash--!

[Repeating this mantra, Beck circled the CDN...]

[They both traded blows, neither of which seemed to be giving in or showing sign of fatigue--]

[...But...slowly...slowly but surely...]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

[XEL ABSORBED.]

-PING-

[XEL QUOTA ACHIEVED.]

[XEL PURGE: ONLINE. XELFILTER.EXE PREPARED FOR OVERDRIVE.]

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

[...A circle of white began to glow around Beck's feet...]

[A stream of Xel floated outwards, forming a large circle along with three dots and lines--his symbol...]

Beck: Come on--

[His arms started to shine a pure white!]

Beck: SNAP OUT OF IT!

[XEL PURGE INITIATED!]

Beck: NOW!

[A burst of green Xels flow out of the circle, and RIGHT back to the CDN! Rings of purged Xel incircle it, and slowly--it's...purple, tainted Xel fades...]

[........]

Round Digger: ....????

Round Digger: -BEEP-

Round Digger: -BEEP BEEP-

Round Digger: -CONFUSED DATA, THIS IS NOT OUR DESIGNATED AREA-

Beck: ...!!

Round Digger: -DISTRESSED BEEPING-

Beck: Hey--Hey...

Round Digger: -THIS IS NOT WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BEEEEEEEE-

[...Beck...cautiously approaches the CDN...]

[Closer...Closer...]

Beck: Hey....Are you OK?

Round Digger: -BEEEEEEEEEP!-

Beck: Hey--Hey, it's OK...

[...Pat. Pat...]

Beck: You're OK now, don't worry...

Round Digger: -SAD BEEP-

Round Digger: -BEEEEEP-

Beck: ....! Uh...hey--do you think you can help me?

Round Digger: ....? -beep?-

[MN.9] //: Dr. Sanda?

[.......There was no response at first. Both Doctors were still STUNNED at what just happened.]

[MN.9] //: Dr. Sanda!

[DR.SANDA] //: ...! Erm--ah--y-yes, Beck...?

[MN.9] //: You said the systems were haywire, right? So you can't unseal yourself...

[DR.SANDA] //: Well--I....oh.

[MN.9] //: So--I guess there's only one option, right?

[DR.WHITE] //: --! Of course! The Round Digger!

[DR.SANDA] //: W-Wait--Wait a min--

Round Digger: -PING-

Round Digger: -DIRECTIVE RECEIVED. COMMENCING DEMOLITION.-

Round Digger: -WARNING BEEPS, STAND CLEAR-

[DR.SANDA] //: -SHRIEKS, RUNS TO THE FARTHER ROOM-

[WRRRRRRRRRRRRR--]

[C R A C K!]

[With one powerful charge, the CDN Demo unit reared back once more and charged into the other wall, making a hole large enough for even MIC to walk into.]

[DR.SANDA]//: Did you REALLY have to do that?! This place is falling apart enough as it--

[DR.WHITE] //: We can worry about it later! Beck--neutralize any other threats in the building while I work with Soi to get at LEAST some of those systems back online...

[MN.9] //: Yes Sir!

[DR.SANDA] //: B-B-But--the lab is unsealed--

[DR.WHITE]//: I don't think we have to worry about that for now.

Round Digger: -BEEEEEEP-

[MN.9] //: Yeah, you can stay down here and make sure nothing gets past you, OK? That way you don't get hurt too. ^.^

[CDN.502] //: -BEEP BEEP, NEW DESIGNATION AREA CONFIRMED-

[DR.WHITE]//: Good, good. Be careful, alright?

[MN.9] //: Yeah. I will.

[Beck went back the way he came--through the recently re-opened door--while White stumbled through the opening, patting the CDN on it's side as he passed by.]

[...It took a while to find where Sanda had taken cover, but eventually--]

Sanda: Will!

White: Soi!

[Without another word, Sanda threw his arms around his beast friend, quite literally giving him a bear hug--]

White: Hurk--! Soi--!

Sanda: You have no IDEA how glad I am to see your face, friend--

White: Th-The feeling is mutual, Soi, but c-could you PLEASE let me breathe--

Sanda: --? Oh--OH. S-Sorry, William--Eheh, excuse me--

[White breathes in a few deep breaths once Sanda let's go, once again brushing himself off--but to no avail, as his clothing was more or less ruined.]

Sanda: Great Ceaser's Ghost, Will--you look like you've just been put through the wringer...!

White: That's...not wrong, Soi...at all...

Sanda: ...I can only imagine--I could hear everything from down here...

White: ....Did...you hear the broadcast...?

Sanda: Broadcast--?

White: ...Right, the systems are still scrambled—you wouldn't get anything...

Sanda: —…. Well—I… /did/ hear.... screaming—

"Dr. Sanda!"

[Passing through the crumbling wall, Beck reappeared, his pristine white armor slightly singed in several places--probably from laser fire.]

Beck: Dr. Sanda—!

Sanda: Beck--! Come here, you--!

[In a well meant hug of his own, Beck latched on to Sanda's leg, burying his face into it. Muffled cries of 'I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU'RE OK' and 'SANDAAA' were heard while the Doctor fondly gave Nine a noogie.]

Sanda: Ha Ha! I KNEW you could do it, Mighty No. 9!

Beck: -MUFFLED NOISES-

White: Yes--well done, Beck...but, I'm afraid we still have work to do--have the other robots been taken care of?

Beck: I...did my best--some of them went outside, but I managed to absorb most of the ones on the upper floors...

White: That will do. Come on, Soi, let's TRY and get this lab running again--

Sanda: W-Wait a minute--

Sanda: I see here that BECK is functioning normally...

Sanda: But what happened to the OTHER Mighty Numbers...? Are they still OUT there...?

[........]

[… … …]

White: ....Sanda...

[...Will sighs...and takes up a straighter posture.]

White: Based on empirical evidence...I believe that they might be suffering from this... robot affliction that's been going around--and causing all this chaos...

Sanda: W-What--?!?

Sanda: You mean--Pyrogen, Cryosphere...

White: ...Yes, Soi...they've been infected with a virus. I saw the status of all of them on my laptop...

Sanda: No...!

White: ...Have a look...

[MN.1 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.2 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.3 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.4 STATUS: UNAVAILABLE.]

[MN.5 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.6 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.7 STATUS: ONLINE, FULL COMBAT MODE, -VIRUS DETECTED- ]

[MN.8 STATUS: UNAVAILABLE.]

[MN.9 STATUS: ONLINE, COMBAT MODE, CONDITION: NORMAL.]

[After a moment…]

-PING!-

<RMDC>: >REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGED. SENDING STATUS UPDATE TO MODERATOR DR.WHITE…

[…! Data from the RobotMaster Database (Cossack Server) in the midst of this—?!]

White: It's...!

Sanda: The Robot Master Database--we're still connected--!

>DCN-008 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DCN-007 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DCN-004 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DCN-003 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DCN-000 STATUS: OFFLINE

[oH WAIT THEY’RE IN /LETHAL/—]

[...!!]

Beck: But--They're in--!

>Loading…

>DWN-024 STATUS: OFFLINE

>DWN-020 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-019 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-018 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-017 STATUS: OFFLINE

White: Oh God... Don't...tell me they...they've...

>Loading…

>DWN-013 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-012 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

>DWN-011 STATUS: LETHAL COMBAT MODE

Beck: Speedy....Siam...everyone...

White: -PALES, THINKING THE WORST-

>Loading…

[…]

>Loading…

[…There seemed to be a delay…]

>Loading…

> -PING!-

>DLN-008 STATUS: OFFLINE— CRITICAL AI_OS DATA ERROR

[…well that might explain the screaming from earlier…!]

Beck: TOBY...!

White: No!

Sanda: T-...Tobias...

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>Loading…

>ERROR: SIGNAL NOT FOUND. SEARCHING…

[…This did not look good. Everyone who wasn’t in LETHAL Combat mode was OFFLINE. The whole series—! Even the Awarenesses who didn’t have rebuilt chassises yet!]

Beck: Nononono--!

White: Not them too!

Sanda: Oh no MIKHAIL AND KALINKA-

[MN.9 HAS GONE INTO COMBAT MODE]

Beck: -sCREECH- LINKA!

-PING!-

White: --!!!

Sanda: -jUMPS-

Beck: !!!!

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

White: MIKHAIL! IT'S HIM! HE'S ALIVE--!

Sanda: WELL DON'T JUST STAND THERE, WILL, ANSWER HIM--

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

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

Allies Obstruct

=INTRO B: COLLAPSING PEACE=

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

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

Keep reading

---

My third default option seems to be ‘sass’.

Cardinal when he’s in yet another life or death situation. (via limitbreakers)

---

Allies Obstruct

=INTRO A: COLLAPSING PEACE=

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

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

Keep reading

---