VVVVVigil: Valorous Veterans Vanquishing Venal Vermin

[Arkhosia]

Barracks

Renee seems understanding of the explanation and casts the blade away, letting it dissolve before she holds out her hand. "Let me see your hands for a moment. If nothing else, I can at least pay you back by growing a gun." Renee explains. Sure, she didn't really owe Blanche anything in her mind but she definitely needed the practice of building stuff. She wouldn't be as good as her mother, but if she could get back to some of those pools she'd built in the MagCave...

"Rifle? Pistol? Shotgun? Which would you prefer?" She asks. If Blanche lets her look over her hands, Renee will analyze them closely.

Blanche looks a little taken aback at first. She didn't think she was really owed anything either, but more surprising than that was the casual mention of growing a gun. That was a new brand of odd, or new to the relatively recent Nexusite at least.

Even so, the catgirl does obey, extending her hands palms-up with slight hesitation. Her pale palms were worn, not calloused like a farmhand or a swordfighter but certainly no stranger to work or combat. She'd held firearms many times, and knives too certainly. There was also a certain toughness to the skin of her fingers and knuckles, from a lot of time spent throwing punches at bags and some sparring sessions. Nails were trimmed, not essentially manicured but kept attentively short. "...I could use an Squad Automatic Weapon, if that wouldn't be too difficult?" It was true, but she didn't want to ask much out of Renee, much less too much of her.

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

Renee frowns at the request, a bit off-put by it to be honest. "That's...quite the tall order. I'm not sure I'll be able to deliver on it, but I can surely try. With a weapon like that though I won't be able to link it with you so you can produce the ammo naturally." She admits before taking Blanche's hand and licking the palm. It was surely unexpected and possibly a bit disturbing, but she appears thoughtful afterward. "I ought to be able to link it with you somehow though. The bloodflow and nerves to your hand are all good and I'm sure I can get it to match with your genetic blueprint pretty easily. Anything special you want on it?" She asks, finally letting go of the hand.

[Lord Magtok]

Outside the Base

Spoiler

Show

[Outside the Base]

Calm Reed is surprised by the elementals' sudden return to motion, and they manage to tear one of the sashes away. She responds by snapping back, grabbing one of them and trying to simply smash it into the other one to hopefully topple both of them together. She then continues charging towards St. Lazarus, who is now engulfed in the vog. Calm Reed stops short of running into the cloud and, her elemental aura growing yet brighter, aims another jet of freezing water at the hydra.

[Outside the Base]

That's two elementals smashed together, exploding in a rain of magma that quickly evaporates into nothing.

Calm Reed can't see any more elementals appearing though, which is odd. But that blast of freezing water is going to get somethings attention alright.
The flying dragon-hydra flies straight towards her as her blast seem to have opened up its chest, causing molten magma to leak out on the ground below (don't worry Saint Laz, its mostly harmless).
Two of its heads have been raised to attack while its middle head continues to breath out vog at the area below. If Calm Reed doesn't get out quickly

Within the vog Saint Lazarus can hear the wings of the hydra, but just as it sounds like its getting closer, it sounds like suddenly moves past her.

But that doesn't mean she will miss out on the action though as she can hear other movement all around her. A group of three elementals suddenly making a jump on her. Using no other tactic than just simply ganging up on the knight. She will have a few seconds to prepare however as her hearing warns her of the incoming attack. They seem to be able to see her though, which is giving them a distinct advantage.

Discretion is the better part of valor. Sometimes it's better to run away and regroup than stand and fight. When you're blind, alone, and armed with only a dagger, it's probably a good idea to retreat.

Yep, those are three things Saint Lazarus will probably wish someone told her once this is all over. Lazarus instead stays put, holding her dagger in a defensive stance meant to guard her ribbons, waiting for the golems to come to her. There's only so many that can approach at once, so if she just stabs at whoever gets close and then immediately backs away, she should be fine long enough for Calm Reed to fix things, right?

[Morty]

[Outside the Base]

Calm Reed stands fast when the hydra swoops in and emits its heat ray. She crosses her arms in front of her face, letting the heated air flow around her and past her. The rivets of her armor shimmer and glisten as it happens, taking on the texture of a bottomless depth into which the hot air disappears. Once it happens, Calm Reed lashes out again, sending another wave of freezing water... this time straight into the hydra's open jaws. As she expends even more of her Essence to resist the heat and attack, the glow around her erupts in dazzling brilliance, taking the form of a single reed standing unbowed amidst crashing water, which now becomes real enough to whip and lash the ground around her.

[Arkhosia]

Barracks

Blanche's ears fold back somewhat as she blinks away some lingering grogginess, realizing that the suggestion was indeed perhaps a bit much. "...right, I, uh, forgot a couple of the mechanical aspects that make those more complicated than a rifle or shotgun." She admits bashfully, as much genuinely apologetic as she is embarrassed over such a lapse. "It was kinda the first thing I don't have that came to mind, I was thinking pragmatically but I don't-" Thankfully, the catgirl's awkward mess of explanation, justification, apology and backtrack is cut short as Renee licks her palm, causing her to practically jump in surprise and tug her hand away in reflex. Not enough to actually break from the other woman's grasp, but more than just a minor flinch for sure.

"...No, I think I've asked enough." Blanche shoves aside her questions about all this talk of nerves and bloodflow, not eager to vex Renee any further.

[Rebonack]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

Zee didn't fly up here on her own.

She could have.

But she didn't.

Instead she took advantage of the transportation provided from the ground up to the Island itself. Whoever was operating said transportation would have been subjected to pleasant conversation and an offer of brownies.

Insidious.

See, while she has means of getting around on her own, Zee has learned over the years that people appreciate it when the normal channels are used. Why use a door when you can just drift through the wall? Because people get uncomfortable when you just pop into a room all of a sudden. People get on edge when you fly up to the base unannounced. But when you use the transpiration they offer and make a point of being pleasant? Well! Then they know you aren't a threat, but rather a friend.

So!

Here she is. Walking along atop the island just taking in the sights.

And one thing that strikes her pretty quickly?

"Wow... there are way more people here than I expected," she mutters, giving the plate of brownies she's carrying an appraising look.

Sure, it's a really big plate of brownies.

But there are so many people here! All sorts of people! And most of them look like adventure-y types, too! She even recognizes a few of them as regulars at Trog's! Which is no small surprise, given the popularity of the tavern among adventurers. They'll be met with warm greetings and offers of little chocolate cakes. In fact, by the time she's getting close to the more official looking buildings her brownie supply is growing dangerously low.

"I don't think I planned this out quite as well as I thought I did..."

Maybe she should make more? Come by on another trip later? She does still need to tell them what she's learned about doomy things, though. As she understands it, dealing with doomy things is kind of VIGIL's job.

[Morty]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

Zee might be running out of brownies, but the person who finally comes out to meet her, followed by the two adventurers who came to fetch him, doesn't look like the type to eat them anyway. Wenomir approaches Zee in his full armor, the Answer in axe form on his back.

"I never thought I'd see my warriors eating brownies," he observes. "I suppose one can indulge from time to time."

[Rebonack]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

Full armor.

Full armor? With gauntlets and everything? How are you supposed to pick up brownies with gauntlets on? That would be improbably difficult! Unless maybe the adventurers are going to feed him the brownies? That's a possibility. Would probably look fairly silly. Like feeding an emperor grapes. Except with brownies. And a guy in armor instead of a toga.

So not really similar at all.

Zee gives her head a little shake to get back on track.

Then Wenomir speaks.

"What."

She's flabbergasted.

"You guys have this giant compound and all these people but no confectioner?" Zee gasps. "But what if someone needs cake?"

Because sometimes people need cake.

"Well, I'm glad I could help out a little. Usually I would bring treats to an Org when they got a new base. This is pretty belated, though, since I was suffering from an acute case of exploditis. I hope you'll forgive my tardiness," she says, holding out the tray of what's left of the sweets. "Really, though, I had no idea there were so many people up here. This feels almost like a floating town! But not a Town. Since you don't have any statues of naked people. That I've noticed. Yet."

Yet.

"Besides the neighborly greetings, I wanted to relay a little intel on the pod people or skin walkers or face stealers or doom worms or whatever they're called," she continues. "I first encountered them when I was shopping for meat for the tavern. They had infected most of the meat at a super market with little flukes designed to eat people from the inside out and replace them. So you guys might want to carefully screen any meat-products you bring up here."

Oh.

Geeze.

Yeah, that's probably a good idea.

"I've been able to track them. The chaos magic they run on is really, umm... noticeable to me. And one of my friends is working on a detector slash tracking device. Hopefully there will be a prototype available for Intersection and maybe you guys too, pretty soon. Without the element of subterfuge I don't think these sneaky bugs will fair quite as well. They're gross in a fight, but I don't think they're anything a seasoned adventurer couldn't handle," she says, offering a nod to the two people accompanying Wenomir. "So far I've been doing what I can to disrupt their operations in a surgical manner, but I'm only one person and they've gotten wise to a few of my tricks. Be careful with how you approach these guys, they aren't above using snipers and covertly planted bombs to ruin someone's day."

[Morty]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

"If our members want to buy sweets, they can do that on their own time," Wenomir says, suppressing a sigh. "We are aware of the skin-walkers, but we didn't know the infestation went this deep. It won't be easy to burn them all out."

[Rebonack]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

Zee does her best to avoid looking shocked at Wenomir's abject callousness.

How could anyone be so deeply opposed to sweets?

"Things worth doing are rarely easy," Zee replies with a wane smile. She's pretty sure Wenomir is well acquainted with that fact. "You'll have my support in rooting them out. Unofficially, of course. I've always made a concerted effort to avoid getting too entangled with the Orgs, but preventing the Nexus from getting eaten by gross bugs is something I can really get behind."

Then she gives a little cough.

"That's, uh, not the only reason why I'm here. I don't know if you've heard reports or seen activity, but there's been a lot of otherworldly shenanigans going on lately. Which, I guess, would technically include the fact that I'm here instead of, y'know, exploded."

Her not being dead is kind of a big deal.

"Lots of faeries. Lots of 'angels'. Or at least cultists devoted to them. The cherub arena that popped up Inside a while back. They're searching for something. A power source hidden in the Nexus somewhere. And they're hedging their bets by making things miserable for the people living here. If you're dealing with faeries iron is almost always a safe bet. If you guys bump into any of the bigger angels, you want to hit them with stuff that's impossible. Shadow magic, pure good and evil, 'pure' elemental magic, whollop them with a Penrose triangle, whatever. Things like me don't have any defense against stuff that doesn't or can't exist, yet is."

Nice of her to be sharing her own weaknesses.

"And if you get reports that big swaths of land out in the middle of nowhere get really weird all of a sudden, that's me," she adds. "I need to feed every month or so, but I'm making sure to do it far away from populated areas were I might hurt someone by accident."

[Morty]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

Wenomir nods. If he has any doubts about his firm anti-brownie stance, he's not showing them.

"I've heard about some of that. Including a name I'd only ever heard in stories, 'King in Rags'." He then looks square at Zee. "Define 'feeding' and 'really weird' in this context."

[Rebonack]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

Wenomir is a man of deep convictions.

"Good. It's the sort of thing that's right up your guys' alley," Zee says with a nod. "Don't know any Kings in Rags, though. That sounds like a faerie name? I'm not super-familiar with all the lords and ladies of the fae. There are way too many of them to keep track of."

Just gobs and gobs of them.

What's the world need that many faeries for, anyway? "I'll keep my ear to the ground on that one, though. Maybe see if I can figure out something more about this King in Rags for you guys?"

And then?

Oh boy, it's time for definitions!

"Really weird like an otherworldly forest. Maybe more like a coral reef? Drawing a reflection of the Empyreum into the material world," she replies with no hint of hesitancy or shame. "Empyrean angels 'eat' by uniting other things to themselves in purpose. Which... I guess is how everyone eats? Technically? It's just a bit more metaphysically idealized in my case. I 'eat' a swath of forest and then it's mine as much as an arm or leg might be."

Now it's her turn to look square at Wenomir. "I'm telling you this because I'm an apocalypse threat. Or I could be, easily, if I get carried away. Any bronze host empyrean like me could be, but as far as I know I'm the only one in the Nexus that's active and awake. I want you guys to know how to put me down in case I ever get out of control."

[Morty]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

"Duly noted," Wenomir says, matter-of-factly. "If you ever become an apocalypse-level threat, we'll deal with you. In the meantime, anything you happen to hear about the uglies roaming the Nexus is appreciated."

[Rebonack]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

"Obviously I don't want to be an apocalypse threat. I don't have any intention of being one. But I love the Nexus and the people in it too much not to have a backup plan just in case," Zee confides. "For me, specifically, you need-"

Then she pauses.

And glances up.

Specifically to make sure there aren't any skinwalker infected insects buzzing around that might overhear the conversation.

Assuming all is clear, she continues. "-you need a bane, my opposite. The remains of something extinct. Stuff like that really messes with me. Weapons forged with a little bit of it as flux. Bits of fossilized bone in a warhead. Things like that. Any form of direct perception of me when I'm unbound is acutely cognitohazardous. A trinket of an extinct creature worn on your person would be your best protection. I'm trusting you with this information, please don't make me regret it. Because I know the skinwalkers would love to have a way to knock me out of the running since I've been giving them a lot of grief."

That's an awfully vulnerable thing she just did.

She gives a firm nod. "I'll do what I can. If I encounter anything relevant, I'll let you guys know."

A beat. "Do you want me to do a quick 'tour' of the facilities? Make sure no one has been replaced by pod-people? Or do you already have safeguards in place?"

[Darkcomet]

[Skybase Approach]

Much like the first time she arrived, A-2's stealth shuttle decloaks in the airspace nearby, quickly followed by a transmission. "A-2 requesting permission to land to discuss a matter with Commanders Wenomir and Mithar." Her monotonous facade stays on for the comms, but her warning during the battle in Riverside makes it clear this isn't going to be a nice visit.

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

"Huh?" Renee asks, momentarily perplexed before shaking her head. "Oh, no. Don't worry, I actually appreciate a challenge. Typically for a handgun or the like, I would have it be able to link into your body to be able to replenish its ammo and regenerate from any stresses firing it would impose. For something that large, I would have to change it up which would be welcome. I'll still put in some link to you, but it would be for a different purpose." She explains, reaching up to pet Junior. "The guns I make are living, so they would need to be cared for appropriately. I would include a guide to raising and caring for it though. If that's alright, I can head on out, go home, and I can probably have something for you within the month."

Arriving

A large brown-gold vulture flies above Vigil for a bit, a small figure hanging from underneath before being dropped off. When the figure gets back up to her feet, she gives a wave to the vulture as it flies off. "Byyyyyyyye!~" She calls out. The golden-skinned ram-girl takes a bit to dust herself off before heading towards the entrance. She stands at just five feet in height and wears just a pair of overalls and a tied plaid shirt that leaves her stomach exposed. Fleece hums happily as she practically prances her way towards the entrance, not a care in the world.

[Morty]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

Wenomir nods and doesn't say anything more about Zee's weaknesses. He recognizes the weight of what she just did.

"We've been on our guard, but I suppose a double-check can't hurt."

[Skybase Approach ==> Airship Gantry]

After briefly consulting with Wenomir, the airspace personnel allow the shuttle to dock. Wenomir will be waiting for A-2 to disembark, his expression as hard to read as ever.

[Rebonack]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

"The adage 'better safe than sorry' is pretty relevant here," Zee replies. "We absolutely can not let these things have a chance at getting what they want. If you guys got compromised that would be... well... Really terrible."

Maybe not the worst possible thing.

But pretty high on the list.

"I think, maybe, it would be best to start low end. Logistical. Sources of food for the compound and the people who handle it," Zee suggests. "Since we already know that's a vector the pod people are ready and willing to target. Hit an organization in its stomach, and you've got everyone before long. From there work our way up? I should probably meet Miss Mithar, at least to say hello."

And to make sure she isn't actually a horrible body-snatching abomination.

Zee isn't picking up anything bad.

Not yet...

But this place is HUGE!

So caution is the way to go.

[Shadowcaller]

[Outside the Base]

The hydra continues pouring heat from all its mouths, refusing to give up even as Calm Reed stands tall against its full assault.
Refusing to considering another form of attack, it only continues flying towards the monk with magma still dropping from the multiple wounds inflected on it. While it's in a rush right now, it might just "bleed out" if they just delayed it enough.

Nonetheless, rather than attempting to dodge Calm Reed's counter-attack it tries to take it on by increasing the heat of its beam, now producing actual lava to meet the freezing water. This act also causes more magma to leak out underneath it as the wave of water still washes over the creature, creating a huge cloud of smoke as a great deal of the water will evaporate. While Calm Reed did see the creature being hit, she can't see just how much damage it took as the condensed water is mixing with the vog which is now covering a even greater area.

Speaking of the Vog, Saint Laz who is right in the middle of it will be able to hear sound of rushing water, following by a intense fizzling sound and finally a loud THUD.
Whatever it was, the elementals aren't stopping to listen to it. Instead she gets one that is attempting to jump on her back and put its arms around her neck and two coming from the left and right trying to grapple her both arms. They're not going for the ribbons right away as it seems they're attempting to subdue her first.

There also seem to be a fourth one nearby which hasn't made its move yet judging by what she can hear.

Arriving

That won't go unnoticed.
VIGIL's less public member know what to do, go and get one of the leaders once they've confirmed that she's not dangerous.
In this case, a well dressed woman in a long robe approaches. She raises her hand as a greeting. "Hello, is there anything VIGIL can aid you with, traveler?"

[UncleWolf]

Arriving

As soon as the robed woman approaches, Fleece stands straight, crosses one ankle behind the other and curtsies. "You must be Lady Mithar." She says when she straightens up. "My name is Fleece. I've come in the hopes that I could join or at least be of use to you all." She explains, her tone quite serious despite her own unprofessional appearance.

[Darkcomet]

[Airship Gantry]

Two and the same robotic hulk that accompanied her before descend from the ramp. Two's face betrays no emotion, her robotic facade long-perfected. "You know our requirements for this meeting." Neither of them waits for an answer to Two's monotonous statement, or even stops moving. They only keep walking in the direction they remember, expecting Wenomir to come with.

[Shadowcaller]

Arriving

Cessie returns the curtsies with a deep nod. "My reputation proceeds me." She extends a hand. "How do you do, miss Fleece? I bid you welcome to VIGIL." The lady sorceress puts her hands together once they've shaken. "How are you interested in helping us exactly, if I may ask?"

[Morty]

[Airship Gantry ==> Command Center]

Wenomir moves to the front, offering no response or comment, and leads Two and her companion to the command center, then one of the offices within it.

"Commander Mithar will be joining us later," he says once they arrive, the first words he spoke since Two's arrival.

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

"Cessie is busy at the moment, but she might join us later," Wenomir says. "Starting with the food sources make sense. If the skinwalkers tried to infect us with our food, we'll just have to respond in kind. Probably with fire."

[Darkcomet]

[Command Center]

"Alright. So it's about...whatever and whoever it is that's replaced Three. A-3-2? A-3B? I don't know what we're going to call it," Two begins, grimly. Unlike their last meeting, Two's not putting on her previous, perhaps-irksome emoting, her tone instead closer to the act, but not quite as dead-sounding as that, and with a less formal and robotic choice of words. Slight notes of frustration carry through despite her habitual lack of emotion. "All information I have points to it being a personified fragment of whatever entity it is from ancient history that got shattered, with the other fragments almost certainly carried by numbers One and Four, along with myself. It's difficult to make a profile of this individual thanks to the span of time that's passed. What little concrete information we have suggests a rebel against archaic theocracies that venerated old 'gods,' but this person is incredibly unlikely to be happy with the way things have progressed since their time, however reasonable that may be, which is especially dangerous when combined with the previous Three's own issues regarding consequences of his past actions."

When the actual robot speaks, it's with a more normal if serious tone, yet the same basic voice as Two herself, just as before. "And it gets much worse when you factor in what this person had to be like."

"Right. The research Three helped points to a soul-based origin for all Anomalous powers, and if this worked the same way in the time of our world's original deific figures, this person would have had to gather power through, basically, ripping up souls and grafting parts onto their own. How one gained the power to do that outside of those beings' control is unknown, but this extremism combined with Three's existing profile...well, you know what he was like, I don't need to refresh you. Questions?"

[Morty]

[Command Center]

Wenomir sighs through his nose. To those who know him, this is actually a pretty significant gesture, considering his self-control. He really doesn't like what he's hearing.

"So let me get this straight. Whatever lives in that suit of armor isn't, in fact, 'Three', but some soul-fragment that he and the other 'A-Class' people carry or carried."

[Rebonack]

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

"If what I recall about her is accurate, I'm not sure how easy Miss Mithar would be to replace even if they did catch her," Zee reasons. "And fire still works great. Even under all that awfulness, they're still made of meat. And meat cooks one way or the other. Oh! And if you've got someone who can disrupt chaos magic? That sort of thing can really foul their disguise."

Also good information to know!

Zee will accompany Wenomir to the kitchens!

"I wanted to say that I appreciate what you guys do here," Zee says as they go. "The Nexus always needs more heroes."

Do the people at VIGIL count as heroes?

She sure seems to think so.

There might be a few who just don't want all their stuff to get blown up.

[Lord Magtok]

[Outside the Base]

Speaking of the Vog, Saint Laz who is right in the middle of it will be able to hear sound of rushing water, following by a intense fizzling sound and finally a loud THUD.
Whatever it was, the elementals aren't stopping to listen to it. Instead she gets one that is attempting to jump on her back and put its arms around her neck and two coming from the left and right trying to grapple her both arms. They're not going for the ribbons right away as it seems they're attempting to subdue her first.

There also seem to be a fourth one nearby which hasn't made its move yet judging by what she can hear.

The first probably gets a dagger buried in its throat, before Laz tries to flip the elemental on her back up and over her head, onto the ground. The second and third are much more fortunate, in that doing all of that takes up most of the zombie knight's focus, and they're set upon her before she has time to work out another strategy. That's fine, though, this is fine. She'll work out an escape plan in just a moment, don't you worry. She'll figure out how to get these stupid magma monsters off of her in just a few seconds. The leader of VIGIL is watching, so Jenette isn't allowed to fail. She's come too far to be a massive disappointment and get kicked out of VIGIL on her first day.

[Darkcomet]

[Command Center]

"It is A-3, for all Anomaly Classification System purposes, but definitely not the same person, no. They share the designation, and I'd guess the new one likely has memory retention, which does match what it claimed to you." Ah, there's that typical A-2 knowing too much. "All this changes my analysis significantly. One can no longer ever attain his goal, because if this one has the powers they've claimed, they will almost certainly achieve full control of any amalgamation. That eliminates one problem but adds several more, given that this individual has already done attained that goal once before and can do it again, possibly even with more, if any here have their own soulbound powers that might be stolen in the same way. And they inherit Three's assets. Technology, funding, manufacturing capacity..."

"The Executives will demand the new A-3's immediate destruction."

"Definitely. I can't guarantee they'd be wrong, either, but it's not something we can just let them handle. Riverside is battered already and Altaran's disappeared." Two rests her head in a cybernetic hand. "I'll be expected to monitor Evolution Industries systems and report anything possible, and however much I delay, it seems inevitable that they learn exactly what this represents. They already know something happened in Riverside for sure, just not what, and the new A-3 isn't exactly keeping their nature a secret. Projecting..." Two lowers her hand, and pauses, before picking up again, speaking almost incomprehensibly quickly.

"If A-3 is not destroyed before this happens, the probability of full-scale military operations to destroy all Evolution Industries holdings and eliminate A-3 approaches one. Probability of swift containment in the absence of Altaran's UDN 8.07%. Probability of A-3 resorting to increasingly drastic measures to fight back against superior conventional firepower approaches one, based on profiles and capabilities of A-3-1 and A-3-2. Probability of A-1 and A-3 amalgamation in this scenario approaches one based on known psychological profile of A-1 and capabilities of A-3. Probability of A-2 deployment in attempted assassinations approaches one. Probability of further amalgamations or deaths of Class A entities subsequently approaches...one." Two...falls silent after that, blinking. What she says next is quiet, shaky, and more to herself than anyone else present.

"I don't know what to do."

[Morty]

[Outside the Base]

Calm Reed backs away a bit, looking around. If only she were an Air Aspect and could blow all this fog away. But she can't, so with her vision obscured and obstructed, all she can do is focus and wait for the beast to come at her. She stands, motionless, in a ready martial stance.

[Command Center]

Wenomir tenses up more than he already was when A-2 once again knows something he did not tell her. But then she realizes this not-psychic know-it-all is scared. And lets it slip just enough for him to pick it up.

"That makes two of us," he simply says. "DC, for all our... differences, was something of a known quantity. This new soul-piece inhabiting his old armor and sifting through his memories is anything but. And there might also be a military intervention after them. Peachy." He rolls his shoulders. "I think the only thing to do is to make the unknown quantity a known one. We need to know something about... the new 'A-3'."

[Belated Welcome Wagon]

"Thank you," Wenomir says with sincerity. "It's good to be appreciated now and then. I don't know if I'd call myself a hero, but I guess I'm the next best thing." He stops in the middle of the kitchen area. "I guess it's all yours now. Just try not to make a mess."

[Darkcomet]

[Command Center]

"...Yes. Of course." Two collects herself quickly, back to her normal tone. "Containing One before all of this can happen would mitigate things, but we need to know how much this actually changes. We do not know if the original A-3's memories and personality will retain any influence, positive or negative. These projected profiles are incomplete. I know One and the Executives well, but my abilities don't function against another Anomaly directly. I can only base that on normal observations, or, who I think this person is, in other words. With One or the first Three, it's easy, they wear or wore their hearts on their sleeves. Conversely, I haven't been able to do a thing with Four. No coherent identity to speak of with that one."

Her robotic guard nods its head. "We won't be able to help you in anything directly involving A-3 now unless it requires intelligence on Evolution Industries, either. Two can obviously deal with almost any technological security system, but we can't allow any other Class A remotely near Three. We need to find a way to deal with One, now, before he acts against us or Three. Even just killing him permanently could be better than letting this happen."

"I am reluctantly forced to agree with myself. Have you managed to find anyone who could help? I might have a new lead, but it's a contact of Three's, the one who helped with the research I mentioned. Not an optimal ally."