Excerpt from 'So let's talk about these Golds!' Episode of Abyssnet Podcast, Western Frontier, by Holo-Net presenter, Abraham Parez.

So let's talk about these Golds, huh?! Now I know for a fact that we're all thinking the exact same thing! Two pairs of Golds show up just a few months after The Toxin Club goes down as lightning strikes and Tusk shoots up like a Scrapper's erection to a dead genefreak — all caused by a MAL of a suspiciously similar Grade…

Now, for Diana Ulrich, this is all but confirmed. Her little zappy fingers are quoted as "arousing as they are painful" according to one lucky anonymous 'witness' to her burning lust for justice! And talk about shocking! She struck so much fear into Simon Jugosla by uncovering his MAL-trade that he's gone and offed himself! Talk about an aura! And, by Mazhyr's tits… have you seen the ads she's on? Oh, who am I kidding, they're goddamn everywhere! Hell, even I'm considering joining the police just to see her in the flesh!

'If you know what I mean'.

Then, there's Dreadwire… oooh, just saying that name gives me chills. Little known fact, but he'd actually made his first public entrance into the criminal world undercover as a Vulture where he offed a Metal Heavens' Priest in their own chapel! Don't let humble beginnings confuse you, though, because a few weeks later he was sending Yuzhou Aerodynes crashing into one another! Now that's a bombastic entrance if I've ever seen one! And to think — he's using a fucking Arachne of all things! I know Shard Op's everywhere are absolutely busting themselves at the thought of having it in their labs! Plus, whatever fancy tech he stole from Yuhzou, I have a feeling the market's about to change as soon as we know where his goods came from!

So let's dive a bit deeper into these two, after all… this city's eyes needed a distraction like this from the Swarm. And right now, one of the biggest debates going on is… who would win?

Which of these two would come out on top if they had to clash with everything they've fucking got? So, I'm gonna call upon a few experts to discuss that on today's episode…

Because I have a good feeling things are going to get a lot more exciting.

4:32 PM October 2nd

Ripley

"So that Snake Fang friend of yours knows you're Dreadwire." Missy palmed her forehead, her eyes had been looking baggier these days. "And here I thought things were already complicated enough."

"I'm dealing with it. Just thought you should know… besides, The Snake Fangs are half-dead." I wasn't too worried, not with these guys on my back.

"I wouldn't take it so easily, not if Skeleton's involved. And although the gang as a whole is a mess, Shaun is deadly enough on his own to have the respect of the four big gangs." Missy ran her fingers along the table, a map glowing on it. "Alright, get your head back into the game. You know the gig for tonight? Mirage should have sent you a debrief."

"Yup. Stealing an old Pre-collapse guitar that belonged to some famous musician, apparently, first restored and owned by some SynTec corp, who lost it in a bet to a Diablos devil, who then had it taken in by the police to be put into a museum, which was then stolen by Metal Heavens. Gig's from the devil guy, to return this instrument to its second rightful owner. And so we continue to iterate this circle of crime."

I brought my fingers to move in a circle to humor her.

She let me get my way with a smirk. "Good. Topaz is going with you."

"I can do this alone." I pushed forth. "It's a relatively simple job."

"He's doing recon."

"I have a drone."

"What's gotten into you, Ripley? He's only taking ten percent of the cut."

"Every damn shard matters." I said back at her, before pulling my breath back in. "I- I'm sorry, I just-"

"I understand, Ripley." She softened her gaze. "Remember we're all trying to help, Topaz too. He could have easily asked for more."

I nodded. "Just… when I figure out the stealth suit. At least let me do one mission without needing him."

"That suit was good, but you know Topaz is better for infiltration. Besides, I heard your little friend in the police has quite the knack for finding people through stealth."

My eyes darted away. Diana was… something else sometimes. Lately, she'd been in the news constantly. It had died out slightly but…

It was hard thinking if I could live up to what she was doing right now. Just a week ago, it was said she'd apparently taken down two major arms deals by herself, and that was just in her first month. Of course, the tabloids were probably just embellishing it.

———

6:25 PM October 2nd

Diana

Watching from afar through my sniper's scope, I trailed the locations of four Iron guards from atop my perch on the rooftop, my eyes taking in more light as I… or at least, tried to, mimic the eyes of a hawk through the anatomy I'd read of them.

Limited Morphology Manipulation was proving to be both one of my most powerful, and elusive Mutations.

A cheerful voice piped in my ears. "So what you eating for dinner?"

The invisible woman behind me was all too visible within my faint electric domain. Sabrina Throm. I'd been wondering who had been stalking me over the last few weeks, but it was only three days ago that I caught her in the act as she… stopped stalking me to buy a taco.

I didn't really get her. Her whole attitude didn't make sense for being in the Special Intelligence Unit—cheerful and disorganized… but she was competent. Almost all of my coworkers were… odd, to say the least. Their power, though, couldn't be denied.

Sabrina Throm was a legacy much like Anthony was… is. The granddaughter of Colonel Rieben Throm — stationed up north in Yellowstone. He was a Gold like me, in charge of maintaining their defence grids when the MALs attack while she was a Silver Esper.

"Silvy… cmon, don't leave a girl waiting." Sabrina poked my cheek, breaking my focus out from my sniper scope.

"I'm making lasagna." With a side of metal dust, Dryder would have added. My ability to digest inorganic material was… unclear, but it was the most I could have without giving myself a bad stomach ache. I don't know how Soul Killer and Simon Jugosla knew to make meals so adjustable to my metabolism.

"Oh, you should try my mom's recipe. I'll send it over to you." A snapshot of delicious-looking lasagna pulled over my eyesight, a list of ingredients flowing beneath. "Did I ever tell you that she's a professional chef?"

"Yes," I said with finality.

"Oh, well then you should also know that-"

"She's glad that I put scum like Simon Jugosla in a grave." I bit my tongue, my scope zooming in. Los Diablos had just hauled in a truck.

It was time.

———

7:21 PM

Ripley

Well, this was embarrassing. Topaz held onto me with no shame, wrapping his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck. Except for the hand he raised up upwards to the sky. "Onwards, my spidery-friend!"

"I'm trying to build a reputation here." I breathed into my mask, Elsa would kill me if she saw Topaz doing this.

"And I'm doing my best to ruin i- woooaahh! Fuck-fuck!"

I'd interrupted him by reeling my Livewire in, shooting us up the side of the building like an arrow. The last few weeks had really benefited my usage of the Shardware as both a tool and a weapon, my brain more honed in on the intricate momentum calculations as my Database Feature continuously cataloged all of my Arachnodyne's usage to make it more efficient.

Today, though, I'd brought up the ways to make this ride much more bumpy.

"Dread! Put me down!" He screamed into my ear, but I just shrugged it off as my limbs worked to send us jumping from one wall to another, until unfortunately we reached the top too soon. It was an elaborate outdoor lounge, complete with a rooftop pool and sunbathing chairs, and I'd eyed the hot tub.

I'd never been in one.

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Maybe someday soon.

Still, hard to believe someone from Metal Heavens owned all of this. Bishop Stokry, Mirage had told me, was said to be a public figure of some sorts, managing a chain of Shardware Operating Centers under a SynTec affiliate.

Topaz let himself down by falling on his ass, his dark complexion a little bit paler now. "Fuck me! (Actually, don't, you're not my type). But what the hell? You make that look easy, do you not have a fear of heights? How the hell do you just do that?"

"Got a couple of Links that coordinate the limbs, an update that reduced my fear of heights, and a protocol that basically forces me into making sure that I don't kill myself." I helped him up, though it became a little bit harder to focus on him even as I held his arm.

"I'll get us in." I cracked my neck, staring at the door leading into the penthouse.

The set of BUGs installed into my right arm crackled as my Warp Energy flowed deeper into them. Holding myself under the concept of my Water Tendency, I embodied myself as the vessel of the module located within the selected Implant.

Mimicking… Databreak Module: [B] Dataweave / [B] Integration…

Visually selecting the Datacleaver I'd bought from my girlfriend — a handy little relationship discount of a hundred percent attached with it — my right claw burned to life as its tips split to pry into the door's wiring. In seconds, I'd transmitted the viral Warpocde through its systems.

"Managed to get some cameras." I sent the visual field to Topaz, scanning out the various Metal Heavens members scattered through the elaborate apartment.

"You fucking Shard Adapters, swear it's cheating for you."

"Says the guy who literally can't be focused on."

"Hey, you know how many times Di has almost shot me by accident?!"

"Honestly, wouldn't surprise me if it was on purpose." I snarked back, to which he rolled his eyes, before he completed his own circuitry of Warp Energy and I lost sight of him.

"I'll go cause a distraction. Meet you here in ten."

"Go wild." After all, I'd just found the guitar. And it was being played by the Bishop himself. A Silver Tier III.

———

6:31 PM

Diana

Sabrina moved quickly on the map, my lenses adjusting as a program in it created a holographic field of where her invisible body was moving. Air curved towards her, forming tangible currents through which she slid and hopped on as she neared the warehouse.

"I've got eyes on seven more Irons, sending them your way. Looks like they've only got two Bronze Fiends in there." She relayed to me, numerous red highlights appearing behind walls.

"Tell me when to shoot." I said back through the comms. Fiends… they were the lowest ranking of Lieutenants in Los Diablos, equivalent to a Crimson Finger like Cannonarm.

Her voice grew teasing. "Ooh, you're letting me control this? Let's see… 99… 98…"

"I'm shooting." I sighed, every day I wasn't sure how she ended up in Special Intelligence. "3… 2…1."

My first four shots were exactly on mark, silent blue pulses flying across the cityscape and striking the grunts on their frames or Shardware, burning their nervous systems so that they were incapacitated.

Sabrina acted quickly on her end as well, as three of the red highlights collapsed without a sound.

"Alright… switching rounds." I rolled the barrel on my sniper, cover-piercing bullets loading up according to the scope's display. "Infiltrate."

Sabrina slipped in through a door on the top floor, and soon a camera feed blurred in my vision of the inside of the building. Normally, a SIM Adapter was overwhelmed by excess information like this, but my mind burned electricity through its neurons to compensate.

I was still within my limits.

"Alright… they're discussing the deal with some black-masked guy. Looks like he's one of Skeleton's."

"Taking him alive then."

"Hey, we're staying non-lethal for everyone." Sabrina's voice was harsher than it normally was. "Remember, we discussed this. Besides, all of Skelly's deals have a kill-switch with those involved."

"These rounds don't exactly care whether the armor is made of metal or flesh." I kept my scope steady above the highlight tinged with Bronze.

"Well then, get your ass over here! Silvereye!"

I sighed, Sabrina had an optimism and naivety that should have long been wrung out before she joined the SIO. Though, regardless, I tapped my sniper's console to shut down. Despite all I've gone through, there was a part of me that… agreed with her. Or wanted to, in spite of everything.

I searched for the currents stored within my suit, the custom-built battery within it feeding my endless appetite until my body was veiled under a curtain of blue sparks.

"I'll be there soon."

———

Ripley

Maybe it was because Topaz could naturally make himself imperceptible, but he lacked subtlety in everything he did. According to my tracker on him, he was basically standing in the room where the Metal Heavens bigwig was strumming a song along for himself and a few lady friends.

It wasn't exactly a party, but there were a few of the Heaven's grunts chilling around and drinking while others stood on guard. They seemed to be discussing their ongoing feud against the other gangs in this casual hangout of theirs, but the various pools of conversation ranged from group to group.

Not everyone here was Metal Heavens, but all in all, we weren't expecting there to be twenty combat-armed people hanging about. I watched patiently for my opening, waiting until a small change happened; there were now two more bottles of alcohol on the table.

Reading the brand name… oh… a quick search on the net put each bottle at the cost of 60,000 Shardyne. And Topaz left each of them open, inviting the various gazes of these underpaid grunts.

"Oi, I didn't know we was runnin' this stuff today?"

"Boss must be in a celebratory mood then!"

"Yeyeah! A toast then!"

Topaz had chosen well, the bottles were off at a table far enough from the Bishop that he didn't realize they were all drinking his fine cognac until half of the contents were down in their bellies.

When he did realize, hell broke loose. "What the fuck do you think you scrapheads are doing?!"

He handed off the guitar to a standby grunt of his, and my drone followed the grunt's unsteady gait as he trailed deeper down the hallways to a secure room in which… woah.

There were a lot of old-world musical instruments. Seemed he was a collector of sorts, but my target now free of any human eyes, I activated Hypermind Alpha — a handy little Module that was a weaker version of Hypermind Prime. It didn't require me having to meet the R0N1N to create it, but was more liable to burn itself out.

The world slowed down, the camera feeds showing the mercury-like motion of the argument growing in the main lounge. My Arachne flowed into motion, scurrying me deeper into the apartment where the doors hadn't quite shut as the tipsy guard was fumbling his way with the guitar's mounted display case.

My Livewire spread across my fingertips, and wielding my Shardweave's Meta-Manipulation Protocol, I formed the golden thread into shape as I slipped the garotte above his head, and pulled.

Constricting the bloodflow to his brain while delivering a shock of a Datacleaver, he was out in seconds.

I caught the guitar as it fell from his grasp, relaying to Topaz that-

An echoing boom went off from the main lounge, my feed showing the blown out head of one of the grunts who'd drunkenly antagonized the bishop.

"Anyone else want to argue with me?!" The bishop yelled to his guests. "Oh great, now you got me all down, which one of you is going to clean the blood off my couch now?"

A few of the grunts immediately got to work, pulling the body away while others scurried through the halls to find a way to gather cleaning supplies.

Shit, since it seemed like no one wanted to entertain a hangout with a dead body, they had all dispersed through the apartment and now I had a few guests right outside this door.

I'd seen the code to get in, but this complication had just…

"Topaz, how much value would a guitar lose if it was soaked in blood?"

"A lot."

"Right."

I didn't unstrap my gun, I guess I would just have to utilize my presence as a mercenary to strike fear into their hearts…

Let's hope my girlfriend's social media propaganda sufficiently turned me into the fearsome figure they believed I was.

———

Diana

I announced my entry by throwing three orbs out from my hands, commanding a telekinetic hold over the charged metal. I curved them through the crowd and stuck them onto the Shardware of three Los Diablos Adapters before they unleashed themselves. Their bodies seized, not under a brutal electric fry, but instead an assault of Warpcode.

These Warpcode cuffs were built specifically for my use.

A better arsenal was just one of the many perks of working in an elite Intelligence unit. Half of my suit was custom-made, most of my tools tinkered with by our unit's personal Shard Operator, Trixie.

Because as she said: 'I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve.'

Sabrina began her assault at the same time, dismissing her invisibility to reveal her blonde-haired beauty. She pulled out two grenades from her belt and lobbed them across the startled horde, which began to spew thick white smoke from their confines.

Then her Silver Warp Energy reached out into the smoke, binding it around the grunts so that icicle shards began to harden over their bodies. Sabrina's Esper Mutation allowed her to control the temperature of the carbon dioxide she breathed out, except that there wasn't exactly a limit when it came to how much time had passed, so she spent a lot of her breaks exhaling into these handy little self-pressurized grenades.

I slipped through the hazy smoke, some bullets firing my way as they found my presence by the light sparking off me, but I was a lightning bolt brewing in a cloud. And metal only attracted me.

Frays of my sparks ignited as I expanded my domain outwards, my senses flowing with it as my Leizhou pistol shot electrified pellets through the mist to strike and steel. Gaining a mental grip on their guns, I yanked some away while pulling off the aim of the others before setting my sights on the deadly duo of this bunch.

The Fiends were the lowest class of Diablos leadership, but they couldn't be underestimated. One of them bled out a giant whip of burning fire while the other's arms expanded into a cannon-fire of bullets at my direction.

I crammed my collected arsenal of floating guns to form a barrier between me and the bulletfire, before Sabrina 'Wraith' Throm pounced onto the Bronze Sharded Fiend as she wrapped her legs around his neck, thin wisps of icy breath flowing out of her mouth and snaking into his.

The gun froze, as did his lungs partially, as he seized his chest with his free hand. That didn't stop his underlings or the flaming blood Mutant from attacking me, but with half of them unarmed and all of them freezing under the cold ice that had formed over them — I had the advantage as Thermokinetic Catalyst thawed me.

I tossed their battered weapons back at them, a not-deadly-enough charge of electricity hammering at their bodies. A few mutants tried to get back at me, but I was too fast, too powerful for their punches or stabs to even hurt, though those flaying whips of burning blood were dangerous enough to dodge.

Still, it was all too easy to dodge them. They weren't as well coordinated as some of the other monsters I was hunting.

Pulling my field of electricity tight until it was a thick shroud over my body, I surged electricity back at the incoming whips I sensed behind me. How foolish, I thought, blood still conducted electricity.

It zapped right through the crimson and back into the man using it, his body contorting for a moment. But that moment was all I needed as I flowed through the smoky warehouse, a single touch from my palm incapacitating all of these grunts like clockwork.

And then finally, I launched my punch straight into the blood bender, pulling it just enough that my fist didn't go through their chest. They launched back, breaking through boxes until they slammed into a wall — knocked out.

It was typical enough for Mutants who used blood to have regenerative powers, so a few broken bones wouldn't be too bad.

"Damn…" Sabrina whispered as the smoke cleared up. "Everytime you do it, I'm surprised by how strong you are."

"Did you get Skeleton's man?" That was where my focus lied.

"Not so much a man, as much as… well… look for yourself."

I sighed, Mr. Skeleton was far from a secret for the Special Intelligence Unit, but he wasn't exactly their priority. It was still something they looked into, but as for now…

I stared at the ice-covered man. He wore an elegant and precise suit and a featureless black mask tight enough to make out his bone structure. Immediately, my senses expanded through him.

All of him. There was nothing organic.

"A synth — one of his drones." I sighed in frustration. "Whatever, for now we'll just…"

Something else grabbed my senses, from inside the truck, I felt moving circuits of electricity…

And a thread of Titanium that I very much would never forget.

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