October 31st

10:34 PM

Ripley

Carol's coral corral, that tongue-twister of a name, was where the titular Carol owned a bar, under which Missy lived in her bunker that occasionally served as our headquarters alongside Diamante's mall encampment. It was here that I was told about the Shandian Facility Raid, and now it was where we were celebrating.

Striding in with my hand on Elsa's waist, I was surprised by the number of faces I recognized and didn't. I knew Missy was big, but turns out quite a few people wanted to celebrate a corporation being broken into and having it's military secrets plundered.

I recognized Missy, dressed up in some neo-futuristic blend of an old knight costume that had some glowing lights shining through it. The R0N1N was here too, surprisingly. His armor shed in favor of robes that were more stereotypical for his title complete with a flat straw hat while his two swords accompanied him to finalize the look. Quickdraw, the bow-wielding Shard Adapter who helped me take down the Shandian Tsuchigumo, was dressed in all green with a flat cap, and Stonewall sat beside her — the Esper who, true to his name, could manipulate concrete and was costumed to look like some earth-made robot.

Even my boss Harold Anderson was here. The only difference from his normally stoic look was that he glued on some frizzled wires onto his Shardware, while he chatted with Maiden who put a more rustic look on her Exo-suit. I saw another person, the Los Diablos Devil 'Handlebar' who was shitfaced and sat next to a Crimson Souls lady wearing a costume of a recent blockbuster character. Her mask was made of Silver and contained red spirals in place of eyes. An Eye of Crimson Souls, she was a commanding officer right under Crimson Queen and Heart.

Even a Muramasa patron was here, the only other person besides the R0N1N with swords attached to the hip. She also wore a mask of featureless black steel as white hair spilled from behind her, and sat quietly alone, but her gaze briefly flicked to me… and I didn't return it. Something was off about her. I could largely feel the frequencies of everyone, but hers was muted and hidden.

Besides them, other people flowed around, unnamed accomplices to the larger criminal network Missy had built over the decades.

I was really glad I was wearing Mirage's mask right now, these were a lot of faces I didn't want to know about Ripley Donovick. Diamante grunted ahead of me. "These are just some… friends of ours. Mostly paid friends, they get us jobs, quite a few of them even wagered on our mission against Shandian. A job like that meant more than a few strings being pulled, they're here to celebrate their paycheck. And to meet you, so put your socializing gears on, Dreadwire."

"Uh, is my mom going to be fine here?" I whispered.

Missy came, wrapping one of her armored arms around my shoulder. "Isabel's here already; she got the memo. She's wearing a mask and her Bioshard's concealed. As for your… little friend… she's providing entertainment."

"Entertainment?" I repeated, before Missy pointed me to a small crowd around floating drones. Starlight was there as a hologram, singing a tune to which the drones all behind her danced in orderly fashion. She was also wearing her own mask, two butterfly wings, along with a costume I'd seen worn on many pop stars.

"Thank you! Thank you! For your humble viewing of Starlight and the Six Bees! Ignore the fact that they're spiders!" She finished a routine and came over to me, her presence instantly feeding into my head.

"So… you like my costume, Dad?"

"Why a popstar?"

"You were in a music video, I want to be in one too! Actually, Crimson Souls have already sent me a contract!" She then showcased me a contract for a band called REDBLACK, some annoying idol group that I'll admit I occasionally listened to…

…

…

I got stuck with Devil's Triad… and she got a contract from my favorite band?!

Could I get an autograph?

"Should I have it signed to Ripley Donovick or Dreadwire?" She smiled in my head.

Both. We'll find a way.

Elsa smacked me in the arm, before holding on tighter. "Um… maybe it was a bad idea dressing up as you. I think they all believe that Dreadwire is a woman now. You might have made this suit a bit too well."

"Want me to clear the confusion?" I nudged. I was supposed to be here as Dreadwire after all. She hesitated before nodding.

At once, four of my Arachnodyne spilled out. The two on my right were black, while on my left, they were white to match my hair. More than a few took curious glances at me; others pretended they didn't care. Moving through the crowd, who were half-dancing along with Starlight and half-drinking, I found my mother seated next to Missy.

I hid my burst of laughter by looking at my mom's costume. She was a pirate. Her mask contained an eyepatch, and in place of her missing right arm was a wooden peg. "That's quite the costume you have there, miss…"

My mom tossed her hair back, even behind the mask I could tell she was more lively than usual, probably tipsy. "It's Peg-armed Nobeard. And you must be that big, scary spider everyone talks about. What was it… Deadwire?"

"Only to Metal Heavens who are half-deaf." I lent my hand to her. "A dance?"

"I would be honored." My mom stood up slowly, using my arm as support, as she slowly followed me closer to where a few patrons were shuffling to the beat of Starlight's dance routine. "She certainly likes the attention… and her appearance, it reminds me of S/////."

"Ah, I just let her dug around in my head to choose what fitted her most." I began to move awkwardly back and forth with my hands holding hers. It was almost shameful that she knew how to dance better than I when she was missing an arm and eye, and her nervous system was impaired.

"Have you contacted her? S////? I know it's been a while, nearly a decade, since you saw her last." My mom's steps got a little more energetic.

"Sorry, I…" I shook my head, a whistling noise briefly taking my thoughts for a spin. My foot stepped on hers. She shouted a curse into the air.

"Oh shit, sorry."

"Ow." She rubbed her foot. "You know you're made out of metal, be glad it didn't get crushed."

"I'll pay more attention, round two?" I helped her steady herself and smiled behind my mask as we got back to moving.

———

Mirage

Elsa sat next to the Muramasa Princess; her arrival here was not entirely unexpected, but it was proof of things taking a turn. "Of all the contacts I thought would pay a personal visit, you were the last I expected. You came to see us personally after all, Bladedaughter."

The Bladedaughter smiled under her mask, she was heir to Muramasa Dynasty in the event that her adoptive parent, The Bladefather were to pass. She was Gold, dangerous, and watching Elsa's boyfriend.

Her voice came through her mask like silk, tangling a web around every seductive word. "Dreadwire… I take it that woman is someone close to him."

"His mother." Elsa confirmed, a threat in her voice as crimson radiated behind her violet.

"Like all of us here, we will respect that." Bladedaughter nodded, taking a drink in her hand. "As for you, Mirage… when are they coming?"

"December. Neocore's first batch of Implants is going to be delivered directly to the First Precinct by Aerodyne, straight from the Siege Capital of New Kansas. I can't believe you're planning this; your father will kill you — you know that?"

"My father is currently… entangled. Besides, that man is Skeleton's tool," Bladedaughter said with a hint of disdain, "and was Soul Killer's before. I'm only taking things into my own hands. Besides… it's not the Implants I want. I need my father dead, having Muramasa be an enemy of Neocore will weaken both my fiance and my father. From the ashes, I will take control of a new Muramasa, away from them both."

"Is that what War-Watcher told you to tell me? Why don't you just break the engagement off?"

"It's an engagement in the loosest terms of it." Bladedaughter drank from her cup, she needed it when talking about that man. "Mikail believes me his, I will continue to show loyalty for as long as the fool has use for me and my men. When you are ready to strike, my new Muramasa will open the gates to Little Requiem."

"I almost feel sorry for you." Mirage sighed. "Don't think I haven't seen you ogling Dreadwire all night long."

"He is Gold like me."

"And you're certainly a Gold-digger, aren't you?"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"I do not deny it." Bladedaughter's sharp tongue spilled out. "Are you not the same, Mirage?"

"Far from it."

"Truly, you love him?"

"I do."

"I thought you incapable of the feeling, that's what my fiance told me. Unless... you had one of your Personas implant the feeling in you? Twilight, I take it? She's much lovelier than you."

Mirage clenched her glass. "Skeleton knew what I once was, I'm far from that husk of a being anymore. I feel now, and with it I have the freedom to make my decisions. Dreadwire is the man I love, and I will protect him. From you, from others."

"Shame, I was thinking you would lend him to me for a night. I'd pay well." Bladedaughter's hands changed, the subtlest sharpening of her nails — that were otherwise human — piercing into the glass she held without shattering it. "But maybe you're afraid of how much better he could do than you... oh, I bet you've weaved yourself right into his dreams."

"This is where you end this conversation. Or else, I'll cut the contact you have with The Dogwhistler." Mirage warned.

"And here I thought you would never admit it, Skeleton told me you keep that secret with your life." Bladedaughter laughed behind her mask. "Does your man know you lie to him. Do any of them know that you're lying?"

"No." Mirage whispered. "It's better that way. The Dogwhistler… I'm the only one fit to know of her. Otherwise… things will get worse."

"Even from your beloved?"

"One day, I'll tell him. Until then, he'd only be… distracted from his goals."

———

Diamante

It seemed like every damn person kept on asking Diamante why he didn't wear anything for Halloween. It got so bad, he found company in the one person he hated more than anyone. Topaz.

Topaz sucked from his straw, rolling his new tongue and feeling the contours of material spill through his brain. "Gotta say, sometimes I'm envious of Shard Adapters, you can change your bodies so much and swap out parts whenever you need them. Never knew a tongue could feel this much texture!"

"And sometimes, you change so much there's no going back." Diamante poured whiskey down his throat. The burn had to be simulated.

"Riiight. Sore topic." Topaz straightened. "How was the Fourth Precinct?"

"A shithole. Found another Dreamframe base, took precautions this time, had Midnight kill the MALseeds before I transferred them. This is Skeleton's doing, but who knows what that bastard is scheming." Diamante let the alcohol clear through his system, unlike most Shard Adapters, he could get drunk from standard alcohol. That was the price of his only biomass being a brain.

"Y'know, that thunderstriking demon is a force to be reckoned with. How'd you stay standing up? Just being near Diana made me think I would die." Topaz licked the glass clean.

Diamante scoffed. "Pssht. I didn't feel a thing."

"Didn't she break your arms?"

"Just one." Diamante said with steel hardening his words. "I broke the other when I shot through it out of how pissed I was."

"Y'all got some serious anger issues." Topaz yawned. "Anyways… gotta know the gossip. You have Analyze, you've seen Dreadwire and Silvereye in action. If the two of them fought… like… to the death, who would win?"

Diamante thought on the answer, and he would give a long and proper explanation. An explanation that would not be heard right now.

For it would soon be witnessed.

———

Missy

Sitting next to Harold Anderson, Ripley's boss at the gym he operated in, Missy watched as the man took a wary gaze between her and Maiden who was busy chatting with Ripley's mother. He raised an eyebrow and a query. "Never thought I'd see you two in the same room again."

"Yeah." Missy admitted, hesitant to even look at Maiden. "It was Di that invited her, but recent changes require us working together again, though she won't ever admit to working with me. I didn't even know Diamante was running things by her, not until he told me about Diana and the Dreamframes."

"How's it feel to be the blindsided one, for once?" Harold handed her a bottle, she shook her head.

"Like karma's a bitch." Missy sighed with a smile. "I thought you were the last of Al's friends I'd ever introduce him too, but the kid keeps on finding more clues. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually hunts The Terror down one day with his grandfather."

"Would that be bad?"

"I know the power of Oblivion. Yes. I warned Al…" Missy took a fresh bottle, and chewed the cork off. "How's the kid doing at your place?"

"He's about to outgrow it. Recently started letting him touch up combat mods, kid's lacking finesse, but has the same creativity his grandfather has. Might fire him just so he doesn't klep my secrets." Harold commented, his tone taking a more contemplative echo. "On one hand, it'll make him more powerful. On the other, power will consume him like it did to Mikail."

"Well, I need him powerful."

"Tch. You need him as a weapon, yet you warn him from being one."

"That's because I don't need to manipulate the circumstances, they're already against him."

"Right, you don't manipulate them, but you certainly aren't making anything better for him by keeping so many secrets."

"The last time I held one of Al's legacies by the hand… and tried to cultivate every step of his future—" Missy had a rare flash of anger burn through her, but she calmed it down with practiced ease "—he turned sociopathic, I thought I was raising someone who'd save this city, turns out he just wanted to rule over it. I'm never putting that kind of responsibility and power into someone's hands again, it's up to the kid to take it himself. I might lend him the opportunities, but it's a trial by fire to see what he'll become."

Missy took a deep breath, that moment of memories surged her Warp Energy, blood pooled in her throat. She coughed into a napkin, before folding it down into her pockets.

"How much longer?" Harold sighed.

"Depends on my activity. I could pull out my maximum to kill one Uncaged, but it would be my last day, my nanites won't pull me back from that. Not even Goliath would."

"Thankfully, I've mourned you for years already, old friend." Harold raised a glass to toast, she clinked it.

———

R0N1N

The R0N1N sat next to Quartz, both of them still and silent as neither of them acknowledged the other. Somehow, the combined allure of Quartz's pull on consciousness combined with R0N1N's cold grip on his blade at all times provided a symbiotic pairing whereby they remained undisturbed.

They liked it. They never said it out loud to each other, but they liked each other's company.

———

Diana

"Okay, no! No no!" Olivia pulled my hair, braiding it tight. The orphanage was bustling with activity, as three officers came bearing gifts and showered them with attention and love.

Sabrina loved it, happily playing and painting monster-like faces over them and then acting scared while they roared and chased her down. Though, every now and then I sensed a weird flutter of guilt as she played. Belle was roughhousing with them, lifting them up and providing as many tricks onto them as he offered treats.

And I… I was their living doll. The kids looked up to me, some of them even asked me to share what was apparently now my catchphrase.

'I'm here to remind evil that lightning strikes twice.' I struck a pose, awkwardly raising my finger into the air even with the tight silver-colored bodysuit.

They'd ditched my witch outfit in favor of designing a superhero costume for me, it was lots of silver and blue with lightning curving around my arms and torso. Olvia grinned as she painted a mask for me. "We're going to make you scary! We'll put lightning bolts for a mask!"

"No!" Another girl shouted. "We're going to make her pretty!"

"But she's already pretty?" A confused boy said. "Let's make her ugly then!"

"Noooo!" Many girls shouted in unison, chasing him down. I chuckled, as he ran right into Dr. Moira's arms who smiled fondly at the scene. She looked happy today, Moira had the tough job of working as both geneticist against Soul Killer, and caretaker of these kids who had been through so much. Today had been a welcome reprieve for her, I could sense her tension evaporating off loosened shoulders.

Sabrina trailed closer, aiming to ignite the passion of these kids dressing me up. "You need to make her super pretty, she has a crush she needs to impress."

"Shut the fu-"

Moira shot me a dangerous eye at the close curse. I shut the fuck up. Before kids all around me shot up with excitement. "Ooooh Diana likes someone!"

"Who is it? Who is it?"

"Is he famous?"

"What does he do?"

"Does he like you too?"

"Does that mean he's your boyfriend?!"

"Look, look! She's blushing!"

I was not… okay maybe I was blushing a little bit. "It's nothing like that, Sabrina's just teasing me."

Dr. Moira came closer, patting me on the back. "Well, I'm glad to see you're finding companionship in this tough time but… does he know about all of this?"

Taking a deep breath, I asked the children to give me a moment of privacy as I walked deeper into the orphanage with Moria. "So… it's Dreadwire."

Moira's face fell. "Oh my?"

"But that's not why I'm telling you about him! I-uh… we both have a Silver Nexus SIM on us now, he's helping us with Soul Killer. I'll probably have you both talk to each other, and… this is the important thing. He has… the power to interface with Implants."

Moira stilled, her mad scientist costume and wild hair only frightening me further as she latched her hands onto my shoulders. "Elucidate."

"We don't know if he can do anything with SIMs yet, but with BUGs… he can read memories from the people who used to possess them. That's all I can really say."

"Memories? Implant-Coded Data?" Moira's eyes opened wide. "Okay… okay! I can work with that!"

She suddenly got really excited for some reason. "Juliet! I have her Implant."

"You have Juliet Grazhe's Implant?" I grabbed her shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we didn't have a use for it, Dryder kept it with me, along with the Revenant Serum for safe keeping. It was just a memory, but now that memory can be read." Moira held her face, her nails clutching tight in excitement. "This is… phenomenal news, Juliet more than anyone researched Soul Killer's Mutations, and… there's another reason why we kept it. It has a Unique Feature on it."

"A Unique Feature?" I paled, that meant a Fragment from a Source-Shard was on it.

"Right, it's called Foresight, it let her predict Mutation Development among other things. But... it was dangerous, affected her mind and made her unstable." Moira took a deep breath. "For years, it's just sat with us, but now… we can study it. Properly."

"Alright, alright…" I patted down the superheroine dress I was wearing. "I'll contact him soon."

"The soonest you can." Moira hugged me.

"Also… the Nexus here, I think I can cure it now, but I'll need him with me." I held her there in a hug, she had been through a lot, and now hope was radiating ahead of us. "Together, we'll beat The Uncaged."

———

Soul Killer

A night club. Bouncing bodies unbeknown of the packages they'd smuggled in. A Nexus stood on standby, and further away in a distant corner of the city, a Golden mind coordinated it and several others all operating for the same purpose.

This package on their table, they thought it would be drugs. The Los Diablos men were practically salivating at the thought of the ecstasy they would feel. Oh… when they opened up, and a red mist spilled into the air, they certainly came to know the height of many emotions.

———

Dogwhistler

Neocore's plan to empower this city for the Swarm was moving along, they had predicted criminal activity would interfere, but they had also vastly underestimated the powers of New California's underworld. Especially hers.

NeoCore's Harpies were state-of-the-century Aerodyne vehicles capable of masking all presence, they could float an inch off your head and you wouldn't realize it until you jumped. But little did they know, the Dogwhistler was extracting their exact route into the First Precinct.

She had experience with their tech.

When December would come, hundreds of Iron Implants would spill into the criminal world's grasp. Bronzes would be fitted into every Muramasa prodigy. Silver would feed their elites. And a single Gold was up for the taking to forge a new legend.

Muramasa would be infamous, but they'd also be targeted. A raid would be committed and a kill-order would be issued by NeoCore. It would either be their rise or their fall. And Muramasa's leader had no idea what his children had planned.

And his daughter had no idea what the Dogwhistler had planned.

No. Those Implants were not meant for either Muramasa, nor the police.

They were hers… and for the one she needed by her side.

———

Skeleton

A bar bustled with activity, deep within were his old comrades. People who had once loved him like a brother. He had taken that love and twisted to wring out all that it was worth. They'd gotten momentary justice, but a brief death was the least of Skeleton's worries.

For he'd gained the power of another Shard of the Source, all it took was the death of Diamante's beloved. Sniffing the stale air, he approached the bar, this drone wouldn't make it out alive, but he had come for a reason.

He had come to warn them.

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