November 1st 12:34 AM

Ripley

The party was a lot more fun than I expected, and it turned out I was a hit.

Once everyone was drunk and let go of their tough-guy demeanours, many, many faces were curious about my Arachnodyne and me. From gangs big and small, they were eager to learn how I'd gotten so powerful so quickly.

I left my answer as advertising. "If you seek power akin to mine, then find The Ripper."

"The Ripper?" Quickshot chortled. "Ah, of course, sure. I'll make a visit, where's the clinic?"

"Starlight will contact him on your behalf." I pointed to my over-danced Intelligent pixie, pulling her under the bus. I also really needed my own Shard Operating space soon, I doubted Maiden or Harold wanted me inviting strangers into their workspace.

Their sharp and combined glares at me confirmed as much. Elsa snuck into my side once their attention was off me, holding me by the waist. "You know, I think you made them less scared of Dreadwire tonight."

"Let them see my human side tonight, when they need me as a mercenary… they'll find a different person when I wear a mask." I hugged her close.

"Yeah… but… y'know, your Egos are really weird." She teased. "Not that my Personas are all too normal either, but still, at least I'm always me."

"Well… I am still me when I'm Dreadwire, just a little more serious." I tapped my mask against hers.

The doors swung open, and in walked a man who stunned everyone into silence. He wore a fine, tailored black suit but had no muscle to fill out its contents, no skin… only metallic bones—a skeleton.

Mr. Skeleton.

Immediately, all sorts of weapons were drawn on him, unanimous here that they all hated him. That feeling made me feel… justified. Elsa growled, holding me tight. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"So many familiar faces…" Skeleton smiled, drawing his eyes along the entire crowd and stopping at the lonesome Muramasa woman. "Oh, hi, dear. You could have invited me as your plus-one. Maybe that would have cleared the confusion?"

"Don't drag me into this mess, Mikail." She hissed, her voice slicing through the air even as a whisper. "You're uninvited, even from my end."

"Such a harsh mistress she is." Skeleton laughed before heavy pounding steps pushed through the crowd until Diamante stood inches away from Skeleton.

I thought I knew what Diamante sounded like while angry. Now I realized I never had an idea how deep emotions could go even for a man with barely any flesh. "Get. Out. Or I'll wear my business suit and burn Little Requiem to the ground to put a bullet in your ass."

"Ah, what an empty bluff." Skeleton patted Diamante's shoulder like a friend would, looking over to see Missy, who had her eyes narrowed like a hawk's. Her presence was like an imminent explosion. You could feel tension trapped in the air as it all stilled to the thoughts that riddled her mind. "Missy… tell your tincan here to give me a chance to say what I came for."

"You had… so many chances." Missy clenched her hands. "You still do. End this game of yours."

"I never tire of your motivating words." Skeleton chuckled. "But I have no intention of working with you two, not when you tore my mind apart from the inside with that… incredible power of yours, Emizren. Dying by your hands has always been the most terrible memory I have. I cherish it."

Diamante gripped Skeleton by the suit. It was a testament to the cloth's durability that it didn't tear. "You worthless bastard. You… won't work with us?! Like you have any right to!"

"Still hung up over Seraphina? She'd be ecstatic to know what my plans are." Skeleton mocked, my mind taking a turn for the name. Seraphina… like Seraphim. Was she the original author of the AI in Maiden's care?

Diamante's fist blurred and shrapnel blew so hard that Skeleton's crumpled body broke through the wooden wall of the building.

Missy rubbed her forehead, her teeth chattering with what I thought had to be rage. Another second later, a second Mr. Skeleton walked in, looking at the hole in the wall before shrugging. "You weren't very nice to him."

"How many of you are there." Diamante wasn't asking, he demaded.

"Just me now." Skeleton pointed to a seat. "So sit down and listen before you lose out on the very, very valuable information I have for you right now."

"What?" Diamante growled, steam hissing from his body.

"I… put out a bounty." Skeleton flourished his words with elaborate movement from his hands. "One-hundred-million, on three different Shard Operators. Familiar names to you. Jovick 'Runewrit', Arham 'Sandflame' and the mysterious 'Starforge'."

Missy let out a shocked breath. "How did you…?"

"All three of them have particular subsets of skills. All three of them have been working against me much like Maiden here." His red glare sliced in Maiden's direction. She looked just as angry as Diamante was. "And the three of them have received quite powerful armaments from you. I believe… Missy's NeoCore armor, Diamante's Iron Devil body and the Amalgam Engine, and the R0N1N's Hammersmith-crafted body parts. Now, these three are all sufficiently hidden among the establishing Siege Capitals… but unfortunately, I've already left to collect my due."

"You son of a-" Diamante's fist surged into the air, but someone else reached him first.

Wood spilt and cracked as a whistle was all the evidence needed to prove that the R0N1N had moved. Skeleton's body fell into pieces that crumpled to the ground, metal bones and nothing more. The R0N1N's blade sank back into its scabbard, his green eyes aflame against Diamante. "This party is over."

"That. It is." Missy nodded, determination dense in her voice. "It's been nice having you all here with us, but I need to talk to my men. Alone."

There was little rebuttal. Everyone filed out as Missy opened a cupboard that left passage deep into her lower chambers. The room glew with light upon her entering, she reached for a large table and holographic dust filled the air and took meaning.

My mother was by my side, holding me tight. "Ripley… are you…"

"What's the pay?" I said quietly.

"No fucking payment! Not enough to satisfy this!" Diamante yelled, before quieting and pulling back. "Shit… sorry, just- let us talk."

"And by us…" Mirage looked at him, her eyes flickering away from gold and into red. "I'm assuming you mean: you and Missy?"

"Yes, Mirage." Missy said sternly. "This is important. Now listen up."

A map of the formerly United States floated between us as Missy spoke. "Siege Capitals set up within MALterritory to draw attention away from NC when the Swarm begins. Currently they only house specialists, those with million dollar contracts. With millions being invested into them, it's the perfect spot to send high-profile illegal Sharp Operators to a place where they're protected and flooded with resources. Among them were the three Shard Operators Skeleton mentioned, each of them are… powerful. Allies to us by decades of dirty work."

A circle glowed and highlighted Texas, around a siege capital aptly named 'South Bastion'. "Runewrit, former SynTec-turned-independent. He was a consultant for NeoCore prior to making… an agreeable split from them. He has my Exosuit, the least of our worries."

"Sandflame on the other hand…" Diamante clenched tight, as a circle condensed on Oklahoma on a Siege Capital named 'High Oak'. "Energy specialist, worked in Yellowstone and can power a city for a decade with just paper. He has my Amalgam Engine and Iron Devil body, prepping both for…"

"Amalgam Engine?" I leaned in, my lenses not picking up any information off the net.

"Your grandfather made it — or well, a blueprint of it we commissioned into reality." Missy said quietly. "It was how we got into an alliance with Sandflame in the first place. It's remarkable, a Silver-Grade Fusion Reactor worth hundreds of millions crafted with scraps he found, no one but your grandfather has any idea how it works, even when we study the process of design — but Di's Iron Devil suit is the only piece of tech capable of withstanding that output, for brief moments. Sandflame knows the Engine second-best, he can repair it and better stabilize Diamante's Iron Devil Suit for it."

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"And then…" The R0N1N slipped near as a final circle lit over Illinois, the furthest Siege Capital and within SynTec territory. "My Shardware."

"Sent to none other than Starforge." Maiden clicked her tongue. "She's a Nomad, queen to the Chromakon Clan, finest Shardware Nomads in unclaimed America. During your grandfather's time immigrating to New California, she and Hammer were… together. Her genius and his capabilities made us survive the wilds even while thousands of MAL took us over. If there's anyone who can make sense of his workings. It's her."

I was feeling a bit… left out. "So… you'd rather send all your Shardware into MALterritory than-"

"You were never in consideration for these projects, Ripley." Missy said without even looking at me. "It's harsh, but it's true. You became an Implanted Shard Operator just five months ago. These are all reputable Operators with decades… Sandflame has nearly a century of experience. We didn't even trust Skeleton with them, back when we were running together."

That made me feel… a little better.

"How the hell did he figure all of them out!" Diamante yelled, his eyes glancing down at Elsa. "I swear to the Founders, Mirage, did you-?"

I stepped between them. "Hey, cut it out. Focus!"

Quartz agreed. "The Shahanai Clan are in communication with me. They'll be able to escort you from the Southern border to Texas."

"No." The R0N1N cut in. "Illinois first. I am not having my Shardware stolen. You entrusted me with a worthwhile Operator capable of improving and repairing it for the Swarm."

I thought I was the worthwhile operator?

R0N1N's glare then cut to me. "And no, Ripley. You are the experiment I am testing, I expect a second set from you…"

"Alright… alright." Missy took a deep breath. "Small group, less for the MAL to sniff out. Can't carry two Golds or we'll never make it out past Texas where the MAL are clustered. So sorry Ripley, you can't come, but I feel like that's better for your current goals."

I nodded, I couldn't leave my mother for what was looking like… months. Diamante turned to Topaz and Quartz then. "Can't have either of you come. No need for subterfuge from Topaz. And Quartz… you already know your effect on any living organism… MAL are even better at sniffing out. You would be worse than Ripley."

"Fuck… fuck…" Missy repeated. "We'll need an Operator for R0N1N and Diamante."

Her eyes cast upon Maiden, like a fleeting hope. Sighing, Maiden begrudgingly nodded. "I'm experienced with the Wilds. My black skulls can run the shelter even if I'm gone… and kid…" she turned to me. "…Don't fucking touch my stuff. But remember, you still have a few weeks left on our deal."

"I know." I nodded.

"Mirage." Missy turned to my girlfriend. "You're coming."

"Like fuck I am!" She recoiled back. "There's barely any Net Access out there. I can protect against a Data-Devourer, but I'm not spreading any of my Persona's an inch into a Gear-Glutton!"

"We need you for the Siege Capitals… and for Skeleton." Diamante's voice lowered. "And… to prevent-"

"It's her choice, isn't it? You said there was no pay in this." I interjected.

"She can keep the damn Implants we get from the MALs we kill." Diamante pushed forward. "A Datacleaver isn't going to cut us off from Skeleton, we need her to get an edge on him. If he even touches the Shardware we have, we're fucked."

"What do you mean… touches?" I asked.

"His Unique Feature…" Elsa said by my side. "Soulbind, it lets him… flow his mind into Shardware. Anything he touches, he imprints, it's how he manipulates drones without any Net Access — they're all him. Duplicates of his consciousness. And conversely, he can draw out everything from Shardware he touches. How it was made, what it can do, who touched it… even how many lives it's taken. He relives the memory of Shardware like how you do for Implants. Sorry for not telling you, it's… we didn't want you trying to get close to him so you could mimic it."

So it was just as Dogwhistler said.

"It's a power he got… by betraying you guys, right?" I asked, throwing my foot down.

"So you've done some research. Real fucking clever Ripley, yes." Diamante barked. "He orchestrated a fucking ambush on us, then stole an Implant from… one of our people. Then used it to improve his abilities while we were grieving, when we found out… it was too late, our own Shardware was our enemy."

"And then you killed him, but he didn't die…" I looked at Missy. "Was it you?"

Missy looked down, sighing as she nodded. "I can disconnect an Implant from the Adapter, temporarily… I tried making it permanent for him. He was supposed to die but… The Uncaged kept him alive."

"Soul Killer did." I was putting things together. "And now,he's seeking a way to restore himself. Isn't he?"

Silence struck the group, Diamante's eyes glaring at me. "It's complicated. But you got the gist of it. Skeleton's name isn't just a fancy word. He's mocking us with it. And... this is bad, he, more than anyone, can manipulate Shardware. If he gets a proper look into NeoCore tech, my body or power source, or R0N1N's Shardware… what takes others years to learn, he'll do in weeks. Days. There won't be any secrets from him. He traces information across centuries. He'll learn how the Hammersmith makes things, and then be a Shard Operator the city can't pass up."

"Which is why he paid me to make useless Shardware for him." I realized. "He… is extracting information from my grandfather… from my claw… through what I make?"

"A small scale compared to what we're about to face." Missy was pale and her expression turned grave. "We have to leave… tomorrow. Me. Diamante. R0N1N… Mirage. Estimated time… anywhere between two-to-four months."

Elsa shook her head. "I said no."

Missy burned her gaze, imprinting it onto Elsa. "Mirage… we need you."

"Then take Daylight and Midnight!" She shouted. "They can stabilize each other to a degree, but… I'm not going. Not where MAL are, not away from…"

She held me tighter, her breath growing unsteady. "Ripley needs me. I'm the only one of you who even bothers to help him get his mother cured! What have you two done? You have more than enough money to buy him a Silver to two! More than enough… influence to get him contacted with high-profile scientists. Especially you, Missy! Instead, you both just leave him to suffer and learn."

"Mirage… Elsa." Missy's gaze grew gentle. "We are helping Ripley, but you act like time and money is unlimited, I care for Isabel and Ripley… but both of us aren't going to magically find the perfect Implant for her."

"She's right." My mom said, her voice even. "I know exactly how… slim my chances of survival are. Any resources that are spent on me would just be a drain."

"A drain?" I scoffed. "You're my mother. The last thing you are is a drain, you're the daughter of the Hammersmith, half of my brains came from you! You could be twice as good as I am if you had Gold. All that damn talk about me not having centuries or decades, you want to win this fucking war… she'll—"

"I'm not fighting any war, Ripley." My mom shook her head. "Not with any that's not in my body. I'm not my father, and I'm not you. Missy, Diamante, their responsibilities extend beyond just… my life."

"That's your responsibility, kid." Diamante said, harsh but not bitterly. "And we respect that, we care for that… but if I cared about every single sick person, I would long go broke and powerless when a damn skeleton is raising the dead and tearing this city a new asshole!"

"That is the second… issue." Missy said, her voice growing uncharacteristically hard. "Our exit from this city will embolden him, which means… Mirage, Dreadwire. If you're staying, you are no longer taking a cent from him. No jobs you even sniff his scent on. I'll have my contacts watch out, but right now… he's got us in check. If he makes the right moves while we're gone, it's a checkmate."

"He'll be fighting against the other Uncaged as well, it'll be a three-for-all." I said dryly.

Diamante turned his head. "What do you mean… he'll be fighting against them."

Topaz laughed nervously. "Oh yeah… we uh… never sort of, brought that up with you. While Ripley and Diana were with me and Quartz, we did some deep diving and came to the conclusion that they've begun warring with each other."

"Oh shit…" Missy sucked in. "Now? I thought they'd only do something that stupid after… after I die."

"Die?" I squinted.

"Long story." She waved it off. "But then that means we'll be losing out on around three months-minimum of a cold war. You guys need to be careful, I trust you all, but… they'll be out to use each of you. So stay vigilant, and don't take any stupid contracts!"

Missy was clearly on the verge of panicking, I'd never seen her like this before, but it was worrying. My mother held me tight, giving a solemn nod to Missy. "I'll make sure this idiot doesn't do anything rash."

"Yeah, I'll… I'll be careful." I had to be for her.

Mirage rolled her eyes, collecting two lights on her wrist that she transferred into Datacubes. "They'll both listen, but only use them as a last resort. The more active they are… the more unstable they'll become."

She placed them on the table, and Missy carefully swept them into her hold. "I will. I'm trusting you most, Mirage."

"Ripley." Diamante sighed. "The mall, it's yours. Only yours. Don't invite anyone else."

"Same for my place," Maiden warned, her icy glare like a knife. "I find you used an inch of its premises for a purpose I didn't ask for... you're dead."

"Topaz… Quartz. Can you relocate here?" Missy asked. "I'll have most vital information cleared to Seraphim, but I need you both here."

Quartz hesitantly nodded. "I'll… try to attract less attention."

"Shit." Topaz slapped a hand over his mouth. "I'll probably need to have some geneticists make Mutagen-suppressants from my body if he's going to be in the Precinct."

"I can take a try." I raised my hand. "Been looking over the data I took from SynTec, I think I could manage some effective suppressants with my nanites."

Starlight then boomed from my drones. "I'm actually the molecular genetics genius, he means he'll be using me to do his work through his body. But actually, anything you want me to do, Missy?"

Missy stared at Starlight, while the two hadn't met before today… Starlight informed me that Missy received the shortened version of her conception. "Seraphim. She's… going to receive most of our vital data. Keep her safe, you keep us safe."

Diamante nodded, a conflict in his eyes. "Seraphim… she's important. Don't fuck up, either of you."

"Aye-aye, no frogging up on my end, Diamante-sir!" Starlight saluted. "Besides, Seraphim's got a great sense of humor."

"I wouldn't know it." Maiden shrugged, looking at Missy like a bug was in her eye. "We leaving now?"

"No time better, contacts with the Shahanai received my word, we have to head south, now." Missy nodded. "We'll stop by your Black Skulls, get Diamante fitted out and collect anything to trade with them."

Diamante was already pulling a gun out from a drawer in Missy's safehouse, an energy weapon that was as large as he was. "Shit, I need to ride light. This'll do."

I stared as Missy was already heading back up. "Uh… you're all going, now?"

"Now." Diamante walked past me. "Take care, Rip."

"Oh, then… goodbye?!" I waved my hand, each of them waving back as they moved like a marching army towards the unknown.

…

And that was it. For the next few months, there would be no Diamante. No Missy. No Maiden. No R0N1N.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if anything had really changed.

I hadn't known it yet, but this move by Skeleton had unraveled… so much.

End of Act One of Thunder and Webs [Sweet Child O' Mine]

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