Ripley's notes on the development of a vaccine for Soul Killer's Mutations: Project Soul Anchor.

Starlight's analysis of Julier Grazhe's research has proved incredible findings. For someone who never stepped an inch into professional education into the world of Warp-based genetics, Juliet's notes are ground-breaking when it comes to how mutagen reacts with Implants and the mind.

Soul Killer's Mutation, as far as I can tell, localizes in the brain and opens up the mind to Warp Energy in a way not too dissimilar to Shard Adapters. The Soulless aren't just a part of Soul Killer, but instead have an open channel to theoretically influence anyone, regardless of whether they've ingested the Soul-Forfeit Mutation or not. That thought is terrifying, but fortunately, it's a method The Revenant likely doesn't use due to the potential backlash.

Case-in-point: Diana's Deviant Mutations. She's psychic now, whether she admits it or not, capable of detecting others' emotions and channeling them into Soul-Trigger. Or well, channeling's the wrong word; she's a magnet and draws them in, regardless. She's fortunate the city loves her; who knows what her powers would end up looking like if they didn't?

So then... how do we stop Soul Killer's Mutations? It isn't as simple as just creating a genetic barrier. Rather, I need to create a psychic barrier as well. My nanites can provide the physical buffer, but I'm in desperate need of learning more about Diana's Mutations if I were to make a true vaccine — even just a prototype. I think Topaz and Quartz could also be of use, but they're lower in priority.

Every step of this is... greatly improving my understanding of Implants. I'm closer than ever to curing my mother, but I need a Silver BUG to work with.

Elsa says there are six of them up for grabs.

November 28th

4:58 PM

Diana

It was a perplexing feeling when I strolled across an entire street for a walking break and realized I was the only one not wearing a winter coat. My Mutations had certainly changed me. Last year, I would have been freezing. Years before that, I had needed Yvette to warm me up.

Now… I was enough. But just because my strength was solitary didn't mean I wanted to be alone. I knew that now, I'd taken it upon myself to right my wrongs and develop the relationships I wanted. Or prepare, anyhow. I met with Ripley in a cafe. His appearance was always changing — sharpening from his Shardware to the way he carried himself — but now… I could feel the change in his soul. A new Tendency.

Shadow.

"It's funny. I kind of just realized how much I lie to myself, and boom, 'new Tendency'!" He sipped some hot chocolate. It was actual cocoa beans and cost a fortune. He said he'd pay for both himself and me.

"Same, only I ended up with the brighter version." I chuckled in response, drinking from my mug. Neither the warmth nor the cold did much for me, but yet I felt... both hot and cold in his presence. "How's the business going?"

"Good." He chewed his words in at that. "Had a few rowdy customers, but… well… figured some stuff out when I took the trash out. Snake Fangs, but don't worry — had a chat with them, they'll keep out for now."

"Fuck. Still can't believe you went back to that place." I muttered. All of the memories of that night were… haunting.

"You should come and take a visit." He offered.

This was the part where Sabrina would have been yelling at me to take it.

I decided I would. Leaning in, I played my best smile. "Will you swing me there, or walk me?"

"I actually bought a bike. Been missing my old one." He pointed past the window to a fairly expensive bike that was both large, yet sleek. "Thinking about branching into automotives, completely different school of Shard Operating, though."

"Well, I can tell you that you're never operating on my car."

He shot a sideways glance at the briefcase by my feet. "Ah, but your suit's fine?"

"My suit's not a part of me." I nudged it closer to him with my leg, just briefly rubbing past his jeans. I decided to keep my leg there. "I… how's things going with Mirage?"

"Good. Great — actually." He had a warm smile on his face, one that… ached me. "We had a rough patch, but now… we're more honest with each other. I feel like I really know her, what she's gone through. She doesn't… well, now, she doesn't look down upon me. In fact, she's lately the only one who doesn't berate every single decision I make."

"I'm glad you found someone you love," I answered, my smile falling slightly.

"By the way," he slid his chair closer, lowering his voice, "think I might be onto something to cure… Anthony."

My heart completely stopped, my hands instinctively reaching for his hands. "How?"

"You." His sharp digit poked my palm. "You recovered from brain damage, and I… well… sure, I helped. But the fact is, your innate healing is strong enough to fuck off from life's biological limitations on what it can and can't repair."

"So… you want to transfer my healing to him?" Was that even possible, or safe?

"Look, you have the power to absorb any Mutagen from anyone. It's like your entire body is AB-negative blood; doesn't matter who it is, you're compatible with their genetic information to absorb it. As long as they're Mutants or Espers. I'm thinking I can reverse that, so your Mutations can be used on others — a cure, or a healing balm. It might also be the last step needed to manufacture the anti-Soul Killer cure properly. Soul Anchors, that's what I'm calling them now."

He had all of my attention. "Any progress?"

"Some. It's tough work, anytime I'm not home or at work as any of myselves… I do run it in the background with Starlight. It's just… well… the cure was based on nanites anyway. That's what I figured out… and… it was only possible because Anabelle and Juliet have shared genetics. Juliet basically extended some of her BUG-based immunity to the Mutagen and used it to sever Anabelle's connection to Soul Killer." He sent a complicated list of machinery and biochemical formulas over to me. "But we could replicate that."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"You and me…" My eyes absorbed every detail of his face. "My Mutagen and your nanites could form a cure based on Juliet's prototype, you extend a severing to the Nexus from your BUG-based immunity, and my powers can… neutralize them."

"Exactly." His mouth blew into a proud smile.

I grabbed his hand, tugging him off his chair. "Your lab, now."

"Now?" He didn't resist as I pulled him. I could feel a depth to his entire being now from his Shadow Tendency. Like he had an unknowable knife hiding within… and it excited me. I wanted to see everything we could uncover together. "Now, Ripley. I- just get me there."

He threw an extra Iron Shard on the table as a tip and settled onto the bike as he revved it up before turning to me. "Ah, you'll be cold because of the wind. Wear my jacket. I've got my Shardware settings on defrost anyway — oh, and this helmet."

He pulled up a… Dreadwire themed helmet and patted it onto my head. "You made a helmet for yourself?" As for the jacket… I didn't tell him that it wasn't needed. Oversized, it still fit me perfectly.

"Oh, bootleg Dreadwire merch is popping up everywhere. Turns out I'm very marketable. Sort of stealing your 'thunder', get it?" He turned a shit-eating grin at me for the lame joke.

I grabbed his shoulders and squeezed as I settled onto the bike behind him, the metal threatening to dent as I whispered down his back. "Real wise of you. Now drive."

"Yup, just hold on tight." He said it with a warning tone, as we began to move.

Oh fuck, no… we began to break every traffic law in the city. In the blurring street cameras and under the helmet, I turned myself into Lilian Rose — better not be found like this. I held on tight and… felt the coolness of his metal against the heat of the bike. It was nice.

You'd expect the Shadow Tendency to be scary. Instead, it felt like a shade from when things got overwhelming. And that was sort of Ripley made me feel, even if everything was going wrong… he had a way of pulling through it with that confident smile and self-sabatoging brain of his.

Besides… he smelt nice. Like old metal and oil aging like wine.

———

The Toxin Club had been completely transformed. It was now Retrofit Operators, and housed several mechanics above-ground who ran civilian services. Mostly repairing old Shardware and maintaining it. He even had a secretary… How did he set this up so quickly? Was Mirage that good at organizing stuff?

"Technically…" He whispered. "We run under a SynTec branch of a branch, all these people here are in on the scheme. Former Metal Heavens workers, or Scrappers who've taken a turn from the streets, I'm just glad I don't do the accounting."

"Who runs the books?"

"A mix of Starlight and Mirage, the two have… put some differences aside." He said nervously. "Once Twilight is back, Mirage said she'll help out too — that she would actually be better at getting customers for me."

"What's your clientele?" I followed him down, deeper into the labyrinthine halls where his old workshop used to be. Except now, everything in the lower floor was crammed with machinery and tools. I saw a spool of Livewire being threaded up by a fabricator, bags of blackened blood, and a few skeletal frames of what looked to be various Arachne models.

I also saw Dreadwire. He waved and came up to hug me, much to my confusion, before a chirpy female voice came out. "Oh, hi Diana! I didn't know you were coming!"

"Oh… hi Starlight." I patted Dreadwire back, a drone I assumed.

"Oh don't worry, this model lacks almost any form of weaponry. Mostly Shard Operating stuff." To emphasize her point, she unveiled her arm to showcase a variety of scalpels and needles. That might be more terrifying than traditional weaponry.

"Diana's here to provide some… biological material." Ripley pointed me to an operating chair. "Now… I do have some… questions for you? How often do you want to do this?"

"Not very." I said honestly.

He nodded along. "Do you have an issue with me… taking a sample from an organ? Like your heart, or intestine?"

"Yes, very." I said more urgently.

"Okay, so no liver." He muttered to himself. "Bone marrow stem cells? Is that fine?"

"Um…" I was hesitant to let a needle in through my bone. "Sure?"

"Perfect!" He clapped his hands, sliding goggles on his face as his hair turned white and skin shrank into a black cloth. "Now, don't worry dear. I'll make it as painless as possible, but you don't make that easy, why your body is a marvel! The things I would do to have an endless supply of it!"

"Uh-" My cheeks turned red, and Starlight face-palmed in her Dreadwire drone.

"You deserve high praise, dearest Silvereye." Ripley slid closer, strapping restraints onto my hand. "Not any flesh pleases me."

"Can you stop that? You're… weirding me out." That was one half of what I was feeling, but when his Arachne limbs slid out and prodded my shirt above so my midriff was exposed, I got goosebumps feeling their sharp ends trail across my skin. My face heated up as I grabbed the Arachnodyne limb. "Uh, I thought you weren't dealing with internal organs!"

"Apologies, I should have clarified." He put a steady hand on my waist, the chair turning me around to my side as he palpated around my back, pressing into my hip bone. "Bone marrow biopsies are done from your posterior iliac crest — located right here."

He put his hand dangerously close to my ass.

Starlight laughed nervously. "He means part of your hip that your spine is connected to."

"I am… regretting this already." I breathed. "Can I at least get some anaesthesia?"

"That would require extremely long testing to know what your Mutated physiology wouldn't immediately counter. Don't worry, I am providing some Xylocaine." He added cheerfully, a needle putting a sharp pain into my back, then it lessened… then it… pained as normal.

He hummed. "Ah, you cleared that up quick. My, I'd love to experiment with your metabolism!"

"Ripley, is this a good idea?!" I was not ready to get a needle injected right above my ass!

"Unless you want me to remove an actual bone from you, it is. And by the way… it's The Ripper." He said, before I felt one of his Arachnodyne limbs press a sharp thing into my back.

Starlight raised a hand of caution. "Uh, Mr. The Ripper… maybe you should take off the goggles? I think… she would be calmer if my dad was working on her."

Sighing, I heard elastics snap off and a voice that was a little more grounded came into play. "Yeah, probably… sorry for putting you in this… position."

"It's fine, I could've broken out of this in a second." I growled, casting my sight at him with a silver spark before my voice mellowed down. "I was... letting you do this. For science."

"Right…" He sighed. "Let me… calm you down. I only need a small sample, then we'll be done — I'll treat you to something afterwards." I felt his energy trickle into my spine. It was… a nice feeling. As though threads of unknowing tension were being unravelled from my spine with a bare touch.

It did calm me down, the feeling was almost addictive as though the electrical thrumming under his metal was like vibrating massage. Tension eased as I breathed out with relief. "Oh… I didn't you could massage me with a tou-"

Then an Arachne limb struck and drilled into my back.

———

Ripley found a cold beer can and tossed it to me. I placed it against my sore back. It healed remarkably quickly, but losing bone marrow was an uncomfortable feeling. The thick red paste was dissolved in a beaker, and Ripley tasered it with his Arachnodyne. Remarkably, it grew more crimson.

"Oh, that is fascinating. Your bone marrow is compatible with my Warp Energy and I can stimulate cell proliferation through electrical impulses. It's happening really quickly. I'll be able to mass produce a lot of your Dianium and trace amounts of Mutagen from it." He stared at the beaker in awe, placing it inside a fridge.

I scowled. "I want my fucking treat."

Ripley thought to himself. "As it happens, actually, my mother, Mirage, and I are all having dinner at my place later. Want to join?"

"Isn't that... kind of private?" I didn't directly meet his gaze, feeling his hands on my back like that was… I tried not to think about it.

"You act like I don't have biological samples of you in my fridge." He chuckled. "Besides, my mom has been asking about you. Might as well do me a favor and give her your autograph. She's a pretty big fan of yours. It's her birthday — you wouldn't deny her that, would you?"

Sighing, I nodded, not willing to reveal any hint of eagerness at the invitation.

He turned from me to Starlight. "Can you check on Diana's suit while we pick Mirage up? We'll see you at dinner."

"Oh, you'll be seeing me all inside your heads!" Starlight raised a thumbs-up with sharp claws.

I could not get used to seeing Dreadwire so cheerful. "Alright, uh, sure."

This day had taken a weird turn, but it wasn't like it could get any weirder, right? Dinner with Ripley, his girlfriend, his AI daughter… and his mother.

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