November 28th

Diana

Welp, this was awkward. Ripley parked his bike at Mirage's while we took a taxi back to his place, and they were not quiet.

"What is she doing here?"

"What? She's a friend."

"She's a coworker. This is your mom's birthday dinner."

"My mom's been wanting to meet Diana for a while, it's sort of like a birthday gift?"

"Uh huh, like we didn't get one for her already."

"That can count as a birthday gift from you."

"I feel like that would only make her reject it."

I put some music on, the auto-taxi humming away as a few songs played to drown out the drama in the back. In the end, Ripley and Mirage huddled together and laughed while I stared aimlessly at the passing snowfall, they glimmered like neon stars under the city's lighting.

As we got to Ripley's apartment, the cramped room was a bustle of drones moving around. Starlight got here before us, it seemed. His mother supported herself on a cane, her face paler than the last time I saw her and more wrinkled.

She looked like she'd aged years in just a few months.

But despite that, she carried herself with strength towards us. She hugged Ripley, patted Mirage… or Elsa… on her shoulder. Then hugged me tightly. I couldn't meet Elsa's uncomfortable violet gaze at the action. Ripley was already arguing with his mom for her to settle down, it was her birthday after all — but she insisted she cooked.

"Hey… you'll be able to cook all you want in a few months." A smile drew upon him. "Even prepared for that."

He reached into a backpack, pulling a set of brand new kitchen knives that had a rich marbling on them. His mother seemed to recognize them. "It- this is what we had in our old house? Ripley how did you afford… oh, uh…"

"It's okay, Diana knows about Dreadwire." He nudged his gaze towards me. "Helping me gain proper police permission for some of my actions."

"Oh, is she?" His mother swayed slightly. Ripley helped her with his arm to settle her onto a couch as she turned to me. "Thank you, Diana… my idiot son needs someone like you to keep an eye out on him. God knows I hadn't removed all the stupidity from him when I cut his umbilical cord."

"Hey." He smirked back, wagging a finger. "Your stupid son's about to cook the best steak of your life, so now ladies… leave it to head-chef and his little assistant AI sous-chef."

Starlight proudly fluttered her drones. "Any specific requests?"

"Well done." Mirage whispered, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Medium." His mother said, to which I agreed.

"Same."

I settled down next to his mother, watching as Ripley and Starlight got to cooking with an assembly line's efficiency. Ingredients flowed between them in clockwork, slicing and dicing to prepare all sorts of foodstuff. Ripley's mother cupped her hand in mine, her single eye slightly dazed. "I've seen you on the Netshows… you've become quite the figure since we last met."

"Ah… its certainly a change from what I'm used to." I sheepishly rubbed my hair off my eyes. "How have you been… Ms. Donovick?"

"Just call me Mama Don." She smiled. "Certainly taken a fair few changes myself. Boy's been busy and leaving me all down here by myself. But Starlight's a joy to be around — when he's not hogging her for himself."

"Hey, it's not easy being an AI with no worker's rights!" Starlight complained, lifting a knife up to Ripley. He calmly disarmed her with an Arachne limb.

Elsa sighed, trying to insert her mind into the conversation. "Self-thinking Artificial Intelligences are quite the handful, I would know."

"I never thought I'd meet one, much less be grandmother to one." Mama Don… that felt weird to think… Ms. Donovick turned to Starlight with a proud gaze. "She reminds me of him, but… smarter."

"You heard that, dad?" Starlight chuckled, much to Ripley's annoyance as he began searing steaks.

"Yeah," I laughed, "Starlight's got all of Ripley's smarts and none of the baggage."

Elsa grumbled something to herself before leaning in. "Oh, um… by the way, I also have a birthday gift for you, Mama Don."

"It's Ms. Donovick, for you." His mother's eye turned sharply to Elsa. "But uh, yes dear, what is it?"

"Remember the Toxin Club?" Elsa said, her eyes not meeting Ms. Donovick's clearly. "We… bought it."

The silence between them was palpable as Ms. Donovick's breath grew so still, I wasn't even sure another would come out until she shuddered. "You… bought that place?"

"It's now a Shard Operating clinic called Retrofit Operators. We were hoping you could be its Head Operator… I'll figure out a way to get you a proper permit." Elsa replied, moving her hand over to Ripley's mother, who held it tight as she could.

"Oh?" Unwept tears flooded Ms. Donovick's eyes. "I… uh… never thought I would operate again."

Ripley shouted from above his shoulder. "You'll be working on all the corporate scum you want in no time!"

"No… I… I wouldn't want to operate for corporate needs." She shook her head. "I- I'd take a shard from your scrap, Diana. I'd like to rehabilitate those who are… unfortunate. I spent too long operating on those who had no choice but to be used as weapons or tools. Even if it wouldn't make a profit… I feel a need to correct the mistakes I've made."

I smiled easily at that. I could see where Ripley got his caring side from. "I'll check if I can put Retrofit Operators on the Silver Heart Foundation's list."

She smiled weakly, nodding.

Soon, steaks were served and…

"Holy fuck." I whispered. "This shit's fucking good, you two!"

"It is… Ripley." Elsa nodded.

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"I taught them everything they know. I'm glad some stuff is being passed on from my end." His mother pinched his cheek, pride in her eye.

Ripley and Starlight both had the same laugh. It was nice having company like this. I'd had a dinner of my own recently, but being at such a small and intimate place like this was… fulfilling.

"Oh, by the way, I uh…" I spoke up, turning to his mother. "I'm sorry, but I didn't get anything for yo-"

"Oh hush, dear," she put her hand on mine, "everything you do for him is more than enough."

"I'll keep my silver eyes out on him." I looked at him directly. He just shrugged as Elsa dragged him deeper into her hold.

As we finished eating and chatting, mostly about my life as Silvereye, Starlight beamed up. "Oh, let me take a picture of this."

One of the drones picked up, while another moved onto Ms. Donovick's head projected an image. She laughed and I leaned in to smile as did Elsa and Ripley.

The picture was cute as I got a holographic copy of it, Ms. Donovick was in the center with me and Ripley by her sides while… Elsa was only half in frame.

Ripley's mother clicked her tongue. "Oh, we'll have to retake this."

She turned over to Ripley, her face a little sleepy. "Oh, and we forgot to call your father in for it. Where is he?"

I stayed silent, so did everyone else. It was only Ripley who moved firmly to place his hand on her shoulder with a steady smile. "He's working late, mom, you know that."

"Probably out drinking with Selene's father." She sighed, her breathing a little off as she paled. "I keep telling him that…"

She closed her eyes, her head lolling to one side, before she shook herself back into a confused stupor. "What was I saying?"

Ripley moved quickly, supporting his mother by her arm and helping her move to the couch. "You're just a little tired. How about you rest for a bit, talk to Starlight, okay? I think I'll drop Elsa and Diana down, then come back."

"Don't take too long." His mother nodded, but the motion seemed to take too much effort as she dropped her head to rest on his cheek. "You… always take so long to come back home… is Shaun still too much trouble for you?"

"He always is." Ripley turned to Starlight, a sad look on his expression as the drones moved to a cupboard where they began to prepare some medication.

Ripley got his mother settled in and gave her medication before she closed her eyes to sleep, Starlight told us she'd handle it and opened the door up. As I followed him outside, I felt fearful to ask him, but I did. "How long?"

"She's been… having episodes like that for a few days now." He kicked some trash aside, a blank calmness in his eyes. "It's… worrying, her brain is now being affected."

Elsa tightened her hand within his. "We'll get through it Ripley."

"I'm here to help too." I put my hand on his shoulder, sending just a trickle of my light into him.

It didn't even breach an inch into the darkness drenching his soul. He helped us upstairs to the exit, silent throughout until it opened the doors to the surface. "Thanks for coming, Diana. I'm grateful you made my mom's birthday just a little better."

"Of course, anytime." As he called a taxi for both me and his girlfriend, I fought back my desire to try and shine some more light into him. In a way… it felt like a false relief.

"By the way," he began, "Snake Fangs shot you. Skeleton ordered it."

"Snake Fangs?" I blinked. "I- I figured Skeleton was behind it, but..."

"That guy whose frame you burnt back at the club. Brim's never been that good of a shot, though." There was an edge in his voice. "Skeleton's given them a serious overhaul, but they won't be doing anything like that ever again. I made sure of it."

"Ripley… everything okay with you?" My fingers twitched towards him.

"He's fine." Elsa said, a bite in her voice.

"I'm more than fine." He chuckled, pulling his hand away to wrap around Elsa's waist instead. "I'm exactly what I need to be right now."

Elsa nodded, squeezing him tighter. Ripley released a tight breath before his voice sputtered out in surprise. "Oh… speak of the fucking devil."

I turned my gaze to where he was looking. A large man was walking with a gift box. He stopped as his gaze struck mine, a deep anger resonating in me. I recognized him from Ripley's memories: Hoaqin, the Snake Fang's leader's nephew, and Ripley's best friend from back when he was with them.

"Ripley," Hoaqin began as he clenched his jaw in my direction, "What the fuck is she doing here?"

"That's none of your business." Ripley's voice slid out like a hidden dagger. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm- we always spend your mom's birthday celeb-"

"Not anymore." Ripley moved closer to him, even shorter than Hoaqin and half the width… I was fearful for Hoaqin. "Actually, I've got some stuff to talk to you about."

My autotaxi came, sliding in as the door opened. Ripley's gaze, like a fierce rusted knife, nodded at me to take it.

Hesitantly, I left.

———

Ripley

"Elsa." I turned to her, my voice resolved. "Head back to my mother, I want some privacy."

She left ahead of me as my gaze honed in on Hoaqin. My dearest of amigos.

"Come with me. I know just the place to talk." I walked ahead, his lumbering steps nervous. Perhaps hopeful or trusting — and that was his mistake.

He was a fool coming back here. As soon as we got to the elevator, I didn't bother clicking it's buttons. I placed my hands on the doors and wrenched them open. Hoaqin lurched back, but I wasn't going to let him retreat. My hand reached for his shirt, and I pulled him down the shaft with me.

He screamed like a child before my Arachnodyne burst its four limbs to cling to the four walls around us. Gasping, he clawed for my arm even as he dropped the gift down below.

We wouldn't hear its impact for more than a few seconds.

"Wha-what the fuck, Ripley!" He tried to pull himself up with my arm, but a blade from my Arachne kept his throat from moving any higher. "Wh-why are you doing this?"

"I thought my previous warning was enough." My voice hissed at him. "Snake Fangs are not welcome near me or my mother."

"Shit, if this is about John coming to your place — I tried to tell him!" Hoaqin yelled.

"What did you tell them?" My Arachnodyne blade slipped closer.

Hoaqin gulped. "Fuck- I… Brim saw you unmasked! He went to my uncle directly and- and- he asked me about it! My uncle can feel my blood flow. He would have known if I was lying! I said I thought it might be the case, so he had John and the others check our club out! Skeleton talked us out of doing anything — had this weird soldier fuck my uncle up!"

"It's not a club anymore." I dragged him up easily. "And it's not yours. It's mine, now."

"Fuck, man… cut us some slack! I'm your friend, amigo!"

"No, Hoaqin." Now, I could say whatever the fuck I wanted. "Friends don't lie and trick one another. You gave me that fucking Matrix. Maybe I should even be thanking you for it, but I won't. The Personality Matrix ruined my mother's life. She never wanted to turn people into mindless dolls for pleasure… but you saw my weakness."

I let go. "Now you see my strength."

He fell for a good while, screaming before the livewire from my claws that dug through his hand went taut, the only lifeline to his survival. "There are twenty floors between you and a pile of bones and blood, and these wires determine that fate."

Hoaqin's fearful gasping turned into a scream as he hung from a single cord of gold. "You crazy motherfucker! I was just as stupid as you were! What the fuck! What the- the hell happened! Did that Gold get into your head?"

"As a matter of fact." I laughed. "It is in my head."

"You bitch, you know that's not what I mean!" He ground his teeth. "Damn it, Ripley! Are you forgetting I helped you out with Selene! With getting her protected! You were a fucking mess before I was your friend!"

"You made her into a glorified stripper." I coldly said. "Don't act like your eyes weren't on her from the start."

"Shit, I- I would never do that to you!" He tried to drag himself up, his flesh hand reaching for the golden wire. I sent a pulse of electricity into it. "Ah- fuck! Why?! I- I loved you man, why on earth are you so much of a bitch now?!"

"Why?" I slowly reeled the Livewire up. "Because I got to see my mom be turned into a husk of who she used to be once your uncle saw her worth. I have to see her slowly die as your family tossed her aside. The second she was no longer of use, you all turned to me, strapped me into your basement and promised me that one day I would be an Adapter. One day, I would be a proper member of the family. Some fucking family you were, Shaun threw Lucille into the MAL to feed it. He ever tell you that? I wasn't going to be next. In fact, you're lucky Skeleton was there to stop me a few days ago. I would have massacred everyone, you included."

"Real scary, Dreadwire!" He said, but his eyes betrayed his truth. The reflection of my blade in them only got larger as he slowly reeled upwards. "We… we're not going to come after you! Shaun's keeping his mouth quiet! Skeleton fucking ripped his dick off!"

"Dicks." I chuckled.

"Yeah- whatever!" Hoaqin gulped. "I came here to be a fucking friend!"

"Oh, really?" I wrapped my hand against his throat now that he was close. "It's funny, because ever since I stopped being so pathetic that I considered you a friend — I've been happy. In fact, one day… I think I might pay Shaun a visit and properly introduce him to Dreadwire. That would make me ecstatic."

I reeled him upto me. He gagged in my grip. My Arachnodyne pulled another elevator door apart as I threw him outside into it. Feeling solid ground, he ragged on gasps of relief.

"Come near me, my mom, or my clinic ever again…" My mask slid on.

Dreadwire

"…and I'll finish the job that MAL started."

I slammed the elevator doors on his face.

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