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Post by Banshee on Dec 26, 2023 18:04:12 GMT -6
Jasmine watched as Mark approached her with an apologetic comment. He admitted that he was wrong with judging her and lacking trust in her. After all, it was true that she had been trying to help him the entire time. And even though she honestly felt like she didn’t do all that much to deserve such an apology, she simply gave him a small nod with a smile. Silently accepting him.
However, she couldn’t help but smirk when he mentioned that she should’ve told him and the others that she was once an associate to Cornelia Corp. “Well...” She said as a matter of factly. “No one asked.”
RJ let out an apathetic sigh. “I’m sorry, Jasmine is...not exactly easy to get along with and I do apologize for any sort of negative suspicion that stemmed from it. But that’s just how she is. She’s...Jasmine.” He couldn’t really think of a better way to describe his wife. “I’m just glad that Apollo cannot be used as a weapon anymore...Though it does bring up more concerns...”
Jasmine then shrugged at her workshop. “Eh, yeah it’s kind of what you get when you’re a criminal running from the idiots that run your home city. So...I don’t have too much of a choice as far as where to put my lab or what to have inside of it. But uh...if you think your lab is so much better than mine, then let me tag along with you. I will ensure you that I will not be doing anything stupid and or destructive during my time there.”
RJ quirked a brow at her before saying; “We will accept your offer, sir. Any sort of leverage we can get will be beneficial to all of us in the end. Apollo may be no longer a threat but who knows what Edna has in store. And if you want to save your friend, then we’ll do exactly that.” He nodded.
“Then it’s settled.” Jasmine said as she chomped down on another piece of bread. “We’re a team.”
“Wait?” Nox said as he heard the tail end of their conversation. “You’re going back?” He turned to his Mother who followed behind him. “Can...Can we go too?”
“Uh...I dunno.” Emily responded. “We probably should look for a place to stay...I uh...don’t know...”
“Aw come on!” Jasmine said as she slapped her hands together. “You tag along, I’ll get you a new body so you don’t have to worry about Edna breaking through that scrambler and bust you up.”
“It’s not that. Mark has done such an amazing job with making sure my boy was safe. I hate to be inconsiderate and just...invite myself along.” Emily said with uncertainty.
“You’re not Reese.” Nox said to her. “You’ll be fine!”
“Eh, I never met this Reese fellow but considering the crap you went through? I’m sure we all could locate a temporary home or something just to stay low in. Hell, if I found a temporary home, I’d invite you to stay too. Just because...a Mother helping out a Mother-“
“Y-You’re a Mom?” Nox said in disbelief.
“Yeah, got a son and daughter. They’re spending time at their Aunt’s. So they’ve gotten lucky to avoid all of this crap.” She waved her hand. “But this isn’t about me. Let’s get to this place of yours Mark, and figure out where to go from there. Because I’ve got a feeling that things are going to get pretty damn interesting from here on out. Especially since you’ve attracted Edna’s attention.”
Emily frowned. “Be careful dealing with her. Edna may just seem like a stupid CEO with more money than brains. But she’s as heartless and cruel as they come. She loves her money and power. She won’t stop at anything until she gets what she’s hunting for. And if you’ve attracted her attention? She’s bound to find anything and everything she can use against you...” She looked between Mark and Jasmine. “This can even go as far as harming loved ones, close ones, or even family...” She then frowned. “...I have a bad feeling...”
“Is...Lux going to come back?”
Emily shrugged as she didn’t know. But deep down, she had a strong feeling that he may come back sooner than expected.
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Post by Moe on Dec 27, 2023 17:29:31 GMT -6
"Nox and Emily are coming along, no debate." Mark answered for them. "I'm not about to leave you two out here to fend for yourselves. I can arrange for you to stay at the hero hub if you like, Jasmine and RJ, too. Regardless, we're getting you a new body made, free from Edna's control. Jet, too. You two seem close." he smirked at Emily, but didn't explicitly call her out and embarrass her, on a suspicion. "My place is open for everyone as well, since it's also Nox's home. Right now I just...need to sort some things out. Spend time with family, and all that. We've got a lot to talk about." he said with a shrug, referring mostly to Tiffany, but also to his sister and mother. "Jasmine and RJ, pack up all the supplies and tech that you can and start loading the shuttle."
"And I'll help!" Ikuki chimed in. "If you all pack, I'll load as much as I can in a runner and start loading the shuttle. One question, though." she turned to Mark. "Hacking its GPS is one thing, but it still has to communicate with the station back in Kaiser. How are you going to manage that?"
"Manually." Mark shrugged. "It's on a magnetic track, not like I can get us lost."
"What? When did you learn how to drive a train?" Ikuki was taken a bit off guard.
"Never, but now seems like as good a time as any, to learn." he said with a smug grin. "I wrote the code for Kaiser City's security systems, remember? That includes the shuttle. It's programmed to be entirely automatic, but I made sure there was a way to switch it to manual in case of an emergency, and I'd say this is an emergency. Normally it'll only respond to Kaiser's finest, since y'know, I'm not technically law enforcement, but if they're gonna hire me to program city security, you better believe I'm going to make sure I still have access to it."
"Wait," Ikuki stopped him. "Do you always-"
"Yes." Mark answered before she could finish. "So, packing and loading right now. I'm going to secure the shuttle since I'm sure it's been overrun by bandits by now. Also, I should start learning how to drive it. Though, I could use a co-pilot, if anyone would want to volunteer." he said passing the slightest glance over at Nox.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 27, 2023 18:08:55 GMT -6
Jasmine and RJ nodded to Mark. Neither one of them had any opposing opinions about the whole idea of moving their belongings over to the new place. Not wanting to delay any further, Jasmine motioned Tex and RJ to follow her into the workshop area. From there, she then had Tex plant one of her devices in the corner of the room. This was just in case they needed to get back to the area, get items, or meet some of their lesser trusted Scavengers. Which in Jasmine's opinion, only consists of a few of them.
As for the jab at the friendship between Emily and Jet; it took Nox a moment to catch on to what Mark was hinting at. He then turned to his Mother, a bit disgusted. “Really?” He asked her in a dismissive manner. “Are you serious?”
“Jet's a friend.” She firmly said to him.
“Just a friend?” Nox quirked a brow at her.
“Yes. He's just a friend, Nox. Jet's been a wonderful help to me with dealing with Lux's emotional instabilities. I know he played a huge role for my transformation but honestly? He's really not all that bad. A bit stupid, but not bad.”
Nox crossed his arms and continued to stare her down. He wasn't completely buying her defensive comment. “Are you sure about that?”
“Nox...” She said to him a bit flatly. “Jet is an idiot. He was manipulated into doing what he did back then, what he's been doing now, and possibly in the future. That's if we don't break the bond they have on him. He's been such a help and the least I can do is help him break from their grasp.” She then frowned at him.
“You defend him a lot.”
“He's a friend, Nox. I'm allowed to have male friends.”
He quirked a brow at her then looked to Mark. Then glanced back to her. “It's more than that.”
“You're not as dense about crushes as you make yourself out to be. Aren't you?” She frowned. “Way to lead a girl in circles.”
Nox grinned at her and turned his attention to Mark when he hinted about needing a copilot. “YES! I've always wanted to drive one! And if I have to ride them a lot, I'd like to know how to work one in case the conductor is out of commission again!”
After an hour or so, the group had all of the stuff they could manage, packed up and ready to go. Jasmine planted her hands on her hips and smirked. “Wow, this is kind of exciting. Actually.” She turned to RJ. “What do you think?”
“I...hope there's a better kitchen...” He sighed. “I'd kill for a stove that doesn't need a match to ignite the flames. It's a bit dangerous.”
“Alright!” Nox said as he turned to Mark. “This is going to be so cool! I can't wait to see what everyone can do when we get home. The upgrades for Tex. The repairs for Mom...”
“We've been working on some designs...” Jasmine said to Mark. “Nox and I, that is. He wants this to be a surprise for his Mom. But...” She smirked to Emily. “She's going to love what we've come up with. And considering Mark's got all the gadgets needed, it'll be a lot more doable.”
Jasmine ushered Tex and RJ onto the shuttle and plopped her butt down. “Ah deja vu...”
Nox then sat in the passenger seat and looked at all of the buttons and gears. It was a bit overwhelming but he was more than excited. “Man, I cannot wait to tell my brother about this. He's going to freak out when he finds out that I got to help copilot one of these things!” He turned to Mark and grinned. “Thank you!”
Meanwhile, Emily sat down in her seat. Flustered. She couldn't believe her son was thinking that she had a thing for Jet. RJ saw this and asked her what was wrong. She said; “Nox thinks I have a crush on my friend. Jet's been such an incredible help. I...really think he regrets doing what he did but he really didn't have any other choice. He was forced into capturing me and allowing me to turn into this.” She frowned at him.
“Then when Lux came into the picture...When I couldn't get him to listen to me, Jet would sit him down and just...talk to him. Whatever came out from his mouth, Lux just...listened to him. It's crazy!” She threw her hands in the air. “The guy that terrorized him all of these years, turns out to be a mentor or an emotional support companion for my son.”
“Interesting...” RJ said to her.
“It's...really nice that he did that for Lux. I mean, I know all of the stuff going on with him is...insane for anyone to handle...but...Jet really pulled him out of the rut he was in. Introduced him to two other kids around his age that...had terrible backstories as well. The three bonded and well...now they're out there in the world, trying to find a way to help us stop Cornelia Corp.”
“Really?”
“Yeah...” Emily looked down at her hands. “I...still want to help him though. After everything he's done to help guide Lux in the right direction... It's the least I can do...help him break those chains that bind him...”
“MOM LIKES JET A LOT MORE THAN SHE LEADS ON.” Nox sang into the shuttle.
“NORBERT NOXIMILLION LEMAIRE DON'T MAKE ME WALK UP THERE AND SCOLD YOU.”
“Oh bog monster, she totally used his full name...” Smirked Jasmine.
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Post by Moe on Dec 27, 2023 22:23:40 GMT -6
"HAH!" Mark laughed as Emily yelled at Nox. "Full name used! Achievement unlocked!" he said as he gave Nox a high five. "I am so proud of you." he grinned, sarcastically.
"Don't encourage him!" Ikuki said, gently smacking Mark on the shoulder.
Mark just laughed in response to her scolding, and ruffled Nox's hair. "It's okay. Emily can get you back, when we meet back up with Dawn. I still owe you for all the teasing you gave Ikuki and me, too." he said with a smug grin.
"That's true." Ikuki also gave Nox a teasing grin, as she playfully nudged him. "But first, we have to actually get back home. Are we all set, conductors?"
"Should be. Hopefully everyone is strapped in, while we shove off. I've never conducted a train, before. Might get a little bumpy." Mark said with a strangely confident grin.
Ikuki just returned the smile and wrapped her arms around Mark, hugging him from behind, and resting her head on his shoulder. "All set."
"That works, I guess." he smiled flirtatiously at her. However, it soon faded as his expression grew more serious and a little bit sad. "Before we go, I need to apologize to you both. What I did was...really stupid and selfish, and the worst part is I can't even promise that it won't happen again. So, I just want to thank you both for not judging me or making me feel worse. I'm so tired of feeling these feelings, but you two, and Lux and Tiffany, make me feel like life is worth living. I just need some time to adjust to feeling that way, and you've been really patient with me on that. So, I also want to thank you. Y'know. For just being there."
Ikuki hugged him tighter as he spoke, not really wanting to prolong the subject, but at least acknowledge his words. "You mean the world, to us." she finally spoke. "I know nothing I can say will just magically make those feelings go away, but just know that we love you and we're not going anywhere. Okay? Never, ever."
Mark gave her a gentle smile, but didn't say anything more on the topic. "Let's go home." he said as the shuttle gently hummed to life, the magnetic rails activated and the train slowly beginning to hover forward, as it slowly began to gain speed.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 28, 2023 6:25:31 GMT -6
He smirked at Mark when he complimented him on teasing his Mother. Then grinned even more when he said he was going to tease Nox more about Dawn. “Bring it on, you guys. I can take the heat.” He then pumped his fists enthusiastically.
Then Mark broke into an emotional bit. He told them that he appreciated them being patient and didn’t judge him for when he messed up. Nox couldn’t help but grin at Mark. After all, Mark was like family to him too. Nothing was going to change that. “Mark... You taught Lux and me so much. Even during our short period of time being with you, Lux learned so much about himself. I...got to learn so much about myself.” He held his hands out.
“Discovering the fact that I have the ability to heal...” He looked down at his hands with a soft smile. “I’ve always had the intentions of helping others. Medical science is intense but so important to everyone’s lives. Discovering that I have a magical ability that can heal...I can only wonder how much more I can do with it.”
He turned back and smiled. “You were patient with the two of us. ESPECIALLY Lux. It’s only respectful to be patient with you. Because what you’ve done for us, meant a lot.” Then his smile faded into a stern frown. “Don’t try doing that again! That was so terrifying!” He wagged his finger at him.
Nox scooted towards the edge of his seat to look at the control panel again. “Yeah! Let’s go home!” He then turned back towards his Mother. “This time around, we have you.”
Emily gave him a soft smile.
Jasmine leaned over to her and said; “You got lucky. Nox is a really good kid. Even Tex likes him and she doesn’t like anyone.”
Before they knew it, they were at a familiar place. Nox stretched his arms and yawned. “Man, I cannot wait to sit back and relax. Read a few books...Maybe help in any way that I can with Mom...Find a way to contact Joe or Lux to see how they’re doing...” He let his arms dropped. “I’d at least like to hope that my brother is keeping his friend updated...”
“He probably is, Nox.” She smiled at him. “Lux really cares about you and her. It showed. A lot. Whenever he spoke about you guys.” Then when Nox pointed out that he hasn’t had contact with him since leaving, she frowned. “I’m sure there’s a reason for it, Nox... I just...don’t know why.” She shrugged.
“Do you think he’s okay?”
“Yeah. He’s got a good group of friends that will help him. I’m sure he is.” She smirked.
“WELL! We’re here! Let’s get situated!!” Jasmine shoved her way through the conversation. She was more than happy to get out of the shuttle and walk.
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Post by Moe on Dec 28, 2023 15:50:28 GMT -6
The ride home seemed even longer than it took to get to the Expanse. Most likely because, due to safety reasons, the train wasn't able to move as fast when it was being driven, manually. The trip took twice as long, but it was nice to be able to stop periodically in new, lush areas that were once nothing but a mass of desert. More dense forested areas made good rest stops to gather food and get some fresh air, and more populated areas seemed like good stops to make trade offers and establish future shuttle stations. While Mark made the arrangements and trade offers, Ikuki marked down on a map all of the locations that agreed to build future stations within the city. It took a little bit of extra time, but it was worth it to send a message to Edna that this city was no longer under her control.
As they departed the final city, Mark leaned back and pulled up some code on his laptop. The shuttle didn't have any other stops to make, and was perfectly fine running on its own for a little while. Just long enough for Mark to, say, hack into Edna's PA system using the data he had gathered when Kelnar had taken him to her office. Once he was sure he was connected, he connected the laptop to the train's PA system, and leaned into the mic and spoke into it using the smoothest, calmest tone of voice, likening it to a radio host.
"Good evening, Cornelia Corp staff!" he spoke into it. "Today is a very special day, our very own CEO's birthday! Miss Edna has personally invited all staff into her private office to celebrate her special day, with pizza, cake and refreshments. Don't worry, all expenses have been paid." he leaned back and grinned the smuggest of grins.
"I do hope Edna likes pineapple on her pizza. If not, then there truly is no hope for her." Mark smirked as he looked over to Nox.
"Mark, you really shouldn't antagonize her. From what everyone else has said, she's dangerous." Ikuki warned him.
"She's also an idiot." Mark quickly shot back. "She's too consumed with power and money, that she misses what's obviously right in front of her." he said as he flipped Edna's stolen credit card, through his fingers. "I know she's dangerous, but she's not any more dangerous than all the other corporate criminals I've dealt with. They're all the same. Toy with emotions, maybe collateral damage as leverage. They try to tug at your heartstrings by being ruthless. All they're doing is making it look like they're in control, but the truth is, they're scared of losing that control. Edna's going to retaliate, but she has no idea what she's dealing with. I've dealt with people exactly like her, before I had god powers, and I can do it again just the same."
"Just don't underestimate her, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt, because you misjudged her." Ikuki cautioned.
Mark, however, was distracted doing something else on the laptop. This time seemed to be an email, and by the time Ikuki leaned over to see what it said, Mark had already sent it. If she had seen it, she would have seen an email made out to look like it was being sent to someone else. It said they were about an hour out of Kaiser, and to meet them at the shuttle station. Mark had used the flash drive he took from Cornelia Corp that was meant to connect Tex with them, and used it on the laptop to make it seem like the email was being sent to someone else and simply intersected by Cornelia Corp, sending it directly to Edna. His hope was that she would send Jet after them once again.
"Mark." she said his name sternly, making sure he was listening.
"Yeah, I won't. Promise. Everything is gonna be okay, I promise." Mark looked up at her with a gentle smile. "I'm just having a little harmless fun. I'd rather think about how mad she's gonna be over a pizza party in her office, instead of the impending doom of a corporate war, ya' know?"
Ikuki just rolled her eyes and returned a smile, as she leaned over his shoulders and watched as the cityscape slowly became closer and closer as the shuttle entered Kaiser City, once again. "It looks so different, not being surrounded by desert wasteland." she noted.
Mark disconnected the PA system from his laptop, and spoke over it to the rest of the shuttle. "This is your captain speaking, letting all on board know that we're now entering Kaiser City, melting pot of the world. Population...I dunno, like, a lot, and at least one living dinosaur."
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Post by Banshee on Dec 28, 2023 17:21:08 GMT -6
Nox was swinging his legs back and forth on his seat when Mark pulled out the PA connection and began to speak into it. The first reaction he had towards the pizza party, was a stifled laugh. He covered his mouth and smirked into his palm when he listened in on it. Then when Mark mentioned pineapple on pizza, Nox couldn't hold back the laugh any longer.
“I know a lot of folks who don't like that combination. I personally like it.” Nox smirked right as Ikuki stepped in and expressed her concern.
“Yeah, I'm sure she's not as dangerous as everyone is making her out to be.” Nox sided with Mark on this one. Little did he know about Edna's true personality. “I mean, yeah...she did what she did...but is she REALLY that bad?”
- - - - - -
Edna suddenly heard a voice go over the COMS. She lowered her paperwork on her new desk and looked around the room. The only other person within her sight was her son Lucian. She frowned at the boy as he burst into laughter in front of her. “Lucian. This is no laughing matter. Who did this?”
“I dunno Mom...” He said with a shrug. “Just accept it. It's free pizza and cake.”
She gritted her teeth as folks began to filter into her office with food and drinks. They were also followed by those who were daring enough to enter the room and celebrate the false occasion with her. A few of them already greeted her with a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Which she immediately slammed her hands on the table and barked; “It's not my birthday, you fools!”
“Aw, it's not?” One asked.
“NO!” She hissed. “Lucian, I swear... If you have any hand on this, I will crush you.”
He kicked back in his chair as someone had already given him a can of soda and a cake piece. “Eh, I dunno Mom. Regardless of whether or not it's a prank. They certainly chose a good cake.” He then took a big bite out of it and spoke to her with his mouth full. “I mean...it could sweeten your day up a bit.”
Edna gritted her teeth even more. “JET! WAS THIS YOUR PLAN?”
Jet flinched as he was one of the many that came in to celebrate the apparently false birthday. “What? Why would I do that-”
“Shut up for a moment.” She held her hand up as she glared at her screen to read the “intercepted” e-mail that popped up.
“What's her problem?” Jet asked Lucian.
“Beats me. Probably needs to eat some cake to make her less bitter or something...” He glanced over to her as she irritably looked at the screen. “Hm...actually scratch that. Give me all the cake and we can just fill a silo with sugar and throw her in it.”
“W-Would that actually work?”
“No but it'd be funny to watch...” He shrugged as he chomped down on another bite of cake. “Too bad you can't eat. This is really good stuff. Must've ordered it from a nearby bakery. I wonder how the ice cream is though?”
“Lucian, shut up. Jet? You...I have a plan for you. This guy is meeting someone in Kaiser. I want you to go there and intercept them. Trash the bastard. I don't care what you do. But before you go, take Nexus with you.”
“W-wait...y-you want me to take him?” Jet stammered. “He's not even ready yet.”
“Don't care. He needs to get the information I need. Take him along with the rest of your squad.” She then looked back at her screen. “And if you see Roach, you're going to kill her. Fail, and you're done. Got it?”
Lucian watched as Jet hurried out of the room. Edna then barked at everyone else to hurry up and leave. But then called them back to claim the food just so she didn't have to deal with it. And once everyone scattered out, Lucian grabbed a few more cans and stuffed them into his pockets. He planned on giving them to Lux and Llani when he got the chance to.
“Lucian?” She hissed at him.
“Mother?” He responded with a sarcastic tone that mimicked her angry call.
Edna ignored him. “You're going to accompany Jet and Nexus. I want you to witness first hand on what idiot I'm dealing with. Can I trust you to not screw this up?”
“I dunno. Maybe.” He shrugged as he lacked any enthusiasm.
She narrowed her eyes before rubbing her forehead. “Honestly, you are about as frustrating to deal with than that idiot with the armor. Can't you do anything?”
“I'm really good at eating this cake, if that's what you wish me to do.” He said as he waved the fork in front of her. “It's really good.”
“Stop eating it.”
“It'll go to waste.”
“I don't care.” She barked at him. “Throw it out. It could be laced with poison.”
“Aw!” Lucian held his hand against his chest. “You finally care about me!”
Edna's eyes narrowed at him. “No. Because I'd rather you die a different way. Now go with Jet as a scout. Report whatever you see that happens. IF Jet is out of line, kill him yourself. Understand?”
“Eh, I suppose.” He shrugged as he finished his piece. As he walked out of her office, he gave her one final wave. “You should really try the cake! It'll make you happy.”
“OUT!”
- - - - -
Jasmine was looking rather glum all of a sudden. Her eyes were fixed on her hands, looking at her phone as she received a message from her sister. The one who had been babysitting her kids this entire time. And when both Tex and RJ noticed this sudden change of emotion, they sided over to her to make sure she was alright.
“Are Tonka and Arrow okay?” Asked RJ.
“It's not them...I just...had a thought...something...I probably should've been aware of since before doing all of this...” She said as she looked up at her husband. “You know how I want to do everything to benefit everyone...and help those who need it...right?”
“Yeah. That's what we're trying to do.”
“But...there's a huge snag in the plan...Something I should've realized a long time ago...” She let her gaze fall down to her hands once again. “It's that if we t-” Mark's voice broke over their shuttle PA and mentioned that they had arrived at the city.
“Wow! It looks so different!” Emily said as she looked out the window. Her comment attracted Tex and RJ which caused them both to look out the window as well.
Jasmine on the other hand, didn't seem at all interested to see what the city looked like. Her mind was still fixed on her sudden thought. Something that was going to need addressing once they got comfortable. Because if she didn't bring it up, then there may be more trouble on their hands than initially thought.
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Post by Moe on Dec 28, 2023 18:23:03 GMT -6
"She's plenty dangerous, kiddo." Mark said to Nox. "I've taken on a lot of corporate criminals and drug cartels, and I've seen them do a lot of...really evil things. A lot of things I couldn't stop, that will haunt me forever. I fully expect Edna to do the same thing, but the difference this time is, I can stop it. I know what to expect this time, and I have a plan. More or less. Don't let my attitude cause you to take her lightly. I know what she's capable of, I'm estimating her exactly the right amount because I've seen it all before. She's underestimating us, but that doesn't mean she's not dangerous. On that note," Mark said as he exited into the passenger car.
"Everyone, stay on guard. Edna's throwing some goons at us, as soon as we exit. We can handle them, but all civilians need to hang back in the shuttle until the threat is cleared, got it?" he said to everyone who had hitched a ride, during their stops. "Also, Jasmine. As soon as we get everything in order and set up at my labs, I need to talk to you about some things. Also, also, I need a copy of that EM scrambler you copied from Emily. I made a promise to a friend that I intend to keep, and I'm taking a leap of faith that he's the one Edna sent."
Mark had taken the time to suit up, donning his helmet once again before they stepped out, and Ikuki took the hint to do the same with her own suit. Mark looked over at Nox, as he pondered something. "Y'know, we really need to get you your own suit, soon. Something to compliment your abilities and defensive nature. Maybe retractable arm guards with enchantments to help focus your magic? Like Ikuki's, but with more of an emphasis on defense. Eh, we'll have plenty of time to come up with a design, first priority is getting your mom into a new body. Actually, first priority is getting off this shuttle. Everyone ready for a fight?"
"Suited up and ready." Ikuki replied.
"Okay, then let's do this. Whatever you do, don't hurt Jet." Mark cautioned them as they stepped out. "He's under Edna's control, and can't help whatever he does. Anyone else that came along with him, is fair game." he said as he stepped out of the shuttle, fully prepared for a fight. "Bring it on, you swamp-haired, emotionless, corporate coward!"
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Post by Banshee on Dec 28, 2023 21:13:07 GMT -6
Jasmine looked to Mark when he said he had some things to talk to her about. She shrugged. “Yeah sure. We can talk whenever we get the chance.” Then she handed over the device that she replicated. “Here. It'll work. Just have to get him to sit still and actually attach it to him.” She then frowned. “If he's an idiot like normal, then it's going to take knocking him down to get him to sit still.”
Just as Mark assumed, Edna did send out her goons. A wave of robots and human-robots flooded into the area. All of them equipped with weapons to use at their own whim. All of them, ready for a fight that they knew they weren't returning from. And leading the group on, was Lucian. Who was casually catching a ride on the backside of a larger and bulkier robot.
“Huh...Not quite as I expected...” He said as he looked at the group opposing Edna's company that she pretty much took over. “Have fun!”
“What are you going to be doing, Lucian?” Asked the massive robot.
“Eh...having fun I suppose.” He said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and hopped off the robot's back. Lucian casually stepped towards the side to allow the robot army to flood and overrun the shuttle. He watched in the back, wondering what this group could've possibly done to be so alarming to Edna.
“RJ. Make sure those people do not get harmed. Edna's not going to care about their well being.” Jasmine barked at him as she readied herself for the onslaught of attacks. “I count about...ten of these things coming at us. Ya'll ready?”
RJ was teleported on top of the shuttle which then he took a seat on a vent. There he activated his ability. To Nox's surprise, he never knew that RJ had an Earth alignment. The man was capable of forming rocky barriers to protect any the civilians from any incoming attacks. Not once did he try to strike back, so it was apparent to Nox that RJ was primarily focused and skilled in defensive capabilities.
Jasmine on the other hand, jumped into the fire. Her arm was geared with a form of gun-like weapon, which fired out energy shots at the robots. Some of them were stunned by her strike, which allowed Tex to dive in and slash them up with her own blade. The two of them together, Nox was impressed to see how well they worked together. Jasmine was the stunner and Tex was the finisher.
Emily had jumped into the fight, making sure that none of the enemies broke through Rjs barrier to get into the shuttle. As much as she wanted to join Tex into slashing up the enemies, she knew that she needed to be the backup that RJ needed. Nox couldn't believe how fast she was at jumping and dodging. Her swings with her forearmed blade was just as deadly as Tex's. He then wondered, which one would be faster? Tex? Or his Mother?
While he was distracted, he heard a pair of footsteps appear behind him. Quickly, Nox turned, calling his scarf into his hand and turned it into a blade. He readied himself for the surprise attack. It was Lucian who showed himself. Standing close to him with his hands stuffed into his coat.
“Sup?” Lucian said to Nox before he was quickly greeted with an array of attacks from the purple haired boy. They were all rampant shots, no patterns and no planning. Lucian simply stepped and ducked, bent his body and jumped to avoid being stabbed.
“Are you the one behind all of this?” Barked Nox as he continued to strike him down with furious blows.
Lucian frowned and managed to slip through an opening and grabbed a hold of Nox's hand. Gripping him tightly, he said; “You're not very polite, aren't you?” His comment made Nox yell at him and lash out even more. But Lucian continued to dodge and step around his attacks. As they were very predictable. “Come on, man. I'm just here for a chat.” He grinned.
“No. You're working for Edna!” He spat.
There was a laugh, a mocking laugh that came from Lucian as he stepped back. “Working? Hardly.”
“You think this is a joke to you?” Nox hissed at him as he stopped trying to mow down the green haired male. “Your company has done so much damage to my brother. Killed so many people. And now, you're manipulating people into becoming weapons. All for what? Money?”
“Eh...I guess. But it's not my doing.”
“You guess?” Nox growled at him. “Don't make me sick!”
He rolled his eyes at the purple haired elf. “You sound like your brother when we first met...” Lucian dodged and grabbed Nox by the wrist. He then twisted it, all with one hand. No, Lucian was not a power house. He simply took an opportunity to take advantage of and he did. Nox was way too easy for him to read.
“Lux? What happened to him!? What did you do to him?!”
“Nothing!” He held out his hands. “But he might.” He gestured above him.
When Nox turned his gaze upwards, Jet fired himself at the boy. His fist aimed right at his head. Nox instantly rolled out of the way. And when he tried to pick himself back up, Jet grabbed a hold of him and threw him into one of the walls that RJ had built to stop the others from hurting the folks on the shuttle.
Nox slammed into the wall, spat out some blood as he had bitten down on his lip upon impact. Then as he tried to regain his attention, Jet threw himself at the boy again. This time, for a killing blow. And all Nox could do was cover his head and hope that his death would be quick and painless.
Emily launched herself before Nox and locked her hands with his. Jet was much bigger than her, heavier and stronger. But she planted her feet into the ground and struggled to fight back. Her eyes locked onto Jet's as her jaw clamped tightly shut. “Jet! I know you're in there.”
There was a small glint of sadness in his eyes. But Jet said nothing and simply tried to overpower Emily by pressing down upon her. He could hear the metal gears within her arms and legs, strain and creak as the pressure increased. Jet knew that it wouldn't be too much longer before she would break. And this is exactly what Edna wanted.
“I'm...so...sorry...” Jet managed to say before tearing Emily's spare arm off. This caused her to lose her balance and he quickly kicked at her knees, knocking her down for the count. And as he pointed his weapon at her, to finally fulfill what Edna desired; Tex slammed herself into his side. “Not today.” Tex used her thrusters within her boots to allow her to apply extra power to her punches. She slammed her fist into his face, knocking him back. Tex knew that she couldn't end him because Mark made a promise to the guy. He was under Edna's orders and there wasn't much else Jet was capable of doing.
“MARK!” Jasmine called out to him. “There he i-” She was smashed in the back by another robot. She couldn't even finish her sentence before she rolled on the ground and over to another robot who was waiting to end her as well.
Jasmine waited for the robot to try and off her. But she pulled her hands together, one formed a fist. She then pressed a button which launched her fist into the robot's face. Jasmine then rolled to her feet and backed away as a cable attached to her arm, was attached to the fist she had launched. She then applied electricity to it which electrocuted the robot. After stunning it, the robot fell and Jasmine recalled her arm. “Damn it...” She hissed. “I was planning on saving that. Now it's gone.” She then turned to Tex who was now trying to team with Emily on overpowering Jet.
“Crap...this is a lot worse than I thought.” Jasmine hissed.
Lucian pulled back and stood beside a robot that hadn't joined the fight yet. “So buddy...Gonna go and tango with the locals? Or is this not your kind of dance?”
Nexus didn't say anything. As he was merely watching the chaos unfold.
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Post by Moe on Dec 28, 2023 23:07:28 GMT -6
The attack on the group was immediate, though she had sent a few more robots than Mark was expecting. The group made quick work of most of them, save for a few of the bigger ones. He kept himself calm and composed as they fought off the other robots, but felt a twinge of anger when Jet went after Nox and Emily. He shook his head, reminding himself that it was Edna attacking them, not Jet. "HEY, EDNA!" he yelled loud enough for Jet to hear. "I heard it was your birthday, today! How are you enjoying that pizza party? Figured you could use a little fun in your boring life!"
"Mark, I think you've antagonized her enough!" Ikuki cautioned him as she stood next to him, her back against his. "Huh. I feel like we've been in this exact position, before."
"Yup. This time, I'm ready." Mark turned to her. "How many of those shadowy tentacle things can you summon, at once?"
"I dunno, I've never summoned more than four or five at a time. Though it looks like there's only a couple of robots left, plus Jet." Ikuki counted who was left, after they'd taken down most of the attackers. "So, what are you thinking? Use me as the catalyst, this time?"
"If you're okay with channeling a massive EM burst strong enough to disable several robots. It's gonna be intense, so if you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to-"
Ikuki rolled her eyes, though Mark couldn't see it under her mask. She slammed her hand on the ground as several eerie shadows leapt from the gem on her armored glove and lurched forward, latching themselves onto Jet and the other robots. She grabbed Mark's hand with her free hand, gripping tightly. "If you're gonna do it, do it now!" she shouted.
Mark paused for just a split second, but there was no time to waste. "I'm sorry about this, Jet, but a promise is a promise." he said right before activating the EMP weapon on his arm, sending a massive burst of energy through Ikuki and the shadowy tendrils, which in turn sent the debilitating electrical energy directly into the robots, shutting them down.
Ikuki fell to her knees, panting heavily as the burst was disorienting and left her head spinning and her stomach swimming. She held her hand up as Mark was more focused on her than Jet; "Do what you gotta do. I'll be okay, the effects won't last long."
Mark didn't want to leave her there, but if he didn't do it now, there might not be another chance. He forced himself to look up and call out to Nox, getting ready to throw the scrambler; "Nox! Catch!" he said as he threw it. "Attach it to the base of his neck, in the same place as your mom!" he instructed. After doing so, he turned his attention back to Ikuki, kneeling down beside her and letting her rest in his lap.
"M'vitals are fine." Ikuki mumbled, though it was quiet and barely coherent.
"You vitals show an increased heartrate, massive amounts of adrenaline, and increasingly rapidly-firing synapses." Mark corrected her. "We need to get you medical attention immediately, before it leads to something worse. Our first stop is going to be the hero hub, where Genesis can get you fixed up. Just try to stay conscious. Don't close your eyes and do your best not to fall asleep."
"Tex," he looked over to the other. "If I give you directions to a location, would you be able to teleport there? We don't really have a lot of time to walk back to my place, get a car, then come back to haul all of this to the lab. I need to get Ikuki to a friend of ours, immediately, and I'll give you coordinates to my lab's location, too. If you can teleport to both locations, you guys can start setting up in the labs while I deal with some...personal stuff."
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Post by Banshee on Dec 29, 2023 7:26:48 GMT -6
Jet, or Edna rather, heard Mark loud and clear through Jet’s audio. Annoyed over his actions over the party, Edna commanded Jet to play a bit harder. When Tex thrusted herself at him again for a quick sword slash, Jet drew out a weapon and aimed it at her face. Right as Tex noticed how quickly he managed to pull this off, her gaze was fixed on the barrel pointing at her head. He pulled the trigger.
Emily kicked at Tex’s legs, knocking her down right as the bullet nearly missed her forehead but broke off one of her recharging crystals. The sound of glass shattering could be heard. But otherwise, Tex was still going to be okay since she still had more crystals to use for recharging herself with.
At first, Tex was annoyed that Emily had kicked her. But quickly realized that she had just saved her from being shot in the face. Tex made a mental note for later to thank her. Because right at this moment, Jet had swiftly kicked her in the side, launching Tex back. Upon impact, Tex lost her grip on one of her blades and it clattered onto the ground. Then when Emily jumped him, he backhanded her in the face and knocked her back as well.
“Neither one of you are heavy enough to take me down.” Jet mocked as he walked over to Emily. He had plucked one of Tex’s blades and pointed its tip down at Emily’s throat. “It’s a shame really. I wanted to hear you sing. But alas...” He pulled back to make the motion to forcefully shove the blade into her.
But then tentacles latched onto him. They forced his arms downwards. Jet tried to fight back by overpowering them. After all, it was just magic. Right? He didn’t know. But he wasn’t going to be stopped. Not right now. He was so close to killing off Emily.
Then there was an electrical surge. His body felt the brunt of the attack, as well as several other robots within his team. All of them shorted or were forced to shut down. Jet, struggled through it. But all of his sensors and status alarms were going off inside of his own vision. “YOU...ARE...NOT...STOPPING...ME!” He shouted as he reached down for Emily.
But his systems went offline.
Nox heard his name and looked to Mark as he chucked the device to him. He reached up to catch it. But instead of catching it, the device shot through the gap between his hands and bounced off his face. It then ricocheted off and clattered onto the ground behind him.
He turned to go and fetch it but was met with Lucian. Who had somehow managed to get close to him once again and grabbed the item. Nox drew his hand back, unsure as to what to think about Lucian’s involvement with the whole matter. “Please...give it to me...”
“Oh...I am well aware of this...” He said as he tossed the device in his hand and looked it over. “Interesting...You guys are managing to replicate my work, hm? Well...to be fair...it’s just a copy of something Mom’s idiots made and I just stole it. So...”
“Please...hand it over to me. I don’t have much time before he’s back online again.” Nox pointed to Jet as he started to twitch in a robotic matter. His systems were rebooting from the sudden blast. “Please...we need to save him.”
“Interesting choice though.” Lucian said as he continued to toss the device in his hand. He looked at Nox with a smug smirk. “You do realize, Jet was originally a felon that murdered hundreds of people for a country that didn’t care about whether or not he lived. Right? Children. Mothers. Fathers. You name it. To save himself from being exiled, he became a soldier who did exactly what his Captain ordered, just like now... Turning robot was his choice to become stronger...He wanted to pursue fighting wars. This war is no different.” He tossed the device in his hand one last time and held it before Nox.
Nox looked at the device as Lucian dangled it before him. “It’s your choice, really. But I just want to let you know. Jet’s no Saint. He’s just as much of a murderer as Cornelia Corp is. Which is why they were eager to have him join their ranks.”
It was an interesting factoid that Nox didn’t even know about. If Jet joined because he loved fighting wars, then he was actually not any better. He was a criminal. He’s got more of a dirty history than thought. Was it really a good idea to save him? Nox’s gaze quickly shifted to Jet as he struggled to wake his body up. Him and the other human-turned-robots were waking faster from the EMP burst than the regular robots.
His gaze then fell to Emily who pulled herself upright to look at Jet. It was clear to Nox that there was some form of attachment between the two. Emily really did care for him. Why though? Why was she so attached to someone who hurt her in the past?
“Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.” Lucian said as he dangled the device before Nox to regain his attention once again. “I don’t think your little shadow friend has any energy left for another EMP burst. Miss this chance and you’ll have to find another way to pin him down. Edna’s got her mitts on his commands. She’s operating him. He’s going to have no other choice but to dispose you all.”
Nox frowned and quickly snatched the device from Lucian’s hand. “He’s helped my brother. Right? Then he deserves another chance.”
“Giving a murderer another chance?” Lucian mocked, though he was really just questioning Nox’s motives.
“I...know that now...” He said as he looked down at the device. “But...I...I have a strong feeling that Jet deserves a second chance. I’m not speaking for other murderers because not everyone deserves such an opportunity. But him, specifically? Jet...” He looked back at him. Nox could see Jet starting to reboot which was causing Tex to respond by drawing her weapon once again. She was ready to cut him down.
“He’s...Mom’s friend...There’s a reason why she’s close to him. And I’m not going to take that away from her.”
“How noble of you...” Lucian said with a shrug as he stuffed his hands back into his pocket. He then watched as Nox rushed over to Jet. “He’s...really just like him... Always willing to give someone a second chance, regardless of their actions...” He then slouched his back, showing off his lazy behavior. “Elves are so weird.”
Nox walked over to Jet but hesitated. He was far too awake for his liking. Jet even glared at him and started to fight the weakened tendrils that bound him. Nox had to shake his head free of any weary thoughts. He reached behind his neck to place the device there. There was another hesitation. Would it work? Would it make things worse? Was it really worth saving Jet?
He placed the device on his neck which clamped down, similarly to his Mother’s. Within moments, Jet let out a shocked yell. This startled Nox into bouncing backwards. He watched in fear, wondering what he had just done to the guy.
“GET THESE OFF OF ME!” Jet frantically struggled to get them off. “Wait...” He then stopped for a second as he realized, he had control over his body again. “Hah! Oh my Stars...” He looked down at his hands. “I HAVE CONTROL!” Then he was met with an abrupt punch to the face from Tex. “HEY! What was that for?”
“I don’t like you.”
“Well, hello to you too. Jerk.” Jet snorted at her.
“JET!” Emily sang to him as she rushed over to her friend. “You’re you again!” She let out a laugh. “It worked! It really worked!”
“YOU CAN TALK.” Jet said right as Emily hugged him with great enthusiasm. “Or...am I still suffering from EMP waves?”
“Uh...guys?” Nox said as he backed into them. “We still have threats...” He gestured to the remaining robots who were starting to come to.
“Uh...okay. I don’t have any weapons at the moment.” Said Jet as he tried to use one of his attached guns. He couldn’t get it to activate due to the EMP blast. “Aw screw it. Time to go fisticuffs against these tin cans!” He then doubled up his fists and smirked. “Let’s sock ‘em and rock ‘em!”
Emily stood beside Jet and grinned. “Huh, we haven’t done this in a while. Haven’t we?”
“LET’S DROP THEM!” Cheered Jet as he and Emily tag teamed any of the remaining robots.
Tex didn’t want Jet to show her up, and so she joined them to defeat more of them. All the while Nox retreated to Mark and Ikuki. He then watched the three robots make handiwork of the others. Leveling them without much of a second thought. And if he had to guess, Jet and Tex were having far too much fun breaking things.
Before they knew it, all of the opposing robots were destroyed. Lucian, at one point, skittered off and disappeared from sight. When Nox wanted to ask him more questions, it was then he realized his departure. Frowning, Nox then figured it would be best to not follow after him.
“Don’t worry about Lucian.” Jet spoke up to Nox when he noticed the boy looking for him. “Lucian isn’t actually fighting against us. He’s friends with Lux. He’s probably trying to gather information to tell your brother.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Well…Lux cares about you guys. It’s probably his weird way of trying to help or something. I don’t know…” he shrugged before turning to Mark and Ikuki. “Thank you…for keeping your promise. I did try my best to keep mine held too. I…hope you did get the prisoners out…”
“They’re free.” Tex commented for Mark. “Let’s get out of here before anymore reinforcements come…” she then turned to Mark, in preparation for him giving her the coordinates to bring them home. “Let’s get Ikuki checked out.”
“There’s no more that followed you. Right?” Asked Jasmine.
“Nope. You pretty much killed all of the ones that followed. Except for Lucian…of course. But like I said, he’s a good kid. His goal is to really, watch his mother fail.”
“Good. That’s good to know.” Jasmine said before turning to Tex. “Let’s get out of here.”
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Post by Moe on Dec 30, 2023 10:58:08 GMT -6
Mark helped Ikuki wobble to her feet, and then proceeded to give Tex the GPS coordinates for both the hub and the lab. "Don't worry about any stragglers, Kaiser City has a quick security response team." Mark assured them. "We have airborne security, so if a disturbance is picked up on, then a team will be sent out immediately. Or y'know, they just shoot the threat with a laser. Wow...that brings back some memories."
"Heh. You had a sword in your chest. That was pretty metal." Ikuki mumbled.
"I mean, I guess. Kinda." Mark shrugged as he lead her into the portal. "Okay, anyone else needing medical attention, follow me. Anyone going straight to the labs, follow Jasmine. I'll meet you all there, after I take care of some personal things."
Once they reached the hub and had Genesis look Ikuki over, deeming her perfectly fine and simply had a bit of an adrenaline overload, it was finally time to get some other priorities in order. First, Mark set up a very basic communication base at the hub that would use morse code instead of radio waves, and planned on setting up a receiving end at his lab, his home, and his sister's, that could be used for absolute emergencies until Nathan and Beth were able to recover an actual communication tower.
"You sure you're okay to travel?" he said to Ikuki, as she rested on the couch.
"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." she mumbled. "We're just going home, it isn't that far. Just let me rest at home, while you go to your sister's. I should be good to go and ready to science, by the time you get back."
Mark begrudgingly obliged her, indeed leaving her at home to rest while he went to his sister's. It wasn't the ideal situation, but there was a lot going on all at once, and it would be much easier to deal with it all one thing at a time, and his first priority was picking up Tiffany from her aunt's.
He was finally able to leave his suit behind for a little while, and stood at Alex's door, waiting to either be greeted or punched in the face. At this point, he was fully expecting the latter.
Alex opened the door, though since there were children present, resisted the punching. Instead, she resorted to yelling.
"You- What the fuck did you do??" was the first thing she shouted.
"It's good to see you too, sis. With this whole world-merging thing, I was super worried about you. So good to know you're okay." he said sarcastically, with a flat expression.
Alex only looked at him with an angry expression.
"Oh come on! Why would you assume I had any hand in this!" Mark threw his hands up, defensively.
Alex only continued to stare him down.
"Okay, fine, I did do this, and I'll explain later, but there's still a lot going on that we need to deal with. There's a lot still left unfinished. Right now, I'd like to just relax before the next big battle and spend some time with my family." he said, defending himself.
Alex only rolled her eyes and sighed, not particularly in the mood to deal with her brother's shenanigans right now. She didn't have much time to even gather her thoughts and yell at him again, before Tiffany came rushing in after hearing her dad's voice.
"DADDY!" she shouted as her eyes lit up and she bolted toward him, tackling him in the biggest hug. "I thought you died!"
"What? Who told you-..." he started to say, as he shot a glare at Alex.
"I did NOT say that!" Alex said in defense. "Well, not seriously. I was joking, I didn't mean for her to hear me! I told her I was joking! Ugh, okay. I'm glad you're not dead or whatever, but we're gonna talk about this whole weird fucking world-merging thing. If you're gonna be god, you gotta start telling your family when you do weird shit." she pointed a finger at him before turning around and gathering a few of Tiffany's toys that were scattered about. "I'll get her stuff packed, but this conversation is not over."
"Duly noted." Mark shrugged in response. "Hey, is it okay if we make a trip to work, before we go home? Uncle Nox is there, I'm sure he'd like to see you again."
"Okay, but only 'cause Uncle Nox is there." Tiffany responded. "But then we go home. I miss food. Aunt Alex isn't a very good cook."
"Oh, trust me. I'm well aware of that. That's why I packed lots of snacks." Mark snickered, causing Tiffany to laugh as well.
"I HEARD THAT." Alex yelled from the other room.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 30, 2023 13:30:28 GMT -6
Luckily no one really needed medical attention. Jasmine had a few cuts here and there, RJ was pretty much clear of any damage. The robots just needed some repairs which weren’t the same as an organic being’s needs. Nox had some harm done to him but with him playing around with his healing abilities, he managed to recover most of his injuries. The major ones were reduced to minor problems and he was forced to leave them alone because he started to feel sick from healing himself.
So the biggest portion of the crew followed Jasmine to the labs.
Nox flung himself onto a sofa with his face imbedded into the soft material. He was more than exhausted and didn’t want to remove himself from it. His whole body wanted to just relax. His mind wanted a vacation. He was just done with everything for the moment. Nox didn’t even move until Emily sat down beside him and rested her hand on his backside.
“Wow...nice place.” Jasmine said as she looked around the lab. “Guy wasn’t joking when he mentioned he had a nice lab. And best of all Tex? It’s clean.”
“It was until you Organics came into the picture...” She said with a bit of distaste. Tex knew that they would surely make a mess of everything within moments. Though, she did begrudgingly admit that RJ was actually quite clean and organized, which made living with organics more bearable.
“I feel...so out of place...” Jet admitted as he glanced over to Jasmine and her family. “I uh...know we haven’t exactly been on the best of...terms...”
“Eh...” Jasmine shrugged as she found herself a seat and kicked back. “Just don’t do anything stupid and you won’t become a blender. That’s all.” She then pulled out a device from within her pocket and tapped away at it. “Besides...Mark made it a point to rescue you so you and Emily can continue with your love life, or whatever it is that you two have.”
“Wait, what?” Jet flinched. “Love life?”
“What? He’s just a friend!” Emily said. “He’s...been a huge help with everything.”
“Yeah sure. Friend. Best friend. Lover. Play toy. I don’t care. Just keep the snogging in a separate room.” She waved on. Jasmine didn’t even see the flustered look on their faces to know that she crawled under their skin. Even RJ rolled his eyes at her comment, which she didn’t seem to mind either.
Nox lifted himself upright and sat on the sofa. “So...How are you guys going to go about Mom’s upgrade? Like...do you have another body or something?”
Jasmine’s gaze was still fixed on her device. She was scrolling through some information that was saved on its memory banks and wasn’t actually surfing the web. “Tex has a body in progress. She’s nearly completed. Once we move her to that one, Tex’s old body is actually similarly designed to hers. Meaning, the two of them are specifically light in weight and aren’t physically that strong. Tex was designed with the thought of saving people from danger, hence her thin and agile abilities. Emily...appears to be designed after a Roach which are quick moving and stealthy. Though, the major difference that I can see is their endurance.”
She finally removed her attention from the device and looked at him. “Emily can take quite a few hits, much like a roach in real life. So there’s going to be some modifications required to keep that as close as possible to her original body. Plus, I have to follow the blueprints that Mark got for us to allow her...human side to work with the robotic side. So there’s going to be some complications along the way since I’ve never had to deal with that sort of technology.”
“Wait, Tex isn’t the same?” Asked Nox.
“Nope. She’s completely AI. Which is why she struggles to understand some things. But she’s a smart AI. The more she hangs around with us, the more she will learn to adapt to our antics and fit in a bit more. And considering the crap you all went through, I can already see a change in her personality. Though, she is still a bit snarky. But that’s probably because of me.” She smirked. “Can’t have fun with a serious robot, we need some sass from time to time.”
RJ rolled his eyes. “Two Jasmine’s is hard enough...”
“But don’t worry. I’m confident in our skills to make a perfectly functioning body for your Mother. Before you know it, she will be completely broken free from Cornelia Corp’s chains. Though, I can’t say much for Jet. We have to design a body for him. And that’s going to take some time. So...Jet, you’re going to have to sit tight for a bit. Okay?”
“Yeah. That’s fine. I’d rather Emily be freed first. She...has a family that’s wanting to be with her so...” He rubbed the back of his head. “Even though I’d rather go first and be the test subject for your attempt...if things go wrong, you’re likely to learn from it and not mess up with her...”
“Up to you guys.” She shrugged.
“I can go first.” Emily said with a small smile. “I appreciate the concern. But I’ve got confidence in them to get it right. After all, Tex exists and she’s not attached to Cornelia Corp...like us.”
“Nope. I mean, I worked there before but Tex is entirely of my own doing.” She shrugged. “But that settles it. Once things relax a bit and we get more rest. The fun will begin.”
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Post by Moe on Dec 30, 2023 21:43:09 GMT -6
As soon as Mark finally made it back to his work labs, Tiffany and Ikuki in tow, he stopped in front and took a deep breath in. "What if Edna can still see through them? She might not have full control, but there's always a chance that audio and visuals are still active. I can't take that risk, I have to take Tiffany back to Alex's, I can't-"
Ikuki held his hand, tightly, on one side, while Tiffany held his other hand.
"But I wanna see Uncle Nox." Tiffany looked up at him.
He looked to Ikuki, hoping she would back him up, but she instead sided with Tiffany. "You did promise her." Ikuki said. "I know you're paranoid because you want to protect your family, and that's understandable, but there needs to be a point where you start opening up to other people and trusting them. You can't just shut everyone out of your life, again. If Edna hasn't figured out who you are through Emily, then there's no chance of her finding out, now. Especially since we're building them both new bodies."
Mark looked back to Tiffany, who was giving him a pitiful look, and sighed in defeat. "Okay, you both win. But you, take it easy." he pointed to Ikuki. "And you, be on your best behavior." he pointed to Tiffany. "Y'know in hindsight, I probably should've told them the best lab to go to. We're definitely going to need the clean rooms, for what we're doing."
Once Mark located where the group had gone, he made his way through the building until getting to one of the lounges, on the lower floor. No sooner did he open the door, did Tiffany nudge her way past and bolted to Nox, tackling him in hug.
"I missed you!" she said as she clung tightly to him.
"Seriously? I think you missed him more than me." Mark said jokingly. "Anyway, Tiff, this is Jasmine, RJ, Tex, Jet, and Emily. All of you, this is Tiffany. Emily is actually Nox's mom." he said as he introduced them.
Tiffany eagerly waved, happily greeting everyone in the room. She was particularly happy to meet Emily, however, being Nox's mom. "Hi Uncle Nox's mom. It's nice to meet you." she said politely. "How come you look like you got beat up?" she said, innocently.
"Tiff! You can't just ask someone that!" Mark scolded her.
"It was an honest question!" Tiffany replied back with a shrug, though the weight of her father glaring at her made her realize that maybe it wasn't such a polite question, even though honest. "Sorry." she apologized to Emily.
"Anyway," Mark sighed. "You obviously found the break room, but the real work is upstairs. Research labs and prototyping are one floor up, that's where we're going to have to work on designs and blueprints. Nox, didn't you say you had some ideas? We can do some 3D modeling to send to the printer, and use the prototype shell as a base for the actual metal parts. I usually work in much smaller increments, so I can't guarantee I've got enough metal for two entire robot bodies. Most of them are probably going to have to be made like mine and Ikuki's suits, with a lot of carbon fiber and polypropylene in place of metal, but there is enough on hand for the armored parts. Arm guards, casing to house their...being, I guess. Some of it's going to have to be made in the chemical labs, which are third floor. I normally have a whole crew on specific floors each assigned to their own departments, but since...y'know. Things happened. Everyone's got an extended vacation. Bringing me to my next point. Jasmine." he turned to face her.
"I do have an automated system worked into my computers and security, that allows for things to sort of go on autopilot when I'm not around. So, I have this AI that I'd like to install and I'd like you to be the one to do it. So, you and I should head to the computer labs first, before anyone else." he spoke a little nervously, and Ikuki was suspicious on what it was he was planning.
"I just...need you to make sure it's safe, and assure everyone else that it's safe." he said as he pulled out a flash drive from his pocket; "There's a lot of data, on this. I mean, a lot. Since you're more skilled with AI programming, I'd rather have backup in case it explodes or something." he said, hoping she caught what he was hinting at.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 31, 2023 7:18:48 GMT -6
Suddenly, Tiffany burst into the room with the greatest excitement a young child could muster. She bolted over to Nox, screaming his name excitedly as she threw herself into his opened arms. When she collided with her “uncle” she immediately hugged him. Which was then returned with an equally excitable hug from Nox.
He sang; “Tiffany! I’ve missed you so much too! I’m so glad to see you again!” Nox continued to hug the child, as he really did enjoy being around her. She was so much fun. Got into things. Caused a little trouble. A soft reminder that he and his own brother were as curious and devious when they were her age. It was a nice feeling to see someone else being that way as well.
When introduced; Jasmine gave the kid a soft wave, RJ smiled and greeted her, Jet sheepishly waved, Emily smiled and chimed a greeting to her, and Tex gave the most unenthusiastic head nod. Emily had noticed this and asked what was wrong, to Tex. And Tex responded with a whispered and wry; “It’s another, but younger, organic. They make the biggest messes...”
“You’ll be okay.” Emily responded to Tex’s complaint. “They grow out of it...Mostly.”
Tex stared at her but said nothing more on the matter. She didn’t hate Tiffany by any means. It just meant that a small child was involved and now things would be getting messy. She just hoped that she didn’t have to be the maid to clean up after her and that the job would go to Mark, considering he’s her parent.
When asked about why she was hurt, Emily giggled. “You wouldn’t believe it!” She said with great enthusiasm. “I was trying to garden earlier. And would you know it? The water hose started wriggling around and jumping about!” She gestured her arms to add to the story. “It was like a wild bull! I tried to control it but...it won. That’s how I got hurt! Then Tex came along and turned it off.”
“But that-“
She gave Tex a death stare.
“Yes?” Tex said in confusion.
“We all got a little banged up from it.” She said to Tiffany. “When I tell you it was wild, it was SUPER CRAZY!”
Jasmine was impressed with what the lab had. She glanced to RJ and grinned; “You know...this guy is who we need in our labs.”
“I’m sure he’s not going to split his job between being a hero, a dad, and whatever else he has to do.” RJ responded.
“Eh, be a party-pooper.” She waved at RJ and returned her attention to Mark. “Jet already offered to go last. So if we have to separate the scramblers or anything, then we can do it quickly before Edna discovers where we are. Though...I would teleport him elsewhere to do that, so she doesn’t find this location by chance.” She shrugged. “I know how paranoia from someone following you, goes. So I wouldn’t do stupid stuff like that to cause that attention.”
“Interesting...Carbon fiber...I wonder if we could apply that to some of the parts on Tex’s new body? I mean...I know we started but if we have more of a supply chain... It might make her a lot faster and lighter.”
“Eh, save it for Emily.” Jasmine said to him. “As much as I’d love Tex to be faster, she’s going to have boosters attached to her legs which will jet her across whatever. Emily is the one that wants to keep her mobility in flight. So she’s going to be the one that needs to be lighter and built specifically for that.” Then she stopped for a moment to think her words over. “You know...come to think of it...”
“What?”
“We’re going to have to do a lot of remodeling on Tex’s original body. Unless we make some powerful wings for her. Because right now, Tex is light but still too heavy for acceptable flight.” She glanced over to the side as her brain went into overdrive with thinking over the specifics needed.
RJ sighed and looked to Mark once more. “This lab is incredible. Our actual lab has several sections, kinda like this one. But it’s nowhere near as big. I’m sure if...we can somehow get some of our other more dependable Scavengers here, they could help with the building...though if you have automation, then I suppose that would make things a lot easier for us...” He scratched his chin.
“An AI?” She smirked. “And me do the honors? Wow!”
“Jasmine, relax on the sarcasm...” RJ sighed.
“Eh, Mark should understand me.”
“I...don’t think anyone can understand you.” RJ winced.
Jasmine ignored her husband for the moment and said to Mark; “Alright bud. Show me where this room is and let’s try to get that AI to work.” She smirked, as she had already caught onto his sheepish behavior. Her mind immediately went into assuming that this was just not some ordinary AI and would most likely cause some form of disturbance amongst the group. But her? She didn’t care about the details of where this AI came from. To her, preserving technology was a great thing.
“RJ, have fun with hanging out here for a moment. I’m going to help him.” She didn’t care about what else RJ had to say or do. She simply wanted to get started on this AI.
When Jasmine and Mark departed, Nox had to ask. He just had to bug Jet. So he turned to him and asked; “So...are you and Mom a thing?”
“Thing?” Jet asked in confusion.
“You know... the D word.”
“...Nox you’re going to have to be a bit more clear on that. Because the first D word that comes to mind is...Di-“
“No. Not that.” Nox interrupted him. “Also make sure you watch your language around Tiffany and Mark. He doesn’t like cursing.”
“...Dingus...”
“...Dating. Are you two dating?”
Jet rolled his eyes. “Kid, I’m going to get the feeling that I’m going to like your brother more than you.”
Nox smirked. “Did I hit the nail on the head?”
“There are no nails around here so how can you possibly--“ He then caught onto what Nox meant. “We’re done talking. Go build your gadgets. I’m going to sit here awkwardly.” He then cut the conversation off and sat on a different chair, away from Nox.
Nox looked to Tiffany and said; “Ouch...You hear that? He’s getting all embarrassed.”
“Nox...” Emily said to him. “Please don’t start any trouble.”
“I won’t!” He chimed to her and when he noticed her odd look, he grinned. “Promise!”
- - - -
Jasmine walked into the room with Mark and spoke with amazement. “Wow...This really is one hell of a lab. I’m kind of curious to explore the rest of it later to see what else is here. You can explain it to me until your face is blue but I’m loving the idea of just seeing it.” She looked around at the room more. “RJ’s going to faint when he sees and hears what’s going to be stored in here for the automated assistant...”
She looked at some of the machines. All of them were so nicely kept. “Tex might actually be jealous of this setup, even. Back at home we have a computer system that she can control. It even backs her data up and compresses them so it’s not so large to transfer. But at this size? She’d have a field day!” She laughed. “So what made you want to save him?”
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