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Post by Banshee on Dec 3, 2023 7:25:20 GMT -6
Tex nodded to the fact Mark had cat ears on his helmet. “It’s a good aesthetic. I enjoy it. Cats are my favorite creature to be around.” She heard Nox giggle at his comment and turned to him. “Jasmine actually has a cat. I don’t mind him being around. A much better conversational partner than a human, sometimes.”
Nox let his shoulders sink when Mark told him to not be so angry with Lux. His attacks were mostly brought upon him through Mark pushing him harder. “It’s...just so hard...” Nox mumbled, mostly to himself. He couldn’t wrap his mind around how powerful Lux actually was. “It’s terrifying.”
“How is what terrifying?” Asked Tex.
“Lux. He...He killed you. A few times...I saw the match...” He looked up at Tex then Mark and Ikuki. “If he leveled Mark now...He’s going to be an even bigger danger to you later on. Won’t he? How can...a clone-my brother, have such power? I know I don’t have that. There’s no way.”
“This is why experimentation is considered illegal.” Tex said to him. “But you are correct, his powers are quite alarming. With more training, he could potentially become a threat. However, from the tone of Mark’s voice, I have a feeling something else is going on.” Tex wasn’t sure on how she should elaborate on this but she simply said; “Don’t worry about it, Nox.”
Nox was unsure if he wanted to listen to her a hundred percent but said nothing more on the topic.
When Mark mentioned Cornelia Corp, Tex flinched. “Wait, they’re here too? This isn’t good...”
“I mean, I know they’ve been a thorn to our side for the longest time...but why isn’t it good?” Asked Nox.
“We’re in Apollo’s turf, correct? He had lasers trying to strike us down as we progressed through. If Cornelia Corp is here, then they have something to do with Apollo because how else could they run an Underground Arena to recruit folks to be experimented on? They’re a nuisance to deal with because they will do anything for money and power. They also have advanced technology at their disposal. But more on that later. Mark requires medical assistance as well as rest.”
While they headed off towards their escape route, Nox quietly followed beside Tex. He didn’t want to start anymore conversations. He didn’t want to slow them down. But his mind couldn’t help but question everything he saw today. “Lux was a monster in battle. There is much more potential within him to become a huge threat. And if he defeated Mark, he could potentially attack other strong entities like; False Gods, Prophecy warriors, Deities, and more. If Cornelia Corp has him, that’s a risk for all of us.” He glanced up at Mark’s backside, seeing the bloodstains on his armor. The sight made him shiver and he had to turn away once more.
”If Lux ever gets persuaded to view us as the villains...We’re in for a lot of trouble in our future...” He let himself shiver again. ”And why did he trust Jet and Roach to care for him? They were the ones that took him. They’re the ones forcing him into everything. Why? What was said out there in the battle arena?”
Tex had noticed that Nox wasn’t paying much attention to where he was walking. She quickly strayed from the group and grabbed him by his shoulder. This startled Nox but Tex didn’t seem to care about that. “You’re going to get lost. It’s this way.”
“Oh...thanks.” He said to her as he scurried on back with the rest of the group.
Tex watched him hurry back. It was clear to her that there was something up with him. When she went back to the others, she was going to ask Nox about it. But then promptly decided that she really didn’t care. So she simply continued to follow behind them, ensuring that Nox didn’t wander off again.
”Well, if Mark has his reasons for leaving Lux behind...then there must be a good reason.” He glanced up at him again as he thought. ”I’m going to trust him on this. I just...hope that Lux will be okay and won’t be experimented...in a similar fashion to the losers of the arena...Plus...I hope Nathan and Dawn are okay too.”
- - - - -
“Oh my God, shut up!” Barked one of the prisoners in a cell. He was covering his ears from the noise that another prisoner was making. “You’re so annoying! If I could get out of this cell, I’d strangle you.”
A young girl with white and black hair was happily singing to herself in her cell. She was giggling whenever anyone made a snide remark to her. And when this particular prisoner spoke up, she flopped herself against her own cell bars and pressed her face in between them, squishing her cheeks. “Hehe! Like you can hurt me, little itty bitty man!”
“You wanna say that again?”
“Itty bitty such a pitty. He had a fight and lost to the kiddie!” She giggled as she pulled herself away and twirled in her cell. “Unlike you, I’m only locked up in here...” Then she flopped herself against her cell bars again and smiled. “Because I’m Craaaaaazzy!”
“You’re driving me crazy. Shut up. I’ll poison you.”
This made her laugh more. “You can’t poison me! I eat poison for BREAKFAST. And it’s so delicious like a freshly baked salad!” She pulled herself away and giggled again. But then there was a sudden sound of a door opening. The girl noticed that Roach was carrying Lux through the room. “OH! LUX! He’s back! He looks a tiny bit bloody and sleepy!”
“Llani, why did you get locked up in here again?” Asked Jet. “You’re not one of the prisoners.”
Llani giggled at him. “Weeeellllll.....I am technically a prisoner. OF MY OWN MIND!” She slapped herself on the forehead and giggled at him.
“You ate too much poison, didn’t you?” He rolled his eyes. “Well amuse the prisoners while you’re at it I guess.” He heard a few of them beg Jet to take her out. Jet only laughed. “Alright... Roach, take Lux out of here and into the medical bay... Let me try and find...this Dawn and Nathan pairing...”
“Itty bitty spider went up the water spout!”
“PLEASE SHUT HER UP. No wait, send me out first. Get me out of here. I’m going to die in here if I have to hear that loon sing more.” Begged the prisoner.
“You’re not the one I’m looking for. So...no.” Jet shrugged and walked away.
“TELL LUX I LIKE HIS FACE!” Llani said in her hysteria. “He needs to not die! I need my friends!”
“He’s not going to die, Llani.” Jet said with mild interest with her conversation.
“GOOD!” She twirled in her cell once again, giggling. “I ate so much icky stuff. I feel like I’m on a high road!”
“You’re high alright.” Jet rolled his eyes and continued to look for Dawn and Nathan. There were quite a few prisoners within the holding chamber. And when he approached them, he stopped short. “So...you two.” He pointed at them both.
Jet really didn’t want to disobey any orders given to him from Cornelia Corp. So he had to be as vague as possible so they wouldn’t catch onto his hints that he was going to try and give them. “There’s a chance that something good will happen to you both. And it’ll be my sworn duty to uphold that offering.” Jet hated dancing around the actual reason but he really didn’t have any other choice. “Things might look a bit brighter for you in the future. So...don’t do anything stupid. Got it?”
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Post by Moe on Dec 3, 2023 20:29:06 GMT -6
"Apollo has nothing to do with Cornelia Corp." Mark said, in an almost defensive tone. "I could only see through Jet's memories, but it looks like Apollo doesn't even know they're here. My guess is they're working with whoever is using Apollo, and they're using the same tech they're blocking themselves with, to block Cornelia Corp from Apollo's sensors. And don't worry, Nox. He only killed me because I let him. Anubis and I hang out like, every weekend now." he laughed, trying to lighten the situation. "But..." his tone got a little more serious. "That doesn't mean he's to be underestimated. They made him strong, and he's doing exactly what he was built to do...but I think he can use that power for good. He just needs guidance from someone he'll actually listen to."
"So you left him with those two robots?" Ikuki said, upset that Mark just left him there.
"Oh, I punched Jet right in the face. The other one is..." he looked over at Nox, wondering if he should say anything or not. "I said no more secrets, and I meant it. The other robot is their mom. I don't know how they're doing that, but that's what I saw in Jet's memories. She's protecting him, and he's probably in the safest possible place he can be, right now."
"I thought she-"
"I know. I'm still trying to process everything. I might've lost too much blood to think, right now." Mark still wasn't able to fully comprehend everything that was going on, and was trying his best to file all his thoughts into their own mental folders to sift through, one thing at a time.
As they entered the...well, town wasn't the right word. Beth's shelter was nestled within larger houses all on top of each other; like apartments, but probably not up to any kind of code. Thankfully, Beth's shelter sat on ground-level and away from other scrap-heap houses. It was one of the few that had running water and a private place to cook. It didn't have more than one room, but nobody was complaining.
Ikuki forced Mark to sit down before he could start thinking of any kind of plan; she gently helped him take the broken armor off, and used what little healing magic she knew, to help him. "Nox, I can use your help. We might not be Genesis, but I think the two of us working together will be able to amplify each other's abilities. Um..." she noted the bits of rust around the wound. "I don't have the extensive medical knowledge that Genesis does, to prevent that from getting infected."
"Oh, I do!" Beth chirped. "I've got a med kit full of stuff I....found, in those transport units." she said with an evil chuckle. "Tetanus and gangrene and sepsis are more real dangers around here than all the monsters and sewer mutants. So, you always gotta be prepared."
"That's...huh. Smart thinking." Mark complemented her.
"Hey, I'm a maniac, not an idiot." Beth said with a cheeky grin.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 3, 2023 21:05:45 GMT -6
“I don’t know who Lux will listen to...” Nox said as he turned away from them. “I mean...He was sort of listening to Joe’s Uncle until Reese ruined that. And the only other person he won’t ever think of hurting is Joe. But neither one are here right now... So...” He sighed. “Lux, why do you have to make things so difficult...”
Then when Mark explained why he left Lux behind with the two stranger robots, his mouth fell open. “Wait... Mom? He...said Mom...right?” He looked to Tex.
Tex nodded as she continued to follow behind them. “The other robot is their Mom. Is what he said.”
“Wait...so you think Mom is...a robot? How? She...what?” He stopped dead in his tracks as he tried his best to figure out how it would even be possible to do that. “That’s a technology that I don’t know anything about or can comprehend. There’s bound to be some sort of magic involved with that too. But Mom is a robot?”
“I think we got that covered.” Tex pointed out to him.
Nox gave her a dirty look before looking back to Mark. “That...explains a lot then...”
“Details?” Asked Tex.
“Well, when we left Mark and Ikuki we got onto a train that brought us back to our home world. But Jet and his crew jumped the train and they pretty much wrecked it. However, while Jet was tormenting us and chasing us through the train carts; Roach never once tried to harm us. I mean, she chased us and all. So we thought she was just a more docile robot trying to find a different way to capture us.” He waved on.
“But at the end of the train, we saw a ticking bomb that was about to explode. We were saved by Joe’s Grandmother who threw Jet out of the train and pinned Roach against an emergency door. We had less than thirty seconds left and while Joe and I urged Lux to hop on the dragon’s back...he went and kicked open the emergency door to save her... When we asked him why he did it, he honestly didn’t have a good reason. He just said; he felt that it was right.”
“Interesting.” Tex said to him. “He must’ve had some form of familiarity with her, despite not knowing anything about her.”
“Possibly.” He shrugged. “But it makes sense if she’s Mom... Whenever Jet appears, Mom always chases us. Though I don’t understand why she was attacking you, Mark.”
“I am willing to bet that she’s been trying to protect you the entire time. But due to the lack of verbal communication, she can-“
“Wait! I wonder if she’s the one that’s been trying to talk to Lux? I mean...it’s a long shot. But like...if Lux can go into the Astral Planes and hear a voice all the time...I wonder if I can do that and so can she?” Nox wasn’t sure if he was even thinking about this in the correct way. “Ah...I kind of feel bad that we’ve been treating her like the enemy...”
“To be fair, she cannot speak.” Said Tex as they’ve arrived to their destination.
Once inside, Nox placed some of his belongings beside a table and took a seat on a chair. “...Thank you for telling me this, Mark.” He said to him. “Though...if she cannot communicate, there must be a real reason behind why they’ve restricted her vocals. So I can only wonder if this...is some sort of game those jerks are playing.”
Tex took a seat and examined her own systems for any bugs or repair requests. Luckily, everything still seemed to be in working order. She then decided to send any information she deemed important to Jasmine for investigation.
Nox then was called over to help Ikuki with Mark. He hopped out of the chair and bound his way over to them. “Alright.” He said with a cheerful nod. “I haven’t done this in a while, but I know a little bit about healing magic. And a lot of it, has to do with positive emotions.”
He then smirked at Mark. “We’re going to get to Apollo and do what we need to do. While saving as many folks as we can! I’m sure of it!” Nox rubbed his hands together and held them over Mark’s wounds. “Alright...Let’s see...positive...”
It wasn’t too hard for Nox to think of something positive. His first thought was being home with Mark, Ikuki, and Tiffany. The next was, Lux being home with them. Then his final was, seeing and hearing their Mother speak again and seeing Lux smile.
He closed his eyes and his hands glowed a soft green. Nox then focused his energy into healing the wounds on Mark. Which started to heal upon coming into contact with the energy. But Nox wasn’t experienced enough to do the deeper wounds. “We’ll...be reunited together again. I’m sure of it.”
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Post by Moe on Dec 3, 2023 23:47:23 GMT -6
Ikuki smiled at Nox as he put his own magic into the healing spell; "Remember the day we all met? When Mark was interviewing me in the hero hub, and you and Lux were teasing us?"
"I had no idea how you two even got there. You just snuck in, past security." Mark forced a laugh. "Who knew, huh? I'm supposed to be able to see the future, and I had no idea how much of an impact the three of you were going to make on my life."
"Me, either." Ikuki smiled. "I couldn't imagine a life with you all. We all found our elements, together." she said, as the magic began to glow brighter.
Mark winced in pain as the magic began to heal him. It felt different than when Genesis healed him; Genesis had vast anatomical knowledge and knew exactly what parts to heal first and where, but magic mended things, well, magically. At least he'd stopped bleeding, though. As the pain started to dissipate, Mark breathed out, only to be met by another sharp pain in his arm. And then another, and another.
"You're safe from tetanus!" Beth said, triumphantly. "Also, rabies!"
"Lux doesn't have rabies! I never encountered anything that had rabies!" Mark yelped as she stabbed him with the needles.
"Oh. You will." she said with an eerie grin, as she skulked back into her own room.
"Okay, are we sure her Nathan is our Nathan?" Mark rubbed his arm. "Wait, was she referring to herself? Do you think she has rabies?"
Beth just peered at them from the edge of the doorway, cackling quietly to herself.
"She definitely has rabies." Mark quipped, although he wasn't entirely sure if that was a joke or not. He looked over to Ikuki, expecting a laugh, but instead she was taking her suit off as well and looking quite distressed. "Hey," he reached out and held her hand. "Everything is going to be okay. We're going to stick to the plan, then go bust Nathan, Dawn and Lux from Cornelia Corp. Trust me, I can see the fuuutuuuure." he said, pretending to be ominous while wiggling his fingers.
"You can see multiple possible futures." Ikuki snorted, attempting to give him a smile. She sat next to him in a huff, and leaned against his shoulder. "There's just a lot going on. This is going a lot deeper than we realized. Now with Apollo and Cornelia Corp working together? That changes a lot. Do you think they're the ones controlling Apollo?"
"No, they had nothing to do with his creation; he doesn't even know they're here." Mark blurted out. He looked over to Tex, who was busy doing her own thing. "Okay. Truth." he breathed out. "You cannot let Tex know any of this. I haven't even wanted to tell you two, in fear of compromising the mission. I've been talking to Apollo, for the last couple years. You knew that much." he said to Ikuki, before she could interject. It was true, she was aware they had been speaking and she had even continued trying to reach him through the astral plane, unsuccessfully. However, she didn't know how friendly they had become or what the plan was.
"Apollo and I have been talking and sharing information with each other. This whole mission was his plan. All of it is basically us assisting his suicide in order to save the world. The person controlling him is most likely the one giving C. Corp information and free experiments. My guess is that he gave C. Corp the technology to block them from Apollo's sensors, the only problem is, why would he do that? What does he have to gain, in return?" Mark continued thinking to himself. "This is all connected, but I haven't figured out how, yet. All I know is that Apollo isn't the bad guy. He's done a lot of terrible things, but he isn't even aware of doing them. He knows he did it, but the event itself is blanked out. Somebody has been using him from the moment he was built. If we get out of this intact, I just want you to both know that, and maybe help me rewrite the history books."
"I think I can manage that. It's...strange to think about, though. Someone you've been told your whole life was evil, that nearly ended the world, was all a lie." Ikuki tried to process everything, but she trusted Mark. "Though, it still worries me what could possibly be a big enough threat to be able to control not only Apollo, but possibly Cornelia Corp?"
"Yeah...that's the part that worries me, too. Someone who's been around for at least two-thousand years, someone that's blocked from the vision of the gods, from my vision, someone who can block themselves from Apollo's sensors, and someone who wants to make the rest of the world look the desert, outside. Those lizard creatures...the Terians. Dad and Athena said the gods can't see them, so they're likely behind all of this." Mark continued brainstorming.
"They didn't seem...um...smart enough...I'm so sorry if that sounds horrible." Ikuki realized as soon as she said it, how demeaning it must've sounded.
"Oh, they're not. The smartest one there was the second-in-command, and he didn't strike me as tech-savvy. He called himself the beta...so that leaves the one we haven't seen. The alpha. I tried asking Athena about them, but she said last she saw of them, they weren't nearly that organized or intelligent. So I guess they've done some evolving, over the millions and millions of years since their banishment." Mark sank into the couch, with a sigh. "Can we make coffee? I haven't had caffeine, all day. I'm going to make coffee." he got up and grabbed the bag that had the food and coffee in it, then briefly stopped, turning back to Nox and Ikuki. "Thank you for healing me. Being able to stick my whole arm through my chest would've been a really cool parlor trick, though." he said with a cheeky grin.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 4, 2023 18:41:47 GMT -6
Nox couldn’t help but grin at Mark when he mentioned that he wasn’t sure how the boys made it past security. He felt rather proud of their ability to do such a crazy stunt at a young age. “You know.” He said to him. “It was actually Lux’s idea to do it in the first place. We heard about the Hero Hub and we wanted in on it. So he decided to have me scope out a hero that uses a bunch of blades for weapons. And when I located him, we followed after him without him knowing. Then when he least expected it, Lux and I transformed into blades and pretty much snuck in that way.”
He then did a cheeky giggle at the fond memory. “He thought it was a bit strange on how his bag was suddenly a little heavier but the guy figured that he was just exhausted from work. So when he came into the Hub, he left his bag in his chair to use the bathroom. And that’s when we popped out of the bag and just lingered there until you showed up.”
Nox played with his scarf a little. “Lux had a lot of cool ideas back then. I wish he kinda stayed that way but now looking back at everything...I kind of can’t blame him for going the way he did. I mean, it’s not right. But it’s not something that I think I would be able to handle, had I been in his place instead. But yeah, you would’ve had one heck of a laugh with him. Lux was really mischievous. And even now? I think he still has that going for him.”
Then when Mark mentioned that he had been talking to Apollo, Nox immediately felt a bit apprehensive on the idea. Apollo nearly glassed the planet. He was a threat to the humans that exist within this realm. But he knew that Mark often had a decent gut instinct and so, he decided that he wasn’t going to question his decision. If he felt that Apollo was innocent, in terms of being forced to do things he didn’t quite want to, then maybe he had something.
So in short, Nox pretty much just fell silent. He didn’t want to interrupt Mark speaking because he knew it was a bit of a touchy subject. But he had to admit, if history was wrong, then it was going to be harder than nails to get it fixed right.
Then the topic switched to Cornelia Corp. Nox frowned at the mentioning of them. They were horrible. Cruel. And sneaky. More often than not, they also knew what they were doing. And if they were working with this other force to get to where they stood today, they were going to be difficult to overthrow. Nox then decided to mention; “What’s worse about Cornelia Corp is that, they also found a way into my realm. They haven’t been able to completely plant themselves there yet, but I’m sure if things go south... Whoever has their mittens on Apollo will soon have the ability to do as they please in another area as well. All because Cornelia Corp has awful decisions.”
He teetered on his feet for a moment as he thought over how the mysterious person could’ve managed to go so long without being noticed. “The only thing I can think of is either; they have technology that can create some form of barrier or cloaking to hide them from the Gods, they have an insane amount of telekinetic energy that can probably make it seem like they’ve been erased from existence, or...they know how to jump dimensions or portals. But I don’t know how that portion works...”
“Which is why I really don’t want to have them get a hold of Tex either.” Nox said as he pointed to the robot who still wasn’t paying any attention to the conversation at hand. She was still apparently sending information to Jasmine. “I know portal technology isn’t that superb, but it can still be used in ways that wouldn’t be beneficial to us. But her sentience is what worries me. She seems to have a pretty decent grasp on doing things herself. Even though...she’s a bit rough around the edges.”
He let out a sigh before rubbing the back of his head. “We’re really in deep now, aren’t we?” There was a nervous laugh. “But uh...I’m glad that Ikuki and I were able to heal that hole in your chest. It was...kind of making feel nauseous.”
Nox then glanced over to Tex, wondering if he should talk to her for a bit and allow Mark and Ikuki to spend some time with one another. After all, she looked worried and he was exhausted. And Nox really wanted to thank Tex for doing what she did for him back at the arena.
So he timidly approached Tex and stood near enough to her for her to realize he was there. And when she took notice of him, she emotionlessly looked at him. “Yes?”
“I uh...I know it was listed as your job to go and make sure that I was going to be okay while out here... But I just wanted to actually thank you for doing what you did. Like, carrying me through the darkness. And uh...comforting me when I needed it most.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, I mean it though.” He flailed a bit. “Like, it’s so cool experiencing the opportunity given to me. You’re really amazing. You did everything without anyone telling you to do stuff. That’s...not a normal trait for a robot. So...I know uh...emotions are a bit of a hard thing for you to understand but...like...it means a lot that you did that. So thank you.”
Tex paused for a moment. Nox wasn’t sure if she was processing the topic or if she was simply waiting for him to be completely finished. Either way, she waited and then eventually spoke up. “I appreciate you thanking me. It’s not often that I get that.”
“R-Really? Jasmine doesn’t?”
Tex’s voice still felt very flat to Nox but he assumed it had something to do with her AI capability or the voice box she had. But Tex did end up saying; “I should clarify. I do not get thanked at all, outside of my family. So I appreciate the kind gesture and am content knowing that you appreciate my help.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her before holding his hand out to her. “I know...we don’t really get along all that much. But I just want to make a promise that we’re a team. So...hand shake?”
Tex stared at his hand for a solid thirty seconds. She shrugged then took his hand into hers. However she didn’t understand what a handshake was and so, Nox had to guide her with shaking hands. “Interesting way of making a promise. Does this have a meaning?”
“It’s more of a gesture, really.”
“Interesting.”
“We’re all partners here. Though, I don’t know so much about her...” He pointed to Beth. “I’m kind of scared of her.”
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Post by Moe on Dec 5, 2023 17:55:54 GMT -6
It was hard to discern when night was, but to everyone there, it certainly felt like it was time for sleep. Mark was, surprisingly, the first to begin falling asleep as he leaned over on Ikuki. She just let him continue drifting off until he finally fell over into her lap, giving in to the exhaustion. Sleeping arrangements were a bit...cramped, to say the least. But Beth at least had a couple couches and space to make a floor bed, if need be. Ikuki couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, as she observed the run-down, ancient house Beth was living in, and the rest of the neighborhood was even worse.
"I suddenly feel so privileged." she said, as Beth was trying to figure out whether or not she wanted to try coffee. "There's only one continent left on the planet that hasn't been blown up, and we were lucky enough to grow up there. Seeing what the rest of the world is like, really puts things into perspective."
"Don't pity me." Beth said, as she dipped her tongue gently into a cold cup of coffee and promptly reeled back in disgust. "The people who live here, don't know anything else. This is home. For all we know, this is as good as the world gets."
"But it isn't!" Ikuki said. "Where we live, there's lush greenery and nice houses and modern technology and-"
"And corrupt governments, homelessness, social classes, organized religion, and don't even get me started on the concept of money." Beth interrupted. "Nathan told me enough. If anyone here were to leave and go live in your paradise, they would just end up being in the exact same situation, or worse. Working your life away just to barely get by and living in the constant fear that you might not be able to pay the big man, on time? That sounds awful. Here, currency is trade. We trade things of value, we receive things of value. A decommissioned robot shell from up top, might be two week's worth of food, and we don't have to work ourselves to death every single day."
"I guess I never thought about it like that. Even still, we have advances in technology and medicine that just don't exist down here." Ikuki attempted to argue her point.
"Sure we do. We've got tons of trained medical professionals, hospitals, and healthcare. It's not as pristine and fancy as you all make yours out to be, but we've got it. Otherwise there wouldn't be a civilization here, at all." Beth said. "Still, if Nathan goes back home with you guys...I guess I'll have to adapt." she sighed.
Ikuki thought more about what she would say, before she said anything more. Beth did make valid points. To everyone else, the world was normal. Places like Kaiser City and Glimmer, those were the odd ones out. It really made it seem like the continent they were from, was a whole lot smaller now. "I'm sorry." Ikuki told her. "I didn't mean to belittle your home. I guess it's just really hard to understand that this is what the world is really like, and I'm the one who's been sheltered my whole life."
"Don't worry about it." Beth shrugged. "Honestly...it'd be kinda great if the world wasn't such a shithole. Too bad your weird healing mumbo-jumbo won't work on the planet."
"Yeah...that would be great." Ikuki sighed, leaning against the arm of the couch, eyelids getting heavy as she was also starting to give in to the exhaustion.
Mark, meanwhile, had been asleep for quite some time now and had begun to dream again. He was in that same blank space he always seemed to default to. He had begun to gain more control as he had learned to understand it more and what it was, and this time he was looking for someone. It was proving difficult after what had happened during the fight in the arena, but he was determined to try.
Time didn't exist in the astral plane, and it felt like he had been searching for hours. Finally, he just fell backwards into the void, landing on, well, more void. Space was whatever one made of it, here. "Lux, if you're out there...I just want you to know that I'm sorry."
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Post by Banshee on Dec 5, 2023 19:32:06 GMT -6
After a few hours of being within Beth’s home, Nox was beginning to grow exceptionally tired. All of the running and the danger, explosions and witnessing the near loss of his friend and brother; his energy was well spent. And while he was safe inside of her home, Tex couldn’t help but continue to be on alert and watch over him.
So while he curled up into a ball on a makeshift bed, he lay facing towards Tex who sat within the same room as him. For a good reason, he felt really safe with her being beside him. She may not have been too friendly with him at all given moments but she was taking her job seriously. And even with her sentient programming, she was still choosing to perform her job without fuss.
“Hey…” He whispered to her as drowsiness was flooding him. “You can hang out with them if you’d like. You don’t have to watch me this closely.”
“I’m not being forced into this situation.” She said to him while looking over some items within the room. Tex had plucked up a magazine that was filled with questionable materials that organics seemed to have a particular interest in. Weapons. Tex wasn’t interested in anything it had within it, but she was curious to see what sort of things the magazine was trying to put on display. How Beth found it or why she had it, Tex honestly didn’t even care. For all she knew, it was probably junk mail sent to her.
“You’re not?”
“It’s much quieter in here with you. So I chose to stay beside you.” She said as she flipped through a few pages. “I prefer the peace and quiet.”
Nox yawned. “Yeah, me too. Though...I do miss hearing my brother tell me stories about stuff he’s made up.” He removed his broken glasses and set them beside his sleeping spot. “Lux...has an imagination and I just miss him talking to me about his stories and the characters...he’s made. I just hope he’s alright.”
While Tex had no proof as to whether or not Lux was doing alright, she knew she had to say something to comfort Nox. “If he’s made it this far, I am sure he is going to be okay.” When he didn’t respond, she glanced over to him and he had already passed out.
A few moments passed and Tex stood up from her position and grabbed his glasses. It was struggling to stay together. She couldn’t remember at what point where they started to break. But she figured it may have been a long time coming for them.
Glancing over at the sleeping boy, she decided to take his glasses and try to fix them. While in the arena, she had scavenged for small bits of material. Tex wasn’t sure what she would use them for, outside of trying to repair herself. But she felt that it would’ve been nice of her to fix his glasses while he slept. That way they wouldn’t break on him when he needed them the most.
Lux had been sleeping since he was injected with a serum that would render him exhausted. It was mostly for calming his nerves down when he responded poorly to Mark’s wounds. Everything was just happening so fast that his brain struggled to understand it all. His emotions were both his strength and his crippling weakness.
And while sleeping, he had found himself waking in the Astral Planes once again. But this time, he was no longer being hunted by Jet. Jet had proven himself that he wasn’t actually as murderous as he seemed. Well, to a point anyway.
While staying with the dysfunctional duo, Lux began to realize that most of their actions were forced. Jet had no choice but to do what he was told. If he were to run and gun down a place, he had to do it. And by this point, Jet had given up hope on ever breaking free. He was trapped, much like Roach, and much like several other organic-turned-robots.
Though Lux had to agree that his two robot companions had the most personality. Outside of Minka who was just a psychotic killer who loved destroying lives as she went. Lux just knew that he stayed as far away as possible from Minka because he understood how much she didn’t value life. No one meant anything to her. Not even her own brother.
But while his thoughts ran wild, he heard an apologetic voice. Someone familiar. Lux immediately frowned as he rose to his feet in the black abyss that surrounded him. “Oh great…” He rolled his eyes. “Here we go again with messing with my damn head.”
He inhaled and yelled into the void; “HAVEN’T YOU HAD ENOUGH WITH MESSING WITH ME?” His anger surged through him. “STOP IT.”
Lux could feel sorrow bubble within him. The voice belonged to Mark. His chest felt tight as he dreaded the thought of him dreaming about him. “Another damn emotion to freaking add to my already growing plate of crap…”
He shook his head, thinking that Mark was just a phantom of his mind playing tricks. “I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF THIS CRAP. UNDERSTAND?”
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Post by Moe on Dec 5, 2023 20:10:05 GMT -6
Mark closed his eyes, sinking into the void, ready to just let it take him wherever it wanted to take him. Be it somewhere good, or somewhere bad. He didn't care, anymore. Suddenly, an unmistakable voice called out into the void. With the voice, a figure came into view. Lux looked angrier than Mark had ever seen, the psychic energy flailing and writhing all around him. The sword he had drawn was coated in blood, and carnage surrounded him. Mark couldn't get out of his head, the thought of his little brother hurting so many people in that arena, but he closed his eyes tightly to avoid seeing him that way.
"I'm not messing with you. I know you're angry with me, and I know I said some really horrible things back there. You just kept holding back, I didn't know what else to say. You're not like Reese...what happened back there, wasn't your fault. It was mine, for pushing you too hard. I should've tried to bring out positive emotions, but instead I encouraged you to be angry. I just...wanted you to see what I saw, in you. How much you were capable of, how strong you were, and what you could really do." Mark spoke softly to him, still trying his best not to look at what he perceived Lux to be. He wasn't scared of what Lux could do to him, but he was scared of what Lux could be on the path to becoming.
"I'm sorry I couldn't take you with me." Mark said to him. "You're in the safest place you can be, here. I just wanted you to know that, no matter what happened in that arena, no matter what happens in the future, you were always my little brother. You always will be. And I'll always be proud of you, no matter what."
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Post by Banshee on Dec 5, 2023 20:28:08 GMT -6
An image of Mark appeared before him. Battered and bruised, a gaping hole in his chest with that metal shard striking through him like a piece of paper. Blood dripped from it as he stood before him. This is what Lux perceived him as. The way he had left him on the battlefield.
And that alone broke him.
Lux took a step back. Listening to the words coming out from Mark’s mouth. His voice had so much emotion behind it and meaning. A part of Lux wanted to choke. He wanted to cry. And above all. He was broken at the sight.
He opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. He wanted to believe that this was actually Mark standing before him and not some made up phantom that his mind created. Lux had to look away. He couldn’t stand seeing the blood pooling onto the floor before him. His urge to apologize back was there but once again, his own voice failed him. Freezing him on the spot.
He wanted to comment about Mark talking to him about not being Reese. That it was just a ploy to get him to witness what true powers he had within him. The fight really did do just that and more. Lux was beginning to know what he was truly capable of doing. What he could do to someone as powerful as a God. And as much as it was comforting to know that he was stronger than he had originally thought. Another more grim feeling surfaced.
“I’m...so angry about everything…” Lux admitted. “Everything that I’ve ever done. Everything that Cornelia Corp has done. I hate...hate...HATE...so much…” His voice shook out of rage and genuine feelings of doubt and regret. “My whole beginning...Why I came to be...I know now...what I am…”
He looked back at Mark, hurt within his eyes. “I’m not...just a kid with a bad past. I’m...I’m a monster…” His eyes teared up as the realization of what he truly was hit him hard. “I’m a monster that can...kill you… A God…” He shook his head as emotions surged. “I’m a MONSTER. A GOD KILLER.” Lux was still under the impression that Mark had at one point been deceased.
“I’ve tried to use my powers for good. I really did…” A tear streamed down his cheek. “If I’m not meant to be the hero I dreamed of being, then why bother chasing shadows when I can become something else…” He looked down at his hands, shaking from the anxieties that exist within him. His tears continued to drip down his cheeks.
“You’re the older brother that I wished I had…”
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Post by Moe on Dec 5, 2023 21:07:46 GMT -6
Mark wanted to tell Lux that he wasn't a monster, but what he saw standing in front of him most certainly didn't look like the innocent kid he had met a couple years ago. The vision of Lux did seem monstrous and deep down, Mark had to question if that really was what he thought of Lux. He shook his head, trying to throw out those thoughts, but was unable to as his vision of Lux never changed. He hated that he thought that, and instead took a step toward Lux until he got as close as he dared. After all, this was the dreamscape, where time didn't exist. Mark had no power here, at least as far as he knew, but Lux certainly did. He stopped just short of Lux, and knelt down to his level.
"You're a lot of things, Lux. You're powerful, and brave, and courageous. You're an amazing artist and a fast learner. The way you picked up on my advice down there, so quickly? I didn't even learn from Alex, that fast. But you know what the great thing about learning, is? You never stop." he said with a gentle smile. "You may have learned how you came to be, but you're still learning who you are, now. I can tell you that you're not a monster or a killer, but that's all for you to decide. You're the only one who can decide who you are. Not me, not Reese, not Cornelia Corp."
"I'm sorry that I was never able to help you, more. If I could've just taken all that pain and hurt away, you better believe I would have." he reached over, pausing for just the slightest moment in a brief moment of fear that Lux would try and lash out again, but he continued anyway to wipe away the tears from Lux's face. "Being a hero doesn't always mean saving the world. Being a hero has so many different meanings, but it's up to you to figure out what it means for you. People can give you advice, sure, but sometimes it's what they think you should be, not what you want to be. I'm so, so sorry if I ever did that, to you. I was so wrapped up in my own self pity, that I never stopped to think about how hard things must've been, for you."
"Besides, you're giving yourself way too much credit." he said with a smirk. "I've gotten myself killed, in way dumber situations. I've been to the afterlife so many times, that Anubis and I have pretty much become best friends." he said, trying his best to lighten the mood, but it was difficult to do so as his vision of Lux never once changed.
For what seemed like an eternity, he was quiet, unsure of what else to say that would make things better. He eventually stood, feeling like time was running out and he would soon be in the waking world once more. "You're going to go on to do amazing things, Lux. Whether you forge your own path, or find new friends to walk beside you. Look at how much you've grown, already. You don't need me around, holding you back. I can't stick around much longer, I can feel myself being pulled back. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry, and that I am so freaking proud of how much you've learned all on your own, and the person I know you still are, deep down."
Mark didn't have a chance to say anything more to Lux, before he felt his body begin to stir in the waking world. His eyes and head hurt, and it felt like he had been crying. He was lying on his back and looking up at the ceiling, and Ikuki was still sound asleep, cuddled on top of him. He wrapped both his arms around her in a tight hug, trying his best not to let his emotions get the better of him. He was hurting, but they still had a job to do. The only thing he could do now, was try and push those thoughts away and focus on the plan, which was getting Tex to install the firewall into Apollo.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 5, 2023 21:28:13 GMT -6
With the overwhelming emotions he had, Lux shook as his own words hurt. He hated what truths came to light and he hated how he came to be. All his life and memories, were false incantations that someone planted into his mind just to make him think and feel like a normal being. But when it all came tumbling down upon him, it only left him in a pool of self loathing and emptiness. Everything he has been trying to do, has only resulted in nothingness.
At least that’s what he’s been feeling like.
Mark had approached him. Lux inhaled as shock rolled over him. The man was moving with a shard sticking out from his chest. He even knelt before him, talking to him on a personal level. All of Mark’s words felt like a train smashing into him. He needed to hear these words. He needed to keep his mind from falling under the water. The life raft was there to save him and all Lux needed to do was grab it to pull himself out.
But tears trickled down his cheeks once again. Mark was complimenting him. He was...what was the word?
Proud.
Someone was actually proud of him and it was being held with meaning and sincerity. Mark wasn’t pulling his leg when he continued. The battle between them, made them both realize how smart and talented the other was. And all it took was a little push.
His heart felt like it was about to explode in emotions. It felt heavy but in a way where it felt like it was a relief. Someone important to him, actually meant the words that were being said. And for once, Lux was hearing him. He heard Mark loud and clear.
He let out a small joke. Giving himself too much credit for ending him when he’d already been ended several times before. Lux even smirked a little. Something that felt so strange for him because he hadn’t smiled in a very long time. It felt odd. But nice.
When Mark had wiped away the tear, Lux wanted to hold his hand and cry. But his body failed to respond to him as it was still registering the foreign feelings he was having. Relief.
But time was running short. Lux had so much to say to him. He wanted to speak but his own words failed him yet again. And when he finally broke through his own freezing, Lux ran towards Mark to hug him. But as he opened his arms to do so, Mark vanished into a sparkling dust.
Time was up. And he missed his chance to say sorry as well.
When Lux awoke, he could hear Llani singing to herself within the next room. Her voice was terrible for singing and Lux merely placed his hands over his ears to cover them, blocking the tone deaf heathen from burning her audio into his eardrums.
Tears escaped him once more as he then pulled the sheets closer to his chin and curled into a ball on his side. Lux cried quietly to himself. Wishing he had the strength to tell Mark how he truly felt.
And that feeling was… He was sorry as well.
He heard someone moving over to him within the room. Lux didn’t have the power to turn and see who it was. He clenched his eyes closed, waiting for it to be someone who’d mock him or make things worse. But a comforting hand was placed on his shoulder and gently rubbed it.
Her silence was a given. Roach was the one that had noticed him stirring in his sleep. And when he realized it was her, he pushed himself up and hugged her tightly. Burying his head into her metallic chest which was cold to the touch, it was the most comforting thing he had. Which he embraced.
She hugged him back. Roach knew that showing this much emotion was going to be a danger if Cornelia Corp was aware of it. And she could only hope they weren’t paying any mind to her.
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Post by Moe on Dec 5, 2023 21:53:52 GMT -6
Mark was already awake, sitting up on the couch with Ikuki still asleep with her head resting in his lap; she had just begun to stir awake, however.. She wasn't surprised that he was awake first, but at least he slept a little. She yawned as she stretched, sitting upright on the couch and letting the blanket fall to the floor. "You're up early." she said to him, hoping he wasn't awake for long and that he had gotten some rest.
"I haven't been up, long." he said, confirming what she'd hoped. "I've been working on some ideas." he said, taking notes down on his tablet. "I've been thinking about connecting our helmet's communications system into one radio where we can all talk through it, and if it's okay with you two, tweak Atlas to be able to communicate through it. That way, we can send him with Tex while she makes her way to Apollo. We'll be able to see and hear everything that Atlas sees and hears, and Tex can communicate directly to us, through him. The only issue is, we'll have to have complete control over him so he doesn't he doesn't blow our cover."
Ikuki pouted at that, not wanting to destroy something they all had a part in making. "It feels wrong, using him like that. He's like...our little robot baby."
"I know, I'm trying not to think about it too much." Mark sighed. "But it's the only way I can think of for us to be able to stay in touch with each other. We can convert him back to normal, after. I mean, as long as you're all okay with it. I'm sure I can figure something else out, if you're not."
"Beth said this place is all about survival. We've gotta do what we've gotta do, I guess." Ikuki said, still not quite liking the idea of it. Of course, she also couldn't help but notice that Mark looked as though he still didn't sleep, last night. He looked focus on more than just the little robot, deep in thought, and lost in his own emotions. It was a look he wore, often. She set a hand gently on his shoulder; "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. Just bad dreams." he answered, which wasn't entirely a lie. "Every time I close my eyes lately, all I see are bad dreams. Let's just...focus more on getting Tex ready, and less on my personal nightmares. I don't want to think about them, anymore."
"Okay." was all Ikuki could muster, to say.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 5, 2023 22:14:26 GMT -6
Roach pulled away from him and looked down at the sobbing child. Pulling out her extra pair of arms, she held them before Lux. She then motioned silently; ”Are you doing alright?”
He wanted to tell her a lie. Lux didn’t want her to worry about him. But his mouth failed him when he admitted the truth. “No. I’m not okay.” Defeated by his own actions, Lux looked at the side. He knew he had to explain himself to her. “I...saw him in my dreams… I thought he was dead… I...I couldn’t say what I wanted to him. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to tell him that I heard him. That I care. That...That I thank him for giving me the opportunities I…”
He choked up again as he couldn’t finish his sentence. “I couldn’t even do that right…”
Roach motioned; ”Dear, please don’t give up on yourself.”
“I hate it, Roach. I hate this feeling so dang much…”
Roach gently nudged him to get him to look up at her. She gestured; ”Listen to me, boy. You need to take those feelings and use them as fuel to push you forward. Giving up now when you’ve come so far is disheartening to see and hear. Please...Don’t give up.” She paused for a moment as she was trying to figure out how else to boost him. ”I may be a Corporate slave right now, but I’m on your side. If I have to start shoving you in the right direction, then I will. Even if it means punching Jet in the face.”
Lux snorted.
”I mean it. He does deserve it, if you ask me.” She then motioned that she was trying to smile at him. ”If you’ve contacted him through dreams, then he’s not giving up on you and neither should you. He’ll be waiting for you. And when you see him, let loose your feelings. But until then...” She had to stop when Llani shoved herself through the door.
“GOOD MORNING ROACH AND LUX! I HAVE COFFEE!”
“Don’t trust it. She probably placed Anti-freeze in it.” Lucian said as he walked in. “Nice job out there, kid. Didn’t think you’d last as long as you did. Shows how much I know about you. Huh?” He grinned. “Kinda jealous, really. I didn’t even make it past the third round.”
“I made it to the first and got disqualified!” Giggled Llani. “Apparently poisoning your opponent was illegal.”
- - - - -
Nox let out a cheerful yell.
He had discovered that Tex worked on his glasses during the night and repaired them completely. She even managed to clean off the scratches and the one chip in the corner of the lens. Nox had no idea how she managed it in such a short time, but the glasses honestly felt better than before.
“Did you do this last night Tex?” He chimed. “Thank you so much!”
“I was bored.” She said to him. “I saw that they were falling apart so I decided to fix them for you. It’s really not that big of a deal.”
“It is for me! They stay on my face!” He flailed enthusiastically. “You’re really such a cool robot! I’m so glad we got to meet one another!” Nox then decided to run over to Mark and Ikuki, “LOOK! LOOK! Tex found my glasses last night and fixed them! Don’t they look cool?” He didn’t even notice the exhausted look on Mark’s face.
“Now I’m really ready to stomp some baddies! Especially with my nature abilities!”
“Calm down, cowboy.” Tex placed a firm hand on his head to keep him from bouncing around anymore. “You’re going to wake up the planet at your rate.”
After Nox figured out the plan, he then said to Mark; “Let’s do it. If we can’t physically be there to stop him, then let’s convert Atlas into something we can use to help Tex with her mission.” He then pumped his fists. “If we have to upgrade him more and get Jasmine to do something, then we need to do it."
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Post by Moe on Dec 5, 2023 22:46:25 GMT -6
Nox's happy shouting broke Mark out of his funk, and diverting his attention to him. He couldn't help but smile, at how excited and happy Nox was. Even after everything that happened, he still found something to be positive about. "Thank you, Tex." he said to Tex, genuinely thanking her for fixing Nox's glasses. He did feel a little bad that he didn't notice how bad a shape they were in, but was glad that he and Tex seemed to be bonding.
"I'VE GOT AN IDEA." Beth said, floating down from the ceiling.
"How-....what." Mark said flatly, unable to find words.
"Oh I can alter my gravity. Something about electrons or whatever." she flopped to the floor, showing off her electric powers as a mild static buzzed in the palms of her hands. "I've been watching and listening."
"For...how long?" Ikuki asked.
Beth just stood there with an eerie grin on her face, for what seemed like an eternity. For a moment, Ikuki thought Mark had frozen her in time. "I can go with Tex." she said, finally breaking the silence. "I don't have a fancy shiny suit like you guys, but I do have one I fashioned from scrap robot parts that I use whenever I go up top. Doesn't have a communications system, so the little guy can still be our radio."
"Thank you for the offer, but I think we can handle things on our own." Mark said.
"Oh, really? How about that 'contact' of yours?" Beth said, implying that she'd heard everything Mark had told them, last night. "He still in contact, with you? Did he give you a map to the city? Did he tell you exactly how to get into Apollo's core? What if she needs backup, or runs out of energy, or gets ambushed? You said yourself, Apollo knows who you are, so you won't be of any help out there-"
"Okay, I get it!" Mark cut her off. "Fine, if Tex is okay with it, you can go with her. Just...please be subtle. Don't blow anything up, and don't pick any fights unless you do get ambushed. My contact was supposed to give us a digital map of the city, but we got cut off on the way here. Can you navigate the city into Apollo's core?"
"Pfff, please. Easy stuff. I've been there several times." Beth laughed. "Robots don't respond too well to high bursts of electricity." she said with that same, eerie, maniacal grin. "But don't worry! Your friend here is safe. I generally only murder the evil robots who are trying to kill me."
Mark didn't really like the idea, but Beth did have a point. She knew her way around the city, and if Tex got ambushed, it was better to have backup. He sighed, and looked to Tex. "Are you okay with this?" he asked her.
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Post by Banshee on Dec 6, 2023 6:04:26 GMT -6
“It’s not a problem.” Tex responded to Mark. She was beginning to wonder why everyone was being so thankful over fixing his glasses. It was uncanny to her to see something so small be such a big deal. Then again, Organics were still very strange to her. So she figured it was probably something they just did. “He--“ Then there was a sudden shout from Beth which stopped Tex from speaking any further. She glanced up to see the woman floating down.
Tex was deeply annoyed with how loud she was.
Nox winced, he didn’t like the fact that much of what Beth said were true. If Apollo was in contact with Mark and he just so happened to get controlled... Things just wouldn’t end well for him or the group. Then Nox wondered if he was going to be spotted? But those thoughts never slipped him because he quickly felt that he’d be known too.
Tex winced. She had to partner with the really loud and obnoxious crazy woman. A part of her felt that she would be useful in terms of being used as a decoy. But the other part of her was not pleased with how unstable she was. She then wondered if she’d be able to control her destructive tendencies and actually focus on the mission.
She wanted to object but Jasmine had radioed in and told her to let it happen. Tex reluctantly said; “It’s fine...”
Nox flailed; “Wait, if by chance you guys encounter Jet or Roach; don’t kill them. Paralyzing them is fine but we need them alive. Well...more so Roach than Jet. But either way...”
“I cannot decommission Jet?” Tex attempted to sound disappointed.
“N-No...As much as we all would like to remove him from existence, he’s...unfortunately too important to destroy. We may need him for a later date.” Nox said to her. “Besides, I don’t even know if they’ll be there anyways. They left with all the prisoners. So I doubt they’d be hanging around here.”
“I will just portal them o-“
“No, you probably need to keep those portals on standby.” Nox interrupted her. “There’s not much sunlight in there. If you use too much energy, it will jeopardize the mission. Try not to use them too much. Okay?”
“As you wish.” She shrugged and only agreed with him because he did have a valid point. Though, if the place was surging with electricity, she could power herself up that way. Or...have some faith in Beth that she wouldn’t fry her. But she didn’t have that much trust in her. Not yet.
Nox turned to Ikuki and Mark. “...I’m not doubting Tex’s abilities...but...this is going to be so dangerous for her to go in...I just feel bad that we’re just letting her waltz in to be taken to Apollo. Like...I know we’ve only been together for a short period of time but...”
“I am a robot.” Tex interrupted him. “Jasmine has backups of my AI. Even if I am removed from existence, I am not completely gone. This is a job I was assigned and I am going to do it, regardless.” She then patted him on the shoulder. “I will be fine.”
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