Posts made by Sketi

It was a relief that everything here was built better than it appeared. Impressive too, the denizens of Sanctuary had gone beyond just hacking data out of the ground to reusing the material in differing ways. And there was other value in the appearance of the structures. Astraea had doubted their integrity, maybe this could be used as a kind of disguise in the future?

Her ward's response made Astraea feel like she had just discovered an experiment had interacted unexpectedly with the medium in which it was being conducted and new factors had to be accounted for. Resigned to pouring over the logs of the experiment to catalog the reach of the change, a little disappointment that the experiment had not gone as theorized, but also hopeful too that new knowledge could be gleaned. Compared to their two guides, her ward appeared to have been interacting with the net outside of his original designation for a very short amount of time. Perhaps, perhaps with more time he could discover more things that brought enjoyment than just guarding and safekeeping.

But then again maybe not, those were two very importanat tasks.

Names and the meanings of those names were given. The latter half of her guides' names were unusual, the source language that inspired them not springing to her algorithms immediately. Then again she had not been programmed for the study and dissection of languages. When the question of the meaning of her name came up her mental processes stumbled a little. Was there meaning to her name?

"I did not pick my own name, it was a gift to me. I do not know if there is any meaning behind it." She said simply. Was there meaning? The scientists had always been eager to explain the name of various other instruments and tools. They had told her of the names of previous rovers and satellites sent out to explore the stars but she had never considered what might be the meaning of her own name before. "It could simply be for the way the syllables sound together."

"I doubt it." Alex scoffed and she startled at the sound. He was still speaking on their private channel and she could hear the rustling of clothing was still going on in the background. "Nerdy types like that are always putting a bunch of meaning into things. We can look into it later, if you want. Figure out where it came from."

Astraea considered his words than gave a little nod. It was a topic she would want to investigate later.

Before she could say more the guard metools started moving towards them. There was a query to Met-Takid that was replied in kind and then a great amount of movement. The door was being opened and she turned to face it fully. Watching the synchronization as the metools dug their tools in, as the pickaxes prompted a shift, a change, and the door opened with the smoothness that belied the sturdiness of the construction here.

"Oh, that's dark. Take care in there." She remembered another dark cave entrance and one of her hands drifted up to her neck. She took a deep breath before steeling herself to enter, one hand resting on the wrench at her belt. She didn't think the Metanglers would lead her into a trap, but something about this made her nervous.

"The mechanisms of the entryway are impresesive. What assistance to the wider habitatization does the Core provide?" She asked, hoping the sound of voices would allievate some of her unease.

(Ready for whatever! Lay it on me, RP, a fight, a puzzle, I'm here for it!)

It had started well at first. No one had apaid atention to them, she hadn't been dramatic or anything while they bought their purchases at the Navi shop. It had beenf ight, why would they need to emergency jack out after all? WThey hadn't needed to in Hades Net and that, according to her dad, was anothing short of a miracle given their combined inexperience and the elemental differences.

He had had serious questions aabout how the message had ended up in Hades net of all places as well but had let it go.

Ego's appearance had been weird, but Sophia was a fan of horror movies herself and if she had spent time designing a customized Navi for herself she could see her self going for something similiar (not now though, definately not now after that). The aesthetics had been perfect for something horror inspired! A combination of The Thing with body horror like the Tales From Carcosa series.

And then, the White, the unease. Something about how it had acted, something ab out how Ego had mentioned a NetOp in trouble.. at first Sophia had thought it was just acting, or maybe the Navi was part ofa promotional eent for a new movie but as Ego had repeated that, as Egomorph had said she had known Vasilia...

Sophia sighed and leaned her head back against the outside wall of the gym. They had drawn attention then, well mostly she had drawn attention with her yelling. That had been enough for some people passing by to do a doubletake at the tv screen in front of her and sh ortly thereafter a regular of the gym and a gym attendant had both come up to speak with her d uring thhe fight. She had expected questions, maybe a scolding about the noise but had instead been surprised by how quickly the two had swapped over to efficient advic e giving.

They had gotten her through the last bits, had pointed out elemental combinations with the soil panels that had been forming around Vasilia.The attendent had helped her change the settings on the bike to adjust the GUI on the television screen.

He had also pulled the exercise bike off the network the moment Vasilia was back in her PET.

The woman had talked to Sophia quietly, had reassured her of the policies of the gym and that Sophia herself wouldn't be held responsible for anything left on the machine. She had been a supportive but firm force when talking with the gym manager and later when giving a statement to the Net Police about what Ego had said. Or at least what Sophia remembered the weird girl saying.

She lifted the PET to look at the screen, grimacing at the large number of errors that were popping up. The attendant had mentioned something about refreshing from back up to deal with the problems caused by the confluence of the older style PET being riddled with so many bugs. She had one at home just...

Sophia sighed and pushed off from the wall to begin the trip home. She had her keys, she had her PET, she had her chips, and a voucher for a month of free gym use and a folded up pamphlet for the netbattling and exercise group that met there. Both of the last were in paper, something that the woman had pushed for 'what with your PET being so on the fritz right now'. Less tangible than the vouchers were the promise of assistance in raising her skills, and the questions and concerns she had over the entire event.

"Nothing to do but to get through it." She told herself with a light smack on both of her cheeks. She couldn't hesitate just because she was scared! That was how the monsters caught like, 70% of their prey!

It was strange how energetic the new Metanglers were compared to the one Astraea thought of as her ward. Perhaps it was the difference in physical status, she herself felt more energized and ready to take on work when she was well rested and in good shape. Or maybe it was a difference in socialization, or just a base difference in the code itself.

She could see the environment itself being a cause for this. Sanctuary was a busy and vibrant place with many of the trappings she had seen outside human dwellings in pictures. Gardening, painting... were all viruses capable of showing other hobbies like this or was it something particular to Mets? She thought of the Shrubby that had cowered behind her and dismissed that theory almost immediately. The environment in which she had met that anomaly had not been conductive to any kind of peaceful past time, at least not at the time she had gone through.

The colors favored by the artist were somehow surprising and not surprising. She paused for a moment in front of it, one hand on the bottom of her head as she considered it. It wasn't that the colors that were surprising really. It was the act of painting and the so far abstract nature of the work. Nothing in the virus database mentioned metools painting.

"It is compelling." She told the artist with a small nod of appreciation before moving on with her group.

"Hey, I saw something like that at an auction my parents went to a while back." Astraea stumbled as Alex's voice suddenly appeared over the private line.

|To Operator:: Are you done changing?
To Operator:: Was the painting you saw of similiar theme?|

"I've got the PET casting to the TV in my room now, and the camera pinned to your shoulder. You didn't think I'd miss a cool hidden virus city did you? 'Cause I wasn't going to!" He sounded proud of the fact and yeah that was pretty smart. She could hear the sound of rustling clothing again and mentally refocused firmly on the surroundings, adjusting her view of things so the PET could get a better look. "And kinda? The painting I saw was more circles and rectangle and my father called it meaningless trash but I think abstract can be neat. Especially when what's painted is abstract and then you realize the white space is the actual image."

It was a little lTheir group moved upwards as they walked and Astraea marvelled at the space. She had never known something like this existed on the wider networks, this little slice of network forgotten by humans and navis and repurposed thus. Some of the elevators though...

She eyed the one her guides got on dubiously, remembering the rather fraught ride she had had to get here. The mechanisms that kept it moving seemed like they were in good repair but with the three metanglers.. Astraea slipped her wrench from its holster as she stepped on, giving the elevator what could be seen as an investigative tap and was in reality a way for her to let some of her resources flow into it, bolstering it while in turn hopefully giving her a little feedback about what it was she had reinforced. She returned her wrench back to its holster with a satisfied nod as she straightened up as some of the scrap and materials from her workshop flowed through the platform from where she stood.

"Sanctuary is more expansive than expected. Elevators appear in good condition, occupants appear unstressed and free to explore new hobbies. Will you take up something?" She asked her ward. She knew he enjoyed digging, and he had spoken previously of guarding the sanctuary but the second felt more like a way he felt he could contribute. When she thought about it, what did she know of him beyond that?

She wouldn't get much a chance to ask further. After his reply, or lack thereof, they would arrive at the platform. It was the largest continuous horizontal space she had seen yet, and she had absolutely no desire to approach the edge -

"C'mon, let's take a peek! Just a quick look.

-no desire at all. Even from here it looked like a long fall.

Astrea turned resolutely toward the honor guard and ignored the whining in her ears as she regarded the door. It all appeared to be quite well maintained which was surprising. Then again if a metool could take up painting, why couldn't they take up maintenance as well? She tilted her head thoughtfully before straightening up as the guides waved at her. She was not nearly practiced enough in keeping her emotions in check to hide the look of disbelief on her face as they turned back to her and found her mental gears slipping to come up with a response.

"Apologize for also being rude then introduce yourself!" Alex hissed. She sucked in a deep breath and then nodded, glad to have his social acumen available.

"We-I apologize for not introducing myself earlier, nor asking after your designations. I am called Astraea, yourselves?" The apology sat awkward in her mind. She didn't really find what they had done rude. If anything it had been expedient.

The large Metanglers spoke of sealed doors and so she took the path provided, her feet slapping lightly on the ground, a quiet companion to the louder clangs of her escortee. Once it spoke she turned to face it, a thoughtful expression on her face. She had seen the others refresh themselves, and it was worrying her charge didn't seem capable of the same but the damage it spoke of explained it. She didn't bear it any fault, hadn't her own early experiments on the Nets been subject to factors she had not previously considered?

"Unoptimal laboratory conditions result in compromised results." She replied with a small gesture of her hand to the space between the closing doors, that diminishing view of the wider Net. It was something she was coming to understand, more and more. That the sterile, self-contained Network of the majority of her existance had been anomalous in its own way. "The Nets are beyond the optimization efforts of any one being. No fault is given, none should be assigned. Each less-than-optimal scenarior provides guidance for future development."

"That's an overly fancy way of saying accidents happen." She knew intuitively that Alex's voice had reached only her. She as she tried to parse the comment. It had been delievered in a neutral tone, she couldn't decipher whether it was critism, praise, or merely statement.

The spectacle of the doors closing was rivetting. The uncorrupted form of the process she had witnessed earlier was of special interest and she leaned forward to examine one of the newly pint-sized Metangler's green cross as it approached, her mind whirling. She had not seen a compression algorithm quite like that before. Granted, she hadn't seen many compression algorithms outside the ones she had used on the satelite and the ones that helped form the Mystery Data packets that she had unravelled. "Larger form can be resumed with no loss of encoded information?"

She leaned back as they began speaking of both herself and the one they had called Brother. Was 'he' the appropriate pronoun to assign to that one then? Was she had been thinking of it as well it or they prior but was that still correct?

"Ah. Maybe I shouldn't have traded away our Recover30." Alex mused privately as the discussion turned toward the damage of non-emblemed Metangler and the location of the cure. "I don't think it'd fix it completely but maybe make it so our buddy wouldn't have to miss the rest of the tour."

Astraea blinked several times at that. There was something there, something about the fact that chips were made to be used in conjunction with a PET that auto-assigned the chip data to the Navi the PET was tied to. Chips could be traded between PETs, but only outside of combat. Once a Navi used a PET they could choose to use it on almost anything they pleased, so why the not just make PETs able to do the same? Could they do the same?

"I humbly accept the offer of a tour of your sanctuary." She wanted to muse on it more, the dichotomy of the Navi-Virus designation but right now there were things she was looking forward to more. The tour being one of them, but unsuprisingly considering all the effort she had put into up until this point what she was more excited for was the restoration of her travelling companion.

"How long will be needed to complete the repairs to satisfactory condition? This one's presence on tour would provide most efficient dissembly of information." She said with a small gesture toward the Metangler she had delivered here. They had mentioned something about a Met Leader, and as they walked through the town she mused on that. The only virus she had met that fit that description had been the cloaked Metool.

"Shortly after this one and I became acquainted," she didn't bother to gesture this time, in hindsight it was obvious to everyone present who she was referring to. "I encountered a group of Metools in a hole with a fourth Metool wearing a fabric-like garmet on its back that was protecting them. I received the coordinates for this location from that being although," she frowned a little, her otherwise smooth face wrinkling. "I do not recall obtaining an object or marker that was designated the Mark of Sympathy."

"Hey good catch!" Alex said, his words clearer than they had been earlier this rather extended run. It appeared the gatorade was helping, as was the time it had taken them to actually reach this place. Astraea could respond to him through their private audio channel but it felt like it be obvious she was doing so. At least with text it would be less obvious she was holding a seperate conversation.

To Operator: Your synopsis provided useful pointers to the timeframe of these events.

"Aww yeah, slightly tipsy-me coming in clutch! Up top!" There was a sound of flesh hitting flesh and she blinked again in confusion until she realized he had probably high fived himself. Her earlier frown disappeared, her face carefully composed to neutral to avoid revealing her amusement.

To Operator: Two hours until appointment scheduled on calendar.

"Ah dammit. I'd better go change." There was a rustle of movement from the other end of the line and her lips quirked upward in a smile.

Astraea turned her attention back to the events on the Net, pausing at her travelling companion's question. She paused to consider the question before answering and then spoke haltingly as she tried to turn her feelings to words, instead falling back on her experience as a maintainer and conductor of reasearch aboard the satellite. She almost wished Alex was still here but at the same time the privacy for her struggling through this was welcome. "Location acceptability highly dependent on purposes of the one determining parameters needed for optimal outcome. 'Yield of produce from plant highly unlikely to be higher than zero in lava.'" She quoted with a small wistful smile. "If you are asking for a second opnion from myself," she hesitated a moment then continued. "I think this could be a good place, with good entities, for you. Good examples of what form growth might take and more importantly, cooperative and supportive."

She couldn't- she couldn't win.

It was written in a dozen different ways and kept being written. She had failed to save Ego, despite all her heroic talks. She had failed to save anyone, even herself. It was a bitter pill, one she would be tasting for a long time yet. On that would keep her awake for a long while.

At least, at least everything was numb. Her body, her scraps of code that had been roded and corrupted and changed didn't hurt. It was a small mercy.

But she was out of the building now, and Ego's voice was in her ears as was Sophia's as was someone else's as was the fragments of that dream, that comforting dream on the beach. Part of her clung to it even now, even though it was wrong because it was also belonging and she-

"I'm sorry!" Vasilia yelled as Sophia pushed the button. As she left the building she had been in. An apology to Ego, herself, to any bystanders who had been caught up in this mess. "I'm sorry!"

And then she was finally, finally gone from the fight. From the pain and the horror and the terror and the awful splitting sensation and, most gratefully, from consciousness itself for a little while.

[Emergency Jack Out]

She was herself again. Was inside herself again. Her body was still numb, but at least it didn't feel like it was far away. The other presence in her mind was gone as well, had temporarily disappeared with a surge of how dare it how dare it howdarehowdarenotagain, please- when the White enveloped her and the memory crashed in.

Oh how she wished she ahd listened to Ego when the girl had warned her about the White.

Confusion: instead of looking at herself from far away she was seeing split. Fragments of words, of thoughts and feelings filtered through her consciousness and she was suddenly sure of the beach, of the water and the waves and the sand. There were words being spoken and she thought she said them, but they were less important than what she felt.

A strong sensation of belonging, of being. Of love, given and reciprocated. Warmth flooded her body from the hand in hers and she knew everything was good and safe and she was on the beach with her husband she was looking for her daughter she was-

She wanted to curl up, wanted to stay forever and never but there was something else. Something that burrowed into her, soemthing that didn't want to hurt but wanted her to move, to not join the -group? person? family? she couldn't remember- on the sand on the beach. It was a soundless discordant tone among the strains of music she knew she was hearing.

Something within Vasilia shifted in response to that request. The old and powerful presence that had been smothered before woke again. It used used the last of its connection to the puppet-witch to make a change, to imprint a desire to survive before it disappeared again and entirely.

A flood of tingling energy brought Vasilia further out of the haze she had been in. A voice she didn't recognize and a voice she did. A conversation just outside the edge of her concentration. What were they saying? She leaned toward the sound but there was another voice, the one she had wanted- to hold? to save? She listened as a voice cracked and broke and spoke. It was familiar beneath the breaking. It was a warning and familiar and it wanted her and there was another voice, trepidition and warmth associated with and a sense of wanting but she-

"Vasilia! Vasilia! Protect yourself! Vasilia!"

Being herself again hurt. Her missing hand ached with the memory of holding a hand, her feet told her they remembered sand but those missing sensations were fading. Pain was taking their place, pain and the fear and the knowledge that she was almost lost-

"A defensive signature move might buy you time."

[color=#CD7F32]"Okay, we'll try it! Vasilia! Use your Sigil!"[/colo]

There were two voices speaking now but there had been three and she was confused and she missed something but she shook her head. Sophia wanted her, needed her to do something. Vasilia couldn't let a Net-Op down again, Vasilia wouldn't let her Net-Op down. Again.

"Rrright! Sigil of, of, of Defense!" She didn't have to say the words normally but it helped now, when she was confused and torn and so tired. It focused the light at the end of her finger as she sketched the shape on her body. The light spread, solidified over her pieces without hampering her movement. It was a shell and a veil against the horror all around her but it was all she had.

"Chips confirmed refreshed, use this one, then this one!" A male voice, oone she didn't recognize. It wasn't Sophia's dad but Vasilia didn't have time to peer into the real world when the PET was shuddering under the load of the bugs and a chip was being loaded in.

"WoodPowder 2, Slot-in! Hit the bulk of that thing then get away Vasilia!" Sophia's voice trembled beneath the confidence she tried to project and Vasilia felt something in her chest swell in response at the familiar tones. The doll was herself again and she would do what she could for her Net-Op, would do what she could for Ego.

"Yesss, going now! Trample, Wood!" It was hard to talk, hard to get the words out without tripping on them, there was only herself to rely on to move her body now. She drew a leaf in a circle in front of her face and leaned her face towards it and blew with all her intent and her will that she could scrape up. A powder, sharp leaves, a gust of wind to carry it all burst from the shape toward the White all around her. A stream of pain for the mass (masses, she thought as she remembered the beach and the conversation while the details stayed stark and clear) as her attack changed the ground beneath her.

Vasilia moved in the wake of it. She twisted and struggled and tried to spring free, to flee away from the White all around her, aiming for a clear patch of floor where she could stand unhindered.

She didn't need to breath but her torso heaved with the effor of the movement, of keeping ahead of the physicallity of Hex and out of the tempting scene it had shown her.

"No time to rest, go for the elemental advantage!"

"That's going to be-! HeatBreath1, slot-in! Try to get away Vassie!"

Another chip, another flood of power but her hand hurt, the only one she had left. She couldn't keep this up. The witch-puppet lifted it anyways, drew the cyan flames in front of her and the circle around them. She aimed the way she had fired before, a dim hope of forcing the White back blooming in her chest.

"Rage, Fire!" Flames boiled out of the sigil, spilled and reached for the White and the path of greenery that the heat tried to consume to fuel itself. Tiles cracked and boiled along the path and Vasilia was reminded of the volcano, the the heat and Venusman and the pain that had awaited them there. She had made it through that, she would make it through this.

"Okay, see this light here? Your emeegency jack-out is available again! Whatever was blocking it before has cleared."

"Finally! You're almost out Vasilia, run! You won't fall to even an A-Grade horror monster!"

"Understood! Going!" She steadied herself then turned on her heel and fled. Any path was welcome as long as it lead away from the White. Any help was welcome as long it aided against the White. She'd scale the walls if she had to, she would fling herself from a window if she must.

===Battle Log===

*Routine Override lv4 Subtype choice switch Passive: Contagious -> Floating Point Error
Active: Hack -> Glitch Eater

Floating Point Error Stack: +8% difficulty to hit Vasilia (2% per glitch)
Action 1: Use MiniEnergy
Action 2: Sigil of Defense @ Self
Action 3: WoodPowder2Damage: 90 + Medium Grass Terrain Change + Confusion + Cone Attack
Accuracy: C
Description: Blast up to 4 enemies with a cone of miasma breath. Changes terrain to Grass and causes confusion on contact.
Duration: Once
Element: Wood
Trader Rank: C +5 Wood Damage @ Hex
Action 4: Feint - Out of Hex's grip
Action 5: HeatBreath1Damage: 80 + Medium Lava Terrain Change + Cone Attack
Accuracy: C
Description: Blast up to 4 enemies with a cone of fiery breath. Changes terrain to Lava.
Duration: Once
Element: Fire
Trader Rank: D possibly x2 damage due to Grass Terrain from WoodPowder @ Hex
Action 6: Movement - Away

"Vassie!"

She was here, in front of the tangles of the White a mere jump from the crowds of people where safety might be sought (but she remembered the tide drowning the Prog and it was just a Mr. Prog but-)

and she was there, far away from where the fragment of her old-self sought. A false-self, a puppet parading in what remaind of her. She wouldn't care but The White would track her forever if it caught her scent and she couldn't have that.

And she was both and neither and above and around it all the out of place music, the tune that didn't fit the way she didn't-couldn't fit into this body anymore and she didn't want it, she couldn't feel-

"Vassie! Protect yourself!"

She adored the nickname. She hated it. It was a diminishment of all that she was, of all that she had done. But she hadn't done much, she was just getting started so it was perfect! It would grow with her and that was why-

The distant connection twisted, frayed.

"I will! Don't worry!"

There was never anything fluid amout her movements; not before and certainly not now. The excrescence all over her body hindered her. The space between her fingers marred by growth and mounds she didn't want. It was harder still with the way she could see the movements she had felt her way through so many times before. The glowing mark she drew, that she slapped to her shoes faded as it touched, its lines disrupted by the bumps and growths and a twist of anger rose up as the magic distorted and sprang forth ephemeral.

The shadows beneath tap-tap-tapped the tile as she tried to accomplish with one what normally took two. Her hand motioned around the aching gap of the other, its movements inferred the existance of a partner that moved in step with it but couldn't be seen. The motions circled, left trails of gleaming light in the air. A little circle, a pair of triangles. A marker, a target.

She threw it and up from the ground rose the shadows and hands. Up from the ground rose the swarm briefly putting its fears aside to grab and pull and [b]corrupt[b] and a faint trickle of petty glee echoed down the distant connection.

The witch-doll jerked, twisted to the door and moved in that direction. A plan, an intent, forced along the connection. It frayed further but the point was made, the plan seeded. They could not protect themselves but they could attack. They could strike back and the narrow hallway was perfect for limiting the foe's approach.

A stretch of the awareness of the connection and a further fraying and Vasilia knew all the options available again, knew the extent of disarray the puppet's body was in.

It would have to be enough.

"I need Shake, Sophia!"

There was a pause and something was said but Vasilia wasn't covered in as many ears and could ignore it as she chose. Could ignore it as she watched the body of fabric and wood turn back toward the White, toward the girl-thing that had been consumed.

She could ignore it, but she didn't.

"Here it is, be careful. The PET is acting really weird, I don't know if I can pull you out!"

The sole remaining hand gestured and a great weight dropped in front of the body. With a kick it was sent spining and twisting toward the White's bulk, a solitary hand rising from it's shadow to reach out claw corruption into form, to rip something contagious and hopefully debilitating into the foe.

The witch doll's body was moved, motions somehow smug and fearful at once as it attempted to escape further down the hallway.

==Summary==

1) Kick Out!
2) Charge time
3) Sigil of Gathering @ Hex
(Armour to Dust: Kick Out!'s shields will fail here if they havent yet.)
4) Movement -> Escape through Door
5) Shake1Damage: 90 + Wide Attack + Break
Accuracy: C
Description: Throws a dumbbell that slides through enemy lines for two turns. Can hit up to three enemies twice, second time having a 50% chance of hitting.
Duration: Two turns
Element: Null
Trader Rank: D + Glitch + Contagious @ Hex
6) Movement -> Beyond the Door (hopefully)

Routine Override: Refresh all chips.
Armour to Dust: Any Tier 3 Defense fail here.

Hope bloomed in Vasilia's chest as she fell, as her shields broke. Hope bloomed as Sophia crowed in triumph and slammed a chip home and Vasilia felt that familiar code take hold. Her magic gathered in the palm of her hand and she flung in as close an approximation to the ground as she could fall falling.

The horrible screaming mass of faces (was that one familiar? had she seen that hat before? what about that other face with the scar?) was chasing her, was changing and shifting and moving and reaching and-

Her body hit the ground and bounced once, twice, then stopped in a crumpled heap.

"Vasilia get up! Can you protect yourself with anything else? Another spell or- argh! All these chips are for attacking!"

A memory bloomed in her mind and her hand rose to her chest, particles of blue trailing after as she traced the square, the circle, the dot in the middle of it on herself. It blazed brightly, bright enough for her to see with horrific clarity the details on the thing pursuing her.

She couldn't escape completely. She wobbled to her feet to try and move away but she was so slow. Even the shadow hands grasping at her could not help and she felt a pang of foreign irritation. They could, they should be doing more but she wasn't quite sure what that 'more' was.

Something in her chest died. Something that had only just begun to sprout, something that had been green and warm and powerful. She staggered at the loss, her hands- her hand reflexively reaching for her emblem. Would Hex feel it twitch? Feel the aborted command as it died with the memory that to her that hand was as good as gone even if she could still feel it?

She could see the colors stretching out in front of her, the way they shifted and changed and she could not help but look back. She felt hair shift over her shoulder, felt a fierce determination and rage so hot she thought she'd burst into flames build in her emblem.

she remembered she remembered she remembered she remembered-

Her head split with the impressions. She was distant and close, then and now. Differences, so many differences some as fundamental as how her body worked and moved and was but there was similiarites. A similiarity.

It was constant.

Fear, a pleasant day ruined. (Rage, a victory snatched) Sophia was saying something (that woman was saying something) but she couldn't hear for the overlap

The chip was different.

There hadn't been anymore chips last time. With part of herself she drew, she marked the line in front of her and fire spewed out in a torrent as hot as ghost-rage inside her into the oncoming wave. Defiance and satisfaction alien to her flodded her limbs and she was a passenger in her own body, possessed by the fragment of memory she hadn't been able to open earlier that now stretched off into the vastness of a net where it connected with the ghost of herself.

No, not ghost. An echo.

The shadows shifted her, a token gesture meant to move. She symapthized she didn't She didn't want to be here anymore than they did but she would always stand and fight.

Another chip. The other her grabbed it eagerly, whispered in her ear how to aim. Two spheres of light and pain, two targets, one hand.

She flicked her fingers, sent the attack into the mass of the body as it closed around her.

Someone was screaming in her voice but she didn't know which her was doing it.

[b]Summary[b]
Action 1) CannonDamage: 60 + Knockback
Accuracy: A
Description: A decent sized cannon with a single shot.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: E @ Slow self

Action 2) Sigil of Defense: 20 HP Barrier + 20 HP Casing (1TCD)

Action 3) Movement == RUN

Action 4) HeatBreath1Damage: 80 + Medium Lava Terrain Change + Cone Attack
Accuracy: C
Description: Blast up to 4 enemies with a cone of fiery breath. Changes terrain to Lava.
Duration: Once
Element: Fire
Trader Rank: D @ Hex

Action 5) Dodge

Action 6) ShotgunDamage: 50 + Spread 1
Accuracy: A
Description: A gun whose shot penetrates an enemy to hit another one directly behind it.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: E @ Hex & Ego

Nothing had gone exactly as planned and the seperation between what was wished for and what was reality was startling at best for the novice Net Op and Navi team.

But this situation was no where near the best.

Frightening might be better term, or maybe horror film-esqe...it certainly brought a few black and white images to Sophia's mind as she watched the scene unfold on the moniter over her bike, completely focused on the pet and the screen and the meager pile of chips in front of her.

"Egomorph! I'm so sorry!" Vasilia's hands couldn't stop, couldn't slow their frantic actions as she tried to keep ahead of the surging tide. If she had been able to stop, if she had the time to spare they would have been cupped over her face in an expression of horror as the logs impacted against the broken doll. The one she had promised to try to save, the one she had wanted to protect-

Something sharp and painful lodged in the witch-puppet's chest as she tossed herself over the railing. It wasn't fear at the fall, she wouldn't remember the pain from something like this anyways, no the fear was in the kernal of memory that was sprouting panic at the sight of the bodies sticking out of the White's nightmarish mass and the words being spoken. The panic was in her hand being engulfed, in the familiar way her name was called.

"Vasilia!"

The panic was in the fact that even with her limb torn from her body and the connections that let her control it being snapped she could still feel it.

The realization hit her as her shoes hit the pathway and she staggered, her intact hand groping blindly at the spot her other one should be. She could feel it, still, could feel the tacky slime sliding over and around her, dragging at the hard edges and corners of the gun-shape it had assumed.

"It stole your gun? I'm sending you another chip! Start running!"

Sophia's voice wass foggy and distant but the little puppet still tried to do what she said. The puppet staggered away from where she had landed, letting for once the hands beneath her feet guide her with their incessant tugging.

Left foot, pause, right foot, pause.

More ungainly than even her normal steps and so slow, too slow. The hands grew frustrated. They scratched and scrambled and tore at the smooth pathway until it began crumbling to dust and dirt.

"MOVE Vassie! I can't send you another chip- I don't know why! It says something about a limit but- oh! Because it stole the chip! I still can't log you out, you have to run!"

Vasilia came back to herself with a start. Sophia was worried and it was the doll's job to stop that!

"Und- under- I got it! I'll get moving!" She suited words to action and twirled on one foot away from where she had been standing with the faint hope of avoiding the deluge. She surveyed Egomorph's remains once more while something tightened in her chest and crushed out the sharp pain before, smothered it under cold and a flash of an image of her body laying there instead.

She turned and fled.

There was a machine ahead of her. Her angle of vision was all wrong, she didn't see or didn't register the Mr. Prog perched in the driver's seat. She saw only the possibility offered by something bulky enough to obstruct the path and keep the White away.

1) I can feel myself being eaten! - do nothing
2) Shadows' puppet -> Dodge +Self Slow nerf
3) Dodge + Self Slow nerf
4-6) Movement -> Toward

Active
Kick-Out! - 2-Hit Shield and Counter(Last Shield broken): 10 Wood + Knockback + Self Slow

Cooldowns
Kick-Out! - 1/2

"Frag yeah! We did it!" Alex hoot's of victory reached Astraea as she swayed and attempted to get to her feet. She ached all over, and she wasn't quite sure how she had managed to defeated the rampaging desert-obsessed maniac but for once she was too tired to worry about the details. The important thing was that she, and the Metangs, were still standing.

"Yes, we did." She reached out and clumsily patted her turret before recalling it back to her workshop. Despite the design being one of her early works it had held up remarkably well. It would be worth continuing with that design line in the future.

For now she had a victory to reinforce.

She passively gathered the leftover data from the fight. She worked her way between the diminishing heaps of sand and steered well clear of the remain pools of water from her dragon's assault. There too was another useful tool, one that so far hadn't shown the disturbing signs of outgrowing its programming.

As she reached the Metanglers she realized the error in her previous thinking. Here were three examples of creations that had outgrown their previous configurations. She would explore that train of thought in the future.

"You still function." It was a blunt assement colored by relief. She gave a nod to each of the door guards. She examined the slashes they had taken and mentally winced in sympathy. "Your assistance in the fight was an invaluable contribution. I would not have been able to withstand such a powerful assault alone."

She looked past them to the familiar Metangler's much smaller form. Her smile was slow and tired but content. The one she had worried for the most was safe still. "Will this one be able to integrate with your ranks?"

"Battle routine set! Execute!" The video screen disappeared as the PET prioritized the Navi's functions to the exclusion of all others. Her voice stayed with Vasilia, and the puppet only.

"Vassie! We're going to get a bit tricky here, okay? Make for the path behind you but don't run that way yet."

"Okay! I can do it!" The witch-puppet's fingertips began to glow and she lifted her shoes in sequence to tap her fingers against them and activate the defensive spells imbued within. Immediately they began to stomp in place, prepared to intercept attacks directed toward the main body and Vasilia readied herself to run.

The hands below her moved themselves to assist. They squirmed out of the confines of her shadow and raced across the net to scratch and tear at the metal, wearing the area away and turning it to dust and dirt.

"Goodbyyye~ creepy goop!" Vasilia waved a still glowing hand above her head as she took several steps backward, her body already turning to the path behind her. It was the obvious, safest path away from the goop monster and the doll wondered why they weren't taking that route but she trusted Sophia! Her NetOp was smart!

"Incoming, Vasilia! Use this then make a break for it!"

"Oooh...I'm really sorry about this Egomorph! We can still be friends later, right?" Magic flooded Vasilia's system and she sketched a horizontal cylinder in the air and then slapped her hand against it twice. With loud 'pop' a log appeared for each slap and went bouncing toward the White and the it's unfortunate lure. Now that the logs were away, such a good spell!!!, Vasilia was on her way! Her boots smacked against the ground as she raced for the railing.

If she made it to the railing there would be a shriek of fearr before one of her hands turned into a cannon and, following her super-smart NetOp's instructions, she fired in such a way as to hopefully align her better with one the walkways below.

"Twins in a lab? That could be more specific." Sophia muttered as Ego spoke. Eventually though the pile of parts that use to be a girl (or still were a girl? Ego's condition was a mystery) spit out the word 'Police' and even Sophia knew she could do something with that.

Surely the country didn't have that many twins in a lab who worked for the police.

Vasilia snapped her fingers and her broom disappeared! Just not in the way she had wanted. She froze as the broomstick was ingest and leaned forward as Egomorph spoke.

"Familiar? You know me?" The puppet asked, wonder in every word. She had been ready to flee but- those crumbs of not-quite-memories still nudged her awareness. Despite her yearning, despite her attempts to chase that thought-train any further the tracks stubbornly refused to magically extend past where they abruptly dead ended. One hand crept to the witch-doll's emblem, an unconcious act as the puppet started to babble. "I'm, I, I don't remember you! Were you there?"

"That is not good sign." Sophia said as horror crawled up her spine and Ego continued to talk. The scary-creepy white goop apparently recognized her Navi, remembered her from some time when it had eaten something that wasn't a Navi? That part was confusing but it didn't really matter. There was only one real option here. She jammed her finger on the jack-out button only to be met with a pop-up message box and a loading bar.

ER̴ROR: Unable to q̸u̸i̴t̴ until active processes a̵r̷e̴ closed. Now closing processes. T̷i̷m̸e̵ remaining: µ2:7¢

"You glitchy piece of-" Sophia snapped her mouth shut as her eyes landed on the many search tabs she had been using while Vasilia spoke. Her fingers scratched against the control panel for the bike. Distantly she was aware a few people were gathering to watch the events on the screen. She caught whispers of commentary but she couldn't spare the brainspace to translate. "Vasilia, you have to start running! I can't jack you out yet, there's a delay, a timer but it's broken, you have to run! Run so that that thing doesn't catch you!"

She broke off as Ego's weird halo-thing sent off spikes, as the support program started to yell. The witch-doll didn't hesitate any further. As much as she wanted to stay, as much as she wanted to help it was obvious that she couldn't, not now anyways.

"I'm sorry! It'll be different in the future, I promise!"

(PVP Request: Accepted)

Maybe it was the outdated systems of the PET struggling to work that slowed her reaction.

Maybe that was why she found it easy to brush off the feeling that this situation was familiar.

When she examined the feeling telling her this, all she found was a fragment that pointed to memory space that no longer existed or had long ago been overwritted. Like a loose page torn out of a book and left on the floor.

"Yes, that's me! I'm glad you like my name. You have a weird one but it's kind acool too!" She chirped. She took a hand off the broomstick to give a little encouraging wave to Ego. The way the other Navi took the broomstick though...


"Outside...do you mean the real world or outside that current Net? Hm.." Sophia asked while Vasilia gave her broomstick a little wiggle, almost as if she was attempting to shake the tendril off.

It looked like the slime the witch-doll wasn't suppose to touch. It sounded like Ego who the witch-doll was trying to help. A sticker-like sweatdrop rolled down from under her hat to dash itself against the floor below. It was getting closer, maybe closer than she should allow?

[color=#CD7F32]"Wait, you're part of the white?" Sophia abruptly dropped her thinking pose, her face looming large in the video window that floated near her. "Then-Vasilia! Drop the broom and get away!"

"Okay!" She let go. Her hands released the handle as Ego's neck cracked loudly and then they flew to Vasilia's face, both of them covering the area where her mouth probably should have been. There was a sharp hiss of indrawn breath from Sophia as they watched the slime grown and consolidate, Vasilia leaning back to avoid it as it reached for her. Something scratched and scrabbled at her soles and finally when her body had long since appeared to be off balance she stepped back. Away from the tendril. Away from the head. "Oh no, oh no no no no i don't like this!"

"Vasilia!" Sophia's voice was sharp with something splintered and high. It brought back memories of a similiar cry as it rose above both Ego's stream of pleading and Vasilia's own denial of the situation. The doll pulled her hands from her face to knock them against her hat then shook her head wildly.

"I've pulled myself together! But what about Ego? She's in more pieces than I am!"

"I think... I think it might be too late for her. Her NetOp- if this thing wants to do something to him then we need to stop it! Or at least slow it down." The puppet's hands clenched and unclenched, bunching the hat in their grip as Vasilia stared. The scrabbling at her feet was worse now, but she didn't care about that. Was there really nothing they could do for Ego?

Something hurt in her core but she lowered her hands from her hand and gestured to dispell the broom back into bits of data. "Okay, I'm ready!"

"Shit! With that sand everywhere this is going to be a nightmare. And that reach. Dammit we should've gotten rid of the sand right away!"

Astraea nodded then winced. She was glad to have been spared the fire, but it appeared her attempts to split the attacker's attention weren't working as well as she'd like. "What next?"

"At this point I think our best chance is to blitz her off the field before she causes more harm, and it would be nice to stabilize our allies. That may not be possible in current conditions, our best choice is to end this fast."

The mechanic's eyes alighted on the huddled form of Metangler and she remembered the pit of sand she had opened beneath him to slow him down. She didn't want to do that here, more sand was not the answer, but she could change the terrain. For a moment she considered her Terraformer, then she remembered how eagerly the grass from that construct went up in flames and the embers that had been laced into the target's own attacks. It was an option, but perhaps not the best for the current situation. "We can use SolarSeed to overwrite the sand next time she modifies the terrain. The sand itself turns to glass even in the air... I theorize the shots from Cinder Turret will pierce her defense in current conditions."

"Good thought! Now as far as attacking goes...we need her to sit still, for just a moment. So how about this, and for delivery this, then we'll follow it up with this!"

The chip data streamed in. Astraea took note of what had loaded and matched up each chip with the hopefully corresponding 'this' Alex had uttered. It was pretty straight-forward but would require very precise timing.

She was interuppted from the calculations for said timing by a beep that was felt more than it was heard. The band on her wrist for her shield flashed and she looked down to find the panel she had ripped off had been restored. With a flick of her wrist she confirmed it had been completely restored and hastily resumed her calculations.

The wind was a trial. It blew and withered and would throw all her plans to disarray but she swayed with the wind instead of against it, let her self be moved so she could better feel the effects and counteract them.

Not that it would matter much.

When she pulled her buster it was blue with a ring of white around the barrel. It almost seemed to move her arm to guide itself as she lifted it, and she paused with her fingers just brushing the trigger to gesture with her other hand.

Three blasts rang out. Two crystalizing mid-flight as they flew toward their targets. The third was scarcely more than a moment behind them but it was even surer in its aim then the other two.

And behind them all Astraea had traded gun for wrench and smashed it against the lid of a very familiar metal box. She listened as the roar of the dragon melded into the storm's own sounds as it charged toward her foe and she swayed in her spot.

Her mind was racing forward, not directionally with the dragon but with time and she kept an eye out for the return of the fire snake.

=============

Combat Log
Astraea.CMD
HP: 85
Fire/Summon
Passive: Self-Destruct
Free Action: MasterWork

-- Actions --
1) Shield NCP +1 hit shield to Astraea
2) WhiteCapsuleEffect: Add Stun
Accuracy: S
Description: Grants one damaging chip attack the ability to stun on-hit. Rare
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: A
3) Dodge
CTA*: 5x2 Fire Shot + Slashing (Sandstorm), Acc A @ SiroccoShade.rcvr
4) MarkCannon1Damage: 70 + Seeking + Lock-on
Accuracy: A
Description: A highly accurate cannon whose automatic aiming system locks onto heat signatures and fires.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Special: Lock-on: Same effect as an automatic Take Aim.
Trader Rank: D+ Stun + 40 Strengthen @ SiroccoShade.rcvr
5) AquaDragon1Damage: 100 + Ground Attack + Medium Area Sea Terrain Change + Terrain Changer
Accuracy: C
Description: Summons a WaterDragon that attacks enemies as it glides across the ground. Changes terrain to Sea as it passes.
Duration: Once
Element: Aqua
Special: Terrain Changer: Ceases attacking when the Terrain Change effect is completed (once 25% of the terrain is changed).
Trader Rank: D
6) Dodge

Objects
CTA 16 HP

Cooldowns
Cinder Turret: 2/2 turns

"Oh this is going to suck." Alex groaned as he and Astraea watched her shots fly through the crazed desert lady without harming her. "That's the shadow defense, I should've known from the shadows dammit... Ryeboy's ninja navi uses it so I know it's going to be a pain."

"How do we circumvent it?" Astraea's eyes were on the guards and Metangler and she felt a pang of regret for summoning the smaller one so soon, she could see it struggling through the new terrain. At least she had gotten the shrieking fiend's attention.

"With slashing, it'll dispell it. It looks like it's letting up for now anyways and she's stunned, lets hit her hard while we've got the chance!" Chip data rushed into the pet and she called it as quickly as it came.

Fire coursed through her. It coursed through her body and her code until it condensed in her outstretched hand where it dripped to the ground and into a new form; a large, glowing, oval-shaped ember. The ember slit and from its hollow insides rushed a snake with coal-black scales lined with flames. It hissed once then rushed across the field to SiroccoShade while leaving a trail of glass in its wake. Belatedly she realized that while her current position meant the snake would miss Metangler completely but the mechanic made a note to watch for that in the future.

"Oh shi-I didn't realize fire would do that to sand. Hey, if the sand is too bad your CTs can shoot the ground." Alex suggested. "But for now, mmm. I get why you called Metangler immediately but that might screw us and it if that crazy chick digs her claws into it. You'll need to pull her attention or provide it some help."[/color]

The alien considered his words and then Metangler's position on the field and nodded firmly. The truth hurt but she resolved herself to push forward. "I'll do both."

"Really? How are you going to provide-wait not like that!" His yelled as Astraea pried her shield off her arm with an ominious crack. Alex groaned as he put his face in his hand which meant he missed the part where she tapped the now removed shield with her wrench, a thin-layer of metal folding over the hard plastic.

Finished with her preparations she lined up with Metangler, pulled her arm back, then threw. Upon connection with the Metangler the metal spread over the shield would transfer to the machine and reinforce its structure, giving it a little more leeway in the surviving prospect.

Now for the next part. She shuffled away from her spot, a single large step to seperate herself from her turret.

"Alex, how do I get her attention?"

"PFFT, now you ask me! Well normally I deal with ladies who are looking for a good time but I guess I can help in this case." He mused. After what felt like way too long but wasn't really that long at all he nodded. "Okay! Here's what you say..."

"I'll never let you have your desert back you rabid, sand-encrusted cat!" Yelling was harder than Astraea had expected, and it took a couple tries for her voice to even be loud enough. Still the mechanic pressed on and forced herself to speak with a malice she didn't quite feel, no matter how silly it felt. She raised her hand. "I'll burn all traces of you from the net! You'll never get anything back!"

She dropped her arm. CTA beeped and fired at the ground at the gate, the incendiary shots sinking into the ground and hopefully turning it to glass.

"You changed the words and your delivery sucks but you might need this." A shield materialized in front of Astraea as she stepped back again. She slipped her arm into the handles on the back and held it in front of her.

"Thank you."

"What I'm here for~"

=============

They called him Brother.

Astraea felt light headed. She let her pose relax as the two spoke back and forth about the topic, her mind grabbed onto the hopeful ones and the fact that they were willing to take on the task of assisting Metangler in- something? Adjusting maybe?

She was happy for him. Clearly by their demands they cared for him, wanted to protect him. He was wanted here and she felt a spreading pool of relief course through her. She had wanted to help him yes, but she hadn't been sure of her ability to assist him in finding a goal outside of his old directives. She wasn't programmed for social work.

"Of course." She said in response to the demand to bring him here. The noise washed over her but it was comforting rather than frightening. She began preparing to call the travel-sized Metangler to her side as the echoes of the noise reached them. She shut her eyes against the rushing wind and called, an appropriatly sized target appearing on the ground in front of it. It was identical to the ones she used for summoning her machines to the field and this was no different: a flash of light from the ceiling and then Metangler would be there.

But something else was arriving as well.

Astraea finally registered that the noise in her ears wasn't the reverberations from the massive machines and turned her whole body to look, her hand dropping to the haft of her wrench as the gate guards stated their intent to defend. Her eyes hardened and she shifted to look at Metangler. "Get inside, with your brethern."

"What? I mean he's small but he put up a pretty good fight before and you didn't even get a chance to see what he could do." Astraea nodded once to acknowledge Alex's words before she answered.

"Our mission was to find and deliver Metangler to somewhere safe." She stiffly stated. Would he accept her reasoning? "If, as a result of conflict Metangler is hurt or deleted then our mission is a failure. I can be recalled to the PET, they cannot."

"Hey, you don't have to convince me to fight! That's sound reasoning though, let's get ready to rumble!" Astraea nodded and adjusted her position to put her firmly between the gates and the edge of darkness where the sound of wind was coming from. It was louder now and she could almost make out a voice.

The heat came, with it the shadows and then finally their source. Astraea wanted to try to talk it out but she remembered the previous fight with the viruses, the ones that hadn't been keen on diplomacy. Her eyes narrowed and she moved into a fighting stance.

"Well she looks crazier then a bag of cats fished out of a river.Doesn't she realize she brought the desert with her?" Alex remarked as the sand devil appeared on the scene. "Whatever, she wants a fight she's got one! Battle routine set!"

Despite the encouragement she wasn't inclined to rush in to a brawl with the unknown foe. She still remembered the vampire, the desperate fight in the dark. She hardered her resolve and shook her wrist, her shield snapping out in front of her. "Ready to recieve chips."

"As much as I want to rush in, let's start it off from a distance! Here's this, you already have a shield, that's not really helpful here, what if she dodges that? Huh. Let's call your Turret too." Alex finished pondering and sent the chips.

The running narration was a bit unnerving but it was also a little nice to hear him planning things ahead. The first chip data settled in her systems and she scurried across the still normal floor out of direct line with the gate guarnds and Metangler. Once she was a suitable distance away she pulled her raygun, the usual white overwritten with the familiar green coloration of the chip she was channeling through it. She lifted her gun then fired at the opponent, vaguely hoping to knock her right off the edge of the platform.

Chip spent she reholstered her buster and hurridly shifted a little from where she had just been standing in case of retaliation. Her other hand dropped to her belt and soon the targetting display appeared on the ground in front of her again.

Once more Cinder Turret Alpha took the field in defense of its' maker. It felt the firm tap of her wrench on its' shell, felt its' armor thicken and its' screws tighten. It knew what it had been called for.

Beep beep!

A pair of buring shells were spat toward the shady character.

The alien mechanic changed her positioning again, shifting around the turret's frame to give it a clear shot.

natural for this to be goodbye but-no, the mattock's tip was being pointed rather purposefully at the large doors. Astraea let her hand drop.

"Looks like you've got your in! Might want to get to it, We don't know what else is out here." Alex urged. Astraea straightened her spine and nodded. She strode determinedly to the big doors and stood through the green light.

What awaited her on the otherside of the doors was a wonder. Buildings clearly designed with the mets as their inspiration, a sprawling cityscape full of activity and machinery.

But that wasn't the only wonder. Two familiar forms (albeit much cleaner) were revealed between her and the city at large. She gaped at them, mouth hanging slightly open, eyes wide as they flicked from one to the other as they conversed.

"Hah! You've got your foot in the door now seal the deal!" Alex's voiced was loud in her ears and she closed her mouth and nodded just the tiniest bit.

The giants were loooking at her and she felt a great pressure settle upon her tiny frame but she ignored it. She had a job to do.

"I am here to find a place for one like you, a being designated Metangler." She answered, pleased that her voice trembled not at all. Her words kept their clipped, matter of fact style and she took comfort in that. "I encountered them in a facility in another network that had fallen into grieveous disrepair. I offered to seek a space where they might stay, for now they have compacted themselves to fit within my PET while I searched the net."

She cleared her throat, aware that she was skipping some rather sizeable bits of the story but she felt that information was unneeded. She did not need to fill in every little detail after all. "I need nothing myself, I merely wish to bring them to a safe haven where they can prosper."

Alex was silent in her ear,s he could hear the faint lack of buzz that meant the mic had been muted. Still she knew he was watching and she hoped to do him proud.

The compliment on her name came as a pleasant surprise to Vasilia and Sophia. Something they were doing must be working if the ragged doll in front of them was able to string that much clarity together. The wooden puppet bobbed her torso forward and down, her hands pinching the air then raising to the sides as if spreading an invisible skirt. The doll straightened up.

Vasilia held onto that moment of clarity from the pale girl as a sign of hope. They would do something!

Egomorph started to speak and Vasilia paid strict attention. Her NetOp wanted to help Egomorph and so did she! No matter how confusing, no matter how weird the situation got she would do her very best!

Except maybe the confusion would beat her after all. Her head spun, literally, as she repeated some of the words Egomorph had said, trying to make sense of them. "Lives, world, locked, thick, machine..? I don't understand!"

"Oh Vassie, get a hold of yourself!" The puppet's hands reached up and slammed into either side of her head, stopping it in place. "...Not what I meant but I'll take it! If we want to help we have to understand. It sounds like he locked himself in a closet with a rabid dog or something..."

"Eeh? I thought doggies were nice?" She swung her hands freely at her side, her feet tap-tap-tapping on the ground as the shadows beneath them coalesced for a into solid form before being swiftly and sternly returned to insubstantibility via concussive force. The hands were making it hard to concentrate, and it was already hard to understand! "Wait, dead space in here? So where he lives in the real world doesn't connect to the net or is it really scary?"

"Good thought! If it didn't have a presence here then how would Egomorph get here? I'll pull up a list of the Nets...somehow." There was a pause as Sophia manipulated the ancient pet to find what she needed. Vasilia could feel the processes struggling to work as if they were struggling through a thick muck.

Or maybe like a little girl covered in white goo.

"Oh! Is this stuff slowing down your processes?" Vasilia slapped her hands to her face as a large exclamation point appeared over her head. She dropped both hands to point at the white that clung so tightly to Egomorph's frame. She didn't really need the girl's reply, as she said the words it 'clicked' in her head as if it were a fact she had just been reminded she knew. One hand cupped the bottom of her head, the index extended to tap at her smooth 'cheek'. "Hmm, if that's the case this is going to be tricky. If we seperate you from it will you be able to speak better?"

"Wait, does that make this stuff dangerous? You shouldn't touch it then!"

"Got it!" A light bulb appeared above Vasilia's head as she twirled her hands in front of her, a small glowing blue line appearing before her. She reached it and pulled out her broom with a flourish that included tossing it over her head. "Alright Egomorph! I'm going to hand you the end of my broom and use it to pull you out, are you ready?"

Suiting action to words, and not waiting for a reply, the witch doll stepped to the side and gave the cleaning instrument in her hands another twirl before extending the bristles towared Egomorph. "Grab hold!"

Success came surprisingly fast and painless once Astraea got into it with the remaining virus. She stepped back with a long exhale of relief, blade of her sword disappearing as the card's effects ended with the end of the battle. She slipped her wrench back to it's spot.

"Nicely done! You're back to full health and your metool buddies haven't been scratched." Alex crowed. The alien nodded and turned to face her summoned machinery.

"Recognition belongs to this." She said simply. The mini-her in the saucer blushed and put both hands on the floating splotches of pink within the wire-frame of its face. Astraea smiled a little in response then tapped out a quick command to send the construct home. The figure in the saucer blinked as light began to shine beneath the saucer's legs then waved a goodbye just before the entire thing disappeared in a flash of light back to her workshop. "Rest, I will call on you again."

"So, stilll bothered by the appearance?" Alex asked as she went about gathering up the spoils of the fight. She shook her head, smile still in place.

The platform began to slow and she looked up and stared at the doors before her. A glance showed the Metools were still huddled beneath their hats. Did this mean more trouble awaited or were they playing it safe?

"Be ready Operator. I do not think our trouble has passed yet."

[Ready for Battle 5/Continue]

[Abductor Unit has been sent away!]

Egomorph? Administrator? These weren't names! Well, one of them wasn't even a real word and names weren't really words so that had to be the name! The wooden puppet gave a firm nod and then stared in horror as the girl was shackled to floor, her words almost forgotten. Something was curling in the doll's code, something nudged the back of her head and she remembered the grip of the shadowy hands on her feet and she inhaled noisly, her torso rising and then falling as she let out air.

"Oh man she looks like a zombie! Wait- the human's not safe?" Sophia asked in alarm, her rising voice distracting Vasilia from her current thought-line. The young woman shifted closer to the camera on the PET, her eyes gazing past and above it. She was looking at the TV above the bike Vasilia realized belatedly. "You mean your NetOp isn't safe?"

"Oh-no! That's awful! Sophia what do we do?" Vasilia asked, her hands flying up to her face. Everything about this situation was going terribly! The witch-doll had met a maybe-friend but she was very clearly in rough shape, there was a human in danger, and Vasilia didn't know what to do.

And now something was oozing from her maybe-friend's head.

"Get back, Vasilia! That goo doesn't seem to like you." Vasilia's feet were only too happy to comply and the hands in her shadow seemed to have no objection to her hurried backwards movement this time, a reluctant one-two step that carried her another panel away.

It felt strangely relieving to walk away.

She felt bad about that at first but then an idea sprung to mind as she put her final foot down and she snapped her fingers before holding one up in the air. She was

"Egomorph! If I help your human, maybe that'll help you too! Tell us where your NetOp is, we can call the police or-or an ambulance!"