Thunder and Webs C135 [Gold]

Ripley Donovick. He perserveres against all odds, one step at a time. Even towards the end.

Chapter 135: Relapse - Till Death Do Us Part

February 28th

7:03 PM

Ripley

I pulled the trigger — but Warpcode reacted faster. Two sets of Warpcode, one from my Preservation Matrix, and the second from someone spying on me. The bullet never fired as code overrode the physical mechanism, while Midnight overrode command over my hand — or tried to.

“What the fuck is this Shardware, Ripley?!” She sounded unnerved and pissed as my right hand — a limb formed with Neolymph-Livewire-Shriekstone composite musculature — failed to comply to her DataCleaver.

“Complex.” I gave the simple answer, pulling the rattling barrel out of my eye socket. I popped the ocular implant back in — but a shudder went through me. I had no guarantee that would work.

“Why the fuck were you trying to kill yourself, man?!” Midnight appeared in a violent flash of code, Daylight awkwardly clinging behind her and waving with a cheery smile. “Do you want us to make you feel better?!”

“To see if I could.” I shrugged, not caring. “Can’t. Preservation Matrix will do what it can to stop me from killing myself.”

To prove the point, I tried to jab a claw into my throat but it instinctively grazed past me. Then I grabbed another gun — this one with no Warpcode mechanism — and pulled the trigger to the side of my temple.

The bullet went off this time, but a streak of black sharpness shot from the index finger pulling said trigger to sever the barrel and cause it to explode. My face burned and I winced, but I wasn’t dead. Besides, the weapon was too weak to pierce my skull, and I’d long cushioned my brain to survive forces beyond human survivability.

“But… you know, its actually great that you’re here, Midnight.” I smiled at her face which only grew more angry as I tested methods out. The new Arachnodyne — a hybrid between the older version and the Teradyne — sprawled out four tentacle-like limbs coated in glossy darkness that refused to crush my skull no matter how much I wanted it to.

“Stop that!” She growled. “And… what the fuck are you saying, Ripley?!”

“Let’s do it.” I shrugged. “Let’s go with your… violent vengeance until we’re dead plan.”

“What?”

“I mean… fuck, you were right about everything. I don’t love Elsa anymore. Alice is dead — killed by Skeleton. I’m sending Starlight to her mother. I have nothing. No one.” I slapped my head and laughed. “Only this… numbness. I’ve kept it from growing insane, from… corrupting me I guess, but it will. Once I start this, I’m not going to be Ripley anymore. All there will be left is some poor mind whose entire existence has been rewritten by their Implant for survival. For preservation. And right now, the only thing keeping me alive is the fact that I want Skeleton to suffer.”

I crouched down onto my knees, looking at this right hand which wasn’t mind but instead some grotesque blend of oozing black-steel with golden circuitry. “But I know myself. Sooner or later, I’m going to have doubts once its already too late. Someone or the other will get hurt, and my Implant will change me — again and again — it will change me. At that point, I might as well be dead. So… I replaced my heart.”

“We saw…” Midnight winced. “Saw you… take organic pieces and mush them up with your nanites into some new organ.”

“It’s made using bone-marrow from both The Bladefather and Diana, combined with some actual cardiac muscle of the Bladefather. Goliath can’t consume his tissue, its too robust, but I managed to spread it out and shape it — to… bind with Goliath. Let’s me do this.”

The Ruinforge Heart conducted my Gold and acted as a central nexus of control for my nanites. By using some of Diana’s genetic material, and complex biomolecular engineering involving the Revenant Serum, it spread a potent miasmic drench of my conscience into the Neolymph. It made it easier to shape, to forge into ruin. And to wield.

In the corner of my lab, a bag of black blood burst apart as my mind yearned for the nanoswarm to return to me. The modified cells grew motile, contracting and squelching like a worm as it crawled over to me. Such was the benefit of Soul-Graft, which I’d taken a risk and forced development using my nanites in the place of Diana’s SIM.

In fact, the sheer mutagenic material I’d gained from The Bladefather was immense.

Soul Graft has gained 3 Meta-Mutations. Increased ability to manipulate biomass of others through grafting your own within them. Massively increased cell-regeneration and natural healing. Massively increased rate of organic-inorganic conversion of the Goliath Nanites. Development: 35%

Biotechnosymbiois has gained of Meta-Mutation. Massively increased rate of Neolymph assimilation to biomass. Development: 38%

Neolymph, at this point, served as the medium for me to graft bits of myself into others. I’d already used it to draw on Warp Energy just like Diana could, but with the addition of The Bladefather’s powers? The original? At this point, I didn’t even need Livewire to give it the properties of muscle. The only downside was how costly it was.

“Midnight… if I ever feel like I’m going down the wrong rabbit hole… I am going to kill myself. But I literally can’t… unless…” I picked up a Nul-Serum. “After putting that heart inside of me, my body, like it or not, is reliant on my Warp Energy to survive. This serum no longer medicates me, it would poison me. It would fuck up the organ, deactivate my nanites, and I’d die of cardiac arrest.”

“Ripley, stop being an idiot and-”

“Take control of my left arm.” I raised it. Before sticking one of the Nul-Serum vials into a compartment. “And inject me with it. That should bypass my Preservation Matrix.”

“Are you serious?” Her gaze slowly turned less angry and more… understanding.

“I am.” I said tiredly. “As I am right now, I want to kill Skeleton. But I don’t want to lose myself in the process…”

I snorted, looking over to my former right Pseudo-Silver arm. “That’s why I took off my mother’s arm. I have it designated to be shipped over to Diana’s as part of Starlight’s inheritance. Pitiful, I know… but its a family heirloom. One I don’t intend to take the grave with me.”

Daylight rubbed her chin. “So then… just don’t die?”

“Maybe.” I shrugged, not putting too much thought into it. “But… I suppose we’ll see how long I can keep this running. First thing I want to do. Eliminate all those damned spoof-Personality Matrices. Poetically, I think that means I’ll start with the Snake Fangs.”

“Shit… we’re really doing this?” Midnight chuckled. “Shouldn’t we wait for Elsa?”

“No.” My voice was resolved. “I intend for this all to be over before she wakes up.”

“Shit, what are you trying to-”

“To free her.” I said simply. “And myself, I guess.”

“Don’t you think you’re taking this Romeo and Juliet thing too far?!” She grabbed me.

“I don’t know who those people are?” I walked through her, checking on my weapons one last time. It took too little time to arm myself again.

“Oh, it’s a really cute romantic story!” Daylight giggled. “Don’t worry, we’ll stay with you.”

“That’s exactly my…” I sighed. “Both of you… want to do this with me?”

“Both of us?” Midnight glanced to Daylight, before realization settled into the shadowy Persona’s voice. “You want to free her.”

“Maybe one last good thing I can do.” I said, grabbing the three Gold Shards as I left the lab clear of any evidence of my being here. “I’m going to my house, gonna clear out some stuff. Can you both get intel on the Snake Fangs? And… try and see if you can gather them in one location.”

Midnight took a weary glance, before nodding. They disappeared, and I put on a long coat to hide my right arm’s alien design. Soon, I left Retrofit Operators and put on a simple notice.

Closed indefinitely.

———

Back at my house, I found everything just as Alice and I had left it. The mattress was a mess, some old dinner plates needed cleaning and…

I sighed, finishing everything up to leave the room spotless. It was methodical, and devoid of any particular thought as I erased all traces of her — of me. The only thing left untouched was a cupboard filled with my mother’s clothes… I couldn’t bring myself to clear it out.

I reached into a box, packing up anything I thought Starlight might want. A few Datacubes, a Meta-Mind helmet, spare Shards I had around and… my mother’s half of the heart-necklace, then I reached for my neck.

I unhooked my half. A part of me went with it as I dropped the half-heart engraved with my father’s name inside of it. The emptiness only grew along with the growing blandness of my room. The only thing out of place was the annoying vibrations from the next-door room.

Quietly, I worked on one last piece of engineering as I took pieces from a spare Meta-Mind and organized the components around one other creation I’d made from the 50 grams of brain matter I’d extracted from the Bladefather. As usual, Goliath strung everything together into a set of biotech chips not too different from a Bioshard. Using my claw, I reached up my nose and made small incisions.

Blood poured down my nose as I extracted the original Bioshard I had. Then, one-by-one, I inserted chip-after-chip up into my brain. Neolymph maneuvered them around my skull, fusing them into specfic lobes and cortices amongst the many folds before they formed a web to connect them.

The Bioware Dreamframe stabilized, but my head was assaulted with a blistering headache as the link manifested. Bonding to Bioware like this was only possible as a result of my Biotechnosymbiosis Mutation, but it made me feel like I was tearing everything apart.

I was tearing everything apart.

“Fuck.” I groaned, setting the order to transfer all data from my Neuroframe to the Nightframe. Including the Personality Editor. Soon enough, Daylight and Midnight returned — stunned to feel themselves installed in a new Dreamframe, but their words glossed over me as I excused them for a need of privacy. They didn’t leave my head, but they quieted and promised not to intervene.

As I sat on the uncovered mattress, my knees rose to my chest and a quiet sob broke through my mouth. My new heart, however, betrayed none of the emotion wrecking through me as it beat steadily.

Using the Retronome Neuroframe one last time, I called someone.

Twilight responded quickly as she buzzed in front of my eyes. “Hey Rip- woah? Everything good?”

“No.” I shook my head, my throat twisting open for more words but none came. “I’m going to do bad things. So… I’m sending Starlight to you.”

“You’re…” She blinked, using my eyes to scan around the clean room as I knew panic was beginning settle into her. “Ripley, did something happen?”

“Skeleton.” I shrugged, not sure how much I wanted to say. “We were attacked yesterday, you know that diner that exploded after a car crash? It was… an attack from SynTec using some of Skeleton’s men. And by men, I mean… The First Prince of Muramasa.”

“Crouching Dagger attacked you?” She leaned down, placing the digital warmth of her hand on my shoulder. “Ripley, you need to tell Diana.”

“No.” I shook my head. “What’s she going to do about it? She’s got her head wrapped up in Soul Killer, in those media appearances, in…”

I laughed. “You know… all of this started because you brought me to him.”

“Rip…” She turned away, “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are. I know you and Elsa both are.” I choked. “But fuck, ever since I met the two of you… my whole life’s had everything I thought was good turn out to be bad.”

“Ripley… you’re right.” Tears dripped down her face. “Fuck, I-”

“And yet, I don’t blame you, neither of you.” My hand gripped my hair, holding tight. “I accept it. I only blame myself for being such an idiot — of course a girl who splits her personality across identities is unstable. I’m not going to fix that. She’s not going to fix me. And I’m done fixing things.”

A deep growl mixed in with my tears. “I only want to break shit.”

“Ripley, can you let me…” She pulled away. “Can you please try letting Diana help you?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t intend for this crusade to go on long. I don’t even intend to win. I just want it to be over… and maybe… cause some permanent damage to Skeleton while I’m at it.”

“Rip… you’re scaring me.” She got on her knees and reached for my hands to pull them into hers. “I know I… I know that Elsa and I were… bad for you. We never meant for this, but that doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make what we did right.”

“Hmm.” I let out a thoughtless sigh.

“Where is she, Ripley, let me talk to her?”

“She’s indisposed.” I said, laced with a small bit of pity. “Healing, in a sense.”

“Where?”

“One of her Dogwhistler stashes.”

She raised an eyebrow. So she kept it a secret from Twilight as well.

I whispered. “I’m letting her go, both of you. We need to move on.”

“But not in…” A broken sob left her, “not in such a drastic way.”

“What other way is there? No matter where I go… she’ll find me somehow. If not her, SynTec and Yuzhou. If not them, Skeleton.” I said tiredly. “Once I’m done with this, she’ll be free to do whatever she wants. If that means fighting Skeleton, so be it. If that means running away, I’d be happy for her.”

“Rip.” She leaned in, wrapping her arms around me. “Don’t do this. Let me stay at your place for a bit.”

“I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “I know you’ll take good care of Starlight.”

I put my hand around her back. “Sometimes, I wish it was you in control instead of Elsa. But the truth is… you’re the only good part of her. Stay that way. I trust you more than anyone else, Twi. And I still love you.”

She sobbed in my arms, unable to think of what to say to me. Tears streamed down my face, hot and stinging, a stark contrast to the chill that settled deep in my bones, a physical manifestation of the cold fury consuming me. The growl resonated in my throat, a primal sound that seemed to shake my very core, each vibration a physical blow.

My shoulders slumped under the weight of it all, the exhaustion a palpable presence on my aching body. And she could do nothing but plead. “Please. We’ll figure out a way through this.”

“You will. You and Starlight, and Diana… but not me. This is the consequence of everything I’ve done.” My Arachnodyne emerged from my back, slithering tendrils of steel that pulsed almost like a liquid as Neolymph and Ruinsteel flowed to harden as sharp clamps fastened onto the cold steel of my Neuroframe.

It was so far and alien compared to the angular order of my original Arachnodyne, monstrous. “This is what I’ve become. You’re only on call, right? Not in my Frame?”

Her eyes widened in a panic as she realized what I was about to do. “No! Ripley, don-”

A physical jolt shattered her into sparks of light as my Neuroframe shattered under the crushing weight of the dorsal tendrils from my back. My head felt lighter as the Shardware was dissected off me, the nape of my neck exposed for the first time in years. Neolymph performed surgery within my spine, rearranging channels of Neurowiring that had been made redundant due to the biotech mutation within me.

A weak, accepting groan left my mouth as I summoned Daylight and Midnight back. Their eyes were wide.

“Woah, that was intense!” Daylight put a hand over her mouth. “But I’m sure killing the Snake Fangs will make you all better!”

“But… seriously, are you sure about this?” Midnight hissed. “They’re quite a bit more powerful ever since Muramasa and Los Diablos got off their backs.”

“Are you two sure about this?” I reached for my controls. “I’m about to cut myself off from the SecondNet. No escaping my body.”

Midnight met me with resolve, and a humorous grin. “Till death do us part.”

“Oh, how romantic! I’m in!” Daylight cheered.

Seeing them agree, I took a deep breath and lifted one of the Gold Shards up to me. At 20 Million Shardyne, I’d exhausted about 8 Million worth in energy throughout my Shardware operating today. But 12 Million was still worth several Silver Implants.

I had to update now. Because the truth was, if I didn’t… I would probably doubt myself and listen to Twilight. I began extracting the raw Warpcode… feeding it into my Implant and focused it all to adapt.

Skeleton wanted an Adapter. He would have one.

Shardweave V.3.24 has updated to V.4.06

Effects:

Increased efficiency in Energy usage with Goliath Nanites

Reconfiguring… Protocol: Bloodforge massively improves spontaneous manipulation of Neolymph.

Increased ability to manipulate Neolymph biotech structure.

Increased understanding of Bioware creation.

Increased application of mutagenic material in Bioware creation.

Increased ability to alter the properties of Neolymph-based composite Warp Materials.

Increased efficiency in converting organic matter to Midas Steel via Goliath Nanites.

Database V.4.15 has updated to V.4.18

Increased rate of learning via the Codex Module.

Deeper knowledge extraction via the Codex Module.

Slight retainment of extracted data via the Codex Module.

Data Mimicry V.4.00 has updated to V.4.06

Increased ability to manipulate Warpcode dictating Implant Features.

Increased ability to reshape Features.

Increased ability to work with Source-Touched Implants.

Increased ability to manipulate Implant Grades.

Improved detection of Fragments of Source-Shards via Frequency Sync.

Overwrite manipulation of Adapters is slightly more intrusive.

Psyche V.4.03 has updated to V.4.10

Increased reliance on Personality Matrix for achieving goals.

Increased effectiveness of Personality Matrix.

Slightly reduced affection for romantic relationships.

Preservation Matrix is better adjusted to prevent suicidal thoughts from being acted out.

Reduced empathy for innocent civilians inadvertently harmed.

Negative emotions are more effective at driving motivational responses.

Reduced fear of death.

Integrity is now Silver I

Bronze-Grade Boon: Reduced effect of Warp Burns when using Energy for Neolymph manipulation.

Energy is now Silver II

Bronze-Grade Boon: Increased ability to draw Warp Energy from others via Neolymph.

Capacity is now Silver II

Grade is now Gold III

I shuddered as the updates were made known, power realizing within me to adapt to this fucked-up situtation. Psyche received a strange mix of updates that were both positive-and-negative to this situation… a true reflection of my own mind — unable to decide.

The Personality Matrix was begging to be used, and I didn’t fight it.

Personality Matrix Output: 100%

A foreign calmness slipped into me, memories hiding away to cease their distraction — a clinical attachment wrapped around what was there. But the resolve remained. My reason to live and to die stood standing — and he would fall. Skeleton. Mikail Almajali.

I’d dissect his empire. And I’d start with The Snake Fangs.

I just had one last thing to do. I reached into the box I intended for Starlight and retrieved a mask.

The six angular streaks of Gold in my Dreadwire mask betrayed no emotion as I heard my Alter-Ego speak to me. “Is this truly what you want?”

“I don’t know.” I admitted. “I told you that the next time I wore this mask… if it was something I had to face, then you should remove it.”

“You did.” The mask seemed to deepen.

“Well, I’m making your job easy.” I crushed the mask. It fell apart as scraps that my Arachnodyne curled down for and slurped up — integrating into its structure.

“I’m not wearing a mask anymore.” I opened the door to my apartment, and left it for the last time.

———

Shardware Overview…

Effective Capacity is… Gold VIII

Calculating… Bioware consumes twice the capacitance of regular Shardware.

Capacitance Alterations:

Iron Shardware Capacitance reduced by 2 Tiers (1 if not modified by me).

Bronze Shardware Capacitance reduced by 1 Tier (only if modified by me).

Musculoskeletal Shardware reduced by 2 Tiers.

Shard Operating Shardware reduced by 5%.

All Shardware below actual Capacitance [Silver III] has the final Capacitance halved.

Bioware:

Ruinforge Heart: This Cardiac Bioware, forged from the organic matter of Diana Ulrich, The Bladefather and fused with Neolymph acts as a reservoir of Warp Energy and serves to massively produce Neolymph and Dianium within the Adapter. [No Feature Links]

Grade: Gold II

Integrity: Gold V

Energy: Gold III

Capacity: Gold I [25%]

Ruinforge Claw: Forged from multiple Warp Materials, this arm can modulate shape rapidly using its Neolymph structure and store kinetic energy.

Grade: Silver V

Integrity: Silver VI

Energy: Gold II

Capacity: Silver IX [Silver VII] [11.6%]

Feature Links: Ruin [Shardweave]; Warp Threads [Energized]; Breakdown [Technician]

Neolymph Sac: A Bioware organ designed for the storage of Neolymph and various composite Warp Materials. Also serves for metabolism. Nanites stored in this sac do not contribute to Capacitance.

Grade: Silver V

Integrity: Silver II

Energy: Silver I

Capacity: Silver III [6.25%]

Feature Links: Nanoswarm Adherence [Database]; Auto-Metabolism [Sustain]; Warp Conversion [Energy]

Current Nanite Storage: 15 kg

Ruinforge Arachnodyne: A hybrid between a traditional Arachnodyne and the Tetradyne. It wields various alternate forms: Stinger, Brace, Blade, Operation, and Cannon.

Grade: Silver V

Integrity: Silver V

Energy: Silver VI

Capacity: Silver X [Silver VIII] [13.2%]

Nightframe: A Bioware Dreamframe utilizing Bioshard-tech and The Bladefather’s brain matter.

Grade: Gold I

Integrity: Silver X

Energy: Silver V

Capacity: Silver V [14.2%]

Feature Links: Meta-Mind [Psyche]

Neolymph: The result of the integration of the Goliath Nanoswarm into red-blood cells.

Grade: Gold II

Integrity: Gold I

Energy: Gold I

Capacity: Silver IV [12.2%]

Amount: 18 kg

Shardware (all made compatible with Neolymph]:

Left RipTech Claw:

Grade: Silver II

Integrity: Silver III

Energy: Silver IV

Capacity: Silver V [Silver III] [2.5%]

RipTech Legs:

Grade: Silver II

Integrity: Silver II

Energy: Silver II

Capacity: Silver V [Silver III x2] [6.25%]

RipTech Soulbranch Endoskeleton

Grade: Silver II

Integrity: Silver V

Energy: Silver V

Capacity: Silver III [3.1%]

RipTech Shardvision Optics

Grade: Silver I

Integrity: Silver I

Energy: Silver I

Capacity: Silver I [2.7%]

Internal Shardware Capacitance = 97%

External Shardware:

Glitch Cloak

Drone Constellation

Dreadweave Armor

———

The Snake Fangs

The Emperor’s Bathhouse had been functional since November of last year and proved a wild success to corporate employees and high-profile criminals alike. In part to the sauna-covered debauchery provided by the Snake Fangs, who were just the right type of desperate for Skeleton to wield as an unassuming front for his illicit trades.

Daytime was for the relaxation of the civilians.

But the night was exclusive, as steam and drinks flowed under strobing lights and water sloshed to dancing bodies. Holograms shifted to give the illusion of a beach. Flowing waves splashed onto dancing entertainers clad in the skimpiest bikinis and their clients were too happy to be served by them. And of course, several workers had all pride and shame stripped of them by Personality Matrices. Shaun had not changed. The Snake Fangs had not changed.

They were only under new management. Perhaps that Gold MALignant was a blessing.

The Toxin Club had long been trapped under an infamous reputation, popular as it was, but this bathhouse was the perfect front to drag in naive soon-to-be employees.

Mary was one of them. She’d thought she’d spend her days sweeping dirty water into drains, but promises of promotions and paychecks led her attire to slimming down and to hold a tray of drinks instead of a mop. Hands groped her waist, and the boss’ order was to smile and flirt. She’d noticed the other ‘regulars’ often had an eye for her; friends of the boss, she’d heard from other workers.

She’d also heard from them of the rumors of what goes on underneath in the VIP-section, and more than a few times she’d seen her coworkers dip below and come out… slightly dazed. They would always say everything was fine, but there was something different about them. Their words slightly slower, and their movements uncoordinated, and the details were always left vague. She knew an NDA was involved, but-

A hand slapped down onto skin barely covered by a bikini. The metal stung across her. She yelped and dropped a drink, spilling onto the man who’d done it. Anger quickly flashed into an eager smile. “Woah, my hand slipped, but you don’t need to drop your drinksh on me!”

He held onto her waist, not for support of his drunkenness, but for the very fact that it felt nice. “Now how about you apolojize by shpendin’ a lil’ time wiz me.”

“Knock it off, Roman.” A man, often known as the saving grace to many of the workers here, pulled Roman’s hand off Mary. Hoaqin grumbled, wondering why he was here on a day Shaun didn’t need them. And it wasn’t just him. “And… what are you doing here?”

“What?” Roman slid back onto a bench, tightening the towel around his waist. “Can’t enjoy myself? Boss said we was’ throwin’ some celebration.”

“My uncle said that?” Hoaqin squinted. But quickly turned his attention to Mary. “Are all the uh… regulars in today?”

“Yeah…” She didn’t like the regulars, none except Hoaqin really. He was handsome, respectful, but had always been… detached. She knew he worked for another one of the boss’ enterprises, but he remained mostly to himself. “They all said the same thing, some big celebration is happening since… competition got eliminated? Did you guys buy out another club?”

“My uncle didn’t say anything about that.” Hoaqin shook his head, but summoned a deep breath. Ever since Selene died, he’d hated himself for abandoning her to the MAL. He wasn’t surprised that Ripley refused to talk to him ever since, it was Hoaqin’s fault. He’d tried to make up here and there, by stopping some of the workers from getting dug into a hole they’d never escape from. He’d truthfully hoped that his uncle wouldn’t return to pimping out again…

But what could he do?

He returned his gaze to Mary. “Hey, he didn’t hurt you, right?”

“Oh… not really… I mean…”

“I’ll talk to Roman.” Hoaqin said, tired to have to do this again.

“Oh, uh, wait-” Mary grabbed his hand. “Um, there was some guy here who said he wanted to speak to you. Said his name was… Ripley?”

“Ripley?” Cold dripped down Hoaqin despite the heat of the bathhouse. “He was here?”

“Oh yeah, uh, he rented out one of the private rooms, but hasn’t asked for anyone or anything. He says he’s waiting for you.” Mary began walking Hoaqin to the room, but his steps were limp and unsure.

Should he tell someone? Should he tell his uncle? Why was Ripley here? Why was Dreadwire… how did he get in unnoticed?

Mary noticed Hoaqin’s hesitance and stopped right outside the sauna room. “Is something wrong? Is he… dangerous?”

“Dangerous?” Hoaqin chuckled, but there was a nervous undertone. “He’s… he’s just an old friend, I haven’t talked to him in a good bit.”

“Oh… I hope everything goes well, uh, I’ll get you both something to drink.” She flashed him a smile before leaving.

“Thanks Mary.” Hoaqin said, but his eyes were glued to the door.

Stuffing some courage into his metal arm, Hoaqin opened the door.

And true to Mary’s word, there sat Ripley Donovick. He raised an all-black right arm, smirking. “Yo.”

---

Note: The Update versions are likely wrong, I have to look back and fix them, but that will likely be reflected for the RR release of this chapter.

Otherwise, next two chapters? Some of my favorites. I think my best action in the series so far.