Futuristic An Agent of Maniacles

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu was a bit taken aback before he looked at the twins with a bit of an I-told-you-so expression. "Told you we should have wondered the pyramid~." Kotsu said to the twins sticking out his tongue but laughing at the same time.

"You've got me in your corner, dude." Kotsu said with a hearty laugh. "We'll probably find an Owl fragment around you too, odds are!"

 

[Darkling0096]

"...Sam... when we have a chance... could you show us how to properly do things like... hacking into a complex computer system?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to hack. I can program, but I make viruses that destroy the encryptions. It took me years to learn it, with a tutor." Sam shook her head. "Sorry."

Then, at Joseph's mention of not being able to enter the workshop, "Hold on, you're physical in here, right? The Sandlands doesn't apply in my workshop. Everything that enters has all ties forcibly removed. That's why Bitch Goddess was weak in there, it was only the Sandlands that gave her power.

"I don't know what all is holding you from moving on, but I'm able to pull things from here into there. The iron I took from Fizzy's theater, and everything else I've done with it is proof of that. If you can't enter now, which I doubt, maybe when we break the bullshit holding you in here?"

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu let out a large smile at Sam. "We can bring Khepri into the real world that way too!" He said excitedly, thinking about the last thing Denton had said and wanting to honor his wishes.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Sure. We could probably kill your other third the same way."

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu stopped smiling and stared at Sam. "Would you be okay with that? We'd probably tear apart your workshop still..." Kotsu said shyly whilst rubbing the back of his neck.

 

[Darkling0096]

In response, Sam opened the workshop, revealing the lack of anything inside that wasn't scrap metal after the fight with Owl. "You couldn't possibly make it worse."

 

[TheAdept]

The red letters were...nostalgic, to say the least. This was indeed the Joe he worked with before. Clayton thought about what Joseph said about his fate, and what Sam said about bringing him to their world. Then he though about Joseph's plea to be freed at the red pyramid, and his own fate to suffer god knows how long as something he didn't want to be. Yes, Clayton had attempted to end things himself; even going so far as to put a live grenade in his mouth. He reluctantly accepted he wasn't going to die until he was meant to, as decided by whatever forces were at work (though Clayton was largely an atheist.) Still, Joe didn't deserve the type of bullshit that would drive one to suicide but be unable to accomplish even that.

"Joe. Before we make any further decisions given what Sam is saying: do you even want to be brought back?"

 

[Exzalia]

Red owl listen to it all quietly then gently interrupts.

"Joe about the pyramid. Yes we can help you but right now we need to get back to Human kotsu. I sense something, or rather I do not sense something."

"Red?" Bickles asks. "What do you mean?"

"Kotsu other selfs have thoughts of their own, thoughts that I can feel if not know. But for a little while now those thoughts have been, distant. No, not distant...gone. I don't feel human Kotsu presence in his mind anymore."

She looks over at kotsu. "Do you not feel something is off?"

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu stared at Red. "Yeah. I kinda do. Can we head back to the office? I'm worried about them. They haven't called me on my cellphone yet." Kotsu said, showing a hint of fear in his eyes as he just realized Human Kotsu or Valerie hadn't called him.

 

[Exzalia]

"lets go then." Red takes Kotsu hand and grips it tightly. "Let me go in first okay? That goes for all of you."

In Reds heart she already suspected what had happened, but it was no use telling Kotsu now he would see soon enough.

 

[mmarage]

The twins looked at their original counterpart bowing before them all, practically begging for help. "...Yeah, we'll help as well." 02 said after a moment, 01 nodding as well.

"We... know what it's like being trapped somewhere with very little possibility of being free. Not being able to see your friends... well... that's something that'd be intolerable for us too." 01 chimed in.

Joseph slowly stood up straight after he had listened to everyone. He quickly wiped away a few tears. "...Thank you, everyone." He said quietly. He looked at Clayton, that same sad smile on his lips. "I would love to come back to everyone. I wanted to help more people, learn more about the world, before... before I..." He trailed off quietly, before shaking his head. "I'm afraid that Sam's plan won't work, however. That magic is binding my soul, the only way that I could get in here is because Human Kotsu managed to create a connection between this world and my own. I would also imagine that if it did work and you all got me to the physical realm, I'd probably become incorporeal. After all, I am just a spirit, I only have a physical body here because I still have a consciousness here." He explained.

He then turned to Red and Kotsu, his face going a bit pale. "...What...?" He asked quietly. The... the barrier should have held...? Did... he go outside? Did he open the door? No, he shouldn't have. He would have known the risks of doing so. Maybe... there was some sort of interference, or perhaps it was just a trap, or something! He couldn't just be... dead. "...Let's hurry, everyone." He said.

 

[KotaKotsu]

As Red Owl entered the office, she could smell the blood and matter sprayed everywhere. The visage of Human Kotsu's skull sticking to the projector wall seared itself forever into her memory. Valerie had streaks down her face of both blood and tears while the spear jostled forward, slumping her corpse with a sickening crack.

The blood spatter and carnage were revolting, but the one thing that left a creeping feeling in the groups stomach upon entering this scene, would be the message left behind. Written in neat calligraphy with blood read the words.

"Come to the locked room. We await you."

Kotsu stares at the gore before him, shaking without saying much.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Kotsu," Sam said cautiously, stepping away from the shaking vampire, "I know you're angry, and we're gonna get him, but we need you focused, man. We're in your mind right now, we need it stable." If Dark Kotsu had managed to punch through Verum, then they were a lot worse off than they thought, if Kotsu went off the deep end and the Sandlands started reacting, they were in deep trouble.

"I'm gonna start getting my lab gear together, and improve our equipment, alright? I promise, we'll take him down, and you can do whatever you want to him then, but for now, calm down."

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu felt a combination of despair, hunger from the bloodshed due to his vampirisim, animosity toward Dark Kotsu, and sorrow for his lost family. He couldn't protect even himself or his sister locked away safely in his mind. Even with his newfound power, he was still useless as a guardian. His shaking intensified as he dropped to his knees sobbing hysterically and screaming in frustration.

Kotsu began to punch the ground furiously with each hit more stalled and more powerful than the last. The floor would constantly have more tile underneath, as shards embedded themselves into Kotsu's fists. Sickening cracks echoed from his knuckles as his fingers and hand became warped and more bloody at this point. He still kept punching until he threw an off balanced punch and cried out painfully as he curled himself into a ball with tears streaming down his face.

As Kotsu sat there crying and screaming, his eyes began to glow faintly red as he heard a voice in his skull.

"You know, she really never did love you."

It was Dark Kotsu in his mind, speaking directly to Kotsu, but since their minds were joined, everyone heard the voice. A visual began to play on the projector of Dionysus and Owl back when she was whole. They were in bed with Owl cradling onto Dionysus as they talked about her being his favorite champion. Kotsu began to clutch his head as he could see it in his mind even when he closed his eyes.

"JUST STOP IT ALREADY!" Kotsu cried out, digging his five remaining sharpened nails into his skull using the hand that wasn't mangled. "GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD! YOU KEEP TAKING EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Kotsu cried out as he kept digging deeper into his skull, trying desperately to get the visage out of his mind.

 

[mmarage]

Joseph and the twins weren't far behind the two. The scene before them... it sickened them to the core. Joseph walked forward numbly. "You... you were supposed to... I'm... I...!" His voice cracked as he spoke, slowly going weak. The barrier... it should have kept Dark Kotsu out. But... his worst fear had been realized. Human Kotsu had opened the door... and Dark Kotsu used the opportunity to assault the room from directly outside of it. He... had failed him. He fell to his knees in front of a golden trinket on the ground, covered in blood. He numbly picked it up, his hands shaking. "...You... you promised..." He said quietly as he stared down at the bloodied gold locket.

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Joseph had looked at the twins as they stood in the training room. "Hey, you two run ahead and tell them that I'll be with them shortly, just have a few things left to explain, if you would be so kind." He said, offering a smile.

The twins merely shrugged. "Alright, don't take too long." 01 said.

"See ya later, Kotsu." 02 pitched in. The two turned and left their counterpart and the Human version of Kotsu alone in his his training room.

Joseph turned back to Human Kotsu, rubbing the back of his head. "...Um... there isn't really anything left to explain, honestly. I just wanted to give you something else, and... I dunno, I guess it might be a bit embarrassing, you know?" He asked, his cheeks reddening slightly, before his expression turned soft. "...Kotsu, I know that you must feel alone here. How you think you don't have any friends. I... know what that's like. I was trapped in darkness for years now... but... I did always have something that kept me fighting, that always helped me remember why I needed to get back. It's my most prized possession, and it's truly invaluable to me." He said. Joseph reached up and into the neck of his shirt, before pulling out a simple golden oval locket.

"I've had this ever since I was a child. As... a token of our newfound friendship, I want you to hold onto it. When this is all over, you have to give it back to me yourself, got it?" He asked as he undid the locket's clasp and held it out towards Kotsu.

Human Kotsu smiled at Joseph. "Yeah, I'll stay alive long enough to give it to you. At the very least." Human Kotsu said with a laugh as he took the locket and put it on. "Heh, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirtin' with me." Human Kotsu teased.

Joseph's face went absolutely red when Human Kotsu said that. "I-I am not!" He said, crossing his arms and looking to the side. "...For one, I'm dead, two, you're clearly in a relationship with Ms. Owl, and three, I... haven't exactly gotten over my last boyfriend. I... just wanted to give you that so then... I dunno, that you know that just because I'm having you stay here doesn't mean that I don't wish to become your friend. Plus... to hope that'll remind you not to do anything reckless. You promised to give that back to me yourself, after all. If you die... well... I'm dead too, ya know. That means that I can come and haunt you for breaking that promise! Spirit's honor!" He said, turning back to Human Kotsu, leaning towards him. "So you'd better not break it, got it?" He asked.

Human Kotsu stared at Joe before smiling softly at him. "Thanks, man. But, I'll have you know, I'm not sure if you can haunt a part of someone's conscious. If you can, you're more than welcome to try. I'm sure Kotsu would enjoy the company." Human Kotsu smiled mischievously.

"I won't break the locket. You'll get it back in tact. That's definitely something I can promise." Human Kotsu smiled warmly at Joseph.

Joseph smirked at him. "Ah, but you underestimate how stubborn I am. If I can't find a way to haunt you, I'll make one." He said... before letting out a soft chuckle. "Well, you'd better be the one handing it back to me, mister, otherwise I'll find you in the afterlife and administer ten thousand flicks to the forehead!" He said, giving him a grin.

Human Kotsu grunted at Joseph annoyed but in a playful manner. "Eh, flick off then. I'll see you when you get back. Y'all better eat the food I lay out next time. Disrespectful ass people, man." Human Kotsu said in a huffy voice, but smiled at Joseph. "Yes, that is a hint for you all to eat the food before you leave. Gotta make sure to eat heartily if you're gonna go tangoing with death." Human Kotsu laughed until he was smiling genuinely again. "Ya know, I'm gonna miss you guys."

Joseph chuckled at his words. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to get a nice big plate. I quite literally have not eaten in years." He said, giving his own genuine smile. "Hey, you're acting like you'll never see the others again. You'll still see them, and... they'll always know that you're there. While you might not be able to talk to one another directly, I know that your feelings will still reach them." He said, a gentle smile on his face.

Human Kotsu waved his arm that had the training dummy stuck to his wrist and smacked himself in the face with it. "Yeah, yeah-Ow!" Kotsu rubbed his face with the training dummy. "Alright, fair enough." He said pulling off the training dummy. "Go on and get a plate and laugh. I'll join you guys after I'm done." Human Kotsu said, picking back up one of the bakken he had used.

"I gotta get some more training in. I'm gonna kill that sumbitch. I owe him after those last couple months!" Human Kotsu began unleashing furious combinations of blade swings down on one of the training dummies in emphasis.

Joseph nodded. "Alright, I shall see you later then." He said, giving Human Kotsu one last wave, before turning and ascending the stairs.

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Joseph just sat there for a few moments, clutching the bloodied locket, his hands being stained red with his fallen friend's blood. He was only broken out of his almost trance-like state by Kotsu's anguished screaming. "Kotsu...! I... I'm sorry, please don't hurt yourself." He said, reaching out towards him.

However he stopped as he heard that voice. He felt warmth blossom in the pit of his stomach as he heard it. That mocking, despicable voice. His face turned towards the projector. Joseph began shaking, before a magic circle formed in the air right next to his head... and a beam of light energy flew from it. Its aim rang true as it slammed right into the projector, the beam of light carrying it into the air, and smashing it into the wall. The projector broke into several pieces and left a rather sizable hole in the wall. Some of the parts were smoking and melted as a perfect circle had been gouged where the beam had hit it, leaving it quite irreparable.

Joseph took a deep breath and calmed himself as he turned back towards Kotsu. He got to his knees and put his hands on Kotsu's shoulders, accidentally smearing blood onto them in the process. "Mr. Kotsu, please, do not listen to him. He wants you to feel this way, he wants to make you feel weak, alone, and powerless. But you're not alone, we're all here with you. You're not powerless, this is your world, not his. He should be the one feeling weak and alone, because we're going to go in there, and we're going to make him pay for what he's done. We're going to get your mind back under control, and we can fix this. This is your mind, your world, not his. He is a part of you, not the other way around. You must get up." Joseph said, his expression had become quite hard. Even though he knew that Human Kotsu was just a manifestation of Kotsu's psyche, a part of himself that he compartmentalized... but that didn't make him feel any less like a person.

The twins walked up behind Kotsu, wrapping their arms around his chest, pulling him into a hug. "Yeah, we're here for you, so please, please don't listen to him, please stop hurting yourself because of him." 01 pleaded.

02 nodded. "C'mon, you're way stronger than this, Kotsu. Let's get up and go kick this guy's ass and make him beg for forgiveness. He's gonna regret ever trying to step out of line." 02 said, trying to encourage Kotsu.

"...No matter what he says, until Owl truthfully tells you what's in her heart... choose to believe in the love that you have for her. Don't let the dark part of your mind try to keep you down. Until she says that she does not truly love you, don't give up faith in her, okay?" Joseph asked, his voice getting a bit more tender as he said those words. He didn't know if that image on the projector was real or not. At the moment... it didn't really matter. To try and use that against someone... was truly one of the lowest things that a person could do.

 

[KotaKotsu]

The voice of the original Dark Kotsu boomed after the Joes interference, roaring with laughter. "You keep saying we, like you all are a team. Has your feeble mind yet to grasp that you are not so tight knit?"

Joseph shattering the projector shattered the image in Kotsu's mind as Kotsu began to calm down, kneeling while taking his fingers off his skull. He realized the he was being forced to see the lens of a camera that displayed on the projector. Kotsu was no longer afraid, crying, or tearing into himself. No, the Joes were right. And Kotsu was angry now more than anything.

"Tell me, Denton had plans to kill us, Kotsu, did he not? What about Fritz Roy, he did try to exterminate us like vermin. Aria even tried to pummel you into Oblivion over seeing a memory. Sam would annhiliate you with her arsenal just to test the durability of a vampire. But the thing I want to note to you most, was that Yellow begged me to kill her at the end. To get away from you. She whispered it as the clone kissed her forehead. Our collective minds."

In Kotsu's own way, he admitted Red was more than right about the therapy they all needed after this shit.

Kotsu slowly walked over to one of the tacky posters he had hung up and peeled it off the wall with two fingers. A small camera rested behind the poster, and as Kotsu stared at it, he smiled. It was a calm smile. The type of smile someone gives you when you hurt someone they love.

Kotsu uses his index finger to shove it into the camera while he slowly pushes his fist into the wall to rip it upward.

"Ya know something?" Kotsu laughs a little bit before he licks his lips. "I'm done. I was debating on letting you live, ya know? Even after you killed Yellow. I was thinking we could work together in some regard. Some form of redemption." Kotsu begins twisting the camera wires slowly along his hand as more cameras began to come toward his arm.

"I could deal with torturing me too. I could deal with teaming up with Blue too, it'd be a smart way not to die. Denton approved logic. But you fucked up, when you killed the one thing that kept me from killing you." Kotsu cocked his head as he yanked all of the wires at once with a quick jerk of his hand.

"And you know something, that was bad enough. You fucking recorded it. Now, now I'm gonna take my time." Kotsu said calmly as he yanked all the wires, disconnecting them all in a fell swoop.

"I'm coming for you. And I'm not stopping." Kotsu's armor formed itself on his torso, but not his face.

Dark Kotsu stopped talking at this point.
________________________________________________

Dark Kotsu was sitting in the barn with a small computer in front of him with screens full of screens that were black.

"Why must you torture him? Would it not make sense to fight him to prove our dominance?" Dark Kotsu asked himself as he began chewing mindlessly on one of the arms that were laying around the barn.

His dark flesh begins to pulse as a clone speaks up in its place, sitting behind him on a throne of vampire corpses. "Because, you oaf. I now have more power than I know what to do with. I need to make sure they hit us with everything they have. Once they do that, and we still remain standing, then their despair and suffering will taste the sweetest from their blood!" The Dark Kotsu clone had an almost euphoric reaction to his own statement.

Dark Kotsu with his weird beak shapes nose twitched as another mouth full of teeth revealed itself, as he tossed more meat using his mouth flaps into it. "I'd prefer it cooked." Was all the hulking amalgamation in now metal and ethereal armor said to himself as the flesh grew silent and so did the clone...
_________________________________________________

"We break for the room when you all have prepared. I will clean this mess. I apologize for keeping my office untidy."

Kotsu said in a monotone voice as he walks to the desk and grabs a bucket and some cleaning supplies. He leaves behind the desk again and opens a few doors before he pulls out a broom and closes the doors he had opened. He begins cleaning up the gore without any expression on his face.

 

[Darkling0096]

Sam let out a sigh of relief when Kotsu didn't lose it. "Anyone who wants upgrades and repairs, let me know," she said as she and her AIs began to pull tools out of the Sandlands to assemble a part of her workshop. "Portal's open."

Sam repaired one of the mechs inside her lab to ferry the tools and components back and forth, and another to assemble it. The third was completely destroyed, so she set Ciara to connecting the systems while Kai and Halo put it together. Their combined efforts resulted in Sam's workshop becoming ready to work.

 

[mmarage]

Joseph watched Kotsu as he made his threat. He... seemed like he had changed quite a bit, his mental state had seemed to change drastically. But... the question that had come to his mind was how long ago had Human Kotsu met his end. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "...I shall assist you once I have concluded my investigation. I would ask that you not touch the crime scene for the time being. Please forgive me for desecrating your final moments." He said, he opened his eyes, setting his bloodied locket in his pocket.

His demeanor had changed quite a bit. He had detached himself from his emotions. He had learned long ago that when conducting an investigation, especially that of a death, that he needed to be objective. He could mourn over the dead once he had finished. His eyes scanned over the bloodstains in the room. Aside from the footprints that the group had made in the room, there was only one set. They led from Valerie's corpse to the desk. Joseph walked to the door, his hands in his pockets. "...The victim came to the door. For whatever reason, he opened it. This allowed the perpetrator to assault those within. He was unable to come into the room, this is evidenced by the fact that only one set of footprints, aside from those that discovered the crime scene. If they were able to enter the room, then they would have done so. The likelihood of them successfully carrying out their crime decreases the way they had carried it out." Joseph said, mostly to himself as he assessed the scene.

He turned to Valerie's body, noting the footprints once more and the upturned bag and the pills that had been scattered across the floor. He noted that while some were covered in blood, there were others that were merely on top of the blood. "He struck the initial victim first, given her position, she was lying down, potentially sleeping when she was attacked. The secondary victim rushed to assist her. This wound was not fatal. She lived from her wounds for a short time, before being struck again, killing her." He said, before glancing at the blood splatter against the wall. "The secondary victim was struck when he tried to assist her. He then ran to hide from his assailant behind the desk." He said as he began moving toward the desk.

Joseph stopped by the desk, noting the broken end of the spear sticking out there. "...He had tried to deal with his wounds... however, I believe that the spear attached to him was a harpoon." He said, noting the drag marks and the upturned desk. "...The perpetrator dragged him from his hiding spot, and then killed him outside in the hallway." He said, walking back to where he had initially began, noting the large amount of blood, where he had found his locket, and the two accessories that he had given Human Kotsu shortly before death.

"...The killer decapitated the secondary victim after death, and then pinned his head to the wall as a gruesome display." He said, glancing at the grotesque scene. He finally knelt down, touching the large blood pool. "...The blood seems to have begun to congeal. It can't be more than an hour or two old." He mumbled, before rising to his feet once more. He pulled off his gloves, walking over to Valerie's body. "...Forgive me." He said quietly, before pressing two fingers against her bare skin, taking care to avoid the blood. "...Initial victim still feels warm, but is beginning to cool down. The blood and her body temperature points to their deaths occurring around one to two hours ago." He stated, before taking a few steps back.

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them again. "...The investigation has been concluded. Please, rest in peace." Joseph said, seeming to return to normal. Normally, an investigation would take longer... however, in this case, the killing took place from completely outside of the room, the killer was unable to manipulate the scene, he couldn't hide or mess with the scene in any way. He shook his head slightly, before turning to Kotsu. If their deaths had occurred that long ago, surely they should have seen an immediate change in behavior. Perhaps... perhaps his initial inferences were incorrect...? Perhaps Kotsu needed to witness his death before it set in? Or... maybe... it's psychosomatic. He sees his human self dead, thus he believes that the human within him is dead.

"...Please allow me to assist you in cleaning this up. Let us make sure that we deal with their remains in a respectful manner. More respectful than their killer, at least." Joseph said.

The twins had watched their original counterpart investigate the scene. Was... this really the time to do this? "...Kotsu, just tell us if you need us to do anything, alright?" 01 asked, 02 nodded in agreement. They didn't look forward to handling the bodies of two people they had been getting to know, but they couldn't let their friend shoulder this burden alone.

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu cleans up the blood in the office without a sound. He no longer looks interested in anything going on around him. Joseph spoke of his investigation as something he said caught his ear.

"...The blood seems to have begun to congeal. It can't be more than an hour or two old."

What was time in the Sandlands to any of them here? Something that happens two years ago could be brand new to them, and something that happened two hours ago was something Kotsu couldn't even detect in his own head. Would it have taken longer if they never made it back to the office? Questions needed answers.

Kotsu gently picks up Valerie's body, and then removes Human Kotsu's head from the wall before taking them downstairs behind the desk. Using one of his whips, he grab a canister of gasoline from behind the desk. He walks through the stone hallway without uttering a word. Kotsu sets them down in the middle of the training room, and pours gasoline on Valerie's body while holding Human Kotsu's head in one of his whips. He pulls out match and a match book and strikes it against the strip, dropping it on Valerie's body.

"I'll avenge you, baby sis." He said in a monotone voice, as he looks at Human Kotsu's skull and tosses it on the fire. He walks back up the stairs and doesn't look back, closing the cellar door behind him one final time.

Kotsu makes his way over to Sam and places The Whip It down in front of her. "What can we do about this for an upgrade?" Kotsu asked her, and remembered he had Fizzy's energy sword and pulled that out as well. He debated giving it back to Fritz Roy, but decided that they'd need all the fire power they could get if he ever woke up. Kotsu pocketed the energy sword again, deciding to utilize it on Dark Kotsu for it's effective skill at killing filthy vampires.

 

[Darkling0096]

"What can we do about this for an upgrade?"

Sam picked up the whip harness and put it into a machine, which disassembled it down to the components of the weapon. "Well, it's basically just a winch with tubes. Most of this won't work in the real world, but I can tweak the motors to make them run faster, it'll pull the whip back a lot faster and with more force. That means it'll take a bit more force to pull it out, but for you that's nothing new." Sam smirked as she said the last bit. "I might be able to come up with a stronger alloy for the cables, but I don't really know where I'd find anything stronger than what we've got... maybe I can put a laser focus core on the blade, give you some non-melee... Pick a color."

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu shrugged. He thought of the color of his very own soul from when he had used Alchemy for the first time and when he had summoned his armor and sword. "Green, I guess."

 

[Darkling0096]

"Oh, that's a little easier than I thought it'd be. I thought you were gonna say red or something like that," Sam chuckled, "Alright, I can make that happen. I'll have to find some filters, I don't have a green lense, my stuff's all blue. Halo, keep the printer going, Kai, I need a screwdriver. I've got to go find a projecter and a laser pointer."

"Yeah, mom," Halo replied from her station. Sam caught the screwdriver Kai threw before leaving the workshop and going through the door to the school.

"No porky this time, huh? Kinda disappointed, we didn't even fight," she muttered as she rummaged through classrooms, glad she wasn't child-sized anymore. Just in case, she kept her baton pistols within arms reach, having left her armor in the workshop so Halo and Kai could do their thing to it. Coming back with an armload of components, she set about constructing the laser cores for the Whip It. "I coudn't find the metals to make a stronger alloy for the cables, but if I do this-", sam picked up a piece of the circuitry from one of the projectors. It turned into dust in her hands, which she poured into a jar. "Ciara, temporary access to file directory 'Adult', 'Body Composition', 'Nanite Program'. I need a copy to play with."

"THat's what's in there?", Ciara asked incredulously, "Halo, you lied!"

"I said you didn't need to worry about it," Halo replied, "Give mom what she asked for."

"What else is in there?", Ciara asked, before finding out that the temporary access applied only to a specific path, she couldn't sight-see. "Oh."

"I promise, you'll get it when you're old enough," Sam said, taking the file copy and fiddling with the code. "There!", she said a few moments later, flicking the file towards the jar. The contents came to life and floated into the Whip It's components and reassembled it. "Nanites, my friend, the future of technology. They'll keep it together for you, no matter what you slap." Confidently, Sam handed the improved Whip-it back to Kotsu. "Don't do anything stupid, this won't be possible in the real world until I can get a certain bacteria to play with."

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu looked at The Whip It and regarded it more casually than normal, but he showed appreciation with a deep bow. "Thank you. But might I ask, what bacteria would it be that you need? I may be able to acquire it." Kotsu said with a blank expression but cocked his head slightly to the right.

 

[Darkling0096]

"If I tell you these three are gonna go looking for it," Sam replied, gesturing towards the mechs and the computer. "It's supposed to be an incentive to survive, but they are still children. Don't give a child a gun they can't handle, know what I mean?"

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu shrugged. "Fair enough. Tell me when the kids are out of earshot one day, then. I'll see what I can do." Kotsu said before re-equipping The Whip It. He flexed his muscles against the steel as the cold touched his body. His gaze was distant as well. "I'll be taking some therapy like Red suggested. I think I'm taking a vacation for a while after this."