Digital Waltz

(Moon)

"I'll go get him." Moon nodded and stood up, looking around cautiously. She glanced down at Madelyn before running towards Dr Miller. When she reached him, she smiled. "We need you to fix a cybernetic thingy." She sighed, leaning against a pile of rubble.

(Mist)

"You're welcome" Mist smiled before frowning "Your leg is broken. I'll go get something to hold it in place." She smiled and then went to look for some scrap metal or wood, or anything that would help. Her own leg was twitching nervoulsy, something was concerning her.

Kaylee Brown wrote:(Arnold, The Hooded Figure)


Lia wearily looked down over the edge of the rooftop and quickly took a few steps back:

"...help would be.. very welcome.." she quietly mumbled, looking at the rope with terrified eyes.


Vogel came slightly closer and sighed: "...don't worry about me and Lia. Once everyone's on the other side, I have a place where we can lay low. No one will find us.

Go. Help your friends. You've done more than we can ever repay you.
Thank you. I'll never forget that" Vogel said, looking into your eyes.


Lia stretched out her hand and took hold of Arnolds palm: "..ready" she quietly mumbled and looked over the roofs edge again.

"Shall we exit stage left then?" the Hooded Figure asks.

(Radiance)
After helping the first few wounded he had met he went and walked back through the area searching for any who might not have been able to make it out in time. He also made a mental note of how many had died in the battle.


(Serna)
Serena sighed, then slowly started walking over to help. All the while she once again began to reset her tablet.

Rain sits next to maddie wrapping an arm around her, "hay hay hay..." she says leaning down next to her, "I have no idea what we are going through but what i can do is try to guide us in the right direction..." she looks at her placing a palm on her cheek, "I... Know its hard but we truely need to keep moving..." she gives her a tight hug before pulling herself up.

Violet sighs and tries on the glove, trying to strap it and work the mechanism (im doing a massive overhaul of violets personality so she might start acting WAY diffrent... I have no idea what to do with her she is just too timid so i need to ramp her up a bit and i think i found a place for her.)

(Angelo)

"Understood."

He nodded, and turned to the crowd.

"MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE?! The beasts that terrorized your houses have been slain, but more may be on the way. However, they are weak to sunlight, it makes them difficult to move in. So you know what I am implying here."

He dramatically pointed upwards. "We must escape to the surface, for there is enough light to keep you safe from them! In the meantime, we will deal with these invaders to make your houses safe once again!"

He took a more normal pose then. "But we can't just rush up there, everyone! Go at this in a calm and orderly fashion. THAT is a demand."

(Oboro)

She looked somberly at Madelyn. "Maddie... Look at me for a moment." She took a breath. "I know the doctor might be scary, and you two may not get along well. But, he is currently your safest bet for survival. The other option is Dr. zarovee, but getting there is a very risky path, and we don't know how long it takes."

She sighs once, knowing she would be doing a guilt-trip. "If you want to see your daughter, then you must live. Survive. In that regard, you need some patching. Don't worry." She smiled. "If he tries something funny, we'll play some jokes on him too."

(Arnold)

He made sure she was holding him tight, as he prepared to get to the other side with her.
"This could be scary. Don't let go, I'll make sure you're safe."

When he finally got the aperatus in place to move, he took a deep breath.
"Just move over there, Arnold. Then, we're safe."

Despite seeming slightly shakey while standing still, he goes down the rope.

(Everyone)


Miller nodded to Moon, still fixated on the pile of ruble in front of him: "Yeah, just.. need to salvage whatever's left of my tools.. half of them turned into trash... and, got it" he stuck his hand deep into a heap of metal and pulled out a steel metal box.

He inspected it briefly, then stuck it under his arm and followed Moon.

As they both reached the group and it became apparent that they're walking towards Madelyn, Millers expression soured:
"...are you kidding me. I'm not fixing a Rumba"


"Please! Just!-.." Tomas exclaimed, then took a deep breath and motion toward Madelyn: "...please, just do what you can"



Madelyn was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees. She seemed to have calmed down, after Rain and Oboro talked to her. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, before she nodded a few times, wiping her eyes:

"...you're... you're right of course... sorry I, momentarily lost myself...
I can't die here... it won't help my daughter, if I die from my wounds..."


She slowly looked at everyone, deep into their eyes, before she quietly said:

"Thank you... everyone... I, won't forget what you're doing for me..." She mumbled with a stutter: "..I-"




"Alright enough dilly dallying" Miller called and crouched down next to her, pulling out some sort of electronic device from his box.


For several minutes he scanned her whole body, looking for something, then began looking over the wound on the stomach. Everything in it seemed like the inside of a computer. Circuits, wires and electronic devices, so complicated and bizarre, you have a strong feeling you've never seen anything quite like it before.

Miller was visibly hesitant to touch any device he didn't recognize and simply isolated the sparking circuits and wires. Then took a large flat metal plate and melded it over the wound, closing it off from the outside.


Throughout the whole process, Madelyn didn't show any signs of pain. She only stared at the ceiling or closed her eyes, visibly trying to distance herself from the process.



While Miller worked, there was time to thoroughly assess the situation in the cave, find and help all the wounded. There was roughly twenty of them. Varying degrees of bruises, shallow cuts and a few closed fractures.

Most wounds were sustained via collateral damage, when the hostile machines had carelessly rampaged through the cave, destroying structures and sending debris flying everywhere.

But due to your quick actions at the moment of battle, no civilians had died. Tomas mentioned it several times, as everyone had dispersed, helping the wounded. The last battle could have ended very differently, and injuries were a better outcome than death.



After Angelo's speech, the crowd had somewhat calmed down. After the sounds of battle had faded, many returned to the cave, grabbing their meager belongings and helping the wounded prepare for travel, before the populace of the cave began making their way down the tunnels of the Labyrinth.

Traveling together in a tight crowd, they all began heading in the same direction, slowly and steadily heading down the same tunnels and paths. It seems they knew the paths well and which one led to the surface.





Dr. Miller had finished his work, around the same time as you finished patching up last of the wounded.

Madelyn was still laying on her back, looking up at the ceiling and resting.

Miller grimly looked at her and called aloud: "...I have done everything I can.. Mrs. Madelyn... I don't have the proper tools or materials to properly fix this.. issue.... you will have to visit a proper maintenance facility for that. A good one.
As I've said, there was a noticeable crack, on your spinal superstructure. You must avoid over exerting yourself.
If you pull another stunt like what you did with the Spider, I don't need to explain what will happen to you"




He slowly moved away from her, until he was out of her earshot, then looked at you. His expression was very grim:

"...watch her. The next time she tries to stop a Spiders leg with her bare hands, her spine will snap like a matchstick"



"W-..what can we do for her?!" Mira quietly called, pale and horrified: "How do we.. heal her?"




Miller grimly sighed: "...her?... she's not a real person. You understand that don't you?

She wears a persons skin, she seemingly expresses emotion, but its just default programming. Lines of code. If event 'A' happens, do 'B'. That's how she works. Its just a simulated program. There's no consciousness behind it. No life"



"That's a bit harsh" Tomas frowned: "How can you know for sure. Maybe she's a real person. But.. someone just placed too many cybernetics into her.
A ballistic fist, concealed blade, some kind of strength augmentation, hydraulic speed enhancers, some bizarre axe compartment, a jet pack, she well exceeds the 6 Essence Count.
Maybe that's why she's... acting a little different sometimes.."




"Don't be stupid" Miller impatiently waved him off: "You know what happens when people exceed their 6 Essence Count. You're in the Zerber Police Unit for gods sake, I don't have to explain it to you"
Miller exhaled in frustration: "People who exceed their Essence Count, go insane without fail. We're talking severe mental illnesses. Severe hallucinations, complete detachment from reality. That's not what we're seeing here"



Miller sighed and sent a hand through his hair: "I've scanned Madelyn's entire body. Those are not cybernetics. Its just part of her skeletal structure.
Her entire carcass is made of metal and Tilerium. There's not a single organic part in her.
Its a machine. A Rumba. No two ways about it"



"How can that be.." Mira shook her head, looking down: "Rumba's are just automated drones. They can't simulate emotion. They don't have personalities. Madelyn does have all that... is she.. an A.I.? Artificial Intelligence?"



"No. Impossible" Miller shook his head: "They've been trying to create an A.I. for 50 years. Every attempt resulted in failure. Every scientist, no matter how stubborn or dedicated, eventually reached the same conclusion, whether he liked it or not.
You cannot create a consciousness in a machine. You cannot give actual life to an inanimate object.

A machine can simulate life, but it cannot develop a consciousness. Madelyn is a Rumba. No two ways about it... excuse me" Miller quietly said and squeezed in between you, moving out of the cave, together with the rest of the wounded.




Madelyn remained laying on the ground for some time, then slowly stood and looked over the cave. A deep sorrow reflected inside her eyes, before she shook her head slightly and headed towards you:

"We should go. Accompany the civilians until they reach topside. Make sure nothing else happens to them"




As Serena finished resetting her tablet, she unexpectedly found a large heap of junk code, spread wide across the memory disk. Possibly left behind after the centipedes intrusion.

Before the thought of deleting it reached you, your trained eye noticed some sort of pattern, inside the junk code.

It was barely visible, in the mess of random keywords and codes, but it almost looked like an encrypted message, left behind by the centipede.

(The Hooded Figure, Arnold)


As the last one of the group began rapidly making his way down the rope, you could already hear the distant rumble of footsteps, as dozens of cops reached the rooftop.

The Rumba had quickly cut off the rope, as soon as you were on the other side, then turned around to face the massive crowd in front of it.

It raised its hand in a threatening manner and began saying something. The cops became entirely focused on it.



In the deep darkness, under the heavy rain clouds above, it seems your escape went largely unnoticed.

As you look around the new rooftop you landed on and try to catch your breath after the rapid, dizzying descent, your earpiece clicked on:

"Proceed to the Lavender 41st street. Seven kilometers North East of you." The distorted voice said: "If you hurry, you should find your friends there. Out"


Vogel took Lia's hand and waved you a final goodbye: "...take care... and don't die" he quietly said, before he and Lia had vanished down one of the fire emergency staircases, leading down to the ground.


The sky was dark with massive rain clouds and a distant thunder had rocked the horizon. A few drops of rain fell on your forehead, before a faint rainfall began.

Kaylee Brown wrote:(The Hooded Figure, Arnold)


As the last one of the group began rapidly making his way down the rope, you could already hear the distant rumble of footsteps, as dozens of cops reached the rooftop.

The Rumba had quickly cut off the rope, as soon as you were on the other side, then turned around to face the massive crowd in front of it.

It raised its hand in a threatening manner and began saying something. The cops became entirely focused on it.



In the deep darkness, under the heavy rain clouds above, it seems your escape went largely unnoticed.

As you look around the new rooftop you landed on and try to catch your breath after the rapid, dizzying descent, your earpiece clicked on:

"Proceed to the Lavender 41st street. Seven kilometers North East of you." The distorted voice said: "If you hurry, you should find your friends there. Out"


Vogel took Lia's hand and waved you a final goodbye: "...take care... and don't die" he quietly said, before he and Lia had vanished down one of the fire emergency staircases, leading down to the ground.


The sky was dark with massive rain clouds and a distant thunder had rocked the horizon. A few drops of rain fell on your forehead, before a faint rainfall began.

"I can accompany you as far as there then" the Hooded Figure said to Arnold.

(Serena)

Serena began to pick apart the code. Separating it out into the portions of the message and just the scrambled junk portions. She made sure to keep both parts as she figured that a creature of that complexity wouldn't likely have just one message hidden in the code. She was also going to need the use of multiple devices in order to truly dissect the code.

An idea suddenly hits Serena

"What if, what if your both Madelyn? Living and machine? During that battle, I had a little bit of an encounter with the Centipedes'..umm, mind. It was a like a jumbled mess of minds trying to gain control. What if, what if your mind is true flesh and organic but you're simply existing inside of a robotic shell?"

Violet slowly approaches the group, "well that was fun..." she chuckles tinkering with the mechenism on her arm, "are you ok maddie? Its quite clear the state of your life bothers you." she says leaning down and looking at she shoddy fix , "hmph..." she judges it before standing up, "you need to be more careful dear." she stretches giving maddie a warm smile before returning to tinker with the mechinism.

Rain takes a seat waiting for the group to decide wether or not they were gonna start moving.

(Oboro, Angelo)

The mare rubbed her chin. "Maybe she is a Rumba... But until we can truely confirm this, we should treat her like a living being. Calling her a machine does trigger a defensive response. Hmmm..."

Angelo waves over. "Fellow freedom fighters! The people are leaving to the surface! Let's make haste to follow them!"

Oboro looked around. "Should we? I mean, it's another detour from going to the lab."

(Arnold)

He waves the cop and the girl out. "Stay safe you two. I pray we can meet under better circumstances."

When he was spoken to after the rain started, he looked at him. "That won't be neccissary, citizen. I can get there myself." He then looks toward the direction given. "You've helped enough already. Go get some rest."

With that, he begins his way down at the other side, to get there as fast as he could.

(The Hooded Figure, Arnold)


It took a little over an hour, to reach the specified street. Every few minutes, a new text message would appear on the Hooded Figures phone, giving further and further directions.

Your path took you through the secluded parts of the city, where barely any or no camera surveillance existed. It quickly became apparent that the text messages were guiding you away from the nearby police patrols, updating you in real time, if any patrols seemingly came close.


The rain had slowly turned into a downpour. The sky was lit up here and there, by massive flashes of lightning, when the next text message seemingly sent you underground.

A hidden passage in an abandoned warehouse, unexpectedly revealed a massive staircase, that led further and further below, into the depths of the earth.


There was barely any light here. The few light bulbs that still worked, sent a yellow dim light over the area. You found yourself walking through a maze of tunnels, extremely deep underground. The path twisted and turned, branching out every few minutes. The further you went, the harder it became to remember the way back. Only the text messages guiding you forward.


Several times, you passed by large yellow signs, warning you of construction. They looked so faded and old, they must have stood here for decades.


You began noticing strange things in the tunnels. Deep claw marks on the walls. Pieces of old clothing. Dry red stains on the floor. The deafening silence in the tunnels heavily pressed on you. Only your breath and your footsteps were heard.



Your phones digital clock showed 18:13 in the evening, when the last text message told you to head through a heavy door, at the end of a tunnel.


Some kind of activity was happening behind it. As if dozens of people were moving on the other side.


The door suddenly opened and Tomas popped into view. Behind him, you could see a large crowd of people, moving down an adjacent corridor.

"...is someone there?" he called, squinting in your direction.

A few moments later, Jane Doe popped into view, standing next to Tomas and squinting in your direction.

(Everybody)


"..nnnot necessarily" Tomas said, looking down at his compass: "We seem to be largely moving in the direction of Dr. Zarovee's lab, and the locals seems to know the tunnels well. Following them to the surface may be the best option.

My compass can show us the right direction, but it won't save us from walking into dead ends. The Labyrinth is true to its name, without having a blueprint, we may be stumbling in here for hours"



Madelyn gave a faint smile to Violet, before her expression saddened again and she absentmindedly scratched her shoulder:
"...to be honest, the state of my life doesn't bother me anymore. It doesn't matter if I am a living being or a machine. I only care about finding my daughter.." She looked down and proceeded to follow the civilian population, as they slowly walked out of the cave:

"...she's.. only 12... where is she now? Is she hungry? Is she scared? Is she wandering where I am? We've been on the road since morning and I haven't seen here once.." Madelyn's expression became pained: "...how could it end up like this? I'm a horrible mother" she looked away, wrapping herself in her arms.




Tomas looked at her, then at Serena: "...organic mind...inside a robot shell? Can't be..Dr. Miller said he scanned her whole body. There wasn't a single organic component in there" Tomas said in a lowered voice, trying to avoid Madelyn overhearing him:

"Not to mention, if a persons brain was placed inside a robot shell, it wouldn't be able to survive.
A brain needs a great many things to survive. A blood flow, that delivers oxygen and sugar. A system that enriches the blood with fresh oxygen and filters out CO2.
The brain would need lungs, it would need kidneys, it would need a heart to pump the blood, hell, it would need a whole organic body for that.

But... Miller said she had no organic components in her body...
Hell, she got bit through her stomach, but no blood came out. She doesn't feel pain, there's no organs inside. Only circuitry...

A persons brain wouldn't survive in a shell like that... what is happening..."




"Hey guys.." Mira quietly called, as the group marched forward with the civilians: "...if we're getting closer to Dr. Zarovee's lab... we should be passing next to the south end of the Adelheid Lake right?"

"...from our current position?.. yeah, probably" Tomas said, looking down at his compass.

"There's a brief stop I want to make there" Mira called: "...there is an infamous hacker, currently living in Adelheid. An anarchist. He specialized in digging up unwanted, hidden information and making it public. Goes by the codename of 'Blynchyk'.
... I... may have crossed paths with him several times... he helped me dig up stories in the past, wanted me to make them public... I know the location of one of his safehouses.
Its on the way to Dr. Zarovee's lab, so it won't delay us too much"


Mira's expression began grim and determined: "...if he's there, I think we should see him. He has his fingers in every string that's being pulled inside Adelheid.
If anyone truly known what's happening in this city, its him. He may have crucial information about our enemies.
About the plot to cause a lethal police raid in the Labyrinth. About the machines that are trying to kill us. About Madelyn.

Maybe it will be a wild goose chase and he's not even in that safehouse, but, its on our way. I believe its worth a shot"


As you moved through the tunnels, slowly following the civilian crowd, Tomas' ears suddenly moved and he looked to the side of the tunnel, where a large metal door stood in place.

He squinted at it, then walked toward it and cautiously pulled it open. The corridor behind it was dark, but you thought you saw two silhouettes in the shadows.

"...is someone there?" he called. Madelyn silently walked up and stood beside him.


Out of the darkness of the corridor, two figures slowly came into view.

Arnold and a Hooded Figure.

(Radiance)
"Information's always useful, but," Radiance answers Mira "You're sure he's not in cahoots with whoever's pulling the strings? Someone like that would make a great trap. Just a thought if we do visit him"

Upon hearing Arnold and the Hooded Figure Radiance turns his attention towards them. He gives them a single wave in greeting.

Violets ears perk as Tomas states all the requirements for the brain to function, "you never heard of the theory that  our minds, thoughs, and memorys can be transfered into data?" she looks to maddie not really hiding her voice, "though made out of metal. It is entirely possible that she is a test subject." she trys extending the arm blade, "her organic body could be dead, or alive persay it were copyed. Hell for all we know the daughter she is now looking for is sitting at home with her organic mother." she coughs a bit as they walk, "excuse me... Anyway... It is entirely possible you are a copy of somebody elses personality and memorys" she coughs a bit harder, "sorry my throats dry... Goddamn mabye we should have gotten water back there." she clears her throat, "in either case... It is plausable and there is enough evidence right in front of us. That although she is completely made of metal... Her consiousness and personality is entirely human."

Violets golden eyes move to the figures, "AH Arnold good to see you again!" she gives him a grin before her eyes fall on the figure beside him, "and who might you be?" her ears swivel in his direction to better pick up how he responds

Rain sticks to the back of the group not quite sure what to make of these sorts of things, "hay Friends... It might be a good idea to rest once we get there... A supercorrupt government wasn't shattered in a day you know?

Kaylee Brown wrote:(Everybody)


"..nnnot necessarily" Tomas said, looking down at his compass: "We seem to be largely moving in the direction of Dr. Zarovee's lab, and the locals seems to know the tunnels well. Following them to the surface may be the best option.

My compass can show us the right direction, but it won't save us from walking into dead ends. The Labyrinth is true to its name, without having a blueprint, we may be stumbling in here for hours"



Madelyn gave a faint smile to Violet, before her expression saddened again and she absentmindedly scratched her shoulder:
"...to be honest, the state of my life doesn't bother me anymore. It doesn't matter if I am a living being or a machine. I only care about finding my daughter.." She looked down and proceeded to follow the civilian population, as they slowly walked out of the cave:

"...she's.. only 12... where is she now? Is she hungry? Is she scared? Is she wandering where I am? We've been on the road since morning and I haven't seen here once.." Madelyn's expression became pained: "...how could it end up like this? I'm a horrible mother" she looked away, wrapping herself in her arms.




Tomas looked at her, then at Serena: "...organic mind...inside a robot shell? Can't be..Dr. Miller said he scanned her whole body. There wasn't a single organic component in there" Tomas said in a lowered voice, trying to avoid Madelyn overhearing him:

"Not to mention, if a persons brain was placed inside a robot shell, it wouldn't be able to survive.
A brain needs a great many things to survive. A blood flow, that delivers oxygen and sugar. A system that enriches the blood with fresh oxygen and filters out CO2.
The brain would need lungs, it would need kidneys, it would need a heart to pump the blood, hell, it would need a whole organic body for that.

But... Miller said she had no organic components in her body...
Hell, she got bit through her stomach, but no blood came out. She doesn't feel pain, there's no organs inside. Only circuitry...

A persons brain wouldn't survive in a shell like that... what is happening..."




"Hey guys.." Mira quietly called, as the group marched forward with the civilians: "...if we're getting closer to Dr. Zarovee's lab... we should be passing next to the south end of the Adelheid Lake right?"

"...from our current position?.. yeah, probably" Tomas said, looking down at his compass.

"There's a brief stop I want to make there" Mira called: "...there is an infamous hacker, currently living in Adelheid. An anarchist. He specialized in digging up unwanted, hidden information and making it public. Goes by the codename of 'Blynchyk'.
... I... may have crossed paths with him several times... he helped me dig up stories in the past, wanted me to make them public... I know the location of one of his safehouses.
Its on the way to Dr. Zarovee's lab, so it won't delay us too much"


Mira's expression began grim and determined: "...if he's there, I think we should see him. He has his fingers in every string that's being pulled inside Adelheid.
If anyone truly known what's happening in this city, its him. He may have crucial information about our enemies.
About the plot to cause a lethal police raid in the Labyrinth. About the machines that are trying to kill us. About Madelyn.

Maybe it will be a wild goose chase and he's not even in that safehouse, but, its on our way. I believe its worth a shot"


As you moved through the tunnels, slowly following the civilian crowd, Tomas' ears suddenly moved and he looked to the side of the tunnel, where a large metal door stood in place.

He squinted at it, then walked toward it and cautiously pulled it open. The corridor behind it was dark, but you thought you saw two silhouettes in the shadows.

"...is someone there?" he called. Madelyn silently walked up and stood beside him.


Out of the darkness of the corridor, two figures slowly came into view.

Arnold and a Hooded Figure.

"Only the ghost of Christmass yet to come!" the Hooded Figure said in a stereotypical ghostly voice, using the echo of the tunnel. He had long since deactivated his invisibility spell to save mana.

(Serena)
Serena slowly looks up from her tablet at the Hooded Figure as he responds to Violet. She quickly puts away the device then folds her arms

"Need something more than that or I'm going to start calling you Dickens"

Radiance/Serena/Naomi wrote:(Serena)
Serena slowly looks up from her tablet at the Hooded Figure as he responds to Violet. She quickly puts away the device then folds her arms

"Need something more than that or I'm going to start calling you Dickens"

"I could live with that" the Hooded Figure shrugs.

"Oh great, another clown joins the party. I thought that job was covered." Oboro said dryly.

"Greetings, allies! No, I did not fail my job, if you wonder." Arnold proclaimed.

"Great Arnold." Oboro monotoned, before doing a double-take. "Arnold?! You survived?!"

"Ouch. A harsh question, my fine ally of justice. But yes, despite being ready to sacrifice myself, I managed to escape!" He replied

The blue mare smiled again. "That's great. Welcome back."

Arnold then took a more serious pose. "So, what's the current situation here? You all look a bit different."

Angelo gave a serious look. "You got a while?"

Blue, blonde and purple wrote:"Oh great, another clown joins the party. I thought that job was covered." Oboro said dryly.

"Greetings, allies! No, I did not fail my job, if you wonder." Arnold proclaimed.

"Great Arnold." Oboro monotoned, before doing a double-take. "Arnold?! You survived?!"

"Ouch. A harsh question, my fine ally of justice. But yes, despite being ready to sacrifice myself, I managed to escape!" He replied

The blue mare smiled again. "That's great. Welcome back."

Arnold then took a more serious pose. "So, what's the current situation here? You all look a bit different."

Angelo gave a serious look. "You got a while?"

"Oh come on, like you wouldn't do that too if you had the opportunity" the Hooded Figure retorted, before turning to Arnold "Sacrifice? You stayed back by the door and let him ambush me."

"Yes and im a vampire bat!" she teases back using her natural ability to hiss at the newcomer. Her golden eyes fall on arnold "welcome back mr. Hero of Justice I think we should work as a team to come up with a superhero name for you.

Rain chuckles and speaks up, "He already has one... Its Twilights Advisor..."

Violet chuckles a bit as well.

"Jokes aside its good to see you back." Violet smiles to him before returning to tinker with the armblade mechinism.

Mira weakly waved to the Hooded Figure and Arnold, releasing a tired but happy smile:

"Good to see some friendly faces. Its.. hard to imagine only a few hours past, since we split up... feels like a lifetime had past"

She sighed, scratching her elbow. You noticed she had a full metal arm. She didn't had it before:

"...Jane Doe.. remembered her name... its.. Madelyn... we're still trying to get her to Dr. Zarovee's lab. That's our highest priority.
Though, I want to make a brief stop along the way. An infamous hacker has a safehouse nearby. He's specially known for digging up unwanted, hidden information and making it public. If anyone truly known what's happening in this city, its him. He may have crucial information about our enemies"

She looked at Radiance, with a concerned expression: "I don't believe he's in cahoots with our enemies. It doesn't fit his anarchistic psychological profile. He would be more likely to rebel against information control, rather than support it.
Though, I have no facts to support this. I guess anything's possible. Still, I believe its worth paying him a quick visit"






Madelyn was standing off to the side, staring into space and wresting with her own thoughts.

At the mention of her possibly being a metal copy of someone else, Madelyn visibly twitched and tightly wrapper herself in her arms:
"Oh my god! Violet! Don't say such things! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!" she shut her eyes tight, horrified.



Roughly a few seconds later, your earpiece went live and a familiar raspy voice came through the radio:
"Hello everyone, this is Clopin. What is your status, over"




"Dandy" Madelyn dryly replied. Her eyes suddenly widened and she gasped, before her face suddenly became distorted with anger:
"CLOPIN YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She suddenly shrieked at the top of her lungs: "YOU KNEW I HAD A DAUGHTER! YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL ME?!?"


"..Madelyn.. calm down-" Clopin quietly began.


"DON'T TELL ME TO COME DOWN!" Madelyn continued to shriek: "YOU'VE SENT ME ON A WILD GOOSE CHASE, FOR 10 HOURS, WHILE MY DAUGHTER IS OUT THERE, SOMEWHERE, ALONE! AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL ME!!!"


"Madelyn... I didn't know-" Clopin tried to cut in. Madelyn roared in anger, violently grabbing a nearby wooden box and violently smashing it over the floor:


"DON'T LIE TO ME!!!" She shrieked: "I HAVE 10 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS RUNNING INSIDE MY SKULL, SCREAMING AT ME WHEN SOMEONE IS FULL OF IT!
YOU KNEW WHO I AM! YOU KNEW I'D BE TARGETED AND YOU KNEW WHY! DON'T TELL ME YOU DIDN'T KNOW I HAD A DAUGHTER!"


"Madelyn" Clopin slightly raised his voice, but didn't yell: "...where have you seen your daughter last. Do you remember?"


Madelyn's expression slowly changed, her voice came out miserable: "...No" she raised her shaking hand, trying to cover her eyes.



"..perhaps, the fastest way to finding your daughter, is to recover your memories." Clopin calmly said in a raspy voice.


"Clopin, if you are manipulating me, I swear to god-" Madelyn quietly hissed: "..I will break every bone in your body"


"Madelyn" Clopin called: "Have you wandered, why you've been targeted? You had to have wandered........ your memories, Madelyn... they're important... they are very, important. Not just for your daughter, but for everyone.
You have to remember your past. Our future depends on it."


"How the bloody hell am I supposed to do that!" Madelyn yelled in a shaking voice: "Amnesia doesn't go away over night! Even if I reach Dr. Zarovee, there's no magic wand he can wave around, to make all my memories suddenly reappear! It doesn't work like that!"


"..it will in your case" Clopin said, sighing: "..you know why. You're.. not like the others... you must have noticed.." he paused.

Madelyn didn't say anything, standing still and covering her eyes with a shaking hand, so Clopin continued:

"...recover your memories, Madelyn, for all our sake"


Madelyn slightly gritted her teeth: "...Clopin, if you're lying to me" her expression became tense:
"I will kill you"


"...I know" Clopin quietly said: "I would expect nothing less"



Madelyn lowered her arm and threw down a few splinters that were left in her arm:
"...come on, let get moving" she said quietly and marched forward with a grim, pained and determined expression.

(Serena)
"I really fucking hate him." Serena lowered her voice "Truth or not I say he dies at the end of this. Him, the hacker, and everyone manipulating us.

And I don't care if they're fighting each other or not."

Violet huffs, "to the Doctors lab it is then... Hopefully i can help install cybernetics... Thats a class i took in collage and i really  haven't gotten to use it quite yet!" she says chipperly as she prances ahead a bit, she draws her makeshift firearm and examins it for damage.

She sees maddies determination "BUT MADDIE We cant just push off the fact its a posibility! I mean your great and your fantastic but there is just as much probability of you being a copy to you being dead!" she huffs, "I mean even if you are a copy I dont see the big deal! Its an amazing feat! We are able to copy geat minds into computers! Bloody robots even! You are a Riot supression weapon but you have been imbued with the gift of immortality and humanity within a completely cybernetic body! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE COULD HOLD!"

Rain throws a glance to Serena, "we will not be killing Clopin... If anything he has saved lives not taken them..." she puts her hands in her pockets, "as bad of a man we think he is... He has good intentions, we shouldn't villanize him just because he has two of our friends and as for the hacker... Keep in mind who just saved our lives before we came down here..." she looks away keeping her head forward

"Violet! I don't want to talk about it okay!" Madelyn firmly called, still marching forward: "I'm not a riot weapon! I'm a human being! With feelings! Please stop speculating about what happened to me, okay? Its extremely unnerving."


Mira quietly tip toed after her, throwing worried glaces around the group. After a moment, she slightly tip toed closer to Madelyn and tried to release a small smile:
"Uuhh... I'm just.. glad you're back to normal now, that's a good thing aint it? Hahaaa...."


"Back to.. normal-" Madelyn raised an eyebrow: "What are you talking about?"

"Y-you know.." Mira nervously smiled: "..you were.. talking.. a bit.. differently before. But- but you seem to be better now. That's good, right?"

"Talking, differently?" Madelyn asked in confusion: "I was talking the same way I am now, what are you on about?"



Before a silence could fall over the tunnel, your earpiece clicked on again:

"Clopin? This is Prosecutor Alex Noel speaking. Are you still on the line?"

"Yes Mrs. Noel" Clopin replied in a raspy voice: "Still here. Can't really go anywhere."

"Clopin, is it" Noel firmly pressed: "Or is it Nico Wolff? Corporal, Soren Infantry. Served with distinction. Retired after the Demeter Skirmishes."


There was a pause on the other end of the line. It dragged on, then Noel continued:

"I've checked out your story. There's only one match in the public records. You are Nico Wolff"


"...are you eavesdropping on me.. Mrs. Prosecutor?" Clopin quietly said: "I don't recall ever telling you this tale... do hope you have a warrant for doing that... but yes. I am Nico Wolff. What of it"


"Why the deception?" Noel asked firmly: "You had to know it wouldn't be hard to find your real info. Why bother taking a fake name?"


"Mmm... dunno" Clopin audibly shrugged: "Guess I was feeling poetic"


"So, you are Nico Wolff" Noel continued to press.

"Established that, haven't we?" Clopin sighed.

"Yes" Noel replied: "Except that Nico Wolf is dead. He died, 44 years ago"



A heavy silence fell over the radio. It continued to drag, until Noel started reading something aloud:

"I have here, a death certificate, from 44 years ago. Written with a pen and paper. Never transferred to digital data. Digging up this thing was a pain, but I did.

The body of Nico Wolff was discovered in one of the back alleys of Adelheid. He had nothing on him, save for his clothes. Abandoned. Forgotten. Tossed out into the streets by the people he trusted, the people he once fought to protect.

He had no family. His friends died, during the Demeter Skirmishes. There was no one left, to mourn his loss. And no one to care, that he died.

His body was discovered by accident. The autopsy showed no signs of external trauma. He wasn't murdered. He died. On his own.

The cause of death was, a Cerebro Vascular Accident. A rare thing for his age. He was only 33 when it happened. He was too young to be in the risk group for that illness.

Why did you assume his identity? Why him, specifically?"



Clopin didn't answer for a while. Several moments had passed, before he heavily sighed:
"...you've done your research well, Mrs. Noel"



"No more games, Clopin!" Noel firmly called: "Why the lies? You've been dodging our questions the entire day. Drop the act and speak plainly. Now."






"No more games?" Clopin quietly called, sounding upset: "Alright, no more games.

Nico Wolff was important to me. That's why I assumed his identity. And now, since you are so good at research, I have a new assignment for all of you.

Today, is a special day. A date, worth remembering. Unfortunately, people have forgotten. So I will motivate them to remember!


If anyone can tell me, why today is so special, I will release a single hostage.


And if Madelyn restores her memories, I will release all of the hostages. How does that sound?"