User:Hawl/Serve In Hell, Rule In Heaven

To Rule In Heaven, To Serve In Hell. By Jessica K. Nichols-Vernon aka HawlSera aka way too tired and lazy to title this story with the proper wiki formatting.

Simone-Lucille had just been woken up from repairs and debriefed by Xhyz. Though alarmed to find she had been out for around three weeks, she was glad to find a waiting room right outside where her maintenance took place much like a doctor’s office. Especially since nearly everyone she cared about on Zharus with the exception of her former fiance Andromeda was waiting for her here.

Shyver and Prometheus were the first to actually touch her, giving her a hug and a kiss on the lips, one that lasted a good long while. “We’ve been worried about you love.” he said, Simone noticed he seemed to be on the verge of happy tears. “I… was afraid we might have lost you… Your files were so fragmented and corrupted you’d crash at the pressure of running so much as mine sweeper...”

Paula-Ruby was next to hug her. “James, Kane, and myself found you broken and asking for help… Do you remember that?”

Simone shook her head no. “Non le last thing I recall was running in the desert and detecting your Integration, congratulations on zat by le way, and then I went blank.” she looked over Paula-Ruby, her appearance was predictable looking like of course a porcubat, but one that was glowing with white lines in a pattern. “I’m still a little disorientated, but I’m glad to see vous all. We’ll leave for Venars when I get my bearings.”

Pierre who was fused to his squirrel RIDE nutkin cheered to hear that. “Good I’m tired of all this running around, I want to get situated and maybe find a nice pub.” Simone was glad to see him putting the squirrel male to use.

“Brother, I imagine you look adorable with a tail. Doing a photo edit of my last memory of you shows that it could suit you well.” Simone, having said as she hugged him. “Well we’ll leave for Venars shorlty, there’s a few taverns I could show you.”

Pierre blushed under Nutkin’s mask, thinking to himself just how lucky and magical this hug would be if only he wasn’t wearing a big metal fursuit at the time.

::Yeah, she’s hot, I have a digital endocrine system like most RIDEs, but you realize that even though her DNA has been extensively mutated she’s still your sister right?:: Nutkin reminded the human inside of him.

:: Don’t remind me…:: Replied Pierre who once again regretted that the heroine from GoKARTers he so admired the appearance of had to not only be based on his sister but look exactly like.

Xhyz shook his head no at Simone’s word. “Actually we need to have a meeting about a situation on top of that, with you awake Simone, we just need one more person to arrive before we can start.”

Shyver nodded, being one of the ones invited to the meeting the Red Panda was talking about. “I nearly forgot about that, though I am confused. I thought you were waiting for Simone to boot up… but there’s one more?”

“I thought he would be here by now…” Spoke the red panda Integrate as he gestured for the whole group in the waiting room to follow him to the outside of the Enclave which they did. Simone noticed one human and RIDE duo who weren’t Integrated in this crowd, a scan showed a unicorn with a male asian human inside, the nanites in him suggested a recent crossover, she assumed it was a friend of Paula’s and would introduce herself when things slowed down from whatever was happening right now. Perhaps this was the James that was mentioned earlier.

Once outside the group saw no one who met the description of Xhyz’s mysterious last person, nor anyone at all. Getting him odd looks from everyone to which he just answered. “Wait for it… he’s here, trust me.”

Simone turned on the zoom in her eyes and scanned the desert, eventually spotting something blue moving faster and scattering dust everywhere. “Oh wait that’s him I think, can’t tell who though.”

Marvelle felt uncomfortable once she activated the zoom in her RIDE Miracle’s, she managed to actually get a view of who was in the cockpit of the fast moving blue thing traveling the desert. “I don’t know what that vehicle is supposed to be, but… I don’t like the cut of the driver’s jib.”

“He gets that a lot” Xhyz added on to Marvelle’s comments. “I apologize in advance for inviting him, if it wasn’t incredibly important, I wouldn’t have invited him.”

The blue vehicle accelerated, quickly appearing and parking before the Lighthouse Enclave that Xhyz ran. Pierre recognized it as the Blue Falcon from the F-Zero game that he had been playing while waiting for Simone to wake, and the person inside jumped out and landed before the group. He was definitely an Integrate, a meatface one with a metal arm, orange tiger ears and watching tail. This one had a smug look and a black jacket with dollar signs on the front. Everyone who recognized him was quite disgusted by his appearance except for Shyver and Xhyz. Shyver didn’t know what to think while Xhyz seemed delighted.

“Aristo….” Paula-Ruby said meekly, shielding herself behind her wings. “Arriving like a hair in soup.”

Simone-Lucille looked over Aristo with disgust building in her throat like a large batch of projectile vomit. “I thought vous were dead, and yet, only votre taste in fashion is!”

The shorter Integrate took a bow before the crowd unhappy to see him. “This coat is a reference to Ted Dibiase…” he said to the skunk in a bothered voice only to get silence from her and everyone else. “...The Million Dollar Man?!?! No?… You’re all uncultured swine. Are you aware of that fact?”

Xhyz did a fake cough making fun of how tense Aristo’s presence made the air. “Well… the point is you’re here and we can start. Thank you for coming out of hiding to join us, Zediel and Lucypop are already in the meeting room. Please, come with me.” the red panda said to Aristo while shaking his hand before re-entering. “You too Simone, Paula, and Shyver.”

The group was forced to wait as only those Xhyz picked were guided to a small red room with a large table and just enough seats for everyone let in. The room looked indoors and metallic unlike the rest of the Wonderland Esque Triangle Lighthouse. They wanted to call it Wonderland initially, but found another enclave called itself that.

Everyone was quiet, though looked at Aristo uncomfortably, as Xhyz began to speak. “Alright as you all know Zane Brubeck, owner of Brubeck Mining and son of galaxy famous Clint Brubeck, has revealed himself to the public as an Integrate so we’re not secret anymore, our kind are now free to roam outside of disguise all around Zharus. Now, the news is that Fritz, the Bosscat, isn’t happy about this and plans civil war against Zane who he sees as a threat to Integrate kind. The question is, do we side with Brubeck or remain loyal to Fritz?”

Zediel glared at Aristo was everyone else aside from Shyver did before asking a question of his own. “Wonderful conversation to have, but why is he here!?! And how? He killed himself after I de-commissioned his whore sister to that great big scrapyard 666 kilos below ground! By which I am implying that she is in Hell!”

Xhyz looked towards Aristo and sighed. “I know that Aristo has been kind of a dick to us, but Triangle Lighthouse was his creation and he is a brilliant, if not criminally insane, tactician so I figured he could really be useful. So I called him out of hiding for this.”

Aristo smiled smuggly putting his feet on top of the table. “I’m glad to be of help, I’m just surprised that you were able to find out I had been hiding in Zharustead this whole time.”

“It wasn’t easy, I had to use advancements in technology most of which were only invented in the past year by the marshalls, the rest I made myself… I’d tell you what they were, but I may have to track you down again given your track record.” Xhyz explained.

Aristo nodded in response. “Fair enough… Well first off, I’d like to state for the record that Zane although is an idiot, he doesn’t have tyrannical conquest related ambitions as Fritz does. As such, Zane would be a marvelous choice for our safety and happiness.”

Xhyz rubbed his chinfur at Aristo’s idea.. “Mmm that’s a good point, and we are very powerful Integrates for the most part. Though I am skeptical. You did say Zane is an idiot, do we know he can win against someone as ruthless as Fritz?”

Zediel was next to speak. “I don’t really see why either are our problem, let Triangle Lighthouse worry about it’s own problems and attack only when we’re attacked. Frtiz is already blacklisted from our community because of the argument he got into with Xhyz over fucking Wario Land of all things, something Fritz has honored just fine. Why get involved into politics at all if it doesn’t have to affect us?”

Simone, Paula, Shyver, Prometheus who was being worn by Shyver, and Lucypop had remained silent, not having yet formed an opinion on this subject matter. Simone had the least opinion on this having been offline for a good while, and offworld for far longer than that. Many opinions were heard between Xhyz, Aristo, and Zediel mostly going back and forth as the others following along waiting for a point of entry into the conversation.

Things began getting hectic however when Aristo addressed Shyver in an attempt to end the carousel of Zane, Fritz, and Neutral going in circles. “What’s wrong Shyver? You’re normally so full of brilliant ideas. Perhaps you’re waiting for a cue from your french whore so you don’t disagree with your mistress.”

Shyver responded in self-defense. “No Aristo, can’t you and Simone bury the hatchet for five seconds so we can discuss this? It sounds important.” he was hoping that maybe under the circumstances Simone, his lover, and Aristo who he still cared about could get along and simplify his life.

“Non” Simone answered without hesitation. “Brûle en enfer Aristo.” she spoke as she bit her thumb at him.

“I would love to Shyver, but if Lucille over here isn’t going to be civil with her creator I can’t force her.” Aristo replied giving Simone the evil eye. “I would however be willing to forgive your betrayal if you returned to my side.” The self-proclaimed Neo-Emperor began to shift his appearance having had plenty of time to practice his shapeshifting, having only stayed a meatface to look more unique, he was perfectly capable of becoming a well figured tigress with green integrate lines matching Simone.

Shyver felt confused by what he saw as his libido mixed with his old devotion to Aristo and tried to blank his mind. “Wh… what are you doing!?!”

Aristo summoned a chinese fan and waved it over herself. “Shyver, I can offer you everything Simone can give you and be your best friend like I have been for years. If a little love was all you needed, why didn’t you just tell me?”

Shyver didn’t say anything in response, much to Simone’s aggravation. “Still loyal to him?” she asked her boyfriend.

“No… just…” Shyver was saying, until Aristo got on top of the table and began poll dancing on a hard light pole she summoned. “....I..” Simone wasn’t impressed with his lack of answer, Shyver actually enjoying the display. Somewhere in his head the part of him that lusted for Simone and the part of him that cared for Aristo was getting confused.

Aristo continued this display for a few more minutes until Paula-Ruby used her EMP Scream to knock the dancing fool over and off the table as the pole vanished just as Aristo experienced a small systems failure causing his lack of balance.

“Merci..” Simone stated, glaring at her boyfriend. “Are vous TRYING to make moi break up with vous?

Shyver looked guilty and apologetically at Simone. “Sorry I just.. lost it for a second. I’m just a man..”

“Une, I was a man too, so le whole ‘I’m a man, I can’t help it.’ card isn’t working on me. I know all the tricks. And deux! even if I didn’t. You’re still a man dating me!” Simone raised her voice pointing at Aristo who reverted to her normal shape “Not your psychotic former boss!””

Lucypop pounded her fist on the table. “If we could stop worrying about this love triangle and get back at the subject at hand. This is an emergency meeting, not a marriage counseling session!”

“Agreed my love.” Zediel responded rubbing his head as though he had a headache. “Though Aristo’s display has raised a thought. People like him and Fritz don’t give up, ever while Zane can’t handle being attacked by Alpha Wolf, a bunch of empty RIDEs. We’ve done fine under Fritz and we can continue to do just fine.”

Xhyz and Lucypop agreed and both showed their support for Zediel’s idea with a raising of their fists.

“Am I the only one forgetting that Fritz is a psychopathic killer and a power hungry tyrant?” Aristo objected banging his metal arm on the table. “One whose less than mentally stable, and coming from me that’s saying something. Do you know the danger he’ll cause?”

“One who has never bothered us or any of our allies provided we just stay secret, which we don’t really have to now that people know. There isn’t really anything Fritz can do to make people forget. He’s not going to call up Nextus and tell them to get everyone to pretend they didn’t see Zharus’ most eligible bachelor reveal himself as being a real life Slenderman or Bigfoot and then get attacked by the most wanted man since Billy The Kid.” Simone-Lucille pointed out, remembering the last time an idiot, namely Aristo, lead a revolution and failed dramatically. “Just let him keep his title, set a few rules, and feel important.”

“Wow… None of you have any aspirations do you!?! Fritz will start killing people who move to the domes if he isn’t taken out!” Aristo spoke frantically quickly becoming frustrated that no one was listening, not even Paula who mostly stayed out of the conversation altogether.

“Sorry Aristo, but Simone has a point.” Shyver gave his two cents, it hurt him not to agree with Aristo yet still he had to agree with reason.. “Zane’s not as smart, ruthless, or powerful as you. He just doesn’t have a fighting chance and I do not have the money to bribe my way out of jail again. Not that Fritz accepts checks.”

Xhyz clasped his fingers. “Alright, Paula wasn’t really paying attention, but other than that, no one but Aristo thinks we should side with Zane?” The leader of Triangle Lighthouse stopped to let anyone else speak, but they all just told him that his assumption was correct. “Alright, first part of the meeting is done. Secondly, what are we going to do about Simone’s new DIN?”

Aristo jumped on the table and morphed against, his body becoming robotic except for his head. The dissenter from the neck below appeared to be an all white robotic body with a blue glowing Z pattern over his chest. “Then we are once again enemies, I side with Zane Brubeck because I have vision! You blind bats!” and with that he stormed out the room and into his Blue Falcon, the others continuing the meeting without him.

-Zharustead, Two Hours Later-

Aristo showed up at the manor of an old friend of his, the only person on Zharus who could help him with his plan. An older investor from way back in his Earth days, the only person involved in the Venars Incident who was never linked to it. “Ximenes, guess who.” he called hacking the security and finding the one he was looking for drinking out of a wine bottle in his study laying on a couch next to a fabber which had another bottle of wine freshly fabbed inside. “...Ximenes, old friend. Ya know for a French guy your manor’s decorating sucks more wanker than your putain of a daughter.”

“Aristo!?!” The intoxicated old man exclaimed upon seeing him. “I must be drunker than I thought, you’re supposed to be dead!”

Aristo laughed at Ximenes, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’ve seen better days….. No Ximenes, I merely hid my brain inside my mental arm and found my way to a vat of fabfluid in an emergency bunker I had incase things went south.”

Ximenes stood up and wobbled about drunkenly. “A RIDE Rescue nut stole the RIDE you made for me, and my bounty hunter brought me a fake copy of your forced integration program. Immortality has eluded my grasp again…. but not yours I see…. Mon dieux… am I really that shitty of a person that I deserve to die while you l”

Aristo rolled his eyes, opening one of his arms where he had an internal fabber and created a syringe of a fluid which he injected into Ximenes. “Consider it Buttercup wasn’t my best, turns out by some strange miscalculation Lucille, the RIDE you had me trick your brat Simone into integrating with is incredibly powerful. She was the biggest wrench in my plan to take over Zharus and she hadn’t even began to understand what she was capable of, hell, she even put LucyPop. She is deadly, far moreso than Buttercup. If you can help me with my latest project I can help you obtain the blueprints for Lucille, make a male version, and Integrate you myself. I just have to generate the signal and making you an intie is literally easier than jacking off… no really I don’t have genitals anymore so I’d have to regrow them first.” Aristo chuckled to himself, finding humor in his own lewdness.

The liquid coursing through Ximenes’ veins from the injection forced him into sobriety to put him into a better talking mood. This caused the man to jump up and rub down his face as his buzz mysteriously vanished. “I hate nanotechnology sometimes… “ he mumbled before looking up at Aristo. “If Simone and Lucille are that wonderful than can’t you just give me the blueprints and skip your idiotic games.”

“They were destroyed with ACE Evolutions, the only person who has a copy that isn’t horribly corrupted and fragmented more than a laptop in a magnet factory is Simone herself. If you can get us close to her we can copy her design, find out what went right, beef that up, and make you the ultimate Integrate!” Aristo answered Ximenes’ question before sitting down at the piano he had in this room and beginning to play a piece, not any one song in particular, just whatever came to mind. “Mmm… I’ll have to find a way to upgrade myself beyond both of you before that day comes… So anyway Ximenes, you down?”

Ximenes enjoyed the sounds of the piano figuring that Aristo could play so beautifully due to his heavy augmentations and figured he was only doing this either to show off his skills and stroke his ego or simply out of boredom. “You surgically removed your heart to put in a radar detector when Marvelle was still pregnant with Pierre, so you aren’t doing this to be a good samaritan. What do you want from me in return?”

“I want you to make me beloved, paint me as the good guy.” Aristo said with his eyes closed as he lost himself to the music, envisioning himself playing for a massive crowd where he basked in the love that the audience had for him. Before Ximenes could say anything or show any doubts to throw off his daydream of being a master composer he sweetened the offer “As a token of good will, at no charge. I’m going to kill the Bounty Hunter who ripped you off. Mighty Dillon correct?”

“How did you know?” The only real person listening to the music asked startled that Aristo could know anything about any dealings he had recently done.

“Bugged your house.” Replied Aristo as he ended his piece, pointing to a small chip cleverly disguised to blend in with the wood of the piano. “I’ve sent the location of Buttercup’s thief to him, however, that’s not a safe place right now. The second he strikes, he’ll be slain. Let Jamie keep Buttercup, by the time I’m finished you will have done much better.”

Ximenes thought this offer over, it sounded too good to be true, an Integrate stronger than the one he’d become with Buttercup’s help. Not to mention Aristo was far from trustworthy and a master of the double cross. Ultimately he decided to go for it, realizing that without a real forced integration program, the Enroygall Code as it was called, he’d never be able to become any Integrate at all. “Okay Aristo, I have a plan. We’re going to Venars and I hope you like Pizza.”

-Triangle Lighthouse- The meeting finally concluded with Xhyz opting to use the DIN design these women Rhianna Stonegate and Rochelle Seaford had crafted and giving them out only to those trustworthy. Everyone was glad as not only was the meeting going in a loop and becoming tedious, but once the new DINs were installed everyone who got them, everyone in that meeting room, felt quite glorious and empowered. It was only after they stepped out did they realize none of them expected to even have to fight. What were the odds this civil war were going to be anything that didn’t blow over after a week?

Simone had just finished her goodbyes to her friends in the enclave as did Paula, both preparing to leave when rolled up an armadillo familiar to the latter as the one that had attacked and ruined the RIDE Rescuer festival trying to hunt a friend she had made that day. “Oh… well we’re gonna have to delay leaving.” Paula said when they stepped outside and noticed him. “That bounty hunter’s back…”

The skunk looked towards the porcubat and asked what she meant. Paula, recounted how she and Kane had been hired to protect the cross-rider Simone had seen in the unicorn during a gathering in the dry as it was one for people who illegally rescued RIDEs from abusive owners and this was the guy who attacked during that little festival.

Simone nodded to Paula after this was explained to her. “You say this guy’s an Armadillo right? I have an idea and it needs Pierre!” she grinned mischievously, concocting an idea so sweet she could use it in place of syrup on her pancakes.

“Me!?!” Pierre asked somewhat worried, true he had loaded up weapons guns blazing to find Simone in the first place, but now he was surrounded by Inties. He didn’t see why he needed to be brave. “I don’t really know much about fighting Integrates, I mean you guys are kind of badass.”

Simone just smiled grabbing him and going outside to face the Armadillo, brandishing a whip in her paw. :: Pierre, do as I say, and this guy is toast.::

The armadillo seemed more pleased by this than anything else. “Simone-Lucille? I’m Mighty Dillon, and you’re worth a lot of money!” he said forming a tommygun out of hardlight and firing it towards Simone and Pierre, the former of whom had thrown up a hardlight shield.

Taking an emergency precaution Xhyz shut the only door in and out, locking it. He planned on opening it again to those planning on leaving when the Integrate left. In the meanwhile everyone socialized, Marvelle taking the time to meet James, though the conversation didn’t seem to take too long as he was pre-occupied with his RIDE so she just played some of the games Paula had made while Simone was on Earth.

Everyone watched from a video screen showing outside as Simone began staring down Mighty Dillion while Pierre and Nutkin stood on standby, praying that Simone’s plan was a good one, whatever the hell it may be.

“I think Simone is scanning Mighty Dillion for potential weaknesses.” Xhyz explained to the crowd watching as he knew the question of what she was doing was coming. ”Either that or she’s just giving him the evil eye… It’s hard to tell on the one planet where everyone has super powers…. I mean unless another planet is also keeping secrets.”

On the screen Simone finally broke her stare down and begun wrapping her whip around the armadillo’s ball form and waving him around like a ball and chain before slamming him down to the ground, not really doing much to him as he rolled over the skunk and uncurled from the ball. Mighty Dillon had an easier time than he expected, pointing a sawn off he created from hardlight right at Simone’s face.

“Should I do something now sis?” Pierre was in the middle of saying before his RIDE corrected him with a voice in his mind. “Sorry.. we… I know Nutkin, I read GoKARTers I should know better… but actually being here and doing it for real it’s easy for me to forget this isn’t about me.. Heh… Oh shit did I say that outloud, I meant to mindspeak it.”

Simone just looked over to her brother and sighed. “Vous have got to be joking..”

“Are you coming with me dead or alive Bertrand?” MgihtyDillion grinned.

Simone reached out and grabbed MightyDillion’s gun, igniting it with the welding tools built into her palm and disintegrating the hardlight. “You are an armadillo, Je suis une femme de france! What do you think?”

“You surrender?” MightyDillion chuckled to himself already trying to form a new weapon.

“Non!” Simone decried kicking MightyDillion right in the nose forcing him backwards causing him to re-enter his ball. Wasting no time Simone’s green glowing tron lines began to ignite so fiercely she shined like a woman shaped nuclear reactor. “SISTER! You’re about to go Super.. Sa..Say...Say uhh.. no that’s not it.. okay Paula told me about this… Okay not important.. Are you okay? Did Xhyz put you back wrong?” Piere cried out

“Hehehe…” Simone took out her whip again and struck the techno-organic armadillo ball, all that charged up energy jumping off of the skunk’s overclocked body through the whip and forming into a strange net like sphere around the ball giving him the appearance of a soccer ball. “Pierre.” Simone turned towards her brother. “Are vous thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Go long?” Pierre assumed and ran a distance towards the desert, earning a smile from Simone who kicked it towards him. “Heh, this takes me back.” He said kicking the armadillo back towards Simone who began kicking him between her legs.

“It would be better if vous were an Integrate, I’m not sure vous have the strength to handle him like I can.” Simone teased, kicking the armadillo up into the air and headbutting him into the direction of her brother.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, that Stonegate woman is some kind of wunderkind. Even if she does have a stubby tail, I could probably out do YOU Simon! Mrs. Shiny Metal Ass that isn’t really metal!” Pierre fired back, kicking the armadillo and spiking him down by literally backflipping off of him.

“Stubby tail? Are you saying you take pride in your long squrriel’s tail? Heh, interesting behavior for someone so concerned with his masculinty he never even tried being a woman in Virtual Life.” Simone laughed, her eyes turning red signifying Lucille was in control before continuing. “If we followed stereotypes, you would be the sister not me.” before resuming the purple eyes of Simone-Lucille, though they did seem somewhat blueish implying she was more Simone than Lucille.

“Oh you two want to talk to ME about Stereotypes? Gladly, let’s have this conversation over some vin rouge and baguettes!” Pierre and Nutkin stuck their tongue out before headbutting the ball towards Simone.

“I’ll supply the crepes!” Simone chuckled, doing a flipkick sending her ball back to Pierre and then flew upwards, just waiting in the sky. ::Pierre, Nutkin, can vous reach this height?:: she sent, her voice no longer able to reach Pierre.

::2 Kilometers lower, but it will be a mild drain from life support to strengthen our legs enough to kick that high even with this adjustment.:: Nutkin replied, overriding the “Hells yeah!” message that Pierre was about to send, irritating the human.

::That’s fine, we’re not in extreme conditions or far from shelter, it’ll be no trouble. Nutkin reported.

::Nutkin… you don’t need to take from my Life Support, I can make the damn shot!:: Pierre spoke, getting angry.

:: You are not aware of your limitations Pierre, I can augment you, but I cannot make you divine. Trust me on this. If the shield breaks we’ll need our weapons systems and we have to stay in contact with your sister:: Nutkin pleaded, able to read from Pierre’s thoughts and level of adrenaline to know he was furious and would have been thrashing at the metal squirrel. Looking up at the armadillo ball heading towards them Nutkin thought of how to do this without Pierre interfering and activated his anesthetic trying to knock Pierre out.

:: Just WATCH what I can do… Switching over to passive mode.. ahh.. feel.. sleepy.. :: Pierre sent doing what he said. Things went problematic as with Nutkin in passive and the anesthetic gas taking effect on Pierre the squirrel fuser just stood there unable to move.

::Pierre, Nutkin, he’s heading for…. He’s… almost… you’re just standing them…. Wait are you on passive? Why? Pierre… Oh my…:: Simone sent, realizing from a quick scan that Pierre was unconscious. Attempting to land quickly, trying to get back onto the ground before the armadillo broke through the shield. “Merc de merde, I have GOT to get new lifters.” Simone said to herself.

Sadly Simone was not in time and MightyDillion uncurled and began to descend upon the unmoving squirrel fuser. “A hostage.. that’ll work. Yes..a hostage.” he said, his system somewhat damaged by being tossed around and tightly constricted in that shield.

The skunk integrate needed time to think, luckily in her own virtual inner world she could compress time to think of an actual plan as she fell. Suddenly appearing in a literal cockpit looking out through her eyes like a screen as both a male human wearing a Sturmhaven Soldier’s Uniform with white hair and blue eyes and a four-legged red eyed skunk bizarrely wearing a french maid outfit. Simone, here Simon began to speak with his RIDE half.

“Vous know Lucille, I don’t think I’ve really used dilated time to do calculations before… Strange… it looks like our body is paused but in reality his entire sentence took less than a second to say… One still hasn’t elapsed.”

“And that’s why I’m always on the ball with running your systems there Simon.” The skunk spun around in her chair and jumped onto the metallic floor walking closer. “Time is moving at normal pace, we’re just moving really fast. Your little stunt where you overcharged us was hell on our battery…”

“Moi? Lucille we were thinking with both our minds at once, our eyes were purple.. I mean they were weren’t they? Vous wanted to show off in front of my brother just as much as I did.” Simon said shifting the blame off of him.

“Okay, true…” Lucille dug a paw into the ground to show shame. “I’m usually the more responsible of us.. though I’m a sex crazed party maniac just like you, so that’s not saying mu… Look we’re getting side-tracked.” The skunkette shook her head from side to side. “What I was saying was we can’t stay in this state forever, time hasn’t stopped, we’re just moving very fast and as I was getting at our batteries are heavily drained… we might overheat ourselves if we stay like this too long.”

“Alright..” Simon nodded. “We need to take him out, if we fell from this height just to catch up to him before MightyDilllon reaches Pierre, what damage would we take?”

Lucille bopped her head around doing various calculations. “If we use a hardlight shield… None.”

“Okay, but would I still have enough power to take Dillon out in one attack if I aimed for his neck?”

“Nope, we’d have to land on our feet breaking at least one leg which will take a long time to heal considering to attack with enough for to decapitate the armadillo we’d have to black out immediately. We don’t have very high grade batteries, we had Z Grade, but it seems Xhyz was focused on getting us online as fast as possible instead of stronger than before… so we’ve got the cheap shit.”

“Merde, he likely was afraid I’d get hostile if I was asked about Rhianna et Rochelle’s DIN.” Simon said rubbing under his chin. ”Under normal battery power I could at least get him in the maintenance bay before Zediel came to his back up.. zat sneaky bastard. Why didn’t you bring this up before I asked Lucille?”

“I thought you knew something I didn’t..” Lucille said. “You have the same read out I do, I just assumed you checked

“Merc de merde..” Simon rubbed his face against his hand. “..I guess we were having some blue eyed moments instead of purple… we’ll have to fix that… Well we have our plan. If we fail well hopefully Xhyz will come to our rescue in time… hopefully...”

“I’d say good luck, but.. we’re about to resume being one person again.” Lucille laughed. “Though.. just in case we don’t make it… Can I ask why you’re wearing a Sturmhaven Uniform? I thought you hated Sturmhaven.”

“I do, but look at me in this fucking outfit. I pull off miltiary well.” Simon said, posing and during a twirl for his skunk female half. Finishing his show by grabbing the large bulge in the very tight uniform’s crotch area. “God I know how to look damn good in clothes as a guy, to be honest if Shyver weren’t straight hell yeah I’d man it up a few days, I am fucking hot right now. Especially with this skirt!”

Lucille laughed at her human just being himself. “Well, we need to get back to action or we’ll burn ourselves out… Already working on turning off the pain receptors for our legs.”

Back in reality Simone fell to the ground and just as predicted broke not one, but both of her legs forcing her on her knees. The skunk only had one shot at this and she had to make it count. “YO! Petit cerveau! Batteries dying, legs broken. So I raise the white flag… Go easy on me.”

“My client only wants you dead I’m afraid.” Mighty Dillion said, starting to turn around. “But thanks for making it easy.”

“Interesting.” Simone said before taking her one chance at a second full power whip strike, it seemed like it was about to miss but Lucille after some quick calculations adjusted the movement of her wrist giving a clean decapitation. “hahaha… basier ma cul, fornicator de mere…. activate solar panels…” the skunk said before laying down and waiting for solar power to restore her batteries.

Xhyz, Marvelle, Prometheus, and Shyve ran outside, the latter of the three hold Simone close to him “GREAT Decap Attack Simone and Lucille!” Xhyz spoke as he picked up the head of MightyDillion. “I’ll put him into a Nano Jar so he won’t hurt anyone while question him. His body we’ll cannabalize for parts and if he has something someone in Trriangle Lighthouse needs we’ll see that they get it.

“Xhyz… where are my real batteries?”

“Fried… That’s why we replaced them.”

Shyver had Prometheus do a scan on Simone’s systems to check on her battery. “With generic brand crap? You’d be lucky if these powered a portable radio from 1953, why did you put THIS in the woman I love you…. you bastard!” Shyver activated his gatling gun arm and aimed for Xhyz.

“Mr. Shyver, I’m sure Xhyz had a good reason for this.. he’s been so nice to us afterall.” Marvelle tried to calm Shyver down.

Xhyz shrugged, highly unconcerned. “I didn’t tell her to go fight Mighty Dillon, she just got up and went herself. It’s not my fault she didn’t do a complete systems check before running into battle. If I thought she couldn’t handle him I’d have sent Zediel out here to reduce him to a pile of blood and parts.”

“Still… I think I better get her to Venars.. where I can oversee her repairs.” Shyver said mending what of Simone’s broken legs he could by himself.

“You don’t trust me Shyver? That’s kind of adorable given that I was originally conceived to be half off of the person whose boots you’re so eager to lick.” Xhyz chuckled aloud.

“You take that back you son of a bitch!” Shyver charged toward Xhyz about to deck him in the face when the red panda integrate caught his fist and entrapped the panda fuser inside of a hardlight bubble. “Let me out and fight me like a man silverblood!”

“You chose Simone solely based on process of elimination, you thought Aristo was dead, now you know he isn’t. Will you go crawling back to him or are you really the man that your precious little frenchie deserves? Right now Marvelle is listening so you won’t give me an honest answer. You don’t know the honest answer, but whoever you choose, not that if the decision does not come from the heart you will regret it for the rest of your existence, in this life, and the next.” Xhyz warned Shyver before dropping the hardlight bubble.

“I built your hardware, what the hell do you know about loyalty or romance?” Shyver asked flustered, knowing that Xhyz was onto something as he picked up Simone to hold over his shoulders until she regained consciousness.

“More than you Shyver, more than you.” Xhyz smiled wide giving a large fangy grin as he vanished like the chesire cat, ending with the vanishing of the mouth.

“I’ve already seen Integrates do that, you’re not being clever!” Shyver called back to the now invisible Xhyz.

“Bite me, it’s fun!” Xhyz yelled back.

-Epilogue-

Simone regained conciousness at her garage, finding herself in panties, but nothing on top. The odd thing was these were real panties and not hardlight, which made sense, without her being up and running to maintain the generator she would be naked. The skunk figured Shyver must have placed them on her while she was out to cover her, but left her breasts unobscured due to their size making it difficult to get a bra on them. It didn’t matter though as most places on Zharus allowed a woman to be topless in public so it wasn’t like a few people seeing her sweater puppies was that big of a deal. Lucille was built as a sextoy so if she had been in control she would have probably commented that a thong would be more fitting that the panties thrown on her. It took a minute for her mind to finish booting up and realize that she was in the sleep quarters of La Wrench De Paris. “Ughh… ma tete…” she said as she rubbed her head.

“Hey there sweetums.” Shyver said, scratching behind his lover’s ears. “Don’t worry I got you Z-Grade Batteries this time, Brubeck himself would

“How did you get sarium like zat?” Simone asked.

“You were only out for the trip, Paula is showing your family around Venars. Kane’s been manning the garage. Believe it or not, Aristo actually stopped by to wish you well. He claims he’s turning over a new leaf?” Shyver said not really answering the question, though alluding to what the answer was.

“After the meeting we had in Triangle Lighthouse? Colour me skeptical Shyver.” Simone said, folding her arms.

“He says he’s moving more into a different industry and fears that backing Zane without our help will just end in him faking his own death again. He even brought you this.” Shyver said, putting a plush doll of a small yellow bird-like character holding a pink cupcake with eyes that appeared to be smiling. The bird character even had a bib on reading “Let’s Eat”

“THIS? This is far too adorable to have Aristo’s name on it… In fact it’s so adorable that I almost want to thank him.” Simone said snuggling the plushdoll close. “Still

Kane walked in hearing Simone’s voice. “Hey, glad to see you’re up… Nice Chica doll, did Aristo leave that?”

“Chica?” Simone looked at the plush doll. “Aristo didn’t create this character? Huh, I’ve never heard of her.”

“No, Scott Cawthon did… over four hundred years ago. Why did he tell you that he did?”

“No, it’s not surprising that he would lift something from the 20th Century to make a profit off of it. Tis the Zharusian way, so she’s from some kid’s cartoon right? Perhaps some kind of My Little Pony or Care Bears knock off?” Simone guessed from the innocent nature of the doll.

“You might want to check google on this one….” Kane said scratching the back of his head.

“Let me guess, it’s some kind of horror thing that looks innocent or something that was legitimitely innocent until some sickfuck did something horrible, giving this character some kind of evil reputation that Aristo is using to pull off some huge scheme right in front of everyone using the adorability of these characters to make everyone thinks he’s a good guy, but those who know the history get the real picture?” Simone said in her most apathetic tone.

“Eyup.” Kane nodded. “That’s the gist of it.”

“Figures, I’m not even surprised.” Simone stretched, cracking her neck and doing a systems check.

“Oh and.. James has something he wants to tell you and Pierre, about your dad or something?”

“....Now I am…” Simone said rubbing under her chin. “Let me get dressed and I’ll find them.”