#sirensniper

[It is the year 20XX. Breakthroughs in robotic technology have ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity. Violence is confined to the Battle Colosseum, where robot combatants face off in spectacular duels. The sport has become a worldwide favorite, and elite competitors regularly rise to the challenge to garner glory… or else fall from favor.

Of all the world’s combat teams, the Mighty Numbers are recognized as the best of the best. The family was famous worldwide, and often attended exclusive events to defend their status. One such event—the Queen’s Tournament in England—had just come to a close. Now, the family was finally on the way home.]

Will: -Sighs as he looks at the folder full of papers- … (I don’t like working with sensitive material outside the office, but I should probably at least review some of these…)

[They had risen through the ranks and claimed their rightful status as champions and victors, but it hadn’t come without cost. The final match of the tournament had been held against team Greater Dusk: a notorious gang headed by an assassin.]

Will: -Pauses at the pile of newspaper clippings- (Oh, right… they must be interested in the coverage and how pervasive the search is…. I guess Avi put together these for their records.)

[The match had quickly turned from a touted title match to a deadly fight for their lives when most of the opposing team had become overtaken by a bizarre “berserker” mode, becoming insanely aggressive and losing their free will to the madness. The situation came to a climax when Dynatron, the electric diva, had been taken hostage by Bladeblaster…

…who was subsequently attacked by an inexplicable mysterious visitor.]

Will: -Frowns, flipping past printed copies of notifications from various federal authorities in London and New York, all of which were marked “VOID” by Shade’s Certified Assassins' League stamp- (At least everyone made it out safely…. Thank God Dynatron is alright. There’s no way they’ll ever find Tobias, and Kate is taking care of Jack even as we speak…)

[In truth, the young man who had intervened was not a Xelbot at all—but rather, a robot from another world entirely!]

Will: (Mikhail said that he had something to tell me about the finals… I wonder what it was?)

[For several years up to that point, the Mighty Numbers had been made aware of portals to other worlds. It was on one such fantastic adventure that they met a family of robots (known as “Robot Masters” in their native world) and become good friends.]

Will: -Snorts as he comes across these news clippings- (Oh, I remember this night... it's a little less than you TRULY deserve, Graham, so you really should be thankful—not that you're smart enough to figure out who really did this.)

Will: (At least they didn’t get in trouble. I’m glad Graham didn’t even try to pin that on us…)

Will: (Lord knows he’s been willing to do that every time else…)

[They had seen many adventures together, and it wasn’t only the robots who had made friends: the Doctors had, too. For the first time in ages, Dr. William White had made a friend—a human person he could trust…

…Well. About as much as he could trust anyone, other than his good friend and colleague, Doctor Soichiro Sanda, at any rate.]

Will: …

Will: (Ah, Kate’s notes! Oh dear—I think these are in code…) -Squints-

[The events of the Queen’s Finals (as they’d taken to calling the last four matches, and the championship match in particular) had left a lot of loose ends and many questions. The nature of the infected crosses that had caused the madness remained an uneasy mystery… one which had driven another friend of theirs to investigate the matter personally.]

[Unfortunately, he had only fallen into a sleep born of deep sickness, himself.]

Will: … (Still no word of Felix getting better. Oh, Felix… I do hope you are alright. Sounds like Jack is doing better, which is a relief. The poor man took a sawblade right to the spine when he stood up to his boss. But…) -Grips the paper tighter, pressing his mouth into a thin line- (I’m not sure if this bit about a “provider” is code…. If Bladeblaster was a CherryDyn construct, wouldn’t that company be their “provider”? That’s what it looked like when we investigated, at any rate. And…) -Narrows his eyes- (I really don’t like this bit about Bladeblaster apparently faking his death…. But of course it would be like Graham to cover his tracks like that, now wouldn’t it…)

[Tobias had made a public, international spectacle of himself. The Mighty Numbers had been bombarded with questions from all sides, not the least of which had been uncomfortable inquiries from federal authorities. Thankfully, the team’s sniper—Mighty No. 8: Countershade—was himself a member of the Certified Assassins’ League, and was able to pull some strings to get people to back off. He’d grown very tired and irritated in the process, though, as he’d been forced to take most of the heat… and was, as a result, openly short-tempered and snappy.]

Will: (I wouldn’t be surprised if he slept for several days once we get home… if it weren’t for the fact we have a match immediately after.) -Flips through the notes- —…

Will: -Stops and smiles at a picture of Beck’s birthday-

[The happy days with their friends seemed so far off after several months abroad. But soon they would be back home. They could celebrate missed birthdays, resume the friendly spars—after ending off on such a high note, with the exciting matches between Beck vs Echo and Cardinal vs Countershade!—and put all this gloomy mess behind them.]

Will: (I know how much the Mighties have been looking forward to bringing home the trophy, like they’d promised. I’m sure the Rebel Angels are excited, too….)

DING!

“This is your captain speaking. If you look out to your left, you can see the lovely New York City skyline as we approach…”

Will: (O-oh—) -Fumbles for phone- (Mother wanted me to call her as soon as we came stateside, even if it was an odd hour—) …

Will: -Mutters- Oops… forgot to charge, aheh… -Scratches head slightly, ruffling his afro- (With all the stress Dyna’s been under, I should have remembered to double check all the devices before landing. Wouldn’t be surprised if my laptop was drained as well…. I’ll have to recharge everything when we get home.)

Will: (Ah well! We’ll be home soon, at last! And that’s something to celebrate.)

[After all, they were more than a team: they were a family. And nothing could keep the Mighty Numbers down for long.]

{June 20th, 20XX}

[The Mighty Numbers had spent months abroad.]

“-Whines- Won’t this dumb car go any faaaaaasterrrrr?”

“Not in traffic, it won’t, and you know it.”

[But now, at last, they were home.]

“Hey, is someone gonna wake snipebro up, or—“

“Ah’ AM awake, ya bunch a’ yappers…”

“Temper, Eight! Don’t get snappy at your sister!”

[They’d gone out to tournaments time and time again, but the saying held true: “there’s no place like home.” It was always a relief to come back… and this time, more than usual.

After a near solid month of time in recovery dodging questions from the press, INTERPOL, MI6, VIN, and other agencies, everyone was ready to be back in their own beds and eating a home-cooked meal.]

“EEEYYYYY I CAN SEE OUR HOUSE FROM HERE!”

“No duh, planebrain! It’s one of the taller buildings in the city!”

[Unfortunately, being cooped up in airplane rides for the past few days and then cramped into a travel vehicle had left them a bit…

…restless.]

Avi: I mean I can see the front door now! :D -Freedommmmmmm—-

Pyro: Don’t open up the roof— No flying out of the car—

Avi: D^: But—but awwwww, come onnnn! It’s right over theeeerrrrrre— only a little hover awayyy…

Bat: We return home as a unit, Six, not in pieces!

Mic: Give Six break. -W- Happy to be home.

Avi: YEEAAAHHH it’s so good to be home—gosh I can’t WAIT to get back to my radio tower—

Cryo: I’m sure you have some ICE stories to tell the viewers, kyaha~

Shade: -Growls at the pun-

Avi: DON’T YOU KNOW IT—

Pyro: Inside voice, Avi.

Avi: —buuuuut it’s too bad I can’t explain what happened…. Did we, uh, ever decide on a story of what to say if they asked about Toby?

Dyna: -Haughty hairflick- Juszzzt szzay that I fried that naszzty biker to a core. Completely true, after all. They can aszzzume the reszzt. -Sparks briefly-

Shade: -Flinches at this- (Ugh, can ya not while we’re cramped in the car, Sis…)

[The smallest of the Mighty Numbers was distracted, pressing his face against the window. It was good to be home: to see the familiar sights, to be where he belonged…

…Well, at least when it came to his family. He wasn’t much of a fighter, so he always felt out of place. Especially considering Pyro had him benched for the time being…]

Beck: (I hope she’s okay…. There weren’t any more “accidents,” so she kept her promise, but…)

Brand: …Are you okay there, otouto?

Beck: ! O-oh, yeah, I, uh…

Beck: I-I was just thinking about Tobias. He… he was really out of it for a while, huh…

Avi: -Thumbs up- Don’t you worry about Toby, bro! He’s up and running now, and he’ll be right as rain! That’s what Doc C said, at any rate…

Pyro: … When did you talk to Mikhail? -Confused-

Avi: Oh, just the other day! He was asking about the watch, actually, but I didn’t exactly have the instructions…

Bat: Watch?

Mic: Birthday present. Missed birthday, Shade sent present. E|

Shade: Mnnrgh. …Glad it got through.

Cryo: -Poooookes at her little brother with her nozzle arm-

Shade: | [

[The sniper remained in a grumpy mood as they finally pulled into the parking lot of Sanda Enterprises.]

Avi: WOOOOOOOO WE’RE HOME

Cryo: LAST ONE IN’S A FROZEN PUDDLE

Shade: Will y’all shut it fer just two minutes—

Cryo: Oh, stop being such a wash-out, Shadey!

Shade: Ain’t in the mood fer puns—‘m gonna go sleep through Sunday, thank yew—

Pyro: -Grabs him by the shoulder before he vanishes, keeping a firm grip- Oh no you aren’t. You’re carrying in your luggage, same as everyone else.

Shade: -Grumpy data- -Grumbles about something under his breath-

Pyro: What was that? | /

Shade: …Ah’ said, all that work an’ this is the thanks Ah’ get…

Cryo: Quit being a drama llama, Shadebro! We’re home now! -Grabs at luggage, gimme-

Dyna: Ugh, I’m too fabulouszz for thiszz. -Grinning, obviously not 100% serious- Earthbro iszz more than capable of carrying in everybody’szz luggage, right~?

Mic: OWO

Shade: …What she said—

Pyro: Enough, you two. <_<

Shade: … -Nah Imma go nap an’ ya can’t stop me— -

Pyro: -Not if my grip has anything to say about it-

Cryo: -Flings herself at Pyro, eager to get in on the conflict- FIGHT ME—

Brand: Cryo—! Now’s not the time!

Shade: Fer Xel’s sake, just give it a rest—

Avi: EYYYYY good one—

[The sniper had reached the end of his patience.]

Shade: -DAMMIT Ah’ did NOT mean t’ pun—- Avi, Ah’ swear if there’s one more pun outta yew…

“You want a hand with that? BJ”

Shade: !

[The commotion stopped momentarily, with the sniper looking down in surprise.]

[Sure enough, there he was: the one and only songbird. He was grinning up at his taller friend, giving off unfiltered gleeful data.

And just like that—]

Shade: -nEVERMIND, NAP CAN WAIT— -

[Cardinal laughed and gave his friend a proper hug. He didn’t even care that he was letting someone that close to him, or that he was showing such a strong sign of friendship.]

[It had been a long two months since they had last seen one another, and it had felt like ages. The old prototype Robot Master had done a lot of waiting in his time, but very rarely had he ever felt the sense of separation so poignantly.

He’d made an effort to drown out his sorrows by keeping busy, and had much to tell them… but that could wait.

For now, he was happy just to see his best friend alive and well again.]

Beck: Cardinal! :DDD You’re here!

[He ran in for a hug, and Cardinal pulled him in. Each of the three of them seemed to be savoring the moment.]

Bat: What are you doing here, Private? It’s 0400 local!

Cardinal: -Gleeful pings as he messes with Shade, the latter using him as an armrest- I had to come in person, Major! I failed to be up in time to see you off—it took all my self-control not to meet up with you at the airport in New York, instead!

Brand: That would have raised more questions, yes. -.-; Might I suggest that we continue this inside?

Shade: If you say so, ya stick-in-the-mud. B]

Cardinal: B]

[He broke into chuckles at that, though, shoving Shade off before going over to pick up his bags.]

Pyro: -Oh, you were being serious—- There’s no need for that, Cardinal. You’re our guest. Shade can carry his own bags in. ¬_¬

Cardinal: Nah, it’s fine— watch this!

[Cardinal used SUPER ARM!]

[And just like that, he’d grabbed all of Shade’s luggage effortlessly. Bat gave a whistle of appreciation.]

Cryo: NICE, Looks like he LIFTS, bros—

Cardinal: -Laughs- It does come in handy! C’mon, let’s head inside.

[Once all the Mighties were inside, the luggage was put to the side and everyone headed for the kitchen. It may be 4AM local, but they were still suffering from jet lag: it was about lunchtime in London. Even though he was a bit worn out from the travels, Pyro set about to preparing a proper meal for the family.

There was the usual chaos around the kitchen as Cardinal also prepared some coffee for himself and Countershade. When the prototype sat down, however… he immediately became subject to questioning.]

Avi: So what have you been up to, Cards? Got any new songs for us?

Cardinal: Ha, I wish… -Something of an empty half-smirk as he slides a mug of coffee over to Shade- It’s all run together a bit for me, actually. It… hasn’t been easy, to be honest.

Brand: …? What do you mean?

[Shade sipped at his coffee silently as his friend explained himself.

Despite the distance and the time difference—not to mention the risk on Cardinal’s end—the songbird had kept in touch with him and buzzed in every so often. So he was in the know on most of it.]

Cardinal: Well…

Cardinal: When days don’t have any specific value of importance assigned to them, multiple days of memory that are much the same usually cause identical cross-reference creation redundancy, and it becomes difficult to differentiate one day from another. It all becomes a blur….

Brand: …That’s not the only reason, is it.

Cardinal: Heh.

[He gave something of a wry grin, leaning against the table. The data he gave off was subtly more tired than before… and just as tense.]

Cardinal: You noticed, huh? Not much gets by you.

Beck: Nii-san is really good at that!

Cardinal: -Long sip of coffee- Yeah… I’ll admit that we didn’t take it very well at all, first. And me most of all.

Avi: Aw, we missed you too, buddy!

Bat: You seem to have held up well, soldier. You’re being too hard on yourself, as usual!

Cardinal: -Shakes his head- I was upset. I stayed Offline for a while, and then, well…

Cardinal: Tried to busy myself in work. Had to… do something, just keep moving forward. -Looks off into the distance- Figured we should make progress with repairs… needed certain resources. We had to go out and raid a lot for them: it really was rather hard.

Pyro: That would explain that one series of alerts we got…

Cardinal: Yeah, they’d brought more firepower than I had bargained for. I made it out alright, but  I wouldn’t want any of you to go to such places, that’s for sure. There wasn’t much to find as it was.

Beck: Sorry I wasn’t there to help…

[Cardinal grinned and patted Beck’s shoulder.]

Cardinal: Nah, we really just needed more of specific metals, and any source of certain energies we could find. I got my hands on more E-tanks—which is good, but there still aren’t very many. Siamini’s been trying, but we haven’t made that breakthrough just yet. He thinks he might be getting close, having run the search on the database for months now.

Cryo: Uuugh, don’t tell me it was all work and no play! -Pbbbtth-

Cardinal: Sorry there, Ice Queen, but without you guys around, we didn’t have many people to play with, to be honest. Snow was often off doing his own thing, but he’s the only one who really gets out and about.

Dyna: Well, we’ll fix that now that we’re baaack~

Mic: Why need special metals? ?W? Ones Mic and Felix mine not enough?

Cardinal: -Gives a relaxed sigh, running his fingers through his hair- …Well, we needed to get samples from stuff related to the Second Generation. The only place that has that is that one old lab that’s been completely trashed several times over. It was time for us to strip that place to the bone anyway, before— well, before what happened… would happen.

Cardinal: Only it DID happen.

Bat: You’re referring to the WMD that got pointed at you?

Cardinal: -Grim expression- Mmm… it was more than that. There was… someone a bit like Mic, and definitely someone like Avi… though we were shot at long-range from someone like you, Major. The compound was destroyed.

Pyro: -Places some bacon aside- But no one was injured, right?

Cardinal: Most everyone got out of there in time, but I had to draw them off. Needless to say, that place won’t be offering up any more resources, and that’s one mainframe down. Luckily we have the one in the Meadow—and here, since the two are synched.

Cardinal: Though—it would still be putting you in danger to use your mainframe for our own devices. -Looks up- We don’t want to subject you to that if it can be helped.

Shade: -Puts his coffee down- M’ sure Dad would be fahn lettin’ ya use the mainframe if y’all really needed to, Cards.

Beck: Yeah! We’ll all help! ouo

Cardinal: Heh…. Thanks, but… -Trails off- …

Cardinal: …Well, at least we got some important data and schematics.

Brand: … -Raises an eyebrow- Such as?

Cardinal: I know what you’re thinking, Brand, but we didn’t find anything related to Shadow in there. Sorry.

[The Xel ninja said nothing, but it wasn’t hard to see (by his VISIBLY mildly unamused expression) that he was slightly disappointed to hear this.]

Shade: -Quiet ping of sympathy to his older brother- Ya woulda thought that somethin’ like that’d be in there.

Cardinal: You'd think a lot of things would be in there, but I’m pretty sure that Wily must have kept stuff like that written down on notepads, not stored in the RMD.

Beck: Why?

Cardinal: He lost things that were really important to him due to serious problems with the database once, you know—and he always was really, REALLY old school.

Cardinal: -Leans back in his chair a bit- Maybe it WAS in there once, but—y’know, it’s been a long time since the end of the Gamma incident. (Like, what… nine months or so?) He’s had time to delete that stuff, and he was really adamant about making sure Shadow was… quote-unquote taken care of, if you catch my drift.

[Brand clenched the knife he was holding a bit harder at this.]

Avi: -Aaaaaand distraction time—- So… what WERE you able to get?

Cardinal: Good question, Avs; we haven’t reviewed it in full as of yet. I think it was retrieval of the blueprints for the Second Generation, at least. I know that I went out and managed to get my hands on 020’s data.

Shade: -Nice-

Pyro: -Hopeful data- That’s the boxer, correct?

Cardinal: Yup.

Bat: Ha! Good work, soldier! No man left behind!

Beck: That must have been awfully scary, though! ono

Cardinal: -Grins- Well, it wasn’t easy! And yeah, it was a pretty big risk. But hopefully it’ll be worth it, in the long run.

[His smile fades.]

Cardinal: Tobias, though…

[The murmur of conversation died down at that. Avi fidgeted.]

Avi: Mikhail said he was okay, right…?

Cardinal: He’s… he’s alright.

[The Robot Master in question had been Offline for quite some time following the scene in the sands. And what a scene it had been…]

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

SKLLLKTTKRRRSHHHLLLRRRKKT—

[Oil and cooling fluids spattered all over Bladeblaster’s hands and weapon, as if they were blood….]

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Cardinal: We never did explain what happened, did we…

[He presses a hand to his face and yawns.]

Cardinal: Well, maybe Mikhail can explain it tomorrow or something.

Beck: What is there to explain? :c He’s… he’s okay, right?

Cardinal: Yeah. He was asleep for a while, but that’s pretty common for any Robot Master after they get sent Offline in a traumatic fashion. Especially if they blame themselves. That data is really difficult to process, you know.

Dyna: -Awww, Tobyyyy…-

Beck: Sorry we couldn’t help out. D:

Cardinal: You guys had your own worries. We pulled through alright.

Cardinal: Besides, you’ve done a lot of good work with those molds you made for us! The new coolant systems make all the difference in the heat of battle.

Shade: -Snorts into his coffee despite himself-

Avi: EEEEYYY nice one :^D

[Cardinal gave a brief soft laugh.]

Cardinal: It’s good to be like… like this again.

Cryo: SOOOOooooo… now that you're home… what do you want to do next?

Brand: Something that doesn't end up in the headlines. -~-;;

Cardinal: -Laughs at this-

Shade: -Devilish grin, worth it-

Pyro: Are you kidding, Seven? I swear those two could go out for groceries and end up in trouble.

[The two in question snicker at this.]

Brand: -Mildly annoyed glare at Cardinal-

Cardinal: -Amused- You really need to chill out, Sev.

Cardinal: You should try meditation, I hear it works wonders~

Shade: -Almost chokes on his coffee at this-

[Brand narrowed his eyes coldly at his younger brother as the cowboy coughed briefly, grinning as he sat shaking in silent laughter.]

Shade: -Error X04: srs not found, BWAHAHA-

Cardinal: -Just gives a cheeky grin- ~~~

Bat: We could deploy him to Kalos. Maybe some training there will get him to clean up his act!

Shade: -Aw, not you too, bro— Ah’ trusted ya…-

Cardinal: -Laughs a little- Actually, that's not that bad of an idea, Major. I taught Baron some new tricks by utilizing the moves he has in expressive ways.

Pyro: >_>;

Cardinal: Don’t suppose you can come with?

Shade: -Pings and sighs, nostalgic about their previous adventures- Ah’d love to, but—

Pyro: -Brings pancakes over to the table- We have a match tomorrow morning. We have to rest, I’m afraid.

Cardinal: Aw, come onnn…. Not even for half an hour?

Brand: Cardinal, the last time you and Shade went there, you got chased by a swarm of BEES. -____-;;

Shade: -Pokes at the songbird sharply- Ah' still blame yew—

Cardinal: That was BARON'S idea, not mine!

Pyro: Alright, alright! Settle down!

Shade: -Fine, fine…-

[Everyone started chowing down as Pyro divvied out the food.]

Cardinal: I’m just glad you guys are back. We really missed you.

Shade: S’ good to be back. B]

Avi: By the way, did our gifts ever reach you guys—

Cardinal: -Cutting designs into his pancakes- Yeah, and Mikhail was very happy you all got him the watch. Just one thing, though…

Shade: Hmm?

Cardinal: …You didn't include any instructions, so you're going to have to show him how it works.

Shade: Ah, right—there are several functions, heh…

Mic: -Going through an entire stack of pancakes all to himself- How is Felix?

Cardinal: -Smile fades- …Sick.

Brand: … -Concerned- Sick?

Cardinal: Yeah.

Beck: What happened? D:

Cardinal: As he would put it, “It’s A Long Story”…. Something to do with visions and high energy things. That's what Piers said, anyway.

Dyna: Who iszzz that, again?

Cardinal: Mmm. That would be the captain from Lemuria; he’s Felix’s best friend. He came over to help monitor Felix after he fell ill. Echo probably asked him to do so.

Bat: Any idea as to what caused it? That man is as sturdy as they get. Haven’t ever heard of him being under the weather since we’ve known him.

[Cardinal lowered his utensils for a moment, frowning.]

Cardinal: He was doing research into what might have happened with those stupid crosses, from what I understand. B/

Pyro: Mmmnnngh…

Mic: :c Mic not get it. Felix not a ‘bot?

Cardinal: He was researching something similar from his world. Pretty dangerous material, from what I understand. He was either careless or else underestimated the potency he could reach by refining the material…

Beck: But he’ll be okay, right? D:

Cardinal: …

Cardinal: -Slowly- He’s bounced back from worse before. He’ll be fine.

Beck: -Whew…-

Cardinal: Enough about us, though. What about you guys? We barely got to see any of the matches—

Avi: NOT TO WORRY, we recorded everything in HD! :^D

Cardinal: Fair enough, but. Tell me about England. -Pours syrup onto more pancakes, only to find Beck had taken most of the syrup already- Tell me about what it was like for you guys.

Shade: Hmm…

Shade: It was… rainy.

Cardinal: -Snrk-

Cryo: -Flails- We’ve been there before, you know! Came back champs, natch. Those guys couldn’t hold a candle or a hose to the team SUPREME!

Brandish: The teams were very good. They were simply outmatched, that is all. I’m sure Speedy would have enjoyed seeing some of them… were you really unable to watch any of the matches?

Cardinal: We picked up a few radio broadcasts, but the only one we got to see was the last one. And we all know how THAT went…

Shade: Tsk… real shame. ‘least Avi got the content t’ show after the fact…

Cardinal: Oh, dude, I’d love to marathon watch the whooooole thing. B]

Bat: For your analysis program?

Cardinal: -Smirks- Maaaybe.

Pyro: Heh.

Dyna: -Points and cackles- Don’t think you can pull a faszzzt one on uszz, Card-i-nalll~! Analyszzisz didn’t help them much, after all~

Cardinal: -Amused- Fair enough point.

[Shade twitched an amused smile, before privately pinging his friend.]

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: You’ve got more to say, don’t you?

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: >Let’s just say that you haven’t seen what I can really do when I’m serious.

[His grin faded after a moment, and he gave off tired data again.]

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > …Though… I hope you never have to…

[Shade used what was left of his right arm to swish his cloak a little, brushing it against the short prototype. This served to distract him out of the grim cross-references of recent battles—not matches, but true clashes of machines of war.]

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: S’ok. Things will be fine now.

Cardinal: -Blinks a little bit, coming out of his private thoughts to Avi’s ongoing description of the lunch with the Queen- …

Cardinal: … -Decides to zone back out, focusing on his breakfast-

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > What about you, Shade? Did… did we make things rather hard for you?

Shade: …

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: …The whole thing was a mess. S’ not y’all’s fault. Got hammered pretty hard with demands from just about every agency you can think of, all wantin’ answers for what Bladeblaster was up to…

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > …And how Tobias got past security?

Shade: | / -Sighs and nods-

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > Geez, that sounds rough. What were they expecting, that just because you guys were both assassins that you knew what he was up to?

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Mnn. Somethin’ like that, I guess. More like they expected me specifically t’ have been keepin’ an eye on him… since he was a competitive threat and not publicly on good terms…

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > …

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Ah’ know, right?

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > Man… if they were that hard on you, I can only imagine what they put Jack through…

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Nah, don’t worry ‘bout him. Kate’s got his case.

[Cardinal smiled softly at that.

“Kate”—also known as Shade’s distaff counterpart—had developed a fast friendship with the unfortunate CherryDyn fighter. It came as little surprise that she had managed to find a backdoor to the system that allowed her to protect the still-recovering victim.]

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: >How’d she manage to pull that off?

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Heh heh… God only knows; haven’t had a chance t’ compare notes yet. She was real careful about not being seen communicating with us much. She kept a tight patrol ‘round the hospital when she wasn’t actin’ as his case handler. She even wrote a report to submit to the CAL: managed to take off with some of my blank documents while I was nappin’ r’ somethang, y’know.

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: >Well, as long as she’s looking out for him. I’ve got a bad feeling about what could happen to him now…. He surely knows too much, and as for his boss…

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Rumor has it that he’s dead.

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > …

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > What?

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Kate thinks it’s a cover story. Kinda inclined t’ believe her.

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > …

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > -MnnnNNNnng-

Cardinal: -Pokes at his pancakes, deciding to change to subject-

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > How… how bad was it, with them asking about Tobias?

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Eh. That was the easy part. Just said that he wasn’t a Xelbot I’d ever seen in the ring before, must be some fan a’ Dyna’s. B]

[Cardinal grins at that, biting down onto his fork.]

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > Nice. Technical, misleading truths are my absolute favorite.

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Heh. Figured you’d get a kick outta that. Thankfully, they really didn’t press the point, ‘cause they were havin’ trouble finding him in any of the databases to begin with… making it even less likely that a star family like us would know him.

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: >Yeah… thanks for putting him as an Industrial. He really isn’t developed for Combat.

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Maybe not, but—

Shade: -Whistle of appreciation-

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: After seein’ him in action, can’t say he wouldn’t fit in.

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > You could say he—

[MNN-008 to DLN-000] //: Aw c’mon, don’t—

<DLN-000 to MNN-008>: > —punched BB’s lights out—

Shade: -Snickers and thwacks Cardinal with his cape-

Cardinal: -CHEEKIEST GRIN-

Pyro: What’s going on down there?

Cardinal: Oh, nothing~

Shade: Just enjoyin’ a jest, heh heh…

[The two share a laugh, and Pyro lets the matter drop. It was good to see Shade back in a good mood again, and neither were out causing trouble, after all—at least, not yet.]

Pyro: (I don’t doubt that they’ll find plenty of mischief to do as time goes on.) -Shakes his head slightly- (Truly as “thick as thieves”, those two….)

[Cardinal, for his part, seemed to slip back into a weary melancholy. He’d stopped just short of finishing off his pancakes.]

Shade: …? Oi—you full, or…?

Cardinal: Hmm?

[He looked up, coming out of his thoughts. His eyes glowed slightly brighter for a moment before they dulled again: though it was hard to tell behind his sunglasses.]

Cardinal: Oh, I…

Cardinal: -Looks down at his plate- …I guess it’s more that I don’t want to leave.

Cryo: What’s THAT got to do with breakfast?

Cardinal: Well… you guys said you have a match tomorrow, and you’ll have to sleep most of the day to truly rest while readjusting your internal clocks to fix jet lag…

Cardinal: -Clearly reluctant- I really should get out of your way.

Brand: Nonsense.

Beck: We do have to rest up, but! Maybe Dad will let us have a sleepover!

Cardinal: -Looks up hopefully- You think so?

Bat: Affirmative, provided you don’t cause any trouble.

Cardinal: -Gives a slight smile at that- I’ve just returned from active combat, sir. Led my men in battle and brought us all home alive. I have enough thrills from the enemies at my heels; right now I just want some peace and quiet before they carry out the brunt of the storm.

Shade: … (Haven’t seen him like this in a long time. Gotta be something I can do t’ help keep him outta that sea of hopelessness…)

Shade: -Gets a sudden idea- !

Shade: -Slowly grins- Gee. That’s too bad.

Cardinal: -Looks up- I’m sorry, Shade. I’m just really tired right now. You know how that is.

Shade: Yeah.

Shade: Was just thinkin’ maybe…

Shade: Maybe after spendin’ the night, y’ could come to watch the match tomorrow?

Cardinal: !

[The others immediately chimed in.]

Mic: -Deep PING of approval- ^W^ As Digger say, “yes good!”

Bat: Solid idea!

Beck: Yeah! That would be great!

Avi: Now why didn’t I think of that?

Dyna: Yee, you’ll get to szzee a FABULOUS diszzplay!

Brand: You really ARE overdue to see a match in person…

Cryo: Hell yeah, [glitches]! Watch us totally DOMINATE those losers!

Pyro: We’d love to have you come. Why don’t you go ask?

Cardinal: -Warm smile- …Thanks, guys. You’re the best.

[Beck beamed as the prototype wandered off to go find the Doctors. Best friends, reunited! What a wonderful thing!]

Beck: -Hums a little, licking syrup off his plate while Pyro isn’t looking- (I can’t slip away tonight, but maybe tomorrow I can go see her, too…. I should see if I can get extra Xel ready for her. Maybe I could say it’s stuff for the molds…)

Beck: (I really hope she's been doing well since I left—I know! I'll make a nice gift for her too, maybe add some chocolate—a gift basket! That'll cheer her up. And maybe…)

Beck: (Maybe after the match, I can finally talk to her about some important things…)

“There’s gotta be something we can do to fix this.”

“There is no ‘we’ to this, Cardinal!”

[He paced around the dark room a bit, quite serious and determined in thought.]

“Issimo, I told you I would help, and you’ll find that I’m not an easy man to get rid of.”

[The two of them were alone in an abandoned building of some sort. While it wasn’t an ideal location, it was away from prying eyes and hidden cameras—and also not near to any friends and family that could be placed in danger.]

“You’ve already died once from something like this! You don’t understand what they’re capable of!”

[Cardinal shrugged and held a hand out to the side, glancing up at the deteriorating ceiling.]

“I’m aware that Shade Fox is a melee combatant with some sort of sword, and could probably sic Maverick Hunters on my chass if it were more convenient than using Maverick cronies instead. And I know about the neural inhibitor, too. Nasty stuff, though I’m not sure that would work on a Robot Master. If it did, probably not to the extent it could on a Reploid.”

“ ‘Could’? Try ‘would’. If you got in his way, he’d have full authority to alert the entire HQ. You can’t fight all of them!”

[The prototype had to laugh at this.]

“This is not a laughing matter!”

[Cardinal turned and grinned, putting his hands on his hips.]

“I’m far stronger and more experienced than even you and Countershade give me credit for. When I’ve come prepared, I can hold my own even against a trap-filled den of high-ranking assassins.”

“I don’t want to put you in that kind of danger.”

“I appreciate that, because it’s not ideal for me, either.”

[He turned to walk back over to face a boarded-up window.]

“Look… we can’t do anything when he’s in a position to command the Maverick Hunters. If you got labeled as a Maverick, it’d cause all sorts of trouble. Trouble that wouldn’t go away even if you took him down later. And it still wouldn’t solve the problem with Dark…”

[Cardinal vented a sigh, his data becoming broody.]

“It’s really inconvenient not having an expert on Reploids near at hand. I’m positive Doc Cossack is capable of it, given that some seriously powerful Reploids are eventually to be added to the DCN series…”

“We can’t do one without the other. If we found a way to get rid of Dark, Shade Fox would eventually catch on. And he’s way too smart to be lured into any kind of trap…”

“Feh. I can think of at least three different ways to deal with the man that have a pretty good chance of catching him at unawares. Though granted, one of them is too risky to bystanders and also likely to be far more than I can afford….”

"Ugh, no, I don’t want this to get other people hurt in the process, that’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid here…”

“I know, I’m just sayin’. I have a lot of ideas on dozens of possibilities. It’s what I do. I know the whole ‘black-ops’ nature of the thing makes it hard, but it’s not impossible.”

[He heard Issimo stand up and start walking up behind him.]

“And yeah, I get that you don’t want to get other people involved. I know what that’s like, I’ve been there before. But I learned something from my last crusade—trying to take on such a big challenge by yourself can get you killed. However, we’ve got resources at our dispo—”

[Two things happened very quickly that cut him off extremely abruptly.

First, there was a crushing clamp as he was gripped just to the right of his neck. Something dug into his skin—]

>ERROR X05: UNRESPONSIVE/DAMAGED SOFTWARE DETECTED: RADIO System, WiFi System HAVE GONE OFFLINE

[—and immediately jacked with his transmitter and transceiver, disabling both his Radio and WiFi systems.

And secondly, a green light flashed before his eyes.]

gZZZGGHVVVhnn—!

[The energy beam slashed his throat, severing his audio cables and cutting into his voice box. The sudden onslaught caused an immediate reaction that carried through even before the stroke had finished.]

<DLN-000 has entered Lethal Combat Mode.>

[Unfortunately for his attacker…]

[Cardinal used TIME STOPPER!]

[…It didn’t do squat against his (relatively) old-fashioned mobility rigging.]

“-SKREEEEEEEEE—-”

[He broadcast a shrill screeching noise over his speakers as surge activated and began to repair the damage.]

[Cardinal used SKULL BARRIER! Cardinal used RAIN FLUSH!]

“-Grating and distorted, gradually growing more normal sounding- Bastard!”

[He whirled around sharply.]

[Cardinal used SUPER ARM!]

[He only saw the red eyes of the enemy that had overtaken his friend for a moment before the force of the blow sent him flying across the room.]

“You’ve made a BIG mistake, you ARROGANT IDIOT—”

[Cardinal used LEAF SHIELD!]

[He didn’t hurl the swirling shrapnel shield at his opponent. Instead, he grabbed one of the whirling pieces before the cloud started spinning too rapidly.]

“Did you REALLY think that a sneak attack would work so well on me?! Or did you just think I couldn’t emotionally differentiate you and Issi?!”

[Cardinal his teeth and raised the leaf high in the air. With a powerful lunge, he gouged it into the base of his own neck. It hurt like crazy as he tore at the cabling and rigging there, but it was enough to crudely remove the neural inhibitor from his person.

As soon as he did so…]

-PING!-

>RADIO System NOW ONLINE

>WiFi System NOW ONLINE

>SYNCING TO RMDC…

“DON’T BE AN ASS!”

[He still had quite a fair bit of time before Time Stopper wore out.]

[Cardinal used THUNDER BEAM!]

[More than enough time to send out a message to the RMDC while he blasted his enemy.]

<DLN-000 to RMDC-ALL>: > -PING!-

<DLN-000 to RMDC-ALL>: > -DLN-000 HAS ENTERED LETHAL COMBAT MODE AGAINST “DARK”, REQUESTING BACK-UP IMMEDIATELY

<DLN-000 to RMDC-ALL>: > -REQUESTED LINEUP: INTERIOR—MNN-008, DWN-024, MNN-007, PKN-005, DCN-008; EXTERIOR—FMN-006, MNN-009, FMN-008, MNN-003-

<DLN-000 to RMDC-ALL>: > -SENDING COORDINATES…-

[He could feel the (oddly comforting) simmering anger of the others as they reacted to the news immediately with pings of confirmation and acknowledgement.]

“I’ve already experienced first-hand the hard way on how what it means to deal with parasitic enemies, and it takes a lot more than THAT to disable me!”

[The precious luxury of Time Stopper was running out, but it had let him accomplish everything he’d really needed.]

“You’re out of your league, Maverick!”

[Before Dark could make a move as the Time Stopper wore off, he was lit up by a thin red beam.]

“And we’re going to take you RIGHT INTO SURGERY!”

>ANALYSIS COMPLETE

>CONTINGENCY HAS BEEN GENERATED AND IS NOW ON FILE

{Meanwhile, in England…}

[It was a peaceful evening as Jack and Kate entered the quiet flat.

The siren sniper gave a smile, her eyes hidden by the sunglasses she typically wore in her Civilian form.]

Kate: An’ here we are! Welcome to yer new digs.

[The recovering newbie fighter awkwardly made his way into the living room, looking around in awe.]

Jack: Man, it sure is nice to be out of the hospital…

[It was much nicer than any place he had lived before he joined up with Greater Dusk, that was for sure.]

Kate: Rent’s been paid for a couple months, so it’s all yours.

Jack: What? Aw, geez, Miss Eight—you didn’t have to do that—

Kate: Aw, maybe not, heh. But yew deserve something nice after all that happened. Give ya some time to let things calm down.

[Since he wasn’t sure how to respond to that, he just followed the tall assassin as she gave him a run-down of the place.]

Kate: This here’s the sitting room, Ah’ guess… bedroom’s over that way; careful about the shower, they have it kinda like a large version of a sink sprayer, real easy t’ get water everywhere…

Kate: -Walking into the kitchen- It’s all pretty small—but that’s standard for somethin’ in Britain.

[Inside the kitchen, there was a large box on the table.]

Jack: ? Uh—what’s in there?

Kate: Oh, just a lil’ somethin’ t’ get ya started. -Grins-

[Jack put down his suitcase.

Despite being a member of a (in)famous (and now banned) battle team, he didn’t really have many belongings. Only the changes of clothes that had been foisted onto him as part of the contract of being a team member… which he hadn’t been allowed to read before signing, of course.]

Jack: -Puts such thoughts aside for now- Let’s see what we’ve got here…

[Kate looked on with a relaxed smile, biting down on a dart as the clumsy combatant fumbled with the wrapping paper. She let him figure out a way to open it on his own; she was just enjoying the downtime.

It was something she didn’t get very often, with her job. Nor had she ever really had anyone other than family to spend it with. But Jack—Jack was different than the others.

As the sponsors were wont to say, he was “a good”—and he deserved nice things.]

Jack: Geez, whatever’s in here has some weight to it—!

[He heaves a large hiking backpack out of the box, looking more than a little surprised.]

Jack: A backpack?

Kate: -Gleeful ping- Yeah, that’s part of it, fer sure.

Jack: Looks like—is that a sleeping bag tied at the top?

Kate: Yup!

Jack: -Inspecting the outside- Wow, it comes with a water bottle and a compass…

[He unzips one of the compartments.]

Jack: Man, you really stuffed this to the gills. Poncho, first aid kit…

Jack: —!

[He pulls out something in clear plastic wrapping, with “Nighthawk Industries” printed on one end.]

Jack: AW SWEET COOL GOGGLES.

Kate: -Amused smile-

[He IMMEDIATELY puts those on—they fit rather nicely once he adjusted the strap—]

Jack: Dude—

Jack: These are like, perfect fit—

Kate: David had ‘em custom made. They’ve got lotsa functionality. Good for protectin’ ‘gainst rain an’ wind, a’ course…

Kate: -Puts her hand to her hip, grinning like crazy- But beyond that…~

Kate: Go look out the window, why don’cha?

[Jack glanced out the window in the kitchen, and Kate abruptly turned off the lights.]

Jack: !!!

Jack: ...? What's this—

Jack: —! OoooooOOHOHO THIS THING HAS NIGHT VISION—

Kate: Bingo~

Jack: So THIS is what the world looks like to you at night! (I feel so damn BADASS—)

Kate: -Turns the light back on- Neat, ain’t it? Lady Ky made those for ya—I put her contact info in yer phone in case you’d like another job of hers…

Jack: …? Uh… -What phone, we don’t have a— - Wait a minute…

[He eagerly starts digging through the rest of the backpack, pulling out the stuffing inside it as he went.

The top of the backpack was a nicely pressed set of casual clothes, shrunk to be airtight to pack in as much as possible. Underneath, there was a small bed roll, some blankets, and a travel/camping pillow.]

Jack: I’m surprised you didn’t put a whole tent in here, too…

Kate: Pup’s still workin’ on something that will fit but be spacious when you pop it out. He says you should just get a Spinarak an’ teach it Secret Power, an’ it’ll be even better than a tent.

Jack: Heh…

[Going through the pockets, he pulled out some maps, a small radio, a burner phone, and a wallet.]

Jack: ? -Peeks inside the wallet, curious-

Jack: !!! (That is—! A lot of gift cards! And–and cash, too?) You… -Kind of speechless-

[The sniper strode over and put her hand to his shoulder, giving a reassuring smile.]

Kate: One of these days, you’ll get outta here, Jackie. Be ready for a new life, what with GD not around anymore. That’s fer you to use t’ get around… pick out a nice ride of some kind, maybe, have a bit t’ eat an’ enough fer somewhere to stay… just until ya get yer footing. It should be good for a couple months once ya get stateside.

Jack: All this is…? (This is for me…?)

Kate: Our gift to you. | } Or… most of it, anyway. Still one more thing from Felix—he said it was important, but he’s still asleep… though his friend Piers is there t’ look after him. Ya might think of stopping by—it’s an easy shortcut to an’ through the Wilderness between worlds.

Jack: Wow, Miss Eight, I…

Jack: Honestly don’t know what to say…

Jack: -Gestures to the gifts all over the table- This is… -Gestures around the living room- All this is… man, it’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me, ever.

Kate: Aw, it’s the least we can do! Yer a good man, Jack, an’ well-liked. ‘m only sorry we didn’t get all this to ya sooner.

[She walked over to the freezer and pulled out a gallon of ice cream. Jack’s eyes lit up when he saw it—but even moreso when she opened the fridge and brought out some steak.]

Kate: Let’s forget talkin’ fer a while an’ eat. M’ starved.

[Jack was more than happy to oblige, and Kate leaned back against the wall as she ate an ice cream cone with her one hand.

It was so nice to see Jack in such good spirits and properly well off after all that he’d been through. Ever since she first got to know him, she’d wanted to help—she’d grown more and more concerned for him the more he talked about Greater Dusk, about the way the team had treated him. She’d grown convinced he was in a dangerous situation, but even she couldn’t have anticipated what happened next.]

Kate: (Hmmmn…. The finals…. Still don’t have a good enough answer on what those crosses were. Malware of some sort, that’s for sure, but…)

[It was a grim prospect that required further investigation. It may not be her world, but she’d grown to care for the people in it.]

Kate: (Coding like that could cause a lot of damage.)

[She squinted behind her sunglasses, narrowing her eyes in distrust.]

Kate: (Whatever mysterious “provider” Jack said Blade was talking to is -probably- stateside… just like Blade is, that damn bastard…)

[Jack had told her that Blade had turned up dead.]

-=-=-=-=-

Jack: They....They sent it back to CherryDyn for them to look over what went wrong with him.

Jack: ....They said they found nothin', so they patched him up and kept him in for observation.

Jack: ....Then...

Jack: .......

Jack: He's dead, man. Dead.

Jack: .......

Jack: I...they told me he was...

Jack: Freakin' tortured…

Jack: ......

Jack: -turns away-

-=-=-=-=-

[…Kate, however, didn’t buy it for a minute.]

Kate: (That’s too convenient… Something isn’t right, here…)

Kate: -Broods- (That worm isn’t going to escape justice THAT easily, no sir…)

[…She was almost tempted to see to it herself, when she did come across him. But no—he had too much to answer for, and she would have to keep her head high and not sink to his level by turning away from doing the right thing.

Didn’t mean she couldn’t have the satisfaction of imagining otherwise.]

Kate: …

Kate: -Frowns and sighs internally- (…Look at me.)

Kate: (Off of work for once, and saddling myself up with another “case” that needs someone who cares…. Maybe Sis is right. Maybe I am a workaholic…)

Kate: -Finishes off the ice cream- Jack— do me a favor an’ make another cone, please…

Jack: Yeah, sure thing—

[She rubbed what was left of her right arm thoughtfully as he prepared seconds for her.]

Kate: (Not even on a job an’ I’m out there thinking like a killer…. Gotta try to remember not to let myself grow that bitter at the world…)

Jack: …Miss Eight?

Kate: Hmm?

Jack: I’ve been… wondering something…

Kate: -Accepts the second ice cream cone- Yeah?

Jack: I don't know how to word this right, but...

Jack: ...Stuff like this is kinda your thing, I know, but...why go through all this for me? I mean—I'm not anyone THAT important, and on top of that, I'm a Cherry…

Kate: …Well…. Ya… ya always treated me like a person. Not very many people do. -Looks away in thought- ‘m just Fighting Mighty Eight to them— or Artemis, herald of death. Or just a pretty face with lots of money to burn.

Kate: That means something to me.

Jack:  ...Really, huh... (I guess, with what she does…)

[There was silence for a while as Kate finished off the second ice cream cone. This time, she seemed satisfied.]

Kate: Thanks for the help, Jack. I could do it myself, but it’s awfully messy, heh…

Jack: Oh, no problem.

Kate: -Turns on the faucet to wash her hand- Well, this was a nice evening. It was good to see you settled in.

Jack: Oh—are you headed off?

Kate: Yes.

[She wiped her hand on a dishcloth as best she could.]

Kate: Stateside.

Jack: Wh—You're going back to America? This soon?

Kate: I have some investigating t’ do, Jack…. Ah’ don’t think this is over yet.

Jack: -Internal groaning- (Agh, she’s probably right…)

Kate: Things may have died down, but… somethin’ is wrong over there, Ah’m sure of it.

Kate: -Turns to face him- Y’ need t’ lay low for a while, too. I hate t’ leave at a tahm like this, but the longer it waits, the colder the trail gets. You should be safe here from any prying eyes of this world—but just in case…

[She walks over and places something on the table.]

Jack: A… is that a taser?

Kate: -Momentary twitch of a smile- (…Figured you’d just hurt yourself with pepper spray, so…) Between that an’ yer Combat abilities, you should be able t’ hold yer own long enough to call for help. -Points over at the cell phone- Either ping somebody or—couple a’ contacts in there, just a call away.

Jack: I...um.

Kate: Yes?

Jack: Look, I appreciate the gesture, Miss Eight, just—do I really need this thing, I mean, it's a little much—

[The Mighty Number works her dart over to the other side of her mouth and tilts her head just so, giving the CDN a look that said otherwise.]

Kate: ....

Jack: …Right, stupid question—

Jack: Thanks, I guess...

Kate: Hmm hmm. Yer welcome. Ah' better git goin' nao.

Kate: Stay safe, Jack Parker.

Kate: I’ll be in touch when I figure things out.

Jack: M'kay. Don't go do anything too crazy, alright?

[She gave a characteristic grin, slowly fading away from sight. There was the rattle of the front door, and then she was gone.

Jack takes another fresh look around his new home, rubbing the back of his head quietly as he sinks down into the couch. He couldn't help but wish Miss Eight would've stuck around a little more, but it wasn't like he could stop her.

She's got her mind set on things for his sake, too.]

Jack: (…Guess I better start looking over this stuff…)

Height: 5’2” Birthday: March 8th Age: 28

Powers: Universal Adaptability, Teleportation Pets: Jazz the robotic cat, and Baron the Fletchling

Personality:

Thanks to the multiverse offering him and his family a safe (and fairly luxurious) place to live, easy access to medical supplies and repairs, several allies, and a few close friends… Cardinal is much more personable and laid-back than he used to be. Despite all the suffering he’s endured, he’s very content with his life. That happiness is reflected by his patient and easy-going nature.

It often appears that he doesn’t take his duties as a family leader seriously, but in reality, he prefers a hands-off approach where possible. When the situation calls for it, he proves to be incredibly focused, tactical-minded, creative, clever… and more than a little paranoid. (It should be telling that he prepares contingencies as both an impulse and a hobby.) He could be described as “crazy-prepared”—with emphasis on “crazy,” most people would say.

He’s become a somewhat notorious reputation as a troublemaker, and has taken up graffiti as a pastime with his friends. He’s a big fan of the arts, and enjoys visiting museums for fun. He earned the nickname “songbird” due to his penchant for singing and making song references.

Although he is incredibly powerful due to the sheer variety of weaponry at his disposal, he prefers to take a defensive approach when confronted. Perceived threats to his family and friends will cause him to become very cold and evasive: if he is displaying avoidance, it’s likely because he perceives the subject as a threat or an enemy.

Backstory:

Cardinal was developed by Dr. Light as a top-secret military project, made using stolen coding from Dr. Wily. He spent his early life living on in unidentified military complex, running field tests and processing simulated scenarios. His truly independent personality displayed free-thinking, causing some debate when he made unexpected decisions in the combat simulations. The debate about his purpose and usefulness ended prematurely when he collapsed during a field test from overheating.

The problem was initially identified as a faulty power core, which was then replaced. When he shut down a second time during a live field test, a full diagnostic scan was ordered. The scan revealed that due to a fault in Dr. Light’s programming, the system was stuck in an Active Combat Mode. Energy was being created but not used, leading to overheating. Engaging in actual combat only made the problem more severe, and made him an explosive risk. The project was deemed a failure.

Rather than stay and be shut down, Cardinal acted on a loophole in his programming that allowed him to run away. He spent the rest of his first life homeless, wandering from city to city, and ended up staying in Kansas City. He made some meaningful connections with the people there when he helped evacuate a flaming building during a thunderstorm. He sustained an injury that rendered him unconscious for over a week. Shortly after he woke up again, he traveled to a convention center where Dr. Light was giving a speech, hoping to make peace with the man. Instead, he ran off again, feeling utterly betrayed by Dr. Light’s revelation of his plans to build Rock and Roll. He died shortly thereafter.

After Dr. Wily found and rebuilt him, he spent most of his next life in Kansas City, living with a group of hackers known as “the Mad Hatters”. He would work for Wily on occasion out of a feeling of debt, but ultimately turned against him shortly before “the Gamma incident.” Fed up with Wily’s destructive ways, and tired of seeing his brothers killed off, Cardinal helped rescue a handful of Robot Masters and form a family unit. He gave the unit the name Rebel Angels.

Several months later, he traveled to Europe to follow up on suspicious activity related to Wily’s supposed “death”. It was during this time (later referred to as “the Russian incident”) that he met the Cossack family… and his cat, Jazz. Mikhail Cossack became a family friend and ally out of gratitude for Cardinal saving their lives. Jazz was converted into a combat support unit with both a Combat and Civilian form.

(SEE ALSO: Mournful Blues, Moral Compass, Broken Winter)

Life in the Multiverse:

Cardinal lives with the rest of the Rebel Angels in a warded pocket dimension. He’s the head of the family, but doesn’t generally direct day-to-day affairs. While initially cold and stand-offish, he became more personable after making an alliance (and later a friendship) with a Maverick Hunter named Issimo Xu. He considers Issimo his first best friend, and is very loyal to him.

About three months after Cardinal met Issimo, he came across a family of Xelbots. Despite the tense first encounter, the two families soon formed an alliance, and later a number of close friendships. Cardinal himself was closest to one of the youngest ‘bots, an assassin named Countershade White. They became practically inseparable.

Unfortunately for him, things in Shade’s world fell to an apocalyptic state. In the process of attempting to rescue his close friend, Cardinal sustained fatal injuries and shut down. The damage was so severe and pervasive that in the end, it was necessary for him to update his programming so that he could be transferred to a new chassis. This process lasted over three years, but the benefits made it worth the time and the risk: he no longer overheats to the point of posing an explosive risk.

There’s an ongoing project that will someday grant him access to a Xel chassis as well. Plans have been made to allow him to fight in the NBCA under the alias of “the Red Baron”. He’s already well known in the public eye due to his actions during the virus outbreak, and his association with Countershade have only fueled public interest. Luckily for him, less than ten people (other than the Whites and the Sandas) are aware of his true identity.