The Business of War

Orchestrated By C.M. Rich (Magnetman)

Once and Always

By Hardman

Chapter 8

Snow fell outside, making the building cold inside. The broken window didn't help matters any, but that didn't matter to Constance. The AI's comandeered body crouched low behind the wooden counter as the spotlight swept over the area. The human officers charged with sweeping the streets for possible SA infiltration units were in a hurry, though, and didn't look close enough to notice the broken window.

After a few minutes of total silence, Constance stood slowly, looking around itself. This place felt... different than everywhere else. It felt like familiar, somehow.

[Speculation: Are... memories bleeding over from this unit?]

[Fact: Memory sharing is an indication of a hostlink.]

[Query: Is that something I can risk?]

Constance took in the sight. The bottles lined up in front of the mirrored wall, behind the sturdy wooden counter. The tables, arranged haphazardly around the room. The meaningless decorations on the walls.

[Query: If I establish a hostlink, am I not complete? My function fufilled?]

It shook the borrowed head, purely out of reflex.

[Fact: I cannot allow ... doubt... to keep me from achieving my objective.]

[Fact: I must locate Dr. Light. He will be able to repair me.]

A small noise behind it made Constance whirl about, the hand sliding the hunting knife easily out of the boot sheath. There, standing in the doorway in front of the locked door, was a small child. He was no older then nine, wearing a simple windbreaker that offered no protection against the cold, and an expression that spoke of no discomfort. No... it was determined. The boy was here with purpose.

"I thought I would find you here," the boy said. His voice was familiar in a way. Cold in a manner that had nothing to do with temperature, and high in a way that shook the spine. "No matter what you become, you never change."

Constance analyzed the situation as the boy continued to speak, standing there in the cold wind, unmoving. "You can't speak, can you? I thought not. It doesn't seem like you're all there, my dear...I hit a nerve last time, though. You recited the verse, but I don't believe you did it consciously..."

The AI had the entire formula worked out. The throw would be perfect, the force would be enough. The knife would bury itself in this... child's head. Or whatever was pretending to be this child. Thought became action, and the air screamed as the blade cut through it.

The child made no move to avoid it, and simply raised his hand, letting the knife sink deeply, cutting straight through the palm. There was no spray of blood, no cry of pain. Just a dull thunk, and the boy smiled. "Your processors must be damaged if you haven't figured out that this kind of thing doesn't work on me."

Only now did Constance notice the boy's left pupil. Not the normal, human circle of pitch black. A white spiral.

Damn it.

The boy calmly took the blade out of his hand and tossed it back to Constance, like he was givng a book to a friend. "Let's be honest, here. There's nothing you can do to harm me, and I doubt very much I'll be able to catch you if you choose to run. So let us talk. Man to man, so to speak."

He read her ever-still expression carefully, and then a look of surprise seemed to cross his features. "I see! So that old coot botched the job THAT bad, did he? Completely destroyed you ability to utilize her vocal chords. Interesting..."

Constance took a step back, unsure of how to respond to this.

[Query: How can this enemy know these things?]

"Oh, it's quite easy," the boy chuckled, catching Constance off guard again. "I'm something of a mind reader. I'm afraid your mind is rather dull, however. All 'fact' this and 'query' that. You seem to be searching for Dr. Light."

Constance seemed to consider something.

[Fact: He is able to read my statement lines.]

"Thank you, captain obvious," the boy said.

[Then... Query: Are you also searching for Dr. Light?]

"I see you're gaining a firmer grasp on the language," he smiled. "And in answer to your question, I ask you a similar one: Who ISN'T looking for Dr. Light?"

[Query: Do you wish to terminate him?]

The boy laughed aloud now, long and hard, high and cold. It was a laugh that bounded around the room with a life of its own, threatening to destroy the last vestiges of sanity held to by those that heard it. "Kill him, you mean? Whatever for?"

[Query: Why are you searching for Dr. Light?]

"Well, certainly not for the same reason you are. I need no repairs," the boy chuckled, still amused with himself. "No, I'm looking for him for a different reason."

The boy turned and moved across the thin layer of snow on the hardwood floor to the broken window, looking out into the quiet streets. And he spoke. "Our mutual orange friend has an amazingly brutal point: Megaman, that blue robot, is the key to everything. Uniting the resisting Robot Masters against General Cutman, making a case against the Shutdown Code, even rallying his bedamned red brother to the side of justice and smiting the evil that marches across this globe to save the human race. He truly is the key to it all.

But imagine, for a moment, that the mighty Megaman never comes to the fight. Never rallies the divided factions to combat the greater evil. What then? Does the world fall into the hands of the Scissor Army, humanity made into nothing but a blood-soaked memory? Or do the heroes of this mudball somehow triumph, destroying the greatest threat to this world it has ever seen? Even then, how does life continue after a war of this scale has torn it apart? Do we all patch our relationships up and press on, or do we accept the changes that took place and try to make the best of it?"

The boy turned around, looking Constance up and down. "I've heard it said that at the end of the show, people change. You are the truest example of that I have ever seen.

I just want to see how everything ELSE changes."

[Supposition: So... you merely wish to keep Megaman out of the War for as long as possible?]

"Indeed!" the child grinned, clapping his hands. "You learn quickly, don't you? If Megaman magically reappears, he'll prevent such a drastic change from taking place. He'll turn the tide before the upheaval. He'll fix it all before the permanent damage is done. Where's the fun in that, I ask you? After all this work, after coming so far?"

[Fact: I am unsure what you mean. However, our goals do not seem to conflict.]

"It would seem that way, wouldn't it? You simply wish to be repaired, to become fully functional again. But what of your host? What does SHE desire?"

[Fact: This unit desires a quick end to the conflict.]

The boy smiled, putting his hands in the pockets of the windbreaker. "And the best way to do that is...?"

[Conclusion: Find Megaman.]

"Indeed. And this would put you and I into... somewhat direct conflict, wouldn't it? Is that... acceptable to you, Constance?"

[Fact: I do not wish to do battle with an enemy I cannot defeat.]

"I'll take that as a no, then," the boy said with a slight smirk. "Then I suppose it is in your best interest to insure that your host does nothing to further the cause of finding Megaman, isn't it?"

[Fact: You are correct.]

"I usually am." The boy looked at an imaginary watch on his wrist. "Well, my full attention is required elsewhere, but I shall still remain in this city. I shall be keeping an eye on you, Constance. Remember what we talked about."

With that, the boy simply melted back into inoffensive light particles. Constance was left to itself inside the borrowed body.

[Fact: I cannot allow this unit to continue searching for Megaman.]

[Reason: A direct fight with that enemy has a 90% chance of ending in my destruction.]

[Conclusion: ... I cannot allow this unit's normal consciousness to control this unit anymore.]

[...]

[AI Constance mode default changed from Passive Mode to Active Mode.]

--------------------

Chapter 9

"Stop in the name of the law! HOLD UP, Dammit!"

Topman didn't even slow down, sliding around a corner of a block and applying his full speed forward again, moving with grace and ease even over the partly frozen streets.

"You'll have to be faster to catch me, Landigarm!" he laughed over his shoulder. He amusement was cut short when an RPD APC appeared at the next intersection. "Well... okay, argument accepted," Topman admitted, sliding to a halt between the menacing looking machine and the squadron of MPD officers rounding the corner and joining him on the street.

"Surrender, metalhead!" Landigarm, hauling an EMP rifle, was foaming at the mouth. The look in his eye could only be there because he was sure he would catch Topman THIS time. He HAD to. The little runt had nowhere to run, and then he'd finally get some respect around Headquarters. This would keep all those damn robots in line.

His features fell as Topman grinned.

The spinning demon launched himself into the air, sailing toward the RPD vehicle that was just beginning to open and let out the assembled RPD backup. He lightly touched down on top of the APC a mere second before he launched his attack. The Top Spin tore the upper half of the vehicle into shreds, sending them all off in random directions at a height that wouldn't put anyone in any real danger, but would force them to duck their heads.

As the storm of kinetic energy gathered around the orange robot, he relaxed his breathing a little and focused, only slightly sure this would work.

Landigarm, absolutely furious that he might be denied his prize, hefted the rifle he carried and aimed. At this range, he'd do little more than stun Topman, but he could turn that to his advantage.

Until Topman simply shot into the sky like a rocket. The remains of the APC, now empty, simply crumpled into the street as a furious wind tore past the assembled law enforcement officers.

Captain Landigarm could only watch as Topman landed lightly on top of a nearby building. As the rest of his squadron and backup picked themselves up off the ground, he screamed incoprehensible rage and threw the rifle, taking only small satisfaction in the cracking sound it made when it hit the concrete.

Topman, on the other hand, hit the roof of the building and immediately felt his legs give out. They were numb from what he'd just done. Forcing all of the kinetic energy generated by his Top Spin through his legs had given him the height he'd needed to get away from the police and get some breathing time, but had the unfortunate side effect of overloading his legs for a short time, rendering them numb and useless.

He lay there on the cool gravel that lined the roof, gulping in air as the darkness of utter exhaustion threatened to close in around him. He'd been sneaking past patrols and outrunning manhunts for days, maybe even weeks now. With all the time he'd spent running, he'd only managed to run himself down, and his search for Dr. Light was not progressing at all.

Top rolled himself over and stared into the overcast sky. The sun was setting, but you could never tell in Monsteropolis. The smog was one thing, but the actual Teleportation Shield, the one that prevented him from simply disappearing from the sight of the patrols and kept the city relatively SA free, blurred and smudged the sky. The cold in the air turned breath to fog, and had left a fair amount of frost crystals covering most exposed metal.

"That is an interesting trick," someone said.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Topman sighed.

"Oh, please," Mesmerman chuckled, his child-like version sitting on the edge of the building. "You're one of the few interesting things to observe in this town."

"Aren't you some kind of brutal killer? Why are you just hanging around and watching me?" he asked, forcing himself to sit up. He was starting to get some feeling back in his legs, but he felt no sense of urgency. This wasn't the first conversation he'd had with this somewhat unthreatening form of one of the Mechanical Maniacs' more worrying opponents.

"I have investments in this city I'd like to see mature more fully," the little boy with the spiral eyes shrugged.

"That cyborg you mentioned?"

"Ah, she's out of my care now. Reached her logical conclusions and will remain out of my way for as long as I wish her to," the boy smiled in self-satisfaction. "Incidentally, you should join the Scissor Army. General Cutman could find a use for you."

"Thanks but no thanks," Topman snorted. "Again."

"Can't say I didn't try."

"You don't try very hard."

"I don't have to," the little boy grinned. "This arrangement I have with the General is much different than my arrangement with Juno. I have a certain level of... freedom. It's enjoyable, since I can keep my various eyes on several places at once."

The orange robot got to his feet, taking a few deep breaths to fight off the few remaining shakes. "You don't seem to be all that enthusiastic about the Scissor Army cause," he noted. "Why don't you join the RPD?"

"Why don't you?"

"Touche," Topman nodded.

"I felt it was a legitimate question," Mesmerman grinned. "Why leave your friends like that? The Maniacs have been operating at half strength, making all of their operations so far much more... problematic than normal."

Top shook his head. "I can't go along with it. Just one bad decision after another. It'll only end in bigger problems for the team. Maybe... maybe once this is all over. Then we can fix it all."

Mesmerman laughed at some private joke. "Well, I wish you luck with that. I shall watch with interest," th elittle boy chuckled before dissipating into slightly charged ions.

"Yeah," Topman frowned. "I bet you will..."

It was some time later when Captain Landigarm stood in the Chief's office, getting a firm lecture. Oddly enough, though, it wasn't from the Chief. It was, in fact, from Gaderham.

"I've told you time and time again, Captain," the little robot was saying in a dark tone, "that we cannot afford your needless showboating. Topman is NOT a priority, and every time you call in RPD forces to apprehend the 'suspicious robot' has ended only in casualties and repair bills! And Topman isn't even TRYING to fight you! He normally just runs away! What part of your backwards brain keeps demanding you attempt to arrest a lose-lose situation like that?"

"Sir, I-"

"- Don't currently have permission to speak freely, captain," the small robot said with a certain amount of venom in his normally cheerful voice. " And that will remain as such until either I allow it to be otherwise or the Chief himself comes like God's own child into this office and asks me to let you speak, which is a very, VERY small chance at this point. You WILL cease and desist ANY AND ALL attempts to apprehend Topman, and if I hear even a WHISPER that you're looking for him again, I can fully garuntee that your job and current place of residence will be fully available for someone else better suited to the both of them. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Landigarm said feebly.

"Dismissed," Gaderham said with disgust. The Captain turned on his heel and stepped out of the office, disappearing into the hallway beyond. The wheeled robot sighed and rolled off to one side of the room, leaning against a wall to take a load off his wheel bearings for a moment. It wasn't long before the Cheif arrived, a cigar hanging from his lips as he entered, staring intently at a file in his hand as he made his way absently around the room and sat down in his chair.

"Sir, reporting as requested," Gaderham said, rolling dutifully to the center of the room and snapping off a salute. The Cheif barely noticed, leaving Gaderham to sitting there for a few moments as he finished reading the file.

"Good to see you again, Gaderham," the Chief nodded as he looked up. "I trust you've handled Garm's issue?"

"Yes sir. I've taken him off Topman's trail entirely, and he's been warned against pursuing it on his own."

"Good. And how is Topman?" The man settled back into his chair, taking a long draw off his cigar and letting the smoke roll out of his nostrils.

"Still moving around freely, sir."

"Excellent. It's good to see that these Robot Masters can survive without their team to support them. Gives me a bit more faith in them as commanders on the battlefield, really."

"Yes, sir," the small robot nodded.

"I just finished reading your report on the Syne Co investigation, and I have to say that I'm also a little curious to see what's really going on down there. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to get the clearance I need to carry out any kind of full investigation into an apparently legitimate business. I need something more to go on."

"Understood sir," Gaderham nodded again. "If I may, sir, I'd like to look into solving the problem through less official channels."

The Chief gave him a critical glare. "I understand that you have certain amounts of relevant experience, but I can't allow one of my officers to just vanish into some oddball government complex for a few days on the off chance you'll turn something up. I need something far more concrete before I can approve any kind of move." The Chief drew in another lungfull of smoke and let it out slowly. "Besides, I doubt you could manage much of anything, looking as odd as you do these days."

"If I could have prevented the total corruption of my original motor routines, sir, I wouldn't be rolling around like this," the half-pint grinned. "All jesting aside, sir, I wasn't referring to myself. I actually have a good agent in mind, but contacting him may be a little problematic."

The older man in the chair looked him up and down, which didn't take much effort, all things considered, and cracked a smile. "Very well, I suppose. I wouldn't be able to stop you anyway."

"Thank you for the approval, sir," Gaderham nodded.

"It isn't official approval, you understand."

"Of course not, sir."

"Anything else? Official business instead of under-the-table stuff for a change?"

"I'm just a clerk, sir. Paperwork is beneath your notice."

"I only wish, some days," the Cheif sighed, looking at his IN box, piled high with requests and forms. "Well, good luck to you, then."

"Thank you for your time, sir," Gaderham said with another salute, and turned to leave.

"With the amount of work you do around here, I think sometimes I should thank you for YOUR time," the Cheif chuckled as Gaderham left the room. The small joke put Gaderham's normal grin on his face as he wheeled down the hallway to the elevator. He hit the button for the first floor and rode down in silence, encountering a wall of sound and a bustle of activity as the doors opened again.

He slid easily into the throng of operatives, officers, robots, humans, battered and tired souls all, following a general flow of chaos to his desk where he leaned on it to take some of his weight off his wheels. He was just thinking about maybe grabbing a drink and taking a small break before getting on his various other errands when Gag's hands slammed down on his desk.

"Dad's gonna KILL me," Gag was saying, over and over.

"Whoa, calm down," Gaderham said, drawing himself up straight. "What happened?"

"Cassandra! She's missing! Oh god, Dad's gonna crush my head like a can. He's gonna pick me up and just make me two dimensional over this, I just know it..."

"She's probably fine," Gaderham said dismissively. "Probably prowling around town and looking for clues. She can take care of herself, either way. She seems to have some experience in these matters."

Gag gave him a withering glare. "Yeah, you don't know my dad really well, do ya?"

"I know him well enough to recognize the barest hints of his outlandish accent when they crop up in conversation," Gaderham grinned. "You're just like him, in some ways."

Gag visibly stopped worrying about everything else for a second and stared off into space. "Oh my god," he said after a short pause, "I don't think I care if I die now."

"Glad I could help," the wheeled robot smiled.

"But this is still bad! She could be anywhere," Gag protested, his persistence in worrying about this starting to visibly fray Gaderham's nerves. "and if she isn't here when Dad gets back from Madrid, I'm going to DIE. He'll KILL ME. HOMICIDE, do you get it?"

"Well, I'm sure you'll be fine," Gaderham sighed. "The young lady is probably asleep in the basement levels. Have you checked there?"

The other robot looked at him for a moment before vanishing into the mass of people.

Gaderham sighed and shook his head. "I swear, sometimes its like I'm the only person with a single working resistor in here," he muttered under his breath.

Gag, meanwhile, making his way downstairs, kept swearing. "Dad is gonna freakin' kill me when he gets home..."

--------------------

Finale

Constance crouched low, avoiding the gaze of the RPD troopers stationed at the edge of the city. They were there to protect it from invaders, but someone who was leaving the city would also attract unwanted attention.

This was problematic, as recent evidence pointed to Dr. Light's flight from the city entirely. Common sense, when you thought about it, but solid evidence was required before an expedition into the no-man's-land outside of the city could be attempted.

The AI's uninterrupted control of its host had led to some logical progressions in its programming. The variable weapons program it had created to protect itself had grown and evolved. Constance now carried one of the SA Joe rifles, comandeered with little effort from an evidence locker under RPD headquarters. It turned out that, without wearing the performance enhancing armor, nobody questioned its presence in the facility. An unforseen benefit to this host.

It... she... shifted, slightly, into a sitting position, keeping a careful eye on the guard, looking for an opening. Some sort of diversion would be ideal, drawing the guards away to some phantom disturbance so she could effect an escape.

But her thoughts were torn away from the matter at hand as flashing red and blue lights caught her attention. Her every muscle tensed, ready for action, as she observed the APC drawing closer, and then passing her hiding spot by, pulling up to the gathered troopers.

A changing of the guard. This would have been ideal if she'd known about it. Still... the opportunity shouldn't be wasted...

The APC opened up and the gather troopers stepped back to allow the occupants of the vehicle out. But that isn't what happened Nothing came out of the APC, and no one entered. The lights just kpet flashing, but nothing moved. No one did anything. There were no noises out of the ordinary, that Constance could tell over the siren, so what...

Sledgehammer force caught her from behind, thick arms wrapping around her upper arms and chest as she struggled to get her feet under her. The rifle clattered to the ground as she drew in air to fuel her muscles, and kicked off the ground, rising to a standing position and slamming her assailaint into a wall with her back.

Attention be damned, she was under attack!

Captain Landigarm coughed up blood as she wriggled out of his grip and whirled to face him. He grimaced and tried to catch his breath as her hand flashed down to her lower leg and then came up, the hunting knife an uncomfortable distance away from his neck and he grabbed her wrist with both hands. The force she was putting against him was brutal, almost unreal for someone her size and build. She had every intention of killing him.

"Damn machine..." he grunted, bringing his knee up to catch her in the gut and forcing her away as she weaved to avoid the blow. He drew his firearm, the fastest draw on the force, and had the trigger halfway pulled when the blade of the weapon slammed down into the slide of his weapon and bit deeply into the barrel beneath, rendering both their weapons useless.

He dropped the mash of tangled metal as she went for his throat, grabbing her hands with his own, and immediately regretted it as hastily constructed metal gauntlets bit deeply into his flesh with sharp edges. Her grip was like iron, but he just had to hold out...

And the cavalry arrived. The troopers from the edge of the city had gathered around in a semicircle, their weapons levelled at his attackee. "Surrender!" one of them barked.

Constance simply hauled backwards, pulling Landigarm off balance and kicking his legs out from under him, throwing him with ease into the center of the firing lin and using the distraction to slip away into the city block, shotuing RPD troopers in hot pursuit.

Landigarm coughed as he rolled off on of the troopers and got to his feet, trying to forget the stabbing pain in his hands. Gaderham rolled up beside him. "Good work, Captain."

"Thank you, sir," he wheezed, still trying to catch his breath from the cold air.

"Interesting tactic, distracting her like that," the little robot nodded. "I admit, it shows some excellent tactical forethought."

"Thank you, sir."

"I only wish you would have allowed one of the RPD officers to handle it," Gaderham sighed. "No need for blood to be spilled over this matter."

Captain Landigarm grimaced. "I have a feeling I won't be the only bloodied participant before this is over..."

Constance's flight took her down snaking alleyways and up short fire escapes as she gradually made her way around and up the block. The RPD troopers followed on foot, but never attempted to climb the building itself, probably content with the idea that she wouldn't be able to escape one way or the other without being observed and then pursued.

The AI, however, had other ideas, and arrived soon on the top of the taller building in the block. From here, she could easily see the skywalk that went from this building to the office building across the street. It was simply a matter of breaking into this building and avoiding the RPD troopers until she managed to get through the skywalk and disappear again.

Another attempt would have to be made to leave the city. Too many were looking for her, now. Still, how had they located her?

She threw herself through the roof-access door and down a flight of stairs, not even bothering to stop at closed or locked portals and instead choosing to bash her way through. She had to reach the floor with the skywalk access from up here before the RPD got to it from down there. She was unarmed and on the run. Perfect.

Her joints ached and screamed protests, but those were concerns for the other consciousness of this body. Constance was only concerned with the job at hand. She leapt down stairwells and forced her way through doors all the way down to the fifth floor. The level one could get to the Skywalk from.

The glass doors that led to the street-spanning enclosure gave way easily, and for a moment she observed the city from this rather odd vantage point. She wasted no time in awe, however, moving quickly from one end to the other. The door on the other side of the skywalk was opaque, and she approached it with caution.

Well deserved, in fact.

The two RPD troopers on the other side of the door didn't attempt to apprehend her, they barely said anything. They merely opened fire, plasma shots sailing past her moving form and impacting against the glass of the skywalk, cracking the windows all over the structure and shattering it with a second salvo.

She flowed through the door, grabbing one trooper's face and arm as he tried to snap off a third shot, and swung the robot's weapon around to shoot his partner, who fell with a gaping hole in the side of his head. Shoving the trooper off balance, she rolled over the corpse, grabbing his firearm in one smooth motion and placing a plasma bullet in the other trooper's chest, making him go slack. She hesitate for only a moment before scooping up the othe weapon as well and setting off down the hallway, looking for stairs up. If they were here already, chances are the block was surrounded on the ground floor, as well...

The stairs up were taken slower, partially because of the limitations of this body Constance was using, and partially because she kept encountering RPD troopers that needed to be disposed of. She fired the weapons she'd stolen from the fallen robots with precision and skill, dispatching troopers with one or two well-placed shots while being forced to avoid minimal return fire. She kept a silent count of the shots fired, and madfe sure to switch her weapons for fresh ones every 30 shots, to insure the plasma weapon's power sources would not deplete themselve at an inopportune moment.

Finally, she came to the top of the building. This particular office building had belonged to a mega-corp, and the building was big and wide, making the flat roof with the antenna springing like a redwood from the middle a large arena. Two bright spotlights shone down upon her, and a moment's consideration was necessary before both of her weapons fired once, the spotlights attatched to the RPD aerial units shattering and becoming dark.

Thrown off their guard and convinced they were under attack, the unarmed aerial units retreated, leaving the skies empty of anything but hazy stars. The light rose from the streets as RPD vehicles and units arrived in the dozens, surrounding the building. But above the sounds of the sirens and shouting, Constance heard something else.

Slow, methodical clapping.

"That was impressive," said the newcomer. At first, Constance was on guard, convinced Mesmerman had appeared to taunt her again, but this was a different voice. And a different form. Stark, bright orange but dirtied armor and a simple, slightly stylish coat. Tired eyes, but a small smile.

Topman.

"So what do you do for an encore?" he asked.

A much more familiar voice cut through the air, and the boy in the windbreaker simply appeared there. "I see you've finally met my pet project!" Mesmerman laughed. "It is just so wonderful to see all that work come to fruition, isn't it?"

Topman shook his head, disgust crossing his features. "Let me guess... remnants of the Siegema'am system, still somewhere in her skull."

"Miraculous, isn't it? Syne Co does such wonderful work when it comes to mashing biology and technology together."

"You're a sick and twisted freak, Mesmerman."

Constance was unsure of how to proceed. The newcomer and the unkillable enemy seemed to know each other, but she was unsure how their conversation applied to the matter at hand.

"By all means, my noble friend, try and save her," the little boy giggled. "But you know how the saying can go: Once a cybrog, Always a cyborg. But the RPD draws near... and I can insure the two of you remain... uninterrupted." And with that, he vanished again.

Topman growled. "He'll kill them all..." he grimaced. He wasn't the RPD's biggest fan at this point, but the senseless death Mesmerman seemed to be advocating would never sit well with him, no matter what. Still... there was the matter at hand to attend to. He stepped into an area with more light and gave the woman in the armor an appraising glance.

"Do you recognize me?" he asked.

Constance shook her head. Should she?"

"Dammit," he spit. "I suppose it's to be expected." He sighed, lost in some private train of thought. "I'm not sure what to do. I left them all behind because they were all too worried about everything else. Hardman and his bar, Shadowman and his sister. Hell, even Snakeman's been consumed by this... hunt, I guess, for justice. Geminiman and Magnetman have been eaten alive by their own darkness, and Sparkchan has run off to be with Wily.

But what could I have done? Get that idiotic code put into my head? Make myself vulnerable like that? We all have our limits, and mine... I don't know. Maybe if I'd stayed behind, we could have at least kept Geminiman and the good guys' side. Maybe. But then again, probably not. It doesn't seem to matter much if I'm there or not. Life goes on, with or without me. Some days I just feel to small to make a difference.

And then something like this comes along," Topman said, giving Constance a meaningful look. "A chance to do something. To find and save the only one who can bring us all together and end this whole damn war. And I'm still useless. I can't even begin to guess where Dr. Light is hiding. I have no idea where to start. I'm just... lost.

Mesmerman says you can't talk. That's probably for the best, really. Hell, I bet you barely get the things I'm saying, the state you're in." He gave another heavy sigh and thought to himself for a while. Constance tried hard to read something into his facial expressions, but her inexperience in this made it something like futile.

Finally, Topman seemed to come to a decision. "I guess I just have to show them all what I can do. I'm gonna have to save the team. This family we have. I'll have to show them what family means, all over again. Like that white bastard said... Once and Always. I just have to show them."

Topman walked over to the edge of the building and looked down at the streets below. Mesmerman's white, jigsaw-like avatar floated there, swinging its scythe and slaughtering any RPD trooper that tried to approach the doors. He looked up and beyond it, past the only block between them and the edge of Monsteropolis. He took and deep breath and let it out slowly before looking behind him. He gave a half-hearted smile and held out a hand.

"We both want to find Dr. Light, Cassandra," he said. "Want to come with me?"

Constance looked him up and down, trying to come to a decision. This newcomer seemed to know her very well. Both sides of her. Its possible he could be instrumental in helping both sides of her find what they were looking for. An ideal situation. And to Constance's logical mind, a wonderful option when compared the the white and black spiralled death machine that was currently thirteen stories below her.

She finally stepped forward, taking his hand, as flecks of orange light began to gather around them. Topman's ability to generate kinetic energy manifested in an orb of burninf points of light that began to whirle around them before focusing inward and gathering around his legs.

"Hold on tight," he grinned, and in a roar of wind, the pair of them sailed out into the night sky, flying over the block before them and falling to the ground on the other side, both rolling as they hit the ground. A wet snap reported that Constance's arm broke in the fall, and Topman's own coat ripped itself to shreds on the uneven ground.

Not wanting to waste time, however, the pair of them stood up as quickly as their various levels of pain would allow, and stumbled into the night, away from the city of Monsteropolis in the seemingly impossible hunt for the one thing that could save them.

And somewhere inside the city, Mesmerman's robot body picked itself up, and the illusion of his virtual avatar died away. In the darkness of his hiding place, Mesmerman breathed in deep.

"Pleased to meet you," he said to no one in particular. "I hope you guess my name..."

As he left the dark hovel on the edge of town andd stepped beyond the edge of the Teleportation Shield, he gazed up at the stars and grinned mentally.

"Because what's puzzling you is the nature of my game."

And then he was gone.

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