Chapter 21:

EPISODE 5: 00010101:TWENTY-ONE

EVERSTREAM01.ribbon


    "FILTHY THIEVES ARE REQUIRED TO REMAIN IN THEIR CELLS UNTIL SECURITY DIRECTOR HAS INSTRUCTED THE PROTOCOL DRONES TO RELENQUISH CAPTIVES."
   The white-and-blue drones shoved the group into the large yet dark cells, segregating the woman and child from the man.
   The gates to the cages slammed shut, making the whole group jump with the loud clang that rung throughout the rather empty detention center.
   "PROTOCOL DRONE NUMBER [two-five, two-six-B] WILL GIVE FINAL NECESSARY ASSISTANCE DEFINED AS A COURTESY ON BEHALF OF [Integrated Nano-Technology Architecture Lab]."
   Filth raised an eyebrow. "What happened to two-five, two-six-A?"
   "PROTOCOL REQUIRES AN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. PROTOCOL DRONE NUMBER [two-five, two-six-B] FOLLOWED A PROTOCOL GIVEN FROM THE NONDIRECTING PARTY OF THE MAXIMUM SECURITY DETENTION CENTER AND THEREFORE WAS REQUIRED TO BE RESET."
   Filth shrugged. "So the drones of the detention center are required to only carry-out actions of the detention center's director?"
   "CORRECT. PROTOCOL DRONE NUMBER [two-five, two-six-B] WILL ASSIST WITH ANY OTHER FURTHER REQUESTS."
   Filth watched the other drones as they left down the corridor as they exited. "So where is two-five, two-six-B?"
   "THE PRESENTLY ADDRESSED PROTOCOL DRONE IS ASSIGNED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER [two-five, two-six-B]. PROTOCOL DRONE NUMBER [two-five, two-six-B] WILL ASSIST WITH ANY OTHER FURTHER REQUESTS."
   Filth replied in a single flat breath, "I see."
   "PROTOCOL DRONE NUMBER [two-five, two-six-B] WILL GIVE FINAL NECESSARY ASSSITANCE DEFINED AS A COURTESY ON BEHALF OF -"
   "Yeah, yeah, I get it." Filth pried himself against the bars of the cell as he stared down the white-and-blue drone. "Listen, I got a request. You guys took my jacket from me. Inside one of the pockets is a little box. I need that."
   "RELENQUISHING OF APPREHENDED OBJECTS FROM ALL DETAINEES ARE SUBJECT TO SECURITY CHECK BEFORE THEY CAN BE RETURNED. IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?"
   "Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever."
   "PROTOCOL DRONE NUMBER [two-five, two-six-B] WILL BEGIN THE RETRIEVAL PROCESS." The drone turned away to face a panel opposite of Filth's cell.
   Filth scooted down a few bars to see over the drone. He narrowed his eyes as he locked his focus to the panel, watching as the interfacing cable extended from the drone and connected to the device. He watched as a six digit PIN was automatically applied by the drone, and finally he watched a final set of numbers appear on the panel - presumably the locker number.
   Once the drone finished inserting the numbers, a crate rushed from one end of the hall down a rail before being ejected and placed just before the panel. From the crate, it lifted Filth's jacket as it inspected it.
   "Yeah, that jacket. The inside pocket - should be a box." Filth rushed the drone as he jabbed a finger towards his confiscated clothes.
   The drone reached into one of the inside pockets pulling out Filth's watch, turning to look at Filth for confirmation.
   "No, no. I said a box, not a watch."
   The drone patted down the jacket further as it inspected another pocket pulling out yet another watch.
   "Box. Not watch." Filth snipped.
   The drone yet again stuffed its claws into the inside pockets of the jacket, and yet again pulling out another watch.
   "Jack," Silje hissed from the other side of the dividing wall, "why do you have so many watches?"
   Filth shrugged. "Too lazy to spoof multiple signature profiles onto a single watch. I just figured it was much easier to keep a new watch for each signature protocol."
   "Why do you even feel the need to have multiple signature profiles?" Silje spoke under her breath.
   "You said it yourself, Silje: I don't like to use my real name." Filth turned back to the drone. "And, for the last time: it's a box, not a watch."
   The drone scrounged through the jacket yet again, this time successfully pulling out a small, nondescript box.
   "Yes! That!" Filth tried to hurry the drone along to give Filth the box.
   The drone examined the box closely.
   "You can open it up. It's not a secret I am trying to keep from any one."
   The drone opened the box staring at the thin, yet finely constructed metal object contained within the box.
   It lifted the object from the box to examine it further in detail, taking in the small holes that lined the ridges and its thin profile. The dim lights of the detention center reflected harshly off of the well-polished surface.
   The drone moved back to Filth's cell. "[Integrated Nano-Technology Architecture Labs] HAS DETERMINED THE REQUESTED OBJECT, [Harmonica], TO BE NONTHREATENING TO [Integrated Nano-Technology Architecture Lab] SECRUITY DIVISION. REQUESTED OBJECT, [Harmonica], WILL BE RELENQUISHED TO DETAINEE IF DETAINEE AGREES TO FOREGO ANY FURTHER AID PROVIDED BY [Integrated Nano-Technology Architecture Labs] SUCH AS FOOD AND WATER." The eye of the drone tightened its focus on Filth as a microphone extended from it. "PLEASE STATE THAT YOU AGREE WITH THESE TERMS IN ORDER FOR [Integrated Nano-Technology Architecture Labs] TO RELENQUISH THE REQUESTED OBJECT, [Harmonica]."
   Filth's eyebrows narrowed as he stared into the lens of the drone's eye. "I agree," He spoke with sincerity.
   "[Integrated Nano-Technology Architecture Labs] IS HAPPY THAT YOU HAVE ACCEPTED AN EARLY TERMINATION OF YOUR LIFE BY MEANS OF [Slow starvation and/or thirst] AND IS HAPPY TO AWARD SUCH BEHAVIOR WITH ONE ARBITRARY [Harmonica]."
   Filth took the harmonica from the drone as he stepped back from the bars of his cell.
   "[Integrated Nano-Technology Architecture Labs] HAS NOW CONCLUDED COURTESY AID. PROTOCOL DRONE NUMBER [two-five, two-six-B] WILL NOW WITHDRAW FROM PRESENT DETAINEE INTERACTION."
   The heavy silence began to settle in with the departure of the white-and-blue drone. Each heavy step of Filth's could be heard as he took slow deliberate steps to the wall that separated him from Quil and Silje.
   Though the wall was thick, Quil could feel Filth's presence as he sat opposite of Quil, the weight of Filth's back depressing the wall.
   Silje's ears lowered with her eyebrows as she stared at Quil's heavy vacant eyes that only turned harsher with Filth's nearby presence. She had quickly forgot about her own fallen tower as she watched the waves of bitterness settle over Quil. She watched him take in each wave as feelings of betrayal settled over him. These waves he took in left vacuums of silence in the entire detention center.
   Silje reached to Quil, as she gave a single gentle stroke across his hair, flattening his cowlicks as her hand swept across his head.
   Quil remained still, other than the hollow vacant eyes that moved to look at Silje. She stared back at Quil, her eyes echoing an empathetic sympathy towards him, giving one more gentle stroke through his hair before she too leaned against the cold wall of the cell.
   "So you're just not going to talk?" Filth's solemn sincerity cut through those vacuous waves of silence.
   Quil shifted forward ever so slightly away from the wall – away from the impression of Filth's presence.
   "I am pretty sure you're gonna have to talk eventually." Filth kept a tone of apathy with each word. "That is, unless you are just going to give up."
   Quil brought his knees to his chin so that he could hide his solemn expression.
   "I'm sure it wouldn't make a difference if I told you I wasn't the one who contacted INTAL."
   Silje leaned in closer to Quil giving gentle reassurance. "He's telling the truth, you know?"
   Quil shifted away from both the wall and Silje.
   Filth gave a single dissenting laugh. "And I thought you told me to stop doubting you. You are still just a kid." His words the hot blade through the dense barrier.
   "Jack," Silje spoke with soft concern towards the wall. "Maybe you should cool it." She looked back towards Quil as he tucked himself further into his legs.
   "No." The word cut sharp through that dividing wall. "The only person who is going to make his dream happen is himself."
   Quil pulled his legs to his chest even tighter.
   "If he can't grow up and fight for his purpose, then he might as well die here."
   "Jack!" Silje leapt from the cold wall to the tiny window between the two cells.
   Filth motioned for Silje to sit back down. "Kid, the universe is a cruel place."
   Silje looked towards Quil as she relaxed again.
   "Don't let them teach that to her."
   Silje watched as Quil's eyes sank. She reached out to him, yet again stroking his hair.
   "Silje." Filth called from the other side of the wall.
   "What is it?" Her ears perked up.
   "You're not his mom."
   Silje's eyes went flat. "And what is that supposed to mean? I'm just comforting him."
   "Then comfort him like a normal person and not like a parent."
   With a cocked eyebrow, Quil's vacant eyes stared back at Silje.
   Silje puffed out her cheeks in protest. "I am comforting him like a normal person."
   "So who here was the master mind behind the theft of Unit Number Zero-Two?" A bitterly stern woman interrupted with careless authority.
   Filth raised an eyebrow as he stepped towards the bars, inspecting the woman closer. "I presume you must be the security director. So honored to have you in our presence." He smiled.
   The woman didn't give the slightest attention towards Filth. She let the authoritative words bleed from her lips again. "Which one activated Unit Number Zero-Two?"
   Quil's hollow eyes didn't flinch at her presence, though the question hung itself over Quil, pulling his head down with it.
   "All of us." Filth cut through the grave atmosphere that had begun to settle.
   "Noble," the director's eyebrows cocked, "but a lie." She unfolded a tablet attached to her wrist. She gave a few swipes across the screen before pausing to read some information. "I believe the Everbridge division is mostly finished with Unit Number Zero-Two. Preparations will begin for phase three, which means at some point - presumably soon - Unit Number Zero-Two will be disposed of."
   Quil clenched his right fist as his jaw tightened.
   "If the Everbridge division plans on following a similar route, then they will follow the same plan as Unit Number Zero-One prior to the G.I.E.'s involvement. This means they will run a few more tests before starting data extraction, and once extraction has been completed, they will recycle the model for phase three."
   Silje watched as Quil's muscles tightened.
   "Kid," Filth called out from the other side of the wall, "Relax your right arm. You're just going to hurt yourself."
   The director's eyes flickered to Quil where a cunning grin crossed her face. "She's useless." The words cut through the cell. "She's just a tool." Her words drilled into Quil. "She has no purpose other than what her user assigns."
   Quil leapt from the wall, holding his right arm tightly. "Stop it." He silenced the dominating figure before him.
   The director crossed her arms as she stood tall to look down upon Quil. "So, you're the one who activated INTAL's property."
   Quil stood his ground as he held his arm, staring down the director.
   "You activated INTAL's property then avoided returning the property to its rightful owner. If you felt you were morally or ethically the heroes here, then maybe being locked in this cell will give you the opportunity to reevaluate yourself."
   "To be fair," Filth reasoned from the other side of the wall, "we did actually have some sort of intention of bringing her here."
   "You're not helping, Jack." Silje hissed from the opposite side of Jack.
   The director walked towards the door of Quil and Silje's cell, tapping her tablet against the lock. "Let's go, Kid. The Everbridge team wants to have a word with you."
   Quil froze, keeping his defensive poise as he kept his grip on his arm tight. His eyes danced between the open gate and the looming shadow of the director.
   "Kid," Filth spoke with a calm sincerity, "there isn't much else we can do. Just follow their instructions."
   Quil's muscles relaxed as he hung his head, though his grip remained firm, holding back the gathering energy. He followed the director out of the cage.
   Filth watched Quil walk past his cell. "You're not a killer, Kid. Let it go."
   The silence settled across the detention center with Quil's departure. A silence much like the one that had settled with their arrival. Unsettling, though this time, the unsettling air didn't come from the conflict between Filth and Quil. Now it was the uncertainty that washed over Silje.
   "What do you think he will do?" Silje tried to remove her uncertainty.
   "He's a smart kid." Filth paused. "But he is still a kid." Filth lifted his head as it plopped back against the wall he rested against. "Honestly," Filth grimaced, "I barely know the kid."
   "So what do you think he will do?" Silje repeated her question in a soft whisper of concern.
   "Something stupid." Filth lifted his head from the wall to stare at a meaningless spec on the floor. "He's lost sight of his dreams. Everything he is doing is just motivated by emotions."
   Silje's shoulders sank, as she too found herself focused on a meaningless spec on the floor.
   "I have to wonder why you care. You know him even less than I."
   "Does he have a mother?" Silje kept her focus on the spec.
   "Really, Silje?" Filth scoffed with disbelief.
   Silje raised her head as her eyebrows turned sharp. "I'm not asking because I want to be his mom. I'm just concerned about him."
   Filth gave a single laugh with his shrug. "I think he would say something along the lines of 'now is the time you stop doubting me'."
   Silje relaxed as her eyes returned to the spec on the floor. "So maybe he has some confidence."
   "But he is distracted." Filth conceded. "I already said he's only motivated by his emotions." Filth looked at the bars of his cell before looking at his naked left arm. "Normally I would trust in his confidence, but," a pause as Filth turned the harmonica around in his fingers. "I think if we want to get out of this one, we should place our bets elsewhere."

    "Director," a monotone voice came from the tiny speaker just above the glass wall in the small, brightly lit room. "Are you sure this is the one who activated Unit Number Zero-Two?"
   Her domineering shadow blocked out the harsh fluorescence of the room. A heavy shadow that weighed Quil's head down as his hollow eyes peered into the floor that glowed brightly from the piercing lights overhead.
   "With certainty." The woman kept her arms crossed as she kept her gaze fixed on Quil.
   "Then please begin the-" The monotone voice was silenced by a single hand that the director held up.
   "I don't direct you on how to run the Everbridge division; please don't direct me on how to run my detention center."
   The director flopped down into a chair just across from Quil, removing the weight of the shadow that held Quil's head down.
   Her sharp eyes stared intensely at the kid, scrutinizing every facet of him. "The Everbridge team tells me there have been some interesting anomalies in the data they have collected thus far from the model. It seems even with her premature activation, she seems to have been able to carry out some of the assigned functions. What can you tell us about this?"
   Quil gave a single shake of his head, refusing to meet the piercing eyes.
   "It's interesting her development since her activation. Her behavior isn't entirely what was predicted. It's actually very useful information for the Everbridge team. So, what can you tell us about her?"
   Though his head remained low, Quil raised his eyes to look at the sneering smile that broke through the deep shadow before him.
   "The way I see it, is that they're going to figure it out one way or another, regardless of what you say. But, they can either – by hand – analyze the logs to see exactly what triggered her operating process even with the missing archives, which may take anywhere between seven-hundred to fourteen-hundred hours to analyze, or you could tell us what you know now which will greatly speed up the process of transitioning to phase three of the Everbridge Project."
   Quil gave another shake of his head as his eyes unfocused from the towering woman before him. "I don't know."
   "What did you do to her?" The director cocked an eyebrow as she leaned forward.
   Quil's cowlicks lowered.
   "Did you modify her system files?"
   Quil shook his head.
   "Did you deposit any additional drivers to her repository?"
   Quil shook his head again.
   "Did you fuck her?"
   Quil raised his head. "What?"
   "I asked you if you fucked her."
   Quil's eyebrows turned sharp.
   "Well, did you? Did you fuck Unit Number Zero-Two?"
   "Stop it." He snapped his grip tight around the burning right arm.
   "Director," the monotone voice gave a dissenting groan over the speaker. "Please focus on the interrogation. Stop trying to antagonize the detainee."
   The director leaned back into her chair with a huff. "Maybe if this kid had tried to do anything to her it might have affected her behavior."
   Quil knocked the seat out from under him. "I didn't." He barked in protest.
   "Well her behavior isn't right, you understand?" The director scoffed. "We just need to understand how her programming became damaged so that we can ensure to correct the procedure with the third phase."
   The tips of Quil's fingertips loosened the suffocating grip around his arm.
   "Something you did damaged her."
   "I didn't." Quil shook his head, his grip tightening again.
   "You damaged her. What did you do?" The woman uncrossed her legs as her sincere gaze punctuated each heavy syllable.
   "I didn't do anything." Quil was knocked backwards by the volume of the accusations that echoed through his brain.
   "She's damaged and it's because of you. What did you do?" He was the foundation for the pressing shadow of the rising tower before him.
   Quil collapsed to the ground, clutching his head. His eyes tried to seal out the creeping shadow and the piercing lights of the room. He shook his head. "I didn't do anything."
   "Then why?" a soft voice rang into the dark chamber Quil found himself in. The echoes of his mind constructed this dark place. A grand void, dark: other than, the chilling golden ribbons that, at all times, Quil could always see out of his right eye.
   Quil lifted himself in this void to confront the gentle woman who stood before him. Her blue hair was warm as it wrapped around Quil's left arm.
   "What is your dream, Rabbit?" the soft voice punctured his skull, igniting the golden ribbons, making them dance with each passing wave of the voice.
   "What is your dream, Quil?" Another soft voice. A voice he hadn't heard in what felt like a long time. The ribbons barely danced as the waves of her voice swept through Quil, making it easy for him to concentrate on his classmate.
   "You just want to fuck her." the powerful voice of the towering director knocked Quil backwards as she rose far above him, ascending into the void.
   "Rabbit," the gentle voice of the blue haired girl rattled the glowing ribbons to Quil's right. "Please tell me what your dream is."
   Quil's classmate shook her head. "Have you forgotten about your purpose? What is your dream, Quil?"
   "What did you do, Kid?" The voice rattled Quil, scattering the ribbons.
   "Rabbit!" The voice of the blue haired girl echoed more and more through Quil, each wave of her voice making the ribbons dance until they vibrated aggressively. The voices of the void that Quil himself created wracked him endlessly finding no haven in his own mind.
   "Enough!" Quil rose from the floor of the bright room as he thrust his swollen arm, casting a golden arc of energy that wrapped across the glass panel and swept across the room, leaving trails of broken glass and glowing golden arcs.
   Quil collapsed to the ground as the blood exited his arm. Two of the three men in the tiny dark room that had been hidden by the glass panel left shaking their head. The one that remained kept stern eyes on the director. "This interrogation is over." Each step cracked with broken glass as he departed the room.
   The director's eyebrows turned sharp in frustration, thrusting the tip of her boot into the ribs of the collapsed kid.

    Quil's limp body rolled across the cold floor of Silje's cell as the white-and-blue drones departed with a slam of the gate.
   Silje leapt to her feet as she ran over to Quil, looking at the draining liquid from his arm.
   Filth remained quiet against the wall of his cell as he shook his head.
   "What happened?" Silje spoke in concerned as she turned Quil's body over to get a better look at the wound.
   "Something stupid, like I said." Filth's abrasive voice cut through the wall.
   "Did they do this to you?" Silje kneeled down, peering closer to damage done to Quil's right arm.
   "No." Filth filled in for Quil after a brief silence. "This is something he's able to do to himself. Something he has control over. And yet he's still an idiot."
   Silje tore a small section of her clothing using it to wipe down the excessive bleeding. Her eyes danced up and down the massive gash that had begun splitting Quil's entire arm in half. "This is what Corp-Two had treated, isn't it?" Her ears drooped as she watched the blood that she had just wiped from his arm rush back to the surface.
   Silje stood up, kicking off her boots.
   Curious, Filth lifted himself to the small window between the cells, watching as Silje began to hastily remove her leggings. "Silje! Now is not the t-"
   "Shut up, Jack." Her eyes quickly flashed to Filth for a moment long enough to cast daggers before turning back to Quil. "Unless you have enough bandages in that big head of yours, we don't have many other options."
   Filth grimaced as his interest waned watching Silje treat Quil. He flopped back to the ground, sitting against the wall just as he had been before. He twiddled the harmonica across the metal rings of his special glove. "Maybe it's time to consider making our great escape."
   Silje kept her focus on her task. "Not while the young master is in this condition. His heart rate is too high."
   Quil gave a weak shake of his head, grabbing Silje by her collar. "I'm fine." He spoke through bared teeth.
   Silje wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Young Master, you need to breathe slower and deeper. We can't escape while you are in this condi-"
   "No." Quil spoke harsh as he sat up, pushing Silje aside. He could feel every vein inside him pound as his heart rocked him into an unsteady delirium. He sank back against the wall clutching his chest. "I'll be fine."
   Silje's ears sank as her eyes danced from Quil's sweating head to his bandaged arm.
   "Well," Filth shrugged, "You heard him. It's not like he's going to get any quality medical attention here, and there's no way we could convince him to seek it after escaping. So, we might as well save the rabbit's owner as quickly as we can to make sure we can get him to the vet before he keels over."
   Silje turned her head towards Filth's wall. "He's not actually a rabbit, you know that, right?" She turned her soft eyes back to Quil.
   The sincerity of his determination shined through Silje's own concern. "I will save Lilli."
   Silje gave a hesitant nod. "Breathe deep." She reminded Quil as she moved back to the dividing wall between her and Filth.
   "Are you ready, Silje?" Filth spoke confidently as his harmonica twiddling stopped so that he could prepare to play it.
   "I am." She matched his confidence.
   Filth began his countdown. "Three."
   He tightened his grip on the instrument.
   "Two."
   Silje took in a relaxing inhale to calm her nerves.
   "One."
   And Filth lifted the harmonica to his mouth, and let the first chord play.
   He blew through the instrument letting out one ugly chord.
   Silje cocked an eyebrow. "You do know how to play the harmonica, right?"
   Filth grimaced as his quizzical eyes examined the harmonica. "Hang on. It's been awhile." He lifted the instrument to his mouth and began blowing through; sliding the harmonica up and down, shifting the tone of the chord until finally, he found the exact chord he was looking for. He nodded affirmatively. "Alright. Let's play it loud!"
   "Understood." Silje nodded.
   He began playing the smooth chordal rhythm, letting Silje catch on to his tempo. It was a song they were both familiar with. A song that even brought a little smile to Silje as she kept her eyes closed as she concentrated on the rhythm Filth played. She began drumming on her lap.
   A breath in and, "We found our foothold, over darkest hours." Her voice filled the room, even if it wasn't completely in tune her smile shined through the melody. "We left no trace at home, but saw our footprints ahead." The home-brewed band - with slightly mismatched time and slightly out of tune players - had their sound carry across the detention center as they played louder. "Stardust would light our way, with hope to catch the sight of the northern lights, and touch a cooling star."
   An audience of blue-and-white drones gathered before the cell. Each one attentively listened to the opening act of the ill-practiced band. Their attentiveness was only broken by the seam that began to divide the crowd. A large and domineering figure gave urgently annoyed steps toward the cell of her detained musicians. "That's enough!"
   Filth lowered the harmonica from his mouth as he looked towards the bars that separated him from the director. "Not a fan of that song? We know plenty more – how about a traditional Telkian folk son-"
   She cocked an eyebrow. "Perhaps I should be the one apologizing for authorizing the return of your instrument."
   Filth shrugged. "But we have a rabbit-loving idol who is going to make her big debut soon. It's important that we practice -"
   "Return the instrument to INTAL." The director demanded as she shoved a hand between the bars.
   Filth heaved a heavy sigh as he hoisted himself to his feet. He dragged his feet heavily to the reaching hand of the director. With his approach nearing her, a devious smile crossed his face. He thrust his gloved hand towards the bars. A flurry of tangled wires unraveled from his glove, dashing through the bars and around the neck of the domineering director.
   The wires gripped her head tight, pulling her face into the bars so that Filth could take the place as the figure of dominance. "A performance can't shine without a smile, and yet here you are taking away the smiles of so many wonderful women and children," Filth motioned towards the other cell. "But now here we are; tied together by distasteful hatred." Filth gave an exaggerated weep for his imaginary stage performance. "Sadly, the fans of rising idols hate to wait. If our pop-star doesn't make her debut soon, she'll simply be outshined by the fickle fanatics' next choice of starlet."
   The muscles of the director's face didn't even dare to twitch.
   "So, I'll need you to give us the key out of this place so that we can get our pop-star to her show, okay?"
   There was a brief moment as each other's eyes stared each other down. The invisible sparks of tension could be felt by Silje as she anticipated the incoming explosion that would erupt from the director. The director who was pinned tightly against the bars. The director whose temper rose exponentially as she was unable to hold onto the purpose of her own job.
   Her eyebrow twitched. It twitched only once. A twitch that was a result of her flexed muscles that pushed back against the wires that held her against the bars of the cage. A push so mighty that in that single flex, the wires snapped as the rest of the glove shattered into pieces with its departure from Filth's arm.
   Filth immediately reeled away from the bars, eyes wide. "Oh," he despaired, "that wasn't part of the plan."
   The gate to the cell flew open with a loud enough clang to draw the attention of perhaps the entirety of the INTAL campus.
   Filth barely had a moment to react to the oncoming train of the furious director as she drove her own ferocious weight into Filth, colliding him into the far wall. And with only a few more moments to recover after the collision, Filth reacted swiftly to the oncoming fist she threw towards him. He dropped to the ground just before that fierce comet struck him, instead the comet stuck mightily with a booming impact against the wall.
   Filth rolled out of the way of the director, using the moments she took to nurse her injured knuckles so that he could regain his footing. He poised himself for the next attack of the barreling goliath. "It's been awhile since I've done this."
   As the director turned, she put her entire body's weight into the right hook she threw as it swept just centimeters away from Filth's face.
   With the recovery of her attack, Filth took the opportunity to throw a few quick, light kicks at the director, taunting her into another ferocious strike with her entire weight.
   Filth avoided her retaliation, making her lunge forward, leaving her back open to Filth's agility. He took the opening as a chance to sweep her footing out from under her, knocking her to the floor. Before she recovered, he ended the fight in two swift kicks; one knocking her head into the ground, and the second collapsing her attempted recovery back to the floor.
   Filth bent down next to her, unclipping the tablet from her arm. "We'd love to give you an encore, but we're only the opening act. The main act is coming." And with that he left the cell, locking it with the newly acquired INTAL tablet.
   "I'm surprised that worked." Silje remarked as she moved to the bars.
   "So am I." Filth shrugged as he turned the tablet around in his hand. "That wasn't exactly the plan. But," another shrug, "It worked. I guess that's all that really matters." He gave a tap on the screen of the tablet, allowing the cell to open. Silje took considered steps out of the cage before turning to look at Quil. The shivers that rippled across his body reflected the pain he was still enduring, gripping the makeshift bandaging in hopes of quelling it. His breathing had slowed, and most of the sweat had evaporated.
   His eyes looked towards Silje and Filth who stood poised in a comfortable stance waiting for him. Silje did her best to be more inviting than Filth's usual callous, selfish confidence; though, in his own unique way; it almost seemed as if Filth too was inviting Quil forward. Perhaps it was the fire before Filth's eyes or just the way he cocked an eyebrow, but he too seemed to encourage Quil to step forward out of the cage.
   Quil's cowlicks lifted ever so slightly as his eyes danced between the two.
   "We have an idol to save." Filth smiled.
   Quil nodded as he lifted himself to his feet, fighting against his own bodies protest, fighting against the searing pain that even the smallest of twitches would make his arm scream in pain.
   Silje smiled as Quil stepped out of the cage and received a firm slap on the back by Filth.
   Filth connected the tablet to the security panel opposite of the cell to call the crate of supplies to their location. Filth immediately dug into the box, pulling out all of his own materials; starting first with his coat.
   Both Silje and Quil found their own goods. As Quil strapped his watch around his arm, his cowlicks cocked as he flipped through all the attempted calls he had received while locked up.
   "Dickhead!" The voice of the angry classmate screeched through Quil's watch.
   There was a brief moment of silence between them. She looked across his pale face and hollow eyes. Her eyebrows sank with concern for a brief minute before she tossed her hair to the side as she looked away from the screen with a "humph". Her eyes glanced back at her view of Quil.
   "Yeah, I guess I'm glad to see you aren't dead yet, dickhead."
   Quil's cowlicks remained cocked with confusion as he stared with an annoyed look towards the screen.
   Just before Trisha could answer, she found herself sharing an equal expression to Quil as a mysterious man leaned over Quil's shoulder.
   Without even looking back, Quil moved his watch arm so that he could push Filth out of the way.
   "Well, looks like you got that adventure you so desperately wanted." Trisha rolled her eyes as she turned her head away from the screen again.
   Quil nodded as his cowlicks sank.
   "You know I am - " Trisha inhaled deeply just before whipping her head back in the direction of the screen with sharp eyebrows. "I'm angry at you. The vortex of your stupid adventure sucked me in too."
   Silje's eyebrows parted as she peered over Quil's shoulder.
   Quil's eyebrows drooped as he yet again pushed the eavesdropper out of his way.
   "That psycho leader-commander-captain-whatever guy of the G.I.E. kidnapped me."
   Filth grabbed Silje's shoulder. "You can't adopt every child in the world."
   Quil's cowlicks drooped with his eyebrows.
   Trisha shook her head, releasing her anger with a sigh. "You don't need to worry too much about it right now. I'll beat you up for this later, but right now, there is something more important. The G.I.E. knows where you are and they are pissed."
   Filth and Silje stopped their fighting for a minute to peer over Quil's shoulder (again).
   "Whatever you stole has Rommel so fired up he's dedicating the entirety of the G.I.E. domain to getting back whatever it is you stole."
   A solemn sincerity crossed Filth. "Have they made it to a jumper yet?"
   Trisha shook her head. "Not that I am aware of. But I've been so busy trying not to get caught I might have missed it. Wherever you are; you are not safe."
   "I don't think we have much time." Silje turned to look towards Filth.
   "I know." Trisha's eyes darted back to Quil. "That's why I have been spending the past - like - FOREVER trying to get in contact with the dickhead." Trisha shook her head. "You can't go to the Lotus either, Rommel has plans to intercept you there."
   Filth pushed his way into the view of the call. "Actually, that's not why. The whole of the Lotus might be in danger."
   Both Quil and Trisha's eyes turned in confusion towards Filth.
   "If the G.I.E. is successful with their assault here, then they'll bring Lilli there next." He turned to face directly towards Quil. "Do you still have Platinum Star's coordinates?"
   Quil nodded.
   "Send those to her." Filth looked back towards Trisha. "It's not the safest place, but I don't think the Lotus will be any safer."
   Trisha nodded. "I hope we can see each other soon, Quil." She smiled just before the called disappeared from his watch.
   "Kid," Filth grabbed Quil by the shoulders turning him to face Filth. "This is important."
   Quil's eyes glared back into Filth.
   "We have a narrow window to do this operation. Do not let her lose her purpose, okay?"
   Quil nodded.
   "And beyond her own personal aspirations, I think her designation might be more than just being a ditzy idol."
   There was a part of Quil that didn't want to believe it, but he knew it was true. He saw with his own eyes the evidence that Filth was right. Though his cowlicks lowered, he gave a slow, affirming nod.
   Filth bumped the tablet against Quil's watch.
   Quil looked at his watch, looking at the updated information on the INTAL campus.
   "Make sure she can make her big debut, okay?" Filth gave a reassuring pat on Quil's shoulder before pushing Quil ahead of him. Quil quickly departed, leaving behind Filth and Silje.
   Silje watched as Quil disappeared in a haste from the detention center. She waited until Quil's footsteps faded deep into the halls. "If the G.I.E. are moving towards INTAL then what do you think the status of the Lotus is?" Silje turned to look at Filth.
   "That's the first thing I want you to take care of." Filth remained sincere as he looked towards Silje. "Try to get in touch with Core-Two so they can evacuate the Lotus."
   "Do you think they will listen?"
   "It's your job," Filth cocked an eyebrow. "Make them listen, Silje."
   Silje shook her head, turning her head to look down the hall that Quil had left through. "I wonder if we have enough time."
   "Probably not." Filth remarked, making Silje turn back to face him, stopping mid turn as she looked at Filth's open palm. His palm held a small, yet cold object.
   Silje's eyes looked from the gun to Filth. "You probably know how to use one of these better than me."
   "I know," Filth grimaced before pushing his hand towards Silje to hurry her to take it. "But someone needs to protect the kid."
   Silje cautiously lifted the cold weapon from Filth's hand.
   "I hope you won't need to use it." Filth's eyes stared intently at Silje as she holstered the weapon on her belt.
   "And where will you be?" Her eyes moved from the holstered gun back to Filth.
   Filth pulled out his own (much larger) gun, twirling it around his finger before relaxing it on his shoulder as he stood proud before Silje. "Well," he smiled. "Someone needs to be the hero."