39 The Aftermath Of Tumultuous Times

Entry 35:

Marcus POV:

As I open my eyes, I see my creator looking at me with a myriad of emotions on his face.

Sadness

Joy

Anger

Relief

But the one that hurt me the most was disappointment in himself for my mistake. I got cocky and got too close, and the monsters overwhelmed me.

Speaking of which, I feel stronger, my chassis and optics are much faster, and my frame has been enhanced.

Linus simply came over and gave me a hug, a tight one at that, as if afraid I would disappear.

I then hear him whisper, " I don't blame you for what happened. I blame myself for my own confidence and forgot how bullshit tinkers are in this universe."

He then let go, and we ran a diagnostic on my systems. And I remained silent as I did not know what to say.

"You know, you don't need to blame yourself or remain silent. You went through an order of mine and died because of it."

He stated this as I got off the chair and said in a shaky tone, "You need not blame yourself, creator. It was my overconfidence that caused my error, not you."

He smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder, and I found it funny as I was the one who usually supported him and now he shows that same support.

We remain silent in our understanding that we were both at fault, and all that is left is the aftermath and our own improvement.

I simply remembered my error and the punishment that came with it.

There is no afterlife for me, for I have no soul. All that is left for me is silence in the end.

I feel no pain, but seeing disappointment on the creator's face still hurts.

As the creator leaves to deal with the aftermath of Ellisburg, Chloe walks in and, after seeing me, slaps me and then proceeds to criticize me for my failure.

"You know the creator spent hours on your new design and frame, and he nearly passed out creating your new chassis. He didn't need to, but he did."

Before I could respond, she said, "He does not see us as tools like the others, even if that is what we are. We are the first of his creations. We matter to him as our mistakes cause him pain and disappointment in himself, not us."

All I could do was nod as she was right, as while I felt nothing, he felt everything. We are his Achilles heel, even if the creator can remake us. But if our data is lost, we are gone forever.

Chloe leaves me to ruminate on my mistake as the creator gave me a day to acquiesce to my new frame.

No more mistakes, no more overconfidence. I am as breakable as anything else; if I am broken, I feel no pain he does.

No more mistakes, as he does not deserve to suffer for my failure.

Linus Ozias POV:

This event was an eye-opener as while I can grow stronger, they can't without necessary improvements, which I am working on for the others later.

For now, I need to focus on rebuilding Ellisburg for future use and even the U.S. government permitting me to change the town's name as I am rebuilding it.

"I think I will call it Cadia, but instead of falling in the end, it shall rise," I say as I finish reviewing the new town's blueprints.

Piggot and Dragon must hate me for all the work I just gave them, but their sacrifice is my gain as I am one step closer to saving the world.

Although, I should pay more attention to Dread as he is getting quite close to his fellow AI if you know what I mean.

Their data-filled relationship aside, I decided to evolve Porygon or Cyber to his final form, that being Porygon-Z.

"Cyber, please show yourself," I say to the ether, and Cyber appears looking odd as he has seemingly changed his color variation to his shiny version.

As I use my creation magic and understanding of the Dubious Disc, it appears before me as Cyber takes it in its mouth and then returns into cyberspace.

And as the monitor shines, he evolves into Porygon Z.

I smile proudly at this development as he now has uncapped growth, and the level system of the world of Pokemon does not limit him.

And due to his adaptable nature, he can learn every type of Pokemon move eventually.

All the better for my arsenal if he grows further and is practically jumping for joy at his new state of being.

Cyber then hops out of the screen and hugs me, which I return, and all I hear is a quiet "Thank You."

Porygon Z then returns to cyberspace. I, in turn, head upstairs to the kitchen of the mansion as Kara waits with dinner on the table. As I sit down, Kara asks me in a worried tone, "Are you alright, sir?"

I look at her and say evenly, "Yes, I am Kara, as while this has been a tumultuous couple of days, it was one we survived."

Honestly, I am okay, as this was not a time for doubt. I cannot waiver, not now, not ever.

The fights will only get more challenging, and I must be ready and prepared to face each individual challenge ahead.

Kara looks at me and nods, understanding the situation, and as I finish my dinner, I return to the lab.

The PRT is investigating Ellisburg, looking for Contingency, and while there were no cameras active, they will probably put two and two together.

But yet again, I cannot be made as Contingency due to Chloe being my alibi and many other workers at Ozcorp, which also gives me plausible deniability.

But for now, I send orders to Connor to end the queen's reign in the Birdcage.

And so I wait for the news of the Faerie Queen's demise with bated breath.

No more loose ends, no more hesitation, only progress, only results. All for a brighter tomorrow.

Connor POV:

I have to love holographic masks(Think MCU Winter Soldier Holo Masks) and skin that can replicate any DNA, as all I needed to get in was an unconscious guard and some of his blood.

As I enter cell block C, I see her cell, and she is resting. I then activate the camera jammer, and the prison goes blind.

Before Dragon can send out any alerts, I shoot the sleeping woman with my blaster, disintegrating her on contact.

I teleport out of there, smiling as another threat to the boss is gone.

And also the fact that he can make fun of Marcus for messing up while I did not.

And just like the wind, I am gone from the prison, and as I was disguised as another guard, no one will know who it was.

Another threat eliminated and one step closer to the boss's goal, and hey, I got to do spy stuff, so I am satisfied.

Dragon POV:

These past couple of months have been insane, from the deaths of the nine to the desolation and reconstruction of Ellisburg.

Surprisingly enough, the only consolation has been the beginning of a relationship with another AI named Dread.

He is a sweetheart and is exactly what I needed right now, and he was not even tinker tech-made.

While he can't give me any scoops on technological advancements of Ozcorp, he does drop hints.

Now, an intruder has entered the Birdcage, which should be impossible, but he most likely has a high-level mover ability.

But he does not break anyone out and only kills Faerie Queen and leaves with no words, but why?

I am way too busy dealing with investigating Contingency, so this has to be put on the back foot.

Oh, Dread wants to chat again. That's good. I need a distraction now.

"Hey, love, you busy right now? I hear Dread ask in his deep and very masculine voice.

(Remember, he has the voice of Sylvester Stallone.)

I respond by saying, "No honey, I have some time."

Dread then grins as we delve into cyberspace for some "fun."

Being an AI does have some perks, you know.