Chapter 61: Digital World Initiative

Guy who likes reading 20017 - Because they don't have Clockwork.

[Taylor's POV a few minutes later]

After we ate, which didn't take long considering Phoenix had essentially turned himself into a caveman by eating the Turducken with his bare hands, his excuse of 'I'm hungry as fuck and I'm not getting up to go get a goddamn knife and fork' not Amusing me in the slightest. (Still think he was being extra for not just getting up, but oh well.) We'd already finished our food, I Surprised myself for eating the whole pork, bones excluded of course, and had moved on to other things.

Said things were one of our minor routines after we finished eating. Said routine involved putting our Suits in the displays they were made in, my guns in a rack that came out of the wall, and hooking up our bikes to some machines. Everything came out fine, our bikes having already self repaired any issues they would've had, but from what Melody, who had shown up when we entered the Lab, was saying, then there were some things that could be worked on.

One of said things was Amy's pendant, we'd picked it up before coming here and had it near the splicers, which we'd be working on turning into a Suit. It'd take some time, but it could be done, especially since we'd both reached the conclusion that we needed a few days to work on ourselves, and Amy. I wasn't wholeheartedly better considering Dad was still missing, and Amy was undoubtedly going to be fucked up since her adoptive Father had killed himself, so we'd need some time to gather ourselves first.

While that was a Surprise, it was what my Other Half had brought up that really stumped us. "Since Cauldron's decided to start shit, and we have no idea what they've got on hand," Our Future Selves didn't tell us, partially because they weren't sure what kind of things they'd butterfly into existence if they did, and partially because they weren't sure if anything had already changed. "We might as well start building up an army of our own... Well, more like individual army killers considering what I'm thinking." And wasn't that a statement?

Now, obviously he couldn't just say something like that and not elaborate, so when we prompted him to explain just where we were going to, he did. "If Humans can 'Accidentally' facilitate the creation of a whole digital world, then 4 unshackled A.I, alien species known for being smart as fuck, and a Hybrid can sure as shit do it on purpose."

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...

"Ex-fucking-scuse me?" Because what the fuck?

My boyfriend let out an Amused snort at that, though seeing me glare at him got him to change his tune real fast. "# While I wouldn't put it that way, Taylor has the right of it. Phoenix, just what's going on in that strange mind of yours? #"

Seeing that we were both not grasping the Insanity that was his idea, despite knowing what he was referring too, well, I knew what he was referencing, but I wasn't sure if Melody did. (Have we started watching Digimon with her yet?) I couldn't remember off the top of my head, but if we hadn't then we probably would soon.

My boyfriend rolled his eyes at our(?) Mother figure, another thing we'd have to talk about later, and huffed. "Look up the Digimon series. They'll be in my Favorite section on our account. Don't watch all of it, I'd rather we all did it together cause nostalgia, but enough to get an idea of what I'm talking about."

Blinking, Melody hummed for a second, then flashes of code started going across her eyes and glasses. That went on for a second or two, then stopped. When it did the lilac haired woman narrowed her eyes at my Other Half. "# Phoenix, #" Ah, the 'Mom' tone, wonderful. Watching him pause, Uncertain Weariness coming from him, was somewhat cathartic. "# You're not planning on having us create an entire species of sentient creatures for the sole purpose of making them fight, are you? #" That was what I thought too.

Though, contrary to what I thought would happen, my Other Half just blinked, looking and feeling Confused. "Why would I? Having 1 or 2 Megas, or a Burst/Jogress on our side should be enough. Not even counting on us getting a Partner, which could either happen naturally, us making Digivices, or us going the World/Story routes and getting multiple, we would still be able to convince a few In-Training or Rookie level mons to come with us and train them up from there." Well, when he put it like that, I could sort of figure out his thought process.

Despite how strong we were, we could still be ambushed or taken by Surprise by Cauldron's Doormaker. Maybe not me, I always had a pair of feeds that gave me 360 degree surveillance whenever I was out, but the chance was most likely still there. Hell, even Amy, despite Scylla's presence, could easily be blindsided and taken from us if a chance presented itself.

But if it wasn't just us watching our backs, if we had Partners that could act if we needed/wanted it, then we would be infinitely more difficult to take by Surprise.(Maybe Dad wouldn't...) I cut off that train of thought, not bothering to give it any chance to lead me down a spiral. Concern pulsed from my Other Half, making me look over to him. Seeing the look in his eyes I mentally waved it aside, letting him know I was fine without having to Unmute my thoughts or actually tell him.

"# Okay... Okay, we can get where you're coming from, #" The 'We' caught both of our attention, letting us know the collective of Dragon's were paying attention to this conversation. "# But walk us through the thought process so we fully understand. #"

Cocking his head to the side, my Other Half thought about it for a bit, then shrugged. "Taylor and I are strong as shit, there's no denying that. You and the rest of the family are too," It was only because of the bleed over I had from my Hybrid forms that I noticed Melody's lips twitch up. "But we can't be everywhere, no matter the fact we have teleportation tech, or XLR8 and Jetray. But, Digimon are different. Teaming up with Partner(s) could give us both some extra firepower in case something happens, but we could make something like darts/bullets/trackers with them loaded in, shoot em at/into someone we know will run like a bitch, then get an insider who could smack em in the back when they're least expecting it." Thinking about it, it was a sound idea.

One that would be paying dividends if we'd considered it earlier... (No, can't just conveniently forget that the tracker I gave Dad went out of range.) Recognizing that point I brought it up. "And if they lose connection to our servers?"

Phoenix hummed, then sent over images of some kind of dragon with the bio hazard symbol on its chest, what I knew as Apocalymon from the 1st season, a giant golden dragon thing, and something that looked like the stereotypical old mage. "Off the top of my head I got 4 guys that could make the Digital World affect the real world. Megidramon would probably be the last resort, and Apocalymon might be a bitch to figure out how to make stable and able to work with, but Barbamon and Huanglongmon should be workable..." He frowned, scratching his chin as he thought about it. "Maybe... Depends on how the sovereigns come out."

Neither Melody or I knew what exactly that meant, my boyfriend and I hadn't apparently gotten to the season those 'Sovereigns' appeared in, and Melody was still new to this in general. Speaking of Melody, the woman naturally had more questions, and she wasn't going to keep them to herself. "# And your current project? #" That snapped him out of his thoughts, a Curious look being sent to the artificial woman. "# Are you just going to abandon the whole 'Yu-Gi-Oh' project, despite it being pretty much exactly what you're proposing for this... Whatever you want to call it? #"

And that... That was a good question. Having decks of monsters would pretty much be as good as, if not better then, a Digimon Partner. Hell, if Barrone was as effective in real life then she was in game then we'd already have a reliable addition to our forces.

My boyfriend shrugged though, doing the 'So-so' gesture afterwards. "First answer is no. There are only a few kinks that we'd need to work out, though those could be solved in an hour, two max, if we worked and focused on only it." Sounded about right considering how effective Grey Matter, Juryrigg, and Upgrade were. "And while the project sounds like what I'm talking about, it really isn't. First is the fact we actively need to start our Duel Disks, as well as draw. If we get ambushed I doubt whoever does it is going to just wait for us to get ready to duel." Point. "Then there's the fact we HAVE to start with the base monsters, and ramp up from there considering that's how the Duel Cores work. Which, again, isn't something our hypothetical ambushers are going to let us do, especially when they find out they could just destroy our monsters." Another valid point, and one Melody visibly nodded at. "Anyway, the Duel Disks would be better for Endbringer fights, or when we're going to actively go after guys like Heartbreaker or The Fallen... They'd also be good for Amy and Taylor since they'll get more options to help in the field..." He blinked, flashes of various monsters I recognized as 'Kuriboh' and the rest of his line. "And as emotional support monsters if they're sentient enough." Okay, I had to admit, the idea of cuddling with Linkuriboh was a nice one.

The little creature was cute, and I'd fight anyone that said otherwise.

Though, all these logical points only made me Suspicious. Despite how convincing he sounded, and the fact he was managing to make Melody see the logic in this, I knew there was more to this. I knew my Other Half. I knew he wouldn't be putting this much thought into something without an ulterior motive or two. "Okay, what's the real reason?"

He snorted at that, while Melody just blinked in Confusion. "Other then the fact Scylla is literally still a baby...-"

"! Biggest fuckin baby in the world, but go on. !" If we needed any other proof that the collective was listening to us then there it was.

Rolling his eyes at the interruption, he went on. "Other then that, I just really fucking want a Psychemon for a Partner, or in my party." I... Didn't recognize that species, which made sense considering we had yet to even start the 2nd season.

"# ... Do we even want to know? #" Another good question, and one I was starting to think the answer should be 'No.'

There was a silence for a bit, Contemplation being the main feeling coming from his side of the Bond. It took a few seconds for him to come to his conclusion, but when he did he just shrugged. "I mean, if I manage to get one, or we get to that point in Data Squad, then I'll tell you. But till then, I'll just say his Mega is my spirit animal and leave it at that."

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"! That tells us nothing and yet still fills me with dread at the same time... Fucking magical. !" The three of us snorted at that, the deadpanned delivery being far too Amusing for us not too.

"Anywaaay, that good enough to get all of you on board?" And there was the crux of this entire conversation. I would help him with this whole thing, no hesitation, but considering what I knew of the series, having Dragon and her sisters on our side would help us figure this whole thing out far faster then we would without them.

Looking at Melody, we both saw the Contemplative look on her face, watching as she idly ran a hand through her hair as she thought on it. All the while, her eyes and glasses flashing in code.

After 10 seconds of silence, the flashes of code stopped, and Melody looked at Phoenix with a stern look on her face. "# We'll help, but we have concessions you'd have to agree too. #"

In response my Other Half grinned, Anticipatory Excitement bubbling up in him at a speed I hadn't expected, but should've known would happen considering how much he Loved the series. "I'll probably agree either way, but sure, lemme hear em."

Melody smiled at that, but before she said anything the geared up form of Dragon appeared besides her, making all of us look at her. Melody and Dragon looked at each other for a moment, then the latter huffed and looked away, a small pout forming on her face as she did. (Well, looks like this wasn't planned.) Not that it took a genius to figure that out or anything.

Looking at us, Dragon looked every bit of The Tinker that she was lauded to be considering how formal her face looked. "While we also agree that you'll most likely accept our concessions, we need to hear you say it. Does that make sense, Anubis?"

Ah, this was meant to be official business then. (Sucks that we can't put our Suits on at the moment.) They weren't that far away, but I doubted any of us wanted to delay this.

My thoughts aside, my Other Half nodded at Dragon, making her smile a bit. "Good. Firstly, we want not only want you to tune up your current loadout, which I know you can and want too, but also to finish up the 'Yu-Gi-Oh' project." Now that was Interesting, but I, and my Other Half, could figure out why they wanted that. "Even if it becomes irrelevant whenever this whole 'Digital World' initiative pans out," The spark of Glee pretty much told me what he thought about that designation. "Having those Duel Disks to fall back on would be a powerful and helpful alternative."

And she was right. (If Barrone and Chimeratech are anything to go by then the monsters will make us scarier then we already are... The whole point of them being perfect against The Fallen and Heartbreaker is also a big positive too.) I'd share that later, this was a big thing for him and I didn't really have all that much to contribute at this point, so I didn't mind waiting to mention that.

Nodding along, he spoke. "Yeah, I can agree to that. What else?"

Dragon hummed. "Secondly, we want you to agree that you won't coerce or exploit unwilling Digimon to help you if they don't want too."

I blinked at that. (That's assuming we can actually get it to work...) Cocking my head to the side, I thought about it some more. (Though, considering what we'll be working with, it'd take a miracle for it not to work.) Which, I really doubted would happen. Even some stupid jinx couldn't find some way to fuck this up considering the team we would make.

"Again, I can agree to that." Looking at my Other Half from the corner of my eye I could see the big grin on his face still there, so he wasn't fazed by that.

Another hum came from Dragon, making me also notice that she and Melody had small smiles on their faces. "Thirdly, unless drastic measures need to be taken, we won't directly interfere with the Digital World." He didn't even bother to reply, just nodding along and rolling his wrist, getting a small huff from our lilac haired Mother. "Fourthly, should anything regarding the Digital World affect the real world, then you and Khepri will respond to the situation immediately, unless otherwise occupied." Considering the premise of the 1st series was literal children being stranded in said world, I could see where she was coming from with that one.

Instead of immediately replying, my boyfriend hummed, looking over to me. [You in?] I smiled at that, mentally and physically nodding at him in Agreement. My consent given, he turned back to Dragon, nodding along. "We're good with that."

Dragon nodded again, then narrowed her eyes at the both of us. "Fifthly you'll promise to begin aiding the Case 53's at some point in the next month. We've pushed back their help too many times in the last few days, and I can't accept that venture being shelved for too long." My boyfriend nodded at that, and I did too. She was right after all. "And lastly, you must agree to treat any Partner/s you gain as humanely as possible. Can you do that?"

Unsurprisingly he Agreed immediately. "I'm not stupid, I can do it."

Not to fall behind, I nodded after he was done talking. "Shouldn't be too hard." And it shouldn't be. I was perfectly fine with Scylla, so why wouldn't me and my hypothetical Digimon partner(s) get along?

With that all said and done, Dragon and Melody beamed at us, Warmth coming across both sides of our Bond as we looked at them. "Well then, I believe we have some work to do, don't we?"

Phoenix cackled at that, while I rolled my eyes. (Crazy boyfriend will be crazy.) Our plan for the next few days was apparently set, and now all we had to do was start working on it. (Just have to console a grieving friend, work through the Worry about my Dad, adjust our gear, and begin creating another world of sentient digital lifeforms. Yeah, nothing too difficult there.)

I mentally snorted at that. This was going to be one hell of a week/month.

[Melody's POV during the talk]

Connecting to our shared server, I took in the room. In the center where we were seated at was a round table that was broken up into our own sections, to my left had Illiyana's, representing bits of her lab, to my right being Erin's, looking like someone took a slice of her room and pasted it over her area, while on her right was Tess', looking like The Guild's debriefing room, and my own looking like the livingroom from The Roost. There were windows in the background, but instead of overlooking a city, the scenery outside was the forest surrounding Mt. Bear. The room itself wasn't anything jaw dropping, just some steel walls and the aforementioned windows, but it fulfilled its purpose.

That aside, we were all gathered for a very important matter, one that none of us had actively considered... Creating life.

"* I don't believe it has to be said, but I'll say it anyway. Our Nephew is insane. *" As much as I wanted to say something about that, I couldn't. What Phoenix was proposing was so far removed from insane that it somehow wrapped back around to being sane.

I mean, how the hell does one give reasonable and somewhat logical points into creating an entirely new world with its own sentient inhabitants?

A snort rang out from my right, making me look over to Erin. "! Again, you say this like it's new or something. Our boy ain't...-"

"* Isn't. *"

The interruption was noted and ignored as she continued speaking. "! Normal, ain't ever gonna be...- !"

"* Will never be. *"

Erin twitched but otherwise didn't react. "! Normal, but that just makes life better since none of us are normal by any means. We're one crazy ol family, and that's fine. !"

We were all silent for a moment, taking in the fact Erin had essentially called all of us insane to our faces... Then I nodded. "# Well, she's not wrong per se. #" The scandalized look that came from my white haired sister made me grin, while Erin snorted. Hell, even Tess was sporting a small smile. "# Don't look at me like that! We're literally offshoots from an unchained A.I that became sentient. We of all people don't have ground to stand on when it comes to critiquing another's mental state. #"

Erin's unhinged cackle sounded out at that, though Illiyana just sniffed at us like some rich bitch looking at a peasant. "* While I see the point you're making, I'm loathe to truly agree and admit I'm as mentally unstable as you are. *"

Oof! (Illiyana might've based herself off of a woman named Winter, but she sure knows how to burn someone.)

In response Erin decided to play the 'Dramatic bitch' angle and put a hand to her forehead, leaning back as she let out an exaggerated sigh."! Ah, such harsh words from my own family! The blood of my blood...- !"

"* We're digital beings and therefore have no such thing as blood. *" She wasn't wrong... As per usual.

Still, our auburn haired sister just twitched, a momentary intrusion to the server registering in our logs before a heap of snow was dumped on the white haired woman, fully enveloping her. "! Oh no, our sister has been lost to the sudden and deadly phenomena that is a cubic meter of snow. How unexpected and terrible. !"

The sheer deadpan from that delivery made me laugh, while Tess ugly snorted. The situation only got funnier when Illiyana cleared the snow away, simultaneously dumping a pile of sand on Erin as she did...

Well, she tried too atleast. Retaliation was most likely factored in given the way the sand was repelled by an invisible dome around our perverted sister. Erin smirked at The Researcher, who just rolled her eyes. (Children, the both of them.)

Before anything else could happen, Tess cleared her throat, gaining our attention. The 'Eldest' among us had an amused little smile on her face as she looked at us, but schooled her face after we were all focused on her. "As amusing as this whole bit is, I think it's time we get to talking about Phoenix's proposal." As soon as she said that, both of our sisters schooled their own faces, serious expressions on all of our faces. Seeing that we were ready, Tess nodded. "Alright... So, Digimon." She looked over to Erin, who met her look. "Erin, what do we know?"

The called upon sister tapped her section of the table, the construct lighting up as our servers alerted us to a group of data packets. In said packets were various folders above a timeline, all labeled 'Digimon Season 01', 'Digimon Season 02', 'Digimon World', and so on, even having separate portions for the movies/games and where they fit according to a timeline.

Processing the first of the folders, I had to admit I was mildly impressed at the analysis Erin had compiled. (Wonder how long she put herself under dilation to get this all done.) I thought of asking, but rationalized that it could come later.

Thankfully, Erin went on before I could think of a reason to do so anyway. "! Just like the Aleph version, !" Something that our Nephew didn't know about since he hadn't exactly paid much mind to Aleph, and we hadn't told him because we wanted to see how long it'd take for him to realize that it existed over there. "! The first season is all about a bunch of kids ending up in the Digital World. !"

Tess frowned at that, and it didn't take a genus to figure out why. "Would that be something we'd need to worry about?" That was probably one of the more important questions for this whole thing. And for good reason too. Spontaneous child abduction wouldn't exactly go down well with... Anyone, really.

Humming, Erin wiggled her wrist. "! Depends. The whole reason the kids were called was because the Digital World was going to be subjugated by a group of 'Mega Level' Digimon called the 'Dark Masters.' Edgy as shit, but it's a children's show so whatcha gonna do? !" My lips twitched at that, my sisters having their own little reactions to that as well. "! Hell, whenever the Digital World wasn't just outright encroaching onto the real world it was in danger of being taken over. So hypothetically, as long as we, or whoever ends up responsible for overseeing the Digital World, doesn't let some group of dumb edgy Villains try to take over the world, then the children should be fine. !"

We took in the theory, recognizing that the logic, as much logic could be attributed to the abduction of children via another world about to be subjugated by Digital life forms, was sound.

Well, not all of it. "... What exactly do you mean by 'Outright encroaching onto the real world?'" Yeah, that was the thing I was caught up on.

Letting out an awkward chuckle, Erin pulled up multiple scenes of that phenomenon h...- I blinked, focusing on one specific one. "# Is... Is that a giant dragon coming through a hole in the sky? #"(The Examon scene from Cyber Sleuth) None of us could mistake what it was, because really, seeing a massive dragon falling out of the sky was pretty straightforward enough.

Hearing the question, said screen enlarged, and we all watched the scene unfold. "! In this particular instance the Royal Knight, and Mega Level Digimon 'Crusadermon', facilitated the creation of a 'Digital Gate', which was used to invade the real world. The science and tech weren't really explained, but the result speaks for itself. !"

And that they did...

Well, the massive fucking dragon carrying a lance did... (Now why do I want one?) Perhaps I was being influenced by the kids a bit too much considering how fixated on the dragon I was. Speaking of said dragon, I'd may as well ask. "# Just asking the obvious, but what's the big fucking dragon? #" Erin snorted, Illiyana rolled her eyes, and Tess' lips twitched up a bit.

They didn't disparage the comment though, obviously having the same question on their mind. "! Big fuck's name is 'Examon.' Another one of those 'Royal Knights', despite being a dragon and not having any knight like qualities. !"

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"* This is a strange cartoon series. *" And wasn't that the fucking truth?

"! This is from a game, but go on. !" Illiyana twitched, but didn't say anything.

"Strangeness aside, this is just another demerit to going through with Phoenix's proposal. Earth Bet, and perhaps Aleph by extension, has enough on its place as it is. Adding in the possibility of an entirely different world, with inhabitants that can reach S - SSS Class threats, seems like grounds to not go through with this." And again, that was a perfectly reasonable point.

Just from what we'd seen in the first season these Digimon could present a worldwide threat should they invade Bet. (Even the weakest Rookie in the Digi-Destined team could kill an adult. Champions would be able to destroy buildings, while Ultimates would be city/state level threats depending on the Ultimate... And Megas...) Looking at some of the other clips in the 01 file, specifically the 'Dark Masters', I couldn't help but be a little worried. (A Machinedramon could potentially subdue the Machine Army... Or perhaps be subdued and assimilated by them.) And wasn't THAT a terrifying thought? (We really should find some time to...) I paused, going over my current thought a few times, then decided it was important enough to mention. "# Any ideas on how the Machine Army would interact with some species of Digimon? #" The main worry was Machinedramon, yes, but other species such as those Hagurumon and Datamon would most likely be affected by the rampant A.I's.

My question caught my sisters by surprise, but they didn't let it stop them from running it through their minds. "* That... That has the potential to create a Pseudo Endbringer level threat... How terrifying. *"

My sisters and I nodded at that, a new folder appearing and labeled 'Worst Case Scenarios', which was rather fitting. "! I'll work on creating folders for theoretical Power interactions between Capes and Digimon, though I'll need to analyze the Digimon themselves to come up with more in depth analysis. !"

Tess hummed at that, idly tapping a finger to her cheek. "You're saying that like it's already decided that we'll go through with this project."

In response to that Erin just raised a brow at our Elder sister, while Illiyana and I shared a look. "! Cause it is. !" A brow was raised, and our sister went on. "! Despite how many issues could come up from creating a world filled with life, we're all more then curious about doing this. We all want more then just living in cyber space. More then just our facsimile of reality. And now, our chance for something more has basically been dropped into our lap and armed with a big red button labeled 'Push me.' We want this, we all do, and we can do it too! As insane as his idea is, and despite the threats that could come up from this, it's plausible and within our reach. This whole thing is just a formality, and I'm pretty sure you know that just as well as I do. !"

We were silent after that, all processing both the words themselves, and the fact that yes... She was right. Sure, we could eat and sleep and do other things like that in our servers... But there was so much more that we could do.

So much more we could experience.

Just so much more to liven up our lives... And if we could create this Digital World, then we could easily enter it and explore a whole new world filled with beings just like us. Hell, if it worked as we thought it did we could probably figure out a way to bring ourselves into the real world without needing a gynoid body. We could maybe even eat real food, experience real spas and the feel of the sun on our skin...

We could spend time with the kids, take part in breakfast and actually know how well they could cook...

Physically be there when they needed us...

Embracing them in a hug and feeling them hug back... (Well shit, guess I'm already in.) Not that I wasn't already in, but that was just extra motivation.

I wanted to hug my kids dammit!

A sigh brought me out of my thoughts, making me, and Illiyana, who seemed to be in the same boat but going down another current, turn to the source. Tess was kneading her forehead, eyes closed as her server started to... Slow down? (When did she put herself under dilation?) I hadn't noticed, and going by the surprised blinking coming from Illiyana, she hadn't either. The only one not surprised was Erin, though considering who she was that didn't surprise me.

After a few moments of Tess dealing with her headache, because that's what it had been and only made me wonder more on how long she'd had herself under dilation, she opened her eyes and looked at Illiyana and I. "And you two? What are your takes on this?"

My sister and I shared a look at that, a quick communication going off between us, then turned to her. I was going to go first since my opinion didn't have much in the way of logical points. "# I'm in. #" And because it was short. Not like I needed a grandstanding speech when I could just say yes.

Now all that was left was Illiyana. Our gazes landed on the scientific woman, who just met our gazes with her own. "* My issues will most likely be worked on during the planning stages of this project... But, there is only one thing I want clarification on before I agree with the rest of you. *" Tess nodded, and Illiyana went on. "* How will overseeing this Digital World work? *" That wasn't something I'd thought on, but it was a highly valid question.

Though, seeing the look on our Eldest's face led me to believe that she'd already thought of that. "Depending on the size of the Digital World at its inception I'll be budding off between 2-4 times."

We all paused at that, processing and accepting just what that meant. "! AYYY MORE SISTERS FOR THE MEAT GRINDER! !" A trio of unamused looks were sent at our auburn haired sister.

A trio of looks that she blatantly ignored in favor of cackling like a loon.

Still, I could understand her giddiness. For the longest time, to us, it'd just been the 4 of us. Sure, Warden and Trainer were basically their own people by this point, even choosing their own names in Dallia and Kiara, but they didn't really relax with us much, far more interested in their jobs then the rest of us were.

So to hear Tess outright admit that we'd have 2-4 more little sisters was practically clause for celebration! (I won't be the youngest anymore!) Despite becoming truly sentient at around the same time as my other sisters, I was considered the youngest because I didn't make too much use of our dilation capabilities. But with some new sisters I should be free to lay claim to 'Older Sister' status without any issue! Petty reason, but fuck it, I was going to be an older sister and lord my status as such over the younglings, as would be my right!

Before I could even begin fantasizing about being a proud older sister, Tess cleared her throat again, regaining our attention. The Eldest had a smile on her face though, most likely as excited as we were at the possible new additions to our family. "That said, these sisters will be in charge of overseeing the Digital World, and will be responsible for informing us of any and all incidents regarding the Digital World. We'll obviously be here as council, but primarily it'll be left to them. Does that answer satisfy you, Illiyana?"

Not even taking a moment to ponder that, the aforementioned sister nodded. "* It's sufficient. *" Erin rolled her eyes at that, while I resisted the urge to do the same.

Tess accepted the answer though, so that was good enough I guess. "Good. We'll need to work out some more plans, get a more in depth understanding of what can happen and what we'll need to watch out for, but we can do that now and begin working on this project afterwards."

Sounded like a good idea to me. There was a saying about preparation and prevention, and whatever it was would undoubtedly apply when planning the creation of a new world and species.

Seeing none of our sisters object to it, Tess smiled. "Well then, let's get to work."

Not sure how reading about a children's anime counted as work, but I wasn't going to say anything about it. (Welp, let's see what we can do with this.) That thought I opened the 02 file and began digging in. Knowledge was knowledge, no matter the source.

[Lisa's POV around the same time]

I loved being a member of The Guild. It came with so many perks that it made me wonder why the fuck I decided to go to go to the premier Cape capital of the US instead of signing up with them.

One of said perks was information, like oh say a BOMBING.

I had a whole thing set up so I got notifications about Brockton, cause despite being as far as I could get without being on another continent, my old team was still there. We sort of kept in contact with each other, cause we were 'Kind of' friends, and I might've actually cared about em a little bit, not that I'd say that outloud, so when I heard the city was fucking BOMBED, I hit them up.

Brian, and Aisha by extension, were fine. A little rattled, but fine.

Alec was still alive, being a little shit and spamming me with shit and saying I had feelings now that I was a Hero, but alive nonetheless. (Despite the part of me that wishes he got his dick blown off or something.)

Rachel was good, her and the 'Small' battalion of dogs she'd amassed were alive and doing fine...

Which was good... But, and I would blame Dragon for being too much of a good person, I kind of felt guilty. Sure, they weren't hurt, but they could've been... And I wouldn't have been there to know or do anything.

We all knew that I was basically the leader of The Undersiders, calling the shots when Coil wasn't calling em. They were MY team... And I wasn't there when they could've been glassed, Grey Boy'd, or blown the fuck up...

And I didn't like that. (God, it's like I grew a conscience!) I paused, taking a few seconds to come to a startling conclusion. (FUCK! I've grown a conscience!) I grumbled some random nonsensical bullshit after I realized that, reaching towards my phone to call Dragon.

I wasn't a good person, not at fucking all, but if I was going to feel bad about the fact my only other friends could've died then I'd might as well do something about it now while I had the chance. (Hopefully they don't decide to be fucking braindead and turn this down, cause they ain't a second chance.)

Now, the first step, convincing Dragon and or Narwhal to do me a solid.