All I wanted was some peace and quiet to focus on the things I wanted to work on.

Unraveling Richard's power was going to take some time because I needed more data, and like Sam said, it wasn't going to be an overnight process. Switching my focus to my suit allowed me to directly face the problems currently looming over me.

Seraphim was almost certainly coming for me.

I needed weapons strong enough to either quickly subdue her or withstand her onslaught long enough to receive support. There were two choices there: improving my armor or upgrading my weaponry. Both were expensive, and neither felt obvious.

The more immediate issue was my dinner with Wildfire and Lucy. Sam had no concrete plan, and I had nothing either. I needed to think of something quick, or ask Cyberspace to intervene.

So far, just for the sake of ease, I was leaning toward the latter.

"You are stressed."

Cyberspace's intrusion was so commonplace that their voice barely registered.

I was leaning on both hands as I stared down at my sprawled-out suit. Despite how much damage it had taken from Ajax the night prior, it was in immaculate condition. Thinking about that caused a pang of pain to shoot through my chest for two reasons: one, because of the phantom pain, and two, that I had deceived Sam.

Without Gold, she couldn't discern what I'd hidden. There was no point telling her; all it would do was pile onto the misery she was already dealing with, and she would blame herself for being out of action.

I needed Sam to pull herself together soon, because I wasn't sure how long Madhouse could function without her support. She said she was ready to jump back on the saddle, but I didn't need my lie detector for my bullshit alarm to start blaring.

So, Cyberspace's observation was accurate. Stress didn't even quantify the pressure that was weighing me down.

"What else is new?" I muttered, tracing my fingers across my suit's armored chest plating. I was trying to think of a way forward—something new to add to my suit's arsenal that wouldn't leave me wanting for charges, or take days to complete. "Is there something you want to talk about, or are you here to fill empty air?"

I didn't particularly feel like engaging in a long discussion over nothing important. Between Richard, Seraphim, and the dinner with Wildfire, I didn't have any time to waste.

"I overheard your discussion with Samantha. You plan on deferring to me when it comes to your meeting with Wildfire, correct?" Cyberspace paused for a moment to let their words sink in. They were listening, always. "You have a simple role. Play the part of an accommodating host."

My shoulders sagged, feeling the wind ripped from my sails.

"That's it?" I looked up at nothing in particular. There was nothing really to direct my frustration toward, so all I was left with was staring into dead space. "After all this, you just want me to squander the opportunity?"

"I understand there is a lot weighing on your mind, but do not take me for a fool, Maxis. I know as well as everyone else that this move had no thought behind it. You had no plan, you simply acted—similarly to when you decided to take advantage of my generosity to get Splicer's mechatechnology. You assumed. That is not how our partnership is structured," Cyberspace's lecture came with a biting tone. "One would think you would have learned by now not to act so irrationally."

I pushed away from the table and sighed heavily.

"Oh, irrationally? You want to do this now?" I growled, crossing my arms. "How was I supposed to know you would make such a big deal out of it? Wait a minute, am I allowed to say that? I don't want to step on your toes here. Just making sure I know where the lines are. Am I allowed to criticize?"

It felt petulant to argue, but they were bringing it up.

"I do not have time to indulge your ego." Cyberspace drawled.

"Ego? Come on, if that was it we would be in deeper shit by now. Everything I've done has been for a reason. No matter what you say, I didn't take advantage of your generosity. You, nor anyone else, ever made the boundaries clear, so excuse me if your little intimidation tactic felt like it came out of nowhere. I would have brought it up earlier but I have better things to do than to get snippy with you."

"Intimidation?" Cyberspace hummed in amusement. "What part of that exchange was intimidation? I felt like Francis made himself quite clear. Your conduct placed my operation at risk. You are aware that Mirage and Banshee know your face, and you have no idea where they are or who they've told. Going anywhere near my base of operations without taking proper precautions was dangerous and put the lives of my staff at risk."

"I don't recall you mentioning any of this when I spoke to you." I said simply. "If you were so concerned about me ruining everything, why didn't you just tell me to get lost? We would have saved a whole lot of issues if you did that."

"I was tempted to, but you were not being followed. I saw no reason to deny your request, so I opted for alternative means of education." Cyberspace explained coldly. "Francis understands the importance of subtlety, which you unfortunately lack. It is… an understandable flaw. You are a child, after all."

I didn't bother to suppress or hide my scoff.

"You ordered him to hit me."

"I asked that he make sure that you understand the need for discretion," Cyberspace corrected my assumption. "I apologize if you feel at all slighted by the measure, but careless—and seemingly innocent—mistakes like that have caused me to scuttle entire operations in the past. Consider the resources our enemies have at their disposal. Ajax's presence here only makes precautions more important. Now more than ever, I cannot have those working with me taking unnecessary actions."

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Right, and how do you explain my 'oh so pleasant tour guide'?"

"Many in my employ aren't considered 'stable' individuals. He was the only one available on such short notice."

It was the flattest, most unapologetic lie Cyberspace had ever uttered, and there was something they didn't want me knowing. I heard the undertones loud and clear 'drop it.'

Other than Splicer's technology, there was something else hidden down there. Something they hadn't wanted me to see. That's why the guard had been so aggressive in making sure Splicer's stuff was the only room I was allowed in.

That room… the one without the plaque on the door. The one with a guard already inside, rushing to conceal its contents. None of the other rooms had tarps and blankets covering a majority of the tech. From what I saw through the windows, it was all organised neatly.

What are you hiding…?

If they were trying to hide something from me, there was no use trying to pry for information. Right now, I have nothing to gain from antagonizing Cyberspace. This wasn't the time to cause problems, especially when I had already stepped on their toes. I needed to pull back for now and try again some other time—perhaps when I had more leverage.

"Well, that tracks. This isn't a legal operation you're running and you're basically the boogeyman. It makes sense that not everyone under you is as put together as Francis is." I said, shifting the topic back to the matter at hand. "I'm just glad I know that valuable mechatech won't just be delivered to my front door anymore. I suppose it was nice while it lasted."

"I did not see the value in distributing Splicer's mechatech to you because of the projects you were—and still are—working on. Distractions, Maxis. You are drawn to them." Cyberspace's bored tone diffused some of the tension in the air. "This is a common trait amongst Mechakinetics, as I'm sure Francis has mentioned to you. They have problems focusing on individual tasks and often take on too much too quickly. I have attempted to streamline your workflow, but it appears you are somewhat of an outlier."

"He did mention something along those lines." I admitted.

"Then you should have trusted my judgement," Cyberspace said. "I have afforded you the freedom you need and given you the resources to operate to the best of your ability, but it's become quite clear to me that freedom is not a resource you understand how to use appropriately. From the moment you gained your powers, you have made blunder after blunder, and it is only because of me that you aren't rotting away in The Citadel churning out mechatech like Nanoforge."

I shuddered when I remembered Nanoforge's mental state.

A broken woman clinging to the edge of sanity, while also being exploited for her power.

"I have allowed you to fumble so that you may learn from your mistakes. When this partnership formed, I asked you to inform Samantha, or Francis, or myself of any requests you had. It is a simple rule and I expected you to adhere to it," Cyberspace's voice became more frustrated with each word. "As of late, you have displayed an unbelievable disregard for your own safety, our business relationship, and the secrecy of my continued operations. If you were anyone else, I would have disposed of you when you insisted on being the one to place the seismic sensors."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Why didn't you?" I asked, simply.

"I hoped you would have figured it out," Cyberspace's tone was thick with disappointment. "I suppose… I expected too much. I didn't dispose of you because I believed you would come to realize your talents are best spent here. There is no need to put yourself at risk, yet you insist on it!"

I wasn't sure what to say.

I often speculated why Cyberspace hadn't confined me to my workshop, and only now was I receiving the reasons. It felt… wrong. They chose to trust my judgement when that judgement had been nothing but flawed to begin with? Where was the logic in that?

"You would prefer I stay here and leave the decision making up to everyone else?"

"Is it so difficult to believe that decisive action is not your forte?" Cyberspace retorted.

"If that was the case, why did you let me go out and capture Richard?" I asked, curious. I planned and initiated that whole mission. It had some holes, sure, but it was on short notice. Cyberspace allowed it to proceed. "If you were so concerned about it, why did you allow it? Was it because Richard was too dangerous? You seemed confident in my abilities at least. Let me guess, a broken clock is right twice a day?"

"No," Cyberspace said flatly. "I was in agreement that your approach was the best course of action in the limited time window. That is why I allowed it. The mission was messy, and would have benefited from Gold's analysis. I would say your execution was… satisfactory, but as we know, you have a history of poor judgement."

I heaved a sigh.

"This is going nowhere. In the interests of being productive, I'm just going to play the part of an accommodating host? Easy enough I suppose," I shrugged and turned my attention back to the table. "Honestly? I'm glad. It's a load off my mind, something I don't need to concern myself with anymore. Do nothing, because that's worked out so well for me before."

"Must you be so childish?" Cyberspace remarked sourly. "I am doing you a favor, but just because I said your role is to play the nice host, doesn't mean nothing will be gained. If you were patient and listened, you might've known by now."

They always had to get the last word in.

"If my role is just that, then how are we going to get anything out of this? Are you—" I stopped myself from making a snarky remark about discovering Wildfire's favorite foods. I felt that I had already mouthed off enough for one day. "Are you planning to intervene?"

"Not quite," Cyberspace replied. "Lucy will be spearheading this meeting. She will attempt to steer the conversation where it needs to go. You and your mother will have very minor parts to play here. As you are aware, Wildfire's views on the non-powered are heavily prejudiced. He will not take kindly to you prodding him for information. His daughter, however, has a degree of personal bias. He will indulge her."

"In front of us?" I paused, a frown spreading across my face. "As far as he is aware, Mom and I have no idea that he's part of Pandora. Lucy made it very clear that as far as he's concerned, we're none-the-wiser."

"Indeed." Cyberspace agreed. "That is why Lucy has informed her father that you and your mother are converts. Your mother has also been informed of her role."

My brain came to a screeching halt. Sam's half-baked plan bounced around in my head. Was Cyberspace poaching the idea, or was this something the two of them had discussed in private?

"Sam… had a similar idea."

"I am aware. She shared many ideas with me, most of which I rejected." Cyberspace explained. "However, there are alterations. There will be no 'infiltration' into their ranks. There is no need for such risk when Lucy is already there. Sam's plan was concocted with the assumption she would be excluded from the proceedings. I, however, disagree with that. Your friend has valuable insight, and even more valuable connections."

"You're using her," I scowled, and my words came out in a snarl. "I don't want to put her in that kind of danger. That's not why I brought her here."

"She's been in danger every waking moment of her life," Cyberspace dismissed my concerns without a care in the world. "You don't seem to understand or respect the intelligence she has been forced to foster in order to navigate the inner workings and political machinations of this cult. It is only by her intelligence and ferocity, that she has not been taken against her will yet. Her father respects her determination, albeit in his own way."

"And now you're putting her in more danger."

"Me? Maxis, this is your doing. You brought her into the fold and shared sensitive knowledge that their Mentalists can find. The only one who's put her in any more danger, is you," Cyberspace said. "What I am doing is utilizing her to ensure the downfall of their cult goes as smoothly as possible. When this is all over, she will be safe, just like you want."

"The only way that happens is for her father to leave the organization, or go down with them, and we both know he's far too dogmatic to leave." I said. "All this will do is hurt her. I don't want her involved—it was never my intention!"

"Thus… here we are again," Cyberspace mused wistfully. "It wasn't your intention? Obviously, but it didn't occur to you what trouble you would be inviting by revealing your powers to her. It never occurred because you lacked—and still lack—the ability to see the consequences of your actions," they paused and sighed. "Someday, you will learn that a little bit of dishonesty can spare people a lot of pain. Lucy would have been safer if you had never told her."

I rubbed my face, feeling a wave of exhaustion consume me. How was I supposed to pretend that I was one of them? Better yet, how was Mom going to do that? She wasn't much of an actor, that's for sure, which meant that Cyberspace was putting her in danger.

No…

No, I was putting her in danger.

This whole operation started because of my actions—because I insisted and told myself that it was better to take initiative than to sit around and wait for things to happen.

Sam and I had been reactionary when it came to Grim and the Cains. We sat and waited while everyone made their moves. Realistically, we only survived because we hadn't been considered a threat at the time. However, that wasn't the case anymore.

We had to make moves, and that had been my inexperience guiding me. We were making moves. Sam and Cyberspace had been doing the heavy lifting. All I needed to do was build. I was out of my depth pulling that stunt.

I needed to finish the game I started, or pull the plug.

"Okay, Lucy takes the lead," I conceded. Cyberspace had a point. Lucy had grown up inside the cult, so she was better equipped to lead the conversation. "Is there anything in particular we are looking for? What sort of topics is she going to try and steer us toward?"

"It is my suspicion that Liberation has requested reinforcement. My informants lead me to believe that Mercury may be rallying a significant evohuman force to be deployed here in the coming days," Cyberspace revealed, however, there was uncertainty in their tone. "This information is… troubling, especially as I am unable to confirm its accuracy."

"Mercury, as in the Mercury that helped found the cult?" I muttered, unable to hide my shock. "That's… that's insane! There's no way Liberation has that much sway. Fuck, why would, why would Mercury come here of all places? Are they trying to strengthen their grasp on New Elpis, or is it a delayed reaction to what Grim did?"

"No, there is a lot more at stake here. Again, I am uncertain," Cyberspace mused. "I've heard a lot of conflicting information from various sources, so I apologize if I am unable to give a clear answer. Precognitive Mentalists have made some disturbing predictions recently," they paused, leaving the ominous statement to hang in the air. "As I understand, you and Samantha touched on it very briefly. I believe her words were: 'the city is on a razor's edge.' Her intuition was correct."

"She said it was in relation to Pandora."

"Perhaps…" Cyberspace hummed. "Or maybe it is something else."

"The earthquakes? We know something's causing them," I said, pointedly. "Otherwise why would Ajax's Mothership stick around? They're getting bigger, which means whatever is causing them is getting worse."

"Regardless of what the cause is, power is gathering, and New Elpis appears to be where it's centered," Cyberspace intoned. "Do you now understand the need for subtly? We can only use the element of surprise once, we cannot afford to lose it. I feel like I must stress that now is no time for mistakes."

"Yeah-yeah, I heard you the first time. I'll stick to my lane," I remarked sourly. "It's not like I'm slacking. You know I'm doing all that I can."

"On that, we can agree," Cyberspace said. "The information we can extract from Wildfire will be important. Whatever their plans are will dictate what needs to happen. For that, I need you and the rest of Madhouse to be ready. I will be in need of all of your skills to cripple Pandora's plans. Then we can leave Ajax and The ECU to clean up the mess."

"What if this goes wrong," I asked. "What's the contingency if Wildfire catches on? I'm not saying Lucy isn't capable, but we need to be prepared if things go south," I took a slow breath to calm my nerves as several disastrous scenarios flashed through my head. "My mom is going to be in that room with us. She's not mobile, and I can't protect her if I don't have my gear."

I looked down at my suit, noting how bulky and powerful it looked. Now more than ever, I regretted not taking the opportunity to take Nanoforge's mechatech. Being able to deploy my suit from something small and inconspicuous would be a boon.

"I know I'm the one that put myself in this position, but this doesn't need to happen. As unfortunate as it is, I can still call things off," I warned. "I still have that option."

"And cast suspicion on Lucy? Do you not think it suspicious that 'converts' would suddenly not want to meet with a higher up in Pandora? No Maxis. You're committed now." Cyberspace stated easily. "But worry not, I have already made arrangements to ensure that your mother is protected. If the worst comes to pass and Wildfire turns hostile, we will deal with him."

There was a hint of finality to their voice, and I trusted that. However, there was still one small issue.

"Lucy won't like it if it comes to that."

"Which is exactly why I put her in charge of the operation," Cyberspace replied evenly. "Not only does she have the highest chance of success, but the responsibility ultimately falls on her. How she manages this ordeal will determine the actions we take. If he turns hostile, well… we all remember who initiated this event."

I grimaced.

"I'm awfully tempted to call this off."

"But you won't," Cyberspace retorted confidently. "You know it will look suspicious and put her under scrutiny. If Pandora starts digging too deep then they could unearth my operation. I will not allow that to happen, Maxis. If they get too close, I will resolve the issue one way or another."

If there was one thing I was certain of, it was that Cyberspace wanted this to go ahead. There was an advantage to be gained, but that wasn't even the worst part.

This was happening because of me… and that made me sick.

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