-Vanguard Red Menace answering her chat, 2056
My body was heavy, and my tongue was very dry. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt stuck. I tried to lift my arm to manually open my eyes, and I felt it shift, but the effort drained me.
“Hey, he moved!” I heard… someone shout.
I heard movement around me and felt someone sit next to me. I guess I was on a bed? My bed? I feel someone place their fingers on my eyelids and open them for me.
Jill was there, a smile on her face. No, a smirk. “I know Synaptic said you would be groggy, but damn, you really couldn't open your own eyes?”
I saw Buddy move besides her carrying a bottle with a long straw. “Don't tease him too much, Jill. At least wait until he can control his face so that the teasing is worth it.” He brings the straw to my lips, “Can you open your mouth?”
I try, and my jaw does indeed move, but my lips are stuck together, like when they get super chapped at night.
Buddy nods, “Right. Jill, you have the smallest fingers, if you please.”
She takes hold of the straw and opens my lips, shoving the straw in my mouth and pretty deep in there. She then presses my lips to seal around the straw. “Don't worry. It feels weird but you won't choke.”
I am a bit confused until I feel the straw grow down my throat, then I feel a cold liquid move through the straw. I want to move, but my body does not respond. This goes on for a minute before I remember I have means to talk to Synaptic.
I feel towards my augs, and while the effort is great, I connect to my network.
I hear her laugh. Not a small, sensual chuckle, but a proper laugh. Oh dear. When I heard that it would keep you down for a bit, this is not what I expected. she laughed some more. The medicine Doma gave you, while it healed your brain, it is also designed as a forced resting drug, like a designer nitrous oxide. It will wear off in time, and as it does you will recover more precise control of your body.
“Morrigan installed a catheter while you slept, so don't worry,” Roger said. “And yes, I did hear that thought cause Synaptic is keeping us in the loop. You are our patient, little brother, and since you can't speak, this is the next best thing!”
“It's also really funny to hear you slur your words in your own head.” Cody says, a huge smirk on his face.
I focus really hard to get the next words right.
Everyone burst into laughter.
********************************
The day was simple. I passed out soon after drinking whatever was in that bottle. When I next awoke, I could open my eyes on my own, and slowly shift to a more sitting up position. I looked at the clock in my augs and saw it was nine am, a full two days since the end of the assault.
My thoughts are no longer slurring, but it takes so much effort to make them.
You may attend virtually, if you wish, but going in person is not recommended. Walking will be very difficult.
That… is an option, if you wish.
She sighs. Very well. Outsider has requested to escort you.
Minutes later, Outsider arrives with a large hover chair and moves me into it. I tried to move myself to it, but I could not put much strength into my body, and my legs could not hold my weight.
Synaptic had, at least, changed my armor into proper mourning attire.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Entering the garage, I see a black van with its passenger side cargo door opened. Outsider loads me up, which ends with me locked in place where the passenger seat normally was. Outsider took the driver's seat, and we were off.
Halfway to the HQ, Outsider turns to me. “Victor, Doma has requested to speak with you. May I answer with a video call?”
The front window fills with the scene of Doma's office, focused on her bar area as she is leaning on the counter. Her attire is similar to what she normally wears, but she has a veil covering her face. A small smile on her face.
“Good morning, War Games. How are you feeling?”
I have linked your augs to the call, so you may speak through them.
She stifles a laugh. I could see her shoulders shake a little.
“Well, yes. I suppose I should know, but alas, I have never had to have been given a forced break.” Her tone turns a bit sincere, “I am proud of you for coming though. Fighting through the forced break takes a lot of resolve. I will make sure those in attendance don't ask about you.” She giggles a bit, “You will be a nice warning for those who refuse to rest.”
She could not suppress her laugh that time, falling into a mess of snort laughter. “That's the point, War Games-”
She does her very best to regain composure. “Yes. Victor. But yes, the point of the forced break is to be a punishment, something to be avoided. And the best part is, so long as you have a nervous system, it works! But I digress. I see you have arrived, so Kira will be there to lead you to me. See you soon.” The call ends and I see that we have, indeed, parked in my spot.
The van door opens and Outsider pushes me out, where I see the normally blazing red Kira wearing a more subdued black outfit. Her smile is still plastered on her face. “Good morning, War Games, Miss Outsider. Please follow me.”
The hallways are the same as always, yet I find it interesting that I haven't seen any staff other than Kira. I wonder what she does when I'm not around. I would ask, but she creeps me out.
“I could investigate her, Victor. Or we could request a new liaison, someone who doesn't bother you.” Outsider said on the network. I didn't realize I had said that on the network.
We arrive at Doma's office and part with Kira. Inside, I see Doma is not alone, as there is a floating black jellyfish next to her.
“And there he is! Slayer of toads himself!” The jellyfish said.
I feel a wave of nausea hit me as I think of those things. As I remember the thorn flying-
“I would request on behalf of War Games that you refrain from mentioning the cavern at this time, Black Log. It is causing immense distress for my master.” Outsider said, ice laced her tone.
I see the jellyfish recoil at her words. “Yeah, sure. My bad. I, uh. I didn't mean-” he stopped talking abruptly. I assume Outsider glared at him. “I'll see you at the service.” He said in a hurry, then disappeared.
Doma sighs heavily. “I'm sorry, Victor. I told him to leave you alone, but he thought he could inject some humor to make you feel better. It won't happen again.”
“I shall relay his words for now, as speaking is still not an option for him.” Outsider said, then her voice changed to mine. “Thank you.”
“Ah, yes. The first twenty four hours are rough, I've seen. Don't worry, by noon today you will be able to speak, and by nightfall you can do it without slurring.” She takes a sip from a water cup she has, “You are a bit early, as the memorial is set to start in an hour. We can go to the hall now, or we can chat for a while.”
I think on that for a moment. I knew I wanted to be here, but it was a coincidence I was here so close to the start of the service. I wouldn't have been surprised if it started at night.
“Blizzard. Her sister, in Texas. Can I help?”
I see Doma’s face shift, but I am unable to translate it, it's too complicated right now. “Her extended family will be taken care of by both The Family as well as the will Blizzard set up.”
That made sense. “Could you tell me about her? I know a bit because my brother, Cody, is a huge fan of hers.”
That look crosses her face again, then a small smile forms. “I can do that. First, her name is Tsubuki Mikosano, and she is not a native to New Phoenix. Much of her early years are not publicly known, but that is because she was not proud of them. She worked for a logistics company that dealt with street level access, and saw how horrible the heat and the sun affected the citizens. Once she decided to go public with her status, she knew she wanted to spread as much cold as possible. And you know the result of that project, with the fog layer that covers the city streets.
“Thankfully, she set up a few fabricators to make spare parts to keep the fog layer active for decades, so the citizens don't need to worry about going back to the frying pan."
And so Doma talked about Blizzard, her first unofficial hive, her beef with the mayoral office who tried to stone wall her at every turn with the fog layer project. About how, while she had plenty of friends, she couldn't keep a boyfriend for more than a week because she kept her home at sixty degrees.
Then, it was time for the service. Doma led us to the hall, which seemed to be a dedicated space for the fallen. The back wall had dozens of photos of people, either in costume or not. And in front of it was an altar with four faces on it, each labeled.
I didn't recognize two of them, the newer or out of towners, but I recognized Weapons Locker. He had a famous rivalry with Heracles, stemming from a difference in ideology. Heracles believed that only a strong body could be relied upon to fight with, while Weapons Locker believed that the body was not versatile enough to deal with all threats.
I remember seeing a particularly heated podcast Cody pirated, where the two of them came to blows. I still remember the actual anger on Heracles’s face. Yet now, seeing Heracles standing in front of the altar, tears streaming down his chiseled features, that fight seemed pointless.
I took a spot near the edge of the seating arrangement with Outsider standing behind me and watched a few more Samurai enter the room. None of them were in their armor, so I could only recognize a few people.
Laser Lasso, of course, Red Menace, Shrew, and Magical Girl Chocolate Thunder. All of them in more appropriate mourning attire, yet unmistakably them.
Lasso and Red Menace took a seat next to me, offering a small smile. I could see Lasso struggle to hold in laughter, probably at me, but Red elbows her hard.
Soon enough, the appointed time arrived, and Doma made her way to the altar.