Orwell was not having a good day. Between his fighting to keep his tech his own, Lorne's increasingly hostile takeover, and his fiance's latest rant on Parahumans, he was stressed, mentally taxed and just about done.

"I would reccomend you call it a day, Zephyr." Talos patted his shoulder as they left the Board Meeting. "Your levels are dropping at an increased rate and you are at risk for a Break." The mech scanned the halls, nodding when he didn't see anyone.

"I should, but I have a ton of things that I need to do." He scratched the back of his neck. "For starters, that woman is sketchy. Something feels off about her."

"Press Secretary Amara Williamson. Worked in Lorne for almost 17 years. Husband to Director of Engineering Hyde Williamson. Hospital records indicate they have a daughter." Talos shrugged. "That bit is a little… Shady, but their entire corporation has been that way for the last five months. They've double down hard on the Board, trying to take over ExoGen. Though you will be fine. Your research and technology belong solely to you. ExoGen merely funds it for a cut of the profits. You could always take the job in the Factory."

"They don't research Biotech. Besides, the new set of Nites are almost finished. The test was rather successful, Monarch notwithstanding. No one expected that to happen." He calls up his lock on his office, opening it remotely as he enters. "We will have to-"

An image of an Eye took up every screen. For Zephyr, it was agony, as he felt it in his own body. It racked havoc among his carefully crafted boxes, setting off the man and causing him to collapse. Talos too was affected, seeing the eye in his optics but his secondary programming shunted the overload away as he rushed forward to catch Zephyr as he fell. The surge activated the secondary generators which cycled just fine this time and the bodyguard mech rushed to call up backup as Zephyr remained unresponsive.


[hr]

Pestilence pulsed herself away from the carcasses of the two guards in the back. She felt less hungry now, having consumed their life energy. Her first sight was of Taylor looking up at the sky, a form she was unwary of. She stumbled out of the truck, her feet wobbling beneath her as it had been a while, so she managed to just avoid the round shot at her. She could hear the din of the radio of Chrysander barking orders at the team.

"We need… To move…" She croaked throatily.

Her partner growled as a large mech attempted to drop on him, deflecting a punch away with his blades. They weren't able to pierce the chassis but managed to gouge a bit in places. "You wanna ditch that Tython looking thing? Wonder if it can mimic anything. I just came here for you, nothing said it would be in the truck."

"They weren't as far as I knew." Pestilence's voice grew a bit stronger as her vocal cords were regrown. "They think it could help with one of their experiments." She blinked as a bullet went through her head. She dropped momentarily only to convulse as her body regenerated the damage.

Obsidian cursed and kicked the mech off towards Hank who Vaulted Machai and took him head on.


[hr]

Inside Rosario's prison, there was an unusual face. A woman, her skin so pale it appeared like frost, hair stark white and an aura of sheer cold followed her. The distraction of the surge allowed her access, and she simply walked inside, frozen bodies following her wake. The cold here strengthens the woman as she walked deeper into the facility. She had a goal and she would see it done.

Her ice would block any bullets, strengthened by the cold the forces were slaughtered. She entered the chamber she sought and observed the black ball that was suspended.

"He doesn't look like much." Her voice twinkled like icicles, yet bit just as sharp.

"This is the form I was reduced to thanks to that… Woman." The surface of the large ball rippled. "I hear they even caught one of them."

"Indeed. Though Darkspire has made it clear she is not a terrorist and believes that this is just an evolutionary step." She slammed an ice shard into the console.

"A pity…" The ball roiled. It dropped to the ground with a soft whoosh before slinking over to the console. "I will need time to reintegrate myself and convert enough material beyond my core.

"I can provide that." The woman smiled. A wave of frost spreading out and she left the room. Moments later red lights flared and klaxons sounded as the Icebox lost power in the Deep sector, freeing several paras. Among them was several fire manipulators and one powerful air para.