**POV Kongo**

"No."

"Wrench, be reasonable. Riley was able to-"

"Fuck you." Wrench didn't bother wiping the spittle off her chin as she stared up at the face of the new remote Dragon had sent to Big Lug to replace the one accompanying Hoppo and Fubuki. "I tol' you 'fore. Dat psychobitch step foot on Big Lug either she die, or I do."

"Tattletale-"

"Fuck Tattletale too. I watch Bonesaw kill dem." Wrench poked her head forward almost like a chicken and stuck her finger under Dragon's nose. "I watch 'er play with Merchant guts like a kid at Christmas."

Dragon started trying to talk again. "Hoppo is seriously injured. Tattletale says-"

Wrench almost exploded. "Dragon I don' give rat's ass. If da Devil cast da bitch out o' Hell an' God himself asked me to forgive 'er if we met in heaven, I'd still put a shank in da bitch's eye."

Wrench whipped around and walked through the door to her personal quarters, slamming it with a resounding clang. A moment later the intercom next to the door came to life. "Need ta build weapon platforms. Don bother 'less critical." There was more than a little vitriol in the voice.

I stared at the door for two or three seconds before turning towards Dragon. I sent a radio message on the encrypted Wrench-free channel. "Dragon, you have to realize this isn't going to work. Not only that, Hoppo doesn't need Riley. She might look badly injured by human standards, but she's nowhere close to being incapacitated."

"Kongo, Wrench needs to lose some of her hate. Riley was mind-raped by Jack Slash. She's no more responsible for what she did than Wrench is responsible for what Bonesaw and the S9 did to the Merchants."

"Are you really trying to fight that fight now?" I send back, incredulously. "This is not the time-"

"Kongo, I'm not trying to win. I'm allowing myself to lose. This time. Wrench might talk like she's uneducated, but there's a good mind in there, even without the tinker power."

I sent a sharp squeal over the radio connection between us. Dragon didn't flinch, but she turned her head in my direction a little more directly as I started sending more code. "I really do not think this is a good time for you to be trying to help Wrench with her mental issues. Hoppo is going to be here in a couple hours. Wrench needs to be making weapons. We need to be planning for when Hoppo starts trying to kill us."

A calm, patient reply came a second later. Too calm. Too patient. Fubuki had warned me about Dragon using feigned emotions in her communications with us. "Kongo, I am simultaneously speaking with thirty-two different people other than you while trying to come up with a way to deal with the Hoppo situation. And the Simurgh situation. I'm also trying to rehabilitate Wrench. I believe her to be worth spending a few seconds priming her mentally for future conversations. I know what I am doing. Wrench will not allow Riley near her for at least another few years, but if I don't lay the proper groundwork over time, it will never happen, and Wrench will use that Tanto no more than a month after she finishes rebuilding the land masses destroyed by Leviathan and Scion."

"How do you know that? She seems-"

"Unthreatened. Sheltered here with people she feels she can trust not to hurt her, mostly. She has purpose. This is a good time for her, and look at her mental state. We can't shelter her forever. As she starts to stretch her power again, she's going to run short of worthwhile projects that she cares enough about to want to do them."

I closed my eyes and tried to sort through what Dragon had just said. After a few seconds I opened my eyes and transmitted a response. "Fine. Are you done laying the foundation for Wrench's future? Can we start working to make sure humans on this world have a future?"

Imp spoke from the intercom next to the door. "Wrench isn't dumb, and she's watching you right now. Staring at each other in front of her door after that conversation and obviously speaking by radio means either you two are collaborating or getting ready to fight. Wrench is smart enough to distrust you two in either situation."

"Imp, she's likely recording what you say as well, since electronics can record and replay your activities." Dragon replied out loud, with an exasperated tone.

"Yup. But I'm talking out loud. The sneaky backstabber type being all open and honest, while the two warrior types plot and plan behind her back. She's not stupid. She mumbles to herself when she's working and talks to herself when she's asleep." Imp replied, confidently.

"Do you think I do not know this, Imp?" Dragon sighed.

"Is this conversation part of the plan too, Dragon?" I commented sharply by radio.

"I am in regular contact with both Dinah and Contessa, so, yes."

I stared at Dragon's remote some more.

About three seconds later, Dragon sent more radio signal "Kongo, no offense, but there is nobody on this planet that thinks on my level when it comes to multitasking and organization. Trust me. I know you are irritated that I agreed with Fubuki when she decided to go alone to meet Hoppo, but-"

"Stop. Conversation over."

"Do you really think I didn't have someone watching over the situation, Kongo?"

"Dragon, I know I wasn't told that you did. Neither was Fubuki."

"I had everything under-"

I broke into her statement with a loud radio squeal. "Stop. You are NOT my admiral, Dragon. We'll get along a lot better if you stop reminding me that you were probably using your own abilities and the powers of several thinker capes to help you guide mine and Fubuki's responses to better fit your agenda. As long as Fubuki returns safe, I will be able to forgive you for what Fubuki calls social-fu."

I looked down and met calm robotic eyes looking up at me. I'd stepped towards Dragon, and was standing almost chest-to-chin with her.

Unacceptable. Shameful. I thought to myself.

Then a little voice spoke in my head. Social-fu?

I carefully unclenched my fists and forced myself to take a step backward and bow slightly. "Apologies, Dragon."

We both knew I didn't mean it. Not until Fubuki returned safely, and maybe not even then.