Part 1
The elevator slowed to a stop and the door slid open to a long hallway that split near the end. Zero peered out of the elevator eyeballing the area.
"All clear." said Zero.
"Looks like the distraction plan worked." said Tuka. "We got in with no problem."
"Don't relax just yet." said Vile. "We still have a long way to go before we reach X."
"The real fight begins." said Leilei.
"Leilei is right." said Rory. "Even with the distraction security is bound to be very tight in the tower, we won't have the same luxury like we did in the shrine of dealing only with automated defenses."
The six of them rounded the corner, and came to a stop.
"Speak of the devil." said Vile as they found themselves face to face with a Pantheon Patrol.
"INTRUDERS! How did they get in here?" said one Pantheon.
"It's Zero! Zero's in the tower!"
"Sound the alarm! Alert Master X! The resistance is trying to infiltrate Area X!"
"Well shit." said Vile. Rory just smiled and quickly rushed the patrol swinging her Halberd out.
"Rory wait!" said Zero, before sighing.
"OH CRAP IT'S HER!" said one of the Pantheons before getting cleaved in half.
"That's right." said Rory delightfully, as she cut down two more. "Emory is here to pass judgment on X! You would do wise to step aside."
"LIGHT THAT GOTH BITCH UP!" said one of the braver Hunters as more came in from down the hall as the alarm blared through the corridor. "She can't do anything if she's in pieces trying to regenerate!" With that order a few dozen Hunters quickly open fired with their busters guns, blasting at Rory while Zero and the others took cover.
"They really don't like her do they?" Vile asked watching as Rory just laughed as her body was being blasted to pieces.
"Seems like it." said Zero.
"Scared of her." said Leilei.
"I would be too, seeing a monster like that." Vile said. That earned him a surprised look from Zero.
"Hey I get nervous around things I can't kill okay?" Vile said with a grumble.
Rory kept laughing as she pushed through the gunfire, cutting through the Pantheons like a hot knife through butter as her limbs and body regenerated itself from the various bullet wounds littering her, nearly painting the hallway with her blood in the process. Yuno watched with a sick expression as a Warrior's arm soaked in Rory's blood bounced by them, Vile was deadpan as some of the demi goddess's blood splattered on his visor and Zero said nothing as a severed head flew by. Slowly but surely the gunfire died down and Leilei and Tuka poked their heads out from behind cover to see Rory standing there amongst the pile of Pantheon corpses. She turned to them wiping her face and grinning. "Sorry, I didn't leave any for you."
"Sweet Jesus." said Vile as they stepped out, looking at the carnage. "You have got to be shitting me."
"Well it's not my fault, they were shooting at me in an enclosed space." said Rory with a fake pout. "So I can't help it if my blood gets everywhere in the process."
"We should probably get going." Yuno said looking around. "I'm pretty sure this got SOMEONES attention. I mean, Rory isn't exactly subtle."
"Agreed." said Zero. "We need to keep going while we still can before we're surrounded."
The others nodded, and quickly raced down the hall.
Senator Blaise sat in her office, yawning as she was looking through a stack of paperwork she had been neglecting as of late. She rubbed her eyes and sighed as she went from one document to the next, giving then a quick look and taking note of the important details which stood out. These weren't the whims of the wealthier citizens who complained about trivial things every other day such as Mrs. Picney, forcing the government to bend over backwards to cater to their 'needs and protection' as citizens of Neo Arcadia, no those 'complaints' and reports she tends to 'forget' or even 'accidently delete' just due to the blatant disregard they have for the rest of the city, and yet there is nothing else she can do about it, a fact she's had rubbed in her face on more than one occasion during social gatherings. She's suppose to represent the interest and the needs of the people on the senate, and bring their problems and grievances to the surface for the others to see, especially Master X, who cares greatly for the wellbeing of Neo Arcadia and its people.
"And yet." she said to no one in particular. "The only ones who are ever heard are the rich and powerful, drowning out everyone else in order to maintain the status quo." she sighed and nearly banged her head on her desk. She looked up when she heard a knock on her door. Who the hell knocks in this day and age?
"Come in." Blaise said. She was quite surprised, pleasantly surprised to see Master X walk in, looking both concerned and agitated, it made her smile as she stood up and bowed. "Master X, do what do I owe the honor of your humble self in my less than immaculate work space?"
"We have a problem and I need your help." X said rubbing his forehead. "We...have a protest happening outside the Central Tower."
Blaise raised an eyebrow, and smiled. "It's about time."
X's eyebrow twitched before narrowing. "What was that Senator?"
Blaise sighed. "Don't give me that menacing tone Master X, it doesn't work with me." she said. "I have and always will represent the people of Neo Arcadia, but as you can see by the pile of paperwork on my desk, lately I haven't been able to do my job. And do you know why I haven't been able to do my job Master X?"
X shook his head. "No, I do not." he said.
"Fear, Master X." said Blaise. "Up until now, the regular citizens and the reploids, they've been afraid to speak up, say their peace, make their voices heard, they've been afraid ever since you had reploids gunned down during a protest and had them declared Maverick, and as a result, they get stepped on by the rich and powerful who take advantage of your desire to bend over backwards to keep these people happy and safe."
X twitched, he started to say something, but Blaise raised her hand.
"I'm not done." said Blaise. "Let's factor in the past few months shall we? The discovery of the Gate. What have we done about it besides throw a party that got interrupted? I thought the Gate was an opportunity to rebuild? You said so yourself, a chance to acquire new resources and supplies, build new settlements that would be safe from the threat of Mavericks roaming the wastelands outside the dome. A chance to rebuild our world itself with help from the Empire, but nothing is being done, and the people are suffering because of it."
"You know we have more pressing matters." X said, trying to get a word in.
"No." said Blaise. "We don't. All we have is your single minded obsession with the resistance that has gone from dealing with rebels and mavericks to a full blown vendetta. Sure they have gotten under our skin in the past and they've caused us trouble, but they were never a big enough threat for us to even bother with them until you decided they needed to be dealt with, which in turn lead to them reviving Zero. And don't get me started on what you did to capture Dr. Ciel."
X looked dumbfound, Blaise leveled a glare. "What you don't think the Senate knows you attacked a human city in the other world? During a time when we trying to finalize an alliance with the empire that city belongs to?"
"We had cooperation from the Empire, there is nothing to worry about." said X.
"No, you had cooperation from an opportunistic crown prince." said Blaise. "You used him, and our alliance with the empire, to justify the attack. You, the one who desires peace between reploids and humans, did the most Maverick action this city has ever seen! Just what in the hell were you THINKING?"
X glared, his eyes burning red. "Don't you dare question my authority Senator!" said X. "I did what I had to do for the safety of this city! You have no right to-" He went silent, his head snapping back as Blaise backhanded him, his eyes wide with surprise by the move as he turned his head back toward Blaise, who herself now was seething with anger of her own.
He had never seen her this angry before, not like this. This wasn't the usual anger Blaise would show whenever Glint ran his mouth.
"I have EVERY right to question your authority "Master" X, as do the other Senators." she said, glaring at him. "As does the Hachishinken, as do the PEOPLE have every right to question your authority!"
X just trembled, his eyes dying down. "Quite frankly, you have been overstepping your bounds as of late in order to settle personal grudges with Dr. Ciel and Zero. End the fighting or we will!" she started for the door and X turned, dumbstruck.
"Where are you going?" X asked.
"I'm going downstairs." said Blaise. "I'm going to do what we should have done a year ago. I'm going to listen to the people, I'm going to hear them out and listen to their grievances, I am not going to give them false promises, I am going to do everything in my power to bring this charade to an end, and then I'm going to bring a proposal to the Senate and the Hachishinken to have you removed from power until this matter is resolved, and open peace talks with the resistance. Good day, X." and with that, Blaise stormed down the hall, heading for the elevator, leaving X standing there speechless and trying to wrap his head around what he just heard.
"Now you truly are alone." whispered the voice of the Dark Elf. "Your own Senate has just turned against you. You'll be out of office and on the street by the end of the day."
X twitched. "Shut up." he said. "I don't need your sarcasm right now."
"She's right you know." said the Dark Elf. "You let the resistance consume you. All of this, the resistance, the people turning against you, your inability to do anything with the gate...me..." the last word made X flinch. "It's...all...your...fault."
X said nothing, and the Dark Elf's voice chuckled. "Why not just fire into the crowd again? Save the humans from another group of 'rampaging mavericks' It worked SOOO well the last time just like the Senator said."
X said nothing as he stepped out of Blaise's office, finding a concerned Anita looking at him, and looking a little pale.
"What is it Anita?" X asked. "I'm not in the mood right now."
"Master X...I think we found Zero." Anita said, sounding concerned.
X blinked and looked at his secretary. "Show me." he said, as the two headed for a security room.
Part 2
Blaise stepped through the front doors of the Central Tower and surveyed her surroundings. Hundreds of people were gathered and it looked like more were coming in. Pantheons were stationed on the sidewalk keeping an eye on the protesters, their voices ringing out loud and clear as signs were being held up showing their disdain for how the government has been handling things as of late.
'Quite a crowd.' she thought to herself as she made her way down the walkway, her heels clicking all the way. 'How did this build up so quickly?' She pondered for a moment, and blinked. 'Could it be? No way...but...they would be crazy enough to do it...' she couldn't help but laugh a little as she came before the Pantheons. "Leave." she said to them.
The Pantheons on guard looked surprised, the command also made the crowd gather go silent momentarily.
"Senator, it's dangerous with this big a crowd." said one of the Pantheons.
"I said leave!" she said. "I do not intend to have a repeat of last year, and someone get me a chair!"
The burst of anger shocked the Pantheons into action and they quickly pulled back to return to the tower, a moment later a Pantheon Hunter came out carrying a swivel chair and set it up.
"Here you are Senator." he said.
"Thank you. Now scram." she said. "It's time we finally listen."
The Pantheon gave a salute and quickly left. Blaise stood there and looked out at the crowd, the smile she gave was genuinely apologetic.
"Citizens of Neo Arcadia." she said, solemnly. "1 year ago, after the incident we all know as the "Maverick Purge" you elected me to be your Senator, to be your voice. You elected me because I promised I would do everything within my power to fix this city, and bring equality back to humans and reploids. I have failed you." with this she bowed before crowd. "I have failed you, and I have no excuse for my failure, nor will I make excuses. I found myself bending over backwards to cater to the whims of the upper class who take advantage of all the restrictions and laws that were in place to protect our city against the energy crisis, distracted by threats from Mavericks when their weren't any, distracted by 'priorities' that didn't make sense, and I have no excuse for letting these things happen. In the end, all I started to care about was ending the 'threat' of the mavericks known as the Resistance, and making humans happy. Except the only humans that were happy were those who could afford it."
"Don't give us your sob story!" said one of the protesters.
"We trusted you!" came a female voice from the crowd.
"We believed in you! And you left us to rot!"
"My family is starving!"
"Reploids are still being persecuted! What happened to 'equality'?"
"You keep ignoring the real problems! What are you going to do about it?"
"Everyone in the Noble District don't lift a finger to help! All they ever do is come down and mock us!"
Blaise had to hold back tears, hearing all this was devastating, proof of just how negligent Neo Arcadia has been.
"So what will it be Senator?" Blaise blinked at the voice and looked up from her bow, her eyes widen when she locked eyes with Faucon.
"You..." she said.
"The people have spoken Senator." said Faucon. "You can't ignore it anymore. You can't pretend it's not happening anymore."
"You think I wanted to?" Blaise said, standing up straight. "I cannot begin to count the number of times I have brought up the problems that pile up on my desk only to be ignored. All we ever talk about over the past 2 years is the resistance and how we can put a stop to them. Not once has the subject of the energy crisis come up, other than "Senator Rime is making progress." We pretend all of you are still happy and content despite the current times, when in reality it's the Noble District that prospers while everyone else suffers, but nothing ever gets done because the senate has their heads so far up their ass that none of us can see the truth."
"So you're saying you're finally pulling your head out of your ass?" Faucon asked.
"Yes." said Blaise as she sat down.
If he could, X would be throwing up right now as he stared at the monitor showing the Secondary Tower. Specifically the monitor showed the hall which was the scene of a pantheon massacre as X watched the replay of Rory Mercury cutting a path of destruction through the Pantheons as her body was torn apart, blood everywhere.
"You have got to be shitting me." X said staring. "I always thought the troops were exaggerating about that girl." he rubbed the back of his head. "How the hell did we miss them?"
"We're not sure Master X." said Anita. "Somehow they were able to bypass the security and sneak in through the Shrine."
"But HOW!" X said, agitated. "Those codes are changed daily."
"I don't know how they managed it." said Anita. "But...they used your Master codes."
X stared, surprised. "My codes? How did they managed that?"
"Unknown sir." said Anita. "We also just received confirmation, Lunar Inaba is dead, her body was destroyed when the factory the resistance attacked was blown up."
"Distractions." said X. "The attacks outside Neo Arcadia, the attack on that factory...all distractions to keep us from noticing Zero and the others slipping in the back door." He gritted his teeth, and blinked, looking up. "The Protesters...don't tell me that's another distraction!" He looked at the Pantheon operating the security station. "Bring up the exterior cameras and run facial recognition on the crowd."
"Belay that order." said Anita. That made X twitch.
"You're overriding me?" X asked, looking at Anita.
"My orders come from Senator Blaise and the Hachishinken." said Anita. "You are not to go anyway near, or do anything involving that crowd outside our door, unless you want to have another 'purge' on our hands and really turn the people against us."
"But if the resistance is in that crowd." said X. "They need to be contained!"
"Master X!" Anita said forcefully. "As it stands right now we are STILL trying to spin the attack on Italica in our favor in order to justify our actions. We are on thin ice as it is with the people and we cannot afford to make any mistakes. Let the Senator do her job. Right now our primary concern should be them!" Anita said pointing at the monitors showing Zero, Vile, Rory, Leilei, Tuka and Yuno. "They have to be subdued and apprehended before they get any farther!"
X stared at the monitors, showing more fighting on screen as Zero and his companions were dealing with another swarm of Pantheons.
"Dispatch Kuwagust to intercept then." said X.
"Of course." Anita said bowing.
"And Anita." X continued.
"Yes sir?"
"If they get past Kuwagust, deal with them yourself." said X. "Especially the Demi Goddess."
A cruel smirk crept on Anita's lips. "I understand Master X. Should I kill them all?"
"No." said X. "Incapacitate the Demi Goddess, detain the elves and the girl who can cyber fuse." said X. "Kill Vile...but let Zero through."
Anita blinked. "Let him through?"
"I will deal with him myself while I am still in power." X said, turning and leaving the security room.
Anita watched X leave before turning to the Pantheon running the security room. "Contact Kuwagust and have him intercept Zero and company...Tell him to let Zero and the Demi Goddess pass and to kill Vile."
"I'm not sure that's wise." said the Pantheon. "That Loli with the Axe killed Herculious. He'll want to avenge his brother's death."
"Tell him to do as I say or he'll be joining his brother." Anita said. "He knows the risk of going against MY orders compared to Master X."
"Y...Yes ma'am." the Pantheon said, watching Anita leave.
"Now then." Anita thought to herself as she walked down the hallway. "I wonder how a Goddess will fare against the devil?"
The gunfire was more dense this time then before, so much so that Zero had to pull Rory back and restrain her to keep her from pulling another stunt like before as Vile popped out of cover and fired on the Pantheons down the hall.
"We should have left her back at the base." said Vile. "Her little Texas Chainsaw massacre from earlier damn near alerted this entire tower!"
"Oh so this is MY fault?" Rory asked.
"To be blunt? Yes!" said Vile blind firing down the hallway as Zero popped out and took a few shots himself. Tuka and Yuno we're behind them taking cover as well, occasionally popping out to fire shots of their own at the Pantheons, while the occasional Fireball zinged by them all to scorch their enemies.
"We're pin down." said Tuka.
"They know we're here." said Leilei, sending a lightning bolt down the hallway and frying a few Hunters. "Reinforcements are pouring in."
"We need to cut them off if we're going to get through." said Zero.
"Well I'm open to ideas." said Vile.
Zero peaked down the hall, then looked behind him. "These halls crisscross through the tower. Vile, take Tuka and Yuno and go around, flank them from the other side, we'll take em out in a pincer attack and cut off reinforcements at the same time."
Vile nodded, and turned to the two elves. "You heard him, let's move."
"Right." said Tuka.
"Got it." added Yuno as the three took off.
"Rory, Leilei, we'll keep them busy here." Zero said, tossing a spare Buster gun over to Rory.
"I prefer Melee." Rory said with a pout.
"We need to be smart about this." Leilei said, getting into position behind a wall and pulling out a Buster Gun of her own. That made Rory raise an eyebrow.
"Where did you get that?" she asked.
"Been practicing." said Leilei. "To keep from over relying on my magic, preserve my Stamina." She'd pull back the slide, came from behind the wall and shot two Hunters through the eyes before returning to cover.
Rory just stared a little dumbstruck at Leilei, before letting out a huff. "I can do that too!" she said.
"Stay focused Rory, or you're going to make a mistake." said Zero as he did a blind fire down the hallway.
Rory nodded, taking a peak down the hall.
"Aim down the sight, line your shot up with what you want to hit." said Zero. "Keep your hand steady."
Again Rory nodded, quickly popping out and eyeing down the Buster gun before pulling the trigger and firing a few shots, nailing a hunter in the shoulder and two more in the chest knocking them down before going back into cover.
"See? Told you I could do it." Rory said with a smile. Leilei gave Rory an affirmative nod as the three of them watched more Pantheon come into the hall.
"We're not out of the woods yet." Zero said, firing on some approaching hoppers."
"We should try to push forward." said Rory.
"Too dangerous." said Leilei. "No Cover."
"Then let me go wild on them!" said Rory.
"Later." said Zero. "We don't know who or what we'll run into farther down. Conserve your stamina and keep shooting."
A buster shot zinged by Rory, and the Demi Goddess just growled in frustration as she stepped out and starting firing down the hall, hitting a few more Hunters while being shot at in return, she staggered once, but kept her footing as she quickly charged the buster and fired a stronger shot that incinerated a few more Pantheon before she ducked back behind cover. wincing as her wounds started to heal.
"Don't get reckless." said Zero. "You use up your stamina regenerating don't you? Try to minimize the damage you take."
"I'm fine." said Rory. "small cuts like this are barely noticeable."
'Damn it Vile hurry it up.' Zero said to himself. 'I'd rather not have the worst case scenario of an actual tired out Rory.'
Part 3
Vile punched a Guardian square in the face before jamming it's stun baton into another Guardian, turning his shoulder slightly to blast an incoming Hunter in the face.
"Must be getting close." said Tuka. "If we can just find where they are coming in from."
"Easier said than done with how many there are." said Yuno stabbing a Warrior in the kneecaps with a beam dagger, leaving it open for Vile to blast apart with his shoulder cannon.
"Just need to cut through here and make that corner!" said Vile. "That should bring us to the hall Zero and the others are and we can flank the Pantheon pouring in."
Tuka nodded, looking at Yuno who also nodded and the two began chanting. Vile looked to them, and quickly got out of the way as the two girls unleashed a torrent of lightning down the hall, frying and incinerating several dozen Pantheons.
"A little warning next time." Vile said, looking down the hall. "If you can do that then maybe you should open with that!"
"Magic uses up our stamina." said Yuno, panting slightly. "And we've been fighting nonstop without much of a break besides that elevator ride."
Vile said nothing and just looked back down the hall. "Come on, they're waiting for us." Tuka and Yuno nodded as they raced down, rounding the corner and continuing through the hall. Vile looked ahead, the sound of fighting drawing close. He soon found himself staring down Pantheons taking cover, and knowing he finally arrived at the other end of the hallway he quickly open fire, taking the Pantheons by surprise and destroying a few of them before tackling into another and slamming it into the wall.
"Took you long enough!" Rory called down from the hall.
"We had to entertain the house guests!" Vile called back sarcastically as he shot a pantheon in the face.
Tuka and Yuno ran in, blasting a pair of approaching Hunters with Arrows as Yuno looked down the hall.
"All clear, you can make your way up now!" she said.
Zero gave a nod as he Leilei and Rory raced down the hall toward Vile, Tuka and Yuno. Vile noted the smug smile on Rory's face.
"What are you smiling about?" he asked.
"She got to show off her marksmanship." Zero said as he peered down the connecting hall.
"Which way do we go now?" Tuka asked. "These hallways are starting to look the same."
"This way." The cyber elf of X would appear, pointing toward the eastern direction. "If we head down here and then make a left, we'll find a stairwell that can take us further up the tower and avoid getting caught. They'll more than most likely be expecting us to use the elevator that would lead up to Area X."
"So we're in for a long climb huh." said Zero.
"Afraid so." said X. "It's the best I can do given the current situation."
Zero thought for a moment. "Does that stairwell connect with the Central Tower where Ciel is being held?"
"Yes." said X. "You'd have to go down rather than up but it does lead to the main complex."
"And where's the elevator?" Zero asked.
That made X raise an eyebrow. "The elevator? We'd have to double back and make a right, but they'll be expecting us."
"Exactly." said Zero. He'd turn to Leilei. "Leilei, do you think you can locate Ciel?"
"I believe so." Leilei said. She canted her head to the side, confused. "Why?"
"I want you to head for that stairwell and head down into the central Tower Complex and rescue Ciel." said Zero. "The rest of us will head for the elevator."
"But they are going to anticipate we use the elevator." said the Cyber elf X. "The Stairway is safer."
"That's exactly why we're using it." said Zero.
"Ah, I see." said Vile. "We're going to become a distraction for Leilei to sneak in and find the girl."
Zero nodded.
"Understood." said Leilei. "I'll do my best."
"When you find Ciel, make your way outside." said Zero. "If Faucon succeeded there should be a large crowd of angry protesters outside the Tower, use them to disappear."
Leilei nodded, and headed off down the hall.
"Will she be fine on her own?" Vile asked watching.
"She is surprisingly competent when it comes to your world's technology." said Tuka. "She should be fine."
"Alright, lets head for that elevator." Zero said, turning around and heading back down the hall.
Senator Blaise would hand another Data Pad to the aide the came out just awhile ago, a young man with a nervous disposition who was already carrying a stack of about ten of them, all of them containing the complaints, requests and demands of the crowd gathered here.
"We need more data pads." said Blaise.
"Senator you just filled 11 of them." said the aid.
"Then go get 11 more!" said Blaise. "And get some more people out here to write things down!"
"Ye...Yes Ma'am!" said the Aide as he quickly rushed back into the Tower Complex.
Blaise sat back in the swivel chair, letting out a sigh and rubbing her forehead as she looked ahead at the crowd.
'So many people.' she thought. 'and more have been coming in.' she laughed to herself and shook her head, she should have done this a long time ago.
"So this is where you've been this whole time." Blaise turned in her chair to see Albrecht and Gaol approaching, putting a smile on her face.
"Hey just in time." Blaise said. "Pull up a chair and lend me a hand."
"Lend you a hand?" Gaol asked, before looking out over the crowd. "Oh, so these are the protesters..."
"Yup." Blaise said holding her hand out. "Senator Gaol, Senator Albrecht, may I introduce to you the citizens of Neo Arcadia." Albrecht just blinked, surprised by the sheer number of people that were gathered, the best Gaol could do was just wave at them, which prompted one of the gathered people that were close to the front to wave back.
"What exactly are you doing anyways?" Albrecht asked.
"Taking statements, noting complaints." said Blaise watching as her Aide returned with another stack of Data pads. "I'm taking a single complaint from each citizen and then sending them back home, then at the next Senate meeting I intend to bring up each and every one of these complaints and address all of them, and if it takes more than one day to resolve them all then so be it. We've neglected out jobs as Neo Arcadia's Government long enough, it's time we do something about it."
Albrecht and Gaol looked at each other, then back at Blaise.
"What your proposing is a tall order." said Albrecht. "I highly doubt we'll be able to look at ALL of them and-"
"Stop that line of thought right now or so help me god Albrecht I was slap the taste out of your mouth just like I did with Master X." Blaise said, a hint of anger in her tone. Albrecht went speechless and Gaol looked dumbfounded. The protesters also looked shocked.
Faucon however, couldn't help but grin. "You slapped X?"
"Your damn right I did." Blaise said to Faucon. "And he deserved it."
The people in the crowd started to murmur and whisper among each other. Master X struck, but one of the Senators? It was making everyone gathered there wonder exactly whats been going on as of late.
"Now are you two going to help me or not? If not then leave." Blaise said.
"I'll help." said Gaol. "What do you need?"
"Take one of the Data Pads, and start taking statements, one per citizen, try to organize similar statements and complaints together on data pad to make sorting them easier later on. Once you got their statement send them home. When you max out a data Pad's memory, grab another, if we run out, go get some more, we're not leaving until we've heard everyone that's gathered here." She turned her head to her aide. "Go find Senator Glint and Senator Rime, tell them to come down here, is that understood?"
"Yes Senator." said the Aide. "Shall I get more Data pads?"
"Yes." said Blaise. "We'll need them."
"Of course, anything else?" the aide asked.
"Send some pantheons out here with more chairs." said Blaise.
Albrecht watched the aide run back into the tower, then looked back to Blaise. "What makes you think Glint of all people will help?" Albrecht asked.
"Because even someone like Glint can realize that this fighting is getting us nowhere." said Blaise. "Plus he wasn't happy with X going over his head and mobilizing the Army to attack Italica. He's an asshole and he's always spouting about wiping out Mavericks, but even he can't condone human casualties. So he'll help. I know he will."
Albrecht merely smiled. "I think your parents would be proud of you."
"Doubt it." said Blaise. "I got swept up in the glitz and glamour of Neo Arcadia the moment I moved here from the outside. I promised myself I'd make a difference and all I did was get side tracked by everyone and everything. This is the first time in my life I feel like I'm doing what I set out to do." she looked down at the floor and sighed. "Not much of a 'senator of the people' huh?"
"You aren't the only one." Albrecht said watching some Pantheon roll out chairs, Gaol taking one and sitting down as he started talking with people. "We all got swept up in X's crusade." he'd sit down, picking up a pad and started talking with a reploid in the crowd.
