His arm was slung across the back of the couch, his right foot was planted on the coffee table, and a bottle of beer was in his right hand. The Neurosurgeon had not only broken into Miko's house, but he had the audacity to make himself at home. All that, coupled with the smug grin on his face as he knocked back the small amount of liquid remaining in the bottle, sent Miko into a raging fury as she activated her hammer and swung it at the glitch's head with a furious scream. He rolled his eyes and leaned back, allowing the hammer to make contact with the body of the bottle. Small shards of brown glass and drops of beer scattered across the room as Miko's momentum resulted in the hammer lodging itself in the wall with a loud crunch. The glitch tossed what remained of the bottle onto the coffee table and chuckled, "Geez, what is it with you Hinobi techs and property damage? I hope you've got the resources to pay for that!" Five said nothing as he activated his reset ray while Miko pulled the hammer out of the wall; he stared the Neurosurgeon down as he aimed his gauntlet at the hole and proceeded to repair the damage. The glitch's eyebrow rose in fascination as the wall became whole once again, and once he was done, Five moved his hand towards the intruder and prepared to fire.
"All right. I don't have time for this." The glitch leapt over the couch, grabbed Five by the bicep, and slid his gauntlet off with his free hand in one smooth motion. He placed the device on top of the nearby bookshelf before turning to Miko and demanding, "You too, Kubota. Your gauntlet, please."
She grit her teeth in rage and spat, "Go to hell." That defiant reply resulted in her being pinned to the wall as the Neurosurgeon drove his free arm into her chest and sent the hammer crashing to the floor. He let go of Five before turning to him and ordering, "Take her gauntlet off, Hector." His response was to rear back and attempt to throw a punch, but just like before, the glitch saw it coming and caught his fist in his hand. Once Five was in his grasp, he began to squeeze, which led to a loud, pained scream. "I'm not gonna ask you again, Nieves," the glitch warned. "Take Miko's gauntlet off or I'll break your hand!"
"O... OKAY! OKAY!" Five's face contorted in pain as the glitch grinned in satisfaction. "That's more like it," he said as he released the boy from his grip. "Now then..." He gestured to Miko's gauntlet, ignoring the frantic shaking of her head as he kept his eyes on Five. With no other choice, he approached Miko and slid the gauntlet off her wrist. The hammer vanished into the ether as the Neurosurgeon released Miko from his grip, placing her device on the bookshelf next to Five's. "All right," he said as he clapped his hands together. "Now that that's over, we can begin."
Five stared daggers through the glitch as he spat, "Begin what?"
"The next phase. That is to say... the final phase." He turned the TV off before continuing with a satisfied, "I gotta say, I was looking forward to seeing how you two would handle my little pre-test... and you didn't disappoint. Putting your lives on the line to save your friends - I mean, that's dedication. Admirable, even."
"Shut up," Miko demanded. "Why are you here? What do you want?"
"Well, to answer that question, I require a visual aid. So..." The glitch retreated to the hall as Miko and Five followed him, but when he opened the closet door and revealed the visual aid, they froze. He pulled out a small figure covered in a blanket and set it on the floor next to him - the size and vague shape of the object sent Miko's heart rate through the roof, and when he pulled the blanket off, it was all she could do not to collapse into panic.
The visual aid was her little sister Lexi - bound, gagged and at the Neurosurgeon's mercy. "She walked in the door just after I got here," the glitch explained. "Once I put two and two together, I figured a bargaining chip would be just the thing to get you to listen, so... here we are!" His words and Lexi's predicament sent Miko over the edge as she made a beeline for her sister, but the glitch stepped forward and delivered a jab to her chest that stopped her in her tracks. Lexi let out a muffled scream as Miko fell to her knees; Five was at her side in a blink as the glitch warned, "Try that again and little Lexi dies. Understand?" He pulled his shirt up and gestured to the gun tucked in his pants, adding credence to his threat as Miko clenched her teeth in anger.
"You motherf..." Five shook with rage as he helped Miko to her feet. She let out a pair of coughs as she caught her breath, but when she saw the fear in her sister's eyes, it was all Miko could do to keep from breaking down as she said, "Lexi... Lexi, look at me! It's gonna be okay! You're gonna be okay!"
"How okay remains to be seen," the glitch added with a sick grin. "Shall I begin, or do you have another half-assed attempt to stop me?" Dead silence was the answer he received, and he broke it with a snide, "Looks like I'll begin." A quick upward glance from his hostage revealed that his attention was focused on Miko and Five, which gave Lexi an opening to look for something to cut her bonds. The duct tape binding her wrists and upper body restricted her movement to her pockets, so that's where she checked. When she stuck her fingers into the right rear pocket of her pants, a jagged metallic edge scraped against her middle finger and made her heart pound in relief. My house key, she thought. Perfect! But it's a bit too far for me to reach. Maybe a quick jolt could make it easier to grab...
Lexi smiled beneath her gag and put her plan into motion by falling onto her butt. The move looked for all the world like her taped ankles and thighs had thrown her off balance, but in reality, the impact had moved the key just enough for her to get a decent grip with her middle and index fingers. When he heard the thud, the glitch turned around and helped her to her feet, never noticing the key hidden in Lexi's hand. Once she was upright, she moved the ridges of the key between the knuckles of her right hand and began to drag them along the tape binding her wrists. The Neurosurgeon was none the wiser as he pulled Lexi closer to him and began to speak.
"You know... that little conversation we had near Five's grandparents' place has been turning over in my head nonstop. A strong villain does need a strong hero, and after what you just did, now I know that you and Mitch are more than capable of stopping me. But... there's just one small caveat." Miko's fists clenched and unclenched as she spat, "What's that?"
"I've kinda grown fond of all this," the glitch replied with a smile as he spread his arms wide open. "There's so much more to do, so much more to see, and so much more to explore in this world... and I wanna see it all." Five tried his best to remain calm as he demanded, "Why? So you can screw with innocent people and cause as much mayhem as possible?"
"That's part of it," the glitch replied with an amused shrug. "Hell, I'd even say that's most of it. The only thing standing in my way, however... is Hinobi. And that's something I'm gonna need to deal with... starting right here in Bailley." The whole time he spoke, he was unaware of the progress Lexi had made in her attempt to free herself - the repeated dragging of the key along the duct tape had begun to fray the adhesive, and there was a little more give in her bonds. There wasn't enough give to break free, however, so her efforts continued in earnest as the Neurosurgeon continued to speak.
"I've come to a conclusion, and it's one that I know you won't agree with, but... the hell with it." The glitch leaned forward and made his point crystal clear as he declared, "I don't want to be captured. I do not wish to return to an endless cycle of repetition and the same damned cityscape, the same cluster of buildings and streets and alleys and landmarks over and over and over again. I'm staying right here."
"That's not your decision to make," Five countered with an angry glare. "You're still a glitch, and even if we can't stop you, there's plenty of techs who can."
"And they will," Miko added as she held Five's hand. "There's Hinobi stores all over the world. If you think you'll be safe, that no one will find out who you really are... then you're delusional. All it takes is one slip-up, and you'll be public enemy number one wherever you go." The cocky grin faded from the Neurosurgeon's face as he shook his head, replying with a subdued, "I thought you'd say that... but you forget what I'm capable of."
The glitch took off his backpack and pulled out a pipe bomb. Lexi shrunk away as far as she could while Five stepped in front of Miko to shield her from the possible explosion as the Neurosurgeon twirled the bomb in his hand. "So Hinobi's got techs worldwide, huh? I guess I'll have to pay them all a visit. Here's what I'm thinking: after I'm done here in Bailley, I'll set up shop in Dabney. And after I'm done there, I'll head to Sacramento, and once their store is a smoking hole in the ground, I'll just follow I-5 and go from there. I figure it'll take me about... oh... three to four weeks to cover the entire coast before I start heading inland. State by state, city by city, store by store... they'll all get to know me." He tossed the pipe bomb into his left hand and pointed it at Miko. "One..."
Five stared a hole through the glitch as he pointed the bomb at him next. "By..."
When the Neurosurgeon looked down at his hostage, the sight of her attempt to break free led him to cluck his tongue and shake his head in amusement. He put the pipe bomb in his belt before he grabbed Lexi's wrists with his right hand. She let out a muffled yelp as the glitch added his left hand to the equation - she struggled against his grip as best she could, but his strength won out as he forced her hands open, grabbed the key, and thwarted her chance at freedom. "One." He gave her a condescending smile and patted her on the head as he pocketed the key, adding, "Nice try." Tears of anger and frustration pooled in Lexi's eyes, and she blinked them away before they fell. Miko, on the other hand, remained defiant as she stated, "Hinobi's gonna know when those stores go offline. Any surviving techs are gonna be looking for you."
"And they're gonna be pissed," Five added. "I don't think you thought this plan through, buddy."
"Oh... I beg to differ." The glitch wrapped his arm around Lexi and pulled her close, then proceeded to taunt Miko further by cupping his hand beneath her chin and stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I find that my greatest accomplishments have happened when somebody's trying to catch me. Hell, that's going on right now between the four of us, and I gotta tell you: I'm having a goddamn blast." He pulled the pipe bomb out of his belt with his free hand and pointed it at Miko and Five, adding, "In more ways than one! And if you want your sister back in one piece..." He pushed Lexi to the floor and placed his foot on her back, pinning her down as he reached into his rear pocket and pulled out a cigarette lighter. One flick later, a flame danced near the fuse as the Neurosurgeon slowly brought the two closer together. "All you have to do is step aside and let me walk out the door." Miko looked over at Five before they both turned their attention to the glitch and Lexi. Five gestured towards the duo with a slight shift of his head before narrowing his eyes and putting his hands on Miko's shoulders. She echoed the gesture as they leaned forward until their foreheads touched; the Neurosurgeon rolled his eyes in irritation and demanded, "Stop stalling! Make up your minds or I'll do it for you!"
"All right! All right!" Five threw up his hands and moved back against the nearest wall as Miko did the same. "You win! Now get outta here!" The glitch let out a satisfied, victorious chuckle as he took his thumb off the lighter and stuck the pipe bomb back in his belt. "I thought you'd never ask," he declared as he took his foot off of Lexi and began to walk towards the door. Miko and Five stared him down as he passed them by, never stopping as he gloated, "This is gonna be the last time we see each other. If you or Mitch get in my - GAH!"
His self-congratulatory speech crashed to a halt as a hard, sudden jerk from behind snapped his head back and caused him to lose his balance. He landed on the floor face first with a shocked grunt, and before he could react, his head was raised against its own volition and slammed into the floor as hard as possible. Then it happened again, and again, and again as Five applied extra force with his ponytail-free right hand. Once the Neurosurgeon was on the floor, Miko sprung into action and scooped Lexi off the ground, carrying her to the living room and sitting her on the couch. She pulled the tape from her sister's mouth and threw it on the floor as she exclaimed, "Oh my God... Lexi, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," she insisted. "Th-thanks for saving me." Miko wrapped her arms around Lexi and gave her a relieved hug, letting her tears fall without restraint. "I... I'm so sorry," Miko sobbed. "I never... wanted you to get-"
"You don't have to apologize," Lexi insisted with a smile. "And you don't need to worry about me - I'm fine. Grab your gauntlets and make that glitch pay!" Her declaration lit a fire in Miko's soul, a fire that made her tears stop and her adrenaline flow. With her eyes wide and her heart pounding, Miko grabbed Lexi's wrists and pulled apart the tape binding them, freeing her hands and giving her a kiss on the forehead before she ran to the bookshelf. Back in the hallway, Five had driven the Neurosurgeon's head into the floor five times and was prepared to do it a sixth, but the glitch fought back by pushing up, shifting his weight to the left and launching himself into the wall, back first. That maneuver broke Five's grip and left him defenseless; the glitch needed nothing more as he grabbed Five by the neck and pinned him against the wall. Five brought his hands up to the glitch's and tried to pry it loose, but his grip was too strong. And to make matters worse, his free hand now wielded the gun, and it was aimed at Five's head.
"I hope you had a chance to say goodbye to your friends and family, Hector," the glitch declared. "Because the next time they see you... is gonna be at your funeral!" Five shut his eyes as he felt the barrel press against his forehead, gritting his teeth as flashes of his dad, grandparents, and friends ran through his mind, but his thoughts crashed to a halt when the familiar sound of a Hinobi gauntlet firing rang out twice in quick succession. The next thing he heard was the Neurosurgeon screaming, and then the glitch's hand disappeared from his throat as he landed on his feet. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the blocky plixel remains of the glitch's arms from the elbow down laying on the floor, while the glitch himself stared at the pair of stumps in abject shock and horror. Miko lowered her gauntlet as she wielded Five's in her hand and exclaimed, "Hey, Five! Catch!"
She tossed over his gauntlet, and it was back on his wrist within seconds. As soon as the device was ready, Five's face contorted in rage and he let out a cathartic scream as he and Miko rained fire upon the Neurosurgeon. The shots pockmarked his body and plixels began to litter the hallway as the glitch's body began to fall apart, slowly exposing the green energy within. Panic began to set in as he tried to brute force his way past Miko, but one shot to the back of his left knee disintegrated the joint and sent him crashing to the floor - the bottom half of his leg stayed erect before falling over and breaking into flesh-colored plixels. As he crawled towards a nearby electrical outlet, Five exclaimed, "You still having a goddamn blast, maldito idiota?! I don't hear you laughing anymore!"
Miko kicked the glitch in the face as she yelled, "Now you know how it feels to be helpless!" She kicked him again and added, "Now you know how it feels to be seconds from death!" She added one more kick for good measure before screaming, "Now you're the one who's gonna beg for your life! SAY GOODBYE!" Miko and Five cranked their gauntlets to maximum power and took aim, but the Neurosurgeon swept them off their feet with his right leg and sent them crashing to the floor. He let out a laugh that turned into a furious scream as he turned into the familiar green ball of energy and prepared to leap into the electrical outlet. Before he did, however, he left one last threat in his wake.
"NOW YOU'VE PISSED ME OFF! YOU'D BETTER ENJOY THIS, BECAUSE NEXT TIME THERE WON'T BE A NEXT TIME! FARE THEE WELL!"
By the time Miko and Five regained their bearings, the glitch had vanished into the outlet and left a trail of fragmented plixels in his wake. Not knowing what else to do, they vacuumed them up with their gauntlets before activating their reset rays and repairing the damage to the floor and walls. When they were done, the pair headed to the living room and found Lexi removing the tape binding her ankles. She had managed to wriggle some of the tape on her upper body loose enough to regain the use of her arms, and she was more or less free by the time Miko and Five entered the room. When Lexi turned to face them, Miko burst into tears and ran over, scooping her into a huge hug that Five joined soon after. The remaining tape around her upper arms was loose enough to peel off and toss aside, and Five did just that before he made the hug a group affair. Miko shook with relieved sobs as she clung to Lexi with all her might, whispering, "I love you, Lexi. I l-love you with... all my heart."
Lexi smiled as her own tears of relief began to fall, and she whispered back, "I love you too, Miko. Thanks for..." She trailed off before she could finish, shutting her eyes and burying her face in her older sister's chest. Five squeezed them a little tighter as the trio stood unmoving in the living room - shaken, but safe. Comfort was the only thing that mattered to them right now.
As far as they were concerned, the Neurosurgeon could wait.