"Are they doing anything?" Theo asked, her bionic eye checking to make sure the pile of random items placed on Damien's sleeping head was perfectly balanced.

Miserie stopped humming and lifted her head from his stomach. "Not yet. Standing CYCLOPS where they all can see was smart."

"It is unclear if that and Damien's presence will continue to ward them off." Raven finished writing another stack of papers and put it on Cap's desk. "The more citizens continue to leave this area, the higher the probability is that they will attack. You must remain in here until they take further action or Cassandra updates me on their situation."

Theo shrugged and looked for the next thing to balance as Miserie resumed humming. The mermaid had to lift Theo into the air as the pile approached the ceiling, and Theo was amazed how Raven's high speed movements didn't disturb the air at all. When the pile couldn't go any higher, she undertook the significantly harder task of widening it. Keeping it balanced at that point was a lost cause, and it inevitably fell directly onto Damien, who kept right on snoring as if nothing had happened.

A sudden burbling rooted Theo to the spot, and the sound just as suddenly stopped when Raven picked up. "Get ready to fight," was all Cap said before Extra fell asleep again and Raven vanished. Theo scrambled into NYMPH and exhaled all of the tension that had flashed through her. The battlesuit activated the moment her right hand entered its slot, flooding her biomechatronic brain with new sensory information. After running her customary pre-combat diagnostic test in a fraction of a second, she stood up straight and noticed something odd. "Aren't You Going To Do Anything?"

Miserie tilted her head to the side and frowned. "What can Miserie do to get ready? She sings and fights around Dusky. They have not started attacking yet, and she does not want to wait in the water by herself."

They both looked down at Damien. "Should We Wake Him Up?"

"She doesn't think so. He will know if everyone starts fighting. Theo should get in CYCLOPS, though. It is safest in there."

Theo nodded and scurried through the secret passageway beneath her bed. HEROINE was waiting for her in the main hall, and she used it to jump straight to the main deck and climb into CYCLOPS. She couldn't wait to see how everything she implemented since fighting the Harpys would function. She stared out at the city and saw the immediate area was completely devoid of citizens and bristling with soldiers. She rotated the SORTERIA shield to allow KAKODAIMONES to lock in place, then gave the rotary cannon a few experimental spins.

Although she registered Miserie moving behind her, she still jumped when the mermaid resumed talking right next to her head. "Miserie hates waiting for fighting to start. She prefers to do the attacking. Waiting is just stressful until it builds and builds into solid stress, and that is exhausting. That is why Miserie wants to wait with Theo. She knows she cannot pay as much attention compared to the enemy, but she thinks it is worth it."

Theo glanced through the walls and ceiling of the women's quarters to see Damien still fast asleep. "Are You Sure We Don't Need To Wake Him Up?"

"It would be unwise to do so in case he decides to turn any potential irritation towards us." Theo would never get over how flat Raven's voice was. It sounded exactly the same coming from speakers or her mouth. "He will wake up when he detects an enemy that will provide him at least some degree of amusement."

"And Miserie doesn't remember him telling her about fighting anything on the island, so he should be really looking forward to a fight."

As wary as Theo tried to be, she was glad that Miserie had decided to keep her company. That said, she also had a part of her brain dedicated to watch for any incoming attacks and was prepared when the soldiers opened fire. Miserie slid into the water, and Theo swiftly realized how grateful she had been for the mermaid's company. The soldiers' bullets rattled against SORTERIA like rain on a roof and were equally likely to punch through. Even when larger caliber bullets joined in, all Theo had to do was sit and wait.

After trying to pass the time by designing a potential weapon inside her head, she had had enough. Her three suits had been able to take on Damien, so it wouldn't be that unsafe to move forward. Plus, Raven and Damien were right nearby if she needed help. She leapt off Dusky and landed heavily on the road nearest the docks. She couldn't help but laugh as KAKODAIMONES started obliterating buildings around her and sent shrapnel spinning through the air. "ACHLYS Online."

Not unexpectedly, the close-combat soldiers immediately moved towards her, but the nerve gas emitted by her suit kept them from staying close for very long. She separated her shield and rotary cannon to more actively engage her enemies, since KAKODAIMONES' metal covering now sported vicious spikes designed to amplify the damage dealt when she hit people with it. The soldiers only realized the threat when the cannon whipped around and impaled several sword users.

A nearby sniper took aim at her suit's head, but their throat opened and blood misted through the air before she could react. She laughed aloud as she brought her shield around to block someone wielding a particularly large mace. Being shadowed by the deadliest Black Glove Pirate was one thing, but fighting alongside her was a completely different experience. Every time HEPHAISTOS pinpointed a potentially critical enemy, Raven was there dealing with them, which made her smile even more. Apparently, they had both been attentive students of Cap's combat training.

"Cover her ears!" Still fighting, Theo shut down all auditory input and watched as Miserie's scream sent the soldiers into disarray, her heart skipping a beat as Miserie's scream penetrated her not-soundproof armor ever so slightly. After several seconds, she activated audio again to hear panicked shouts that had nothing to do with being wounded. An alert notified her that KAKODAIMONES had nearly run through half its payload, and Theo pursed her lips. She had wanted to first show Cain the system she had modeled after him, but there was no sense in not using it in combat.

"SISYPHOS Online." She rotated her shield horizontally and knelt, sinking the edge into the street. She released the shield from her left arm and tore a handful of asphalt from the street. The chunk was moved up and into her arm, where it was compacted as tightly as possible before being loaded on a track on her forearm. She took aim at a nearby soldier and fired. PShe peeringed through the dust that had been the building behind them, sheand saw with some satisfaction that the projectile had managed to retain its shape to a reasonable degree after pulverizing the man's body.

As she continued to use her new weapon, part of her mind stopped focusing on combat and devoted fully to analyzing it. Still, she could parallel process better than almost anyone alive, and she continued to fight with everything she had. Most of the soldiers had retreated, but one was running towards her instead. The compacted projectile shot at an advancing horseman was swept aside by their lance and demolished a nearby storefront. She switched back to KAKODAIMONES, but what bullets weren't deflected merely ricocheted off of the rider's and horse's thick armor.

She laughed as she turned fully towards them. "I Guess You Could Call That A Battlesuit From 1,000 Years Ago. Let Me Show You What Modern Technology Can Do!"

She reattached SORTERIA to her arm and charged towards the horseman, who leveled their lance at her. She swung her right arm downwards, but the large horse was more agile than she had expected. As the tip of the lance bounced off her suit's head, it braced against the ground and leapt over her head. She automatically jerked her left arm back and hit its side with her shield, sending it crashing through a building.

She was caught entirely off guard when the rider dropped onto her and rammed their lance into her battlesuit's head, penetrating it slightly. She swatted at them, but they jumped over KAKODAIMONES, twisting as its spikes barely grazed their armor. They grabbed one of the several lances on their back and threw it with enough power to stick through one of the battlesuit's 'eyes,' not knowing that the eyes were only there to draw the enemy's attention instead of providing visual information.

They neatly flipped over SORTERIA's rim as she pulled the shield against her body, and skidded along the ground, another lance already in their hand. Theo took one step forward, but staggered when something hit her leg from behind. She turned to see the rider's horse galloping to prepare for another charge, but had to turn back as the lancer attacked again. Sparks skittered across their armor as Raven tried to get through, but they ignored her. "I cannot currently get through either set of armor, but it is not safe to leave CYCLOPS. You will likely need to stall until the others arrive or Damien wakes up."

"I Know. BIA Activated." She surged forward with such speed that the rider was caught completely by surprise, and they both crashed through another storefront. She was beginning to realize why Damien liked wreaking havoc without actually fighting anything; she felt awesome every time an enormous structure crumbled to the ground. Everyone had evacuated, so she didn't have to worry about hurting innocent bystanders, and the building could be rebuilt in a matter of weeks. Plus, she was a pirate. She was supposed to be a little destructive.

The rider rose through the dust, grabbed one of the lances in her suit's head, and pulled her backwards. She went with the motion and rolled, spraying the rider with bullets. She detached her shield again and hurled it at the horse galloping towards her, knocking it head over hooves. Kicking off, she caught the lancer by surprise and avoided his thrust. She brought KAKODAIMONES down, but the rider managed to get out of the way. She used her left arm to grab rubble, compact it, and send it flying at them with SISYPHOS, but the rider managed to pierce each chunk and let the fragments scatter across their armor.

"Do You Really Want To Keep Going?" she asked, dodging another thrown spear. "It Should Be Obvious By Now That You Can't Get Through My Armor. Just Give Up Already!"

The horseman's response was to charge directly at her again. She sighed and ran forward as well, her rotary spinning in preparation. Before they reached her, she extended her right arm and let loose. Relief swept through her as she saw the bullets leaving deep dents as they ricocheted off the rider's armor. The rider swatted her arm out of the way and drove their spear directly beneath the suit's jaw. Theo quickly captured them in a bear hug and squeezed as hard as she could.

She was pretty sure the soldier was going to die when her vision was filled with clattering hooves. As much as she tried, she couldn't help but start slightly, and that was all the opening the rider needed. They used a spear to leverage enough room for them to squeeze out as the horse landed on the ground. She reached out to grab the soldier, but the horse headbutted her hand off course. Although she gnashed her teeth and strained her suit to its very limit, the horse danced out of her reach and nickered tauntingly at her.

"HELP! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! I'M GONNA FALL!" Theo and her opponent turned towards the sound in confusion. A very familiar girl was hanging off of a building several blocks away, her legs dangling over the street. The rider focused on the girl, which meant they completely didn't react in time to the military vehicle that drifted around the corner, ramped off a pile of rubble, and smashed into their back.

As the vehicle skidded to a stop, Theo couldn't believe her sensors. "What…? Why…?"

"We weren't gonna let you have all the fun!" Abcde slurred from atop the roof, shaking her can of booze at Theo. "No way, wahey! Baabababla!"

Jabu saluted her from behind the wheel, and Katie Leary hung out the passenger side waving the firebomb in her hand. The taggers who went by So1o and SpWai had their respirators on and spray cans ready, and Hotoke sat between them in the back seat with her arms and legs crossed. "It wasn't hard to put the pieces together," she said, grinning widely. "You didn't even hide your face."

Theo pushed the vehicle to the side, and the thrown spears missed them by mere centimeters. KAKODAMONES spun into action once more, bullets shredding the street and sending shrapnel into the rider's face. Jabu fishtailed for a moment before speeding forwards. Gianna evidently had a great sense of timing, as she let go and dropped right through the ceiling hatch without touching the sides. Katie threw her firebomb to deter the oncoming horse, forcing it to veer away from them.

Today was proving to be quite the learning experience, as Theo realized what it was really like to protect significantly more defenseless allies. While she was functionally invincible against the horseman and their mount, her friends' survival relied almost entirely on Jabu's evasive skills. Her heart nearly stopped when a lance pierced the windshield and almost impaled Hotoke. If it hadn't been a fortified military vehicle, Hotoke would be…

She gritted her teeth. "Focus On The Horse! I'll Get This Guy! Doc, If You're Here, Please Help Them!"

The soldier turned towards her when she shouted, but her friends didn't listen to her. Katie's firebomb detonated against the rider's helmet, and when they turned to face the children, So1o and SpWai sprayed paint through their visor. Theo backhanded the soldier away, then noticed Gianna had replaced Abcde on the roof of the vehicle. She turned to see Abcde standing in the horse's path, only some of the drink in the upended can pressed to her lips dribbling down her face.

She took a step forward, only to stop as Gianna waved her arms. "Don't worry about it! She'll be fine."

Abcde crushed the can against her head and wiped her mouth. Right as the horse was upon her, she wove beneath the shod hooves and landed an uppercut that lifted the horse off the ground. Her other hand grabbed the horse's tail before it got too far, and she swung herself above it so she could axe kick the animal straight back down. The impressiveness of her landing was somewhat diminished when her foot slipped on rubble and she tumbled along the street.

Her worry assuaged, Theo sent another volley at the rider to slow them down. She sprinted through buildings over to her shield, affixed it to her arm, then dashed over to her target. Her flurry of melee attacks actually connected, showing the effectiveness of the taggers' spray paint. Another firebomb landed as Jabu drove by, and the reflexive flinch was all the time Theo needed. She embedded the rider in the street with the covering of her rotary cannon, then drove SORTERIA edge-first into their stomach.

"Back Off!" she shouted. "You Can't Become Killers!"

She emptied KAKODAIMONES' remaining payload into the soldier's head, then switched hands to keep SORTERIA held in place while SISYPHOS launched shot after shot until they stopped twitching. Keeping another one of Cap's lessons in mind, she made sure the rider was absolutely dead by reaching down and crushing their head in her hand. The last thing she wanted was the rider somehow standing up in one final act and hurting someone.

Abcde was still grappling with the horse as the vehicle and battlesuit approached her. "Stop For A Sec."

When the girl didn't stop, Theo knocked the horse aside and was mildly surprised when Abcde started attacking her arm. She pushed Abcde over and trapped her beneath her shield, reasoning that Abcde couldn't possibly lift it. After waiting to make sure she was right, she faced the horse and lifted the mangled corpse of its rider. "I'll Give You One Chance To Leave."

The horse eyed her and the body for a moment, then turned and galloped into the distance. Relaxing, Theo deactivated BIA's overclocking and knelt by her friends. "What Are You Guys Doing Here?"

"Did you really think we'd let you walk away when we found out who you are?" Hotoke asked with a wide grin.

Theo frowned. "What Do You Want To Do To Me?"

Hotoke led the other children in a round of laughter. "To you? Gods no. This is so cool! We actually know someone wanted around the world for tens of millions of beli! How awesome is that? How did you become part of the crew? How bad are your crewmembers, really? Are they-"

The sound of galloping grew louder from the direction the horse had gone, and it was obvious it was coming from more than one set of hooves. They looked down the wide boulevard to see an entire squadron of soldiers riding towards them, each identical to the one they had just fought.

"Oh fuck," Gianna said, summarizing all of their thoughts. Theo checked her suit's temperature levels, and while BIA still had some time left before reaching its limit, there was no way it would last long enough to fight or escape all of them. Her ACHLYS nerve gas reserves might delay them for a bit, but with KAKODAIMONES out of ammunition, she would only be able to rely on SISYPHOS and its terrible rate of fire. She couldn't change loadouts at the ship because that would leave her friends on their own.

Right as she decided to bring them all with her, something careened past her at a terrifying speed. Her brain had scarcely begun to process what happened when the air darkened, followed by an enormous explosion. Cold relief flooded her body as she put together the facts. "Thank The Gods, He Finally Woke Up."

"That's the Untamed Infernal?" Hotoke asked, her eyes wide.

"Everything's Gonna Be Fine," Theo assured them. "There's No Way They Can Handle Him."

Movement out of the corner of her sensors prompted her to turn, and she saw with some amazement that Miserie was propelling herself from building to ruined building. The mermaid landed perfectly on her back and wrapped her arms around the suit's neck. "Damien is just bored right now. Miserie hopes he will get interested, because he might decide to fight Theo if he is not. She might want to leave CYCLOPS just in case." She paused. "Who are they?"

"Miserie, These Are My Friends. Everyone, This Is Miserie. Don't Look At Her; She'll Hurt You If You Stare. Even If She Doesn't, Doc Will."

Raven's voice forwent the outer speakers and was transmitted directly into her head. "Miserie's worry is not unfounded. As you are no longer needed on the battlefield, return to Dusk Pandion and exit CYCLOPS."

Her own voice only went to Pupil. "What about my friends?"

"They do not matter. However," she said as Theo was about to protest, "they have shown the ability to handle themselves and do not appear hostile to the crew. Bearing in mind the desire to keep your friends alive, you may take them into the workshop and seal yourselves in. Leave CYCLOPS in the main hall and take NYMPH and HEROINE with you."

Theo nodded and switched back to her external speakers. "Okay Guys, Ditch The Car And Climb On. Doc Says We Should Go Back And Hide In Dusky."

The children clambered onto her, and she set off as carefully as she could. The walk back took a while, especially because she couldn't use the boosters on her suit without possibly hurting her passengers. Everyone remained silent, save for Abcde's drunken babbling, and Miserie slipped into the water when they went down the dock. Theo set them down on the main deck and directed them to the stairs leading below. Following Raven's instructions, she left CYCLOPS in its place and led her friends to her workshop.

"Honestly, why can't you be a quiet drunk?" Spwai asked as Abcde jumped onto a counter, slipped, and crashed to the floor.

"She hasn't had enough yet," Hotoke said, watching Theo emerge from her suits. "Any chance you could get more booze?"

Theo hesitated. As much as she liked her friends, the idea of leaving them alone in her workshop for any length of time almost sent her into a panic. A brief survey revealed no Baby Den-Den Mushi nearby, so she had to go back to NYMPH. "Hey, Miserie, Can You Bring Something Alcoholic To Drink? Please?"

There was a brief pause. "Miserie knows Theo knows that she shouldn't drink."

"It's Not For Me; It's For Abcde."

"Oh, okay! Miserie will be right there."

"What's with her?" Gianna asked as Theo came back out.

"The short answer is she didn't see the outside world for over twenty years."

"What's the long answer?"

"It's long."

Hotoke raised an eyebrow. "Do we have somewhere to be?"

They all listened spellbound as Theo talked. Without having to pretend any more, there were countless topics available for conversation. She quickly learned another lesson as she tried not to reveal any information she knew Cap considered too important, often resorting to making things up that were close enough to the truth. The bottles left outside the workshop quieted Abcde down enough to not grate on everyone's nerves. She was also happy to show them around her workshop provided they didn't touch a single thing. Most of all, she didn't have to hide her cyborg parts, using her Jolly Roger eyepatch to cover her organic eye while her hand scuttled around.

They all braced against the floor when the ship rocked violently, but Theo relaxed when sound was broadcasted through her suit. "Did Damien have fun?"

"Ah, they were tough, but fuckin' one-note, no Devil Fruit or some even slightly weird shit. The fuck are all the interestin' ones?"

"Alexander said they intentionally didn't send anyone interesting because they know Damien would fight them without waiting."

"Well, fuck the lot of 'em. Did Girlie eat shit?"

Theo scrambled over to NYMPH. "I'm here! Doc said it'd be best if my friends and I stayed down here."

"Yahahahar! Friends, ah? Ain' nobody near 'ere, but come out at yer own peril! Blackie won't be 'appy!"

"Miserie wouldn't listen to him. Theo should come out. They cannot be having fun stuck in there."

The long wait between the next communication was most likely Raven weighing in. "They're fuckin' twerps! The fuck are they gonna do? Keep a fuckin' eye on 'em if you're so scared. Might even make ya think about tube tyin'!"

"Tube tying?" Miserie asked. Theo and her friends crammed around NYMPH in an effort to hear Raven's explanation. "Oh. But Doctor doesn't like anyone, including children."

Theo abruptly realized some important information needed to be disseminated. She ran over to a monitor and plugged herself in. "Okay, this is the FAQ for dealing with Damien," she explained as text appeared on the screen. "The first warning is the most important: do not under any circumstances talk about the Marines near him. Most of the rest isn't relevant to you, except the part about pretending not to be afraid and the one about not being offended by what he says."

"What's this about feeling warm around him in a way that doesn't mean attraction?" So1o asked.

"His usual body temperature is really high. That's all."

Jabu squinted. "He doesn't care about anybody?"

"That's more about expecting him to be all proper and things."

"Why do you have an FAQ on your own crewmember?" came from Gianna.

Surprisingly, someone beat Theo to it. "He's completely insane," Hotoke said. "Nobody knows why he follows his captain despite scorning authority or why his captain, reportedly so self-aggrandizing that she looks down on heads of state despite being a rookie, keeps him around no matter how many times he tries to kill her."

All heads turned to Theo. "Okay, all of that is technically true, but it's so much more than that." She frowned. "...which should probably be the second part of the FAQ. The extremely short and overly simplified answer is that he's Cap's kind of friend."

Jabu shrugged. "Makes sense to me," he said, the others nodding in agreement.

Theo blinked several times. She had not been prepared for how readily they accepted her explanation. Then again, considering the special classroom that brought them together and the identity they shared as juvenile criminals, they had probably learned much earlier and more easily than everyday people that weird stuff sometimes just happens and getting all caught up in demystifying it was a waste of time, brainpower, and emotional investment.

The children jumped as someone slammed their fist on the reinforced door a few times, but Theo found herself filled with unexpected excitement. She was going to get to show off both sets of friends to each other at the same time!