Okay, so I wanted to get another chapter out of this story, but focusing on Lincoln and the others might make it too long. So what do I do?

Focus on other characters, of course! XD

For reference, we're gonna focus on Stella, Flip, and a returning Darcy. That's it.

So, without further ado, let's go!


Stella stood in front of Flip at the latter's office, the man glaring at her with disapproval all the while.

"So… you tried making new friends on your first day as a volunteer?"

Stella remained quiet, her glare frozen in her face.

"Listen, I was told about how you and your friends used to be Antagonists… and how you were born in the Badlands," Flip took a deep breath. "Believe me, I understand it must be shocking to see something like a Detention Center for the first time. But there are rules on how these things work-"

"Are those rules necessary?"

Flip paused as Stella continued:

"Keeping the inmates stuck in these cells most of their lives is one thing. But why do you need to starve them too?"

Flip chuckled. "Starve them? You really take the first impressions and run with them, don't you?"

Stella raised an eyebrow.

"We're not starving the inmates: just as the workers eat what they need to get their job done, so do the inmates. It's just that it takes a little longer for them to get it."

"But-"

"Listen, I know the Badlands are very lenient with Antagonists, given that the place is crawling with them, but things are different here in Royal Woods: You can't expect me to just start treating Antagonists like everybody else just because a mere volunteer has a problem with it."

Stella got ready to snap at the man, but she quickly calmed herself down and argued:

"Listen, I understand that you don't trust Antagonists: I'll admit that for every one or two Antagonists who are decent people who life gave a bad hand, there's probably a dozen or half a dozen who are pure scum, but-"

"But nothing. Things will stay the same, and you will keep your nose out of their business. Unless you'd like me to make a call to the Head of Demotion?"

Stella flinched and took a step back, before regaining her composure and sighing:

"No, I don't want that."

"Good. Now be on your best behavior, alright? The Head of Development will pay this center a visit, and the last thing I need is your underhanded sympathy for Antagonists get on her bad side!"

Stella nodded and stomped away, slamming the door shut just as Flip's phone began to ring.

"Hello?" He greeted after answering the call. "Oh, Head of Development! What a surprise! Do you need something?"


"No, I just wanted to let you know I'll be a little late," Shrinivas stated with a calm voice. "Something came up: I'll deal with it, and once I'm done, I'll head to your Detention Center, alright? There's a very important announcement to be declared."

The woman hung up, and continued what she was doing: dragging a body bag down some stairs in a familiar house.

Darcy's house.

Which apparently had a massive laboratory hooked to dozens of screens and machines. As a basement.

And speaking of Darcy and the laboratory, the girl herself sat on a chair, playing some games on her phone while her mother casually walked past her.

"You got another one?"

"Indeed I did, though I can't take the full credit," Shrinivas answered with a calm attitude that implied that this was normal. "The Head of Termination has been a big help in wiping out the corruption from within the system."

Darcy paused her game and looked at the woman. "You're still planning to get rid of her as well, aren't you?"

Shrinivas looked back at her daughter, then kept dragging the body bag until she threw it into some kind of machine.

"Is this really necessary?" Darcy asked next.

"Certain precautions and measurements have to be done if the system is to be overthrown," Shrinivas answered matter-of-factly. "For that, we're gonna need Harbinger. And for that, the Heads must be taken care of."

Darcy paused, taking a moment to ponder what to ask next.

"Which one did you get this time?"

"The Head of Detention," Shrinivas answered with a little smile. "That would make…. What, twelve, so far?"

Darcy looked elsewhere and began counting:

"Detention, Sexuality, Vigilantism, Metamorphosis, Stasis, Agreement-"

"So many positions, and all of them are completely arbitrary," Shrinivas lamented for a moment before flashing a smile. "Fortunately, we'll give these poor, lamentable souls a greater purpose."

Darcy narrowed her eyes. "You mean you'll give it to them."

Shrinivas paused, then walked to her daughter, folding her arms behind her back as she explained:

"Listen, Darcy, I understand you have a problem with the way I'm doing things. But everything I do, is done to ensure a better future for everyone: a future where they won't be forced into roles they don't want, or be subjugated because someone else said so."

Darcy remained quiet.

"And you'll also get to make friends that won't ditch you once they realize that, as an Outsider, they're not even supposed to talk to you. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Darcy kept quiet, but lowered her eyelids, looking visibly worried as she did.

Her mother accepted the silence as an answer and walked to a nearby control panel, pushing some buttons as she said:

"The arbitrary positions have been taken out. Now, we must target the next rank in the long game of wittering the core's defenses."

With the push of a button, the machine the body bag was sent to began vibrating, grinding noises being heard as Shrinivas turned back to Darcy and asked:

"Tell me, Darcy, do you remember what are the core positions of the Index System? The ones that, should even one fall without removing the rest, will send Royal Woods into utter chaos?"

Darcy refused to answer for a bit, but with her mother's unbroken expression facing her, she eventually said:

"Protagonism… Antagonism… Neutrality… Promotion… Demotion… Development"

"And?"

"... Designation."

Shrinivas slowly formed an unnerving smile.

"Good job."

Suddenly, several lights lit up behind Shrinivas, and the mother-daughter duo turned back to witness the lights opening like eyes, each slowly turning to stare at them with shock and confusion.

At this, Shrinivas gained a devious smile, while Darcy grew even more concerned.

"Darcy, I present to you… Harbinger."