Blasto's question about the brain thing was answered rather quickly. See, the Simurgh, or Morrigan as she'll be going by, kidnapped two tinkers to use both their specialties.

And the other guy here? A cool older dude named Richard Erickson. His specialty is putting his brain in a jar. Okay, jokes in my internal monologue aside, the man's specialty seems to be focused around making artificial brains to put in robot bodies that he can control remotely from his main hub brain.

And so, he had just been about to surgically remove his own brain when the Simurgh crashed through the roof of his lab. How do I know all this? He told me and Blasto during poker. Why was I playing poker with these two while the Simurgh watched us with a blank expression? Cuz our ride hadn't shown up yet.

Turns out we're in a warehouse lab she had built in some small town in-between Boston and Brockton Bay. And so with that information, I was able to tell Shane where we were and that we were kidnapped. Obviously, I didn't tell him the exact details over the phone, that'd just be stupid. So, while we waited and to prevent further panicking, I found a deck of cards and egged these two into playing poker. I also somehow bullied the Simurgh into being the dealer. That has to be an achievement I can put on my resume.

"Raise." I push in some of the puzzle pieces we are using as chips. I had bought the puzzle at a nearby convenience store for seven bucks. It's a puzzle of Legend's face because Simmy glared at me when I tried buying the one with Eidolon's face. I honestly have no idea what the fuck is going on there, but I kinda get it.

Even in canon Worm, the Simurgh had a weird connection with the man past the whole 'Worthy Opponents" thing. Some believe she actually viewed him as her father. Which, he kind of is.

"No fucking way you have that good a hand again. No, that's bullshit. Two games in a row is already pushing it, three there ain't no fucking way." Richard, or Dick as I've been calling him, wipes his brow with his sleeve. I just give him a cheery grin. "You little shit! Fuck!" Dick exclaims, slapping his knee. "Fold. God damnit."

"Fuck man, yeah I'm out on this one, I already wasn't confident in this hand." Rey shakes his head and puts his cards down. "Fold."

"Well boys, thanks for a mostly full puzzle." I snicker as I sweep the pieces to my side of the dingy little table we found pushed into some far-off corner of the lab.

"That's still bullshit. What did you have? Royal flush? Four of a kind?" Dick asks. "All I had was a straight." He flips his cards over on the table.

"Rey, what did you have first? Before I reveal the winning hand?" He just sighs at my question. But flips his cards, a full house. Who the fuck folds with a full house? Rey, buddy, are you okay?

"Well then boys, read 'em and weep." I flip my cards, basking in the momentary silence at the reveal.

"Oh, that's fucking bullshit." Rey is the first to talk, Dick's already gotten out of his seat and walked a bit further into the lab.

"Give me a second, guys, I need a breath of fresh air." He calls over to us.

"Fair."

"Fuck you, Rory."

"Also fair." I nod. Rey is just palming his face with both hands now. For you see, all I had was a single pair. A pair of 4's.

"Confusion. Query." Her voice startles me as I had forgotten she was sitting right next to me.

"People words, Morri. Use people words."

"This one is designated Morrigan, not Morri." She states matter of factly.

"It's a nickname, shortening your designation to a fraction of the size. Now what was your question?" I think that's a good way to explain it. I don't fucking speak shardbot I'm trying my best okay?

'Why did Roar Ree achieve victory, when by all accounts he should not have?" No comment on the nickname thing, she either disregarded it or accepted it. I find it funny she's curious about this then I remember she's literally built to be curious about absolutely everything.

"I'm giving up on understanding the logic in talking with a Simurgh clone." Rey murmurs and I think I barely see Simmy twitch.

"I bluffed good. Rey said earlier he didn't have confidence in his hand. I just acted like I had all the confidence in mine. Like winning wasn't an option, it was inevitable." I shrug as I answer her question. "Confidence is key. In most situations that rule applies."

"Confidence is key?" She repeats.

"Confidence is key." I nod in agreement. Rey is just giving me a blank look. "You're just salty cus you lost."

"I couldn't care less. I'm just thinking if it's a wise idea letting you be around a Simurgh clone if this is what you'll be teaching her."

"I'm full of wisdom."

"Negative. Designation Roar Ree is made of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium." She doesn't even blink at the looks me and Rey are giving her. "Those are the elements needed to create a fully capable human body."

"Science time with Morri." I nod again.

"Science. Study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation."

"Bunch of black trucks here!" Dick's shout echoes from outside.

"And that's our ride." I nod for the third time.

"I honestly thought you just called a cab for us. Are you actually an Elite bigshot?" Rey asks blinking his eyes.

"I find lying is cringe, so no reason to." I shrug and stand up, the cheap plastic chair falls over when I do. "Come on then. I'm sure you wanna get back to Boston yeah? And think about what we talked about man."

"Yeah, yeah I will I guess. I'd still rather do my own thing." He shakes his head as we start walking out.

"The power of money will win you over eventually."

"I'm more keen on joining just to make sure you don't get offed by the clone."

"Negative. Agreement made with Roar Ree-"

"You don't need to worry about that." I interrupt the mini world-ending angel.

"Just… Be cautious man, we don't know what changes she could have made." He gives said she a nervous glance, not realizing that this isn't a clone. Something I will go out of my way to hide. People don't need to know that the Simurgh is running around in the body of a young woman.

"I'll be fine." I give Rey a pat on the back, stepping outside of the warehouse I see a few black SUVs and Shane talking to Richard. "Shaneeeeee, how you doing buddy?" I spread my arms out and walk over with a grin.

"I can't leave you alone for five minutes, can I? I would have thought one of your minders, or bodyguard would be with you, Rory. The bodyguard I had to tell to go home because she was panicking so much." The man gives me a disappointed dad look. It's effective but not super effective.

"Glad she wasn't there. She would have died." Very likely considering Simmy here wouldn't care about Sherry. Not a thought I enjoy having. "You met Dick then?"

"Yeah, he's heading back with us." Shane nods.

"You offered me a job, I said sure." The man shrugs.

"You laughed at me."

"Well, now I said sure after seeing you weren't bullshitting." He gives me a smug smirk and crosses his arms over his gut.

"Whatever, Shane this is Rey, and this is Morrigan." I introduce the pair with me.

"That's her? Richard here said Simurgh human clone and I think I'm still in shock." The man sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Uh, let's not tell many people about that kay guys?"

"Agreed, I don't want this biting me in the ass. You guys can give me a ride back to Boston?" Rey changes the subject.

"We brought the second SUV for you." Shane nods to the man. "I apologize for Rory's utter disregard of the rules. Please know that Blastgerm will have The Elite's assistance if it so needs it."

"Rey, this dude is Uppercrust, I'd take his word for it." Dick chimes in.

"Wait wait wait, then who the fuck is Rory." Oh. Oh no.

"Hey hey hey, let's not get too cray cray here." Nope nope nope.

"Roar Ree, Internationally known as designation Kraken."

"Fuck. Why you do me dirty like that Morri?" She doesn't react at all. Just stares at me. Is she even breathing? I mean, I don't need to either but still, that's fucked. What a creepy feeling being on the other side here.

"I'm sorry what?"

"The actual fuck?"

"Sometimes I feel I'm too old for this shit." Shane pinches the bridge of his nose again.

Me too, Shane, me too.

...

It was a long awkward ride back to Brockton, mostly silent with the odd conversation every once in a while. We explained what we knew to Shane, and I left out the fact It wasn't a clone sitting beside me in the SUV. I don't want to burden Shane, or Dick with that knowledge if I don't need to. At the least, not yet in Shane's case.

The drive home really does make me realize I had made a deal with the fucking Simurgh. I think I'm still in shock to be perfectly honest. I ended my night after tucking Vicky in, then the next morning I'm shanghaied into killing Zion and teaching his wife's prototype murder bot the secrets of the universe. Most definitely not the way I expected anything to go.

"We're here Rory. You sure about…" Shane trails off as his eyes drift to the Endbringer sitting next to me, a blank expression on her face as usual.

"I made a deal with her, and I honestly don't want her leaving my side even if she would refuse to already."

"Negative. Designation Morrigan fully capable of independent action." Simmy states clearly and I slump in my seat and palm my face.

"I'll be responsible for her Shane, that's my final say on the matter." I say with a sigh as I rub my eyes.

"If you're sure."

"I'm really not."

"I was throwing you a bone here kid, take it next time please." This time it's his turn to sigh. "What a shit show. Don't worry about things for now. I'll spend a few days getting Richard set up." Richard had been dropped off at the main building as soon as we got back into town.

"Thanks, Shane, for everything. I'm serious."

"Thank me by staying under the radar for a few weeks. I know a month is too much to ask for." I wince at that one, honestly fair.

"Negation, Designation Morrigan has been subtle for months at a time." Not attacking cities does not fucking count Simmy.

"You were just born, you haven't had months to act subtle."

"Neg-" I poke her. Hard. "Correct. Designation Morrigan was mistaken." Wait is she pouting? Did she just fucking pout? I swear to fuck she just pouted even if she clearly isn't now.

Fuck it. Not the time. "I'll see you later then Shane, come on Morri, we can set you up a spot on the floor or something."

"Do not treat her like a pet!"

"Jesus fuck! Fine." I shake my head and close the SUV door after giving the man a final wave. Turning to the silent white-haired girl. "Ignore that. Here, my home. Castle el lighthouse." I wave to the building. No reaction. I just sigh again and shake my head, then walk to my door as the SUV drives off. It's locked. I do actually have my keys still. Unlocking the door I announce myself. "Honey! I'm home!"

Whoomp goes the blonde as I find myself picked up in a hug by someone with a death grip. Not an actual death grip, that would pop my shell. Vicky doesn't say anything, she just floats me further inside with her face in my stomach and her arms around my back. She floats me to a thoroughly unamused-looking Lisa. No… that's not unamused Lisa. That's angry Lisa, I recognize that- "Gah fuck!"

"That's for getting kidnapped and worrying me!" Lisa exclaims as she cradles the hand that just slapped me. Then she pulls me by my collar and kisses me. Well, this feels strange. Getting kissed while another girl is hugging herself to me tightly. Then Lisa pulls her lips from mine and looks me in the eyes. "Incentive not to do it again, and coming back safe." I wince. She frowns.

"It's time for a big talk." I swear I could hear a pin drop with how silent the room gets.

"Query. Roar Ree, query on the significance of 'Big talk'? Cortisol levels have risen significantly for each host." And there's the pin.

"That. No. My power isn't working, give me a second." Lisa lets go of my shirt and backs away from Morri, who had walked in behind me and Vicky. She almost trips over the table, roughly bumping into it. "It's not- No that doesn't make any logical sense. My power is wrong."

"You hate being wrong. What's the problem, Lisa?" Vicky talks for the first time, holding me still but she brought her head up to look at the panicking wide green-eyed blonde.

"It's saying Rory brought home the fucking Hope Killer! Which doesn't make any sense, so obviously I'm fucking wrong for once." Lisa sounds near hysterical as she collapses on the loveseat. "Fucking laugh it up. I'm wrong. No snarky comment saying again instead of for once? Rory, laugh. Laugh god damnit!"

"I'm not laughing." I keep my voice steady. It hurts seeing Lisa like this. Something I should have expected bringing the Simurgh home. "Vicky, please let go for now and take a seat." She does so, extremely reluctantly, and also extremely alarmed looking. She floats over to Lisa and takes her hand but Lisa is too busy looking at me with a complicated mix of emotions in her silence.

"Designation 'Hope Killer' currently not in use." Zero emotion, as per usual.

"Oh okay, that's perfectly fine then." Lisa says between heavy breaths. "How silly of me, I should have known." Ah fuck she's hyperventilating.

"Rory, what the actual fuck did you do?" Vicky's tone is rather shrill.

"I would say let me explain but that never works. Let's be honest here." I sigh as I take a seat. "Instead I'm going with this will be a long story."

"Query. Story implies fictional series-"

"Shut up, Morri."

"Roar Ree unnecessary aggression."

"Please. Stay silent."

"Rory, what the fuck?"

"Get Lisa a paper bag and we can start."

...

Lisa lived without us needing to phone an ambulance. And I explained some things to the two of them and consequently Simmy. Nothing about being some random jackass thrown into this version of myself. I had started with the start of it all, the space whales.

"So essentially, a third fuck off planet-destroying space whale showed up and rubbed against the smart space whale to exchange 'Data', that word's important by the way but we'll get back to that later. The smart one then started playing with her new toys and driving, she crashed like a fucking moron sending her new toys flying all over the place. Then some caveman child shanked her using one of the toys, we call them shards, that she had dropped."

"How does this have any relation to anything about powers?"

"We're getting there. So essentially, the name I know the smart whale by was Eden. And her husband, the fighty whale, is Zion. Or Scion if you want to be wrong. And the toys, or shards. Are sentient blocks of data, eldritch crystal shit. They attach themselves to a host species and give out laser eyes or some shit." I'm given three blank looks in response, Vicky truly baffled, Lisa looking dead inside, and Simmy just being herself. "Essentially, Zion's wife got cucked from him and fucking died cus of it."

"What?"

"Give me a fucking second." I shake my head. "Okay, so. Shards are powers, they came from space whales. Most of the smart shards are brain-dead cus Eden is dead. The fighty shards are alive and active. Simmy here is a prototype of a drone that's like Leviathan or Behemoth. But she's different. She's new. Untested."

"Query. Roar Ree knowing the thoughts of Designation Eden is inexplainable. Query on how he is aware of such Data."

"Not now. Alright, next part here. Save your questions for after." I state to the three listening women. Well, two women and a meat puppet to a thing that could kill all of us. "Cauldron. The cave people that offed Eden started a super secret multi-dimensional Illuminati."

"Why does this just get worse?" Lisa asks cradling her head.

"Vicky won't like this part much. Okay so, I'm only confident talking about these guys now considering the amount of power we have on our side here." I give Simmy a look, she stares blankly back at me. Good talk Simmy, good talk. "They butchered Eden's corpse and put it in a blender. They sell the juices and boom, people get powers. Or horribly mutate into a case 53."

"Fucking what!?" Vicky screeches.

"Not now! Freak out later I'm still talking!"

"Rory you just said-"

"Shut the fuck up and sit down Vicky!" I shout at her. She does so, after a moment, looking like she is about to open her mouth to say something else. Closing it into a thin line. "Look, I'm sorry for screaming at you. But please save the questions for after. Shut up Morri."

"Query. Designation Morrigan did not speak."

"You were about to."

"Negative statement. Roar Ree is wrong."

"Shut up."

"Neg-"

"Shut up." I poke her forehead and she stills. She crosses her eyes to look at my finger on her forehead. "Good. Now where were we?"

"Illuminati making case 53's and giving Vicky's ex his powers." Lisa chimes in and Vicky glares at her. "What? I can't control my power."

"Yeah, but you can control what you fucking say and be less of a bitch about it." Vicky growls.

"She really can't." I wince.

"Fuck you both." Lisa flips the bird.

"Fuck me yourself you coward. Wait no, not the time, I'm still lore dumping both of you shut the fuck up." They both glare at me. Hot. Fuck no, not the time Rory. "Okay, so, the live powers have things called a conflict drive. Simmy?"

"Query?"

"Explain that."

"Conflict Drive. Enhanced Host aggression to generate Data through conflict."

"Aight so data, that's rather straightforward. All these shards are huge fucking nerds. But, they are uncreative as all fuck."

"Negative, Desig-"

"Shut up, Morri." I poke her forehead and she stops. "Where was I going with this? Ah fuck. Uh, Vial Shards don't have one. Vials are the dead Eden ones chopped up in a blender and put into a smoothie. Why does all this fucking matter? Because they finish off this data gathering by blowing up the host planet and leaving."

"I'm sorry wha-"

"Silence woman!" That shuts Vicky up and she looks too flabbergasted to be mad this time. Progress. "That was interrupted by Eden dying. And it normally wouldn't have happened for hundreds of years. And now it won't ever happen, which is why Simmy here is on our side now consequently. Zion has depression, and he's going to destroy the world, every world, in two to fifteen years."

"That… You knew the whole time. You wanted to die bec-"

"I don't now. Simmy here even offered to kill me and I asked her not to." Both girls glare at the silent murder bot. "Essentially, she sees the past and future but not the present. So I'm unsure why she accepted my deal considering that. Even if she got fucked over and lost in the original future." Simmy frowns at that. Caught in 4k bitch! I saw that frown! You ain't an emotionless husk you can get pissed off! Eden made you have emotions get fucked!

"Negative. Designation Morri-"

"Just use Morrigan already, for fucks sake." She stops at my interruption, and I think I even see a flash of annoyance finally go through her eyes.

"Morrigan cannot see Roar Ree outside of this biological vessel. Ocular visualization is required to see Roar Ree." She explains. Huh, that's fucking convenient.

"How the fuck is that the case? Do I have some super Vital shard or something?"

"Negative, Roar Ree is the host of (̷̗̩͈͝D̷̺̯̈̊͘e̶̛͎͍̍͜v̸͈̈́͜i̷̞̜̺͆͆͠a̴͝ͅn̸͖̜̕ț̶̼̹̐ ̸̪͇͕̓̋V̶͓̈́i̴̧͔͐̇ͅt̸̞͔̐͐̚a̶̱̻̚l̶̲͇͝)̸̨̬́ͅ ̵̯̎{̷̮̔͐̎A̸̢̧̼͛̈́͗d̶͇͗̑m̶̰͍͈̐i̷͖̠͇̐n̴̨͉̊̎́i̵̥̝͊̐͝s̶͚̯̅̈́̆t̵̪̭̬́̃́r̸̫̆͒̆a̷̖̫̦͊t̷̹̅ͅō̷̦̲r̶̭͊̉̋ ̷̼̼͘1̶͎͊}̴͍̫̪͋̄{̶̫͙̃̉͊G̴̳͋̐r̷̫̠̭̂̀ó̷͔̗̥͘ẃ̸̧̩͙̕͝t̵̗̤͔̃̾̉h̸̪͒́̆ ̴͉̾̏1̸̋̍͜͠}̸̻̖͔͋͝{̴̱̻̈́̒D̴͚̩̟͊r̸̰͆̍̋o̴̭̘̫̐͆͝n̴͓̾͛͘ę̵̯͙̄̿ ̵̃̇͜C̴̮̬̦͝o̶̳̎͑͠m̸̡̖͆̾̎m̵̹̒ā̶̠̹̇͑n̵̺̦̒d̸͎͈̾̀̂ ̵̯̍1̷͎̂͌}̶̛̜̜̂͝" I wince, Vicky cries out in pain and Lisa fully doubles over.

"Okay, so for the normal people, she said 'Deviant Vital Administrator 1, Growth 1, Drone Command 1. Wait, I can control you?!" Suddenly I feel a cold hand around my neck as the Simurgh stares me down with the closest thing to rage in her eyes I have ever seen her have. "Wait wait wait Morri! Mind control is a shit fetish I promise I'll never control you like David! Morri calm down!"

"Let him go, you bitch!" Vicky has half recovered and is trying to rip Morri's arm off me to no avail, Lisa is still fully double over on herself cradling her head in her arms. I feel pain in my neck and something cracks. The stoney flesh connecting my head to my body starts leaking black blood I presume.

"Look, Morri. I will genuinely not use it. We made a deal. Why would I fuck you over if you're already on my side?" I pray to god she doesn't understand actual human politics. Even if it's true. Her eyes go blank again, and she drops me back to the floor. I stumble but Vicky helps steady me, glaring at Simmy the whole time.

"Acceptable." The Simurgh says. Then retakes her seat next to a sweaty and exhausted-looking Lisa. Alright then. That could have gone worse.

"I'm good Vicky."

"Your throat has a tentacle coming out of it." What? Oh. So it does. So it does indeed.

"It'll go away, please sit down again." She glares, then takes a seat in the air with her flight, holding my hand still. "Fuck it, I'm not going to argue right now. Alright Morri you said I didn't have a Vital, then called it a Vital. What gives?"

"Deviant. Abomination. Shard composed of data from Designation Eden Vital Administrator Control, and Designation Zion Growth Adaptation. Similar to Shard host 'Vik Eee'. Host of garbage."

"Did she just call my power garbage?" Vicky questions. I see the Simurgh smirk ever so slightly.

"Not important. You said my shard is a fucking baby? Baby of fucking what? I understand what you mean though, though rare a shard can ping off of a more active Eden shard even if it's brain-dead. Hence Vicky has a baby shard fusion of her parents and Dean's power."

"I don't have anything like my dad's"

"So what Eden shard did I ping off of to get something like this? Cus quite frankly it's bullshit a baby shard would have this kind of power. The shards don't just hand out that kind of- God fuck I pinged off of David. He was there. At my trigger.I fucking saw him."

"Roar Ree is Correct." The Simurgh states. And now a lot more makes sense. I fucking pinged off of Eidolon and whatever Warrior shard was originally going to grab me. A blindspot to everyone. Cauldron included. This changes things…

"Who the fuck is David?"

"Doesn't matter. Lisa, Vicky. I have my objective now. If you want out, now's the time." I wince as I say it, but this needs to be done. Vicky blinks. Lisa works her way into a lean on the arm of the loveseat to look me in the eyes.

"And that is?" At her question, I grin.

"I woke up in the morning with murder on my mind." I half laugh at my words, the next portion tinted with only a slight bit of madness. "I'm gonna kill a fucking god."