Vale's Market Square was one of the kingdom's pride and joys, sure it wasn't as big as the one in Mistral, nor could you buy the latest devices weeks before anyone else like you could in Atlas, and it wasn't nearly as eccentric as Vacuo's ever-changing Market Square. In many other smaller ways, Vale's Market Square wasn't nearly as impressive as the others but there was one aspect where it completely dominated the competition to such a degree that none of them could even attempt to challenge it on any significant level. Vale was the inarguable champion of commerce in terms of the sheer variety of selection which was born from being situated roughly in the center of the map, any bit of cargo traveling from one kingdom to another inevitably passed through Vale and a portion always went up for sale in their Market Square. What this translated to was a festive display of commerce and people, lights and sounds, stores, stalls, offices, apartments, cafes, restaurants, theaters, arcades, parks, and even a surprisingly popular library all connected by roads, wide sidewalks, and even walkways connecting many of the buildings together. All of this was evenly spread out across most of the city but there was a noteworthy concentration over several city blocks expanding out in every direction but ultimately forming a squarish sort of shape, which is how the area got its name. However, that last one was a fact that was largely and rather understandably unrecognized by most people, even the ones who'd spend most of their free time getting lost in the market in order to find their new favorite place to shop or eat couldn't really care less about the shape of a particular city section.

Iris was by no means an exception to this rule even though exploration was a passion of hers and the reason why she had originally tried to become a Huntress, so she could explore the world outside of the walls and even beyond the settlements. When that didn't work out she used the skills she had learned to make money and continue her passion by working as a courier and exploring the city. On any other day, she would have been more than happy to spend her free time just walking around to see what she'd discover next; however, she never mixed business with pleasure and today was all business. Not that anyone would be able to tell just by looking at her as she sat down alone on a bench holding a paper cup filled with what many would assume to be coffee or perhaps tea, those people would only be partially correct. While the cup was indeed filled with coffee there was also medicine mixed in that helped dull the pain that she felt in every part of her body ever since the withdrawal started. Most people glancing in her direction would take one look at her and assume from her clothes, light makeup, and the fact that she was sitting near the Beacon Bullhead station that she was waiting for a date to arrive and those people were only partially right. She was waiting for someone but it wasn't for a date, what she was waiting for was a once in a lifetime opportunity to encounter her prey outside of the grounds of the Academy, The Brothers only knew how bad things would go if I tried starting shit in a building filled with monster slayers.

Right on schedule a Bullhead arrived from the school and landed at the platform, from within it emerged several students from the Academy, a few older looking adults whom she assumed were the parents of at least some of those Huntsmen-in-training, and flanked by two soldiers dressed in full combat gear was the target; Penny Polendina, She actually came. With an almost organic glee, the android stepped off the vehicle with a hop and a skip and began making its way into the Market Square as its bodyguards did their best to keep up with the creepy puppet. It only took a glance for Iris to notice that the trio was heading in her general direction and she knew that in a few seconds that they would pass right by the bench where she happened to be sitting, a fool might have seen this as an opportunity and attempted to accomplish something as the trio passed by but she wasn't stupid. There were too many witnesses with a clear view of her not to mention the students from the Academy were close enough to intervene and they would, any attempt here could only end in swift and utter failure so she wisely chose to remain seated at the bench, sip her drugged coffee, and take an occasional peek at the robot as it walked by. Then when they had passed her by completely she chose to remain seated for about another half minute and only when she was sure she would not arouse any suspicion from the guards did she slowly stand up and began to follow them from a safe distance in order to blend with the crowd. Right now it would not matter even if one of the guards were to turn around and look right at her, they would see nothing more than her cute face in a sea of faces and when they were done they would turn right back around and forget all about her. However, they on the other hand stood out thanks to their combat gear which made them easy to spot no matter where they went so she could afford to keep a greater distance than normal.

Now Iris would freely admit that she knew little on the subject of Robotics and Programming however she was under the distinct impression that a robot would be programmed to be as efficient as possible. In this context it would mean that Penny should head straight for the stores that offered the best deals on what it had been ordered to purchase before going to the tea shop to pick up Professor Peach's parcel; however, that is not what happened. What did happen was that the machine kept stopping to look at things like stalls, items on a window display, street performers, and even decorations. As confusing as it was, Iris quickly realized to her pleasure that the machine seemed to have some sort of error in its programming that resulted in it being easily distracted and ignoring the most efficient path to complete its chores. What this translated to was plenty of time for her to just observe the group, to make notes, and to search for potential weaknesses and challenges. An obvious example of the latter were the guards who would have been completely identical if it wasn't for one wearing armor marked with red while the other was marked blue, They almost certainly have their Aura unlocked but that doesn't mean much on its own, those cops I killed probably had their Aura unlocked too but lacked the training to really use it when it mattered. Granted a soldier would most certainly be better trained than a cop but at the end of the day that didn't really stack up to someone who trained most of their lives to fight soulless monsters whose very existence laughed in the face of biology, But what if they're not soldiers? Whispered the voice of caution, What if they are Specialists disguised as mere rank and file? That would explain why their armor looks different but then why use the standard equipment? Unless of course, they're trying not to stand out too much… If that was the case then she didn't like her chances of winning that fight even if it was one on one. At least not without an ambush but even then she'd have to somehow defeat a graduate of a Huntsman Academy before anyone could realize what was going on and no one needed to tell her just how bad the odds for that were and that was before even considering how to best achieve her actual goal, she had time to figure it out but that was an ever closing window that she had to work with.

Then without any warning whatsoever she was stricken with a pang of pain that probably would have felt like a nail being driven into her brain with a sledgehammer if it wasn't for the painkillers she had consumed earlier. But even then this dulled sensation was enough to stop her in her tracks and bite her lips to prevent herself from crying out of surprise rather than actual pain. And then the pain began to fade away almost as quickly as it had appeared but the damage to her state of mind would linger and now she found herself on the edge of her nerves. She had no idea what was going on inside her body but she knew what it all meant, it meant that Torchwick had spoken the truth and the withdrawal really was killing her. This knowledge stimulated a primal portion of her brain, it urged her to take a risk and get closer, close enough to bet everything on one decisive strike. It dreamed up a scenario where she pushed past the guards, connected the transmitter, and by some miracle escape without anyone getting a good look at her. It was complete and utter folly so she tried to reason with that desperate part of herself but it only argued back by reminding her of the sleepless nights, cold sweat, loss of appetite, bouts of paranoia, and various other disgusting things that she'd rather not think about. However one thing was clear and that was her body needed Rage to survive and to get that she needed to finish the job, and to do that she needed to break that doll and extract the information from her head even if she NEEDED to crack open its head with a FUCKING ROCK! As all these thoughts swam through her head the people around her were beginning to notice how intently she was staring at the girl with the bodyguards. They noticed the way that her hand kept twitching as though they were trying to grasp the air and crush it in her grip. They noticed how she was grinding her teeth as her face contorted into a look that could only be described as malicious. It was only natural that a few of them began to wonder if she was in trouble and needed help while many more thought that she was the actual issue and the longer they looked at her the more they became convinced of this.

Then as suddenly as it appeared the pain began to fade away and as it did situational awareness crept in to fill the void and for the first time, she saw how others were looking at her. No one said anything but their body language spoke for them and told her all about how they were beginning to see her but more importantly, she saw that the red guard was looking back to see what was causing the disturbance. She realized that in mere moments she'd be in his field of view and he would almost certainly pinpoint her as a potential threat thus running any chance of ever getting the Rage, Shit! She couldn't run away as it would only make her stand out even more, she couldn't pretend that nothing had happened since all the guard would have to do is ask someone what had happened. I need to somehow trick him into thinking that I'm harmless but how? Her mind was racing a hundred miles an hour thinking about what she could possibly do when suddenly the pangs came back and she clenched her head and out of the corner of her eyes she could see the red guard staring at her with suspicion and if she didn't do something soon he would act on it. She needed to find a way out of that situation and she needed it now, Move! Look away! Do something damn it!

She froze.

For what felt like an eternity but was in actuality, not even a minute the guard looked right at her. He wasn't looking at the crowds nor was he looking at anything going on behind her, he was looking right at her… and then he snickered. At first, she couldn't believe it but it had really happened! The red guard just stared right at her for a few seconds before snickering and then turning around to whisper something to his comrade who then turned around and also looked right at her, before chuckling? She didn't understand what was going on and for a moment she thought that this was all just a dream and at any moment she would wake up but it never happened. Instead, the guards just had a brief laugh before turning their attention back to their duties and then just kept walking. The three of them just kept walking as though there was absolutely nothing wrong with how she had acted just now, A miracle... There is no other possible explanation but I can't count on this happening a second time. She had no way of controlling when or where the next pang would strike but looking around she found that she did have the ability to decide who got to witness it. This part of the Market Square has a lot of overhead walkways, I just need to get atop one and I can spy on them from above and out of their sight.

Emerald frowned when Cinder first ordered her and Mercury to spend the day in the Market Square following a disposable drug-addled pawn, she frowned again shortly after finding the aforementioned pawn and overhearing her partner comment positively on the girl's looks. Later on, she found herself frowning yet again when that same pawn for some inexplicable reason started twitching to the point where everyone including the guards noticed which forced her to place an illusion on both men and get a minor headache in the process, If my Semblance had been anything other than Illusions then the guards would have cut this shopping trip short and I'd have to explain to mistress why Mercury and I are coming back empty-handed. A shiver ran up her spine as she imagined for the briefest of moments just how disappointed Cinder would be in her for somehow screwing up her first real mission in months. "I can't fail," she whispered to herself, however, what could she really do about this situation without taking a costly risk? A new frown formed on her face as she pondered the question and then that frown threatened to become a permanent fixture on her face when she saw the druggie walk away from their target and towards one of the office buildings.

Naturally, her very first thought was to run after her but then she felt Mercury's hand grab her shoulder and hold her back. With a frustrated snarl she spun around to face her partner, "Are you mad? That bitch is going to screw up everything and you want me to just stand and watch!?" There were a few other things that she wanted to say to him but she quickly noticed that he wasn't even looking at her, "What are you even looking at?" She followed his eyes until she spotted a staircase on the side of the building that Iris was walking towards and looking ahead she could see exactly what the druggie was planning, Getting an overhead view will make it easier to follow without being spotted but it also makes it harder for her to act however she is a native of Vale so she absolutely knows this area better than we do. Her eyes glanced back down to the sight of Penny and her guards walking further and further away from them and realized that she had to follow one while Mercury followed the other.

"Leave the girl to me and focus on finding a way to get that tin can away from her bodyguards," suggested Mercury, having come to the same realization as her.

With a silent nod, the two separated with Emerald breaking out into a brief jog in order to catch up with Penny and her guards while Mercury quietly followed Iris up the stairs. Thanks to her Semblance, Emerald was able to get far closer to the android than Iris was ever willing to do and in the process she found herself being surprised by the weapon in a skirt. She's skipping, humming, and even window shopping but why? Why build a weapon that looks and acts like such a… ditzy girl? Whoever built this must have been a real creep or were sick on a level that would impress the Grimm. For a moment she was tempted to look away from this denizen of the Uncanny Valley but her desire to please her mistress proved to be stronger and it forced her to keep observing. However she took one step too many and caught the attention of one of the Guards who then glanced at her before looking away, That's weird, Atlas soldiers are trained to observe potential threats but he just dismissed me without determining anything. Are they just bad at their job? No, Ironwood holds his men to too high a standard so then what's their deal? Her gaze then shifted over to Penny, Why does a war machine need bodyguards, to begin with? Things began to click together the moment she asked herself that question, It's more than capable of protecting itself even without the weapons so the guards aren't necessary! But then why have them? Is Ironwood trying to trick everyone into thinking she's just a normal girl? No, if that was the case then he wouldn't have assigned bodyguards to begin with and especially not guards who have their own unique armor… so then why?

"Oh look! They have Mistralian Fighting Fish here!" Penny suddenly exclaimed while running towards the window of a pet store, "May we please step inside?"

The blue guard nervously looked at red while emerald observed, "Do you wanna handle this?"

"Nah, I took care of the last one which means it's your turn."

"Shit," Blue then approached the machine. "I'm sorry Miss Polidenia but we are already behind schedule and we wouldn't want to um… make your professors wait?"

Emerald saw right through his obvious lie but more importantly, she saw that Penny had seen through it as well and wasn't about to give up, I know that look, she's going to ditch these guys the first chance that she gets which makes this the best chance we are ever going to get! But how can I separate them? She quickly looked around first to make sure that Mercury and Iris were in a position to take advantage of any opening she made and secondly to find something that she could base her illusions on in order to make it harder to see through them. Alright, Iris is looking right at them so all I need now is to somehow split this group up… Fortunately for her a busy Market Square was ripe with potential distractions waiting to occur and after considering a few options she settled on a man who for whatever reason had decided that it was a good idea to carry a large and certainly fragile vase through an area where someone could easily bump into him and cause a loud accident to occur. Okay and now to plan this out; The first thing I need to do is to get him to drop the vase which should be easy to do. Then I need to create a loud enough sound to get the guards to turn around which should also be easy as long as I time this right. Finally, I need to take that robot's place and lead Tweedledum and Tweedledee away from the pet store which leaves the big question of how many illusions do I use? She ran several scenarios through her head while looking for all the ways things could go wrong now and later on before settling on a number, Two illusions would be the easiest to manage and since the guards aren't looking in the direction of the vase guy I can afford to be a little relaxed with the timing… She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of Painkillers in order to deal with the headache that would result from extended use of her Semblance on multiple targets, Here I go.

Iris would openly admit that when she had woken up today that she hadn't had any expectations about how the day would work out but she most certainly was not expecting any surprises. Then she got one in the form of a call from Thumbelina informing her that an unprecedented opportunity to complete her job was about to land on her lap but she needed to act now. Then a second surprise came when she saw her target exit the Bullhead and she realized that the bitch of a professor had actually told her the truth, She's still a huge bitch. Just when it looked like she was going to have a very productive day, a third and completely unwelcome surprise revealed itself in the form of a headache that had nearly disastrous consequences and a bizarre resolution, It's almost as if the guards and the crowd were looking at two different things… or Atlesians could just have a messed up sense of humor. She shoved that random thought out of her head in order to focus on the biggest and most welcomed surprise of the day which was unfolding right in front of her; Penny Polidenia's guards for reasons that Iris could not comprehend had suddenly spun around and was now glaring right at a confused man who had down nothing to earn their ire except dropping a pot. But that wasn't the surprise, the real surprise came from the robot who bolted into the pet store while its guards were menacing a man!

Recognizing this as the best chance she was ever going to get, Iris took advantage of her knowledge of the area and quickly found the shortest path towards her unsuspecting prey, this involved nearly running inside the building and finding the staircase that connected the second floor to the pet store on the first. Within seconds she was on the ground floor and was scouring the shop in search of the strange and probably malfunctioning robot and she soon found it standing in front of a shelf filled with tiny fish tanks with each one containing exactly one tiny fish, Alright, I cannot afford to fuck this up so the first thing I'm going to do is calm down and make sure I don't look crazy. Reaching into her purse she pulled out a small compact mirror, began to fix her hair, touched up her makeup, and planned out her approach, Be friendly, act curious about the fish, and if necessary act a little flirty or whatever else is needed to get that thing alone… Here I go. She slowly and ever so carefully walked towards the android making special care to avoid making any noise or sudden movements.

"Salutations!"

Iris's heart nearly jumped right out of her chest and it took every ounce of willpower that she had left to keep herself from screaming as the war machine looked right at her, Say Something! Say Anything before that thing assumes the worst! "Pretty fish."

Penny's eyes widened, "You like Mistrailin Fighting Fish too!?"

"Yes, I just can't get enough of those… fierce guys."

"Sensational, then would you like to join me in fish gazing for a while?"

"Sure, I'd love to." Iris then walked forward until she was standing next to Penny who had turned around to keep looking at the fish. However Iris wasn't looking at the fish, rather she was looking at her own reflection on the fish tank, So that's how it knew I was standing there. She then shifted her focus onto the interior of the tank and the small though admittedly pretty fish inside, Are these small things really fighting fish? Then again…, Looking around at the other fish tanks she couldn't help but notice that the supposed fighting fish was only present on the shelf before her, I guess it doesn't get along with other fish which is probably appropriate for a puppet pretending to be a person. "So why do you like these little guys?" Iris didn't actually care about the reason, she just wanted to appear friendly and a bit of small talk seemed like a good idea even if it was about something as banal as tiny fish.

"I just think that they're cute!"

"Really? There's no other reason?" How do you even program a computer to recognize a concept like, "Cute?" The programmer probably inserted their own interests to make this act a little more believable.

"Well cute isn't the only reason but it is by far the biggest, but it helps that they have a fascinating history, for example, are you aware that these little guys held special significance in cultures that predate our four kingdoms or that they played an important role in the formation of modern-day Mistral?" There was genuine excitement dripping from every syllable.

These were two facts that Iris did not know nor did she care on any level and for a moment was tempted to let the tin can know exactly what she thought about her but, the more sensible part of herself firmly and wisely decided against saying that, "I didn't know that, what else do you know?" She tried to sound as interested as possible but found it hard to even pretend to care about fish.

"Well, I know that there is a young man about your approximate age hiding in the other aisle that has been looking at you the entire time!" Penny then leaned in and whispered, "His heightened heart rate suggests that he has an interest in you, and his attempts to keep his actions a secret is considered a strong indicator of shyness on his part." Before she had even finished speaking, her sensors detected a sharp rise in the heartbeats of both her new friend and the timid boy, Calculating… Conclusion: They are surprised by your revelation. Suggestion: In future interactions, you should attempt to be more subtle as to not startle your companions.

For a brief moment, a desire to run towards the nearest exit arose from within Mercury but he suppressed it, as it would do nothing but expose him. The next moment gave rise to the desire to remain standing behind the shelves like a deer caught in the headlights of a rapidly oncoming truck and that was equally stupid but for different reasons, Looks like I'm going to have to take a page from dad's book… shit. After taking a deep breath he stepped out from behind the shelf and gave a shy smile to the pair in front of him while attempting to read the room to decide what to say, Penny doesn't seem at all off-put by my presence but the same can't be said for Iris though it doesn't seem scared or even worried, I can work with this. There were multiple directions that he could try to take this but only one had the groundwork already laid down for him, "I'm so sorry if I bothered you, I didn't mean to."

"Well, what were you trying to do?" Iris quickly asked.

"I wanted to figure out what your relationship with her was before I tried talking to you," he answered while motioning towards Penny.

"And why is that your business?"

He timidly looked away and scratched the back of his head, "I didn't want to bother someone who already had a girlfriend."

Iris immediately picked up on the implication behind that answer and despite her best attempts to stem it, a small blush crept into her face because while he wasn't her exact type, he was still an admittedly nice-looking guy. He's probably a student at one of the academies which means that he's got some delicious abs under that shirt… no, I got to focus, though he has unintentionally given me an opening. "I appreciate your interest but, I have my eyes on someone else," she then looked right at Penny and gave the tin doll a fake smile, Brothers I hope this creepy piece of junk gets scrapped in the future.

"Well then I'll leave you two alone," Mercury began to walk away but then stopped and turned back around, "Oh and in case you two would like some alone time, there is a place down on 12th street called the Drunk Ursa that has a special couples discount for the private Karaoke rooms." He then walked away until he was out of their line of sight, Now that the idea has been planted all I have to do is watch and see if the seed takes hold.

Neither Iris nor Penny said anything to each other as they watched Mercury walk away, they didn't need to say anything as both already knew what was on the other's mind but at the same time, nothing would happen until someone broke the ice. And that someone might as well be me, Iris thought to herself as she looked at the machine next to her and saw Penny nervously fidgeting in a manner that would have been seen as cute had she been a real girl. The sight of this behavior put a sick feeling in her stomach, They even programmed with this… shy submissive behavior!? By the Brothers! This isn't a war machine, this is just some creep's waifu brought to life! She's nothing more than a glorified sex doll!

"Um, about what you and he said…," Penny wasn't quite sure how to handle this, her father wanted her to be able to live to as close to normal life as possible which meant that she did know about romance but, knowing the steps of a particular dance is not the same as actually performing it. "I won't deny that you are a conventionally attractive person and that I wouldn't mind spending some more time with you but, I'm supposed to…-"

"One hour."

"What!?"

Iris put her hand on Penny's shoulder and looked her right in the eye before assertively stating, "All I need is one hour with you, after that you can decide whether you'd want to go on another date."

"Yes, I- I think that I would like that," Penny replied with a voice that was filled with a little doubt but at the same time there was a growing excitement, and when Iris offered her a hand, she took it and allowed herself to be led out of the pet shop. "Where are we going?"

"Do you like singing?"

"Yes?" Penny answered slowly, becoming more confident with every step.

Iris wasn't looking at Penny when she smiled and for her own sake that was a good thing because it was not a friendly smile. It was a cruel smile, it was one that belonged on the face of a sadistic predator who had cornered its prey and intended to have some fun before going in for the kill and that was exactly what was happening. All she needed to do was take the tin can to some private place and she knew just where to go, "Then let go karaoking at the Drunk Ursa, just you and me!"

"I-," There was a small and ever-shrinking but still present part of Penny's mind that warned her that this was a bad idea, it begged her to at the very least inform the guards of where she would be going, But if I did that they wouldn't let me go with Iris. Calculating alternatives… Suggestion: Inform them of the area but not the exact location of where you intend to go. I don't even need to do that, if anything happens I can just use the emergency signal. Calculating… Suggestion: Please Reconsider.

She didn't.

Despite what the name would imply the Drunken Ursa was not a bar, it was an entertainment center that just happened to sell alcohol but that was far from the main attraction. If anything could be called the main draw of the establishment then it was the private karaoke rooms which were admittedly more pricey than other similar places however it was an easily justified price tag. For starters the soundproof rooms were actually soundproof and noticeably bigger than most other places, they were kept far cleaner, the refreshments were better, and most importantly there was a guarantee of both privacy and anonymity which made the rooms very attractive for many people who didn't want others to know where they were. Add to that party discounts as well as other reduced pricing offers and you were looking at an incredible bargain especially giving how rooms had been recently refurbished.

For example, the couch that Iris was sitting on was brand new but at the moment she was too busy using a compact mirror to check a bruise on her face, "Damn that piece of junk may look and act like a girl but it hits like a champ." She then concentrated her Aura onto that spot and watched as the mark faded from view and only was it completely gone did she put the mirror away and allow herself to relax. "This is your fault, you know that? If you had done what I had asked then I wouldn't have needed to be so rough, you have no one to blame but yourself and the pervert who built you." She sighed, Let's just hope that Roman is a man of his word.

Meanwhile, Penny was laying face down on the ground, her dress had been pulled down and her blouse forced open in order to make room for the antenna now sticking out of the nape of her neck. Her limbs were twitching and her eyes were flickering as her systems kept trying to expel the foreign program that was penetrating deep into her code. Her firewalls had been breached, emergency protocols were being suspended, her internal tracker was now sending a false signal, and every now and then the image of a chess piece would appear in her eyes and then flicker away. Eventually, she stopped moving and the image of a chess piece reappeared in her eyes but this time it didn't flicker away. Shortly afterward her limbs began to move again but not in the wild twitching way as they did before, now they were moving slowly, smoothly, and in a calculated manner as though she was testing out her limbs and before long she was attempting to get up from the floor, when suddenly a foot slammed into her back and pushed her back down on the floor.

"Not so fast, freak," growled Iris, who had noticed what was happening and was reaching into her purse to get the pocket knife she kept in there, I'd feel better with my bow or at the very least my hunting knife but there's no way either would fit in this purse.

"My apologies for the fright Ms. Marilla, I didn't expect that you would choose to remain here though I suppose that I only have myself to blame for that," Penny was far too calm, her manner of speech was completely different, and her voice... that was not her voice.

"What?! W-who are you and why do you sound like an old man?"

"I would be more than happy to tell you but first would it be alright if I stood up?" A few seconds passed in silence but then the weight of Iris's leg was removed allowing whoever this was to stand up and take a good look at the still nervous and very confused woman. "I shall start with introductions, my name is Dr. Watts and I have merely taken remote control of this body thanks to the connection you have provided." He then reached for the antenna still attached to his neck and pulled it out, "I'm happy to see that you actually took the time to read the instructions."

"Nice to meet you, what the hell is going on, and what's up with the chess piece in your eyes!?"

"Ah, thank you for reminding me," he blinked once and the chess piece was gone, "That image was simply a bit of artistic flair on my part, it doesn't really mean anything. As for what's going on…," He started to pace around the room while stroking Penny's chin, "I suppose you can call this a bit of corporate espionage."

"That's annoyingly vague."

"I suppose it is and I also suppose that there is no harm in telling you more, there is a project that I'm working on and I needed to access the data contained in this... admittedly fantastic contraption, by the way, could I borrow your mirror? I would like to make sure that nothing is off when I return this body, I wouldn't want to make people worried."

With the knife still in her hands and her eyes firmly locked onto the robot she cautiously walked over to the table and put the compact mirror down on the table before stepping away. She then watched him walk over, pick it up, and then use it to help fix Penny's clothes. "So why me? If this really is nothing more than corporate espionage then why use me? You must have had other people on your payroll that were more qualified than me, why not Torchwick?"

"Torchwick? I won't deny that he works for us but how did you come to that conclusion?"

"He showed up personally in my apartment to give me a job offer, I even got to meet his little assistant. Tell me, do you have anything to do with Rage?" The man chuckled in a way that made her feel as though he was laughing at her but at the same time, it was all the confirmation that she needed, "Stop laughing and answer! Why me? Why- Aaagh!" She cried as another sudden pang of pain interrupted her thoughts.

He finished fixing Penny's clothes and put the mirror back on the table before walking past Iris and sitting on the couch behind her, "You've seen the news, you must be aware of the Dust Robberies, the White Fang, and then Atlas's head general arrives bringing with him battleships, the lastest model of Knights, unveils the Paladin but he also brings a brand new war machine that looks like a girl and keeps that one a secret! Then suddenly the news is filled with reports of Rage, a certain Video that went viral and the doomed attempts to bury it, and that disastrous Raid... surely someone as clever as you must have looked at it all and wondered what is it all leading to."

"So you're behind it?"

"I work for the ones behind some of it and we're looking for some additional pawns, this mission of yours was effectively a job interview and while you didn't complete this on your own it doesn't change the fact that you still completed the job, besides… I'm interested in the effects my drug has had on your body."

Iris froze out of pure disbelief, "Your drug? Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes, I am the creator of Rage and I'm not just offering you an unlimited supply of what you're used to, I'm offering you an unlimited supply of even more… potent forms of Rage."

"What do you mean by forms?"

A cruel grin spread across Penny's face, "What you've tasted wasn't even a prototype, it was just a little experiment of mine to better understand what I was working with. Do you get what I'm saying? The final product is going to be so much grander than this; It will literally change how society itself functions at every single level! We are looking at the twilight of the old era and the Dawn of a Brand New and oh so Glorious one!"

As tempting as the offer was, it was also setting off every warning bell in Iris's head and even her addiction wasn't going to be enough to ignore it. So she glanced at the door and tried to calculate her odds of getting past the mad man while trying to get a little closer to it, "I appreciate the offer but I… um-!"

"I understand." he got up from the couch, walked towards the door, and to her surprise he opened the door and held it for her, "At the very least could you please permit me to examine your body, I may be able to reverse the damage to an extent."

She cautiously began to walk past him while still gripping the knife, "No thanks but I get the feeling that I regret letting you do anything to me. So I'll take what Roman promised me and I'll thank you to leave me out of your future plans." She waited to see how he would react but he made no attempt to stop her nor was there any physical change on his face, Is he really letting go? She then stepped right into the hallway and was about to head straight for the exit when she saw the young man from earlier standing right there and a pit began to form in her stomach.

Standing right in the middle of a suspiciously empty hallway was the boy from the pet shop, "So, are you my new co-worker?"

The man was now standing directly behind her, "Sadly no, you know what to do." He then tried to walk right past her and he did, she tried to stab him with the knife only for Mercury's to intercept the blow with a kick so quick that he wouldn't have been able to see it without the aid of Penny's sensors, "Do not kill her."

"Shouldn't be too hard and what are you going to be doing in the meantime?"

"I've already found the information I needed so I'll just edit this doll's memories and then meet up with your better half to return Penny to the general." He then began to walk away not even looking at Iris as he did so.

"Don't you dare ignore me-!" Iris stepped forwarded with the knife held out with the intention of stabbing him but out of the corner of her eye she saw Mercury raise his foot and was able to activate her Aura just in time to absorb the blow from his leg but the force still pushed her backward and towards the still-open door of the karaoke room.

With a smirk Mercury put his foot down on the ground, "I know this isn't leaving a good impression on you but I assure you that I am a gentleman, if you don't resist I won't hurt you."

"Fuck you!"

"That's fair," he lashed out with another kick that knocked her right through the door and into the room. "I hope you understand that I have nothing personally against you, this is just my job."

She steadied herself and raised her knife, "You think you're some kind of assassin?"

He walked inside the room and closed the door before locking it, "Yes, that is exactly what I am."

Author's Notes: Well I tried but ultimately I couldn't get very far without someone saying or at the very least thinking something. However, I won't lie and say that it wasn't a fun challenge but I don't think I'll attempt this a second time though that being said, I will be trying to reduce speech from now on in order to better improve my ability to write descriptions.

As for Penny vs Iris, I went back and forth on whether or not to show fight but ultimately decided that it was more shocking to skip right to the aftermath that being said, in future chapters you'll see the effects this day is going to have on her.

As for Iris vs Mercury, that's going to be in the next chapter, and it's going to be fun to write and hopefully cathartic to read.