It's been chaotic. The past weeks had been nothing but an utter blur for everyone.
Trying to get answers from the Council, only to be blocked at every turn. Trying to figure out who was erasing CPU from the archives, but that, too, being blocked. And since they were forbidden from approaching Encode or CPU (or SSD, as he apparently now called himself) due to their work being too 'consuming', no one knew what to do.
Well, except for Vitality.
She didn't know why she didn't think of it sooner. For all her wisdom, she didn't think of this? Perhaps the insanity of everything was finally catching up to her.
"Where are you going?" Kelsie spoke as she watched Vitality transfer things into her subspace.
"Down to some servers," the head medic answered with a sigh. "Do you think you can handle things until I get back?"
"Of course!"
Vitality nodded. She waved away the box to her subspace before leaving the medbay, peacock feathers flicking as she maneuvered. She made her way to Lag's office, and knocked once.
"Lag?"
No response. Expected, to be honest. He'd.. been an utter wreck all over again once they'd learnt of CPU's survival.
She sighed. "I'm offering because I know how much this means to you. But I know someone who could help us get CPU back-"
The door flung open and she had to gently grab Lag's shoulder before he stumbled out. "We go now."
Her lips quirk into a smile. "Of course."
----
"What is this place?" Lag frowned as he and Vitality stepped out of the code portal.
"A dead zone server," she answered as they began to walk.
"Programs.. can't exist in dead zones."
"A false dead zone," she corrected with a bemused smile. "It's for Viruses."
When he blinked in confusion, she elaborated, "we both know the reputation Viruses have, but there are the Viruses that have control over themselves. That don't want to hurt others." She shrugged. "So, both in my younger years and now, I provide care for them. In return, they help me.. find things."
His eye narrows. "Like..?"
She offers a wry smile. "The one Program who knows how Encode works."
His fists clench, but loosen when the medic squeezes his shoulder. "I don't like the idea of it either," she spoke softly, "but we have to do it for him."
With his nod, the two walked. Vitality lead, and Lag couldn't help but note how.. muted everything was. He and Vitality stuck out like sore thumbs, their colors honestly quite vibrant compared to the grey tones everywhere else. Eventually, though, they came to a house that Vitality gently on the door of.
It creaked open, and a small head poked through. "..hello?"
Vitality smiled. "Hello, Splicer. It's Vitality. I have a friend with me, if that's alright. We need some help finding someone, and I remember you needing your wings fixed. Fair trade?"
The Virus was quiet before nodding, opening the door and shuffling inside. "Just be mindful and respectful," Vitality informed Lag, who nodded before following her inside.
The house was minimalist, which Lag understood. He followed the medic into the living room before standing off to the side. Vitality meanwhile walked over and knelt down beside the small Virus, a humanoid with a beetle carapace, antenna and pincers. The carapace was opened, and Vitality began to heal the jagged tears in Splicer's wings.
"Splicer, I need to know. Do you know anyone named Stinger?"
"Stinger?" the Virus echoed with a small frown.
"Grey skin, bee wings, floating crown.."
"Oh! You mean Madam Stinger?" Splicer blinked.
Both Programs pulled a face. Then, Vitality nodded. "Yes.. Madam Stinger."
"She's hard to track," Splicer explains as the medic bandages his wings. "She's one of the most prolific black-market sellers... weapons, secrets, stuff like that."
"Do you have any clue where we could find her?" Vitality asks as she stood, putting away the supplies she'd brought.
"Try.. the black markets connected to JRPS."
With a nod, the two left. Splicer watched with the smallest of frowns.
He wondered why the green one had such a stormy expression.
----
Mixer has a bad feeling. He doesn't know why but his gut was screaming that something was very, very wrong. It's been an easy day, all things considered. They've made sales, gathered information, avoided capture again..
So why is he so anxious?
He gets his answer when, returning to their little hideaway, they're both grabbed by odd silks and wrapped up.
"WAH?!"
"SONNUVA-!"
They're both hoisted up into the air, and two figures step out from the shadows. Mixer pales and Madam Stinger squeaks, terrified.
Okay. Cool. So it's not Crash, who'd been hunting them for a while. But it was still two very powerful members of the Adminspace that somehow found them and now had them captive.
"I'm going to put you down," Vitality is the one to speak, the fabrics around them loosening just a bit, "and you two are going to stay put. I have an offer for you, and it would do you well to listen to me."
Mixer nodded. Though his gaze landed on Lag, whose eye was narrowed at Madam Stinger. She didn't seem to notice, as she was going back and forth with Vitality, but Mixer did.
And he wasn't sure he'd ever seen such animosity in someone's gaze before.
Mere seconds later, the two were dropped to the ground, with Madam Stinger landing atop of Mixer. He groaned as she rubbed her lower back before glaring up at the two. "Okay, spill it! How'd you find me, and what do you even want?!"
"Your help putting Encode behind bars."
The air was sucked out of the room. Madam Stinger's wings quivered once before falling limp with shock. Mixer went rigid under her. ".. what?" She whispered. "She's.. she's not dead?"
"No." Vitality looks down at Madam Stinger, a look she can't decipher in the medic's eyes. Sympathy? Pity? She doesn't know. "But if you help, I'll do two things; plead for leniency on your crimes and ensure that Encode faces the deepest pits of hell."
Madam Stinger's wings quiver. ".. help?" Her tone was incredulous, even as she shivered. "H-How could I help?! She terrifies me! I can't walk because of her!!"
Lag's expression softened, just a bit, before hardening. Vitality continued, "what I need you to do will never have you alone with her, that I can promise you." Her tone turned gentler. "In short, I just need you to act as bait."
"WHAT?" Madam Stinger and Mixer both shout, incredulous.
"Bait," Lag repeats, tone terse. "You'll be under watch constantly, but this is simple." He crosses his arms. "You'll be used to lure out Encode. She's got a Sub-Council wrapped around her finger, and they're helping her with dirty work. She's acting kind, but I'm sure we all know that's the biggest fucking lie there is."
Vitality blinked. She was pretty sure she'd never heard him curse before..
Lag continues, "you'll be used to lure her out. Isolated location, but there'll be many of us there watching. You'll be used to record a sort of confession, and then she'll be grabbed from there."
Madam Stinger couldn't help but hiss, "oh, and what about CPU? Is he too scared to-"
Vitality grabbed Lag's arm as he briefly lunged forward, making the black-market dealer yelp and jolt back.
"Lag," Vitality whispered softly, her grip gentle but firm on his arm.
Mixer grunted as he finally managed to get out from under Madam Stinger. Only to falter at the pure venom in Lag's gaze towards Madam Stinger, who also had shrunk under his gaze. "I-I- Uh-" She stammered, now seating incredibly hard.
"Keep. His. Name. Out. Of. Your. Mouth." Lag's hands clenched as he finally stepped back.
Vitality watched him before letting go. She looked at Madam Stinger, frowning now. "CPU was.. captured by Encode. This is to help him and bring her to justice."
"Pardon the cynicism, but this sounds like a shit plan," Mixer grunts as he sits up, cracking his back. "You don't even sound like you have it figured out."
"We will," Vitality retorts. "For now, this an outline of what we need to do. And now it hinges on whether or not you'll help, Stinger. We can do this without you, but.." Her tone softens. "I figure you would like to see her put away for good."
Madam Stinger stares at the offered hand. Her wings quiver, memories of the sterile lab clashing with the deep-rooted need to see Encode gone.
She and CPU may have not ended on the best of terms (and she still saw little wrong with how she acted), but she would rather chop off a hand than let him suffer Encode's abuse again.
With a heaving sigh, Madam Stinger took Vitality's hand and let herself be pulled up. Her wings fluttered, letting her hover. "If I get arrested, I want a nice cell in the Containment Zone."
Vitality snorts dryly. Lag rolls his eye. Mixer facepalms.
"I'll be sure to put in a word," the medic retorts with a shake of her head. She then flicks her wrist, a code portal opening. "Now, come. We need to start finalizing the plan for real."
Madam Stinger swallows thickly, wings stuttering.
Ugh.. what did she just get herself into?