A whole week had passed since Hanako moved into Alex's apartment. During this time, Alex hadn't even stepped into his workshop, deciding instead to take a small break and spend more time with the girls. He often went on dates with them, even managing to persuade Kiwi to join him at a nice restaurant—after much convincing, of course.
Kiwi had been adamantly against visiting places like restaurants filled with the elite, but after Hanako offered to help her pick out an outfit, she gave in. The next day, the girls went shopping to get Kiwi ready for this special occasion.
Despite the support from everyone around her, Hanako was still in low spirits, spending a lot of time in her room. Gloria was constantly there for her, reminding her that she still had loved ones and trying to help her cope with the feeling of loss. However, Hanako couldn't stop worrying about her niece Michiko, fearing she too might have fallen victim to the darkness.
Tired of her constant worries, Alex decided to check on Michiko himself, traveling to the far end of the country. After confirming that she was safe, he returned and shared the news with Hanako, helping her finally let go of her fears.
After all the preparations, Alex and Kiwi went to the same restaurant he had once visited with Gloria. However, despite all efforts, it was clear Kiwi felt out of place, and soon they left, choosing instead to go for a walk.
The evening turned into a moment of honesty: Kiwi shared stories of her childhood in the orphanage, the friends who were no longer there, and mentioned that she sends almost all of her earnings to support the children from that orphanage, as they're her only family and she cares deeply about them. Unintentionally, they found themselves at the new location of the orphanage where the children and staff had relocated.
Kiwi was delighted to meet her former caretaker, the one who had once helped her become a netrunner. While they talked, Alex observed the children adapting to the new place, but one boy caught his attention—a boy he hadn't expected to see there.
It was one of the children Alex had rescued from that ill-fated warehouse during his first job for Padre. But the most surprising part was that this boy was spreading faith in the Emperor of Mankind and inspiring others to become Angels of Death. Alex quickly realized that GIR, his little crazy companion, had continued communicating with those they had saved and seemed to be «brainwashing» them with his stories.
At that moment, black lines practically covered Alex's face, as he noticed that almost all the boys in the orphanage proudly called themselves Ultramarines, while the girls referred to themselves as Sisters of Battle. Alex instantly regretted giving GIR access to the internet. He had tried to find something in this world connected to old pop culture himself but found nothing, not even a mention of the Warhammer universe, until he asked GIR where the little rascal had found all this.
It turned out that GIR had managed to break through something called the Blackwall and got all the information from there. After some questioning, Alex realized that the Blackwall was a type of network security to prevent malicious AIs from accessing secure networks.
Watching the children reciting the Codex Astartes, Alex wanted to leave and never come back, lest he find the kids next time already divided into groups, representing different legions, or even joining the ranks of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Alex wanted to leave that place as quickly as possible and forget everything he had seen, as the sight was definitely not for him. But Kiwi finished her conversation with the orphanage caretaker and came back with her. When the caretaker saw Alex, she asked him a pressing question: when was he planning to propose to Kiwi?
Alex, as usual, replied that he first needed to make a ring that would suit Kiwi. As Alex and the caretaker started talking about the wedding, the usually unflappable and cold Kiwi blushed deeply at the topic and dragged Alex outside amidst the caretaker's cheerful laughter.
Once outside, Kiwi asked him about the ring and the wedding. Alex responded seriously that once he prepared the rings, he'd propose to all the girls. Kiwi was flustered but nodded and didn't want to continue the topic any further. Returning home, they spent the night together, ending the date on a pleasant note.
The next morning, Alex woke up with Kiwi in his arms, but when he looked at the clock, he realized it was still early. As he drifted back to sleep, an irritating phone ringing broke the silence, continuing until Kiwi slapped him in the face with the phone to get him to answer. Smirking, Alex picked up the phone and said in a mock-serious tone:
«Unfortunate Incidents Agency. We ensure unfortunate incidents for every occasion.»
Laughter erupted on the other end, and Alex immediately recognized who was calling.
«That's a new one!» chuckled Maine. «And I'm still waiting for a fresh highlight reel from your robo-dog. Been a while, you know.»
Stretching and leaning against the back of the couch, Alex asked him directly, «After GIR started having trouble arranging those 'unfortunate incidents,' he's spent a few days without moving. Better not remind him. So, why the call, Maine?» Alex gently stroked Kiwi's head.
«Shame to hear it,» Maine replied regretfully. «I enjoyed watching Maelstrom members getting into trouble.»
Alex smirked, recalling those moments reminiscent of «Final Destination» scenes—just with a less predictable outcome.
«No kidding. So what do you need?» he asked again.
«Oh, right. Faraday's found some useful intel and offered us a job with a good payout. I won't get into details yet; I want to meet in person. But I'll say this: it's bigger than anything we've done before. I want everything to go flawlessly,» Maine's voice grew serious.
Hearing Faraday's name, Alex sighed involuntarily. He hadn't trusted that man since they first crossed paths at a club celebrating a successful mission.
«Alright, I'll let the others know. How much prep time do we have?» Alex asked, rubbing his eyes.
«About a month, maybe two. Why, what's it to you?» Maine sounded intrigued.
«Well, just enough time for me to prepare something useful...» Alex grinned.
«You're going to make your big, dangerous toys again?» Maine perked up.
«Something like that. Give me two months, and I'll build an atomic bomb,» Alex joked with a smile.
«Chum, I hope you're joking!» Maine replied, alarmed.
«Of course,» Alex laughed. «You think I'd keep something like that in the same apartment as Rebecca? I'll just get something ready in case things go south again.»
«Phew, you scared me. But you're right, best to keep something like that away from Rebecca,» Maine laughed. «Alright, chum, see you soon. I'm already at Dorio's—we've got a date. We'll keep in touch.»
«Alright, later,» Alex replied, ending the call.
As he was about to fall back asleep, he noticed that Kiwi, having woken up during his conversation, was watching him intently. She was curious why Maine had called at such an hour. Alex explained that a new job had come up, but for now, it was just in the planning stages. He quickly mentioned that Faraday was involved, so they should be ready for a possible setup. Kiwi nodded and, instead of going back to sleep, simply rested her head on his chest.
After lying together for a while, Alex and Kiwi headed to the shower, then went downstairs, where the others were already waiting. Alex immediately relayed Faraday's proposal, and Lucy pointed out right away that it sounded suspicious.
Alex couldn't disagree, adding that the whole thing reeked of trouble. So they all decided to prepare thoroughly, finishing up long-planned projects. Alex and Rebecca took on the main preparations, creating dangerous «toys» for the team.
Two months passed quickly. During that time, Maine contacted Alex several times, each time saying everything was almost ready but constantly postponing the meeting. Over these months, Alex managed to create various gadgets that might come in handy in the future—or maybe not.
One day, the girls started talking about weddings. Alex, coming out of his workshop, accidentally overheard the conversation when Rebecca bluntly stated that he should give her a ring to show she was «already taken.»
Alex nodded at her words, immediately forgetting why he'd come out in the first place, and returned to the workshop to start working on the rings. He decided to propose romantically, in locations that held significance for each of the girls. Gloria received her ring on the rooftop of the megabuilding, where they'd ended one of their dates; Lucy—on the Moon; Kiwi—during a visit to her childhood orphanage.
As for Rebecca, she simply approached Alex while he was working on her ring, snatched it out of his hand, and slipped it onto her finger, declaring that she didn't need all that romance. Instead, she said she'd prefer a big gun to go with the ring. Alex could only smile at her straightforwardness, knowing Rebecca wasn't a fan of romance but still loved to be spoiled.
Two months later, Maine finally called, announcing that everything was absolutely ready, and it was time to gather. Alex sat on the couch, waiting for everyone to get ready, understanding that the final curtain was already raised.
He'd figured this out partly because, despite spending a lot of time in his workshop, he still came out to spend time with the girls, and there was one piece of news he hadn't missed. It was reported that the number of cyberpsychos had hit a record low over the past month, as if they'd all disappeared at once. Alex heard noise from the second floor and saw the girls coming down, so he turned off the TV.
«Ready?» he asked, noticing how they adjusted their clothing.
They all nodded in response, including Hanako, who now felt more comfortable after reconnecting with her niece. Thanks to Alex, she had been able to establish contact with her and had maintained it through secure channels since then.
Hanako had become more confident and even felt at home in Alex's apartment, sometimes strolling around in just a robe—a habit that strict Gloria, now her close friend, didn't always appreciate. After saying goodbye to Gloria and Valery, the six-member team headed to the car, loading cases into the trunk.
After loading all the cases into the trunk, Alex sighed, realizing that what lay ahead was likely to be anything but pleasant. Sitting behind the wheel, instead of starting the engine, he rested his head on the steering wheel, trying to gather his thoughts. His expression grew darker as he thought about what he was about to face on this mission. Frustrated, he clenched his teeth, promising himself he'd knock the stuffing out of the Mechanic as soon as that man showed his face.
Living in this world had Alex on the edge, seeing daily news reports about kidnappings or the latest massacre caused by cyberpsychos. He'd already done so much to prevent some of the terrible events happening here, but ultimately, he'd discovered that an avatar of an Outer God was hiding in this world, responsible for much of its suffering.
The girls noticed Alex's state, with his head on the wheel and gritting his teeth in anger. Lucy placed her hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze to get his attention. «You okay?» she asked, concern in her voice.
Feeling the warmth of her touch, Alex took a deep breath, calming himself. He knew this stored-up rage might come in handy in the coming fight. Looking up, he saw the girls watching him with worry.
«I'm fine, just on edge from dealing with these messed-up avatars that have broken free and are scattered across the multiverse instead of having a peaceful life,» Alex replied, sighing.
«Don't worry! Once we take care of this idiot, we'll go off on some adventures and see new worlds,» Rebecca said cheerfully.
Hearing Rebecca's words, Alex sighed again. He'd thought the same thing last time, only to end up thrown into this world. He didn't regret ending up here, but he didn't want history to repeat itself. Just in case, he'd prepared something over the last two months in his workshop, readying himself for a showdown with the Mechanic.
«Enough of the gloom. The sooner I take care of this mutt, the sooner I can see other worlds,» Alex said, his eyes filled with determination.
«Exactly! A whole bunch of adventures awaits us,» Kiwi chimed in.
Alex smiled, nodded, started the engine, and headed toward the base where everyone was set to meet. On the way, Maine called, asking when they'd arrive. Alex replied that they were on their way and would be there soon. To lift his spirits, he turned on some music and began singing along with GIR, who shared Alex's taste in music.
Alex had also discovered that this world had anime, and quite a few interesting ones at that, so during breaks, he and GIR watched anime together. Now, on the drive, they sang the opening theme of a popular anime, much to the annoyance of the girls, who gave them strange looks. GIR even managed to start dancing. Alex hadn't expected to see that familiar anime in this world but was thrilled to watch it.
«Alright, together! Now singin' Bling-bang-bang, bling-bang-bang, bling-bang-bang-born!» Alex sang at full volume, encouraging the others to join in.
He continued singing with genuine joy, momentarily forgetting about everything else. Rebecca couldn't resist either and joined in, while Lucy and Kiwi exchanged surprised glances, seeing how Alex had completely lost himself in the anime. The whole group was in high spirits as they made their way to the garage. Once out of the car, Alex glanced at Falco, who was once again fiddling with the new van.
«Remember, don't mess with the power source unless you want to go to orbit,» Alex smirked, recalling how Falco had gone pale the first time he heard that, looking like a ghost.
Passing by Pilar and giving him a fist bump in greeting, Alex entered the house and sat down on the couch opposite Maine and Dorio, who were deep in discussion. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, trying not to think about the upcoming mission. Every thought about it led to one conclusion: it was going to be an epic battle with the Mechanic. Dorio noticed him and, smiling, greeted him.
«Hey, Alex.»
«Yo,» Alex replied, raising his hand in greeting without changing his posture.
Dorio smiled, used to his laid-back demeanor, and Maine, glancing at him with a smirk, said, «We'll finish up here and then get to the briefing. Just wait for about ten minutes.»
«Take your time, I'm resting for now,» Alex replied without opening his eyes.
At that moment, there was a sound from the training field: it seemed Rebecca had tried out a new weapon, prompting Pilar's excited shout, immediately asking his sister for something similar. Lucy approached Alex, settled comfortably, and laid her head on his lap. Alex felt her and gently stroked her hair, and Lucy, like a cat, rubbed her head against his leg.
Twenty minutes later, Maine and Dorio finished their discussion. The whole team had gathered in the living room. Kiwi came in holding a tablet, just like Lucy's. Rebecca and Pilar returned from the field, and Falco came in from the garage. Suddenly, GIR burst into the room, but not alone—he was accompanied by a new team member.
«Alex, who's this?» Maine asked in surprise, pointing to the unexpected addition.
Alex sat the newcomer on his lap and introduced them, «Meet MIMI, GIR's little sister.»
Those who weren't familiar with MIMI looked at her in surprise. MIMI looked similar to GIR, but their outfits were different. While GIR wore a green dog suit with a silly expression, MIMI's outfit was pink, featuring a pink skirt and a magical girl's costume, with a pink bow by her ear.
When Alex created MIMI, he thought this version would be more stable, not as crazy as GIR. But, as the saying goes: «It's not harmful to want.» In the end, MIMI turned out to be an exact copy of GIR, just as insane. Alex couldn't understand how that happened until he learned that GIR, the jealous robo-pup, had meddled with the code, making MIMI resemble him.
The only difference was that GIR was a mama's boy, while MIMI preferred to spend time with Alex. At first, Alex was pleased that MIMI had turned out to be the stable version, until he overheard a conversation between her and GIR about the Codex Astartes, and MIMI started calling herself the Battle Sister.
And now Alex had two little assistants, one of whom was an Ultramarine, and the other, a Battle Sister. So, Alex had to create another set of weapons and armor for MIMI to prevent her from fighting with GIR, which had been happening quite often over the past two months.
«So, who is she? Another clone of GIR, or a more balanced version?» Dorio asked, looking at the cute MIMI.
Alex just laughed, remembering how he had recently overheard their conversation about the Codex Astartes and how MIMI had referred to herself as a Battle Sister. Now, he had two little assistants: an Ultramarine and a Battle Sister.
A wistful sigh escaped from Alex and the girls at Dorio's question, as she immediately understood what was going on. A crooked smile appeared on Alex's face, his gaze tired.
«Unfortunately, this little creature, GIR, meddled with the code, and now I have another fan of the Emperor of Mankind at home,» Alex said with a wry grin.
The other members of the team gave Alex a sympathetic glance, and then turned their eyes to MIMI, who was sitting on his lap, swinging her legs like a well-behaved child. Their gazes then shifted to GIR, whose jealous look was full of resentment—as if MIMI were his worst enemy. In everyone's mind, they imagined endless arguments and noise that these two would create living in the same apartment.
«Ahem... well, let's get down to business,» Maine cleared his throat, distracting the team. «When I contacted Faraday about this job and learned the details, it became clear that this mission is extremely important.» He placed a small data shard on the table.
Alex glanced at the shard and, narrowing his eyes, told GIR to insert it into his slot so everyone could see the information. GIR stopped glaring at MIMI, jumped onto the table, and inserted the shard into his mouth, activating a holographic projection on the wall.
«Faraday wants us to intercept an Arasaka convoy traveling to Night City from another city. According to him, there's something extremely important in the main transport. Kiwi dug into the data and found out that this mission came from Militech, and Faraday is just an intermediary,» Maine explained, showing the information.
Alex nodded and asked GIR to upload all the data to his phone for further analysis. He began reviewing the mission and realized they knew almost nothing: no details about the cargo, the security, or the specifics of the transport itself. The mission was practically a complete unknown. Alex felt something was off—both the cargo and the transport were heavily classified. He rubbed his eyes, pondering what might be hidden behind this mission.
«Faraday mentioned it's experimental weaponry and refused to disclose the details, so we're working almost blind,» Maine shook his head.
Alex nodded again and turned his gaze to Kiwi, asking if she had managed to uncover anything. Kiwi nodded, connected a cable to GIR, and launched the available data.
«I managed to find a little. It seems to be some kind of suit, but what kind of suit it is and its exact parameters remain classified. All the test subjects so far have died during the trials, so they still haven't found a suitable candidate,» Kiwi summarized the information she found. «And honestly, I don't like working blind like this.»
Alex completely agreed with her; he also disliked unpredictability in business and preferred to cover all his bases in advance. As he wondered what kind of suit they were transporting, a growing suspicion began to form, and his face spread into a slightly sinister smile, which he quickly tried to hide. However, the girls noticed and immediately understood that Alex had come to a conclusion.
«Well, we know when and where the convoy will be passing… but what about the reward?» Alex asked, trying to hold back his smile.
The attention of the entire group shifted to Maine, who finally gave the much-anticipated answer:
«Several million each,» Maine said calmly, and Pilar even whistled at the amount.
Alex nodded, reflecting on the fact that such generosity might hint at the client's fear of refusal. He looked around at everyone, continuing to think aloud:
«The amount is certainly attractive, as if they're afraid we might turn it down. What do you all think of this mission?»
The team exchanged glances, considering Alex's question.
«We'll take it, but I'll say again: I still don't like working blind,» Kiwi responded with clear discontent.
Alex nodded in response to Kiwi's words and glanced at the other members of the group. They all nodded approvingly, agreeing to take on the job.
«If everything goes sideways and shit hits the fan, we can always bail and leave. We already have backup apartments to wait it out until things settle down,» Dorio said, clearly trying to reassure everyone.
Alex smiled, appreciating Dorio's foresight, but he was confident that in the end, everything would go according to plan.
«Alex, do you happen to have any devices that can breach the transport's security?» Maine asked, steering the conversation back to business and looking at Alex with interest.
«Yeah, I've got something. I put it together in my spare time, so hijacking the transport shouldn't be a problem. But, like Kiwi, I think this whole thing smells like trouble,» Alex expressed his doubts.
Maine nodded, agreeing with Alex's viewpoint and understanding his caution.
«I hope you brought your 'toys' in case everything doesn't go as planned. Your luck has turned against us more than once on missions. Of course, I'm not blaming you, just a reminder,» Maine winked, trying to maintain a serious face but struggling to hold back a smile.
«Haha, very funny. Yeah, I'm prepared. Took a couple of new toys, including a new type of ammo for the van's turrets. Even if there's an army there, we'll have enough to level half the city. So, don't worry about the firepower. Better watch out for what Rebecca might've swiped from my desk again,» Alex joked, glancing at Rebecca, who quickly turned away, pretending she hadn't heard.
The others exchanged puzzled glances, not fully understanding what Alex was talking about.
«Remember the explosion at the warehouse? Well, that was Rebecca's handiwork. She stole a bomb off his desk and set off a fireworks display,» Lucy explained, making it clear why Alex was worried.
The team nodded in understanding, recalling the earthquake-like explosion that had been felt all the way across the city. After that incident, Maine no longer took Alex's words about a «mini-arsenal» in his workshop as a joke.
«Well, since everyone's on board, it's time to get ready for the mission,» Maine concluded, wrapping up the briefing.
Alex nodded, transferring Mimi to Lucy's lap, then took hold of GIR's head and called for Falco to help. Falco followed Alex to the car, eyeing him with interest.
When they reached the trunk, Alex opened it and began unloading black cases of various sizes. He handed several of the cases to Falco and GIR to help carry them to the van. When Falco asked what was inside, Alex explained that they were new rounds for the turrets and a few other useful items for the mission. Falco noticed that Alex had left a few more cases in the car and asked what was in them.
«These are new weapons, in case we need to fight,» Alex simply replied.
Falco nodded and, without asking any more questions, headed for the van. Alex and GIR followed him, preparing for the upcoming mission.
To be continued...