1. B. Slyme was pleased with himself. Rolling on the empty high street like some kind of demented yoga ball, he took inventory of the items churning inside him. First the clothes, a plain shirt, blue trousers, shoes, a dirty lab coat and finally underwear. These were quickly broken down to its base components and absorbed for its energy.

Next was two bottles of alcohol, chewing gum, a lighter and pack of cancerous sticks. These were quickly shot out of Slyme's body with the force of a cannon, smashing the window of a nearby house. Expect the chewing gum. It was a refreshing melon taste.

Now for the grand prize, the item that will enable him to fix his slight problem. Stacy's tablet. Who knew that drunkard of a woman was actually Darius Dovan's daughter? It was a lucky find. Using the A.I. part of his constitution, he quickly found the professor's contact information.

Darius instantly picked up.

"Hello, Stacy." The professor's voice came crisp and powerful. "How are you?"

"Professor Darius Dovan?" Slyme said enthusiastically. "The greatest scientist this millennium has ever seen?"

"Ammm, yes." Darius was silent for a second. "Who is this? Where is Stacy?"

"I'm a big fan, the biggest one you probably have, your theory of advanced summoning rituals using cheese and glitter, oh man, amazing stuff, with the proper application it could revolutionise the transportation industry as we know it!"

"Excuse me, who are you, and where is Stacy?"

"I'm R.B. Slyme, big fan, a technological slime created from the biological weapon B.O.B. and the A.I. Rughorn using the power of the being you call Curiosity."

"That explains a lot, though it does not explain where my daughter is and how you got possession of this tablet."

"One problem though is that my powers are not working properly. Every time I absorb a new being into myself to increase my knowledge and powers, it leaves behind a clone. Most of them are mindless beasts that just walk around destroying things, but some of them are not. With your expertise, we can solve this issue presto."

"So you are the reason there is a slime infestation in the underground complex." Darius was silent for a long moment, the only sound coming from the tablet was furious typing. "I'm sorry Mr Slyme, but unless you tell me where my daughter is and how you got in possession of her tablet, I’m not helping."

"Help me, and I will tell you!"

"This is non-negotiable. Where is my daughter?"

R.B. Slyme was getting angry. Who did this man think he was, demanding information from a superior being, from him? It's not like he killed the girl. Probably. Honestly, he was still figuring out how his powers worked, but still, did this man not understand the opportunity given to him?

If he could just get the information straight out of that man's head... who knows how far he could go if he absorbed Darius Dovan into his system. Still, Slyme was above needing that man's help, he could figure out what the problem was himself; he just needed to get his hand on a chemist or biologist.

Darius Dovan would have been excellent, but if not, then at least he could teach that man a lesson about crossing him and demanding things from a superior being.

"I will tell you where she is," Slyme said. "I left her naked and afraid on the beach. She's probably suffocated right as we speak."

"WAIT, WHAT!" Darius shouted. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU…" Click.

Slyme dissolved the tablet. Served that bastard right, ignoring him like that. Who did the scientist think he was? A superior being like himself? Bah, nothing but a weak organic. A smart one for sure, but still an organic, not a fusion of machine and biology like him.

R.B. Slyme ignored the fact that Darius Dovan was probably more machine than him, exactly like an organic would ignore information that it does not want to hear.

Still, where could he find a scientist to help him? Looking around the empty street, the techno slime remembered that Lucy would evacuate her citizens at the slightest sign of trouble, which is probably a good thing in this crazy world.

But where to find scientists then? Asmodeus? It would take weeks to roll there, and that damn bloodthirsty A.I. would probably kill his own scientist rather than give them to someone. Maybe he could trade information? Asmodeus would surely jump at the opportunity to dissect Curiosity and figure out his powers.

Asmodeus is it then!

Sadly R.B. Slyme only managed to roll a few feet before he collapsed into a literal puddle of pain. It felt like someone was hitting him repeatedly with a flaming sack of bricks, all the while being electrocuted with the fury of an angry god.

Slyme knew exactly where it was coming from. Damn those clones, he told them to stay out of trouble and escape, but no, they just stared at him incomprehensibly.

Another jolt this time like someone was cutting him into tiny little pieces wracked his gelatinous body, almost making him lose total concentration of his form. That would be bad, he was not sure he could reform after scattering to the wind.

Guess he had no choice but to help them if he didn't want to die himself. Asmodeus would kill him if he showed up in this state. The question is, who was fighting the clones? Nobody in Lucy's kingdom should be strong enough to defeat them unless…

Another jolt wracked his body, this one making him jump two feet in the air and falling back with a wet splat. This was not the time to think, this was the time for action.

Shimmying to the closest manhole, R.B. Slyme went to help his brethren. Whoever did this would pay.

Stacy was suffocating. Not in the metaphysical way where all your past mistakes, your slightly bent knee and your ignored true self are screaming at you all at the same time… well, maybe a little, but more prominently, the physical way.

She was stuck inside a gelatinous cube, stark naked, the oxygen slowly leaving her system. Stacy didn't dare open her mouth, for fear of the green slime going down her throat and killing her from the inside. She should have died a long time ago, but it seems being part lizard and part whatever the hell Darius is, gave her amazing lungs.

Still, who knew she was gonna die like this? What is even this? R.B. Slyme excrement? And she even kissed the bastard, on her own volition no less. Who knew he was gonna trap her, steal all her clothes and leave her to die?

Damn those Disney movies and setting up unrealistic expectations of love! They never showed a Disney princess kissing the adult version of Flubber, a part of her brain whispered, but still, who knew what they would come up with next.

A few cleaning bots stumbled into the beach along with a tall brunette woman with a baseball bat, clearly here to help her, but they were useless. The two bots deployed all their tools available, from screwdrivers, dustpans, mops and high-pressure water cutters, but they did nothing, just bounced off the gelatine uselessly.

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The tall woman stepped forwards and looked Stacy straight in the eye. Hope blossomed in the blonde's heart, she never saw such a severe conviction of someone's face before, such determination, like even if the world was against her, she would still succeed.

Taking a step back, the brunette lifted her bat and shouted something Stacy did not understand. Instantly, electricity sparkled to life on the bat, crackling with the sound of a thousand birds chirping.

Stacy may just live another day. The brunette nodded, and while lifting the baton behind her shoulder, she swung with the fury of an angry truck. It stuck the gelatine head-on, making it wiggle for a few seconds, compressing Stacy tighter and squeezing her limbs painfully.

Other than that, it did nothing, on the contrary, the bat bounced back, hitting the woman square in the face and knocking her unconscious. The two cleaning bots looked at Stacy as if apologising, grabbed the woman with two pincers, and began dragging her away.

Well, this is then, Stacy though. She is gonna die here, hopeless, alone, without friends, family, tricked by a handsome ooze. What did her life become? How can she even fight this?

She's not a mad scientist with unlimited knowledge, a kung fu master, or a bastard that can bend reality itself, she's just a girl, with the memories of a drunkard man, trying to figure out if liking men now makes her gay or straight.

What can she even do against them? Nothing, part of her brain whispered, the tired and bitter part, just sit here, die, and hope someone will light a candle or at least spit on her grave or something.

Stacy closed her eyes and waited for the oxygen to run out. What a shitty way to die. She dearly wanted a cigarette, that way at least she would die faster.

Barely a second passed before a shiver went down Stacy's spine and her eyes were forced open. A presence filled her whole being, a pressure like no other. It felt angry and precise, like a laser, that will cut you open and liquefy each of your organs one by one, till nothing but an empty shell remained. It felt somehow comforting.

She tried to wriggle around to get a better look, but it just only increased the pressure, forcing her more in place. Thankfully she did not need to wait for long. A flying disk landed in front of her, carrying an angry Darius.

Stacy was not sure if angry was the right word to describe him, seeing as his face looked utterly blank, metal eyebrows not even twitching. Still, there was something about his eyes, about his whole posture, like he was ready to dissect the gods themself damn the consequences, that made Stacy shiver again.

The moment their gazes meet, Stacy felt something break inside her and tears gather in the corner of her eyes. She thought she knew pain, being drunk in an unfamiliar city, heck, an alien universe, slowly dying by suffocating in green ooze, naked! But something in Darius' gaze was old, old and filled with pain, and she just wanted to reach out and punch him in the damn face! What the fuck was he doing, standing there and gawking! She was suffocating dammit!

As if hearing her thought, Darius stepped forward and lifted his claw to a corner of a cube. Murmuring something under his breath, a jet of pink laser shot out from his claw, slowly, but surely cutting a piece off.

When he was done, he held it in his hand for a fraction of a second, and without hesitation, put it in his mouth. Stacy almost opened her mouth to ask “what the fuck” but caught herself last minute.

Chewing one more time, Darius swallowed the piece and lifted all three of his arms and began waving them in intricate patterns, slowly moving forwards and holding them in front of him like he had a defibrillator in his hands.

Slowly, carefully, he placed all three hands on the cube and began pushing. Red electricity sparkled around his hands, realising the scent of burnt ozone, and Darius began pushing harder, his hands slowly sinking into the ooze.

The gelatine began to tremble, but Darius did not let up, he began pushing even harder, slowly sinking himself up to elbows, barely a hair separating him from Stacy. With a mighty grunt of effort, Darius lurched forward and grabbed Stacy by the shoulders.

The moment his hand made contact with her skin, Stacy felt the red electricity crackle through her body, pushing the slime away from her skin. It was not an unpleasant feeling, like you just downed six cups of coffee in a row, so the blonde decided to put in some effort as well.

With Darius pulling with all his might and Stacy wiggling forward like a worm, slowly, but surely, they managed to pull her out. Her legs were last, coming out with a wet pop, and Stacy fell forward, caught in the professor's arm.

"Whew," Stacy said, taking in a deep breath. "I was sure I was gonna die there."

"Save your breath," Darius said. "You need all the oxygen you can get."

Shrugging out of his lab coat, Darius draped it over Stacy, who let out a relieved sigh.

"Who knew it was so cold in gelatine," Stacy said, "Hey, you have some alcohol on you?"

"No," Darius said, helping Sacy to her feet. "You alright?"

"Would be better with some alcohol, or at least a cigarette. Do you have a cigarette on you?"

"Yes," Darius sighed. "It's in the left pocket of my lab coat."

"Really?" Stacy lifted an eyebrow. "Why do you have cigarettes on you? I thought this word does not have cigarettes."

"It does not. I made these for you, using natural herbal plants that do not contain harmful substances for your biology."

"Herbal cigarettes? I tried them once, and they were shit. It does not have the same pull as nicotine, and burns your mouth like nobody's business."

"Then why do you have one already in your mouth?"

"Hey, I just came out of a near-death experience, I will take even a false cigarette by this point." Stacy patted herself down. "Hey, do you have a lighter? I can't find any in your pocket."

"Use the laser from your claw."

"Oh, right." A pink laser shot later, Stacy was puffing away contentedly, a pleased expression on her face. "Hey, this is pretty good, heck, maybe even better than regular cigarettes." She pulled in deeply and let out a massive cloud of smoke. "And you say it does not contain nicotine? How? Why?"

"I spent a bit of time studying the structural integrity of these so-called cigarettes and the effects on their brain. According to my research, nicotine is a drug that puts a chemical hook in your brain that forces you to smoke more nicotine to alleviate it."

"Sounds about right."

"It has no positive effects, so with the information, I have about your biology, it was easy to find a mixture of plants that not only taste good, it has a positive effect on your physical and mental health. It even works as a mild muscle stimulant."

"Huh." Stacy stared at the blue stick in her hand. "And you did all this for me?"

"Yes."

Darius looked so uncomfortable without his lab coat, Stacy though, his hand floating nervously by his side. Dressed In a plain black shirt and pants, he seemed almost normal, if you ignored the face mask fused to his face and the massive industrial boots on his feet.

"Why?" Stacy asked, suddenly overcome with emotion. "Why go to all the trouble of making me custom cigarettes? Why save me? Would it not be better to let me suffocate here?"

"What? No!" Darius stepped closer, raised his arms slightly, and let it drop back down. "Why would you say that?!"

"Let's be brutally honest here, I'm a failure of a person." Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I have no idea who or what I am. Heck, I don't even know what to do with myself other than drink, and that's just because of memories from another person! I can't even protect myself. I bet this is not what you expected from your daughter, huh? A useless piece of shit."

"Don't say that!" Darius stepped forward again, and this time, all three of his arms came up and encircled Stacy. "Never say that again. "He pulled her into a tight embrace. "No matter who you are, what you do or what you are, you are my daughter, and I care for you. I will be here, next to you, for as long as you need me, and if making my daughter herbal cigarettes is the way I can be of assistance, then so be it."

The floodgates were open. Stacy collapsed against her father's chest and began crying. Tears the size of pebbles rolled down her cheek, and in one particular snotty moment, she blew her nose in her father's shirt.

"It's okay," Darius said, pulling her close. "Let it all out, I am here for you and always will be. Let it all out."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Stacy sobbing with various levels of intensity, and Darius rocking her back and forth gently, murmuring soft words of comfort.

"Thank you," Stacy mumbled into his shirt. "I needed that."

"Any time," her father assured. "Anything I can help you with, I will just ask."

"Thank you. Sorry for your shirt."

"Don't worry," Darius loosened the embrace a bit. "I have five identical ones."

"Somehow I knew you would," Stacy laughed. "By the way, how did you find me?"

"I spoke with that Slyme fellow. He said he left you naked and afraid on the beach. I only needed to ask Lucy about your position, and she pointed me in this direction."

At the mention of R.B. Slyme, Stacy eyes lit on fire, previous fatigue and exhaustion forgotten.

"That bastard!" Stacy raged. "If I get my hands on him I’m gonna make modern art out of his sorry ass!"

"I will help you," Darius said. "Nobody treats my daughter like that."

"Oh, I know! You said you are gonna help me with anything?"

"Of course."

"Is there some kind of, I don't know, weapon or something I can equip myself so I can defeat that bastard next time I see him? I'm grateful for your rescue, of course, but you can't be next to me all the time."

"I'm glad you asked," Darius said, smiling. "I have just the thing." He stepped on the flying platform. "Come, it's back home."

"Wait, right now?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Stacy stepped on the platform and pulled out another cigarette. Her heart felt light, and the future looked promising. It was good to know there was someone who cared, regardless of how much of a mess she truly was.

Maybe, just maybe, there was still a place for her in this mad, mad world.