"Kynine, how is FABIAN's Hunter build coming?"

"If all goes well, one more week, and all will be in place."

FABIAN's black visor face upon a lustrous, gunmetal grey mechanical body, bustling with hydraulic hoses and motors, stands roughly 2 meters in height. He is armed with similar weapons to Lorianne's setup, but with a sword instead of fixed blades, surrounded by bots joining, welding, and inserting parts.

"I suspect the crowds will still miss Lorianne's style, if anything, her imperfections... but better to have and not need, than need and not have."

"Indeed," Dr. Honoko flatly mutters, eyes not removed from her tablet, full of schematics and minisucle text.

"The engineering team is out for lunch. I'm only here to bridge the gap between FABIAN's movements and strucutre to and the biomechanics of subjects like Ms. Kruger or Ms. Ardoro."

"Splendid. I anticipate a return on our investments."

"I am honored to be part of it," she extends her thin hand for a shake, looking up to me.

I wrap both of my hands over hers, and leave a keycard in her palm. "A bonus for your efforts," I grin.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

She tilts her head in curiosity. "Thank... you?"

"Brilliance like yours will quickly discover what it's for," I grin as I walk away. "Enjoy responsibly."

~~

More screenshots of Lorianne and the baby Jackals circulate TwigPost. Perhaps there is indeed no such thing as bad publicity. It's ultimately a wash. On one end is a boycott. On the other, is more eyes on the franchise to begin with.

"The Jackal Hunter is killing Jackals for Elin and her cadre to eat in a sick animal-abuse show while the average Hedonian is desperately looking for work and starving!"

"The entire reason Jackals want to kill us, is because of that disgusting show that kidnaps and kills Jackals in the first place!"

Rattling emerges from my office in the next room over. I walk to find Diogenes chewing on my canvas, and clawing at the screen.

"Tsk, tsk," I administer a shock through his collar via MIRCS. He yips, spasms, clawing at the air, and collapses in submission. "Regardless of how unsettling the images may be, you are not permitted to destroy my artwork."

I reach over to grasp him by his abdomen, and take him to his kennel. He helplessly looks back and forth, to and away from my face. "Once released, behave yourself, please."

Glancing over to the tattered canvas and stand, it decides to produce a warped reflection of me. I turn my head back and forth, examining my abnormally large nose on one side, and bulbous forehead and left eye on another. "Woman must control her beasts, both outside her, as well as within."

A beast. Like Lorianne. She too, is biting and clawing at something, something clearly very painful to her, far worse than any momentary electrocution.