Jack and Nicole sat on the edge of the deck, facing the ocean.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked. He noticed her black lipstick, thinking about the answer. “I'm the Evil one. What’s the plan for us?” she repeated.

“I don’t know yet.”

“That’s not reassuring.” She admitted.

“Well, for you the plan is whatever you want. We all accept you. Granted, having 2 Nicoles would be a struggle. Just one is a handful.” He joked. “But you have the same human rights as she does. Hyde, on the other hand. He has enemies, he has unresolved issues, and he doesn’t exist according to records. He can’t even buy a beer without an ID, or buy anything without credit, can’t open a bank account, and can’t get a job, nothing legal. He may have no choice but to go off-world. Technically, if someone walked right up to him in public and shot him down, they’ve only committed the crime of owning a gun. A stabbing wouldn’t even get a fine because he’s nobody.”

“If he leaves, I’m going with him.”

“You’re a 28-year-old gamer girl from a small town, who barely survived moving here, honestly without us and Vinn you may not survive.

“I don’t have Vinn here either. I can't be around him every day watching him with another woman, knowing I can't have him, just being ‘friends’ is fine with all of you guys, but not him. This week has been rough on me, it’s not better just because I repress. The man I love is married to someone else. And you think I’d be okay living here? Single, alone?”

“Well, the only solution would be to get a place close by and live alone, and without Hyde by your side that would be lonely. I get it. I just don’t have a solution.”

“I might.” said a deep female voice behind them. It was the lawyer robot, but her red eyes were bright blue.

“You hacked the robot to spy on us, Gizzy?” Jack chuckled.”

“Well I didn’t know what Hyde was planning, so I said screw that shit, and tapped into the bot. I told you I’m everywhere. I can fix your Hyde problem.”

“At a cost, I assume.”

“Obviously, no favor is free, and we all need them.” She said casually as Hyde approached.

“I don’t believe we’ve officially met.” He said, staring her down.

“Yea we have.”

“Gizzy hacked your lawyer.”

“Right. Buy you knew Kraken, you never met Hyde. Couldn’t show up in person even for your own creations?” he accused.

“Hyde, I get that you’re angry, and you’ll have your chance to get even, and I’ll work my magic to get you an ID and basic rights again. But you need to drop the attitude and do me a favor first. Right now the council is against me for a murder you committed.”

“Self defense.” Nicole corrected.

“Well, either way, I had nothing to do with it. They don't believe me. They can’t convict me, but they can turn against me and in the council, favor is everything. If they even THINK you stabbed another member in the back, you lost every vote you take, and they will cripple your power. So the best thing I have to prove my innocence is, well, you Hyde.” Gizzybot smiled.

“And you plan to take me down there if I agree or not, right?”

“Hyde you killed an elder of the council, you’re gonna take it in the ass for that in some measure, but I can get the sentence lightened or voided if you cooperate. No more living like a fugitive. You can stay here, get a place with Nicole, Hell we’ll dig a hole and park your ship in it, classify it as a mobile home. I don’t care.” She scoffed as he stepped up, towering over the bot. “You really think that’s intimidating. I’m right in testicle reach, and all you can do is kill your own robot and delay me slightly."

“And why should I trust you? You’re the reason I’m here.”

“I gave you life, asshole. Your older self got himself killed, that should have been the end of it. He had zero respect or honor from anyone but the damn purists you no longer value, so if I can get your citizenship back, what have you really lost? And you gained her. I did most of that, back off and let me cook.”

“It appears you seem to have my soul in your hand, just like Jack.”

“No, Jack was just dealt a bad hand, and we assisted one another. You created your bad hand, and now you’re mad that you had to pay up. You can’t challenge yourself to the pit and fight Kraken for your honor, you gotta do what everyone else does and start from scratch, make friends, earn favors.”

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“Nicole, Honey, whichever one you are…can you leave us alone for a while?”

“Why, so you can have more secrets to use against me?”

“Secrets to use FOR you.” She insisted. Hyde motioned for them to walk, and the two of them began a scenic tour of the property as Nicole threw her arms up in frustration.

“Let them work.” Jack whispered.

“Every time we let you work for her, you seem to come back a little bit less whole.”

“I can get you that honor fight.” Gizzy muttered.

“Against whom?” he asked coyly.

“Me of course. You want your chance, I’m giving it to you, I could use the show, I could use the distraction, and you could use the respect of the people. I’ll even make it a whole festival.”

“And if I lose, I’m dead as I was before you made me.”

“Listen bucko, I can clone you again, even give you a new face. Either you win back your rights or I cheat and make you someone else. Now as we both know there is the risk of you not making it entirely back. Your memory has foggy spots because we lack the experience in cloning Delmarians to guarantee anything. It’s not like making a new Jack where he’s seamless and perfect and nobody knows the difference, You’re about 80 percent complete, and the other 20 percent was just some bullshit brain filler needed to make a whole brain. It functions, but it’s not who you were. You may lose another 20 percent and come back a drooling idiot, or the same 20 percent again and be someone brand new. That’s the cost, Hyde. You want revenge, I want revenge for you stabbing a council member and leaving me to go down for it. So we settle this like Delmarians, in exchange for me getting you a life back, you confess in court, and we roll the dice if you die. That’s life. Favors, trades, and luck.”

“And you won’t cheat to win the fight, now will you?” he asked.

“I’m insulted. I cheat to make things equal and fair, set things right. In matters of fair honor, I fight fair. That’s why a lot of my enemies respect me, and the ones who stab me in the back end up dead.”

“Then off the records, I accept your challenge to the pit. Don’t tell Nicole. She won’t understand.”

“No she won’t, and I was going to suggest you don’t tell her.”

“You know I may be a copy of a fighter, but dying teaches you things, like never underestimating your opponent.”

“Preaching to the choir, Hyde.”

“Can I ask you an unusual favor?” Hyde asked.

“You just did.”

“If I die. Instead of cloning me back… Would it be possible to clone Vinn instead?” he asked.

“Now that is the first thing you have said that really surprises me. Hyde you’re a rather unpredictable beast, but you know the risk would be the same of him coming back as something not quite Vinn, and do you think your Nicole wants to fly away with a broken Vinn rather than the man who fought me for her? It’s a noble thought, and it just further proves what you are, evolving. The 20 percent of your personality that’s missing can be filled with what you want yourself to be. So stop thinking like that and just be a better you. For all you know, what you become over time may be more than Vinn ever could be. Or maybe you’re scared to come back without a soul again, and you’d rather throw Vinn under the buss to make her happy in a twisted way. Either reason, it’s a little dark and a little clever, and I respect that. No Hyde, you get cloned as you are, and you come back as close as I can get you. Maybe this time I get you 95 percent back and the little errors just make you less of a dick. Either way, you two will always have that primal drive to fight each other for her, even if you each have your own all to yourself. Because you’ll wonder what he’s doing better than you, and which of you she deserves. So use that competitive drive for something useful, being the best you that you can be for the woman you love. I’ve done the same thing. See you in court.” She smiled, winking and her eyes turning red, her expression going deadpan and her posture changing, she turned around and walked back, just a drone again. Hyde strutted back, feeling almost noble and far from confident, more…hopeful.

“You’re right Jack.”

“I usually am, but how so?” he asked.

“Selling your soul to that devil does hurt inside, but somehow her prices do seem worth it."

“Why do you think I keep coming back?” he said, tossing him a canned beverage.

Vinn plopped down next to them, bringing the cooler of meat for the cookout. His phone buzzed and he sighed.

“Well, don’t start the grill yet, The Nicoles are up to something. They said they’re gonna be down here a bit late.”

They sat in their old room, both cross legged and looking nervous and excited.

“Do you think we should?” asked one of them, irrelevant at this point.

“We have to know. You know we have to know.”

“What if only one of us gets to go?”

“I got the same message you did at the same time.

“Well I’m going, and I wouldn’t feel right going without you, you’re twice as much Menacodian as I am.”

“Yea, but you’re older than me. You’ve been curious longer.” She said as the door opened with a knock and Vinn stood there looking concerned

“Change of plans, us 3 are not doing the cookout. Double Aught Buck has a mission, and it involves you two.”

Dee and Silverback stood silently, roasting marshmallows over the grill.

“You ever wonder why we’re the only ones that never get secret missions?” she asked.

“Of course not. I’m old, and you’re…very attractive but lacking in the ability to keep secrets.” He yawned.

“I wanna get called away on spy shit sometime, or at least invited.” Dee said, peering at Hyde across the lawn as he smiled and raised a can.

"No you don’t. You’d die. You can’t even steal a suspicious device from a sleeping Delmarian.” He said pausing and giving her a weird look.

“Okay it was a sex toy not a bomb. I get it. We’re not built for spy shit.”

“Honey, we’re doing fine. We got the club tomorrow, we got Fondue night after that. The last thing we need is our active and simple lives complicated with some dangerous…” he paused. She gave him a smirk and he smirked back.

“Secret agent roleplay sex?” she asked.

“God, it’s like you can read my mind.” He said, putting down the mallows.

“Can I live stream it for the channel?” she asked.

“Dee, why would you even ask that? Of course we’re gonna live stream it, I’ll be in disguise the whole time.” He said, as if obvious. They both abruptly power-walked to the house past Jack and Vicki.

“Jack, I swear if your phone rings, and you get up and leave me all alone to fix someone’s fridge...” She scolded. He held up the phone and turned it off.