“Ugh…”

Chimera was not feeling good at the moment.

“So, how are you feeling?”

“Like we just shoved a warehouse into my body.”

Meghan snickered at her, “well, half a port's worth of stuff is pretty close if not more. So yeah, good to know your limits right?”

“I hate this, I hate everything…”

“Well, no worries, just leave the talking to me.”

“You? But you hate talking, and people, and social interaction?!”

Meghan made a disgusted sound, “don’t remind me. I’m dropping onto this grenade for you so be grateful.”

Chimera smiled weakly at her friend.

“Thanks.”

“No problem blobo.”

…

Meghan picked up Chimera, fastening her to the back of her power armor with a few pieces of super velcro.

She had to shift the desktop she was carrying off to the side, but there was plenty of room for the kid and… well arguably the other kid if the desktop’s innocence was to be believed.

Despite the weirdness that would likely ensue from looking like this, Chimera let it happen, as it meant she didn’t have to focus on walking anymore.

“Mom, when can we get ice cream?”

“Not until after your dinner.”

They both laughed for a bit as Livewire shot up through the hole that led to the underground medical butchery.

With the cafeteria in sight and a disgruntled looking Warden glaring at them, along with a bunch of other guards, Livewire decided to move herself and Chimera to the other side of the hole.

Livewire checked the back pack she had, calling out to Lunatop, it was easier than saying Luna’s desktop all the time.

“Looks like your owner wants to break you to hide the evidence.”

“No! She would never!”

Lunatop was an innocent intelligence, and Meghan had come in looking like a police woman who was trying to help keep her safe from bad guys, ones who did a Stockholm Syndrome on the poor girl.

Man, I hate it when I have to bring bad news to people.

“Don’t let them get away with that desktop! If she does, you’ll all be out of a job!”

The guards looked a bit conflicted as they peered over at her.

“She helped with the riot though…”

“She’s a hero right? If we do that…”

“I can’t lose this job though!”

Livewire sighed as she readied her escape.

This, this right here is why I hate people.

Whether it was their self-serving nature, the ease from which they would take the easy way out, or just their penchant for betrayal like this, Meghan hated people.

Still, she wouldn’t leave without at least giving them a chance.

“Hey, everybody. All the data on this desktop is incriminating her as a flesh seller to a broker, nothing about you guys are on it. In fact, all the personnel below,” she pointed at the hole, “are down there trying to hide the evidence. I bet that if you did your freaking jobs, maybe your asses won’t join her in these cells after the heroes get here.”

“Heroes?”

“They’re coming here?”

“Then…”

All as one, the guards turned on the Warden, cuffing her and spreading out to check out the facility below.

One of the guards, clearly the vice-warden as she wasn’t wearing a uniform like the others, walked up to Livewire with a grateful smile.

“Thank you for that. Luna had these poor folks blackmailed and wrapped around her fist like they were her personal army. I’ve been trying to crack this place down for years, and you basically did all the work for me.”

Livewire looked at her skeptically, “doesn’t this help with your promotion?”

The woman chuckled a bit, “this place is going to be remade after the heroes get here. There’s no way they would allow another prison riot like this.”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The woman pulled out a badge, one with the Hero’s League symbol on it.

“Name’s Mara Connely, though I’m better known as Investigator.”

Meghan felt a spike of fear at that.

Crap, a Hero… well, it’s not like she knows.

Livewire took a hold of the hand that she just realized Investigator was holding out to her.

“Livewire, I’m a freelancer.”

Investigator smiled, “yes I know, came in here with that girl on your pack. Chimera was it?”

Livewire put a hand on her friend, “She just got done fighting one of Dr. Pox death chiildren, the bastard that you all were keeping here. We were following…”

Livewire explained the circumstances of their reason, a plan that Chimera and her came up with for Livewire.

Chimera had been taken in by the scientist like a mother figure, and she being the brilliant scientist and inventor decided to help the little one.

After that, they kept mostly to the truth, leaving out the details about the death child Aura at the fight arena.

“Some one had been using mind control on the scientists there, and our trail led us here, to Blackrock. Once we got here, the Warden over there told us to stay.”

“Then the riot started.”

“Yup, and we dove into the place to help, Chimera went ahead to find the scientists, but it was too late. The bastard Dr. Pox got away on a submarine that was hidden in a port under the place. Chimera had to fight that Terralord guy, and a few casualties were the result.”

“Is the subject still alive?”

“No, Terralord died to his injuries, but it’s alright, we got the information about their rendezvous. Chimera?”

“What? What’s happening?”

“Where’s the places you found, the ones that Dr. Pox would go to?”

“The Hero’s League Plaza, that’s where they were to meet if Terralord had to be left behind.”

Investigator nodded, “We’ll have to check out the place ourselves first, and of course you little one can’t be a part of that operation. Dr. Pox isn’t a normal villain like the rank and file. You just focus on recovering yeah?”

Chimera nodded weakly at her.

“Good girl. Now, Livewire was it? I’ll have a few more questions for you after this. Do you have a residence I can meet you at later?”

Livewire answered her, but inside Meghan was squirming.

Ugh, I don’t want this woman anywhere near my Bots and Printy. Probably give me some kind of citation or something.

Maybe I should build a Legal Botty to help…

At that moment, the innocent intelligence of Lunatop came alive, borrowing one of the Mekka’s to see around her.

‘Ms. Meghan, why is my user tied in bonds?’

Well, she broke the law, and she did some terrible stuff to some other humans.

She would never though! My creator user is such a nice person, she even cleans me of malware everyday, there’s just no way she would be evil!

Sometimes, people can believe they're doing good while also doing evil, once I get you an internet connection, you’ll see.

…I am not sure I want one, if it makes my creator user look bad.

Don’t keep you’re eyes from the truth just because its scary, or you don’t like the answer. Its our job to know things and use that information for the benefit of all.

…Is that what a hero would do, User Meghan?

Even when it’s annoying, or bad, or even a pain in the ass, heroes will do what they can to save as many people as possible.

But, by that logic, why did you take all of those documents and materials from the guards and heroes? Isn’t that a bad thing to do?

Sheesh, that was villain stuff, and the heroes would use it to catch the bad guys, same as me! I’m appropriating vital resources to assist our endeavours.

…You’re stealing to help?

I’m stealing to help us, which is helping the public so we can kick ass a lot better than today.

Sometimes, people believe they are doing good-

Yes, I realize I am being a hypocrite, but I don’t sell flesh to people like your creator did.

She did what?!

Livewire felt a headache brewing as both the Investigator and the innocent intelligence battered her with questions.

A hermit, I should just live as a damn hermit in the mountains, maybe Mt. Arhn, that place looked nice in the magazines.

…

Chimera couldn’t help but smile as her friend tried to salvage the conversation’s she no doubt was botching.

Still, it made her feel warm and fuzzy knowing she was willing to do this for her.

Got to make it up to her so far.

Chimera reached out to touch the desktop, and using her technopathy, downloaded the rest of the information from the computer.

Which had its own implication.

User Meghan, my files have been copied! There is a virus a foot!

Chimera sighed, “Listen to me for a second Lunatop, I was the one who did that.”

Lunatop is afraid, how did the fleshy blob girl do this?

With magic and science, no worries, I didn’t do anything untowards you. I just copied the files for later use, since we likely have to give you to the heroes when they arrive.

B-But I do not want to leave User Meghan. I can speak, I can think! I have thoughts beyond my code! Please don’t let them take me!

Gosh, you are a whiny little tot aren’t you?

“Hey, Chimera? She’s my desktop now, so no go on making her a part of the evidence.”

But, she’s a computer?

“Never took you for a techsist.”

What in the made up hell is that?

“One who sees technology as nothing more than a tool for humans to use, as opposed to the partners and people we come to know and appreciate.”

You can’t be serious, they were literally made for being tools!

“Times change Chimera, technopathy opens the door for new intelligence to be made whole. I’m giving her a body after this too.”

Now you’re being crazy!

Moms, please stop fighting!

“Chimera see? She’s your baby too, since you gave me technopathy.”

Fine! Whatever, she can stay!

Thanks Chimera-mom!

“Aww, isn’t she precious?”

Chimera disconnected from the feed before her brain melted from the cuteness overlord.

Still too full to move, she decided to finally do something that she hadn’t done in a while.

Chimera grabbed a hold of a power that one of the prison guards had gifted her when she was healing one earlier.

She put herself to sleep.