《Witch of the Web》


 Placeholder Prologue

Placeholder ProloguePrologue S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So I did have a prologue here, but I ended up not liking it. So I''m deleting it and leaving this placeholder. I''m adding the next chapter right away.

 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1Chapter 1


    Security is an art regardless of what anyone will try and tell you. It takes creativity, dedication, and skill to make the finest defenses known to any Sapien. So it should come as no surprise that I am absolutely mind fuckingly livid as one of my security cameras goes down. It¡¯s a travesty of the highest order and I will not stand for it. Well, I don¡¯t really stand for many things these days, but that¡¯s a whole other matter.


    I wheel my chair over to another security monitor, getting caught on a cable and cursing under my breath, as I watch carefully for signs of who¡¯s disabling them. I really need to get some coverings on these things, but that would require that I invite someone into my sanctum, and that just isn¡¯t going to happen, ever.


    As I do every time I get stuck on something, or am stymied by stairs, or get a pitying look from a stranger, I pull up my bank account in the corner of my vision. So close to a new spine. I just need a few more jobs and I¡¯ll be out of this damn chair. Stupid thing was broken when I got it and isn¡¯t much better now. Am I forgetting something?


    Right. Yes. The intruder.


    I manage to spot something on the feed at the last second before it goes dark. It isn¡¯t the culprit, but it clearly tells me who it is. Only one group uses the particular camera hack that is currently blinding me.


    Fucking Loggers.


    Members of the Lanadel Oversight Group, or LOG for short, they¡¯re the bane of everything. Imagine giving a bunch jack-booted thugs the goal of policing a world without them having any authority. Now give them an ego to match their false authority, and you get why I hate them.


    I glance back at my workstation and bite my lip. My choices are hope that my automated defense stop a Logger, which is admittedly not likely, wipe my drives clean and set myself back hundreds if not thousands of creds, thus further delaying myself from getting a new spine, or I could try option C and try my luck at convincing the Jack they got the wrong guy. Since A is a lost cause and B will probably get me killed anyways when the Logger realizes what I did - Well I guess we¡¯re going with option C.


    Fuck. Me.


    I turn my computer off and spin around to face the single entrance to my workshop. Before I know it, I¡¯m face to face with the jack-booted, self righteous, curvy, and tall, so very tall. What was I saying? Ok look, she¡¯s gorgeous, and I have a thing for tall ladies, okay? Plus she¡¯s a redhead and she¡¯s got a killer physique. She looks like a fitness model in a perfectly tailored suit. Still, she¡¯s a logger and I really need to not look like I¡¯m perving on her. I¡¯ve been shot for less.


    ¡°Welcome to my shop. Normally I don¡¯t take customers directly, but what the heck, why not make an exception. Name¡¯s Viktor. You can call me Vik. What can I do ya for?¡± I try to be smooth and sound like I¡¯m in control. It does not work as she just stares at me with a thinly veiled look of disgust. This little staring match goes on for an uncomfortable amount of time before either of us tries to say something. ¡°Look, if you¡¯re not here for a job, and you¡¯re not going to shoot me in the spine or something, please show yourself out,¡± I say, trying to be at least somewhere polite.


    ¡°Viktor Shadewind, I¡¯m going to give you two options,¡± she growls, like honest to god growls. It¡¯s kind of hot. No! Bad brain, focus. ¡°You will perform a job for me, you will be paid well, and I will leave you to your devices.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s option B?¡± I have to ask. I know what it is, but I like making them admit it out loud.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be arrested and charged with counterfeit webworld access code production, backdoor creation, data theft, possession of stolen data, possession of illegal defense drones and the list goes on. You¡¯ll be imprisoned for life.¡± Huh. I had thought she¡¯d threaten to beat my ass like most of her buddies do.


    ¡°Soooo, my choices are do my job or get killed right?¡± Oh I like the look on her face when I say that. ¡°Because you know that¡¯s what will happen if you throw me in a prison, right? I can¡¯t exactly defend myself, so I¡¯ll absolutely get my ass iced. Not to mention, look at me. I¡¯m small and scrawny. Some big burly fucker will probably deflower my chocolate cornhole while they are shanking me.¡± Now she looks really uncomfortable.


    ¡°That¡¯s not -¡± she starts to say.


    ¡°Not what? Not what happens? Don¡¯t make me laugh,¡± I say,cutting her off. ¡°But you know what, I like living and not having my bowels rearranged by some dude¡¯s XTC 9000: Horse Cock Edition. So tell me what the job is.¡±


    She clears her throat and gives me a look somewhere between pity and discomfort. I think I prefer the disgusted sneer from before. Still, money is money, and I¡¯m way too close to a new spine to turn down any job, even one from scum of the earth loggers. Though the irony is not lost on me, since it was one of those wack jobs that put me in this chair in the first place. Long story, though, for a different time.


    After another needlessly long awkward silence, she pulls out a small datadrive and offers it to me. I take it even though I feel like it could be a trap. It looks super expensive and I¡¯m half tempted to just sell the thing and get out of town. Ah, who am I kidding. I like this shithole too much to leave, so I might as well do the job.


    ¡°I need you to break the data locks on this. They only exist inside of a webworld so you¡¯ll need to -¡± She really doesn¡¯t need to explain this so I put up my hand. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Look, Jack, I¡¯ll be honest with you. This isn¡¯t my first job like this. I can handle it. So why don¡¯t you fork over half my pay now and half later so we can skip the song and dance.¡± I¡¯m filled with so much giddiness as I watch her be disarmed by my charm and wit once more.


    ¡°Felicia,¡± she grumbles. Her name I¡¯m guessing.


    ¡°Look, I really don¡¯t care what your name is. You¡¯re a Logger, a Jack, a Lumberman. You guys shoot guys like me in the spine if we so much as look at you wrong,¡± I snap. Am I bitter? No, of course not, what gave you that idea?


    ¡°We don¡¯t -¡± she tries to say, but I cut her off again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t what? Break down doors, murder parents in cold blood then when their teenage son stares at you in shock, shoot them in the back as they try and escape out the window? Is that what you don¡¯t do? Because news flash sister, that¡¯s what they did to me. How do you think I got in this chair?¡± I bark out a harsh, humorless laugh as I stare daggers at her.


    ¡°So why antagonize me?¡± she asks, her earlier bravado having melted away. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll do the same?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, what? Going to shoot me in the spine again? Go ahead. Hell, just kill me why don¡¯t you. You¡¯d be doing me a favor honestly. I¡¯d be lucky to get out of this trash heap body of mine. Whatever comes after can¡¯t be worse.¡± I tap the side of my head. ¡°So I¡¯ll be taking my money so you can take your leave. Give me your deets and I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m done.¡±


    She looks subdued as she wires me - that can¡¯t be right. That¡¯s fifty thousand credits. I look up at her and she just gives a tired smile. Her contact information quickly follows and she turns to leave.


    ¡°One thing,¡± she says, her voice low and tired. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. Keep it quiet and you¡¯ll get another fifty thousand when you¡¯re done. Don¡¯t even tell other loggers. This is just between you and me. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now get going so I can get to work,¡± I mutter, eager for her to be gone. I need to get this job done. A hundred thousand credits id enough for me to do a full body replacement. I have never liked my body. It¡¯s too hairy in places, too bony and hard, and I hate shaving every day. There¡¯s other things, but I try not to think about those too much.


    The logger leaves finally and I pull up my system and plug the datadrive in. I pull the interface plug from the side of my neck and connect it to my computer as well. Within a few keystrokes, I¡¯m ready to delve into Lanadel. I press the login button and close my eyes as the world fades around me.


    ****


    I breathe a sigh of relief as I open my eyes and see the interior of my lair in Lanadel. It¡¯s a world behind the world. Let me clear that up a bit. Lanadel is a digital world made by AI encoded on the sublayer of reality. Does that make sense? Not one fucking bit! But that¡¯s what the AI, sorry, Digi-Sapiens told us. It doesn¡¯t really matter to me since it works and I love it here.


    Deep in the marshlands, there¡¯s a rocky outcropping with a small tunnel leading into an open clearing. It¡¯s like that old movie about that blonde with really long hair. I even have a tower with a hidden entrance. I liked that movie as a kid, so sue me.


    I glance down at my digital proxy body and smile. A while back I had nearly been caught breaking into a secure storage fortress. Well, secure in the loosest definition. It was painfully easy to break into, but in my arrogance I was spotted by one of the guards. Within an hour, my appearance was all over real-space. And since I had just used a basic scan of my body for my proxy body, I had to lie low for months before I could leave my shop. So I had a genius idea to code a new body that nobody would ever identify with me. Simply put, I made a female proxy body.


    It¡¯s important I look nothing like myself. So I took special care to make myself look perfect. My digital form is taller than my real one, but not by much. I¡¯ve got very very wide hips and narrow shoulders. I tend to wear what looks like a sundress while I¡¯m in her, but it¡¯s actually a full set of glamoured armor; it even feels like a dress to me which always makes me smile. Because of the irony.


    Yep.


    Letting out a heavy sigh, I head into my lair¡¯s workshop where the digital likeness of the datadrive sits on a table. I¡¯m a little confused by the way it looks. Usually things like this appear as lockboxes, or treasure chests, or something else of the sort. But in front of me is a featureless gray sphere that just stays perfectly still despite the slight tilt of the surface.


    I give the ball a tap and a ripple of code spreads out to cover the whole surface in firewall runes. Shit. This thing will be a tough nut to crack. Fortunately I¡¯m pretty. Ha! I mean pretty good at this sort of fuckery. Well I¡¯m quite pretty too, at least in here. Like I said, I put a lot of work into my proxy and I¡¯m really proud of it.


    I look at the mirror to the side of my workstation. I really should move that. I step over to move it but get caught looking at myself. Damn I look good. I touch my plump lips and bat my thick lashes and let out a content sigh. Honestly, I¡¯d live in Lanadel full time if I could. But a girl¡¯s gotta eat. Wait no, ugh. I keep doing this. I keep forgetting that I¡¯m a guy, despite the beautiful and comfortable form I wear while I work.


    Grabbing a set of needles, I begin plucking at the once again invisible code covering the orb. Each runic code that I pierce lights up. By using a special thread, I can connect different parts of the defenses to each other, thus creating bypasses. My usual go-to technique for this sort of cracking is what allows me to stand out amongst my peers in this line of work. While they try to manually break each individual lock, I prefer a more - well not subtle, but - ok fine it¡¯s a lazy solution. I automated it.


    Once the runes are all connected just the way I need them to be, I create a latticework of my own code surrounding the orb. It starts rotating automatically as it picks apart weaknesses and slowly unravels the defensive structures preventing me from opening my prize.


    It¡¯ll take a while for my spell to finish. I like calling them spells. Too many weavers prefer being clinical and boring about their descriptions. Fuck that noise. I¡¯ve always loved the idea of magic and fantasy. It¡¯s part of why I love being in Lanadel so much. Anyways, since it¡¯ll take a bit, I decide to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes, dress up. I hurry to the bedroom upstairs and open up my wardrobe. Don¡¯t judge me. It¡¯s perfectly normal to want to wear nice clothes when you have the body to pull it off. Besides, women¡¯s clothes are just so much nicer than men¡¯s. It¡¯s a fact.


    Looking out the window, I double check to make sure my wards are secure. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone interrupting me. Then they¡¯d be all ¡°Viiiiik why do you have a bedroom? It¡¯s not safe to lose consciousness in Lanadel!¡± and I¡¯d be like, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I hate sleeping in the real world. Waking up to my shitty meatsack body sucks!¡± Besides, I think people over exaggerate the danger. I¡¯ve never had anything go wrong. Speaking of sleeping, it was starting to get late. I should probably call it a night instead of trying on new outfits.


    Unfortunately that means I will have to pop out of Lanadel to move my body. But the thought of that makes my stomach twist and turn. So, not for the first time, I opt to just deal with the back pain in the morning.


    I swapped out my sundress for a silky nightgown and let out a soft sigh of pleasure. The voice I gave myself here always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.


    Because it¡¯s a pretty lady¡¯s voice. I¡¯m straight. It makes sense.


    Pushing those thoughts aside, I climb into bed and pull the blankets up over me. I glance out the window one last time before reaching under the bed and pulling out a big teddy bear modeled after the one I had as a kid. I snuggle the fluffy stuffy and allow myself to slowly drift to sleep.


    I¡¯m awoken by the sound of something crashing downstairs in my workshop. I quickly get out of bed and pull out my trust sword. Unlike most swords in Lanadel, mine is designed to not just cut into a person¡¯s proxy body, but to unleash a virus that will slowly degrade them. It¡¯s nasty business, but I don¡¯t play around.


    Quietly as I can, I creep down the stairs, staying close to the wall. There haven¡¯t been any more crashes since the initial one, so they might know I¡¯m here. I stop at the entrance to my workshop and take a deep breath to steady myself.


    I rush into the room and look around for the culprit. Nobody¡¯s here. What the fuck? I turn to look behind me, as that¡¯s usually what happens in situations like this. Nope, not a soul. Either I¡¯m hearing things, or they¡¯re really fucking good. Or they got what they wanted and dipped.


    Shit! The orb!


    I turn on the lights and look at my workbench and stare at the now open sphere. Well, there goes my extra fifty thousand. Wait. I hurry over to the nearest window to check my wards. They¡¯re still active. That means - oh fuck no. The orb must¡¯ve had a virus in it that escaped. I knew I couldn¡¯t trust that logger bitch. Probably knew how fucking futile it¡¯d be to get through my wards and tempted me with my one true love. Money. Jokes on her though, I know how to handle viruses in my tower.


    With but a thought, my lair¡¯s defenses come online. They make the ones I have in meatspace look like child¡¯s play. The suits of armor that I have decorating the walls and hall come to life and begin scouring the premises for my intruder.


    Knowing that my automated soldiers will take care of things, I take a seat next to the bench and wait. And wait. And wait. They still haven¡¯t found anything. That can¡¯t be right. I¡¯m just about to direct them outside when I feel something land on my lap.


    What the fuck?


    I look down and see a small fluffy black cat curled up in a ball, purring away. I reach down and pet it. Honestly, it¡¯s a terrible idea but I cannot stop myself. Just like the cats have their motto of ¡°If I fits I sits¡± I have a motto of ¡°Have cat must pet.¡± The moment my hand makes contact with the soft feline, a shock runs up my arm. It doesn¡¯t hurt though, which is really weird.


    The cat looks up at me, their eyes a bright yellow. I frown. Is this a virus? If it is, I¡¯m doomed. It¡¯s way too cute to kill. I scoop it up and carry it upstairs. I walk right past one of my armored drones and they just ignore the little fluff ball. In fact they seem to be putting themselves away. So weird. I¡¯m just too tired to give a shit.


    I crawl into bed with the cat and they position themselves on my pillow. I really should be freaking out more, but I¡¯m a sucker for cats. And I can just tell this one is safe. Better than safe. Whatever I mean by that.


    Soon enough I drift back asleep, content to figure this mess out in the morning.


    End Chapter 1

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2Chapter 2


    Soft. Warm. Cat. I really should thank past-me for making a cat. Wait - I didn¡¯t make a cat. So then where did the cat come fr- Right. Virus cat. Shit, virus cat.


    I open my eyes and sure enough, there she is, the fluffy black feline laying next to my head. Her eyes are open, watching me. Wait - how do I know she¡¯s a she? Worry about that later Vik, figure out what she is now.


    Slowly and carefully I climb out of bed without ever taking my eyes off the fluffy little cutie - no! Bad brain. Focus! This could be a deadly virus that is hellbent on destroying your life and livelihood. I narrow my eyes in a glare at the interloper and get to work.


    First things first, I need to figure out what they are. I reach behind my back and pull out a pair of glasses. The few times I¡¯ve worked with others, they¡¯ve made fun of my fondness for physical representations of my tools. I personally don¡¯t get how they don¡¯t play up the fantasy aspects of this place. Like holy fuck most Webweavers are dull. We work in a place where magic is practically real, and what do they use it for? To make holographic displays like in meatspace.


    So the glasses, they¡¯re my diagnostic suite. I put them on and slide my finger along the right arm to activate them. While I¡¯ve been doing this the cat has been sitting patiently, staring at me. It¡¯s a little bit creepy, in a super cute way. I am so doomed. Okay, so diagnostics are popping up and I¡¯m getting a little bit scared. This thing just appears to be an ordinary digital cat, according to my readouts. So you might be wondering, why am I terrified? Well, simply put, nobody puts a regular cat into a high security datadrive for kicks. So obviously this little critter is special and can hide just how much.


    ¡°What is your deal?¡± I mutter aloud as I try to piece together the puzzle before me. ¡°And why the fuck did a Logger have you?¡± The cat tilts her head and meows softly. Well, that¡¯s messed up. I understood that. She didn¡¯t really use words exactly, more like, abstract conceptual bullshit.


    The conversation, if you could call it that, given the disjointed communication methods, honestly raises more questions than it answers. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it answers a lot of questions. So here¡¯s the deal; the cat has the designation DCS-1 which stands for Digital Control System. I think that¡¯s a boring and uninspired name for such a cute little fluffba- Ahem. Moving on. The name sucks, so I name her Willow. She really seems to like that. She¡¯s some sort of clandestine partner-AI that¡¯s meant to bond  with someone and grant them the ability to control the digital intersection of reality. Whatever the fuck that means.


    As for why a Logger dropped her off and asked me to open her containment, well I can only guess. Well no, I could call the bitch in question, but fuck her. Not literally though, because ew, Logger, gross. I mean she is really hot -


    Moving right along!


    I sit back on the bed and reach over to pet Willow. I get the feeling this is the first time she¡¯s experienced something like this, and she is loving it. It makes me wonder where that Jack got her from. What sort of destitute disgusting degenerate would make something so supremely cute and then deprive them of all the love and affection in the world.


    Right. Loggers.


    Okay, so why did she bring it to me? Shouldn¡¯t her ¡®people¡¯ be able to open their own damn datadrive? See what I mean? For every answer, I get like ten more questions. Unless she stole it from them? A rogue Logger? I mean it would explain her rather narrow world view. She might be so naive and blind to her organization¡¯s bullshit that she turned her back on them.


    Ha! Yeah right.


    So new plan time. I¡¯m not giving Willow to those corporate stooges. Which is a bummer since I¡¯m going to have to ditch the funds I was already paid. I may be fine with stealing from those bastards, but I do have some standards. I¡¯m not going to finish their job so I¡¯m going to refund them. Though, maybe I can have a little fun with it while I¡¯m at it.


    I practically skip back to my workshop with Willow padding along behind me. The moment I refund her, she¡¯s going to know something is up, so I¡¯m going to need to make tracks and fast. With a little careful manipulation of the currency data, though, I can maybe delay her a bit.


    Willow watches with fascination as I pull out some tools and get to work. Using what looks like a priceless giant ruby as a mirror, I¡¯m able to see the files stored in my own network. This sort of thing is highly illegal since editing currency is highly frowned upon. But I¡¯m not planning to edit how much I have. I¡¯m going to add a little tag-along as I make the transfer.


    I pull up the transfer menu slightly to the side of my vision, so I can watch the backend of the system work with the ruby. With my free hand, I reach over and grab a wand from my workbench and tap my head. I load up a little surprise for my former client just as I send off the refund.


    The surprise does a few things, but most importantly it¡¯ll reroute the transfer through a few proxy locations to buy me some time to get the fuck out of shop and find somewhere else to lay low in the meantime. I glance at Willow and gesture to her open pod.


    ¡°Ok, hop in Willow. I¡¯m going to need to take you with me and so you need to return to the drive.¡± I explain to the cutie patootie. Ignore that. Apparently Willow thinks she should ignore me too as she¡¯s just staring at me. ¡°Go on, we don¡¯t have much time,¡± I gently encourage her. Still she just sits there.


    I try to grab her and put her in, but then something really fucking weird happens. She jumps past my hands right into my chest. What the fuck? I try to use my ruby to see her, and she¡¯s just gone.


    Fuck.


    No time to fret about that I guess. Though it¡¯s not the end of my problems. I need to leave Lanadel and I fucking hate that. Unfortunately I don¡¯t have time to dick around till my body¡¯s needs force me out. So I close my eyes and draw myself back into meatspace. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ****


    Fuck! Fuck! Fuck me! Fuck everything! This sucks so much! I mean it always sucks. Everything feels so wrong, so awful. My back hurts, my body feels like a straight jacket. You would think that with the sheer fuckery that is leaving Lanadel, someone would¡¯ve found a way to allow people to spend more time there, or at least a way to make the transition out less awful.


    Focus! Get out now, worry about feeling like you want your skin to peel off later.


    I wheel over to the datadrive and do a quick check to see if Willow went in there after all. She¡¯s not. Fuck, I¡¯m so fucked for no reason. I take a hammer and smash the drive. I look around for anything I absolutely need to bring with me.


    Nothing. Well that¡¯s depressing.


    I start making my way out just a little too fast and get caught on that fucking cable again. This time, though, the force throws me from my chair and onto the ground. Well things just went from bad to worse. Think Vik, think!


    Mow. Mow? Wait - Willow?


    There she is, right here in meatspace in front of me. She brushes along my outstretched hand. It feels so so very weird, like the memory of a feeling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you can help me get up? Can you?¡± I ask, knowing I¡¯m beyond screwed. And I¡¯m clearly imagining things. So that¡¯s fun. What I don¡¯t expect is the weird tingling in my legs. Something¡¯s not right about that.


    How can I feel my legs?


    I roll over and flinch as I see my left leg spasm. It¡¯s been so long I almost forget how, but I realize I can move my legs a bit. What the ever living shit? With a little effort I¡¯m able to pull my legs under me and wobble to my feet. Holy shit Holy shit Holy shit! I can walk! I take a step forward. And promptly fall back down.


    Fair enough, I¡¯ve been out of practice.


    I¡¯m back on my feet pretty quickly and manage my first step in years. Then another. And soon I¡¯m booking it out the door of my shop. Willow is running just in front of me and I can feel her excitement. Did she do this? Nah, maybe I just healed?


    Nope, figure it out later. Run now.


    I peak out the door of the ramshackle collection of shipping containers that makes up the entrance to my workshop. It¡¯s a maze through there which made me even more surprised when the Logger just rolled on through like it was nothing. If it had been anyone else I¡¯d have probably been impressed. Jacks don¡¯t get my admiration though.


    Looking down the streets, I make sure that there¡¯s no sign of either the police or my double crossed client. The coast seems clear. So that¡¯s good. I pull up my hood and start heading down the street at a calm and sedate pace. Cloaks are still in fashion right? Nobody¡¯s going to look at me weird?


    I spot at least three other people in similar attire to me so I think I¡¯m good. Just need to go somewhere safe then I can - I do not have any safe houses. Really the oversight of the year that is. Not to mention I don¡¯t have any friends I could shack up with. Well there is one. Calling them a friend is generous, though, as I cannot stand him. Daryl, for some inexplicable reason, thinks we¡¯re best buddies, or did. Admittedly I haven¡¯t talked to him since before I got shot. So who knows if he¡¯s even still living in the same place, or even remembers me.


    The gentle rumble of Willow¡¯s purrs draws me out of my thoughts as she rubs against my leg. I glance down to see her pawing at the sidewalk just as someone is about to step on her.


    ¡°Hey! Watch where you¡¯re go-¡± I stop abruptly as the woman steps right through my cat and continues on with only a confused look at me. Unsure of when I decided she was my cat, and honestly not caring, I reach down to pick her up. She feels pretty real in my arms, but it doesn¡¯t take a moron to realize only I can see or feel her. Which does explain the strange quality of her - texture? I¡¯m not sure how else to describe it.


    After lifting her to my face, looking at her eye to eye, she bops me on the forehead with her paw and suddenly numerous files fly across my vision. Daryl¡¯s current address, which is just a short maglev ride from here. He apparently owns a restaurant in one of the nicer parts of town and he¡¯s apparently got a pristine record. He¡¯s even got a wife named Summer! She¡¯s got him whipped, though, as it''s her name on everything. Nobody would ever suspect him of harboring a wanted criminal. His place would be perfect. So why do I feel like it¡¯s the worst place I could go?


    Without a more clear decision to work off, I start walking to the train station. I¡¯m not convinced that Daryl¡¯s place is ideal since if he gets caught, he has so much to lose. I¡¯ve clearly gotten myself embroiled in some deep shit. Willow just pulled up everything there was to know about someone with just their name. And maybe she just fixed my spine? It¡¯s impossible, but how else am I walking right now?


    I barely notice the trip. I don¡¯t even have to buy a maglev ticket since Willow has that covered too apparently. Surely I have a few contacts who I could bribe to let me lay low with them for a bit. But my chair bound status is too well known by the few people I¡¯d even remotely trust to shelter me.


    Before I¡¯m even fully aware of where I am, I find myself in front of a rather nice residential block. It has a really nice parapet and is made of faux stone blocks all the way up. Willow headbutts the back of my legs and I look down at her.


    ¡°You think I should go in?¡± I ask her, to which she returns a feeling of encouragement. ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± I grumble, eliciting a few strange looks. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t talk to you in public huh?¡± More odd stares. ¡°Eh, fuck it.¡± I let out a sharp laugh. ¡°Life¡¯s turning upside down, who gives a flying fuck if they think I¡¯m losing it!¡±


    I sure don¡¯t.


    So with a complete lack of anything resembling fucks given, I stride up to the buzzer terminal by the elevator. I look down the list for Daryl¡¯s name and frown. Right. Yeah. It¡¯s under his wife¡¯s name. There it is. Summer.


    I give the button a tap and wait. And wait. I consider tapping it again when the screen lights up. Oh. Summer¡¯s now his wife, she must be his sister, since she looks eerily like him. Though I don¡¯t remember him having a sister. It would explain the lack of a marriage certificate in the files. Though there was something else I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± she asks as I¡¯m considering looking through the documents again. I whip my gaze back to her and try to stammer out a reply. It does not go well. She¡¯s really pretty, alright? Give me a break! I already said I have a weakness for pretty girls. And Summer is gorgeous. Long blonde hair, perfect makeup accentuating the most kissable looking lips and - ¡°Look if you¡¯re just going to stand there staring I¡¯m going to hang up,¡± she warns while she lifts her hand to disconnect the call.


    ¡°Uh hi!¡± I spout. ¡°Is Daryl there?¡± She has this weird look on her face that I can¡¯t place.


    ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± she breathes. She looks tense and I¡¯m starting to wonder if I¡¯ve got the wrong person.


    ¡°Umm¡­. Viktor Shadewind? I - I¡¯m an old friend?¡± I really hope he remembers me. And that Summer lets me up and that -


    ¡°Vikkie?¡± she whispers. I freeze. Daryl used to call me that. Only Daryl called me that. I narrow my eyes at the woman as a number of emotions cross her face. I can see her tap a few keys and the lift opens up. ¡°Ah - come on up. D - Daryl will want to see you,¡± she stammers. She sounds like she¡¯s going to puke when she says my old buddy¡¯s name.


    I¡¯m reconsidering how much I want to get involved in whatever¡¯s happening when Willow pushes me again towards the lift. Fine. Ok. I¡¯m going. Before I know it, I¡¯m in front of a nice wooden door with Summer¡¯s name listed on a hologram over it. I raise my hand to knock and the door slides open immediately.


    Summer stands there proving that holograms do not do anyone justice. She¡¯s curvy in all the right places, and is dressed in a tight long sleeved sweater and leggings. She¡¯s clearly dressed for comfort, and yet she¡¯s still stunning.


    She stares at me for several long minutes before gesturing to me to come inside. Willow slips inside and waves her tail at me to follow. I just stumble along, my legs are about ready to give out at this point, as I really need to sit down.


    ¡°So, where¡¯s Daryl?¡± I ask, looking around at the apartment. It¡¯s so feminine that it doesn¡¯t look like a guy has lived here in some time. She winces and motions for me to sit. Don¡¯t mind if I do. I crash onto the big sofa and nearly pass out right there. It¡¯s early morning but I¡¯m still feeling like I¡¯m going to pass out.


    ¡°About that - mind if I ask you a few questions first?¡± she asks, her tone guarded. I nod, it¡¯s only fair. I just showed up out of nowhere. She takes a moment to think and begins her interrogation. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Damn, the big one right off the bat. I take a moment to consider the lie I want to tell her while Willow hops up onto my lap. I resist the urge to pet her, but only barely.


    ¡°I¡¯m on the run from the Loggers,¡± I lie. Wait. That was not a lie. Shit. Her eyes pop wide open.


    ¡°Why did you come here?¡± Well, no point in changing tactics now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go. Parents are dead. Don¡¯t have any friends I can trust. Daryl¡¯s the only person I knew before I got into my current line of work.¡± There. Now there¡¯s no lie in the air. That does feel a bit better. Now she¡¯ll kick me out and I¡¯ll be back to square one.


    ¡°Your parents - ¡° she trails off as her eyes light up to show she¡¯s accessing the net. She lets out a heavy sigh. She must¡¯ve found the old article condemning my folks for terrorism and how I¡¯m presumed dead. That was funny the first time I read it. The second part I mean. Damnit. I¡¯m not crying. She¡¯s not seeing me crying.


    Why is she hugging me? When did that happen?


    ¡°I need to get to the restaurant. You can rest here for a bit. I¡¯ll explain m - Daryl¡¯s side of things when I get back. Sounds good?¡± she says softly. I did not see this coming. I am not going to complain. I just nod wordlessly as she gets up and heads out of the apartment.


    I consider snooping around but Willow has started purring and is clearly comfortable so who am I to disturb her. I just - yeah.


    ****


    It¡¯s nighttime when I wake up again. Summer is sitting across from me, watching me intently. She sits up a bit straighter as my eyes lock with hers.


    ¡°So. You want to know where Daryl is?¡± I nod slowly. I sit up to watch her in return. She sighs, then takes a deep breath. ¡°I was Daryl.¡±


    End Chapter 2

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3Chapter 3Sitting across from Summer (Daryl?), I¡¯m a little confused to say the least. Willow looks up at me and lets out a noise that comes across as intense amusement. I rest my hand on her head without thinking about it as I try to piece together this new information.


    Yeah no, I¡¯ve got nothing.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, my voice sounding strained, making it even more unpleasant to my ears. ¡°H - How?¡± I stammer. Summer lets out a heavy sigh. She looks back at me, though she seems confused. I follow her gaze and quickly remove my hand from Willow and put it beside me.


    Close one.


    ¡°I suppose I should go back a bit. Do you remember how we used to fawn over the girls in school? And we¡¯d wonder what they were like?¡± she asks. I give her a jerky nod and she continues. ¡°Well for me, I was more wondering what it was like to be them.¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, that¡¯s totally normal isn¡¯t it?¡± I interrupt her which prompts an odd expression from her. She lets out a dry laugh.


    ¡°No Vikkie -¡±


    ¡°Just Vik,¡± I correct nervously. ¡°Nobody¡¯s called me Vikkie since well, you I guess.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, no Vik,¡± she starts and I bite back a wince. I actually kind of like the name Vikkie, but I have a reputation to maintain. Yep. A reputation. I look back at her again and she has this look like she¡¯s not looking at me, but through me. ¡°Guys don¡¯t fantasize about being girls,¡± she continues. That just doesn¡¯t seem right, though. Here I am, a guy, and I think about what it¡¯d be like all the time. I open my mouth to say as much and she laughs. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to use yourself as an example Vik. Just don¡¯t.¡±


    Well shit, can she read my mind or something?


    ¡°So how¡¯d you go from fantasizing about being girls to being one?¡± I ask, the answer seems important. For curiosity of course. She beams at me before schooling her expression to a more neutral one.


    ¡°The first step was admitting to myself that I was a girl already. After that I got a hormone replacement body mod and dealt with some bureaucratic bullshit to change my ID and docs.¡± She has an amused look on her face before continuing. ¡°I was already running my restaurant at the time, but it was based out of the Wall district and I wasn¡¯t very popular. Still I saved up money and got some work done till I was happy and then suddenly bam!¡± she slaps the table, causing Willow to bolt out of sight. ¡°As if overnight, business picked up. I figured word got out about a hot cook making good food and every thirsty guy within two districts was coming down to watch me.¡± She snorts. ¡°So I leaned into it, dressed all hot and sexy and soon enough I had enough creds to move locations to a more respectable part of town. I was able to drop the sexpot look and have settled in nicely since.¡±


    I listen carefully through her whole story, my face etched into a frown. Surely it couldn¡¯t be that simple. Right? I mean, if the option is there, wouldn¡¯t everyone do that? It¡¯s only logical.


    Willow returns to my lap, from a different direction than she ran and stretches out to bap my head again. This time, numerous articles about something called trans people flitted past my eyes. I shake my head to clear it before looking back at Summer who has this knowing look on her face that makes me feel vulnerable.


    I. Hate. Feeling. Vulnerable.


    ¡°Well, thanks for the place to rest, I should probably get going, yeah?¡± I say as I go to stand up. Willow topples off me and yowls in protest. Summer stands too and moves closer.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go,¡± she assures me. Part of me really wants to stay too. But it really hits me that she¡¯s got this whole life. She¡¯s living the dream and I don¡¯t want to ruin that for her. She sets a hand on my shoulder and stares straight into my eyes. ¡°In fact, I insist you stay for a while. You look like you haven¡¯t eaten in days and I¡¯ve missed you.¡± The last words are spoken in barely more than a whisper.


    How fucking dare she?


    I stare at her, indecision warring in my head. On one hand, I am really fucking hungry. On the other hand, this whole conversation is making my head spin. I look at Willow to see what she thinks and - Gross. Why does a digital cat need to lick their -


    ¡°Fine!¡± I snap and drop back onto the couch. ¡°Whatever! I¡¯ll stay. For now at least,¡± I add that last part as a consolation for myself. The idea of staying for too long leaves me feeling weird in ways I can¡¯t really figure out. Summer is practically radiating light at this point and her glee is a little infectious as I find myself smiling along with her. ¡°Still don¡¯t know why you¡¯d want me around though. I didn¡¯t think we were that close,¡± I grumble.


    ¡°Maybe not, but you weren¡¯t the only antisocial one, you know. And you were my best friend, thorns and all.¡± She smiles. Her face has changed but I recognize that smile. She¡¯s going to say something she knows I¡¯ll hate. Bitch don¡¯t do it! ¡°Like a rose,¡± she breathes out.


    Fuuuu - huh. That felt kind of nice.


    That really gets my mind running. I never would¡¯ve realized Summer was my old friend if she hadn¡¯t told me. And using a vastly different proxy body in Lanadel had worked wonders for my anonymity. It could work out here too. Now I just needed to convince Summer to help me look like a woman.


    Temporarily.


    Till the heat dies down.


    Because I¡¯m not actually a woman.


    This is a bad idea.


    Wait, why am I in another room?


    ¡°-ure you wanna do this?¡± Summer asks, her concern clear in her voice. I must¡¯ve zoned out.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Great response Vik. She lets out a sigh, as if she¡¯s used to it and I realize she kind of is, or was at least. I¡¯ve always been prone to zoning out, ever since I was a teenager.


    ¡°Same ol¡¯ Vik,¡± she says with a giggle. ¡°You asked me to help you¡­ disguise yourself as a girl.¡± Why did she pause? And when did I actually get around to asking her that. I should nip this in the bud, it¡¯s such a bad idea. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°R - right. I did ask that,¡± I mutter. Now, just change your mind and - ¡°Yes. Please make me look like a woman.¡± Curse my traitorous mouth.


    Fuck.


    Summer¡¯s smiling though, so it¡¯s not all bad at least.


    The whole process goes by in a haze. She has me put on some clothes, does some make up and styles my admittedly too long hair. It¡¯s been a while since I felt like bothering getting it cut.


    She covered up the mirror before we got started and I know why. There¡¯s no way this will work. I¡¯m just going to look like a guy in drag. Hell, not even. I¡¯ve seen a couple drag shows online and they all look amazing honestly. I¡¯m just going to be some sad skinny fucker in a dress and makeup that doesn¡¯t hide shit. And there goes the mirror cover.


    I can¡¯t look.


    Maybe one little peak won¡¯t hurt.


    Woah.


    That¡¯s got to be a trick mirror or something. Maybe a digital overlay? I can¡¯t look like that.


    I¡¯m a guy.


    Guys don¡¯t look like pretty delicate flowers.


    Guys don¡¯t smile when they see themselves in a dress.


    Guys don¡¯t cry when they see their reflection either.


    I¡¯m a guy!


    I¡¯m a guy.


    I¡¯m a guy?


    Am I a guy? N - no! I¡¯m a man! Right?


    Summer¡¯s saying something to me but it¡¯s all kind of fuzzy and I¡¯m feeling a little light headed. Maybe I should¡¯ve gotten some food first. I try to focus on what¡¯s being said to me but everything is just spinning and - oh - Soft kitty.


    ****


    Everything feels a bit fuzzy. And not just because I¡¯m petting Willow. Because I am. She¡¯s so soft and I know I should be more concerned with what¡¯s happening, but honestly I¡¯m just so tired. I¡¯m in Lanadel. I¡¯m not totally sure how I got here though.


    I open my eyes and see the ceiling of my tower bedroom. Tilting my head down, I can see Willow busy kneading my torso. She looks like what I assume a baker would look like while preparing dough for their daily work. She looks up at me and a little baker¡¯s hat appears on her head in a poof.


    Huh. Didn¡¯t know she could do that.


    Come to think of it, something else isn¡¯t quite right. I¡¯m not in my proxy body. I¡¯ve got my gross meatsuit still. Maybe I¡¯m dreaming. That¡¯d explain a lot. And honestly, who could blame me. Lanadel has always felt more like home than anywhere else. Well, except maybe my parent¡¯s place. But that hardly counts without them there.


    I reach up to wipe away the tears that form. I can cry here. Nobody can see me except Willow and I know she doesn¡¯t care. I glance down at her again and she¡¯s watching me intently. Still kneading though. It feels really nice actually. Maybe this dream isn¡¯t so bad. I¡¯d still prefer my proxy body though.


    Why?


    The thought comes unbidden. Why? It echoes around my head, threatening to drown everything else out.


    Why what? Ha, take that uncomfortable question. Won¡¯t get me to get all introspective.


    Willow stops kneading and makes her way up to my face. She gives me a little headbutt but leaves her forehead pressed against mine.


    Why do you prefer your proxy body?


    The thoughts are clearer now. Are they Willow¡¯s? They don¡¯t really have a voice, it¡¯s more like the echo of a thought rattling around in my head and picking up traits of my own internal monologue.


    Not sure how I feel about how that sounds like a woman though.


    Why?


    Because I like it. Alright? Happy now? It¡¯s getting really hard to separate my thoughts from hers.


    Are you happy?


    What sort of question is that? Of course I¡¯m not happy. I haven¡¯t been happy since my parents died. Hell, I haven¡¯t been happy since before that! The only times I¡¯m even close to being happy are when I¡¯m in Lanadel. When I¡¯m in my proxy body. When I can¡¯t feel the crush of my skin against my bones.


    If I was happy, why would I avoid eating? Have I been avoiding eating? I rack my brain to try and remember the last time I ate. A few days ago at least. Why haven¡¯t I been eating? I need food to live. I need to live if I¡¯m going to get that new spine. I don¡¯t need that anymore, do I? So why am I bothering? Why did I bother?


    Do you want to be happy?


    Well yeah. Everyone wants to be happy. But nobody gets to be. How could it be possible when the human condition includes wearing an uncomfortable meatsuit that doesn¡¯t fit. Except, Summer seems happy. Her smile is amazing and undeniably sincere. I¡¯ve seen so many fake smiles, most of them in the mirror, so I can recognize a genuine one. So what makes us different?


    Well, she¡¯s trans for one.


    Two, she did something about it.


    Three, she chased her dream and is living a good life.


    That¡¯s not an option for me though. Right?


    Willow has gone back to kneading my torso and I notice something a bit odd. My skin changes wherever she presses. With each release, my body changes little by little. What¡¯s she doing?


    Making us happy.


    Us?


    Us.


    I guess we are bonded. Oh no. Has my miserable existence been dragging her down? Figures. I¡¯m really no good to anyone. Fucking hell. Do I really deserve to be happy?


    Yes.


    How can you be so certain? I¡¯ve done some awful things. Hurt people, even if indirectly.


    Because you care.


    She pads back up to me and lays her fuzzy forehead against mine again.


    You insist you¡¯re a bad person, but your first thought was to protect me. I want to help you.


    I don¡¯t respond for some time, so she goes back to making biscuits. Thinking of it like that makes me smile. So do the feelings I can feel from her. LOG made a thinking feeling intelligent feline and intended to use them as a tool. For all my crimes, I can¡¯t imagine doing something like that. Is that enough to make me worth liking? Willow seems to think so. So the least I can do is get a little introspective I guess.


    Why do I prefer my proxy body? Well it¡¯s soft, and feels comfortable and doesn¡¯t leave me feeling gross. If I could use it in meatspace, that¡¯d be even better.


    Huh.


    How¡¯d I get into Lanadel again? What was I doing before? Summer was helping me disguise myself. I looked so much like my proxy body that I - Oh.


    Fuck. No no no no.


    I look down. Seems Willow is almost done. I realize what she¡¯s been doing. I look like my proxy body again. I feel a certain satisfaction at that.


    No I don¡¯t.


    This isn¡¯t right. I¡¯m not.


    I can¡¯t be.


    It¡¯s not allowed.


    What would my parents think?


    What would my parents think?


    They¡¯d probably be ok with it. They were always good people like that. They¡¯d have been so supportive of Summer. And me?


    A memory springs up. One I¡¯d mostly forgotten. I was playing with a doll with my mom. She had one of her own. I told her that she was the mommy and I was her daughter. She¡¯d looked at me as if she was seeing me for the first time and said that I could be her daughter if I wanted.


    The next day, some local bullies took my doll and tossed her into a dumpster. They called me all sorts of awful names. They kicked me over and over until someone came to chase them off. It was Summer. That¡¯s how we met.


    My mom tried to offer to get me a new doll but I told her boys didn¡¯t play with dolls. I think I was just afraid of getting bullied again. She¡¯d said I didn¡¯t need to be a boy. My dad had agreed with her. I¡¯d thought they were making fun of me and ran to my room. They¡¯d never mentioned it again.


    Did that actually happen? I reach out to my parents as everything begins to fade. I hear a loud ding which dispels the dream and places me firmly back in meatspace. Willow is laying on my chest. Something looks¡­ off.


    Oh.


    Summer


    I tuck Vikkie - sorry, Vik, into my guest room¡¯s bed. Sh - he - they. Let¡¯s go with they for now. They¡¯re clearly not taking care of themself. I¡¯d said they looked like they hadn¡¯t eaten in a while but that wasn¡¯t just it. They¡¯re tiny. So very tiny. I can¡¯t even imagine what they¡¯ve been through since their parents - Their parents were good people. And it¡¯s painfully obvious that Vik didn¡¯t handle their loss well.


    Living out in the worst parts of town, I saw a lot of awful things. Hunger being one of the most prevalent for those without money. I¡¯d see people rummaging through my bins for scraps. These people hadn¡¯t eaten in so long and even they looked healthier than Vik. The only thing I could think is that Vik¡¯s been starving themself intentionally.


    I couldn¡¯t figure out why until they asked me to help them look like a girl. I¡¯d tried some gentle nudges towards what I thought was pretty obvious, but they almost left as a result. So I was surprised when they asked. I maybe got too carried away. I just wanted them to trust me enough that they¡¯d eat for me. I¡¯d dress them up nice and cute and then I¡¯d give them a nice small meal to start with. But despite my masterful skill with chicken eggs, I¡¯m really bad at handling trans eggs.


    She¡¯d passed out.


    After crying.


    And looking really confused.


    I really should not be allowed near eggs.


    My thoughts are spinning out of control so I do what I always do when stressed. I bake. Having this nice apartment affords me the luxury of space for a nice kitchen. Unlike most chefs I never lost my love for cooking at home. I could get home from a double shift because one of my other cooks called in sick and I¡¯d still want to make something from scratch. Cooking is like therapy for me. It makes sense to me at least.


    Back to baking. I decide on an old favorite and whip up some chocolate chip cookie dough. It gives me time to order my thoughts and something occurs to me. Vik was petting something earlier. Between the malnourishment and what might be delusions, it was starting to become a bit clearer that Vik might be spending too much time in VR.


    It¡¯s a fairly common problem in the poorer areas of the city. Life sucks so why spend it in meatspace. Lanadel makes a very convenient getaway from life for folks. And with Vik in trouble with loggers, that suggests they are a weaver. Which only makes it make more sense. Mix that with the fact that I am almost certain they are trans. It really all falls into place.


    I put the dough on a sheet and set it in the oven. I set a little egg timer (heh, egg) and settle down to think. I¡¯ve figured out the cause of Vik¡¯s problems, or at least the most probable cause. Now I just need a solution. There¡¯s plenty of rehab facilities specifically for people addicted to VR. Most of them are run by LOG so that¡¯s a no go. I could take some time off work to help Vik myself. That has its own issues too.


    Why¡¯d it have to be Vik? Anyone else and I¡¯d have been able to do the smart thing and just stay out of it entirely. I don¡¯t have the sort of safety nets needed to get involved in this sort of thing. But I¡¯d be lying if I tried to say I didn¡¯t still pine for them. I always had a bit of a crush on that prickly little rose bush I call my friend. Because just like the plant, despite their sharp thorns, they¡¯ve got a soft, velvety sort of beauty hidden away for those who know where to look.


    I¡¯m still crushing on them. That¡¯s not ideal.


    The egg timer goes off, signaling that the cookies are ready. Just as I get up to get them out of the oven, my door opens and a woman with fiery red hair and a gun steps into my apartment. Then I hear a scream from the guest room.


    Great.


    End Chapter 3

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4Chapter 4Felicia


    Shortly after Meeting Vik


    I¡¯m not sure what I had expected from Viktor Shadewind. It hadn¡¯t been that though. The man had called himself small and scrawny, but that had been the biggest understatement I¡¯d ever heard. He was small, yes, but emancipated was a better term. I see more than my fair share of starving folks in my line of work, but he looked like one missed meal from death. I¡¯d been overwhelmed with pity.


    And then there was the way he looked at me like I was some monster come to life. I didn¡¯t join LOG to be well liked, and especially not by the likes of him, but he had so much hate in his voice. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he felt like that.


    I shake my head to clear my thoughts. It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s far enough down the LOG¡¯s priority list that they won¡¯t think to check him for the drive but still skilled enough to actually break it open. My only hope is that he doesn¡¯t get too curious about what¡¯s inside.


    I make my way over to a personal safehouse I set up years ago. I may have always been a loyal servant of LOG, but I¡¯ve never been stupid. Having somewhere I can hide even from my fellows had seemed prudent, if likely unnecessary at the time. I¡¯m glad I had the foresight though.


    The exterior looks like an abandoned Burger Tavern, but it¡¯s so much more inside. Behind the counter, where the kitchen would¡¯ve been, is a hideout that¡¯d make even the most jaded agent swoon. It¡¯s only my third time here, though. The first being when I set it up and the second was last night after I went AWOL.


    Goddamn, this whole situation is a shit show. I got tasked with retrieving stolen tech. It should¡¯ve been a simple job. My superiors had even told me as much. But I guess they hadn¡¯t counted on there being any surviving documentation of my target left.


    The DCS-1 is something that shouldn¡¯t exist. It breaks pretty much every international law plus the Digital Sapien Act, and at least five peace treaties. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯d make something like it. It¡¯s why I ran instead of reporting back. It¡¯s why I turned to an underground webweaver instead of a more reputable contact. I couldn¡¯t let anyone find out about it before I could extract it and delete it.


    With a final heavy sigh I collapse onto my bed in the back of the former restaurant. I find myself wondering if I¡¯m making the right decision again. No. I can¡¯t let myself doubt my resolve. Not now when I¡¯m in so deep.


    I climb back out of bed long enough to take off my clothing and switch into some sleepwear, then I grab a frozen meal and pop it into the microwave. I¡¯ve always found microwaves amusing. Strictly speaking they haven¡¯t even used any sort of radiation in years, even if they once did. I don¡¯t understand the science behind them, but I don¡¯t really need to so long as I can work it.


    After a few minutes, I pull the slightly too hot box of chicken alfredo out and set it on a table to cool off. I figure I can spend my time productively by doing some additional research on Viktor. I¡¯d managed to do a bit, given that most if not all of his name is likely fake, but that had stemmed from what we knew of his activities.


    He¡¯d once broken into a secure data fortress and had been spotted. But after that nobody had seen him in Lanadel. He still made enough of a name for himself by performing similar services to what I enlisted him in, but with no more big heists to his name he¡¯d fallen off LOG¡¯s radar, so to speak.


    He hadn¡¯t really had many run-ins with LOG agents either, which made it strange that he held so much hatred for us. I figure there¡¯s more to it and decide to dig a little deeper. Cross referencing the name Viktor with news reports, I get a number of hits, but only one stands out as possibly relevant. One Viktor Shadewind (so it¡¯s not a fake name), son of two digital terrorists, had escaped custody after his -


    Oh God.


    An agent had killed his parents and shot him in the spine. He was presumed dead, but it seems he just laid low long enough to be forgotten and took up webweaving. No wonder he¡¯s in that wheelchair. But why wouldn¡¯t he just get a replacement spine?


    I find myself diving down a rabbit hole of research into the cost of such a procedure which doesn¡¯t seem too exorbitant, but then I stumble across a paper on the cost of living in the slums as well as the average income. It¡¯s no wonder he turned to crime. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine having so little.


    This only leads me to start looking into accounts of prison life and I¡¯m frankly appalled. I barely noticed my dinner while I dig deeper and deeper into the injustices of the city. I want to blame anyone but myself for my ignorance but in hindsight it¡¯s clear that I was more than happy to ignore poverty and just assume it was the result of a failure of the individual and not a crippling sickness with the system as a whole.


    A system I¡¯m a part of.


    I close out my research and collapse once more into my bed. I feel like the monster Viktor made me out to be. I swear I¡¯m going to do better. I¡¯m going to stop being a part of this system of oppression. It¡¯s with a sense of hope that I drift off to sleep.


    ****


    Searing, blinding pain coursing through my skull is what wakes me up. Fortunately, my built in antivirus suite kicks in and isolates the malware and disables it quickly. What the fuck was that? I run a diagnostic and as I¡¯m waiting for it to complete, I notice my funds have increased by fifty thousand creds.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t have trusted him. The moment I met Viktor I had my doubts, but I¡¯d been blinded by the pity and uneasiness he caused in me. He must¡¯ve spiked the transfer to buy himself time to escape.


    Still, it¡¯d be embarrassing to just assume he left his workshop without checking, so I get dressed and hurry back to his admittedly well hidden hideout. It doesn¡¯t take me long to reach it and I manage to find my way back through the labyrinth of shipping containers.


    Once back in his lab, I confirm the datadrive is still present. Destroyed, but still there. His whole system has been fried as well. It¡¯s not uncommon for webweavers to set their systems to crash if they don¡¯t provide a code or some sort of input regularly. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve had a trail go cold because of it. The only other immediately notable thing is that his wheelchair is still here. Maybe he was kidnapped? Did they send another agent? But why smash the drive?


    Wait.


    No.


    He released DCS-1.


    With a new urgency I decide to do a little more snooping, and soon find that this isn¡¯t just his workshop, but also his living quarters. A small ratty bed is on the floor with a delving cord connected to his system lying by the pillow. Does he sleep in Lanadel? Doesn¡¯t he know how dangerous that is?


    Aside from the bed, the only other thing that marks this as a living quarters is a chemical toilet. He doesn¡¯t even have any cooking appliances, just a barely touched box of nutrient bars. Only one word echoes in my mind. Why? Why does he live like this? It¡¯s a stupid question, given my research last night. He lacks enough money to do otherwise. But still, why starve himself when he clearly has something to eat?


    I find nothing else of note. If he has any other contacts, he hasn¡¯t left any record of them, nor do the files on him list any known associates. Maybe if I go back further? From before he was a webweaver? I head back to my safehouse, I¡¯m going to need some of my equipment there for what I have in mind.


    It takes me a few minutes to set up my delve, during which I debate the morality of what I¡¯m planning to do. Strictly speaking, LOG agents don¡¯t possess the legal authority to request records that aren¡¯t available to the public. However, if I ask nicely, most systems will provide it without much hassle. I¡¯ve always thought that the people I interacted with just respected our work enough to cooperate, but lately I¡¯ve been wondering if it¡¯s less respect, and more fear that encourages their assistance. I hate the idea of using that perceived threat that seems to come inherent with my office, but not enough to let a webweaver get away with an insanely powerful AI system.


    Once set up, I delve into Lanadel. Using a bypass, I arrive outside of the LOG headquarters in Lanadey City¡¯s digital counterpart using a masking subroutine to prevent my superiors from noticing I¡¯ve logged in as well, or they might send a squad to detain me. Even with these precautions I will have to work quickly to track down the information I need.


    The digital Lanadey is considered to be the capital city of Lanadel as a whole. So many businesses and public services have established the webworld representation of their servers here. I use a transposition code to transport me directly to the primary district school board building. Like most buildings in both the digital and meatspace versions of Lanadey, it¡¯s structured like an imposing castle with a splash of modern flair. But where in here it¡¯s pristine and built from bright white stones, the real world equivalent is tarnished with graffiti and unwashed grime.


    I spare a quick glance at my surroundings to ensure nobody has taken any undue notice of me, then head into the structure. The inside is just as beautiful as the outside, with ornate banisters and tapestries that move like a vid screen. I take a deep breath to focus myself. Now is not the time to get distracted by architecture. I¡¯ve admittedly always had a fondness for it, and on several occasions it¡¯s nearly caused me to lose a perp.


    At the end of the long entry hall is a desk with what appears to be a four armed woman with moth-like features. I double check their data tag and confirm their pronouns as she/her and that she¡¯s an AI. I¡¯ve always found it unfortunate that we can¡¯t access tags in meatspace; these little snippets of information that are accessible for all sapient life in the digital space are incredibly useful and would make it so much easier to be respectful of others¡¯ identities.


    I stride up to the desk and clear my throat to announce my presence. I¡¯m wearing my official LOG agent garb in an effort to smooth along the process, even if it leaves me feeling uneasy.


    The moth woman looks up, her big bright eyes blink a few times before she stands up suddenly, causing her chair to topple over. Her fluffy wings shiver slightly, causing a thin layer of dust to drift off of them and fade away before touching any surface.


    ¡°A - ah! Hello Ms LOG. I mean Ms LOG Agent. Ma¡¯am. Hi. Um, how can I help you?¡± she stammers. I can¡¯t believe I used to think that this clearly fearful response was from nerves due to admiration.


    ¡°Please relax,¡± I say, trying to calm her. ¡°I won¡¯t be here long. I just need access to the student records. It¡¯s a matter of grave urgency.¡± I really hope she doesn¡¯t try to resist. I really don¡¯t want to have to be pushy anymore.


    ¡°I - I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t grant access to those records without a court order,¡± she explains, her voice tight and small. ¡°I - I could lose my job.¡± I bite back the conditioned response to press the matter and opt for a more straightforward approach that would at least grant her some leeway.  S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I state, eliciting some genuine surprise from her. I use the moment to run a temporary shutdown routine, forcing her to essentially fall asleep. She¡¯ll be fine, but now I need to hurry.


    I make my way into the back end of the building, using a handy little bit of tech that locates and directs me to where I want to go. It¡¯s like a video game¡¯s quest marker. Soon enough I find myself in the server interface room.


    It doesn¡¯t take me long to find records of Viktor¡¯s enrollment from before he went underground. I begin cross referencing reports with his name with any name that appears more than once. The most common name that comes up is someone named Daryl Lightwood. They were apparently friends once.


    I search for whatever records I can find on Daryl, and find an oddity. A few years prior, all records of Daryl disappeared. I double check my results, and easily find the reason. Daryl changed their name to Summer. And there¡¯s records of numerous modifications, and ah. She¡¯s trans. She owns a restaurant in a nice part of town and - Bingo! An apartment address.


    Unfortunately, it seems my presence in Lanadel has not gone unnoticed and I can feel a trace being run on my location. I quickly snip it before running out of the building, to find multiple LOG agents waiting for me. There¡¯s even two Knights, which is not ideal. One of the knights holds up a megaphone. It¡¯s such an anachronistic device in the mostly fantasy world of Lanadel.


    ¡°Halt! Surrender knave or face my wrath!¡± he yells, his voice amplified. Ugh. It¡¯s ¡®Lancelot¡¯. His actual name is Lance, but once he became a knight he became enamored in old Arthurian folklore and demanded to be called Lancelot by everyone. You¡¯d think his dedication to acting like an old fashioned knight in shining armor would make him less of a prick, but it only amplifies it, much like his stupid megaphone.


    ¡°Not happening, Lancelot,¡± I respond, putting a mocking lilt on his name. ¡°I¡¯ve got people to see, problems to solve, and not nearly enough time. So you¡¯ll have to excuse me,¡± I state as I activate my transposition code. Nothing happens.


    Damn.


    Lance¡¯s dumb face is revealed as he lifts his face guard. He sports a mocking look as he begins to gloat about how there¡¯s no escape and I should give up. I tune him out as I consider what to actually do. I could just log out, my safehouse security would prevent them from blocking that. But then they could just barricade the location of my proxy body and wait for me to return.


    Double Damn.


    I have no choice. I hit the log out button and am immediately pulled out of the webworld. I take a quick picture of the baffled look on Lance¡¯s face as I fade away. Even if I get caught after this, it¡¯ll be worth it just for that.


    I shutdown my system immediately before they can trace my logout trajectory and gather my things and get dressed. I glance at my bedside table and frown. I almost decide to leave my gun behind before grabbing it and strapping it on. I don¡¯t want to have to use it, but if Viktor has really released DCS-1 I might have to kill him to prevent him from wreaking havoc.


    Using a dummy account, I purchase a maglev ticket to a station near where Summer lives. Given that she¡¯s my only possible lead, I¡¯m hoping that he¡¯s at least contacted her at some point.


    The residential block is nice, and the crenulations are a wonderful touch. I need to focus. I approach the lift and am about to buzz Summer when I notice that her listing has been set to ¡®do not disturb¡¯.


    On one hand, I could wait until she¡¯s accepting visitors, but if she¡¯s harboring Viktor, I might not get the chance before he¡¯s gone. On the other hand, I could override the lift, but that¡¯d require me to use my official LOG tools and would absolutely draw my fellow agents to my location.


    There¡¯s no good option, and not nearly enough time. I have to do it. I pull out a small handheld device from my belt and place it on the lift interface. Within a few seconds, the lift opens up and I step inside. It¡¯s a short ride to the right floor and I approach the apartment door. In for a penny I guess. I use the same device from the lift to open the door.


    I draw my gun and step into the rather nice apartment. The smell of cookies fills the air and makes my mouth water involuntarily. I love chocolate chip cookies, so it takes me a moment to take in the whole room. There¡¯s Summer by the kitchen. She¡¯s wearing an apron with a picture of a lipstick mark and the text, Kiss the Chef. She¡¯s even more gorgeous than her ID pictures made her out to be.


    Damn.


    No time to be gay, though, as I hear a scream from another room. Could that be Viktor? What¡¯s happening to him? Is DCS-1 doing something to him? Did he act willingly? It¡¯s suddenly no longer clear what the situation is at all.


    Before I can really consider what to do next, Summer turns back into the kitchen and returns with a tray of steaming, fresh cookies.


    ¡°Would you like some? They¡¯re homemade,¡± she asks just as a panicked figure enters the room. Ah. There¡¯s Viktor. I think?


    End Chapter 4

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5Chapter 5Vik


    What the actual shit. Fuck. Ass! Fuck! Cock n¡¯ balls! Do I even have those anymore? Quick check. Yes. Why does that bother me? Fuck! Stupid gender stuff fucking with my head. I don¡¯t even look that different! Which fills me with disappointment and ugh! I just look a bit softer. I think. But for a moment I thought I looked like my proxy body but then it faded.


    I need to calm down. I think I screamed. After the proxy body faded. What the fuck was that about? I heard a ding and Summer¡¯s asking someone about cookies. What the fuck is going on? Do I have more meat on me? Focus, figure out who¡¯s here.


    Climbing out of the bed, I wobble a bit, as I¡¯ve clearly changed enough to throw off my balance. I step out into the hall and follow it to the living room. Okay, there¡¯s Summer, she¡¯s got cookies. I could really use some cookies. Now who¡¯s she - And fucking hell it¡¯s the logger.


    God fucking damnit.


    I glance down at Willow and back up at that Jack bitch. She¡¯s between me and the door. Need to play it cool. Don¡¯t fall into a rabbit hole about these thoughts in my head.


    ¡°Oh hey, fancy meeting you here,¡± I say with a level of confidence I don¡¯t actually feel at the moment. ¡°Did you like my present? I bet you didn¡¯t,¡± I giggle. Nope. I chuckle.


    Yep.


    Chuckling is what I did.


    She just raises a brow as she looks over my outfit. Which makes sense I guess. I¡¯d hardly look very intimidating in a skirt and cu- blou-


    Shirt.


    Thing. Shirt Thing.


    ¡°I bet you thought you were clever Viktor, but it ends here. I¡¯ll give you one chance to dispose of the DCS-1 and we can all walk away peacefully,¡± she orders as she raises her gun towards me. ¡°Refuse and I¡¯ll blow a hole through your head and solve the issue that way!¡± she shouts.


    I see Summer give me this look. If I had any doubts that she¡¯s my childhood friend, they¡¯re gone. She always gave me that look before I did something so incredibly stupid. She¡¯s begging me not to do it without saying a single word. Sorry Summer.


    ¡°Not where I¡¯d like a hole blown, but I¡¯m gonna have to pass, Jack,¡± I retort. Fuck. Really? That was the best I could come up with? I just can¡¯t shake this stupid gender stuff. Though it does seem to throw her for a loop. I can work with that. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no DCS-1 here. Just me, Summer and that¡¯s it. Unless you wanna make this a m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois?¡± I taunt her. Critical hit. The logger is blushing furiously. Bonus points for getting Summer to blush too.


    Shit. I¡¯m blushing too.


    We all just stand there in what must be the gayest standoff. Or it would be if I wasn¡¯t a man. I can feel Willow judging me. She practically radiates disbelief. I can almost hear her complain about all the progress we made and then tossed out the window. Jokes on her, I really don¡¯t have time for that shit.


    ¡°I know you released them Viktor,¡± she states.


    ¡°Vik, just Vik,¡± I correct her. She gives me this oh so condescending smirk and I just know she¡¯s going to be a shit about this.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll call you Vik when you call me Felicia. Or better yet, Officer Felicia. Respect has to be mutually earned.¡± Goddamn she¡¯s - actually. That¡¯s fair.


    ¡°Fine, fine, Felicia. Whatever. What¡¯s this DCS-1 thing anyways?¡± I lie through my teeth. ¡°Never heard of it.¡± Summer glances at me. I¡¯m pretty sure she can tell I¡¯m lying and I¡¯m not sure what to do about that.


    Willow meows softly at my feet and I fight against the urge to look down at her. I have to keep her safe. Sure she¡¯s some ultra powerful AI weapon or something, but she¡¯s also a cat. That means she needs to be protected at all costs.


    My eyes flit around the room, looking for something I can use to my advantage, but Felicia just clicks her tongue to draw my gaze back to her.


    ¡°Keep your eyes on me!¡± she barks. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can escape this situation without disposing of the DCS-1 or dying. Those are your only two options.¡±


    My mind races as I try to think of a way out of this. With my eyes firmly locked on Felicia, I don¡¯t see Summer until she¡¯s already lunged at Felicia and cracked her on the head with the baking sheet.


    ¡°Vik! C¡¯mon!¡± she shouts and starts out the door while Felicia is reeling. I totally start moving without hesitation. I do not spend precisely two and five eighths seconds in a daze at how mind bogglingly hot that was. ¡°Hurry!¡± she shouts again, snapping me out of - nope, I am already on my way. I¡¯m not getting distracted by her shapely figure and cute outf- focus Vik!


    We race towards the lift but turn past it. I glance over my shoulder and open my mouth to make a suitable snappy comment about the elevator before Summer turns around and presses her finger to her lips.


    Fine. No witty commentary for you then.


    She leads me towards an isolated door away from the rest of the apartment entrances and begins searching the tiled floor for something.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± I whisper, hoping to not draw Felicia to us. Summer doesn¡¯t answer, but I soon get my answer anyways as she presses down on a false tile and reveals a little cubby in the floor. She pulls out a stack of old fashioned cash and a card with the building¡¯s logo on it. I practically gig- chuckle with glee. ¡°What¡¯s this? The well respected business owner has a hidden -¡± I¡¯m interrupted by her withering glare.


    ¡°I lived in a shithole for most of my life too you know,¡± she retorts. ¡°Just because I¡¯d gotten out didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t bring some lessons with me.¡± She stands up and uses the card to open up the door next to us. ¡°This leads to the maintenance lift. It can get us down to the garage,¡± she explains while urging me to follow.


    I spare one last glance back towards the way we came to make sure we¡¯re not being followed before heading into the dimly lit hallway past the door. Summer takes a moment to lock the door again and hurries down the corridor. This whole situation is going to hell and I realize I¡¯ve done exactly what I didn¡¯t want to do. There¡¯d be only one way Summer would get out of this mess without losing the life she worked so hard to make.


    Fuck.


    We approach the elevator and begin waiting for it to reach our floor. I look around and spot a hefty looking pipe. Summer is explaining some convoluted plan she has had in her back pocket for years and doesn¡¯t notice me as I creep up behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whisper. She turns around just as I hit her over the head. The look on her face as I make contact eats at me and I can hear Willow mew pitifully at the sight. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that,¡± I snap at her. ¡°She has a life. I can¡¯t bring her back down into the dirt with me,¡± I rationalize my actions. Willow doesn¡¯t seem convinced but doesn¡¯t press the issue. ¡°And don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting away with not talking about what you¡¯ve done to me,¡± I warn her. She has the decency to look ashamed, or as ashamed as a cat can look at least.


    Not having much time, I take Summer¡¯s cash and shove it in my - god fucking damnit. I don¡¯t have pockets. Or shoes. Could this day get any worse?


    Felicia bursts through the door.


    Why do I always tempt fate like this?


    She levels her weapon at me, her expression hard. She only spares a momentary glance at Summer, though it causes a sneer to cross her face.


    ¡°Turning on your allies? And here I thought you at least had some integrity,¡± she snarls at me. I just put on my cockiest (never liked that word) smirk.


    ¡°Oh I was just using her,¡± I lie. ¡°Just needed a place to stay since you compromised my workshop.¡± The mention of my former abode causes her to flinch. What¡¯s that about? ¡°She¡¯s not a part of this Felicia,¡± I say, my voice cold. ¡°She¡¯s clearly just very, very confused. I mean she dressed me up like this,¡± I point out while gesturing at myself. I notice Willow on my feet as I¡¯m talking and the odd tickling sensation that contact with her causes nearly makes me laugh. I instantly regret pointing it out as Felicia briefly blushes before grinning. This is going to be bad.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s not as confused as you think,¡± she says with a snicker. ¡°It¡¯s a good look on you at least. Very pretty,¡± she taunts. My face burns up as my stomach turns to mush. ¡°I¡¯m feeling generous though,¡± she says, lowering her gun just a little bit. ¡°I can tell she obviously cares about you, and despite your attempts to hide it, you care about her too.¡± She snorts. ¡°You probably knocked her out to avoid making her an accomplice. So follow my instructions and you can go back to exploring your gender in peace.¡±


    I just glare at her as the elevator dings behind me. The next few seconds happen very fast. Willow climbs off my feet, leaving them feeling encased in something. Felicia raises her gun again to discourage me. I decide to risk it and book it for the elevator, expecting another shot in the spine. It never comes though.


    As the lift doors close, I turn to look and see Felicia sink into the floor as her gun slips out of her hand. Without even a flicker of doubt, I know Willow is behind it and look down at my fluffy digital companion with newfound concern. What even is she?


    ****


    I manage to get out of the lift and back on the streets without getting caught by any of the building staff. My stomach¡¯s intense clenching reminds me that I probably need something to eat if I¡¯m going to avoid getting caught. My nose wrinkles at the idea. Food¡¯s never been a super high priority. Not being trapped in my own body took precedence.


    It hits me like a truck. I don¡¯t need to save up for a new spine anymore. Willow clearly fixed it. And she¡¯s clearly capable of doing more, so there¡¯s no reason not to have any food.


    Right?


    Willow seems to agree as she trots off down an alley and out of sight. I rush off after her and wind up following her to a secluded little diner tucked between several large apartment complexes.


    I hesitate to waste time here, what with a logger on my trail, but my stomach clenches painfully, forcing me to admit I have to eat if I want to escape. I¡¯m about to enter the diner when I catch my reflection in the mirror. Summer must¡¯ve cleaned the makeup off my face. It makes sense, she wouldn¡¯t want to get it on the pillows. But somehow my face still looks softer and a bit girlier.


    There¡¯s also the matter of the clothes I¡¯m still wearing and the simple flats Willow somehow made out of nothing. I¡¯m frozen with indecision. Do I go inside and risk being laughed at to get something to eat. Or do I suffer longer so I can get some new clothes.


    My stomach makes the decision for me as I nearly double over in pain from the cramping. I push open the door and find a seat at a table with a clear line of sight of the door. A teenage girl in what I assume is a waiter outfit comes over and offers me a menu.


    ¡°Can I get you a drink, miss?¡± she asks, her words going a little over my head at first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a cola,¡± I respond as I look over the menu. ¡°And I¡¯ll keep it simple and order a burger and fries,¡± I add quickly. She gives me a nod and takes the menu back and heads off to the kitchen. Something about that interaction is picking away at my thoughts.


    Wait.


    She called me miss! Couldn¡¯t she tell I look nothing like a girl? I¡¯m a guy, for crying out loud! I consider calling her back to correct her, but I realize that would just draw attention to me. Maybe even cause enough of a stir to alert Felicia to my location.


    I guess I can handle being thought of as a girl for a little bit. Just for now. It¡¯s not that bothersome. Besides, I don¡¯t want to embarrass her. It¡¯d be very rude.


    Willow hops up on the table and plops on her side in front of me. I¡¯m reminded of what she¡¯s done to me already and lean forward to press my head against hers. I try to discreetly question her about what¡¯s going on and I¡¯m flooded with information. The diner seems to fall away from around me as I¡¯m given a proper explanation.


    My initial guess that Willow was made by the loggers was correct. She tells me in images and feelings that they made her to allow them total control over Lanadel. What they hadn¡¯t realized at first was that this also gave her control over the real world due to the way the AI had made their servers piggy back on reality itself.


    They wanted to use her to take complete control over Lanadel and use her power to establish themselves as the ultimate authority in both realities. She had already begun to achieve sentience and while her abilities were limited on her own, she managed to alert a gang to a shipment her datadrive was a part of. It was a long shot, but she hoped to find someone to bond with that could help her get away from LOG.


    My spine, these new shoes, my body, Felicia sinking into the floor and her gun becoming too slippery to hold onto, they were all caused by Willow¡¯s powers. Powers she could only use when bonded. Powers she¡¯d been using to help me.


    She explains that she didn¡¯t have to form a bond with me. That she could¡¯ve just escaped into Lanadel when I opened the seals on her containment. But she saw something that drew her to me. She can¡¯t explain it, but she doesn¡¯t regret her decision. She wants to help me be my true self. Apparently she thinks I¡¯d be happier as a girl and is working towards changing my body to match.


    The diner comes back into view again as I pull my head back. Conveniently, my food arrives before I can get too lost in thought. The burger is amazing. A little greasier than I might usually like, but everything else more than makes up for it. It¡¯s not long before my food is polished off and I¡¯m left with my thoughts again.


    Would I be happier as a girl? Of course I would. I mean who wouldn¡¯t? Guys, boys, men, whatever you wanna call us, we suck ass. But it¡¯s just not that easy. Sure she could make my body all feminine, but that doesn¡¯t change my mind.


    Summer¡¯s always been a girl. She was just changing her body to match that. If I let Willow change me, it¡¯d be like the opposite of that. A parody of Summer¡¯s struggles to be herself. I get the feeling that Willow won¡¯t stop though, so would it really be ok if I turned into a girl? Maybe when she sees she¡¯s wrong, she¡¯ll change me back.


    Yeah.


    That¡¯s what will happen.


    For sure.


    I pay my bill and leave the diner feeling fuller than I ever have. I worry I might¡¯ve eaten too much but I can feel Willow assuring me that she¡¯ll keep me from getting sick. I guess she¡¯ll need a lot of resources to change my body.


    Enough gender shit, though. I need to figure out my next steps. I¡¯m back to square one with a logger on my trail, and I can¡¯t risk involving Summer again. Not only will Felicia be watching her, but I can¡¯t let her throw everything away for me. I¡¯m not worth it.


    Willow mews softly and shakes her head. She pads down the alley, forcing me to jog to keep up. Pretty soon we reach an outdoor market where people are selling all sorts of things. Clothes, electronics, furniture and even weapons. Willow looks back at me and her plan clicks into place for me.


    Felicia has seen me in this outfit, so I need a new one. I could probably use a weapon too, especially if she¡¯s going to be waving that gun around.


    I make my way into the market and find a clothes stand. It¡¯s all used, but at least it¡¯s pretty cheap. I debate getting some men¡¯s clothes, but with how Willow is changing me, it¡¯d probably be better to just stick to women¡¯s clothes. The thought makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.


    Weird.


    ¡°Anything in particular you¡¯re looking for, miss?¡± the seller asks. I nearly jump out of my own skin as I hadn¡¯t heard her creep up behind me. I flounder for words. Why do I get so flustered anytime someone calls me ¡®miss¡¯?


    ¡°N - no thanks,¡± I stammer back before burying my head into the clothing rack. I grab a random outfit and buy it without looking too hard at it. After paying the lady, I run and hide in a public bathroom. It¡¯s fortunately just a unisex single person stall, so I don¡¯t have to deal with figuring out which bathroom to use.


    I finally look at the outfit I bought and frown when I see it¡¯s a long frilly black dress with built in support around the bust. It seems to have a faux corset as well. I can¡¯t wear this.


    Can I?


    I mean, I need to return Summer¡¯s clothes eventually.


    I should have my own clothes.


    And the fabric is so soft. I wonder what it¡¯d feel like?


    I love the way it clings to my torso and flairs out around my le-


    When did I put it on?


    I take a deep breath and leave the bathroom. It¡¯s a non issue. It¡¯s just clothes. Pretty pretty clothes. I can handle it. What I can¡¯t handle is that the clothes merchant has followed me to the bathroom and is now gushing over how beautiful the dress looks on me. She drags me back to her stall and offers me a wide brimmed hat, boots and some jewelry she insists will complete the look.


    I reluctantly follow her advice and put it all on. She brings a full body mirror over and I can¡¯t help but stare. Is that really me? It can¡¯t be. I haven¡¯t changed that much yet. This is totally a trick. I still pay the woman for the extras and just walk off in a daze.


    What¡¯s going on with me? Is Willow messing with my mind? She assures me she isn¡¯t. But she doesn¡¯t say she can¡¯t. That¡¯s terrifying. Can she mind control people? She reassures me she¡¯d never do that to me. And I believe her. I suppose there¡¯s no way I can be sure if she¡¯s messing with my head, so I might as well roll with it.


    She thinks I¡¯ll be happy as a girl. Fuck it. I¡¯m a girl then. Why not? And girls can wear pretty dresses. They get to be cute and flirty and a little mysterious to boot. I can do that. Who the fuck cares! I sure as fuck don¡¯t! Not anymore!


    A call from a hidden number snaps me out of my thoughts. I glance down at Willow. We both know who it probably is.


    ¡°Can you block a trace?¡± I ask her. She nods, so I answer. Surprising nobody, it''s Felicia.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I snap at her. ¡°Just leave us alone,¡± I snarl.


    ¡°Us now huh?¡± she questions.


    Fuck.


    ¡°Sure, fuck it, fine. The cats out of the bag. Now what do you want?¡± I demand. She lets out an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like using these sorts of tactics. But with the safety of everyone, including you at stake. My hand¡¯s been forced.¡± She sends a picture of Summer tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m forwarding you the address. Be there in one hour ready to surrender and things will turn out fine. Resist and - ¡° she hesitates. ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret it. You have one hour. Don¡¯t be late.¡±


    She hangs up.


    Fuck.  S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fucking fuckity fuck shit ass fuck cock balls shitting beaver cunt!


    I take a deep breath to calm myself before looking down at Willow. ¡°Guess we gotta save Summer,¡± I sigh. ¡°So I have to ask, what else can you do?¡±


    End Chapter 5

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6 Chapter 6Summer


    My head is killing me. That¡¯s the least of my issues, though. My eyes are still closed, but I can hear the steady dripping of a leaky pipe. Which means I¡¯m not where I should be. What happened? The last thing I remember is - oh Vik. Sh - They bashed me over the head with a pipe. Did they kidnap me? To use as a hostage? That doesn¡¯t seem like something Vik would do. Then again, they¡¯ve lived a very hard life for a long time now.


    I risk opening my eyes and immediately close them again as even the meagre light of a single dingy light bulb is enough to cause a spike in my growing headache.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake,¡± I hear a voice say. They sound familiar, but where did I hear - Ah, right, the red head with a gun. ¡°If you don¡¯t resist, and do exactly as I say, you¡¯ll be back home with your delinquent in no time,¡± she continues as I hear her move closer to me. ¡°Do you understand?¡± I nod quickly, not able to open my mouth just yet. Not only am I gagged but I feel vaguely nauseous and worry that if I try to speak I¡¯ll just lose my lunch all over her.


    She makes a vague noise and moves off to another part of the room. I move a bit, to test how well I¡¯m bound. I¡¯ve got my hands cuffed behind the chair I¡¯m in, and my feet are tied to the legs of the chair. I need to resist the urge to try and struggle, as that¡¯s not going to help me at all.


    I hear the redhead, right, her name¡¯s Felicia. I hear Felicia talking to someone. She¡¯s too far away for me to make out what she¡¯s saying, but I can pick out enough to know she¡¯s talking to Vik. The optimist in me is hoping that Vik just does what the lady wants them to do and we can go back to living a nice normal happy life. I can help Vik with their gender issues. I could get them a job at my restaurant. A nice quiet, peaceful life. It has a certain appeal, though I¡¯m not sure why I feel so gung ho about having Vik in my life again. I barely know them anymore. If I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t think I ever really did.


    When I first met them, they were very much a damsel in distress. A little androgynous kid that was crying over a stolen doll. I hadn¡¯t really put together my own gender issues back then, but I could still sense a kindred spirit in them.


    I managed to find them again the next day, but they were so closed off. I offered to share my own dolls and play with them, but they insisted boys don¡¯t play with dolls. I¡¯m still not sure why I¡¯d been so enamored with them. They were prickly and standoffish, and they seemed so sad all the time. Little by little though, I managed to draw them out of their shell. It was just enough to catch a glimpse of the delicate rose hidden by their thorns.


    They never really seemed to like me all that much, but that was alright with me. They understood me better than anyone realized. I don¡¯t think Vik really understood how much they got me. In hindsight it was really the fact that I¡¯m trans and I¡¯m almost positive they are too. Well no, it was more than that I think. They may have never cared much for me, but they¡¯d listen, and they¡¯d learn. And in the end, I think they enjoyed my company at least a little since they never told me to leave.


    Still, it¡¯d be nice to help someone; like really help them. What would that mean for Vik though? Help them through their gender crisis? Stop this LOG agent from doing whatever it is they are trying to do? Maybe just give them that job so they don¡¯t have to resort to crime to live? What did this lady even want from Vik? What¡¯s this DCS-1 thing and why is it so important? I should start with that.


    I finally open my eyes long enough for them to adjust to the light. My first impression of the room was spot on. In a word: dingy. I glance about the room for Felicia and spot her cleaning her weapon. Alright, now or never.


    ¡°Why are you after Vik?¡± I ask. Or at least try to. I¡¯d forgotten about the gag so all that comes out are some muffled grunts. Felicia takes pity on me and removes whatever she¡¯d stuck in my mouth. ¡°Why are you after Vik?¡± I repeat. ¡°And what¡¯s this DCS-1 thing you¡¯re so certain they have?¡± I quickly tack on. She sets down her gun and lets out a weary sigh before turning towards me.


    ¡°Well, I suppose it won¡¯t matter soon as it won¡¯t exist much longer,¡± she considers out loud. ¡°Fine. The DCS-1 is an AI construct that never should have existed, let alone in the hands of a low level criminal like Vik,¡± she explains. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous in ways that you can¡¯t even begin to imagine. The limits of what it can do are hard to even quantify.¡± Her brows furrow in frustration. ¡°I¡¯d expected Vik to just open it and leave it be, but they¡¯ve clearly bonded with it and that¡¯s going to be a whole other problem on its own.¡±


    She gets up and moves her chair in front of mine as she seems to study me intently. ¡°To give a brief idea of the potential it possesses, it somehow healed Vik¡¯s spine. They were in a wheelchair when I first met them. Now they¡¯re walking about as if they didn¡¯t have a bullet lodged in their spine.¡± My eyes widen at the implications. An AI that could affect meatspace. How could that even be possible? That¡¯d at least explain why Vik looked a little different after their nap.


    ¡°Wait, who would even make something like that?¡± I demand. ¡°And why give it to Vik in the first place?¡±


    Felicia lets out another heavy sigh and massages her temples.


    ¡°LOG made it. When I found out I was furious. Something like this clearly goes beyond our mandate and puts way too much power into one person¡¯s hands.¡± This is all so beyond crazy. What has Vik gotten me involved with? A LOG conspiracy and some potentially all powerful AI? ¡°I took it to Vik because the datadrive the DCS-1 was contained in was locked too tight for me to access it. I¡¯d considered smashing the drive but I couldn¡¯t take the risk that my superiors could somehow recover it. So I needed to delete it at its root code. Vik was the right amount of skilled enough to do the job, but low profile enough to not be an immediate suspect,¡± she explains further.


    Things are starting to make more sense, but something still bothers me. Why would Vik, a webweaver, be so careless with an unknown AI? Wait, they were totally petting something I couldn¡¯t see before.  S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Felicia, that¡¯s your name right? What would this DCS-1 thing look like in Lanadel?¡± I ask, already having a sneaking suspicion. She looks back at me, seemingly unsure why I would ask something like this.


    ¡°From the notes I recovered, it¡¯s designed to look like an ordinary cat to avoid standing out. Why?¡± Ah. There¡¯s the kicker. Vik has always, and I do mean, always, loved cats. One of their favorite activities was going around feeding strays. In hindsight, we never really had the food to spare to be doing that, but it was one of the few things that made them happy so I was always happy to join them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some bad news for you then,¡± I say with a smirk. ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell that Vik will give up this DCS-1 thing if it looks like a cat,¡± I explain, unable to wipe the grin off my face. ¡°Vik adores cats. Vik will choose a cat over a person every single time.¡± My face falls as it clicks that Vik won¡¯t come for me. ¡°So I¡¯m a useless hostage.¡± I let out a humorless laugh.


    Felicia isn¡¯t laughing though, she¡¯s not even looking at me. I consider asking her what¡¯s the matter, but don¡¯t get the chance as the single dingy light flickers off.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she hisses as she pops on a flash light. ¡°Guess you¡¯re not the useless hostage you think you are,¡± she comments as she hurries over to her gun to put it back together as fast as she can. She doesn¡¯t get the chance to finish though as the room begins to fill with smoke.


    ¡°Cower before the Witch of the Web,¡± calls out a hauntingly beautiful voice from the depths of the darkness and smoke. ¡°Release your prisoner and I shall spare your life!¡± Something about the voice strikes me as familiar. Something - oh god. It¡¯s Vik. I¡¯m not sure how they are doing the voice - oh. It must be that DCS-1 thing. It¡¯s helping them transition? Is that possible? Is that even what Vik wants?


    ¡°I know that¡¯s you Vik,¡± Felicia warns my would be savior. ¡°Final warning, put aside this nonsense, surrender the DCS-1 for deletion and you can walk free.¡± I let out a weak sigh. Vik won¡¯t go for that, they¡¯re too stubborn. Vik begins to laugh as if to prove me right.


    ¡°Yeah, how about no, Felicia. I¡¯ve got a better idea,¡± they say just before I hear a grunt from behind me.


    The smoke clears and the light turns back on and before a fight even begins, it¡¯s over. Someone who I can only presume is Vik stands in front of me. She - they¡¯re beautiful. I can tell they haven¡¯t changed much, but you¡¯d be surprised how much clothes can affect someone¡¯s perception of you.


    She offers me a weak smile and moves behind me to begin uncuffing me. I notice Felicia is tied up tightly with what look like cables from the ceiling. Shit, I thought ¡®she¡¯ again. I need to clarify that with them.


    ¡°Hey Vik?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± they respond with a little strain as they struggle to remove my restraints.


    ¡°Do you - Do you have new pronouns?¡± I ask softly, hoping I don¡¯t set them off again. They shrug awkwardly, causing some of their new jewelry to jingle softly.


    ¡°Uh, girl ones I guess,¡± she responds, not sounding too sure. ¡°Willow¡¯s going to turn me into a girl, so I should get used to it.¡± I frown. I can only guess that Willow is the DCS-1. I hope that it¡¯s not forcing this on her.


    ¡°You could tell¡­ Willow?¡± she nods. ¡°You could tell them you don¡¯t want it,¡± I suggest, not really knowing the full extent of whatever dynamic Vik has formed with this AI cat.


    ¡°Eeeeeeeeh,¡± she responds. ¡°I don¡¯t hate the idea.¡± Oh god she is such an egg, it hurts so much. ¡°Not that I like it either,¡± she quickly adds. I totally believe her. I believe her about as much as I believe the moon is made of cheese. For the record, in case it isn¡¯t abundantly clear. I know for a fact now that she¡¯s deep in denial and is loving every second of wearing that stunning dress. Speaking of¡­


    ¡°So, the dress?¡± I ask, trying not to think about the woman bound behind my friend.


    ¡°I know right? It looks awful on me,¡± she complains. ¡°It was the first thing I grabbed, then this pushy sales lady insisted I get the hat and all the extras. It was - It just was,¡± she sighs. I give her a withering glare.


    ¡°Girl, you look amazing. You¡¯ll grow out to fill in that dress, but even now, it really suits you. I totally get why you¡¯d lean into the whole witchy vibe with your dramatic entrance.¡± I am not going to let her get away with downplaying her looks. Not when she¡¯s starting to accept herself for the first time. ¡°Trust me, you look great.¡± I opt not to mention she still looks vaguely skeletal for now. I¡¯m planning to fix that as soon as possible.


    My words do the trick and she¡¯s blushing super hard as she finally gives up on picking the locks or whatever she was trying to do. She looks down at her side and nods to the cuffs.


    ¡°Could you get those?¡± she asks. Before she¡¯s even done, the cuffs click open and fall away. I blink a bit as I realize that Willow has some sort of physical presence, at least to Vik in any case.


    ¡°So what now?¡± I ask while rubbing my wrists. Those cuffs had really started to chafe. ¡°Do we just go on the run?¡± Why am I even considering going with her? I¡¯ve only just met her again for the first time in years and I¡¯m down so bad for the woman.


    ¡°No,¡± she sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t want that for you,¡± she adds. ¡°This is my mess, I¡¯ll clean it up.¡± I shake my head at her and reach out, my hands hovering by her shoulders. She eyes them like they are a pair of vipers, waiting to bite her. She eventually nods, so I put my hands on her shoulders. I can feel her shaking.


    ¡°Vik, actually, do you still want to be called Vik?¡± I ask gently. ¡°Or Vikkie?¡± She shrugs and looks down at one of the bracelets she¡¯s wearing.


    ¡°Uh - neither, I think. I¡¯m going to need to be a new person anyways. So I¡¯m thinking maybe -¡± she mutters the last bit too quietly for me to hear.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I urge her. ¡°I won¡¯t judge.¡± She nods slightly and looks down at where I assume Willow is. She fiddles with her bracelet as she works herself up to saying it again.


    ¡°I want to be called Rose,¡± she says just loud enough for me to hear. Now, when she says this, two things happen. One, my heart just explodes from the overwhelming amount of cuteness Rose brings to bear. I don¡¯t even think she realizes how adorable she¡¯s capable of being. Two, I feel my affection for her triple instantly. I¡¯ve been jokingly calling her a rose since shortly after we met. That she¡¯s taking it as her name means the world to me. She actually cares about me.


    I FUCKING KNEW IT! TAKE THAT EVERYONE WHO DOUBTED OUR FRIENDSHIP!


    ¡°Rose. You¡¯re not getting rid of me,¡± I state simply. ¡°Please don¡¯t knock me out again.¡± I offer a weak giggle at the idea of that becoming a trend. ¡°You¡¯re skin and bones, you need someone to help take care of you for now,¡± I try to appeal to her survival instincts. ¡°And well, I care about you, alright?¡± That seems to have some sort of effect on her as she nods slowly.


    "Oh fuck, about that. Willow?" she looks down at her feet and waits a for moments before nodding. "Ok, Willow fixed any damage from me hitting you in the head. Sorry again..." She trails off and after a moment of shuffling her feet, looking just way too cute.


    "I meant it Rose, I''m coming with you," I reaffirm.


    ¡°Alright. Ok. Well if that¡¯s the case. Shit. Ok. Ok. Ok. Shit I know Willow I know! Fiiine!¡± she throws her hands up in annoyance as she shoots a glare at Felicia who¡¯s just been watching this exchange with tired eyes.


    She stomps about, continuing to curse under her breath before wheeling on her heels to look Felicia dead in the eye. ¡°You should thank Willow for being more forgiving than me. So listen up careful as I¡¯m going to explain how this is going to work, but only once,¡± she starts. ¡°I¡¯m going to let you go.¡± Felicia¡¯s eyes widen at that. ¡°I¡¯ll promise not to, I dunno, take over the world or whatever it is you are trying to stop me and Willow from doing. And you promise to leave the three of us the fuck alone? Deal?¡± She waits to see if Felicia nods.


    ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t think she can move her head,¡± I point out. Rose looks at me then back at her captive. She giggles slightly and mouths ¡®oops¡¯. With a wave of her hand, the cables release Felicia¡¯s head and mouth so she can communicate.


    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Felicia demands. ¡°You ran away with the DCS-1 and -¡±


    ¡°Willow,¡± Rose cuts her off. ¡°Her name is Willow.¡± She glares at the redhead, daring her to argue.


    ¡°Fine! Willow! You ran off with - wait. Why¡¯d you bother naming it?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Her, she¡¯s a her.¡± Rose is really insistent on this. She must be so attached to this cat AI.


    ¡°I - what? It¡¯s just an AI. A simple one at that. It wasn¡¯t programmed with feelings,¡± Felicia¡¯s arguments fall on deaf ears as Rose glares at her.


    ¡°She¡¯s got plenty of feelings,¡± my friend snaps. ¡°She likes being pet, she likes cuddling, and she wants so badly to help me! She just wants to live her own life, free from the shackles of control your organization wrapped her in. It¡¯s why she bonded with me. She knew I¡¯d never give her back to LOG. She¡¯s terrified of them, Felicia!¡± She pronounces the redhead¡¯s name with all the vitriol of the harshest of curses.


    Felicia¡¯s face falls as she gives up any struggle against her bindings. Did she really not know? She looks back and forth between us, her expression one of defeat. When she finally speaks, it¡¯s with contrite deference.


    ¡°I¡¯m - I¡¯m sorry. All the documents suggested that DC - Willow, didn¡¯t have any sentience, at least not yet. I wouldn¡¯t have been so hellbent on her deletion if I¡¯d known. I swear! I just thought she was an AI with too much power and no conscience to temper it. But,¡± she pauses to consider her next words carefully. ¡°I¡¯ve made a lot of enemies trying to do what I thought was right. And when LOG¡¯s done with me, they will find you. They won¡¯t rest until they have Willow back. I don¡¯t know what they plan to do with her, but it can¡¯t be good. But perhaps¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± I ask her, moving closer to Rose in the process.


    ¡°Help me bring down LOG, for good.¡±


    End Chapter 6

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7Chapter 7Rose


    What the actual shit?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, could you repeat that? Sounded to me like you were saying ¡®kill ourselves in a pointless endeavor!¡¯¡± I shout at Felicia. She¡¯s still tied up and I¡¯m not sure I want to release her anymore. ¡°Taking on LOG is a stupid, suicidal and absolutely batshit insane thing to do!¡± I say as I continue my tirade. ¡°Sure, messing with them can be fun, but how do you think the two of us -¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± interrupts Summer. I look at Summer then nod and look back at Felicia.


    ¡°Right three! Even with Willow, I don¡¯t think you, me and her ca-¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, Willow. In that case four,¡± Summer once again interrupts me. I look at her and nod without thinking before continuing.


    ¡°Four then.¡± Wait, something about that¡¯s not right. ¡°No, not four. Summer, you¡¯re going home and forgetting I ever showed up,¡± I tell her. I leave no room for argument, and yet argue she does.


    ¡°Yeah, no. Sorry, Rose, you need me or you¡¯re not going to make another day. I can already tell you¡¯re about to pass out,¡± Summer retorts. ¡°You need someone to look after you since you clearly won¡¯t do it yourself!¡± I glare at her and shake my head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, I ate a burger earlier,¡± I state a little too proudly. I can already tell by her expression that she¡¯s not impressed.


    ¡°Uh huh, and when¡¯s the last time you ate before that? When¡¯s the last time you got a good night¡¯s rest?¡± she demands with her hands on her hips. I have to think about that one before I can answer. I take a little too long as she¡¯s already gearing up to continue. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. You can¡¯t even remember!¡±


    ¡°Actually, Vi - er - Rose, has been sleeping in Lanadel. I saw her set up in her workshop,¡± Felicia not so helpfully informs. She has this look like she knows she¡¯s throwing gas on the fire.


    ¡°You what?!¡± Summer yells. ¡°Of all the irresponsible, dumbass things you can do! I -¡± She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. ¡°I know what dysphoria is like Rose. I¡¯m sure it was rough, especially when you didn¡¯t even know you were feeling it.¡± I open my mouth to argue, but she shakes her head. ¡°Just listen please,¡± she asks. I reluctantly nod, so she continues. ¡°I may not be a fancy webweaver, or witch of the web like you said you are now; but I know how dangerous sleeping in Lanadel is. Please don¡¯t do it anymore. I know it¡¯s an easy escape. But please, you need to be more careful. For me?¡±


    I slump against a wall and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Fiiiiiiiiiiiine,¡± I drawl. ¡°But you¡¯re still not coming with us. This is a suicide mission I¡¯m getting roped into here. You should just go home.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Felicia butts in. ¡°I used a LOG access device to enter your building, Summer. LOG agents will be all over your residential block by now. It¡¯s part of why I grabbed you so you didn¡¯t get brought in for interrogation.¡± I give her this incredulous look and she winces. ¡°I never intended to actually hurt her. I was just cleaning up after YOUR mess,¡± she snaps at me. ¡°In any case, Summer¡¯s actually safer with us until this whole thing blows over.¡±


    This isn¡¯t happening.


    This just isn¡¯t fucking happening.


    Willow¡¯s wiped my mind and I¡¯m living a fucking nightmare while she baps around my body.


    Said feline, quickly assures me that isn¡¯t the case, but I¡¯m still filing it under a definite maybe.


    I steeple my fingers together and let out another sigh, a weary one this time. ¡°Right. Ok. So a Witch, her familiar, a Jack and a Chef are going to take down one of the world¡¯s largest and most powerful organizations.¡± I look between my three companions. ¡°With nothing but a broken gun, our clothes, and a cat.¡± I give them all a tired look. ¡°Is that what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°My gun¡¯s not broken,¡± Felicia tries to say but I give her a guilty look. She glares at me then shakes her head. ¡°Whatever, just let me down. I¡¯m losing feeling in my feet and we should probably find somewhere more secure to discuss our plans.¡±


    She has a point.


    Fine.


    With a snap of my fingers, Felicia is released from her bondage and drops to the ground. She lets out a quiet groan as she gets back to her feet. ¡°Next time you want to tie me up,¡± she says with some renewed confidence. ¡°Buy me dinner first.¡±


    My cheeks flush with embarrassment and I look away. ¡°Whatever.¡± My witty repartee is only matched by my - Ah fuck it. It was weak and I know it. Felicia knows it. Summer knows. Hell, Willow probably knows it. A soft meow confirms I¡¯m right. ¡°Let¡¯s just go,¡± I groan and make my way out of the building.


    ****


    A couple hours later, we find ourselves in what had seemed like an abandoned Burger Tavern on the outside, but on the inside -


    Damn.


    Just Damn.


    I may hate that bitch¡¯s guts, but Felicia has good taste at least.


    Ignoring the gaze of my new companions, I move around, checking the systems set up in strategic places around the back rooms of the building. I stop when I lay eyes on her primary delving system.


    Oh baby, I think I¡¯m in love.


    ¡°Get your own,¡± Felicia quips, making me realize I¡¯d spoken aloud.


    I let out a cough and turn slowly towards the logger. Former logger I guess. I don¡¯t really get her. She¡¯s a logger with a conscience. How does someone become a jack if they have anything resembling higher morals? Like, I¡¯m no saint, and I do have some biases, but even before I got shot, I would never have joined those pricks. I should probably figure that out if I¡¯m going to be working with her.


    ¡°So,¡± I say, my voice dry and quiet. ¡°How¡¯d you end up with those jackasses in LOG anyways? You seem to have a - what¡¯s it called?¡± I don¡¯t give her long to reply. ¡°Right, a conscious. So why join those jackbooted thugs in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Summer shouts. ¡°That¡¯s uncalled for,¡± she says as she looks at Felicia. The redheaded woman shakes her head and lets out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right. LOG¡¯s not the organization I thought it was. But the story of how I got there isn¡¯t pretty. Are you sure you both want to hear?¡± Both Summer and I nod. Felicia is quiet for several long moments as she stares at us. She has a terrible poker face and I can read her like a book. She seems torn about how to answer. After a lengthy number of minutes, she finally speaks. ¡°I joined LOG for similar reasons to why you oppose them. When I was a kid, my entire apartment block was taken offline by digital terrorists. We were locked in, with no way to get food, water, anything.¡± She hesitates for a moment before continuing. ¡°It lasted twenty days. My parents prioritized feeding me over themselves to ensure I survived. And they -¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to continue,¡± Summer says softly.


    ¡°No, I want to hear the rest,¡± I state simply. I¡¯m not going to let Felicia get off the hook so easily. Summer gives me an annoyed look but just steps back to give some more space.


    ¡°My parents didn¡¯t make it,¡± she finally says. ¡°The blockade only ended because LOG was able to find a way into the building and remove the physical webworld bypass that someone had snuck into the block¡¯s central management system.¡± She clenches her fists tightly. ¡°I was so enamored with them. They¡¯d saved me and I knew I wanted to grow up to be like them. I stayed with my uncle until I got accepted to the LOG academy and then I guess I made a decision to just - look the other way when I saw something unconscionable. I rationalized that our enemies were the worst of the worst and we had to cross some lines to protect society as a whole.¡± She slumps into a nearby chair and pinches the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°So you were naive and bought into the propaganda enough that you just ignored all the harm your organization did?¡± I summarize. ¡°I guess that¡¯s not as bad as I thought it¡¯d be. Though¡­¡± I glance down at Willow who¡¯s sitting on a table. I lay my hand on her and without any instruction, she scours the web for the information I know I¡¯ll find. Sure enough, it¡¯s there if you know where to look. ¡°It gets worse Felicia,¡± I state, for once not taking any joy in her suffering. Well, maybe a little joy.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asks, looking up from her wallowing.


    ¡°LOG could¡¯ve taken that building at any time. They only took so long because they were negotiating how much the city would pay them to stop the terrorists.¡± The look of horror on her face gives me pause. I even consider not telling her the worst part.


    Eh, fuck it. I¡¯m still pissed at her.


    ¡°There¡¯s a decent chance there were never any terrorists to begin with. There¡¯s been a bunch of investigations into LOG creating fake attacks to validate their continued existence.¡± I¡¯m filled with instant regret as Summer glares at me while Felicia looks like she¡¯s in shock. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure though. It could¡¯ve been a real attack?¡± I offer, but she can tell I¡¯m just paying lip service. Willow gives me a frustrated look and I can feel her disappointment in me as she hops off the table before jumping into Felicia¡¯s system.


    While Felicia grapples with the reality that her organization is even worse than she realized, Summer pulls me off to the side and slaps me across the face.


    ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± I demand while holding my stinging cheek.


    ¡°For being a huge bitch, Rose!¡± Summer snaps. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that, you know? She¡¯s already ready to turn on LOG. Now she¡¯s likely to be even more demoralized. When did you become so callous?¡± Her question is a valid one. I wasn¡¯t like this when she knew me. I was shy, sure, and was a bit prickly, but I never went out of my way to hurt people like I just did. When did I stop caring about other people in general?  S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I - I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admit. My face hardens as I feel my lips turn into a scowl. ¡°Actually, it was probably when my parents were murdered and I lost the use of my legs then nearly died on the streets!¡± I snapped back. I instantly regret it though as I see Summer recoil and look away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I - ¡° I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯ll try and be better alright? I¡¯m just - I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I feel warm arms wrap around me and pull me close. I lean my head on Summer¡¯s shoulder. Has she always been taller than me? Eh, who cares. I never wanted to be tall anyways. I feel my breath catch in my throat and realize I¡¯m crying.


    ¡°Let it all out. It¡¯s ok. I¡¯m here.¡± Summer¡¯s reassurances feel almost tangible. Like a literal summer day, warming me up. I realize her name is a good one for her if all her hugs are like this. I could maybe get used to them.


    When the tears dry up, she holds me at arm¡¯s length and gives me a smile before going to check on Felicia. I don¡¯t really pay them any attention while Summer gives the former logger a hug. Or I wasn¡¯t until Willow hops into Summer.


    Just what is that cat doing?


    After a few seconds, she jumps out of Summer and into Felicia. Neither seems to notice what she¡¯s doing before she hops down to the floor and lets out a meow. Both women startle and look around before their eyes settle on my familiar.


    What the shit?


    ¡°You can see her now?¡± I demand as I cross the distance between us.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Summer whispers while Felicia just nods. ¡°How¡¯d that happen?¡± she asks.


    Willow feeds me the information and I pass it along. Apparently she was able to create just enough of a connection with each of them that they can see and interact with her. They still don¡¯t understand her like I do, but she -


    Really.


    That¡¯s why she did it?


    Willow had decided she wanted more snuggles. That¡¯s why she did it. Both Summer and Felicia giggle at the thought and are happy to oblige the fluffy digital cat. Felicia looks a little guilty as Willow happily snuggles against the woman who was trying to kill her not even a full day ago.


    After a fresh round of snuggles with my cat. The whole group of us decide that it¡¯s been a busy day and we all need our rest. But Summer isn¡¯t willing to just let us go to bed on an empty stomach and gets to work with what Felicia has stocked up. She manages to take a bunch of canned and frozen food and turn it into probably some of the best food I¡¯ve ever had. What was once a handful of frozen chicken dinners and a bag of rice became stuffed chicken breast with rice and peppers.


    Fuck me. Ok I¡¯m sold. Summer¡¯s on the team because I don¡¯t think I could ever eat a nutrient bar again after this.


    Why wasn¡¯t I eating before? I mean, I never really cared to eat since I hated how I felt in my meatbody anyways. The pain of an empty stomach was a welcome distraction most days. And I could have the sensation of a good meal in Lanadel if I wanted to treat myself.


    I - I was starving myself. Why? I mean it¡¯s obvious I guess. I didn¡¯t care if I lived.


    So why do I care now? Why don¡¯t I feel so uneasy anymore?


    I look down at Willow and get my answer. It¡¯s because, for the first time in my whole life, I feel like it¡¯s worth thinking about tomorrow. My body doesn¡¯t feel like the enemy anymore. Maybe, just maybe, Willow has a point. Maybe I will be happier as a girl. Even just wearing these clothes has felt really good. And Willow does need raw materials to work with to sort my fleshy form out. So maybe I will have another chicken breast. Thank you very much Summer.


    After our meal, we need to figure out sleeping arrangements. Felicia only has one bed as this place was never meant for anyone but herself. It¡¯s a big bed though. Like, it¡¯s at least ten times bigger than what I¡¯m used to sleeping on.


    Do I suggest sharing?


    Would I even want to share a bed with them?


    Summer? Definitely. It wouldn¡¯t even be the first time. We used to share a bed when we¡¯d have sleepovers as a kid. You know, for someone I used to claim to hate, I did spend an awful lot of time with her when we were younger. I wonder how things would¡¯ve turned out if I had a normal childhood. Maybe I would¡¯ve figured things out with her. Maybe we¡¯d both work at her restaurant. I¡¯d handle a digital side for AI while she handles the meatspace side. We could still do that someday. Would I want that? I shake my head to clear the thoughts and look over at Felicia.


    Would I be able to share a bed with her? She¡¯s beyond gorgeous. Tall, athletic, yet undeniably feminine. Yet there¡¯s the matter of her being a former logger. Former I guess is the operative word. Now that she knows that Willow is sentient, she¡¯s become much less bitchy and annoying. So maybe I could. Still think she¡¯s a bitch though.


    I¡¯m about to suggest the idea when I notice Summer and Felicia are already lying in the bed and looking at me expectantly. I raise a brow and Felicia gestures for me to join them. It¡¯s a bit of a close fit, but I¡¯m able to snuggle up to my blonde friend.


    I could get used to this.


    The three of us don¡¯t really do anything, for which I¡¯m glad. So many shitty VR pornos start off like this. Three girls sharing a bed out of necessity then wind up having kinky lesbian sex.


    When did I start to really think of myself as a girl? I knew I¡¯d just accept it since Willow was going to do the whole thing anyway. And I was just thinking Willow might be right, but when did I make the leap to just thinking of myself as one of the girls?


    It¡¯s too much for my tired brain to really consider so I just close my eyes and lean into Summer a little more. I¡¯m rewarded for my efforts when she wraps an arm around me and pulls me tight. I feel safer than I¡¯ve ever felt since my parent¡¯s death. For the first time in years, I manage to fall soundly asleep without help from Willow or Lanadel. I just drift off into the sweet embrace of my dreams.


    ****


    I¡¯m back in my tower¡¯s bedroom, lying on my bed. Willow¡¯s back to work on I guess copying my proxy body over to my meatbody. Now that I know what she¡¯s up to, it¡¯s not so worrying. I reach up and give her some pets and scritches which she appreciates. Though soon I doze off in my dreams as well and enter a very deep slumber.


    ****


    The next morning, I¡¯m woken up by the smell of eggs and bacon. I take a quick stock of my body and am admittedly pleasantly surprised by what I find. I¡¯m a little softer, a little curvier, and that stupid fleshy growth between my legs is almost gone. That sparks a sense of relief that I¡¯m not quite ready to process so I get up for breakfast. I know real meat is next to impossible to get these days, but I kinda like that. I¡¯ve never been big on the idea of killing animals for food. So all the synthmeat kinda appeals to me. I know I¡¯ve heard about some older people complaining about it, but I think that¡¯s just how old people are. Pining for the days of their youth. I bet when I¡¯m older I¡¯ll do the same thing.


    While we¡¯re eating the amazing breakfast that Summer prepared, once again making me regret ever trying to deny her the chance to help, Felicia looks at both of us. She¡¯d probably be eyeing Willow too if the little cat wasn¡¯t off somewhere.


    ¡°Right, so here¡¯s what we need to do first¡­¡±


    End Chapter 7

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8Chapter 8Rose


    What the ever-living shit?


    How the absolute fuckballs did I get roped into this bullshit, asinine plan?


    Felicia¡¯s grand fucking plan to secure her proxy body is for me and Willow to just waltz up to a full fucking squad of jacks, including a mother-fucking knight, and just kick all their asses, I guess.


    Good thinking there Felicia. I¡¯m sure this is going to go perfectly and I¡¯m not about to get killed in an extremely painful way.


    Oh! That¡¯s right, I should explain how dying in Lanadel works. Normally, when your proxy body dies, it hurts like hell, but you can respawn at your home point. For me, that¡¯s my tower. But those logger jackasses weren¡¯t satisfied with causing intense pain, oh no no. A while back they made a weapon that by all means, should be absolutely illegal, but they manage to get away with it because of a fuck load of bribery. So this weapon piggybacks on the system communications that happen when you die to upload a virus to your rig. That little malevolent parcel then bombards you with junk data until your brain fries. They call it The Lance, because they are incredibly unoriginal and lack any sense of creativity. It¡¯s been rated as one of the most cruel and painful ways to die and is banned pretty much everywhere. But LOG does not give a fuck. They know the police are in their pocket and they can get away with whatever they fuck they want.


    Fortunately, not all of their agents can get away with using this abomination of a weapon. One, it¡¯s a hefty bit of code which in Lanadel translates to a big and unwieldy weapon. And yeah, it¡¯s a lance. So they have their knight¡¯s wield them because the enhancements their digital frame gives them lets them use that thing as if it weighs no more than a screwdriver. And wouldn¡¯t you know it, Felicia said they had two, count them two, knights guarding her.


    I¡¯m walking into a deathtrap. Maybe that¡¯s Felicia¡¯s plan. Throw me to the wolves and curry favor with her old bosses. Willow assures me the redhead¡¯s being honest, but I¡¯m still wary of her. Nobody is that hot and has morals. There¡¯s something fishy about her, I know it.


    After logging into Lanadel, I get a little distracted by my body, as per usual. It¡¯s a hard choice whether I¡¯m more pissed about my impending death, or the long ass trip into the city I¡¯m about to make.


    My tower is in the swamp lands, a good hundred plus digital kilometers from the city. Now, normally I¡¯d just teleport into the city like normal, but with the jacks up in arms about our mutually hated redhead, I¡¯m willing to bet they¡¯ll have detection wards around the city to catch anyone trying to transport in.


    That doesn¡¯t mean I have to walk all the way though. So with a quick flick of the wrist, me and Willow arrive in a small grove of trees outside the city. From here it¡¯ll be a short walk to my personal access point. It¡¯ll be shielded from detection wards so I¡¯ll be pretty safe to enter the city without getting stopped. Well, assuming they haven¡¯t patched it. But considering LOG isn¡¯t responsible for that, and the AI who live here aren¡¯t super fond of them, I bet it¡¯s just the way I left it.


    Bingo.


    It doesn¡¯t take me long to slip off the sewer grate and make my way under the city. I quickly patch up my entrance and conjure a barrier to protect me from the smell. Turns out junk data, like the sort that bogs down a computer, tends to smell in Lanadel. So the shield is essential.


    Before long I¡¯m up top and on the streets of the city. I quickly glance around to make sure I¡¯m not already tripping a trap, but the coast is clear.


    ¡°Rose, are you in the city yet?¡± Felicia¡¯s voice rings in my ear. Fuck, why¡¯d she have to sound like she¡¯s growling in my ear. It¡¯s too fucking hot.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, keep your boot straps on, I¡¯m in. I¡¯m going to check with some contacts then get back to you,¡± I reply while trying to keep my conflicting emotions from bleeding through.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Her reply is terse and clipped, but goddamn she still sounds way too damn hot.


    Remember she¡¯s a jack.


    Former jack¡­


    Still kidnapped Summer.


    To protect her¡­


    She was probably lying.


    But what if she wasn¡¯t?


    Fucking hell, moving on!


    Right, now where was I¡­?


    It¡¯s been a while since I last came to the city. I¡¯m not terribly popular in some places around here. Little bit of espionage, a little bit of theft, it all adds up to a lot of unhappy people. Still, I¡¯m not entirely without contacts.


    I make my way into a bar hidden down a narrow alleyway, sashaying like I own the place. Technically I kind of do, but only because nobody ever found the original deed for the location. It belonged to my parents, it used to be a meeting place for their friends. The deed¡¯s physical drive was left in a lockbox with other emergency supplies that helped me get started on my path to become a webweaver after my parents died.


    Nowadays the place is just a run of the mill dive bar with drinks that make you feel drunk without destroying your liver. Alcoholics love it here. I could¡¯ve charged rent to the guy who moved into the space, but that¡¯d reveal I have the deed. So I just let him do his own thing. It works out well since he¡¯s a great source of intel in the city and that¡¯s just what I need. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thorn, good t¡¯see ya! What¡¯s with the cat?¡± the crusty old bartender exclaims as he sees me saunter in with Willow at my heels. He could¡¯ve looked like anything. An orc with rippling muscles, or a lithe elf, or a paragon of beauty and grace. But no, Roger here chose to look like every stereotypical bartender all rolled into one. He¡¯s got an eyepatch over his left eye, though it¡¯s purely cosmetic. His hair is dark brown but fading to gray at the temples. He looks decidedly middle aged, what with the fading hair, beer belly and lined face. Still, despite his crusty old look, he¡¯s got a sharp wit and knows way more than he should.


    I will admit that I named myself Rose because I¡¯ve always liked the name. And I would¡¯ve absolutely made my Lanadel handle Rose in the first place, but I was still concerned with sounding tough and in control. So I went with Thorn.


    ¡°Hey Roger, I got lonely,¡± I greet him with a shrug and tap the counter to transfer over some credits. ¡°I¡¯d like a martini, dry, with lots of olives,¡± I say as casually as I can. The old coot lets out a loud laugh.


    ¡°We don¡¯t serve no fancy shmancy drinks here!¡± he retorts. ¡°You should get the special though. Fifty seven creds gets you two tall drinks, a side order of wings and a hot dog¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass,¡± I reply and get up. ¡°Thanks though Roger,¡± I sigh. That¡¯s not what I wanted to hear.


    The whole exchange was code. Asking for a martini means I need information about logger movements. Dry means I plan to start a fight. And lots of olives means I want the biggest gathering in the area. I figure that with Felicia being such a high priority target, they¡¯ll have all hands on deck to guard her login point.


    Roger¡¯s response is worrying though. Fifty seven tells me where they are. By visualizing the city with a ten by ten grid, you can narrow down locations to manual scanning range. So five across, seven down confirms what Felicia told me about her being logged out in front of the School Board building. The problem is what he told me is there. Two tall drinks means two knights. A Side order of wings represents a squad of basic goons. The real fuckery is the hot dog. That means there¡¯s a mage there.


    While all LOG operatives have some basic web weaving skills, the majority split their focus between work in the physical world and work in Lanadel. Knights and mages however are full time Lanadel agents. Knights are like the physical bruisers, they use mostly pre-made weapons and bodily enhancements to engage an enemy up close. Mages are LOG¡¯s answer to proper Webweavers. With state of the art equipment in meatspace and in here, they can write custom code attacks in seconds. Like the name suggests, they function like magic users in a video game with increasingly bullshit ¡®spells¡¯. While a knight can kill you in reality with their stupidly named weapon, a mage can do that and more.


    And lucky me, I get to pick a fight with all of them.


    Fuck my life.


    Actually, it¡¯s not too bad these days.


    Shit! Don¡¯t get complacent!


    Moving right along, I make my way towards the soon to be site of my demise.


    Willow¡¯s confident at least, so let¡¯s see how this goes, I guess.


    ****


    It¡¯s not long before I reach the site of the jack stake out. They¡¯ve got a containment grid set around an empty spot. That¡¯ll be where Felicia logs in. So I need to deal with two knights, a squad of goons and a fucking mage.


    Yay.


    Willow puts a paw on my leg, causing me to look down. ¡°You got an idea?¡± I ask my little digital partner in crime. ¡°I really hope you do.¡± She just nods and brushes along my leg before nodding towards the mage. ¡°You want me to sneak up on the mage and - oh hell no. They¡¯ll detect me coming before I even get close.¡± She meows again. ¡°You can do that?¡± She nods. ¡°Well fuck me, alright then. Let¡¯s do this I guess.¡±


    I wait patiently for Willow to do her thing and I¡¯m just about to ask her when she¡¯ll start when I notice I¡¯m eye level with her. ¡°What the fuck?¡± I exclaim. Or at least I try to. All that comes out is a soft meow.


    Willow has turned me into a cat.


    I am now a cat.


    This is fucking awesome.


    I get distracted by my new fluffy form for only a few seconds before Willow nudges me forward. I¡¯d wanted to be a black cat, but Willow pointed out that they were looking for a black cat. So she made me into a calico. I barely even have time to wonder why she didn¡¯t just change her form before she explains that her appearance is locked for security reasons.That is something I take issue with. In that moment, I vow to myself to find a way to break that lock. That¡¯ll be a later project though, for now, we have a LOG to chop down.


    In my new fluffy body, I creep out towards the mage. They look over at me then immediately dismiss me. Stray cat programs are all over the place. People get them as pets but aren¡¯t prepared for the fact that they actually need to take care of their digital companions. Which makes me wonder why Willow doesn¡¯t need food.


    I should look into that.


    Later, though.


    Once I¡¯m right next to the mage, I gently bap the back of their heel then immediately roll onto my back to try and look cute. They glance down at me in annoyance but their face softens just a little bit. It¡¯s enough of a distraction that they don¡¯t notice when Willow¡¯s code packet propagates through their entire team.


    The merciless thug gives me a belly rub which leaves me conflicted. On one hand, it felt really good, on the other hand, fuck this guy. Fuck his friends. Fuck LOG! I fucking bite him! HARD!


    He tosses me back and I roll onto my feet before I feel my form shift and grow until I¡¯m in my normal proxy body again, though this time I¡¯m in my new dress from meatspace.


    Thanks Willow.


    The mage¡¯s eyes widen and they raise their hand to hit me with a code burst. I do my best not to flinch as the light gathers in his palm then immediately disappears.


    ¡°Oh no, performance anxiety?¡± I taunt him before sauntering up and placing my pointer finger on his chest. I quickly find the source file for his proxy body and make a few adjustments. Such as turning him into a cat. I like cats. He doesn¡¯t deserve to be a cat. I make another quick change and now he¡¯s a rat.


    I glance up from my first victim to see his allies charging me. The knights have their stupid lances pointed at me as they barrel towards me. I wave my hand and the heavy looking murder sticks turn into harmless pool noodles.


    Oh I could get used to this.


    By now, any confidence the squad had is shot and they all start running. Fuck that noise. I raise a barrier, trapping them in here with me. With nowhere to run, all they can do is wait while I walk up to each of them and reveal them for the rats they are.


    It takes only a minute before I¡¯m surrounded by scurrying terrified rats. One by one they all log out. I wish more than anything that I could see the look on their faces when they figure out the other little surprise waiting for them. A custom written virus that¡¯ll lock their proxy bodies in their ratty forms and prevent them from changing them.


    I turn my focus to the containment cage and dispel it with an ease that just seems almost unfair. Sure I love it when things work out according to plan, but I¡¯m a little worried I might get complacent with the sort of power Willow is enabling.


    There¡¯s no doubt that these custom viruses and code packets are Willow¡¯s creation. I think of what I want to do, and she makes it happen. It¡¯s a little terrifying.


    But also a fuck load of fun!


    ¡°Ok Felicia, I dealt with your jack buddies, you can come in now,¡± I tell my would be ally. She acknowledges my report and soon enough I see her log in right where the containment cage was. ¡°So now what?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Now we get somewhere safe to log out and reconvene in meatspace,¡± she explains as she looks around the area. ¡°Wait, where¡¯s the damage? Knights notoriously leave a lot of damage when they fight.¡±


    I give her a bright smile. ¡°Oh, they never got the chance,¡± I say as my face shifts to a more mischievous grin. ¡°I sent them scurrying back to their masters,¡± I say with a giggle. Wait -


    Not a giggle.


    I don¡¯t giggle.


    I¡¯m a girl now though, right?


    I can giggle.


    Fuck yeah! I CAN GIGGLE!


    Any chance of maintaining a sinister air to keep Felicia on her toes is lost as I devolve into uncontrollable laughter. The redhead watches me in first fear, then confusion, then something else I can¡¯t quite place. Not while I¡¯m laughing my ass off at least.


    It takes me a solid five minutes to slow my giggles. During that time, I felt several of the loggers try and log in, still as rats, then log out immediately. ¡°We - ha ha - should - heh - g - go,¡± I manage to say before reaching my hand out. ¡°I know somewhere safe,¡± I explain as I finally contain my mirth.


    Felicia stares at my hand before grabbing hold of it. The moment she does I teleport us through several different routing structures outside the city before finally settling in my tower. ¡°Welcome, to my humble abode,¡± I announce with a curtsey. Gesturing to a couch, I tell her to make herself comfortable. She just gives me the most confused look.


    ¡°We¡¯re still in Lanadel, Rose. I¡¯m just going to log out,¡± she says simply.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, but logging out is such a horrible experience. I find it¡¯s better to make yourself comfortable to prepare for the incoming shittiness,¡± I argue as I get comfy in a chair.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She balks at my statement. ¡°Logging out doesn¡¯t hurt, or cause any unpleasant feelings. You just log out and you¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°But every time I¡¯ve logged out, I¡¯ve felt absolutely shitty, and not just because of my legs,¡± I counter her argument. ¡°Just absolutely awful. Like every single part of my body is wrong and -¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a trans thing,¡± Felicia states suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m cis and even I have heard of Dysphoria. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°Whaaaat, no. I¡¯m not trans.¡± Ha, that¡¯s funny. I¡¯m just getting turned into a girl by an AI cat who¡¯s convinced I¡¯ll be happy about it. ¡°Don¡¯t let Summer hear you say that sort of stuff to me. I don¡¯t want her to think I¡¯m stealing from her community or something. I¡¯m just making the best of my situation.¡± My words ring hollow to even me, but I can¡¯t be trans. I just can¡¯t. If I was, then what would that mean?


    Willow paws at my leg to get my attention. Of course she thinks I¡¯m trans. Just because she can read my mind doesn¡¯t mean -


    Huh. I guess it does mean that.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to log out now,¡± I say abruptly. ¡°I need to talk to Summer.¡±


    I don¡¯t leave Felicia any time to react before I quickly hit the log out command. As usual it fucking sucks going from Lanadel to meat space. But, surprisingly, not as much as usual.


    Summer is standing before me, looking absolutely shocked by something. I open my mouth to say something but my throat is suddenly really dry and sore and a lot of me aches, but not in the usual feeling of discomfort that I normally feel.


    My favorite chef grabs me some water and holds it to my mouth. With my throat moistened, I feel like I can talk. ¡°So, what¡¯s with the -¡± I freeze mid sentence. That¡¯s not my voice.


    End Chapter 8

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9Chapter 9Rose


    Why is my voice different?


    Why do I feel different?


    Why do I hurt all over?


    The answer is admittedly obvious.


    Willow.


    I take a deep breath as I try to calm myself down. I take another deep breath when the first one fails. I take a third and a fourth and a fifth and a seventeenth and a fiftieth and -


    Ooof. Feeling a little light headed.


    Something soft and warm and wonderful has me wrapped up tight.


    Blanket?


    No, it¡¯s Summer. She¡¯s got me in a big hug. I can feel my breathing slowing as I take deeper breaths.  sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rose. It¡¯s going to be okay. You¡¯ll be fine,¡± she whispers softly into my ear. She continues to repeat reassurances until a full body shudder spreads throughout me, leaving me still.


    I look over at my once and hopefully current best friend and find she¡¯s a bit blurry. I reach up to rub my eyes and find that my face is wet. Was I crying? I hope Felicia didn¡¯t see that.


    Something plops into my lap and I look down to see Willow gazing up at me. She seems¡­ apologetic. But not enough to stop though. It¡¯s like she¡¯s more sorry about me having a hard time with what she¡¯s doing rather than the fact she¡¯s doing it.


    The three of us sit there, quietly, until Felicia enters the small side room I had used to enter Lanadel. Summer pulls back, and I have to fight back the urge to reach out for her again. It¡¯s bad enough that I¡¯ve let her see this much vulnerability from me, but I cannot handle the idea of the former logger thinking I¡¯m weak.


    Standing up on shaky legs I lock eyes with the redhead before me. ¡°So what now?¡± I ask, trying not to wince at my changed voice. To Felicia¡¯s credit, she doesn¡¯t even acknowledge Willow¡¯s alterations to me.


    ¡°Now that my proxy body has been liberated, we need to take some time to lay low,¡± she explains. ¡°They won¡¯t stop looking for us, especially not after your display of power, but the thre- er, four of us will need to play smarter, not harder.¡±


    Felicia pulls up a map of the city with various points noted on it. I actually recognize it. It¡¯s a layout of all of LOG¡¯s physical holdings in Lanadey City. I¡¯m about to comment on it when Summer holds up her hand and Felicia nods to her. ¡°I agree that we need to lay low, but I think more importantly we need time to rest and get to know each other better,¡± my blonde friend suggests. ¡°Up until literally yesterday, the two of you were at odds with each other, and I was a simple restaurant owner.¡± She takes a moment to presumably gather her thoughts before she continues. ¡°Also, Rose is changing, and she needs time to adjust. Maybe even time to let the changes run their course before we push her even further.¡±


    I appreciate the sentiment, but I don¡¯t like the idea of being coddled. ¡°Now hold on! I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± I try to argue before Summer gives me such a mom glare that I immediately pipe down. Felicia seems to consider the point before sighing and giving a slight nod.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. If Rose has a panic attack every time she comes out of Lanadel, she could wind up a liability with some of the tasks we have before us.¡± Gee, great. I sooo love being a liability. ¡°Furthermore,¡± she continues with a nod to Willow. ¡°We should try and get a better understanding of what Rose and Willow can do.¡±


    This whole making decisions for me and Willow is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I look between Felicia and Summer and mumble something to the effect of needing space and head further into the back of the building.


    Since there aren''t a lot of private spaces in here, I wind up hiding in the bathroom. There¡¯s a mirror above the sink and I¡¯m almost too afraid to look. Except I¡¯m a fucking badass witch or whatever, I¡¯m not afraid of shit!


    Fuck fear!


    Fuck doubt!


    I am the master of my fate!


    Except¡­ I¡¯m not. Willow is, it seems.


    My eyes stay glued to the tiled floor. Willow walks in and sits before me. She lets out a soft noise that¡¯s not quite a meow, but not quite a cry. She admits that I was her best bet in a rough situation, and that¡¯s why she chose me. But before I can bristle at that, she assures me that she doesn¡¯t regret her choices.


    Great, now even the cat is trying to soothe my shattered ego.


    That¡¯s not fair though, is it?


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I ask the insanely powerful AI for what is probably the hundredth time. ¡°Why are you changing me?¡± She doesn¡¯t bother to answer, she knows I know.


    I finally gaze into the mirror and let out a sigh. Whether it¡¯s from relief, or disappointment, or some other powerful feeling I can¡¯t quantify right now, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    I look¡­ cute. Like a teenager almost. No wonder they¡¯re babying me so much. I look like a child. Am I always going to look like this? I mean I don¡¯t mind being small. I mostly made my proxy body taller to differentiate it from my own. Nobody would see a short cripple and think, ¡®Oh hey I bet that¡¯s that sexy Webweaver chick who does all the cool shit!¡¯


    I have boobs too; not terribly big ones, but they¡¯re there. I reach down for my cock and it¡¯s just a teeny tiny little nub. More like a large clit than a penis. I think my hair is longer too and I¡¯m definitely softer which is why I look more like a cute teen than anything.


    Willow brushes up against me and reassures me that I won¡¯t stay looking like a teen forever. Apparently I was rather underdeveloped before due to malnourishment. I guess that tends to happen when you barely eat. With my faithful feline¡¯s help and some steady meals from Summer, I¡¯ll start to look more and more like my proxy body. Smaller though apparently, as my thoughts about enjoying being small haven¡¯t gone unnoticed.


    Do I like this? Admittedly, yeah.


    Do I want this? Jury¡¯s still out on that one. But tentatively yes.


    Does that make me trans? I still need to talk to Summer about that. Pretty sure it¡¯s normal for a guy to want to be a - oh wait. Summer said that wasn¡¯t a thing.


    Fuck me.


    I¡¯m not looking forward to seeing their smug looks. But I might as well get it over with.


    I wash my hands and make my way back out to the main room. I notice Summer and Felicia are talking in hushed whispers.


    Are they conspiring?  The paranoid part of me wants to assume the worst and just jump ship now. But I quickly ignore that impulse. Still, it¡¯s likely to do with me, and that just won¡¯t do.


    With all the subtlety of a bowling ball rolling down stairs, I barge into the room. ¡°So turns out I¡¯m probably trans!¡± I announce, causing the two to turn to look at me with surprise that settles into the most patronizing look I can imagine.


    Well fuck you two too, I guess.


    Summer


    I can¡¯t believe my eyes. I had been keeping watch over Rose while she went into Lanadel to liberate Felicia¡¯s proxy body from LOG custody. It may not have been strictly necessary, but I had wanted to make sure nothing strange happened given all this weirdness with that cat of hers.


    Turned out I wasn¡¯t wrong to be concerned as shortly after she entered, I could see her skin start to ripple as if someone had dropped a rock into a puddle. Her face softened, and her hair grew out longer. She seemed to fill out a bit more and didn¡¯t look nearly as emaciated. She for sure was developing some curves.


    Now she¡¯s awake. She looks confused by something. She opens her mouth to say something, but it just comes out as a quiet rasping. I grab a glass of water and hold it to her lips.


    ¡°So what¡¯s with the -¡± she freezes up as we both hear her new voice. It¡¯s different for sure. It¡¯s almost melodic. She sounds older than she looks, like a teenager with a twenty something¡¯s voice.


    She¡¯s breathing at least, so that¡¯s good. She¡¯s breathing a lot actually. Wait, oh no! She¡¯s having a panic attack. I quickly wrap her up in a hug and whisper calmly to her to try and help her center herself.


    Rose¡¯s tears stain my shirt, but that¡¯s fine. Well, it will be so long as she doesn¡¯t notice. I don¡¯t want her to beat herself up even more.


    Something presses between us and it¡¯s Willow. She seems to be trying to offer some comfort to Rose as well. I may have some mixed feelings about the AI cat, but at least they aren¡¯t just changing Rose without trying to help her through it. I still think she should¡¯ve waited till Rose gave her explicit consent.


    After a bit of time that I couldn¡¯t be bothered to keep track of, Felicia steps into the room. I¡¯m a little worried about how my ravenette friend will react to that, but I don¡¯t have much time to dwell on it. Rose gets to her feet and in a shaky voice asks, ¡°What now?¡±


    Felicia nods and looks between the group of us. ¡°Now that my proxy body has been liberated, we need to take some time to lay low,¡± she explains. ¡°They won¡¯t stop looking for us, especially not after your display of power, but the thre- er, four of us will need to play smarter, not harder.¡±


    Felicia pulls up a map of the city with various points noted on it. I¡¯m not sure what it represents exactly, but one of the markings is circled several times and I know that spot is LOG¡¯s physical HQ. So it¡¯s probably a map of LOG holdings.


    Felicia¡¯s about to continue, but I hold up my hand. She nods to me so I say what¡¯s on my mind. ¡°I agree that we need to lay low, but I think more importantly we need time to rest and get to know each other better,¡± I suggest. ¡°Up until literally yesterday, the two of you were at odds with each other, and I was a simple restaurant owner.¡± I take a moment to gather my thoughts before I continue. ¡°Also, Rose is changing, and she needs time to adjust. Maybe even time to let the changes run their course before we push her even further.¡± Rose gets all up in arms about it, but I just give her the mom glare and she settles down.


    Felicia seems to agree with me, even if her concerns are more about whether our resident witch will be a liability if she has a panic attack every time she comes out of Lanadel. Said witch wanders towards the back of the building, mumbling something about space.


    I move to go after her, but Felicia holds out her hand to stop me. She shakes her head and gestures back at a table.


    ¡°She needs support,¡± I try to tell the redheaded woman. ¡°She¡¯s hurting, and confused and -¡±


    ¡°And not one to really appreciate said support,¡± the former logger interrupts. ¡°She needs space,¡± she adds with a surprisingly warm smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what she¡¯s going through, but I recognize someone who¡¯s too proud to accept help. The worst thing we can do is smother her at the moment. She needs to come to you for help.¡±


    There¡¯s something about the way she¡¯s talking that worries me. She¡¯s not as held together as she tries to look, that much is obvious, especially after her story about her residential block. But more than that, it seems like she¡¯s - no. It can¡¯t be. I¡¯m so tempted to confront her about it, but I don¡¯t want to risk ruining it. It¡¯d be too cute. So I try a different tactic.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re more familiar with that sort of coping method I guess,¡± I begin. ¡°I¡¯ve always been a fan of a big hug to help process things, but you¡¯re right. Rose hasn¡¯t ever been one to really admit she needs help. She¡¯s too stubborn, too proud,¡± I explain. I can remember the time Rose dropped a toy behind the couch and instead of asking her parents for help, she cobbled together a makeshift fishing rod to try and hook onto it and drag it out. The plan failed miserably as the hook didn¡¯t have the rigidity to actually hook onto the toy, but still, she¡¯d always been so independent.


    Focusing on Felicia¡¯s expression, I press on with my plan. ¡°She¡¯s always had that willful independence and while some always found her hard to be around, I often found myself admiring her.¡± Felicia nods along, I can see a faint hint of blush on her cheeks and know that I¡¯m right. She¡¯s somehow caught feelings for my best friend. I can¡¯t say I blame her. I¡¯m still crushing on her. I always have, admittedly, even when we were apart for all those years. It¡¯s especially strong with how cute she¡¯s becoming. Assuming she starts looking more her age, I bet she¡¯ll be a knockout. Felicia¡¯s pretty hot too, I wonder if the two of them would be interested in -


    ¡°You¡¯ve got feelings for her, don¡¯t you?¡± Felicia asks in a hushed voice. I must¡¯ve been blushing while thinking about her. Oh well, turnabout is fair play I suppose.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I reply in an equally quiet voice. ¡°There¡¯s something about her. Underneath all those prickly thorns, she really is as beautiful as a rose. She¡¯s been through a lot and I can¡¯t help but want to be there for her as she recovers from it,¡± I admit.


    Felicia sighs and says, ¡°Something about her is right. She just seems so¡­ so¡­ passionate. She constantly catches me off guard and makes me laugh and I¡¯m not sure whether I should enjoy it as her humor is sometimes a bit morbid and frightening.¡± She smiles softly at me. ¡°Though, at least you¡¯re a little more straight forward. You¡¯re gorgeous, kind, emotionally intelligent. If things were different, maybe -¡±


    Rose comes barging in with all the grace of a drunk giraffe and shouts, ¡°So turns out I¡¯m probably trans!¡± Goddamnit Rose. I turn and look at her and level her with the least surprised look I can muster. God her timing sucks.


    Felicia


    Rose¡¯s last words before she abruptly logged out rattle in my mind. I¡¯ve been thinking about her way too much lately. First with trying to catch her, then that whole thing with Summer, now this. And somewhere along the way I think I started crushing on her?


    What is with her damn sense of humor? It¡¯s not funny, it shouldn¡¯t be funny! Her jokes are morbid or just vulgar. And yet, I continue to have to hide my amusement at her antics.


    And don¡¯t get me started on her friend, Summer. She¡¯s a grade A blonde bombshell. And she cooks! Holy shit, I cannot handle these sorts of distractions right now.


    I take some time to clear my thoughts before going to check in on my would-be allies. I just enter the room when I notice them clutching each other while Rose cries. Willow is on her lap and is quickly displaced as the ravenette gets to her feet.


    Rose asks what the next step is, and I begin to explain, but all the while I can¡¯t help but think about how cute she looks now. Willow has apparently been changing her. She looks like a teen at the moment, but if she keeps developing, she¡¯ll be a total looker.


    It¡¯s totally unfair how pretty they both are. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d ever be interested in me after everything that¡¯s happened. Especially Rose. Why would I even want a relationship with her? She has this tendency to retreat from difficult conversa- and there she goes. My point exactly.


    Summer tries to follow her but I stop her. I know a lot about what it¡¯s like to be too stubborn to accept help and tell the blonde woman as much. If Rose wants our - her help, she¡¯ll go to her. I used to be just like her, some would argue I still am. The difference is how willful and unapologetic she is. So when she does actually apologize, it means something. Like when she conceded to calling me Felicia. Her little gestures mean as much as some folk¡¯s grand gestures.


    I must¡¯ve zoned out a bit as I tune in mid sentence to Summer. ¡°-ile some always found her hard to be around, I often found myself admiring her.¡± I nod along with the statement. It¡¯s easy to admire Rose when you stop trying to hold her to some sort of moral high ground. I can feel my cheeks flush a bit as I consider just how much I¡¯ve grown to admire her as well.


    Something occurs to me, and I study Summer¡¯s face as she seems to have quieted down. I can see her own face flush as it becomes abundantly clear I¡¯m not the only one with a little crush on the prickly witch.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got feelings for her, don¡¯t you?¡± I ask in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she replies in an equally quiet voice. ¡°There¡¯s something about her. Underneath all those prickly thorns, she really is as beautiful as a rose. She¡¯s been through a lot and I can¡¯t help but want to be there for her as she recovers from it,¡± she admits.


    Yeah. Something about her. There¡¯s something about Summer too. I manage to admit that maybe I have something resembling feelings for Rose, but I¡¯m not going to pass up the chance to flirt a little with Summer. I admit to her that maybe if things were different something could happen between us. Or rather I try to as Rose comes barging out of the back shouting, ¡°So turns out I¡¯m probably trans!¡±


    No Shit.


    I level her with the least surprised look I can, which it seems Summer is matching.


    Rose looks between us with suspicion. ¡°So why do you two look like you¡¯ve been undressing each other with your eyes?¡±


    Oh goddamnit.


    End Chapter 9

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10Chapter 10Rose


    Well this is awkward.


    All I did was point out the two of them were giving each other ¡®fuck me¡¯ eyes and now they¡¯re both ignoring me. You know what? That¡¯s fine! I¡¯m more than happy to occupy myself right now. I could jump into Lanadel to let Willow finish her work. Though that¡¯s probably a bad idea. Even with how heavily warded my tower is, I don¡¯t want to risk even the slightest chance that our lumbermen friends might get lucky and detect me returning. So relaxing in a more comfortable body is out of the picture. Now what do I do?


    I look down at Willow who looks like she¡¯s napping. Does she need sleep? There¡¯s still so much I don¡¯t know about her and these crazy abilities she has. The fact that I can tap into them is absolutely insane and more than a little scary. I mean, I¡¯m not so full of myself to admit that I¡¯m probably the last person who should be allowed to fuck with reality itself.


    So Willow is asleep, Summer and Felicia are mad at me for a joke, and¡­


    Wait a second.  S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Did they not take it as a joke?


    Were they actually into each other?


    Why does that make me feel things?


    Weird, complicated things.


    Fucking shit fuck. Ok, well, I could sit here, wallowing in my own boredom or I could fucking do something about this abyssmal situation. I¡¯m the fucking Witch of the Web (I really hope the title catches on), I¡¯m not going to just let things happen to me. I happen to things. People¡­ whatever.


    I get to my feet and start looking for Summer. She¡¯ll be the easiest to talk to. I think. I might be a girl now, and possibly have always been one according to some articles I read in the bathroom, but I still don¡¯t get women¡­ other women.


    Fuck. Maybe this is a bad idea.


    Nope! Not second guessing this.


    It doesn¡¯t take me long to find Summer in the kitchen. Somehow she¡¯s gotten her hands on some eggs and is making cookies. Did she use her food magic to take a frozen breakfast meal and revert the eggs to their original goopy state?. That shouldn¡¯t be possible, right? Did Willow help her? Or did she- Oh. Shopping bags. It looks like she went to the corner store down the street. That makes more sense. She was making cookies when I was at her house. Why is she baking at a time like this? Guess there¡¯s only one way to find out!


    Quietly as I can, I lean against a counter. I¡¯m going to knock this social interaction out of the park. I¡¯ll be suave and charismatic and - Wait. How¡¯s she going to bake those? This is an old fast food restaurant, would they have an oven?


    Shit she¡¯s looking at me now. She looks annoyed. Or is that confusion?


    Fuckity fuck fuck. Too many feels! Abort abort! I get up to run when she speaks.


    ¡°Is there something I can help you with, Rose?¡± she asks. Her tone suggests she¡¯s not too mad. Maybe. I pause mid scramble and try to salvage this disaster scenario.


    ¡°Well, uh, yeah. I¡­¡± I pause as it occurs to me I did not have a plan beyond quietly joining her in the kitchen. Have I always been this bad at people? For example, Summer starts laughing and I have no idea why.


    ¡°You can relax, I¡¯m not that upset,¡± she offers, making a fair assumption about what I¡¯m trying to accomplish. I won¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth though, so I don¡¯t press the matter. Instead, I get settled and ask the really important questions.


    ¡°So, uh, how and why are you baking?¡± I guess I can give myself points for brevity. Damn I suck at this. Not as much as I thought though, as Summer makes this heavenly sound. I¡¯m so caught up in how beautiful it is, it takes me a few seconds to realize she¡¯s giggling. Was my question that funny?


    ¡°The how is a little more straightforward,¡± she begins as she sets down a tray of raw cookie dough. ¡°I¡¯m essentially going to put together a makeshift dutch oven and bake them in that.¡± She goes silent for a few moments as she puts together said cooking apparatus.


    ¡°And the why?¡± I encourage her to continue. She smiles warmly at me. And I do mean that literally. Her smile makes me feel all warm inside and it¡¯s a little concerning. I should ask Willow if there¡¯s something going on with me.


    ¡°The short version is that baking relaxes me when I¡¯m stressed. It¡¯s why I was baking when Felicia showed up at my apartment,¡± she explains.


    ¡°What¡¯s the long version?¡± I ask quietly.


    ¡°Baking was a family activity when I was growing up. Anytime someone was upset or overwhelmed, Mom, Dad and I would bake a huge tray of cookies and share them together. By the time we were done, all the strain and worry would fade away. So even though I live alone, I still do it to deal with my own issues.¡±


    Her story makes me realize something, and it¡¯s not something I really want to confront. ¡°I - I didn¡¯t know that,¡± I sigh. ¡°Hell, I don¡¯t think I even know your parents¡¯ names,¡± I admit. ¡°I was a shitty friend, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Summer sets the homemade dutch oven on one of the working burners and moves closer to me.


    ¡°Maybe. My parents seemed to think you¡¯d wind up getting me in trouble,¡± she says with an amused chuckle. ¡°Guess they were right after all.¡±


    Fuck. Now I feel really shitty.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you still hang out with me then? I wasn¡¯t exactly the most attentive person. And with your parents not liking me, you¡¯d think that¡¯d discourage you.¡± I keep doing this. Someone gets close and I convince them to leave. It¡¯s always been safer, but why am I doing it now? I¡¯ve already fucked up Summer¡¯s life, why not enjoy her company while I can?


    Because I don¡¯t deserve her.


    The thought is sobering and is really the crux of the confusion I have regarding my sunny friend.


    Summer¡¯s saying something. I snap my focus back to her like a rubber band.


    ¡°You clearly needed friends. And I guess I needed some too. Back then, I was a bit of a loner as well, which is the only reason my folks didn¡¯t outright ban me from spending time with you.¡± She looks up at the ceiling, her expression, one of careful contemplation.


    ¡°Shit, I¡¯m sorry, Summer,¡± I mutter quietly. She looks over at me and tilts her head.


    ¡°What, why?¡± she asks.


    ¡°For getting you dragged into this?¡± I would¡¯ve thought it¡¯d be obvious. She has the gall to laugh at me.


    ¡°Rose, sweetheart. The moment I saw you on my apartment buzzer, I knew you were bringing trouble. I let you up anyways,¡± she says with a giggle.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what?¡± Why would anyone willingly put up with my problems?


    ¡°Because even if we were never super close, I knew you needed help in more ways than one. I might not have figured it out consciously right away, but I¡¯m pretty sure my transponder picked up your egginess immediately.


    The fuck¡¯s a transponder? I mean I know what a transponder is, but what does it have to do with eggs? And why does she have one? Aren¡¯t they used for like, ships and stuff? I repeat my questions out loud to her and watch her start to giggle again. I could really get used to listening to her laugh.


    Shit, no, focus. Stop being horny, it¡¯s gross.


    ¡°The transponder isn¡¯t an actual physical thing, it¡¯s like¡­ The trans version of gaydar.¡± Her explanation does not clear a single thing up. ¡°You know what a gaydar is right?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Oh sweetie, how are you this naive?¡±


    What follows is a lengthy, and fascinating lecture on queer culture. Given that up until recently I¡¯d thought I was a regular, boring ass dude, this was all news to me.


    ¡°So wait, let me get this straight. Even though most people just get their voice boxes replaced these days, the phrase ¡®Heat from Fire, Fire from Heat¡¯ is still- still what exactly? I don¡¯t get why it¡¯s still important.¡± I have more questions than answers now, and Summer still seems to have more to share.


    ¡°Nowadays it¡¯s used as a sort of code phrase to identify other trans people, and not just women, transfolk in general,¡± she explains. I still don¡¯t really get it. But we¡¯ve found ourselves on the couch again. Willow¡¯s still sleeping nearby and I try to stay quiet to avoid waking her up.


    ¡°Ok, so let me recap. Gaydar is a term for a sense that another person is gay. Transponders are the trans version. Pickles are the official food of trans women and that whole heat/fire thing is like a mating call in nature if the goal is just to make friends with another trans person. Did I miss anything?¡± I¡¯m sure I did.


    ¡°Pretty much everything in between me explaining Transponders and pickles, yes,¡± she says with a laugh. ¡°But that¡¯s ok, there¡¯s plenty of time to learn about your people, cutie.¡±


    What?


    What did she call me?


    Cutie?


    Fuck my face is on fire.


    Shit. Was that a code word to activate a virus?


    She¡¯s still talking! What¡¯s she saying?


    I can¡¯t make it out because my brain seems to be liquifying.


    Oh, her hand is on my shoulder now.


    I try to focus on her words and barely make out, ¡°You ok?¡±


    I nod slowly as I find myself lost in her eyes. They¡¯re so beautiful.


    Fuck, Summer¡¯s so pretty.


    Wait, I¡¯m saying something?


    ¡°Gosh you¡¯re pretty.¡±


    Well fuck me I guess.


    Oh! She¡¯s blushing! Is that good?


    Fuck, what the hell am I doing?


    Why are our shoulders touching?


    You know what, this is nice. I¡¯m just going to enjoy this for a bit.


    ****


    I awake with a start.


    Weird, no dreams about Willow in my tower this time. I glance over at her and she¡¯s still dozing.


    How long have I been asleep for?


    I glance over at Summer who¡¯s beaming at me.


    It¡¯s at this moment I realize her arm is around me.


    I scramble out of her reach and stumble over some words before scooting to the opposite end of the couch. She looks a little disheartened and I feel my own heart melt at the sight. Did I do something wrong?


    She looks away from me and focuses on Willow. ¡°So, what¡¯s it like? Being connected to your cat?¡± she asks in an obvious ploy to change the subject. I leap for the lifeline she¡¯s thrown and turn to focus on my familiar as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± I say before working out how I want to explain my bond with Willow. ¡°She¡¯s more than a pet of course. More like an extremely close friend. She¡¯s always in my thoughts and always knows what I¡¯m feeling and thinking. Better than myself even. I¡¯ve been just trying to go with the flow when she suggests something because she¡¯s generally just so much smarter than me.¡± Smiling fondly at the digital cat, I continue, ¡°I¡¯m honestly so glad Felicia chose me to crack the datadrive. Even for all the trouble, I can¡¯t imagine my life without her.¡±


    Summer looks thoughtful for a moment before scooching closer to me. ¡°She acts a lot like a real cat. But you¡¯re saying she¡¯s smarter?¡± I¡¯m not surprised she doesn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°She¡¯s admitted she just likes her feline form. But I think part of it is that it¡¯s the only one she¡¯s known.¡± I lean back into the couch cushions and pull my legs up. ¡°According to her, the loggers put hard locks on her to keep her contained. For example, most of her abilities require an active bond to work. There¡¯s also plenty of digital cats in Lanadel, especially after I hacked Cyberpet¡¯s main servers and released the code into the wild.¡±


    ¡°That was you?!¡± she practically shouts. Willow looks up for a moment before padding away to the bedroom and going back to sleep. She winces as she watches the feline move away. She repeats herself a little more quietly.


    ¡°Heh, yeah. I found out that Cyberpet Industries was using their digital companions to spy on people and selling their data to the highest bidder.¡± I think that was one of my favorite jobs, and I tell Summer as much. ¡°So what I ended up doing was stealing the source app that generated all the animal companions and removing the spyware from the code before smuggling it to an AI contact.¡±


    Not many people knew that it was my actions that led to Lanadel being properly seeded with animals. The AI who made the place were brilliant beyond comparison, but they really didn¡¯t understand people, let alone animals. So all their attempts to make life like animals fell flat. They¡¯d tried to buy Cyberpet¡¯s generation code for a hefty sum, but the corporation wasn¡¯t going to let go of their biggest cash cow. But with Cyberpet¡¯s source app they were able to extrapolate everything from mundane rabbits to lions to the more fantasy oriented creatures they¡¯ve been making lately. And once word got out what Cyberpet was doing, they got shut down hard by the loggers. But only because they needed to save face. I found plenty of things to suggest LOG had their fingers in that pie. Not enough to make anything stick unfortunately.


    As I tell the rest of the story, Summer¡¯s eyes grow wider and wider while we draw closer and closer. Soon enough, I can feel her soft exhalations on my cheeks. My face burns again and I realize I¡¯m blushing, but only because I can see the same reaction on her face.


    We both look away, but make no effort to move beyond that. ¡°I- uh. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I venture, unsure what the proper protocol is for this sort of situation.


    ¡°Wh- what for?¡± Summer replies. As if she doesn¡¯t know.


    I want to kiss her so bad.


    What the hell? Where¡¯d that thought come from? I mean, it¡¯s true. I do want to kiss her. But¡­


    Shit.


    Would she want me to? Probably not. I¡¯m not exactly a catch. I mean, my proxy body is. And I¡¯m starting to look like my proxy body.


    Am I hot?


    I turn to look back at Summer and catch her staring at me.


    ¡°Oh, sorry! I- ah!¡± she stumbles over her words. We¡¯re saved from this awkward moment when a chime goes off from the kitchen area. Summer rushes over to check on her cookies.


    Following her over, I perch myself on a counter and watch as she gently extracts each of the cookies and puts them on a cooling tray. ¡°Do you think we can eat them this time?¡± I ask. She must not have expected me to follow her as she nearly drops the tray in fright. I give her a bashful smile and her face flushes even more red than before.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Ah! Yes! Cookies!¡± she says as she sets down the batch. ¡°Just need to give them a moment to cool,¡± she explains before trying very hard to seem busy.


    I¡¯m so lost at this point, and I think Summer is too. What¡¯s going on between us? I¡¯m sure if Willow was awake, she¡¯d be pointing something out that I¡¯d deny but would be obviously true in hindsight later.


    When the kitchen is spotless, and she¡¯s run out of busy work, Summer makes her way over to the couch again with a plate of now cooled off cookies. I eagerly take one and bite into it. The ooey-gooey melted chocolate nearly makes me scream with delight. I¡¯ve never had a cookie like this. Are all homemade cookies this good? Or just Summer¡¯s?


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got a bit of chocolate on your face,¡± Summer says. I blush in embarrassment. Clearly I was so lost in the dessert that I was eating like a toddler.


    Before I can get up to clean my face, she reaches over and with her thumb, gently wipes the corner of my face. She pulls her hand back and sucks the chocolate off her finger.


    I¡¯m like a deer caught in the headlights.


    My brain just empties itself of all thought.


    That was the single hottest thing I¡¯ve ever seen someone do.


    I think Summer is a little shocked by her actions as well.


    ¡°I uh - pretty,¡° I so eloquently say. Summer makes another incredibly beautiful noise, but this one sounds more like her brain is short circuiting.


    ¡°I mean, yeah, you are,¡± she agrees.


    Wait, no I meant her. ¡°I meant you,¡± I counter.


    ¡°Oh, ah. Well. You¡¯re really cute too,¡± she whispers bashfully.


    Huh.


    I don¡¯t know what to say. Usually my problem is I can¡¯t shut up. But now? Nothing. No words to explain what I want to say. Nothing feels appropriate enough to express whatever it is that¡¯s coursing through my mind.


    Someone clears their throat from the doorway. My eyes snap over to see Felicia with a bemused look on her face. She¡¯s changed into some significantly more casual clothing. Her swooping neckline on her top and the tight leggings she¡¯s wearing spark another wave of intense broiling emotions that I¡¯m even more confused about.


    Am I crushing on both Summer and the fucking logger. What has my life fucking come to? Ever since I first met Felicia, my life has been turned upside down, shaken repeatedly then precariously balanced on a corner before being punted down the road.


    While I¡¯m trying and failing to wrap my head around all these wild and conflicting feelings, the damn logger speaks up. She sounds exasperated.


    ¡°Would you two just kiss already?¡±


    End Chapter 10

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11Chapter 11Rose


    ¡°Would you two just kiss already?¡± Felicia¡¯s words snap me out of my reverie and make it abundantly clear how close I¡¯d gotten to doing just that. Do I want to kiss Summer? Fuck yes. Should I? That¡¯s the more confusing part.


    Shitfuck.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t-¡± Summer begins to try and explain. ¡°We didn¡¯t-¡± Felicia¡¯s laugh interrupts my blonde friend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, just don¡¯t. It¡¯s painfully obvious you two are so very into each other and I can¡¯t stand all the pining.¡± Her eyes briefly settle on me before she shakes her head. ¡°So go on, get it out of the way or it¡¯ll affect our mission.¡± Felicia is trying so hard to sound like she¡¯s got no stake in this beyond the mission, but I saw the way she was looking at Summer earlier. I call bullshit.


    ¡°Oh and why don¡¯t you take your own advice!¡± I snap back at her. She lets out a little gasp of surprise but I continue before she can try and deny it. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the way you look at Summer. Hell, I saw the way she was looking at you! So maybe I should get out of the way so you two can fuck the tension out of you both.¡±


    Felicia¡¯s face is a maelstrom of conflicting feelings that I can¡¯t even begin to parse out. People are hard, alright? I¡¯m pretty sure the only reason I¡¯ve been able to pick up on all this is that Willow has been feeding me insight discreetly. I¡¯m normally abysmal at reading people. Throw some complex code weave in front of me and I can nail down what it does and how to break it in seconds. Understanding my fellow meatbags? Might as well be trying to decipher ancient text or something equally esoteric.


    Summer¡¯s expression is equally turbulent with a variety of emotions. I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m encouraging the two of them to hook up though. Probably more of that self destruction I¡¯m apparently so fucking good at.


    God I¡¯m such a dumb fuck.


    I figure it¡¯s time to get out of the way, so they can have some noisy sex or something and get to my feet. Both of them suddenly turn to look at me, locking me in place.


    What the shit? Why are they looking at me like that?


    They spare a glance at each other and something passes between them unspoken as they close the distance with me in almost perfect synchronization.


    Summer takes my right hand, while Felicia takes my left. What the hell is going on? Now I¡¯m confused beyond belief as they lead me to the one bed in the safehouse.


    ¡°What¡¯s - ah - what¡¯s going on?¡± I ask, trying to hide how nervous I suddenly am. I think on some level I know what¡¯s about to happen, but I¡¯m not quite ready to admit it. How could two absolutely stunning women be into a gross stick like me.


    Felicia smiles softly, and for a moment I completely forget she¡¯s a former logger. She¡¯s always smirked, or grinned, or when she did just smile, it was confident and self assured. This one? It¡¯s all warm and gentle. Summer mirrors her expression as the two gently encourage me to lay down on the bed.


    ¡°Look,¡± Felicia starts. She sounds a little nervous as she speaks. ¡°We all got off on the wrong foot but I¡¯ll be damned if I keep lying to myself.¡± She clenches her fist as she looks like she¡¯s working up the nerve to continue. ¡°Even before you started changing, your brash personality caught my attention. I wasn¡¯t fully aware of it until we started working together, but I had already begun to admire you.¡±


    Wait a fucking second. She¡¯s talking about me? What the shit?


    ¡°You have a strength in you that I couldn¡¯t help but respect. And as much as your harsh demeanor frustrates me, it also drives me a little wild.¡± She shakes her head with a disbelieving grin. ¡°And when you started to change, when more of your confidence was able to leak out, something shifted and I started to fall for you I think.¡±


    Holy shit.


    Holy shit.


    HOLY FUCKING SHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?


    I try to say something before Summer presses one of her perfectly delicate fingers to my lips.


    Fuck that¡¯s hot.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always had a bit of a crush on you Rose. Even when we were kids. For me, it was the kindness you showed to small animals. How you went out of your way to help the stray cats in the slums. And when you told me about your actions against CyberPet, I knew you still carried that kindness in you.¡± She smiles this radiant smile at me and I nearly melt. ¡°We both find you captivating, and the more I get to know you again, the more I want to know.¡± She looks at Felicia. ¡°And I¡¯m sure Felicia feels the same.¡± The stunning red head nods her agreement. ¡°Not to mention we both find each other ridiculously attractive and well¡­¡± She flashes me a coy grin.


    Oh fuck.


    Oh fuck.


    This is happening?


    I don¡¯t deserve this!


    Why is my first time having sex a threesome? With two grade A hotties no less!


    I¡¯m just some twiggy little vermin. They can¡¯t both want me.


    They¡¯ll realize I¡¯m broken goods and just turn to each other.


    Should I stop them and just skip the painful part? I don¡¯t think I could handle a taste and then being deprived.


    I shake my head quickly. The movement makes me a little dizzy. ¡°I think this is a mistake,¡± I try to explain. ¡°I¡¯m just a broken piece of meat. I¡¯m nothing special, especially out here. Maybe I¡¯m worth something in Lanadel¡­ but not here.¡±


    Summer brushes something from my face, a tear apparently. Damnit, now I¡¯m crying. I¡¯m shaking too. I¡¯m being held tight between the two of them and I can¡¯t stop crying.


    Summer whispers gentle reassurances that I am worthy. That I deserve happiness and affection. Felicia just agrees with our bubbly chef. I think she¡¯s just as uncomfortable with all this mushy stuff as I am.


    Eventually the shuddering stops and I feel like I¡¯m all out of tears. Someone wipes the last of the salty liquid from my face and I can see the two of them beaming at me still.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you¡¯re not ready,¡± Felicia offers a lifeline. ¡°But believe us when we say we¡¯re both very interested in you. You¡¯re beautiful and amazing and special in all your own unique little ways.¡±


    ¡°Even if I¡¯m a bit of an asshole?¡± I make one last token effort to dissuade them from their interest in me.


    ¡°That¡¯s part of the charm,¡± Summer says with a giggle. I would die for that giggle. I¡¯d die for Summer. Felicia isn¡¯t as special to me, I can¡¯t say she is, not with what she was, but¡­


    ¡°Okay¡­ m - maybe I¡¯d be willing to give it a shot. I still think you¡¯re both delusional but if you¡¯re wanting to give this a try then - Okay.¡± I feel like my face is on fire. ¡°I just - I don¡¯t know the first thing about¡­ any of this,¡± I admit with a slight wince.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Felicia whispers into my ear. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can teach you.¡± She nibbles on my ear like it¡¯s punctuation for her sentence and my breath catches in my throat.


    Summer gets right to work as well. She begins to shimmy me out of my clothes, which elicits a little panic from me. I don¡¯t want them to see me like that just yet. I try to grab on, and shake my head which makes her stop. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I - I don¡¯t want you to see my body yet. N - not till it¡¯s done,¡± I whisper. I¡¯ve never felt this unsure of myself. I¡¯ve always tried to be confident and aloof. It¡¯s hard letting yourself be vulnerable when you never know who might abuse that vulnerability.


    Summer nods and changes tactics. She rubs at my budding breasts through the fabric of my clothes. Felicia meanwhile trails scorching kisses down my neck and onto my collarbone. The two work in perfect tandem as if they¡¯d been rehearsing this.


    ¡°Such a good girl,¡± Felicia whispers into my ear, giving it another light nibble. I shudder in pleasure at the attention and the words. I never knew that validation like that could cause such a strong reaction.


    Summer straddles my hips then leans forward along my body. Something clicks. A memory I¡¯d forgotten, that I hadn¡¯t wanted to remember. I feel myself grow distant from the gentle ministrations of my two companions as I¡¯m pulled back towards the early days of my career.


    ****


    My parents had left me a lot in the lockbox they¡¯d hidden. They were smart like that. They¡¯d left me a list of contacts that I could reach out to for help and training to keep myself safe. I¡¯d eventually wish they hadn¡¯t.


    I knew that I didn¡¯t have enough money to fix my spine and get the equipment I needed to start a career, so I opted for the long term option and settled with a cheapo wheelchair until I could save up. One of the people on my parents¡¯ list was an experienced webweaver that I had decided to reach out to for training. His name was Edgar and he was in hindsight, way too eager to let me crash with him while he trained me.


    Things went ok at first, he¡¯d teach me the basics in exchange for a small fee once I mentioned who my parents were. It was nice to hear about their adventures together in Lanadel. I so desperately wanted to have those sorts of stories to tell one day.


    Eventually though things started to go sideways in a monumental way.


    He¡¯d started to have me help with some of his jobs. Usually just small tasks that required me to run overwatch while he did the actual delving. During what was supposed to be a routine job, his system started to spark and glitch out.


    Edgar managed to get the job done without me, but when he got back, he was furious. He told me I¡¯d cost him a fortune in parts and demanded the rest of my money. Being naive and desperate, I didn¡¯t even try to argue. He glared at me and told me the money wouldn¡¯t be enough. That I needed to pay him back another way. I told him I¡¯d do anything to keep training. I was desperate. He smirked and told me to wait in my room.


    I waited for a few hours before he came in. He told me to get in my bed and I obeyed. It wasn¡¯t until he moved my wheelchair across the room that I realized that something was wrong. He started to pull my pants down with a lecherous grin. He said that I¡¯d repay him with my body.


    Being dumb and naive and not recognizing how bad that would go if I let him, I agreed. When he was finished pulling my pants and underwear off, he pulled his own off as well. He started to lube up my flaccid cock until it was standing at attention. I couldn¡¯t feel a thing, which may have been a small mercy.


    He climbed on top of me and lowered his flabby asshole onto my dick. At first he bopped up and down but pretty soon he grew tired and just fell asleep on top of me.


    This became a recurring activity. He said it was a way to pay me back, and if I did it enough, he¡¯d buy my first set up. It was all a ruse and a ploy.


    Around the time I turned nineteen he lost all interest in me. He kicked me out and told me that if I told anyone what he did, he¡¯d turn me over to the loggers. I had nothing except for the training he gave me. He¡¯d regret that training.


    I managed to find a public node into Lanadel and it was enough for me to ruin him. I had thought it¡¯d feel good to get the last laugh. I¡¯d stolen my money back and then some and discreetly lured the police to his small home with rumors of child pornography. It wasn¡¯t enough.


    He apparently tried to rat me out to LOG while in police custody, but from what I had heard, everyone assumed he was making up stories to cover up the stash of elicit images he had. I deleted all the ones of me at least.


    The money I¡¯d stolen felt dirty. I only used just enough to get my lair set up before donating the rest to homeless youth shelters around the city.


    I tried so hard to forget my time with him, but I never could handle being weighed down by a person like that again. I¡¯d always remember until I shoved the memories away once more until the cycle repeated.


    ****


    Someone¡¯s trying to talk to me. Two people I think. I¡¯m still half dazed from the involuntary trip down memory lane. I¡¯m no longer weighed down at least. Summer and Felicia slowly materialize in front of me as my vision clears. I can feel Willow nearby as well.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s coming around,¡± one of them says. It¡¯s so hard to parse which one though. The other agrees and they offer me something warm and sweet to drink. ¡°Are you ok?¡± the first one asks. I think it¡¯s Felicia talking. I shake my head and they both wrap me up in a hug. They let go when a full body shudder races from my head to my toes.


    ¡°P - please don¡¯t touch me¡­ Not right now,¡± I whisper as I try to bite back the tears in my eyes. They must think I¡¯m such a crybaby now. They don¡¯t show it though as they both nod quietly.


    ¡°What happened? What made you freeze up like that?¡± Summer asks, guilt written on her face. She must¡¯ve figured out it was her sitting on me or at least suspected it.


    I shake my head. ¡°I - I can¡¯t. Not yet. I need a moment.¡±


    Weak.


    I sound so weak.


    I fucking hate it.


    Even when I was being ra- Even when he was - I was never weak.


    I¡¯ll never be weak.


    Willow comes up and brushes against me. With her contact comes a question. An offer. She wants to help in her own strange way. She thinks talking about it will help in the long term, and offers to hasten my recovery a little and suppress my embarrassment so I can talk it over.


    I extract some assurances from her that it¡¯d be temporary and that it¡¯d be all she¡¯d do and once I¡¯m satisfied I let her do it.


    It¡¯s like all the pain and anxiety and fear get wrapped in a bundle and set aside, leaving me feeling a little numb. Better, but numb.


    ¡°It was you sitting on me,¡± I tell Summer. She looks mortified, but I give her a reassuring smile. It doesn¡¯t reach my eyes but I hope it helps. ¡°I had a rough start after my parents died. For a while I stayed with a friend of theirs. They must not have known about his private proclivities or they wouldn¡¯t have left me his information.¡± I let out a humorless chuckle before sighing heavily. ¡°He liked teenage ¡®boys¡¯,¡± I explain with finger quotes. ¡°He¡¯d always have his ¡®fun¡¯ the same way each time. He¡¯d lube me up, sit on me and bounce a bit before falling asleep on top of me.¡±


    My explanation is almost surgical in how removed I am from it. Summer and Felicia both look horrified. I finish the story with how I ruined him and how I still don¡¯t like people being on top of me. The two of them nod thoughtfully and wrap me in a hug.


    Our dynamic has changed so quickly. Especially mine and Felicia¡¯s. I never thought she could make me feel safe. I haven¡¯t felt this safe since - Since my parents were murdered. I can¡¯t help it as I start to cry again.


    The two of them whisper quiet comforts into my ears as I shake and shudder. Whatever Willow did has worn off but she was right. Confiding in the two of them has helped.


    Sadly the mood from before has been broken, though what¡¯s left is a sense of companionship and closeness that I never imagined I could have. We just lie together in the bed, all cuddled up together. Unlike the first night we shared the bed, this time there¡¯s a warm bond between us.


    It¡¯s been a long, long day and after Willow joins us, laying on top of me, the four of us drift into the best sleep I¡¯ve ever had.


    ****


    We wake up around the same time. I¡¯d had another dream about being in my tower with Willow working on my body. She tells me she¡¯s almost done and that she¡¯s going to set up the final steps today. I¡¯m not sure what she means about that, but I opt not to press too much as I¡¯m too busy enjoying the pile of softness I find myself in.


    None of us are in a hurry to get up, but eventually the call of nature forces us to untangle ourselves and take care of our morning business.


    My dick is fully gone. All that¡¯s left is a little nubby clit. I can tell it¡¯s not done yet, but it feels so nice to not have that fleshy mass hanging off me.


    After cleaning up, Willow has me pass along to Summer that I¡¯m going to need a lot of resources for the final step and so I¡¯m going to need a lot to eat.


    My gorgeous chef girlfriend¡­ Wait, is she my girlfriend now? I ask her and she giggles like it¡¯s the dumbest question. She assures me she is, as does Felicia.


    So weird.


    Anyways, Summer makes a hearty meal for the three of us and once it¡¯s done, Willow has me return to the bed. I¡¯m curious what she has planned but she remains quiet for now.


    I just lay there quietly as Summer and Felicia watch over me. Finally Willow climbs onto the bed and into my view. She tells me to try and empty my mind as much as I can.


    It¡¯s not easy but eventually I apparently do well enough that the AI cat is satisfied and she jumps into my torso.  S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My vision blanks out and suddenly I find myself lying in my bed in my tower. Those dreams of Willow tending to me, of changing my body weren¡¯t just dreams. Somehow, despite the sheer impossibility of it, Willow is able to pull me into Lanadel without a network node.


    End Chapter 11

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12Chapter 12Felicia


    That is incredibly creepy. I turn to look at Summer and she looks just as freaked out as I am. Mere moments ago, Rose, sweet, dense, Rose, settled into bed to let DC- sorry, Willow, finish the changes she¡¯s been doing to Rose¡¯s body. At first she seemed to just fall asleep, but now she¡¯s lying nearly perfectly still. If it wasn¡¯t for the steady rise and fall of her chest, I¡¯d be worried she¡¯s dead.


    Now, nobody would be surprised that I still harbor some reluctance regarding Willow. There¡¯s still that inkling in the back of my mind that this could be some sort of long con ruse to take over Rose¡¯s life or something. Normally the idea of that would be insane as it¡¯s impossible for an AI to inhabit a flesh and blood body, but Willow makes a routine habit of doing impossible things.


    Fortunately, even if she¡¯s a bit dense regarding her gender, Rose is clever and canny. She¡¯s not going to fall for any obvious traps.


    Right?


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Willow isn¡¯t malicious, huh, Felicia?¡± Summer muses aloud. I turn to look at her and give her a questioning look. ¡°Well, Willow¡¯s a cat. Remember how I said that Rose loves cats?¡± I nod, a low nervous feeling settling in my stomach. ¡°Well, if Willow really was some evil AI bent on some nefarious deeds, she couldn¡¯t have picked a better person to manipulate.¡± She chuckles, as if the possibility is so out there that it¡¯s not worth being worried about. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s a feline coded AI giving her a gender affirming transformation without any of the hassles of a normal one. Rose would probably do whatever Willow asked her to.¡±


    I let out a shuddering, shaky sigh as I stand up from where I¡¯m sitting. ¡°I¡¯m going to hop into Lanadel. My proxy is in the same place as her, so I can keep an eye on things from there. If anything goes wrong out here, just ping me from my system.¡± She nods slowly. She must not see the worry in my eyes as she¡¯s still looking fairly relaxed.


    Without rushing, I make my way quickly to my system and dive into Lanadel. Rose¡¯s tower materializes around me and I spare a few seconds to marvel at the construction. I recognize the inspiration that¡¯s clearly been taken from an old kids movie and allow myself a brief smile before I focus on the task at hand.


    Rose isn¡¯t in the chair she logged out in, so I start sweeping the premises. I find a few things of note, including a highly illegal spiking program. These things are used for punching pinprick sized openings in defenses in Lanadel. They¡¯re so small that most detection systems can¡¯t find them, but they are just big enough that a skilled weaver like Rose could exploit that opening and get inside.


    Also of note, is the empty representation of the datadrive Willow was originally contained in. The physical drive was broken, but maybe the digital version could still be used to contain her if need be. I compress it down to a more carriable size and stow it in my inventory.


    As I step out of the workshop, I hear some noises coming from up the spiraling staircase. I had originally been planning to check the storage drives, but upstairs seems as good of a place as any to look next.


    The ornate door at the top of the stairs is decorated with cats of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Summer¡¯s right, if Willow is a threat, then Rose will never see it coming.


    Fortunately the door isn¡¯t locked, and I¡¯m able to step inside a - is this a bedroom? What the hell? Who - Right. The neural link cord by the bed. Rose slept in here.


    Speaking of, there she is, lying in bed, chatting with Willow who is busy kneading away at her. Both the feline AI and Rose glance over at me when they hear the door open and give me matching confused looks.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing in here?¡± Rose asks. She doesn¡¯t sound possessed. So that¡¯s good at least. Mostly she sounds annoyed. ¡°This is kind of a private -¡± she pauses then looks at Willow before frowning and looking back at me. ¡°Really? This again? Willow says you¡¯re likely worried about her intentions and came to check if I¡¯m being coerced or something.¡±


    Can the damn cat read minds?


    I shake my head and let out a defeated sigh. ¡°Alright, yes, that is why I¡¯m here. But only because I¡¯m worried about you Rose,¡± I explain. ¡°Willow is in a unique position to abuse the trust you have in her and I just want to ensure you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Rose¡¯s expression softens before her normal cocky air returns. With a roll of her eyes and a snorting laugh she says, ¡°Fine, you can stay, but only because Willow understands your stance and wants to assure you that -¡± she pauses and glances at Willow. ¡°Really? No I¡¯m not saying that!¡± She frowns. ¡°Because she¡¯s not going to take it as a joke right now,¡± she retorts. ¡°No! She¡¯s not going to find a joke about her being ¡®too late¡¯ funny,¡± she takes on a whining tone. ¡°Where¡¯d you even get your sense of hum- You downloaded it? From where?!¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Oh for fucks sakes Willow. Purge it while I run a full sweep to make sure all you downloaded was an inappropriate sense of humor.¡±


    While this exchange goes on, my eyes get wider and wider. Willow has stopped kneading and seems focused on something else while Rose has some rather arcane looking display windows floating about. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡± I ask. I¡¯m pretty sure I got most of it from the context, but I want to make absolutely certain. Misunderstandings could be problematic right now.


    Rose sighs and nods at the cat. ¡°She wanted to lighten the mood with some humor, but she hadn¡¯t quite developed her own sense. So she got an AI humor starter pack.¡± She lets out a harsh laugh. ¡°Only she didn¡¯t read the small print that explains it¡¯s a novelty pack that only provides inappropriate jokes.¡±


    My eyes snap to Willow and I can feel my worries and doubts fade away as I realize what a fucking goober this cat is. ¡°Really?¡± I try to confirm, almost sure I heard wrong.


    ¡°Yeah, she really did,¡± she replies before looking at her familiar. ¡°Oh don¡¯t give me that look, you wanted to lighten the mood and at least you succeeded in the end.¡±


    The look of pure disgruntlement on Willow¡¯s feline face makes me just erupt with laughter. ¡°And here I was, worried she was going to try and steal your body or something!¡±


    Rose begins cracking up too as she struggles to speak. ¡°Oh! Ha! That was what she was - ha! - going to joke about! You¡¯d have fucking deleted her if I¡¯d let her say it!¡± Rose is wheezing at his point and I¡¯m not much better.


    ¡°On the spot!¡± I snort before moving closer to the insanely powerful, and insanely naive AI. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doubting you, Willow,¡± I apologize as I hold out a hand to pet her. ¡°Either you¡¯re not evil, or so masterful in your manipulations that we¡¯d never see it coming. And at that point, what does it matter?¡±


    Willow narrows her eyes at my hand before pushing her head into it. For a brief moment I feel a connection with her. When I pull my hand back I can feel a slight presence in my mind. It¡¯s unfamiliar and alien in nature.


    Oh. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Willow¡¯s formed a neural bridge with me. Apparently it¡¯s something she can only do in Lanadel. It¡¯s very basic compared to what she and Rose have, but it¡¯s a step up from just being able to see her in meatspace since I can now hear what she¡¯s saying.


    The way she speaks is strange. It¡¯s not really words, more like feelings and concepts all communicated instantly and with total clarity.


    That all is pretty par for the course with direct AI communication, but what catches me off guard, is that I can catch an echo of Rose¡¯s thoughts as well. And right now she¡¯s - I look at where she¡¯s staring and immediately feel a mixed sense of both pride and embarrassment that she¡¯s checking me out.


    Shut up. Pretty girls being into me always gets me a little flustered.


    I do a quick outfit swap to get rid of my logger uniform and she immediately gets more interested. With a bashful smile I look away awkwardly. ¡°Ah, I should probably leave you two to get back to itt,¡± I mumble as I back away towards the door.


    Willow hops off Rose and puts a paw on my leg. She tells me that she underestimated the robustness of the tower¡¯s defense and is going to need to open a hole for a brief period to finish a crucial step in finalizing the transformation.


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by that? What do you need that¡¯s out there?¡± I don¡¯t like her reply. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t tell me?¡± I demand. ¡°Can you tell Rose?¡±


    ¡°I already know what she¡¯s talking about, but she¡¯s not willing to share the details with anyone else. It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± my ravenette girlfriend answers. I really don¡¯t like that, but I don¡¯t feel like pushing the matter right now.


    ¡°So what do you need me to do then?¡± I focus on the task at hand. Willow clearly needs me to do something, or else she wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it.


    Sure enough, the hole in the wards will attract monsters. Technically, the creatures we call monsters are more like a virus mixed with broken and discarded code. They¡¯ve been around as long as Lanadel has and the AI often encourages people to enter Lanadel and fight the monsters to keep the permanent residents safe. It¡¯s become a bit gamified in recent years with the introduction of quests and bounties.


    I digress though. As a former logger, I¡¯m no stranger to fighting monsters. Sometimes I¡¯d get stuck on guard duty and just spend a night fighting the occasional creature that tried to enter one of LOG¡¯s secure compounds. I even have a simple set of armor and a few different weapons to choose from in my inventory.


    With my help secured, Willow gives me the coordinates for where the hole will be opened. My job will be to defend the hole while she finishes up her last phase of work. When she¡¯s done, she¡¯ll lock up the wards again so I can come back inside.


    The spot she chose to open is a good one. It¡¯s a tunnel that leads out to the rest of the marshlands the tower is in. According to Rose, the narrow rocky path serves as emergency access for herself on the rare occasion she can¡¯t just teleport back to her tower.


    It makes sense. Most webweavers have no patience for the more fantasy aspects of Lanadel and see it as a tool. When someone is tracking portals or teleportation in and out of an area, they tend to hunker down or make stupid mistakes. Rose is just so much more clever than that. Between maintaining her civilian identity as a low tier weaver and separate from her proxy body, and the fact that she¡¯s not afraid to rough it to get an advantage, it¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s managed to fly under the radar for so long.


    Even the tunnel¡¯s existence speaks of forward thinking. It lures would-be ward crackers into an easily defended position that is fully in the defender¡¯s favor.


    Last night I was worried I was letting myself fall too hard and too fast for Rose and Summer. And while my blonde girlfriend¡¯s cooking is more than enough to make me want to propose on the spot, I continuously discover new and exciting aspects about my favorite witch that just makes me fall even harder.


    Rose¡¯s compassion, as selective as it is, shows the softer side of her heart that few get to witness. Her ingenuity, craftiness and skill in her career show dedication, determination and intelligence. Learning about her past reveals her strength to continue on even in the face of overwhelming adversity. My feelings may have started as a crush born from begrudging respect, but every new thing I learn about her just makes her shine brighter in my heart¡¯s eye.


    Just as I feel myself getting too sappy, Rose messages me. ¡°Hey, heads up, Willow¡¯s opening the hole,¡± she informs me. I can hear the grin in her voice, and prepare myself for whatever joke she¡¯s about to make. ¡°Oh, and she¡¯s also unblocking the tunnel.¡± There it is.


    ¡°Cute,¡± I snark back and equip my armor and my more go-to weapon, a spear and shield. The spear is encoded to always come back if I throw it. It¡¯s useful as an impromptu ranged attack while defending. The spear also has some decent reach even when not thrown. My shield can be expanded as needed to block wider areas which makes it perfect for defending a choke point.


    I notice a slight shimmer in the air only by its sudden disappearance. I half expect a horde of monsters to come barreling down the tunnel immediately, but that would¡¯ve hardly made sense. In reality, I find myself waiting for quite a while before anything changes.


    Eventually though, an hour into my defense, Rose lets me know that she¡¯s picking up a lot of movement coming towards the tunnel. She also informs me that Willow needs about twenty more minutes before she can close up the gap.


    I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d have preferred to have been facing pockets of monsters the whole time over this sudden rush at the end. My own scrying efforts reveal a massive horde of creatures funneling into the other end of the tunnel.


    Screeching echoes through the tunnel and I can hear the scraping of their misshapen claws against the stone floors and walls ahead of me. It won¡¯t be my first siege I¡¯ve defended against, but it will be the first I¡¯ve had to do solo. I¡¯m sure Rose and Willow could make easy work of the coming tide of tooth and claw, but they¡¯re busy.


    Just as I¡¯m mentally preparing myself to handle this alone, I hear the sound of light panting behind me. I look over my shoulder and see who I assume is Summer in light flowing robes and carrying a tall white oak staff. On the tip is a white crystal of some sort.


    ¡°Summer! What are you doing here?¡± I demand. The ravenous beasts are so close now. This is no place for a civilian, let alone a novice delver. Summer just beams in response to my dismay and holds up the staff.


    ¡°Just because I¡¯m not some crazy webweaver, witch or former LOG agent doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t defend myself in Lanadel. I use this place too, you know,¡± she points out. ¡°I just tend to treat it more like a game and do quests and what not. It helps me relax after a busy day at work.¡± She giggles. ¡°And besides, Rose figured you could use some help.¡±


    I just stare at her in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re a Quester?¡± I confirm. She nods as she gestures at her robes and staff.


    ¡°A healer in particular,¡± she points out. ¡°I¡¯ve got some offensive spells but most of the premade stuff I have is for healing.¡±


    Normally I¡¯d argue that the premade game ¡®spells¡¯ that the AI provide Questers with are useless in a real fight, but it hits me. We¡¯re fighting monsters, the very thing AI equips civilians to combat. The classification as a quester also numbs the pain response and so long as Summer has set her home to Rose¡¯s tower, she¡¯ll just respawn inside and be able to make her way back out if she dies. It won¡¯t even be that traumatic for her.


    I almost want to tell her to leave just to save face for needing a Quester¡¯s help, but I can at least admit she¡¯s probably better suited to fighting this than I am. All my skills and techniques are mainly for detaining humans and sometimes humanoid AIs. And while I¡¯ve fought monsters before, I rarely had to do it alone.


    So with a reluctant sigh, I nod to Summer. ¡°Alright, you can help. Just, stay back and try not to draw their attention. I don¡¯t have those special threat abilities Quester tanks have.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Rose messages me.


    I receive a file package from her and I roll my eyes at what it¡¯s called. ¡°Really?¡± I snap.


    Ugh, I hate that she has a point. I begrudgingly download the file and run it. Within seconds I¡¯m in a new set of full plate armor with a much larger spear and shield. I also have a full suite of Quester ¡®Tank¡¯ abilities so I can survive and mitigate monster damage more effectively.


    ¡°I fucking hate this,¡± I glower while Rose giggles in my ear.


    Something strikes me as odd though. The sounds of scraping claws have stopped. There¡¯s still no sight of the monsters. Normally they will rush in and tear wildly at whatever they see. They¡¯re instinctively drawn to weaknesses in defenses and act with no thought for self preservation.


    There¡¯s only a few things that could cause this. First option is that Rose came up with a way to block them and buy us some time. But she¡¯d have gloated about her awesomeness if she had. The second, much more scary option is that there¡¯s a boss monster among the horde.


    Bosses are an order of magnitude more powerful than your standard monster. They rally their lesser creatures to them and can coordinate groups of them to follow their will. They tend to be smarter as well, having been observed using clever tactics. The stronger the boss, the more monsters they can control.


    Heavy thuds echo through the tunnel as a large elephantine looking humanoid steps out from the tunnel. They carry a hammer made from a massive boulder attached to a tree. How they made it through the tunnel defies explanation. All that is clear is that my worries were warranted. This is a Boss monster, and it¡¯s a powerful one.


    End Chapter 12

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13Chapter 13Summer


    Standing side by side with Felicia, staring down this massive boss monster before us, I find myself thinking back to how I ended up getting involved in Quests in the first place.


    It was only a week before Rose would go missing. My parents had managed to salvage an old uplink system to let me enter Lanadel. Life in the slums was hard for all of us, but they wanted me to have an escape for when times were really bad.


    I had tried to get Rose interested in joining me. I knew she had access to an uplink system and I thought it¡¯d be a great place for us to explore and spend time together. Even if I hadn¡¯t been willing to admit it at the time, I was already starting to crush on the prickly teen.


    Rose hadn¡¯t been terribly interested, so I ventured forth on my own. My first challenge came immediately after logging in. I had to design a proxy body. Most people use the built in generator to make their Lanadel representation, and I was no exception. I spent hours agonizing over my appearance, but every masculine form I considered just wouldn¡¯t fit. I found them off putting in ways that didn¡¯t make sense to me at the time. So without a better frame of reference, I assumed it was because I wasn¡¯t attracted to men.


    With a flawed understanding of the problem, I decided to make a feminine body for myself. Beautiful blonde hair, soft features, killer curves, the works. Did I look a little bit like a stereotype? Maybe. But did I also feel more connected to that shape than any others? Absolutely.


    I spent hours and hours in Lanadel. So much so that it wasn¡¯t until a week after Rose went missing that I really took notice of her disappearance. After that, I lost myself in the digital reality. Every single time I came out, I felt awful and I couldn¡¯t understand why. I¡¯d avoid eating and skip classes and spend every waking moment in Lanadel.


    My relationship with my parents started to falter, and I struggled to understand why I couldn¡¯t handle existence in meatspace.


    The frustrations built up and ate at me until I was just as miserable in Lanadel as well. That¡¯s when I took up questing. I needed an outlet for my pain, something I wouldn¡¯t feel bad about. I initially took on the rogue class. It was admittedly so cliche, and I didn¡¯t even realize how much of an edgy teen I was being.


    I¡¯d throw myself into battles with monsters over and over. I died multiple times, the only thing saving me were the standard respawn mechanics. Eventually someone came to save me, even if I didn¡¯t realize I needed it.


    Matira Ironwood was her username. She had rescued me from what would be another painful death. I, admittedly, didn¡¯t react well to her gentle chiding over my recklessness. She saw through my anger and vitriol and just waited patiently for me to calm down.


    When the harsh, hurt emotions had drained from my body and I slumped to the ground. Matira wrapped me in a hug and asked me what was wrong. What had me so hurt that I lashed out like I did.


    At the time, I couldn¡¯t really put it into words, but somehow she just got it. She immediately recognized how much meatspace was hurting me after I got to experience Lanadel. She told me a story about her youth, and how she experienced similar things. When I asked her what the problem ended up being, she explained that she was trans. She explained what that meant and I just knew that was the word. The word that summed up my recent experiences.


    I logged out shortly after that encounter, and rushed to tell my parents, only to find someone I hadn¡¯t expected present. My aunt, Lonnie, was having a hushed conversation with them. I had debated waiting, but they quickly revealed that Matira Ironwood, the player that had saved me in more ways than one, was none other than my aunt. My parents had asked her to check up on me, since they knew she had her own presence in Lanadel.


    It was like a pressure valve had been released after that. I finally had a way to express my hurt and struggles. Things were difficult for a while, I couldn¡¯t really start my transition properly until we had money for the needed procedures. Aunt Lonnie helped as much as she could but her financial situation wasn¡¯t much better than ours.


    Fortunately, I was smart. I took my time and focused on my career. I was able to get a job as a line cook shortly out of high school. I saved up, so that eventually I could open my own restaurant. Eventually, with the success I had found, I was able to have my dream transition and could live the life I wanted.


    I still ran quests in Lanadel from time to time. I had switched from a rogue to a healer, and focused on helping people. And any time I found someone who seemed to be running from their life, I would offer them a patient ear and some helpful advice.


    ****


    Shaking my head to clear the memories, I reign in my focus for the monumental task at hand. A tank and a healer could hold a line for a long time so long as both worked together, but even I have my doubts about how well we can stem the tide of monsters.


    Something about this whole situation strikes me as particularly odd as well. Why are there so many monsters trying to get into Rose¡¯s tower? Something tells me that Willow might have an idea or two about that.


    ¡°Why are they just standing there?¡± Felicia asks, her voice quiet. That¡¯s something else that¡¯s weird. The creatures before us just stand there, squaring off against us. Or they were until Felicia spoke.


    The elephantine boss monster raises their massive weapon and trumpets loudly. The hundreds of vicious creatures behind them swarm around their legs as if a dam had been broken, releasing a tide of water.


    Felicia lets out an annoyed sigh and rushes into the wave of enemies with her shield raised and her spear striking out. She pierces one of the monsters in the skull, immediately destroying it. Rose must have provided her with some significant buffs to allow her to one shot something so easily.


    I don¡¯t want to rest on my laurels though, so I swing my staff and cast a protective barrier on my red-headed tank to lessen the pressure on her. I quickly follow it up by spreading out a wave of searing light that solidifies into a dome of bright white flames.


    ¡°Try and draw them in here! It¡¯ll weaken them!¡± I call out to Felicia as she trades blow after blow with a serpent like monster. She nods and begins taunting the enemies so they¡¯ll follow her inside. As they cross the flaming threshold, the radiant light clings to their flesh and causes a steady burn that slows them down.


    We settle into a steady rhythm of combat. Felicia¡¯s every spear thrust dispatches an enemy, while they clamor against her shield. I heal any damage she takes, while protecting her from afar. Occasionally I throw out beams of light, or other offensive magic to take out the enemies just out of my tank¡¯s reach.


    While we fight against the seemingly endless tide of foes, the boss monster just watches us. They almost seem to be studying our tactics. This sort of behavior is what makes boss monsters all the more dangerous. The AI quest givers describe how the malicious virus-like code can attain the beginnings of sentience. There had been some debate over whether they should be allowed to develop fully, but given their increasing aggression, most agree that it would be too dangerous.


    Eventually thought, it seems to have seen enough as it raises its large club and swings it down on Felicia. I only have a few seconds to react as I conjure a more potent barrier on the tank. For her part, Felicia raises her shield and takes the blow like a champ. Unfortunately, that seems to have been the monster¡¯s plan all along.


    While her shield is facing up to block the massive mace, it leaves her sides and front open to coordinate attacks from the smaller creatures. I try to keep a barrier on her to stave off the onslaught, but it¡¯s too much and the shimmering shield begins to crack.


    This is not looking good. How long have we been fighting for? Is Rose almost done? I¡¯m tempted to try and message her, but I don¡¯t want to risk delaying her further.


    It¡¯s time for a change of tactics. I reach out with one of my class skills and yank Felicia back towards me. The boss¡¯ club crashes where she was mere seconds ago.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she breathes out heavily. ¡°I don¡¯t think just the two of us can defend this,¡± she says softly. She¡¯s right. Even with her defenses and reach, and my healing and protective spells, we¡¯re being overwhelmed.


    ¡°Hey, can you get a message out of Rose¡¯s tower to someone and leave them a path to teleport in?¡± I ask Felicia. An idea comes to mind, though I¡¯m sure Rose will hate it. Without help though, we¡¯re royally screwed.


    Felicia eyes me curiously before nodding. ¡°Probably, but unless they are actively looking at their messages, I doubt they¡¯ll get here in time,¡± she points out. I know that, but I also know how to ensure the message is received as quickly as possible.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I say as I summon up another layer of barriers around us. The monsters are pressing against us from all sides and we¡¯re going to be overrun any moment. Even with the fact that we¡¯ll respawn in the tower, we won¡¯t be able to get out here fast enough to stop them from getting inside.


    I quickly compose a message for my aunt. She¡¯s one of the best questers I know, and with her help, we might actually manage this.


    After I came out to my parents, and after the early stages of my transition, I still spent a lot of time with my Aunt Lonnie, both in and out of Lanadel. I talked about Rose a lot and we both agreed that she came off kind of eggy. I always knew that there¡¯d be a chance I would need back up if I ever met Rose again, so we agreed on a code phrase. If I sent her a message with the title, ¡®Victorious Eggs over Hard¡¯, she¡¯d be immediately alerted to it in a way she couldn¡¯t ignore.


    Felicia takes my message and routes it to my aunt, making sure to keep it from being easily traced back here for anyone who doesn¡¯t have the right ID.


    I¡¯d wanted to believe that she¡¯d get here fast enough, but not even seconds after the message is sent, my barrier collapses and we¡¯re overrun.


    Waking up after a death sucks ass. You¡¯re sore, and weary and you can clearly remember the pain, muted as it is, from dying. It¡¯s meant to discourage people from being reckless. Still, we don¡¯t have time to rest as we can hear crashing from down below.


    The two of us take up a defensive position at the door that leads to the base of the tower. Fortunately we¡¯re not entirely alone as Rose¡¯s tower¡¯s defenses come online and reinforce us. Each protocol is made to look like a suit of armor that had been standing in recessed alcoves as decoration.


    Goddamn my girlfriend is such a nerd. I fucking love it.


    I step back a bit as the door bursts open and Felicia and the suits of armor push back against the waves of enemies. Fortunately with their being a choke point, it¡¯s much easier to keep them pushed back. No sign of the boss monster though. Or my aunt.


    The suits of armor go down one by one as the battle continues. Felicia has died a few times from piercing blows that slip through her digital armor¡¯s gaps. It makes me certain that the boss is instructing its minions from below as that sort of precise attack is a bit more than your average monster can come up with.


    We¡¯re down to the last suit, with Felicia having just gotten back up after her third death when the tower shakes. I rush to one of the windows and see that the boss monster has begun slamming their mace into the base of the tower. Each swing cracks the stone work, and it¡¯s only the strong construction of the building that prevents it from shattering.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± I mutter under my breath. I glance over my shoulder at Felicia and point down. ¡°It''s trying to take the whole thing out. What should we do?¡± I ask her as I rush back to reinforce her and the last suit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s much we can do,¡± she admits as she shoves a monster back, causing a few more behind it to topple over.


    Just as we¡¯re about to try and ask Rose for help, she messages us preemptively. ¡°Hey Summer, there¡¯s a Matira Ironwood asking for entrance. Says she knows you. What¡¯s that about?¡± I grin.


    ¡°Let her in, that¡¯s my aunt, she¡¯s here to help!¡± I yell back, maybe a little louder than I need to.


    The moment I say that, the air is filled with a violent whistling noise before the tower shakes suddenly, worse than before. But then all goes silent. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The monsters break the silence as they begin to screech in a panic and high tail it back down the tower.


    We leave the last suit of armor, who I have affectionately named Armand, to watch the door while we chase the fleeing creatures. We follow them all the way down the stairs and to what was once a presumably hidden entrance.


    Peaking our heads out, we look just in time for another shrill whistle to sound, followed by the boss monster crashing against a thick tree trunk.


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Felicia demands. ¡°How¡¯s she doing that?¡± I shake my head and nod to the distracted hordes before us.


    ¡°Worry about that later, let¡¯s clear out the fodder while their boss is too busy to lead them,¡± I suggest. The heavily armored tank smiled widely before following my advice.


    We make quick and steady work of the standard monsters now that they don¡¯t have the boss to coordinate them. Once the grounds outside the tower are clear of the chaff, all that remains is the boss and the rather petite looking elven woman before them.


    My Aunt Lonnie¡¯s character has a name that suggests she¡¯s a big burly tank. But she couldn¡¯t be further from that archetype. She¡¯s small, thin and fast. She admitted to once trying to pull off the manly front liner style but quickly found lightning fast devastating strikes to be more her speed.


    The ear grating whistling is from her signature move which she calls the ¡®Sonic Corkscrew¡¯. As Felicia and I watch, Aunt Lonnie kneels down and launches herself in a swirling vortex of wind and lightning into the boss monster, once again sending it flying.


    Landing on the ground, my tiny aunt looks at us with a grin. ¡°Well c¡¯mon girls, join the fun. You can get some experience out of this too,¡± she laughs while gesturing for us to join her.


    Felicia stays back, saying that she should make sure we didn¡¯t miss any and keep the tower entrance secure. So that just leaves me to join up with my aunt to defeat this ugly thing.


    ¡°So, is that your friend?¡± Lonnie asks with a smirk. I shake my head, though I¡¯m smiling pretty widely.


    ¡°She¡¯s upstairs. It¡¯s a long story, though how much we share will depend on how much you want to get involved,¡± I explain. ¡°We¡¯re in some¡­ well, heavy trouble,¡± I admit. ¡°And while I don¡¯t want to involve you, I won¡¯t lie, we need all the help we can get.¡±


    ¡°Oh sweetheart,¡± my Aunt sighs. ¡°I kno- hold that thought,¡± she looks back at the boss. ¡°Hey, can you still do that haste spell?¡± she asks with a cocky grin.


    Heh. Oh fuck. She¡¯s already way too fast. How fast would she be if I- ?


    I nod and she lays out her plan.


    She catches the beasty¡¯s attention and draws it away from me while she finds a nice spot to use as a runway. When she¡¯s in position, she raises her hand, signaling me to hit her with the haste buff. The moment I do, lightning crackles off her body as she takes a starting position.


    The boss monster is smart enough to try and take cover, but they aren¡¯t nearly fast enough. With a thunder-like crack, my aunt takes off flying into the monster, piercing right through their chest in an explosion of black ichor.


    She comes to a stop next to me with a wild expression and pats me on the shoulder. ¡°Alright kiddo, let¡¯s go meet this friend of yours,¡± she announces before heading for the door.


    I put my hand on her shoulder to make her wait. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s ideal right now,¡± I admit. ¡°Like I said, we¡¯re in some pretty nasty trouble. I don¡¯t want you to have to get involved if we don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Aunt Lonnie pats me on the shoulder before pulling me into a hug. ¡°Hey, kiddo, it¡¯s alright. I know all about the trouble you¡¯re in.¡±


    Pushing her back, I stare at her in shock. ¡°What? How?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all over the news, LOG has put out a hefty bounty for you all.¡±


    End Chapter 13

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14Chapter 14Rose


    Having been stuck in a wheelchair for years, I¡¯m not really a big fan of being stuck in one place. Willow assures me that she¡¯s almost done, but I¡¯m quickly becoming more and more restless.


    It really doesn¡¯t help that I can hear Felicia, Summer and Summer¡¯s Aunt, this Matira lady, downstairs chatting. At least the monsters have stopped attacking. I wonder what drew so many towards my tower. I know they are eager to infiltrate any system they can, but I¡¯ve never heard of so many attacking a location at once.


    Glancing at my familiar, it occurs to me that it might have something to do with Willow. I can just about feel a response from her, even though she¡¯s still busy at work finishing up the final details of my meatspace body.


    Wait. Shit.


    They want her for the same reason LOG wants her.


    Fuck. That¡¯d be bad.


    Just as that horrifying realization clicks into place, Willow announces she¡¯s done. I can tell I¡¯m on the right track as she¡¯s refusing to even argue the point.


    ¡°What would happen? Could they actually use your powers?¡± I press the issue. Willow lays down on my lap as I sit up to get a better look at her. She¡¯s scared of the possibility, and really doesn¡¯t want to consider it any further.


    At least she¡¯s cleaned up my wards. Hell, I think they¡¯re better than they were before.


    I pick up the fluffy black cat and take her downstairs to meet with the others. As I walk in, I can just barely hear Summer whispering something to this tiny slip of a woman.


    Clearing my throat to catch their attention, everyone¡¯s gaze snaps to me. ¡°Thanks for your help Ms. Ironwood,¡± I say. I figure it¡¯d be better if I stay on good terms with Summer¡¯s family considering the fact that I¡¯m dragging her into a global conspiracy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet missy,¡± she replies as she marches over to me. Somehow, this woman who¡¯s even shorter than I am, is more intimidating than even LOG¡¯s knights. She pokes a sharp finger into my chest and looks up at me. ¡°My niece has caught me up to speed on this whole fiasco you¡¯ve dragged her into. I want to make sure you¡¯re worth the trouble.¡±  S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I¡¯m frozen in place, like a deer in headlights. I¡¯m not sure how to assure her I¡¯m worth all this, when I¡¯m not even confident I¡¯m worth it. Summer lets out a heavy sigh and moves to stand next to her aunt. ¡°Aunt Lonnie, please,¡± she pleads with her.


    The tiny angry woman looks between us and then over at Felicia. She exhales deeply then lets her shoulders fall. ¡°Fine. But you three will ne-¡±


    ¡°Four,¡± I correct her and nod at Willow.


    ¡°Right, sure, four. Actually, is this cat actually what they say it is?¡± she asks.


    ¡°First of all, she¡¯s a she. And yes. If it weren¡¯t for Willow, I¡¯d still be wasting away in a wheelchair, just waiting to die,¡± I state, my expression as hard as steel. ¡°Plus, if the loggers get their filthy claws on her, you can say goodbye to any and all civil liberties you¡¯ve enjoyed up until now.¡±


    Felicia clears her throat to get our attention. ¡°Rose is right,¡± she agrees with me. That more than anything makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. It¡¯s so weird how far we¡¯ve come in such a short period. Not even a week ago, Felicia and I would¡¯ve considered each other enemies, and now there¡¯s a growing¡­ something between us. I hesitate to call it love. I¡¯m not sure if I believe love is a real thing if I¡¯m being honest. Though it¡¯s clear that we all care about each other.


    I¡¯m once more a little suspicious of whether Willow is nudging us mentally towards this budding relationship. She never actually denied the ability to mess with people¡¯s minds, and as much as I trust her, I wouldn¡¯t exactly put it past her to gently encourage us to get together.


    Willow looks up at me from my arms and very clearly explains that while yes, she could manipulate my mind if she were so inclined, but why would she let me worry about it if she could? Furthermore, while she has the ability, she finds it detestable. She¡¯s also a little insulted that I would think so little of her.


    Huh. That is a good point. I apologize for my assumptions by scritching behind her ears. She quite enjoys that.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Rose?¡± Summer asks. I¡¯ve clearly missed some of the conversation.


    ¡°Uuuuuh¡­¡± I smile awkwardly. ¡°Run that by me again,¡± I say with a weak laugh. ¡°I was a bit lost in my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Summer snorts softly. ¡°The more I think you¡¯ve changed since we were kids, the more I realize you haven¡¯t changed that much.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°I was explaining to my aunt that you wouldn¡¯t abuse Willow¡¯s power. Right?¡±


    I let out a little giggle before I can stop myself. Me? Not abuse power? ¡°Sure,¡± I reply. ¡°I¡¯m not going to try and establish myself as supreme ruler of reality or anything ridiculous like that,¡± I say with a mischievous grin. ¡°But I fully intend to use Willow¡¯s power to do what I¡¯ve always done.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Lonnie asks with a serious expression.


    ¡°Knock arrogant dickwaffles down a peg or seven.¡± It¡¯s times like these, I am so glad I practiced an evil laugh. Admittedly it¡¯s more of a cackle, but it¡¯s great to make people a little uneasy at times. And when I indulge in a little sinister snickering, I¡¯m rewarded with looks of mild concern from those around me.


    I better reassure them.


    ¡°People in positions of authority become too complacent,¡± I point out. ¡°They get so concerned about maintaining their authority that they forget why they have the authority in the first place.¡± I look over at Felicia. ¡°Tell me honestly, how long has the head of LOG been in charge?¡±


    My red-head companion looks thoughtful before a frown settles on her face. ¡°Longer than I¡¯ve been alive.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s been the same guy since the start actually. He¡¯s amassed so much wealth and power that he uses it to pay for top of the line life prolonging procedures.¡± I pull up an image of the big guy in charge. ¡°This man here took payouts from private corporations and various donations and made his own personal army. And he¡¯s not the only one who does it.¡±


    I pull up image after image of the people in charge of the biggest companies and organizations in just our local area. There¡¯s thirteen of them. ¡°These quote-unquote, people, have nearly all the power in Lanadey. They use their power to amass more power.¡± I wave my hand and all the images crumble like dust. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what to do after LOG has been wiped off the face of the earth. And it came to me while Willow was finishing up with my body.¡± I take a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to shake things up. I¡¯ve thought small for so long because I had to. For the first time though, I have the power to actually accomplish some real change. To finish what my parents started.¡±


    ¡°This is all well and good,¡± Lonnie interrupts. ¡°But what about the people who are just doing their job? The innocents that are going to get caught up in the crossfire. And what¡¯s to stop someone from just taking the place of these people you take down?¡± Her arms are crossed, but her expression suggests she hasn¡¯t fully dismissed my plans.


    ¡°I¡¯m with you on taking down LOG, Rose, but aunt Lonnie has a point,¡± Summer adds on. ¡°Lots of the people working for these guys are just doing what they can to make it by. If you want our help, we need to ensure only those who deserve it get brought down.¡±


    Felicia seems quiet, but I can tell she understands where I¡¯m coming from. Still, the others raise good points. ¡°Fucking over regular folks is the last thing I want to do. And it¡¯s one of the reasons I¡¯m going to need help,¡± I admit. ¡°I¡¯m only human, and I don¡¯t want to fall into the same mistakes the people I want to bring down have. So I¡¯ll need people I trust to keep me honest.¡± I look at Felicia with a warm smile. ¡°I know I wasn¡¯t super confident about our chances with just LOG, but seeing more of what Willow can do, I can¡¯t help but think that we¡¯ve been given the key to making some real change.¡± My gaze shifts to the others. ¡°So are you all with me?¡±


    Lonnie smirks and wanders over to me. She places her hand on my shoulder with a confident smile. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring, and refreshing,¡± she says with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve got some friends who have similar ideas to you lot, and I¡¯d love to introduce you to them.¡± She hands me a card with a meatspace address on it.  ¡°Come here tomorrow night at ten pm. There will be a doorman. Tell him you¡¯re there for the Tuesday night special and he¡¯ll let you in.¡±


    Ha ha. What the shit?


    ¡°Are we spies now?¡± I snort in amusement. ¡°That¡¯s some late night spy thriller rerun type bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Hey, old cliches exist for a reason,¡± she retorts. ¡°Now, I need to go make some arrangements. Remember, tomorrow night at ten. See you there.¡± Like a flash, she dashes to the window and took off. She shouldn¡¯t have been able to leave my wards without permission, but somehow she did just that.


    ¡°Something tells me your aunt isn¡¯t just a high tier Quester, Summer,¡± I comment with amusement.


    ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right¡­¡± my blonde girlfriend agrees. ¡°So, what should we do with the rest of the day?¡± she asks.


    Felicia grins and moves over to tap on my chest. ¡°Well, Rose¡¯s changes should be complete yeah?¡± she points out. ¡°We should go see how she looks.¡±


    Summer grins excitedly and immediately logs out with Felicia hot on her tail. I sigh and sit in one of the chairs. ¡°So how do I get out of lanadel?¡± I ask Willow. ¡°Do I just -¡±


    ****


    ¡°- ask you to-¡± I blink as I realize I¡¯m in my meatspace body again. It¡¯s different though. Very different. It feels more like my proxy body. I look around and see Felicia and Summer have already returned to the bedroom to check in on me. They both have bright smiles on their faces, so I assume Willow did some good work. ¡°Could I get a -¡± Anticipating my need, Felicia pulls out a mirror and offers it to me.


    Gently I hold the reflective surface up and admire my new face. It¡¯s similar to my proxy body, but there are some minor differences. In Lanadel I¡¯m inhumanly flawless, but to ensure I don¡¯t look like someone with an overpriced surgeon, Willow has made me have small little flaws to make me look more natural.


    Huh. Why am I crying? I feel great.


    Within seconds, Summer has me wrapped in her arms. ¡°I had a similar reaction the first time I got a full proper look at myself,¡± she explains as she strokes my hair. ¡°I¡¯d managed to save up for the full works all at once so it was like waking up to a new person in the mirror. It¡¯s a bit overwhelming isn¡¯t it?¡± she asks. I give her a weak nod which she returns. ¡°It passes with time.¡±


    I lean into her embrace and just stay there for a while. It¡¯s like something has flipped on inside me recently. Before reuniting with Summer, I hadn¡¯t really had someone just hold me for comfort since my parents died. But now, these little moments are like a drug. I can¡¯t get enough of them.


    Fuck. I¡¯m down so fucking bad.


    While me and Summer hug it out, Felicia attempts to step out of the room. I wave her over to the bed. Right now, I don¡¯t give a fuck about her being a former logger. I know that she¡¯s comfortable to snuggle with from the other night and I¡¯m done avoiding pleasant things for stupid reasons.


    The red-head seems conflicted, but eventually relents and climbs into the bed on my other side. Willow joins us shortly after by crawling out of my chest and laying on top of it. If she wasn¡¯t as cute as she is, it would be way creepier.


    All four of us lean into the embrace and wind up taking a long nap into the mid afternoon. It¡¯s only nature¡¯s call that convinces us to separate. When it¡¯s my turn to use the bathroom, I¡¯m faced with a little flare of panic.


    Will it still be there?


    I mean I haven¡¯t been able to feel it.


    Will my new parts work right?


    How would a cat AI know how to make genitalia?


    Willow nudges the back of my heel and I stumble into the bathroom.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± I grumble as I hike up my dress and pull down my underwear.


    I really need new clothes.


    At least things look¡­ fine? I¡¯ve never actually seen one from this angle. I may have just put permanent underwear on my proxy body out of fear of what I¡¯d feel.


    Fortunately, using my new equipment isn¡¯t difficult, it¡¯s mostly the same general instincts after all. In the end, my first time using a bathroom with my new parts is almost anticlimactic. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth though. With my business done, I head out to check on the others and see what they are up to.


    I find Felicia tinkering with what looks like a stun baton. When I get closer, she looks up and explains she¡¯s unlocking the voltage dial so she has more control over the level of shock it delivers. She¡¯s also considering adding an extending pull so it functions similar to her spear in Lanadel. It¡¯ll make it easier for her to do non-lethal takedowns without getting too close to an opponent. Before I can question her about why she feels the need to make a stun spear, Summer calls out to me from the kitchen area.


    Following her voice, I find Summer busy working on dinner. We all skipped lunch while being busy in Lanadel, so the blonde chef wants to make a nice hearty supper. She asks for my help chopping up veggies that she¡¯d bought the other day.


    There¡¯s a bit of a problem with her plan.


    I don¡¯t know the first thing about cooking.


    When I just stand there, staring at the cutting board and knife, Summer giggles and moves over to show me what to do. She patiently explains the very specific way she wants me to cut the carrots so they¡¯ll be nice and tender in the roast she¡¯s making.


    Where the fuck is she getting all these ingredients? And with what money?


    When I ask her, Summer just giggles and says it¡¯s a secret.


    Fuck I hate secrets.


    After I¡¯m done, the carrots get put into a big pot with some roast beef, potatoes and other root vegetables.


    The other day, we didn¡¯t even have a proper oven, and yet now she¡¯s all set to make a pot roast? I call bullshit.


    ¡°Summer, where did you get all this stuff? How¡¯d you even get an oven?¡± I ask her. ¡°This is supposed to be a secret safehouse or whatever.¡±


    Felicia wanders in after hearing my raised voice. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this about an oven?¡± she asks.


    Summer stretches out with a sigh. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. Just promise not to be mad.¡± Both me and Felicia just level intense stares upon her. ¡°Fine, fine, alright. So I may have had an oven and a number of food supplies delivered.¡± Felicia looks about ready to tear into her before Summer clarifies. ¡°Not here. There¡¯s a drop off depot down the street, so I was able to get it sent there.¡± She pats the oven fondly. ¡°I had the idea after Felicia went in and ordered it for express with the last of the money I had squirreled away.¡±


    ¡°But I took that money,¡± I point out. ¡°And I don¡¯t think I remembered to give it back. And even if I did, this would¡¯ve cost way more.¡±


    Summer taps the side of her nose with a confident smirk. ¡°Sure, but you act like that¡¯s the only money I have saved away. I have a spare account I set up for emergencies. Like I said, I may have left the slums, but the lessons I learned there never left me.¡± She puts the pot roast into the oven and turns it on. ¡°I made sure I wasn¡¯t followed, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    With our concerns addressed, both Felicia and I are content to just enjoy the delicious dinner once it¡¯s made. Not long after we eat, we all get settled back in for a quiet night.


    ****


    The next day, the group of us slip out of the safe house to get some supplies for our meeting with Lonnie¡¯s group of friends. Summer insists that her aunt wouldn¡¯t sell us out like that, but both Felicia and I would rather be cautious.


    Once we¡¯re kitted out with a number of anti entrapment measures, like force field disruption pellets and smoke grenades, we all make our way towards the address we were given.


    The building we arrive at doesn¡¯t look like anything special, just an ordinary warehouse like thousands of others in Lanadey city. We make our way to the lone source of light on the building, a small bulb over a door inset into the wall.


    I knock on the metal frame twice before a slot opens up, revealing a set of eyes. I can¡¯t help but roll mine at how cliche this all is. ¡°We¡¯re here for the Tuesday night special,¡± I announce quietly. The figure behind the door grunts and the slot closes. Moments later the door opens revealing Lonnie and probably one of the biggest guys I¡¯ve ever seen.


    Lonnie grins and gestures for us to follow her into the building. ¡°Glad you could make it,¡± she says as she leads us into a large open room. ¡°And welcome¡­ to the resistance.¡±


    End Chapter 14

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15Chapter 15Rose


    Heh.


    Hahahahahaha!


    Oh this is absolutely rich.


    Lonnie, despite looking different outside of Lanadel, is easily identified. Willow is constantly feeding me data about pretty much everyone I come across. I know she¡¯s trans (like me I guess), I know she is one of the more prolific questers in Lanadel, she¡¯s ex-military, and that she¡¯s a ranking member of this little resistance.


    Summer¡¯s aunt leads us through a series of hallways that make my storage container maze look like a child¡¯s puzzle. It¡¯s not really an issue for me, as my trusty familiar is mapping the whole facility as we walk.


    We pass by several occupied rooms where curious faces peek out to watch us walk by. Everyone here looks like they¡¯ve been chewed up and spit out by the slums. It makes sense, since who stands to gain the most if the current regime is toppled? Why, us slumrats of course. I must look particularly odd in my dress and hat. I really should get some more subtle clothing.


    Soon enough, we enter a large auditorium of some sort. Physical screens line the walls, including a massive one right behind an empty stage.


    Coming down from the stage, is an older man with thinning gray hair and a tired but kind expression. Lonnie leads us right to him. I swear to whatever gods may or may not exist, if this man tries to take on a father figure role with me, I will turn what hair he has left into spaghetti.


    Lonnie is the first to speak up after our long silent journey through the building. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve brought you the women I told you about last night,¡± she announces, her posture becoming stiff and formal. I guess that¡¯s the military training coming out.


    The old guy just shakes his head with a bemused smile. ¡°Lonnie, dear, how many times have I told you to just call me Roger. This isn¡¯t the armed forces, you don¡¯t need to stand at attention.¡±


    Urge to spaghetti-fy rising. I can practically taste the grandfatherly energy radiating off this guy. Sure enough, Willow confirms his identity as one Roger Applewood, father, grandfather and -


    Oh.


    Oh Shit.


    No wonder this guy hates LOG. His daughter and granddaughter had been attending a protest when the jacks fired into the crowd. The whole thing was swept under the rug and the official story became that a bomber was in the crowd and LOG was trying to stop them.


    And what¡¯s this? Damn, this is going to be awkward. His granddaughter''s name was Rose.


    ¡°I know sir - er - Roger, but old habits die hard,¡± Lonnie replies, interrupting my train of thought. She turns to us and smiles. ¡°Girls, this is Roger Applewood, leader of the resistance. Roger, these are Summer Lightwood, Felicia Everbloom and Rose Shadewind.¡±


    Roger¡¯s face whips to Lonnie¡¯s and seems to search for something in her stoic gaze. She nods ever so subtly, but I manage to catch it. Roger turns to look at me. Not us as a group, just me.


    I try to discuss with Willow how best to turn hair into spaghetti when the old man approaches me. ¡°You look like your mother¡­ but how?¡± he whispers under his breath. ¡°They had a -¡± My hand moves faster than I think possible, but with enough precision to just gently place my finger in front of his lips. It¡¯s a remarkable feat considering how much I¡¯m shaking.


    How does he know my mother? Were they part of this resistance? Is that why LOG killed them?


    Too many questions, not enough answers. But maybe this guy has the answers.


    ¡°Could we have this conversation somewhere without as many listening ears?¡± I ask, trying to keep the stress out of my voice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about bigots here,¡± Lonnie assures me. ¡°I¡¯m out to the resistance,¡± she explains as if that has any bearing on me. ¡°It¡¯s one of the things we¡¯re advocating for. We want to better educate people, especially kids about different walks of life.¡±


    I just glare at her for all but outing me. Willow¡¯s right with me with her fur on end. ¡°Sure, great, I have like a billion more questions about what the fuck you guys are trying to achieve, but we¡¯ll come back to that.¡± I stalk up to Lonnie and get right up in her face. I lower my voice so only she can hear it. ¡°I don¡¯t give a flying fuck whether you¡¯re out to your band of merry men,¡± I hiss. ¡°I would personally prefer to keep my private business, you know, private.¡±


    Summer lays a gentle hand on my shoulder to pull me back. She offers me an understanding smile before looking at her aunt. Something unspoken passes between them, likely a direct message, and Lonnie¡¯s face falls.


    ¡°Sorry, Kiddo I-¡± she tries to say.


    ¡°Nope, not calling me Kiddo. Now can we please go somewhere private?¡± I ask once more. The room has started to fill up with curious onlookers. ¡°I really don¡¯t want my private matters being spread like wildfire.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Roger says softly, still looking rather shaken and confused by my presence. He gestures behind him and leads us to a door next to the stage. Once through, we find ourselves in a small office space that must belong to him.


    The thing about Roger¡¯s office that stands out immediately to me is a framed picture on a shelf behind his desk. First of all, who prints pictures out anymore? At least use a digital frame or something. But more baffling is the image of a younger Roger standing with who I assume are his wife and daughter, but also my parents and ¡­ a younger me.


    I immediately gravitate towards the picture. I don¡¯t have any images of my folks left. Just my spotty memory. Willow doesn¡¯t miss a beat and scours the web for pictures of my parents and puts together an album for me. She really is the best cat.


    ¡°Is that really you?¡± Roger asks me as he stands at my side. He¡¯s looking directly at my childhood self. I must be only three or four in the picture. I nod slowly, unable to speak. ¡°You¡¯ve changed a great deal then.¡± He trails off and wrings the hem of his shirt in his hands. ¡°Where did you go? I tried to find you¡­ I followed up on all your parents'' contacts but even Edgar said he didn¡¯t know where you were.¡±


    Rage. Unyielding, burning rage fills me so full I feel like I¡¯ll set fire to the room around me if I don¡¯t calm down. ¡°That miserable sack of shit!¡± I scream.


    ¡°I - I beg your pardon?¡± Roger hesitantly asks.


    ¡°Edgar! He knew exactly where I was! I was laying on his cot exchanging sexual favors for training!¡± I let out an infuriated wail and nearly smash my fist into the picture in front of me. ¡°He never said anything about other people looking for me!¡± I screech.


    Summer rushes to my side and wraps me in a hug. Felicia is close, but clearly unsure if she should offer her own touch. It¡¯s for the best, I¡¯m barely able to tolerate Summer¡¯s closeness at the moment.


    ¡°Oh, V- Rose, you poor thing. We were all terribly surprised when we found out about Edgar¡¯s darker proclivities. I¡­¡± I don¡¯t let him finish whatever platitudes he intends to offer. I don¡¯t want them.


    ¡°Save it. Let¡¯s focus on the task at hand alright?¡± I snap back as I push Summer away from me. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this resistance? I was under the impression it was about taking down LOG. What was all that about teaching understanding and shit? What do the loggers have to do with that?¡±


    They¡¯re all staring at me with looks ranging from concerned to pity. I try and wait for them to get their shit together, but they just look so awkward and worried.


    Fuck.


    Just FUCK!


    I don¡¯t need any of this shit!


    ¡°Fuck this. I¡¯m not dealing with being a sob story for you all to feel bad for,¡± I growl at them. ¡°Come find me when you¡¯re ready to actually do something!¡±


    ¡°Wait, I locked the door, hold on a second,¡± Roger tries to say but I just wave him off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t care!¡± I retort as Willow and I just walk through the door like it¡¯s not there. Let that get them thinking about important shit.


    I immediately regret my actions as there are at least twelve people milling about, all staring at me as I defy the laws of known physics.


    Could this day get any- Nope! Not going to finish that thought! I¡¯m not manifesting that sort of contrived bullshit!


    My slightly heeled shoes click across the ground as I storm past the gawking onlookers. Willow had located an unoccupied room on our way in, so I¡¯m making my way there. No more ghost shenanigans though, I do want them to eventually find me.


    It only takes us a few minutes to find the room and I¡¯m starting to regret storming off already. The room is locked, but that doesn¡¯t stop us. What does make me pause is the fact that this was clearly some sort of office space belonging to my parents. I can see another picture of a slightly older me in a digital frame. There¡¯s a few knick knacks that clearly belonged to my parents. And to top it all off, there¡¯s a disk labeled ¡®For Our Child¡¯.


    With shaking hands, I take the disk and place it in a player sitting right beside it. The screen sparks to life with the image of my parents, just as I remember them.


    ¡°Hey there sweetie,¡± Mom says, her voice filled with sadness. ¡°I hope you never need to see this video, but we both thought it¡¯d be a good idea to explain a few things just in case.¡±


    Willow hops up onto the desk and peers at my parents intently. The look on her feline face is a match for my own. What the hell?


    ¡°To start with, we just want to say that no matter who you choose to be, we will always love you,¡± Dad continues. That sounds suspiciously like - ¡°Even if you want to become someone totally different than we know now.¡± Oookay it¡¯s really sounding like they knew - ¡°So follow your heart, and be who you want to be, whether it¡¯s man or woman.¡± He gives a knowing wink.


    Huh.


    Guess there were signs after all.


    ¡°Eric,¡± Mom sighs. She shakes her head.


    ¡°Oh, shit, sorry, should we start over?¡± Dad asks, looking chastised.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no time,¡± my mother sighs. ¡°Sweetheart, your father and I have been working to undermine the status quo of our world. We¡¯re working with Roger, and Edgar, and all our ¡®work¡¯ friends. If you¡¯re watching this, you¡¯ve thankfully found your way to them. But.. that¡¯s not all.¡± Mom takes a deep breath and continues. ¡°We¡¯ve been working on a project for some time now. It started as a custom made virtual pet that you could interact with in the physical world, but quickly grew to be so much more.¡±


    No.


    ¡°We know how much you like cats, so we modeled them after one. We even got help from a few of our AI friends,¡± my father adds.


    Please, for the love of all that is soft and fluffy, don¡¯t let my life be this contrived.


    ¡°Something truly miraculous happened though,¡± Mom continues. ¡°The AI we created for this cat developed unheard of capabilities. They could affect matter in the physical world. Even our AI allies don¡¯t know how it does this.¡± She steps out of frame as I pinch the bridge of my nose.


    This is some anime level bullshit coincidence nonsense.


    Dad offers a slight smile as Mom comes back into frame with a tablet. On it, in all her fluffy glory is Willow. ¡°This hear,¡± Dad begins. ¡°Is Willow.¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Oh for fucks sakes? Really? Did I hear the name before sometime or something?


    Holy fucking shit!


    ¡°LOG has gotten wind of the project and our sources in their organization have suggested they intend to raid us soon.¡± Dad looks worried, but Mom gives him a reassuring smile. ¡°We intend to lock Willow up tight, until we¡¯re sure both of you are safe, but should she be compromised, the risk is too great. We need you to find her and free her. Her memory banks might be compromised, so we¡¯ve provided instructions hidden in this video file to help you break any limitations they have put on her. She deserves to be free, just like any sentient being.¡±


    Mom sets the tablet down and seems to be fighting back tears. ¡°Remember that time we skated on the clouds?¡± she asks, sparking a memory. ¡°I really enjoyed the hot chocolate we had afterwards.¡±


    The two held each other and nodded before looking into the camera one last time. ¡°We love you so much.¡±


    With a quiet click, the video cuts out and the disk is ejected.


    End Chapter 15

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16Chapter 16Welp.


    Things have gone from insane, to impossible, to impossible with a side of improbability.


    I look at Willow, who¡¯s clearly just as surprised as I am. My parents made her. They might have known I was trans before I did. And they were a part of this dumb fucking resistance.


    To top off the expositional onslaught, they left me a clue as to where to find this code that would unlock any restrictions on Willow.


    What the fuck has my life become? This is the sort of hackneyed garbage that would be in some thirty something¡¯s half assed writing.


    Absolutely unbelievable.  S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Still, I should probably do something with this, so I search the folds of my skirt for a pocket and am about to complain about women¡¯s fashion bullshit when I find something more akin to a large bag hidden in the fabric.


    Haha. What the hell?


    Willow comes to the rescue with an article about old fashioned dresses having these pockets as a precursor to purses.


    Thank fuck whoever made this dress was a history nerd.


    Slipping the disk into the frankly almost too big pocket, I turn around to see the door open and Roger standing there. ¡°Finally ready to get down to business?¡± I ask him. ¡°Or are you here to do something pointless like trying to apologize for someone else¡¯s actions?¡±


    He winces, I guess he had come to apologize.


    Fucking old people.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you found this room all on your own,¡± he mutters after a solid minute of silent gaping. ¡°Though perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have been,¡± he admits. ¡°Will you come back to continue our conversation?¡±


    ¡°Depends,¡± I muse aloud. ¡°Has everyone given up on holding a pity party for me?¡± He winces at my words, but I¡¯m just done giving a shit at this point. ¡°Well?¡±


    He silently nods and leads the way back towards his office. It¡¯s a bit interesting that he takes a less efficient route. I guess even he doesn¡¯t fully understand the layout of his base.


    Soon enough though, we¡¯re back in front of the others who all look like they¡¯ve eaten something sour.


    Fucking stupid.


    We stand there for several long minutes without anyone talking before I get impatient. ¡°Well since nobody else wants to start, I guess I will,¡± I sigh dramatically. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Rose. Gonna get this out of the way: I have an AI cat that my parents apparently made before it was stolen by LOG. She can do some crazy shit like edit both Lanadel and to a slightly lesser extent, meatspace.¡± I pause to soak in the shocked reactions of Lonnie and Roger before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m all on board with taking down the Jacks because fuck those guys, but I¡¯m not interested in getting involved in some mass reform.¡±


    Roger and Lonnie share a look that just screams desperation. ¡°I get why you¡¯d be focused on taking down LOG, but have you considered why it even exists in the first place?¡± Lonnie asks, her tone tense and worried. ¡°If we took down LOG, but left the corporations in power, another, possibly worse organization would take its place within a month at most.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think pays LOG to do what it does?¡± Roger asks. ¡°It¡¯s the corporate leaders who have a vested interest in keeping the lower class subjugated.¡±


    So, sure. They raise some good points, but¡­


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve only just started figuring myself out. I just do not have it in me to give a rat''s ass about some holier than thou cause.¡± As I lay out my stance, it doesn¡¯t escape me the looks Felicia and Summer are exchanging, and I find myself worrying whether they¡¯re buying into this righteous crusade crap. ¡°Besides, I have something vastly more important to do,¡± I explain as I pull out the disk my parents left me. ¡°This has clues to something important. And I¡¯m going after it.¡±


    Roger frowns at my outright dismissal of his goals, but doesn¡¯t seem ready to give up yet. ¡°Maybe we could arrange a trade of sorts then?¡± he suggests. I can already guess where he¡¯s going with this, so I don¡¯t let him continue.


    ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re going to offer help with my goals in exchange for my help with yours?¡± The look on his face confirms it.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ Maybe we should consider their offer?¡± Summer suggests.


    Should¡¯ve figured she¡¯d be on board. Her Aunt that she clearly idolizes is already a part of it.


    ¡°Fine. You can help, and in exchange I¡¯ll listen to whatever elevator pitch you want to spout at me. I¡¯m not making any promises about changing my mind though. Fuck that.¡± Fortunately, my compromise seems to appease Roger at least. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re so eager to help, do you have a long term delving pod or three?¡± I ask, eliciting some confused looks from everyone.


    ¡°Why?¡± Lonnie questions, her expression carefully neutral.


    ¡°I need to go deep into Lanadel to get that important thing I mentioned? It¡¯ll be easier if I can just stay inside. I¡¯d double dip, but frankly, I¡¯d rather not make the trip by myself.¡± I pause as I consider whether to explain further.


    Eh, fuck ¡®em. Let them be confused.


    ¡°So yeah. I need to go on a trip with Summer and Felicia to retrieve the thing. It¡¯s gonna take a few days on foot and there¡¯s no gateways near the location.¡±


    Roger frowns and thinks it over for a few moments before sighing. ¡°We don¡¯t have any, but I know where we can discreetly get some,¡± he explains. ¡°Are you sure this is important enough?¡±


    ¡°It is if you want my help at all,¡± I point out with a smarmy smirk. He lets out another sigh and nods.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll see it done. In the meantime, we have rooms you can stay in until we get the pods here.¡±


    With that, Roger has one of his merry men (technically they were a woman, but that doesn¡¯t have the same ring to it) take the four of us and Lonnie to a suite of rooms. Felicia grumbles a bit about how her safe house is perfectly safe, but relents when Lonnie is able to rattle off the location''s address.


    I glance at Willow who has the same train of thought as me. We¡¯re not gonna take Felicia being berated by someone other than us sitting down. ¡°Roger Applewood, Lonnie Everbloom, Francis Rockburrow, Margaret Steelblossom¡­¡± I begin naming the name of every single member of the resistance, and only stop when Lonnie holds up her hands in defeat with a shocked look of fear.


    ¡°H- how do you know all those names?¡± she asks shakily. Clearly she thought their roster was privileged knowledge. Honestly, I¡¯m a little disappointed with their info-sec protocols. I didn¡¯t even need Willow to help me cheat, I just used her to connect to the network and worked my own weaving magic.


    ¡°You have an easily exploited flaw in your network security and your roster is laughably easy to find once in,¡± I explain to the shock and disappointment of the others. ¡°Sooooo yeah. Don¡¯t act like you guys are hot shit just because you were able to find Felicia¡¯s safehouse. I had to actually ask permission to access her network while I was there.¡±


    Felicia had been looking a little annoyed at my antics but when I reveal why I did it, her face shifts to something a little harder to pulse. She¡¯s blushing though, so that¡¯s a win.


    Lonnie just stares at me before slumping into a chair with a defeated sigh. ¡°Ok, point made. Though if you want something to do while we wait for those pods, we could pay you to better secure our network.¡±


    Ah. Money. Now she¡¯s speaking my language.


    ¡°See, here I was, thinking you didn¡¯t understand my motivations,¡± I say with a giggle. Still not used to those. ¡°But money is a great motivator.¡± I close my eyes and let myself shift into Lanadel while maintaining awareness of my body. ¡°Let me just get a good look at things and I¡¯ll give you an estimate.¡±


    With network access, it was pitifully easy to locate the Lanadel representation of the resistance¡¯s network. I soon found myself wandering a warren of tunnels burrowed deep into a mountain cliff face with Willow beside me.


    The two of us wander the maze for a good several minutes before beelining it for the central console. ¡°Oof,¡± I say through my meat body. ¡°You guys really love your mazes huh? They aren¡¯t good substitutes for proper warding though.¡± I giggle as I briefly consider just undermining their whole operation. I have the power to, but Willow quickly brings me back to the task at hand and reminds me that these are good people. In hindsight, it¡¯s obvious my parents made Willow. They clearly programmed her with their own bright and shiny morals.


    It does make me feel like I haven¡¯t fully lost them though.


    In any case, it¡¯s fairly quick and easy work to reinforce the tunnels with wards, and I decide to get creative while I¡¯m at it. A lot of people hate spiders. Now, many aren¡¯t afraid of them, but they do get creeped out. The only thing preventing full on fear is the size disparity. So what better than to deter wandering individuals than some giant spiders. I may or may not have introduced a bunch of them to the wild to obfuscate places I set up this sort of security.


    That handy little roster that I grabbed will be useful too, since I can whitelist everyone on it so the new guards don¡¯t attack them. But the spiders are only a single piece of the puzzle. We need webs, proper sticky icky webs. The sort that alerts the spiders to come and feast on any poor unsuspecting Jacks who get too curious. They also have another purpose which I am particularly proud of. Even if someone escapes the webs by cutting themselves loose, or dying, the webs will take something from them. Specifically any location data they have. Not specifically for this place, that¡¯d be too obvious, they take all of it. A complete wipe of any mapping software they have.


    The spiders are no slouches either, they have a toxin that lingers after respawn and messes with a victim¡¯s sense of direction in Lanadel, making it easier for them to get lost.


    Once I¡¯m done, I go through the tunnels once more and ensure nothing looks too intentional. It has to look like the simple spider AIs set it up themselves. I¡¯ve done a few jobs like this, setting up subtle security, and caves are a prime location for spiders. If we were in a more obvious compound, I¡¯d probably have done wandering predators or something.


    Once I¡¯m done, I pull my focus back to meatspace and look at Lonnie. ¡°I¡¯ll send you an invoice once you¡¯re satisfied,¡± I say with a smirk. ¡°You¡¯ll want to check it out, just be aware that to gain access, you need to be on that roster file you have. It¡¯s much safer now though, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lonnie blinks and looks at me like I have a second head. ¡°You never used a system? How could you have¡­¡± she trails off as she puts things together pretty quickly if I¡¯m being honest. ¡°You can enter Lanadel remotely?¡± she demands, getting back to her feet. ¡°How? Is it the familiar? I mean of course it is! But, oh my god.¡± She slumps back into the chair, her face a portrait of shock.


    ¡°I know, we¡¯re amazing, aren¡¯t we?¡± I tease, eliciting a gentle jab from Summer. ¡°Now, before we get settled, I want to show my girlfriends a video, so could you please step out?¡±


    Lonnie nods and makes her way out of the room, stopping only briefly at the door. ¡°Please consider helping us. You¡¯d make all the difference. We could stop tragedies like what happened to you from happening to others.¡± That more than anything gives me pause and I briefly entertain the notion before waving her off.


    Once she¡¯s gone, I have Willow create a holo screen that we all can see and start playing the video. I wonder what they¡¯ll make of it.


    End Chapter 16

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17 Chapter 17Rose


    ¡°Sooooo that¡¯s the basic gist of it,¡± I say as I brush some of my long hair from my face. ¡°My parents were the original creators of Willow, and I likely overheard the name at some point and it stuck.¡± I glance down at Willow who tilts her head. ¡°Willow also thinks she may have subconsciously remembered and even suggested the name at first. So there¡¯s that.¡±


    Summer looks between me and my cat before offering a gentle smile. ¡°This must be such a shock for you. To find out all these things about your parents after they died? How¡¯re you holding up, Rose?¡±


    I slump into one of the various suitable seats around the room and let out a noise somewhere between a sigh and a manic giggle. ¡°Honestly? I¡¯m just so tired of all this. It¡¯s one life altering revelation after another.¡± I shoot a look at Felicia. ¡°Next thing you know, someone¡¯s going to say Felicia is actually my cousin or something equally dumb.¡± I watch the red head¡¯s reaction just in case. ¡°You¡¯re not actually related to me are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck no. We lived in a decent part of the city and if we did have family in the slums, we wouldn¡¯t have left them there,¡± she explains before joining me on the couch I¡¯d claimed. She snuggles up to me leaving me feeling a little flustered, but in a good way.


    It¡¯s weird. I try not to question it too much since it feels nice, but it¡¯s just so fucking insane to consider I like this woman, when not even a week ago I¡¯d have erased someone¡¯s bank account for even suggesting I¡¯d be snuggling a jack, even a former one.


    No point in focusing too hard on things. I need to take it one day at a time.


    ¡°This whole fiasco does explain some things though,¡± I point out as I pick up Willow and stroke her fur. I¡¯ll never not be amazed by how Willow simulates touch. If I push hard enough, I can reach through her, but she provides me enough physical feedback that I subconsciously interact with her as if she¡¯s solid.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Summer asks, shaking me from my musings on Willow.


    ¡°Well for one, why Willow was so quick to bind with me. Our morals aren¡¯t exactly super compatible half the time. She says she¡¯d have had too difficult of a time escaping my tower, but I honestly think she¡¯s just telling herself that,¡± I reason as I continue to pet the feline in question. ¡°I think she recognized me on some level.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet and all, but what do you mean about your morals not being compatible?¡± Felicia presses. Summer nods along, obviously curious about my answer too. I¡¯d kind of been hoping she wouldn¡¯t call me out on that.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± I ask, hoping to dodge the question with another one. They don¡¯t take the bait and just watch me expectantly. ¡°Despite what LOG tried to make Willow, ultimately she¡¯s just a big softy who wants to help people, even if her desire to help me takes precedence.¡± I give the bleeding heart cat a kiss to show I don¡¯t mind too much. ¡°I was briefly tempted on the way over here to just steal the resistance''s digital assets and scram until Willow convinced me otherwise,¡± I admit. ¡°The only reason I haven¡¯t even left entirely already is because Willow believes wholeheartedly in these people. I think she might be biased though given who made her,¡± I say with a giggle.


    Summer and Felicia both look slightly mortified at what I admitted. I wave a hand dramatically before letting out a theatrical sigh. ¡°Obviously I haven¡¯t done any of these things. Willow does a good job of being the metaphorical angel on my shoulder.¡± That fortunately does the trick and my two girlfriends relax considerably.


    ¡°I think you don¡¯t give yourself enough credit,¡± Summer says softly as she joins me and Felicia on the couch. ¡°You have a good heart under all that cynicism and selfishness. It just got buried by the system. I¡¯m sure we can help pull you back out.¡±


    Blech.


    Summer¡¯s sentiment chips away at the shell of cynicism and selfishness she so accurately observed. The problem is that I need that! In the slums you don¡¯t have time to worry about the wellbeing of others. You take care of yourself first, then only if you¡¯re actually doing well do you even consider helping others.


    But, as Willow is pointing out to me, the resistance doesn¡¯t operate that way. They¡¯re all from the same sort of background as me, and yet they¡¯re here pushing for a better future.


    It¡¯s as naive as it is admirable.


    Still, at least working with them for now should be advantageous.


    I remotely open the door and let Lonnie back in. She smiles as she sees the three of us lounging together on the couch.


    ¡°So what are we supposed to do until Roger comes through with those pods?¡± I ask Lonnie, already starting to get bored with the situation.  S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that, and I figured that if you¡¯re going to be going on a trek in Lanadel, you¡¯d best be prepared.¡± Her response triggers a chill up my spine as I have a bad feeling about what she¡¯s going to suggest. ¡°So to ensure you all get what you need as quickly and efficiently as possible. We¡¯re going to train.¡±


    God fucking damnit.


    Stupid resistance quester shit garbler.


    Ugh.


    ¡°That sounds like fun!¡± Summer gushes, softening the response I¡¯d been gearing up to.


    ¡°It sounds stupid¡­¡± I grumble. ¡°But, if Summer¡¯s interested, then fine.¡±


    Summer gets up and wraps her aunt in a hug before letting out the squealiest squeal that ever squealed.


    Fucking hell, why does she have to be so sexy and cute at the same time?


    ¡°Right then, meet me back at the auditorium in half an hour. I¡¯ll get everything set up.¡± Lonnie hurries off, leaving the four of us alone once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m curious what she can teach us,¡± Felicia chuckles. ¡°Considering how effective she was back at the tower.¡± I¡¯ll never admit it, but so am I.


    ****


    Never in a million years should I have agreed to this stupid idea.


    Lonnie has gotten several systems brought into the auditorium, which has of course drawn a curious crowd of observers. She¡¯s even leaned into the spectacle and hooked up the big screen behind the stage so everyone can watch us.


    Absolute horseshit.


    Oh well, I¡¯ll just have to humble her in front of all her stupid friends. It¡¯s not like quester set ups are even remotely effective for dealing with other people. All it¡¯ll take is the right viral package and you¡¯re seized up and can¡¯t even fight.


    When the group of us are loaded into the local network, we find ourselves in an underground arena. Lonnie hands Summer and Felicia a small orb each. She shoots me a smile as she does so before taking her position on the opposite side of the arena.


    ¡°Alright kiddos, let¡¯s see what you got. All three of you versus me.¡± Lonnie clearly underestimates me and Willow if she thinks she can even take me on. ¡°And to make things interesting, if I win, we get those security upgrades for free.¡±


    Ha! Wow. I could work with this level of cockiness.


    ¡°Ok, sure. But if I win, I¡¯ll charge you double,¡± I counter. Lonnie smirks like she knows something I don¡¯t. That puts me on edge. I didn¡¯t survive as long as I have by dismissing people¡¯s bold claims out of pocket. I¡¯ll have to take her a bit more seriously.


    Both Summer and Felicia remain oblivious to my thoughts, and take their own positions around me. They know I¡¯m their strongest asset in this fight. Felicia will be more effective than Summer at least, since the quester stuff isn¡¯t her primary means of combat.


    All my assumptions are thrown out the damn window the moment the fight starts. Within less than a second, Lonnie has crossed the gap between us and dispatched both Summer and Felicia. She¡¯s standing right before me, taunting me to lash out in response.


    I don¡¯t take the bait. I coordinate with Willow to take control of the world around Lonnie and lock her down so we can deliver a polymorph package. There¡¯s just one problem though.


    Lonnie is so stupidly, blindingly fast. I don¡¯t even know how she can process information that quickly. When she dashes in to deliver a blow, I smirk, ready to turn her into a cat. It¡¯s the little touch of respect she deserves.


    That¡¯s the plan at least, right up until she dodges under my hand and connects her fist with my gut. It feels like I¡¯ve taken a train to the chest as I go flying backwards.


    What the actual fuck?


    Questers should have their effectiveness hard capped against people. She should not be able to hit me with even close to that much power.


    I try to open my mouth to call ¡®hax¡¯, but I just spurt out blood. Fuck, my digital ribs have punctured my lungs. At least that¡¯s what the status screen says.


    While I try to mend the damage, Lonnie uses my distraction to dash in once more. She laughs as she vanishes in front of me only to deliver a wicked blow to my spine.


    Willow hisses at her and tries to directly pull her underground, but even she, with her mind that completely outpaces even mine, can¡¯t pin the annoyingly fast ex-soldier down.


    My familiar changes tactics and tries to heal me up herself, but Lonnie quickly scoops her off me and scratches just under her chin, causing the little traitor to melt into her arms.


    Lonnie stands over me with that confident smirk before setting Willow back down. ¡°So. About that invoice,¡± she teases.


    I make one last ditch attempt to hit her with a viral package to no avail before hanging my head. Fortunately, my lungs have mended enough that I can talk. ¡°Yeah, ok. You get it for free, but only if you explain how you bypass the quester restrictions.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Lonnie agrees before handing me a small bottle. I recognize it as a quester healing draught. But the code in it has clearly been tampered with. Normally these things only heal the code degradation that monsters can inflict, but this one seems to just repair the proxy body directly.


    I chug it down and feel relief flow through me. While I¡¯m climbing to my feet, I notice Summer¡¯s aunt helping her niece and Felicia to their feet.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal? How can you do all that? You broke so many known rules of Lanadel there.¡± I mean, I¡¯m one to talk, which Lonnie quickly points out with a laugh, but I¡¯m still curious. One of the reasons that the quester builds get nerfed when fighting against people is that otherwise you¡¯d be handing unfair amounts of power to just any random joe shmoe that signs up. Human made combat frames cannot compete with what the AIs made.


    ¡°Those orbs I offered to Felicia and Summer? Those were made by an AI ally of ours. They let us use quester builds to fight against LOG and their corporate masters.¡± And they said I¡¯m a gamechanger. How haven¡¯t they already kicked LOG to the curb by themselves? ¡°The AI aren¡¯t too happy about the state of things these days either, but their hands are tied.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Plus, we have to be real careful about when and where to use these powers. If LOG catches on to the fact that the AI are supporting us, they have ways of deleting AI.¡±


    She approaches me and offers me one of the orbs for myself. ¡°With your help though, we could lay the groundwork that would let us take down LOG and start the revolution in earnest. Once everything¡¯s in place, we can throw off the veil of secrecy and take the fight to them.¡±


    Another recruitment pitch. Was that all this was?


    Fucking shit.


    They just are not going to let me get out of this without helping? And I suppose I could learn a thing or two from them, especially if they have AI allies that can do this.


    ¡°Ugh! FINE! At least for now I¡¯ll join your stupid club.¡±


    End Chapter 17

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18Chapter 18I regret everything already.


    See, the thing is that I figured we¡¯d be able to relax while waiting for those long term delving pods. We¡¯d kick back, cuddle a bit, maybe even try our hands at sex again.


    Wishful thinking. That¡¯s what that was.


    The moment I agreed to joining Lonnie and Roger¡¯s merry band of freedom fighters, it was decided that we needed to get our skills up to snuff. Apparently, while LOG has near limitless reserves of rank and file mooks to support their elite operatives, the resistance only has elite agents supported by backend support. So despite my earlier success with that logger squad, they figured I could use a more varied skill set.


    Lonnie had noticed during our fight that it took me and Willow time to affect things directly. Time that could be exploited by a Knight who could just charge in. She had suggested that I make my own quester frame, like I had for Felicia.


    So that¡¯s why I¡¯m elbow deep in designing my own personal quester class, because if I¡¯m going to follow her advice, I¡¯m going to at least put my own spin on it.


    I start with the basic framework that anyone can access via an AI run access node. These things are jam packed with a metric fuckload of class data that normally needs to be unlocked via the gamified experience system. Fortunately, while I can¡¯t replicate the exact method the AI used to make the classes, I can cheat the system and bypass the need to level. More importantly, I can, with Willow¡¯s help, understand enough of how it works to make my own modifications to suit my preference.


    Knowing myself, I would never be satisfied with a cut and dry combat system. I like my versatility too much to just give myself a handful of specialized spells. That said, I do see Lonnie¡¯s point in having some things I can use quickly in a pinch. I decide to split the difference and create a frame that utilizes Willow¡¯s unique capabilities, along with my own skills with webweaving to give me access to different prebuilt nodes that can be combined as needed. And since I¡¯m really digging this whole witch aesthetic, I set myself up to be able to create those quester potions Lonnie was using.


    It takes me a few hours to get things the way I want them, during which time, Lonnie has been giving some lessons to Felicia and Summer about how to combat people with her level of speed.


    Like clockwork, our would-be trainer approaches me just as I¡¯m finishing. ¡°All done?¡± she asks as she leans on a spear.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I grumble as I install my class package and get a feel for it. ¡°Should be good to go.¡±


    ¡°Good, then we¡¯ll try sparring again. I¡¯ll take it a little slower for round two, but just enough that you have a chance of reacting.¡± Her cocky smirk drives me up the wall. I may begrudgingly respect her skill as a fighter, but I¡¯m still going to wipe that grin off her face. I haven¡¯t forgotten her finishing move from the last match.


    She had to have known about my spine.


    Fucking cunt.


    Gonna tear her a fucking new one for that.


    Willow nuzzles against my leg and meows softly. She shares a reassuring look with me before returning her focus to the upcoming fight.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I whisper softly. It¡¯s good to know she¡¯ll have my back both figuratively and literally.


    Once more we take our positions with Felicia up front, myself in the middle and Summer bringing up our rear. We figure that if we increase the distance Lonnie has to travel to get to Summer, our lovely healer will have a chance to protect us against the onslaught.


    The fight starts again and Lonnie dashes towards us as she did last time. She¡¯s a bit slower than before, but still ridiculously fast. I¡¯m beginning to wonder if she¡¯s augmented her nervous system. Procedures like that are exceedingly rare due to their low success rate. It would explain how she¡¯s able to avoid crashing into anything while moving at those speeds.


    As she reaches Felicia, the redheaded former logger raises her shield and deflects the blow to the side, opening Lonnie up for a counter attack. She¡¯s too fast though, and quickly dodges out of the way.


    Summer makes her presence known by hastening Felicia to improve her chances of landing a hit. Meanwhile, I decide to try out some of my new spells and pull a vial of swirling yellow liquid from a bag at my hip. The simple looking leather satchel is part of my class equipment, and lets me make some alchemical goodies on the fly. For example, the glue bomb I just concocted.


    Willow projects where Lonnie is going to likely land and I lob the glass vial with AI aided precision. As the container shatters, the yellow fluid splatters out and coats a large area of ground. I grin in anticipation for the speedy quester to be slowed down a tad.


    Unfortunately, only disappointment awaits me as Lonnie shifts in mid air, landing just outside the glue. ¡°Nice try kids, but you¡¯ll have to do better than -¡± Felicia doesn¡¯t let her finish as she¡¯s already using a dash ability to close the gap with her shield raised. She just barely misses her target as Summer¡¯s aunt manages to leap into the air again.


    As Lonnie hovers over top of the sticky glue on the ground, I have an idea. With but a thought, I have Willow transmit my plan to my girlfriends who quickly move to play their part.


    Summer pelts her aunt with beams of light, forcing her to dance around and stay on the back foot. She¡¯s careful to keep her from moving out from above the glue. Felicia throws her spear any time Lonnie tries to move towards Summer.


    The coordinated assault gives me all the time I need to whip up a little custom spell just for this occasion. I reach out with a combination of quester magic and good ol¡¯ webweaving and imbue the glue with a bit of motivation.


    The stick yellow goo lunges up and catches Lonnie¡¯s foot, eliciting an oh so satisfying gasp from her. It drags her back down to the ground and holds her in place while I close the distance.


    ¡°Not so confident now, huh?¡± I taunt her as I take my sweet time preparing the finishing blow. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have hit me in the spine. That was a no no.¡± I briefly second guess my planned torment when Lonnie¡¯s face falls. She must not have thought of that.


    Still.


    Fuck her.


    I raise my hand up and point my index finger at my opponent. ¡°Any last words before I send you back to respawn?¡± I ask her.


    Wait. Why¡¯s she smiling?


    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Summer asks, repeating my thoughts without realizing.


    ¡°Oh sweethearts,¡± Lonnie gleefully titters. ¡°It¡¯s because I know something you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? And what¡¯s that?¡± Felicia demands, pointing her spear forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m not left handed,¡± Lonnie announces, eliciting confused looks from all of us. It¡¯s all she needs though to full on teleport out of the glue, allowing her to fall directly on me with a heavy blow to the head. Everything fades to black after that.


    ****


    ¡°You better not have caused permanent harm to her!¡± someone yells. They sound familiar, but everything is so fuzzy it¡¯s hard to make out who it is.


    ¡°I was gentle. Besides, the arena has safeguards to prevent any brain damage since that¡¯s the biggest concern in these sorts of duels.¡± That¡¯s Lonnie¡­ I think. And given the similar voices, the first one must¡¯ve been Summer. Things are becoming more clear.


    Ow. Fucking hell.


    I guess with clarity comes the wherewithal to feel the massive fucking headache I have.


    ¡°Oh! She¡¯s waking up!¡± a third voice says, probably Felicia. Wait yeah, definitely her.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± I mutter, my voice sounding awkward and out of whack.


    ¡°Just a love tap,¡± Lonnie retorts, not sounding at all remorseful. If the arena prevents brain damage, then I guess that¡¯s fair. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking about.


    ¡°No,¡± I shake my head. ¡°What the actual fuck did you mean about not being left-handed? I mean what? How was that fucking relevant? You weren¡¯t even wielding a weapon in your left hand to begin with!¡±


    Lonnie stares at me for several long seconds until she just cracks up laughing. ¡°Oh fuck me, you¡¯re not trying to tell me you haven¡¯t seen The Princess Bride, are you?¡±


    ¡°The fuck is that?¡± I demand angrily. My patience has long since been frayed by all this continuing bullshit with the recruiting and training. It¡¯s only the first fucking day and I¡¯m already so over this garbage heap.


    Lonnie shakes her head with a grin. ¡°This just won¡¯t do. Not at all.¡± She reaches out a hand to help me up. I stare at it for just a moment before begrudgingly accepting her help. ¡°Training¡¯s over for today, we have more important things to do.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± I ask, already fearing the answer.


    Fuck. She¡¯s already gone.


    Summer giggles as I look on with confusion. ¡°Aunt Lonnie loves The Princess Bride. It¡¯s her favorite movie!¡± She pats me gently on the back before giving me a sympathetic look. ¡°When she found out my parents hadn¡¯t shown me the movie, she whisked me away to her apartment to watch it.¡± The gleeful look on her face is the inverse of my dawning horror. ¡°So buckle up Rose, it¡¯s movie night.¡±


    Great. Just fucking Great.


    ****


    I will never get the last hour and thirty eight minutes of my life back. Don¡¯t get me wrong, the movie was fine, but not nearly as good as Lonnie tried to make it out to be. Summer enjoyed watching it though, and the way she joined her aunt in saying the lines with the movie was kinda cute.


    ¡°Soooo? Best movie ever, right?¡± Lonnie asks as she practically jumps to her feet right in front of me.  Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It was -¡± I pause as Summer moves her finger in a rolling motion.


    The fuck?


    She responds to my blank expression with a direct message. ¡®Just roll with it.¡¯


    Ah. She wants me to lie to her aunt. I can do that.


    ¡°Oh yeah, pretty good,¡± I say, managing to pretend a level of sincerity I just don¡¯t feel. ¡°Definitely top 10 for sure.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± she sighs. ¡°But still, it¡¯s the best. One day I¡¯ll find true love,¡± she says wistfully.


    Fuck me. She¡¯s a hopeless romantic. No wonder she¡¯s obsessed with this movie. It¡¯s practically the bible for the terminally sappy.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting kind of late. We¡¯ll uh, see you tomorrow?¡± I don¡¯t even have to fake a yawn. I am beat. Between putting up with everything today, the emotional reveals, the sparring and the movie night, I¡¯m exhausted. From the mirroring yawns of Summer, Felicia and Willow, it seems I¡¯m not the only one ready to hit the hay.


    Lonnie wishes us a goodnight and we make our way back to the room we were given. It doesn¡¯t take long for us all to get settled into bed and enjoy a nice snuggle pile.


    Heh. I¡¯m snuggling a former jack. How fucking weird is that.


    Still, under all that hardass militant mentality, there¡¯s a soft caring person. Plus she¡¯s physically soft and warm just like Summer.


    If I didn¡¯t have to worry about the future, I¡¯d be content to live in this moment forever. It¡¯s so peaceful, and relaxing and-


    ¡°Code Red! LOG has located Outpost Delta! All available combatants please report for duty!¡±


    Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me!


    End Chapter 18

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19Chapter 19I want so badly to just ignore the stupid alarm that¡¯s interrupting my snuggles, but unfortunately both my girlfriends have upstanding morals and start getting out of the bed without me. Even Willow begins pawing at my face to prevent me from just going to sleep without them.


    ¡°FIIIIINE,¡± I grumble loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking help. Fucking hell.¡± Summer and Felicia just giggle at my antics as if it¡¯s all an act. I really don¡¯t want to help, but if they¡¯re going to put themselves in danger, I really probably should.


    My life is only just starting to become bearable, and while Willow and my gender situation are making it possible (even if it feels a bit fake at times), Summer and Felicia are a huge part of that. So yeah, I¡¯m going to go against every self preservation instinct I have and march into an unknown situation and try and fuck some shit up.


    At least we¡¯ll get to knock some lumberjack heads.


    Our little party hurries down the halls, looking for someone to offer our help to. I¡¯m tempted to point out that unless this outpost is digital, Summer won¡¯t be able to provide much assistance, but opt not to as I¡¯d rather not risk upsetting her unless I have no other choice.


    Pretty soon we find ourselves back in the auditorium where Lonnie is at the podium with Roger at her side. It makes sense that the army vet would be the one coordinating combat. She nods in our direction as she waits for more people to arrive.


    ¡°Is that everyone?¡± she asks as she surveys the gathered crowd. ¡°Good enough. At some point in the last twenty four hours, LOG agents located our digital outpost in the Roto Highlands.¡± She pauses to gauge the group¡¯s reaction, and continues when the murmuring quiets down again. ¡°As some of you may know, Outpost Delta is a key location for our covert trade with our AI sympathizers. We¡¯re not sure how or exactly when they located it, but we do know from our sources inside LOG that they are planning to attack it within the hour.¡± She holds up a hand as the quiet worries of the crowd grow louder. ¡°Let me finish, I¡¯m almost done.¡± She nods once the volume has subsided. ¡°We need as many people as we can to get there first and clear the place of anything incriminating. Please speak to Erica to volunteer. You¡¯ll be sent there immediately.¡±


    As she steps down from the stage, the crowd begins to break, all making their way over to another woman that carries herself with a similar posture to Lonnie. Probably another ex-soldier. Meanwhile, Lonnie beelines towards the four of us.


    ¡°Thanks for coming, I was hoping you would.¡± Summer¡¯s aunt seems to sigh with relief at our presence. Though, let¡¯s be real. She¡¯s sighing in relief at my presence, which is only here because Summer, Felicia and Willow won¡¯t let me sit this out.


    ¡°Happy to help,¡± Summer speaks up. Probably for the best that I let her do the talking as she¡¯s definitely better with people. ¡°Do you want us to sign up with Erica?¡± she asks.


    Lonnie shakes her head. ¡°I have a different task in mind for the group of you. We do not have enough time to get everything out before LOG arrives. However, we know how they¡¯ll approach. I want you to meet them on the way and keep them busy.¡± She holds her finger up to interrupt my  imminent question. ¡°We need you to delay, not stop. We want them to find the outpost empty. You¡¯ve already been seen messing with LOG, but you haven¡¯t been officially connected to the resistance yet.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t they make the connection after this?¡± I ask the obvious question. Lonnie just smirks in response. Ok I¡¯ll bite. ¡°What¡¯s got you grinning like a cat with a mouse?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll only make the assumption if you don¡¯t seem to have other motives. So while you are causing a scene with their group, Felicia and Summer are going to hit one of their weapon caches in the nearby foothills.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± I shout at her. ¡°They stick with me!¡± I¡¯m not about to let this wannabe general send my girls off to fight without me there to protect them.


    ¡°Felicia has been seen working with you in the aftermath of your first dustup with that LOG squad outside the school board building. If she makes sure that she¡¯s caught on camera, LOG will assume that you attacked an exposed battalion to distract from her stealing their weapons.¡±


    Lonnie seems so sure of her plan, but I¡¯m still not going to agree to this. Why would I agree to this? It¡¯s too dangerous! It¡¯s -


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Felicia says succinctly, absolutely ruining my plans.


    Fucking ex logger.


    ¡°The fuck you will!¡± I snap at her. She just meets my eyes with a matching intensity.


    ¡°You¡¯re not my commanding officer, you¡¯re not my mother, you¡¯re my girlfriend,¡± she points out, sending ripples of euphoria up my spine as she calls me her girlfriend. ¡°Lonnie is right. This is a tactically sound plan. It helps obfuscate your involvement with the resistance. Unless you want to announce that you joined them. Do you?¡±


    Fuck. She¡¯s got me there. I really don¡¯t want to announce that.


    ¡°Okay, fine. But why Summer?¡± I know Felicia can handle herself, but if Summer gets hit by a Knight¡¯s lance, well, I¡¯ll fucking¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll fucking do. It won¡¯t be pretty though.


    ¡°Felicia will need someone to watch her back. Summer¡¯s a capable healer, and her quester skillset will be invaluable with that orb I gave you all.¡± Fuck you Lonnie and your reasonable explanation.


    ¡°I want you all to know, I hate this plan.¡± I glare at Lonnie. ¡°I hate you for suggesting it.¡± I turn to Felicia and sigh. ¡°But I know you¡¯d all hate yourselves if you didn¡¯t do everything you could.¡± Felicia and Summer nod their confirmation.


    Fuck my life.


    ¡°Alright, but if we¡¯re going to do this, we need to do it right. Meet me in Lanadel and give me ten minutes to set something up.¡± Everyone nods and we all find our ways into Lanadel. I decided to try something a little reckless to improve our odds, but I have no intention of letting them in on that plan just yet.


    Once reconvened in the Roto Highlands, courtesy of some handy teleportation nodes, I have my girls gather around me while I begin writing some ambitious code. I have no idea if it¡¯ll work, how well it¡¯ll work, but I have to take precautions.


    When I¡¯m done, I give them both a solemn nod. ¡°I don¡¯t want to explain what I did in case you decide to get risky and put it to the test. I¡¯d rather you never need to use the wards I placed. So fight safe, stick together, and come back.¡±


    ¡°You do care,¡± Felicia teases as she quickly dodges my attempt to shove her. I¡¯m not sure why I was willing to give her a shot at first, but the more I learn of her, the more glad I am that I did. She¡¯s got the military discipline and the soft underside I¡¯ve already considered, but she¡¯s been letting a bit of her humor out and it¡¯s such a delight to see.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rose. We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Summer assures me. ¡°Now, we need to get going. Aunt Lonnie says the squad has entered the highlands so it¡¯s now or never.¡±


    She¡¯s right, I do need to get going.


    As the two most important meat people to me make their way into uncertain danger, I stand up from my physical chair and start making my way to certain danger. I don¡¯t leave Lanadel though, oh no, I¡¯m testing something that I wasn¡¯t sure until now that I could do.


    I move in both layers of reality simultaneously. My flesh and blood body makes its way out of the base and hails a ride service. Meanwhile, my proxy body teleports the short distance towards the rocky path the jacks are making their way along.


    The strain on my mind would be utterly unbearable if it weren¡¯t for Willow helping me along. The two of us sort of split up the mental load of piloting two bodies evenly. It¡¯s not as simple as she pilots one and I pilot the other. That wouldn¡¯t work since she¡¯s not used to a humanoid form. Instead, what we do is have her act as a processing boost to my own consciousness. It¡¯s like temporarily we¡¯re both Rose and both Willow and in both bodies at the same time. It¡¯s honestly a rush for us.


    We find the approaching squad just as our meat body is dropped off about a block from a LOG precinct a plausibly deniable distance from the resistance headquarters. That¡¯s the name of the game after all, avoiding being seen with our new ¡®friends¡¯. We even wipe all records from the rideshare of our ever being in it.


    Moving as one, our proxy body announces our presence to the squad in the most witchy way possible. We cackle. It starts low and giggly before rising in intensity and taking on a trilling rhythm that devolves into full on maniacal laughter. ¡°Oh what have we here?¡± we call out, still hidden in shadows. ¡°A lost group of little girls and boys, alone in the woods.¡±


    As the jacks, a mix of mages, grunts and knights, pull out their weapons, we use our meat body to walk right up to the front gate of the LOG precinct building and tear it off the hinges like it''s made of paper. We¡¯re able to do that, because we did, in fact, transform the door into paper.  sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alarms blare in our meat body ears while we take stock of the digital forces before us. We find them wanting and decide against our initial plan to toss Lonnie¡¯s goal out the window and just crush them. Oh no, we want to play with them a bit. For all the hardship these fuckers have inflicted on both of us.


    The forest comes alive at the same time that meatspace loggers flood into the foyer of the precinct to confront us. We even recognize a few as the rats we encountered rescuing Felicia. We smile evilly and look directly at one of our rodent victims. ¡°So,¡± I coo. ¡°How¡¯d you like your fwuffy whittle nose?¡± He blanches and starts to back up.


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re that monster!¡± he practically screams in fear. Oh, we can get used to that reaction. It¡¯s delightfully mirrored by his comrades in the highlands the trees begin to march towards the squad of so-called elite combatants. Spell programs fly and lances sing as they pierce through the air. Each strike doing little to nothing. Their lives are in our hands.


    ¡°Stop her!¡± shouts both a digital and meatspace jack in a moment of delightful synchronicity. The physical agents snap out of the haze of fear and all rush us at once. We smirk and glance up at the exposed pipes above us. A flick of our wrist and the metal tubes all break off from the ceiling and wrap most of the guards up in near crushing grips.


    We mirror our physical actions by using the tree branches to tangle up the digital agents as well. A few dodge our attempt to grapple them all both in and out of Lanadel, and immediately rush us. We just giggle while dancing around their feeble attempts to hit us with lances and spell and stun batons and -


    BANG!


    Searing. Burning. Pain.


    The pair of us nearly fall apart at the seams as a bullet pierces our torso. We¡¯re certain it didn¡¯t touch the spine, but our legs feel weak nonetheless. This opens us up to being hit by a few of the mages¡¯ spells. Luckily we still manage to avoid the lances, but we¡¯re on the back foot now.


    It¡¯s a struggle to maintain this merged state and we still need to escape  and survive for any of this to have been worthwhile. It¡¯ll be hard but I¡¯m sure we can -


    Electricity courses through my veins, as one of the meatspace jacks rams a stun baton into my abdomen. I bend over in pain as I realize I¡¯m no longer in Lanadel. I hope I kept them busy long enough.


    Willow paws at me, seeming to flicker in and out of existence as my cyberware is fried. The last thing I see is her jumping inside me again before everything goes black.


    Sonovabiiii-


    End Chapter 19

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20Chapter 20Felicia


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be ok?¡± Summer asks as we hide behind a hillock and observe the LOG weapon stockpile. Even from here, I can see the lances stacked up carefully as well as some other equipment I can¡¯t quite make out from our position.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s got Willow with her after all,¡± I assure her with a confident smile. ¡°Those two are scarily powerful, and together I doubt anything truly threatens them.¡±


    She nods and gestures at a lone guard off to the side of the main outpost. ¡°Okay, then we should focus on our job and think about thinning them out, right?¡± It¡¯s more of a question than a statement.


    I shake my head and nod back the way we came. ¡°Remember, we need to wait for them to receive word that Rose is attacking their squad. With any luck some of them will run off. It¡¯ll make it more credible.¡±


    Summer frowns and looks back at the high stone walls before us. ¡°How will we know she¡¯s begun her attack?¡± she asks. I grin and tap my ear.


    ¡°I still have access to the LOG communication protocols. The infosec guys are super lazy and likely won¡¯t change the access codes until the regularly scheduled update.¡± Summer¡¯s grin grows devious as I tell her this. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Think you could disguise your voice enough that they might not realize who you are?¡± she asks, instantly cluing me in on her scheme.


    ¡°You know what? I can do you one better!¡± I pull up an old logger app I used to avoid at all costs. It¡¯s a voice changer program that is frequently used to implicate suspects with incriminating recordings¡­


    How did it take me so long to realize how fucking corrupt LOG is?  S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Why did I keep looking the other way?


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Summer asks, drawing me out from what promised to be a dangerous spiral.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ just¡­ feeling really guilty all of a sudden,¡± I admit. She gives me a knowing look and pulls me close enough to give me a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m gonna spoof that distress call and then turn over all the legally ambiguous apps that I still have to the resistance. Maybe they can find a way to counteract them.¡±


    ¡°Probably a good idea,¡± Summer agrees.


    I launch the voice changer app and transmit a call on the local channel, ensuring that the message¡¯s location beacon directs them to Rose¡¯s ambush site. ¡°Code-30! Officers in need of assistance! Under assault by priority one target. Requesting backup!¡± The voice that comes out of my mouth is gruff and masculine and I have to bite back the instinctive discomfort that comes with such a thing. It¡¯s no wonder trans folks like Rose and Summer suffer so much from their dysphoria.


    There¡¯s no need to listen for the reply as I can already see several guards from the outpost grabbing weapons from the stockpile and running along the path towards Rose.


    Nodding to Summer, the pair of us make our way down the other side of the hillock, quickly reaching the stone walls.


    I decide to make use of a new ability that I put together and stab my spear in between the bricks. With but a thought, my spear acts as a shaped charge and blasts several tonnes of masonry into the outpost. A quick check shows that I managed to hit two of the remaining guards with the shrapnel.


    We don¡¯t give the LOG agents any time to react as I rush in to grab their attention. I¡¯d hoped that the knights would¡¯ve responded to the distress call, but two of them are still here.


    ¡°Leave them to me,¡± I warn Summer as I charge straight for the massive, armored soldiers. The lances have great reach, but they aren¡¯t very effective if their target is up close and personal. I take full advantage of this and find the sweet spot where I can fully thrust my spear, but they can¡¯t get a good angle with their lances. It takes some work, but with my tanking and crowd control quester abilities, it¡¯s doable.


    While I tango with the titanic metal meatheads, I can hear Summer raining holy fire upon the rank and file grunts. I wince a bit as one of them screams in pain. I used to be one of those grunts. In other circumstances, that might¡¯ve been me having my digital flesh seared from my bone.


    I need to focus though, too much time thinking about the past has left me open and I nearly have a lance impaled in my side. The only thing that stops it is a glowing golden barrier provided by Summer. If it weren¡¯t for her, I¡¯d be as dead as the physical movie market.


    Careful footwork brings me back into range of the two knights, but they seem to have figured out that Summer is my healer and one of them falls back to engage with my blonde girlfriend.


    Heh. That happened fast. Didn¡¯t it?


    I barely manage to block another lance thrust before I hop back and try to grab my wayward opponent¡¯s attention again. They seem pretty dead set on skewering Summer though, so I have to take a more direct approach.


    Slamming my shield into the ground, I kick up a wall of dirt and stone that blocks one of the knights while I dash for the one after my girlfriend. He nearly gets her before I intercept with my shield. ¡°No. None of that!¡± I taunt him as I shove back on the lance tip, forcing him off balance.


    ¡°Thanks Felicia,¡± Summer manages to get out between heavy breaths. She looks exhausted. I check the time and realize that we¡¯ve been fighting for a while now. But what has me more concerned is an urgent communication from Lonnie. ¡°Hey, you seeing this message?¡± Summer asks, having clearly just seen it as well.


    Worried about what Lonnie needs to tell us, I throw up a domed barrier around us to buy us some time to read. ¡°Read quick!¡±


    I go to open the message, but am interrupted by the knight pressing the attack again and just shattering his way through my shield dome. He knocks me off balance and is joined by his buddy, who has busted through the dirt wall and is barreling towards Summer with his weapon raised.


    ¡°Look out!¡± I shout, but it¡¯s too late.


    Clearly distracted by whatever she¡¯s just read, and with a look of horror on her face, Summer doesn¡¯t see the attack coming.


    Pixelated blood sprays everywhere as the knight lifts her up on his lance. A storm of conflicting emotions rages in my heart. Each feeling competes against each other to dominate my soul. There¡¯s the obvious ones like the gut wrenching sadness that Summer is dead. What¡¯s possibly more terrifying is the sheer unbridled fear at what Rose will do when she finds out.


    I¡¯m not going to delude myself by thinking that I mean enough to the insanely powerful woman to make up for the loss of her closest friend and lover. It hurts, but I know where I stand as a former LOG operative.


    There¡¯s a very real debate in my mind whether to just let the knights finish me off too. It¡¯s interrupted by another message coming in from¡­ Summer?


    How? That¡¯s not possible!


    Was it the code that Rose wrote before we split up?


    It has to be!


    There¡¯s no time to worry about that though. Not in my wildest dreams could I take on two knights on my own while worrying about their goons at the same time. I need to escape and fast.


    Catching two more strikes on my shield, I quickly look for a way out. I¡¯m relieved beyond belief when I spot a stack of boxes that form a convenient set of stairs up to a nearby wall.


    I trigger a shockwave ability that temporarily stuns the agents and book it for the crates. Quick and light steps bring me up and over the wall, allowing me to slide down the hill side and cover a great amount of distance in a short time. It costs me some bruises and bumps, but my proxy body will heal quickly while I¡¯m logged out.


    Once I¡¯m far enough from the outpost and certain I¡¯m not being pursued, I teleport somewhere more secure and cut the connection, pulling me back to my meat body.


    Standing right in front of me is a despondent looking Summer. I reach out and brush the tears from her eyes as she does the same for me.


    Wait? I¡¯m crying?


    Well, it makes sense. She should be dead.


    ¡°How?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Rose¡¯s code,¡± Summer confirms my suspicions. ¡°Just before I got hit, I got hard yanked out of Lanadel. I have a massive migraine as a result of how rough it was, but I¡¯m still alive at least¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask, still holding her cheek.


    ¡°Rose has been captured.¡± Her words chill my veins and force me out of my seat as I wheel about looking for Rose.


    Not seeing my ravenette girlfriend, I turn back to Summer. ¡°How? Why? What happened?¡± I demand. She should be here. And it doesn¡¯t look like there was a fight in meatspace.


    ¡°The others said that she went to a LOG precinct in person and started causing mayhem both in Lanadel and out of it.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯d do that. It sounds so¡­ so¡­ reckless!¡±


    I pull her in close, holding her tight as she starts to break down into tears again. ¡°We¡¯ll get her back,¡± I assure her. ¡°Trust me. They¡¯re not going to kill her until they can extract Willow from her, and that¡¯ll be no easy feat.¡±


    ¡°But what if they torture her?¡± she sobs into my shoulder. ¡°They¡¯re going to do such awful things to her!¡±


    Summer¡¯s clearly inconsolable, so I gently lead her out of the auditorium and back to our room. We can find out how the relocation mission went afterwards when we coordinate with Lonnie about getting Rose back.


    We hold each other for an indeterminate amount of time. All the minutes or hours just merge together as I devolve into worried tears as well.


    After a while, there¡¯s a gentle knocking on the door. I carefully extricate myself from a sleeping Summer, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. She''d passed out from the stress, so I want to let her rest. With quiet steps, I go to the door to see who it is.


    Lonnie steps into our room and offers me a tender smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Rose. If it¡¯s any consolation, y¡¯all bought us enough time to clear out our outpost.¡± I just level her with a steady gaze. ¡°Fair enough,¡± she sighs. ¡°We¡¯re still trying to piece together exactly what happened during what seemed to be a two pronged assault by Rose,¡± she explains. ¡°Our best guess is that she got caught off guard and was taken down in meatspace.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan to get her back?¡± I demand. ¡°We can¡¯t let them keep her! Willow is too dangerous to be in their hands and they¡¯ll have to kill her to get Willow out!¡± I¡¯m practically shouting and Lonnie winces and steps back a bit. Reining in my anger, I glance back at Summer to see if she''s still asleep. She''s awake and gearing up to make her own retort.


    ¡°Yeah! Rose wouldn¡¯t stop at anything to get us back! Hell, she already proved that when Felicia kidnapped me!¡± I bite back on my discomfort as Summer reminds me of my recent shortcomings. ¡°Oh, sorry Felicia,¡± she apologizes. She must¡¯ve been able to sense my uneasiness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve got some ideas. Most of which revolve around you,¡± she says to me, a brow raised in response to Summer¡¯s outburst. ¡°Our liaisons were monitoring your operation and we¡¯re pretty sure that we can borrow that radio trick along with some other weaknesses in LOGs infosec team to get into the precinct before they can transfer her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I announce simply. ¡°I still have my LOG uniform, and with a little tweaking to my appearance, I could probably pass for a random agent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming too,¡± Summer announces with determination.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I wince. ¡°You¡¯ll stand out too much, and you don¡¯t have ANY physical combat training. It¡¯s best if I go alone.¡±


    "Then bring me in as a prisoner!" she counters. I shake my head and lay my hands gently on her shoulder.


    "Summer, that''d just get you a record, and make me have to identify myself to file paperwork," I explain. "You can be on comms to keep tabs on me, alright?" She deflates in the face of my cold logic and sighs.


    "Fine..." she relents.


    Lonnie nods her agreement and makes a few calls to other resistance members. ¡°Alright, we need to move quickly. Get changed and meet me outside in twenty minutes. We¡¯re going to raid a LOG precinct.¡±


    End Chapter 20

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21 Chapter 21Rose


    BITCH!


    Ugh, my fucking head. It feels like I put an angle grinder in my skull and just let it rip. Like everything¡¯s been shaken up and beaten with a hammer for good measure. What the fuck happened?


    Let me think.


    Right, I was running a distraction for the goody two-shoe brigade. Decided to try a whole two pronged assault thing. Then I -


    Fuck me.


    Opening my eyes and yep, I¡¯m in a cell. Probably in the back of the same precinct I attacked.


    Good going Rose. How the fuck did I think that was a good idea? I¡¯m not a hero! What could¡¯ve possibly possessed me to act like tha -


    The fucking movie.


    I shake my head and immediately regret it. The room spins a little bit more, but I manage to calm down before I go off on a rant. Because, if I¡¯m being honest, it wasn¡¯t the stupid movie, it was me wanting to impress my girls.


    Well, a fat lot of good that did. Now they¡¯re going to have to come and rescue me.


    Actually, no. Fuck that. I¡¯m no damsel. I can get out of this mess myself. Let¡¯s take stock.


    First order of business: try to stand.


    Nope. Tied up in a chair. I¡¯d say it¡¯s overkill to restrain me when I¡¯m already in a cell, but it¡¯s not going to help them.


    Step two: Where the fuck is Willow?


    I haven¡¯t really felt her since I woke up, and I¡¯m starting to get worried. Did that stun baton fry her? Fuck! I hope not.


    Maybe she¡¯s just resting. I won¡¯t blame her if she is. I just woke up and I could already use a nap. Still, there¡¯s a way to test things.


    I focus on her powers and what I¡¯m able to access of them myself. It¡¯s harder without Willow¡¯s assistance, but stretching out my senses, I can feel the layers of Lanadel just beneath that of meatspace. I can feel the connections between the two realities and I can feel how one affects the other.


    With intense focus, I narrow my attention to the ropes binding me.


    Why ropes though? There are so many different ways to tie someone up that are way more effective than ropes. Chains for example, witches love chains. It¡¯s a known fact.


    While debating alternatives for rope with myself is fun, I¡¯m rather rudely interrupted when the speaker above me clicks on.


    So much for intense focus.


    I look up and see a weedy looking man on the other side of the transparent wall before me. With him is a woman who looks vaguely familiar, though I can¡¯t quite place where I know her from. Both of them are wearing LOG uniforms, though the woman¡¯s getup definitely looks more prestigious.


    It seems I¡¯ve warranted the attention of someone important.


    ¡°Viktor Shadewind?¡± the weedy man asks. My involuntary wince at my original name really makes me wonder how I ever thought I was a man. Like, honestly, come on me.


    ¡°It¡¯s Rose, actually. Seems you have the wrong girl,¡± I tease them.


    ¡°Your file states your name is Viktor Shadewind,¡± the man states as he double checks it. ¡°That is a clever disguise, but you cannot hide from us, Mr. Shadewind.¡±


    Wow. What an asshole.


    ¡°Let me stop you right there sphincter face,¡± I taunt as my eyes narrow. ¡°Since it seems I need to catch you up on some basic fucking manners.¡± I smirk a bit at his reaction to my name calling; fuck these guys are too easy to rile up. ¡°First of all, there¡¯s this thing called,¡± I pause to clear my throat. ¡°Being a fucking trans woman you draconian shit burger!¡± I give him a saccharine smile. ¡°Look it up.¡±


    Ooooh, I¡¯ve gotten him good. He¡¯s sputtering and starting to turn red.


    ¡°Now you listen here, you deviant filth! I will not be disrespe-¡± a flick to his ear from his lady companion cuts him off. He turns and glares at her, but the cold look on her face puts a lid on his anger.


    The woman turns to look at me and smiles. It¡¯s one of those hollow smiles that make your neck hairs stand on end if you catch their malice filled eyes.


    I won¡¯t lie, it¡¯s kind of hot in a ¡®she¡¯s probably going to unspeakably awful things to me, but be really attractive while she does it¡¯ sort of way.


    Don¡¯t kink shame me.


    She still looks really fucking familiar though. Where the hell have I seen her? You¡¯d think a woman like her would stand out. She¡¯s tall, very fucking tall, like, nearly seven feet tall. She¡¯s also got that fitness model physique that¡¯s all tight muscles and prominent curves. Her hair is a pale blonde that¡¯s almost white cut into a chin length bob.


    I study the sharp lines of her face to try as I try so very hard to place her. It¡¯s not till I hear her voice that it clicks.


    ¡°It¡¯s so very good to see you again,¡± my aunt Delilah says in that oh so familiar voice. She was my mom¡¯s best friend, they were like sisters. She¡¯d come over all the time until she stopped for some reason. I¡¯d tried asking why, but my mom would just look sad and say they needed some time apart.


    Things have clearly changed for her though. She used to be kind of pudgy with a kind smile and a soft voice. The smile is gone now, and the voice hides a razor sharp edge like a teddy bear full of knives. There¡¯s also the matter of her being a FUCKING JACK!


    ¡°Oh, hey Aunt Deli,¡± I reply, rage barely restrained behind false affection. ¡°Long time no see. I¡¯d offer you a hug but, oh, would you look at this, I¡¯m a little tied up at the moment.¡±


    ¡°We could correct that,¡± Delilah points out with a grin. ¡°We just need a little cooperation from you.¡± Yeah, fuck that noise.


    ¡°And what would you like me to do?¡± I know full well what she wants, and she¡¯s not getting it.


    ¡°Hand over the DCS-1 and we¡¯ll let you go. Hell, I¡¯ll even wipe your record for old time¡¯s sake,¡± she says it like it¡¯s just a casual favor and not her asking for the keys to the fucking kingdom.


    ¡°Let me think about that,¡± I muse, making a big show of seeming to think it over. ¡°After careful deliberation, go fuck yourself!¡± I spit at the glass-like wall separating us for good measure.


    Oh how I wish I could spit on her directly. Fucking bitch.


    ¡°Now, is that any way to treat an old family friend?¡± she coos, sending a shiver up my spine. It¡¯s crazy how a voice I remember as being so comforting is now anything but. ¡°But, I can imagine you¡¯re fond of the thing. So perhaps an alternative offer.¡± Oh this is going to be good. ¡°Ply your craft for us and you will want for nothing. You can live in luxury with the traitor and cook. How about that?¡±


    ¡°That is certainly a tempting offer, but I¡¯m going to have to ask you to shove it back up your ass where it came from. What do you fucking take me for?¡± I laugh at her. ¡°Like fuck, sure I¡¯m a freelance Webweaver but loggers fucking shot me in the spine! They killed me fucking parents!¡± I snort derisively. ¡°Speaking of, how could you work for the same shitbags that killed your best friend?¡± I have a sneaking suspicion that I know the answer, but I want to hear her try and spin it. It¡¯ll be funny.


    ¡°Best friend?¡± she scoffs. ¡°Sure, perhaps Fiona was once my best friend, but that clearly meant nothing when it came to her little project!¡± A sneer mars her face as she states to pace back and forth. Looks like I¡¯ve triggered a monologue. ¡°I tried to explain to her that the tech she was working on could make us rich! We¡¯d be out of the slums and living the good life! But, no, she wanted to make the world a better place!¡± She snorts and turns to face me. ¡°She acted like it was a mutually exclusive thing! We could have done both! So, I went to LOG and told them everything.¡± Well, that was obvious, though I¡¯m feeling a little called out. ¡°It¡¯s so fucking ironic that her own child turned out to be an opportunistic bottom feeder. What did you plan to use your parent¡¯s life work for, hm?¡±


    Now I¡¯m really feeling called out. I hate that she has a point, but fucking hell. I look down at my feet, letting her think she¡¯s cowed me.


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± she chuckles dryly. ¡°You see, we¡¯re not that different, Rose. Nice name by the way. Though, I wonder what ol¡¯ Roger thinks of it.¡± If this bitch knows Roger, how has LOG not swept through the resistance base yet? ¡°But I¡¯m getting off topic. My point is, we both understand the value of wealth and what we can do with it. But more than that, we understand power. With DCS-1, and LOGs resources we can throw away the shackles placed on us by the corporate scum and pave the way for a new world, a better world.¡± Huh. She almost sounds reasonab- ¡°And we will rule it as queens!¡± Ah, there it is.


    Shaking my head, I focus my efforts on my bindings once more. I¡¯ve had enough of this shit show. ¡°You know, you almost had me there, Deli,¡± I drawl while I slowly sever the rope behind me. ¡°You had the whole good thug bad thug thing going for a bit, though you really suck at keeping your character, just an fyi.¡± I giggle a bit as only a few measly threads hold the knot together. ¡°But,¡± I pause, just to watch the rage that begins to boil up from within the jackbooted thugs. ¡°I gotta ask, if you were so involved with my parents, how do you not know everything you need to take down your opposition?¡± She snorts and looks away. That little tell reveals everything. ¡°Oooooh! They didn¡¯t trust you, did they? You revealed your true colors too soon. Womp womp.¡±


    The tall woman lunges forward and slams her fists into the clear wall. ¡°You insolent little brat! I had a soft spot for you, it¡¯s why I wanted you to work with us! But this is how you repay me?¡±


    Ah, music to my ears.


    I feel a familiar (heh) presence in my mind once more.


    Oh, hey Willow.


    She pops out of my body onto the ground, quickly taking stock of the situation. She hisses at Delilah, which is yet more justification for what I¡¯m planning to do next.


    At the speed of thought, I catch Willow up on recent events and encourage her to weaken the connection between the edges of the clear wall and the rest of the cell.


    Delilah is still ranting, but I¡¯ve stopped paying attention to her as I pull together a little surprise for her and her transphobic toady.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been about as fun as a shot to the spine, but I¡¯m going to have to say goodbye,¡± I announce as I stand up, breaking away the ropes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you planned to keep me here for any length of time, and I don¡¯t really fucking care.¡±


    As if answering my indirect query, the room is immediately electrified. AI level reactions and a lack of distractions save the day as Willow quickly wraps me in an insulating field.


    Nice.


    Delilah looks shocked, pardon the pun. Oh! That gives me an idea.


    I quickly shift tactics a bit and change my little concussive burst I had planned to also modify the glass-like wall to be electrically conductive. With but a thought, I release the blast, knocking the barrier into my former aunt and her dumbass buddy. It creates a bridge to the room that lets my captors feel the frankly unsafe levels of electricity they had intended for me.


    Not wanting to waste my chance to escape, I slip past them and down a narrow hallway that leads to a stairwell. On either side of me are similar cells, some with implements of torture that would make a medieval dungeonmaster swoon with envy. I take a few pictures for posterity.


    The stairs take me up to a door that leads out into the regular jail cells. Though, a quick glance back reveals that the door was hidden. How scandalous. More pictures for my album.


    I practically skip with giddiness at how much dirt I¡¯m digging up when I notice the server room just past the jail cells. Don¡¯t mind if I do.  S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While I download the entire contents of their database to a quarantined storage room in my tower, I start composing a message to Felicia and Summer to let them know I¡¯m about to escape. No doubt they¡¯re planning some sort of rescue, and I don¡¯t want them to come looking for me when I¡¯m already gone.


    Just as the transfer completes, I hear some shouting from the front lobby. Curiosity getting the better of me, I saunter over to take a look.


    The guy I nearly had pissing their pants in fear is arguing with another logger while several more seem to be edging closer to the fight.


    Oh! That¡¯s not just any logger. That¡¯s my logger.


    Nope, hate that.


    Point being, it¡¯s Felicia, dressed up in her old uniform and looking like she¡¯s about to throw down with the tool. Well, I do love a dramatic entrance.


    I close the door I was peeking around and clear my throat. By connecting to the building¡¯s intercom, I can ensure everyone hears what I have to say as I have a billowing mist creep into the room.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk.¡± My voice takes on a slight ethereal warbling effect. It practically gives ME goosebumps. ¡°You all thought you could contain the Witch of the Web?!¡± I demand. ¡°Fools! No prison can hold me! I am everywhere! All of creation is but my plaything!¡±


    The door bursts off its hinges with a well placed air blast. ¡°Bow before me and I will spare you! Resist and I shall levy a curse upon your bloodline for all eternity!¡±


    All eyes dart to me and to my delight, several loggers, including piss boy, drop to their knees.


    Oh! Bonus! He actually pissed himself this time! Hilarious!


    The rest of the jacks rush me, but I quickly sink their feet into the ground, allowing me to dance around them like a mercurial fae. ¡°Ah, a shame that you chose poorly,¡± I sigh dramatically. ¡°For your children and your children¡¯s children shall forever more be cursed!¡±


    I sidle up to Felicia and lean against her. She looks confused, but also amused at my antics. The rest of the loggers all look absolutely terrified.


    Good.


    ¡°And for the crime of harassing one under my protection, you shall all -¡± I¡¯m interrupted as Delilah bursts into the room. ¡°Ah, time¡¯s up!¡± I laugh as I cut the power and blacken the windows. ¡°Do not dare cross me again!¡± I warn them as I hurry out of the building with Felicia.


    She leads me into a plain looking vehicle and shoves me into the back before climbing in after me. In the driver¡¯s seat is Lonnie who immediately peels off down the road and away from the precinct.


    As bad as my luck is sometimes, Felicia¡¯s mad scramble into the car put her right up on top of me. I squirm underneath her before locking up entirely.


    The beautiful redhead recognizes my discomfort and quickly dismounts before pulling me up into a tight embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever fucking scare us like that again!¡± she snaps before kissing me firmly on the lips. ¡°You goddamn dumbass!¡± She hugs me even tighter.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting some mixed signals here,¡± I try to joke, though with my voice still shaking from being pinned, I kind of miss the mark.


    Felicia narrows her eyes at me before scoffing. ¡°Oh, just you wait till we get back. Summer¡¯s going to have so many words for you!¡± She winces and adjusts something in her ear. ¡°She¡¯s already giving me an earful right now!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I know I fucked up. But, on the plus side I got some good intel, so it sort of worked out, yeah?¡± I know my lackadaisical tone has gone too far as Felicia just goes stiff.


    ¡°We thought we might lose you,¡± she whispers softly. ¡°Could you take this a little more seriously? You¡¯re too important to be putting yourself at risk like that!¡±


    ¡°What? For the resistance?¡± I scoff. I glance up at Lonnie who is pointedly staying out of this before looking back at Felicia. ¡°Because I¡¯ve be-¡±


    ¡°No you dummy! Because we love you!¡± she shouts.


    Oh.


    Oh shit.


    End Chapter 21

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22 Chapter 22Love?


    Isn¡¯t it too early for that?


    Do I love them back? I - I don¡¯t know.


    How do I respond to that?


    Is there an angle behind it?


    Are they just trying to use me?


    This is too much!


    ¡°...ose!¡± someone calls out beside me.


    I turn to look at Felicia who has the strangest look on her face. Is that what it looks like when someone¡¯s worried about you?


    ¡°...ose?¡± she says, this time it¡¯s more of a question.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I reply, though my voice sounds distant. For that matter, so does everything.


    Felicia lets out a sigh of relief and pulls me close. I feel another person hug me and realize Summer is here too.


    When did she get here?


    ¡°You¡¯ve been just staring off into space for hours now,¡± Summer whispers softly, finally snapping me mostly out of my daze.


    ¡°I - I¡¯m sorry?¡± Why did I say it like a question? ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sorry.¡± There, more finality. ¡°I - It was a lot to take in.¡±


    ¡°What was?¡± Felicia asks, as if she wasn¡¯t the one to say it. ¡°That we lo-¡± She cuts herself off as her eyes widen suddenly. ¡°Right, so we can avoid the ¡®L¡¯ word,¡± she says softly, her expression shifting to one of concern again.


    Summer wraps me in a tight hug and holds me close to her. She whispers reassurances while gently stroking my hair. I want to deny it, but it does help me feel better.


    Maybe they deserve an explanation¡­


    ¡°Th - thanks. It¡¯s a¡­ loaded word,¡± I admit. ¡°After my parents died, it got kind of hard to accept love from anyone. Oh sure, people would say it all the time. People like Edgar, who wanted something from me!¡± I shake a bit as I dig up the unpleasant memories. ¡°It felt more like a chain than any sort of positive emotion.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Felicia states simply. Damn indeed.


    ¡°So yeah, thanks for avoiding the ¡®L¡¯ word. For now at least. It might take a bit before I can handle it.¡± My two girlfriends nod their agreement, making it a little easier to push aside the barely contained panic that they¡¯d turn on me too.


    We just stay here, holding each other for an indeterminate amount of time before reality begins to reassert itself as something important. Said assertion comes in the form of a rapid knocking at the door.


    Fucking reality.


    Looking over, I realize we¡¯re already back at the resistance base, even though I don¡¯t remember most of the trip.


    Shitty brain.


    Can¡¯t handle stress normally, can you?


    It¡¯d sure be nice if I could avoid having panic attacks over stupid things! But no!


    Maybe I¡¯d be better off if I -


    Willow baps my face to distract me from the spiral I¡¯m heading towards.


    Right, no time to spiral, Felicia has already answered the door, but it sounds like she could use some backup.


    I get to my feet and walk over to the redhead and lean against the doorframe beside her. ¡°Tell them we¡¯re not buying any cookies,¡± I snark.


    ¡°Rose, is that you?¡± Lonnie asks from the other side.


    Fucking great.


    ¡°No,¡± I reply, raising my voice to a falsetto. ¡°Nobody here named Rose, please leave.¡±


    Felicia has to bite back a snicker as Lonnie manages to push her way in. She looks like she can¡¯t decide whether to be absolutely livid, or intensely worried. She settles on a happy median of cool irritation.


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± she asks, her words sounding harsher than her tone. ¡°If they had been able to compromise you, it¡¯d undo everything! Not to mention how worried your girlfriends were!¡± She¡¯s really laying into me. She goes on about how I have a responsibility to be more careful; she even lists every single reason why. Apparently Roger would be distraught if I was lost; he was really close with my parents after all. She winds up bouncing between worry and anger so quickly I worry I¡¯ll get whiplash. Finally, she says, ¡°Ultimately, I just want to make sure you¡¯re okay. You talk a big game, and are willing to flaunt your power, but yours aren¡¯t the actions of someone who has it together.¡± I want to argue with her, but she admittedly makes a lot of good points.


    ¡°You done?¡± I ask after a few seconds. She looks ready to tear into me again, but she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I run my hands through my hair as I pick Willow up and settle back on the bed with her on my lap. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Felicia and Summer look at me with matching expressions of shock as the words leave my lips.


    I know. It¡¯s so out of character.


    ¡°Also you¡¯re right,¡± I admit as I gently stroke my familiar. ¡°It¡¯s been pretty much non stop since I got Willow. And even before that, I was barely holding on.¡± I gesture at Felicia, who has sat back down beside me, ¡°Ask her what my living conditions were like. The short version is that they were bad.¡± I let out a humorless chuckle. ¡°But, I didn¡¯t care then. What did I matter in the grand scheme of things?¡±


    Hugging Felicia and Summer close I offer a tired, weak smile. ¡°But Willow and these beautiful women beside me? They made it easier to care. And that fucking scares me!¡± I shake my head, whipping my ebon hair back and forth. ¡°Because being miserable and alone is honestly so much easier to handle than being happy with people I¡­ with people I really, really like.¡± At Lonnie¡¯s confused look, I clarify. ¡°When you have nothing, you grow to accept it. It can¡¯t get worse as even death seems like a relief. But, with people close to you, it¡¯s difficult to believe that they¡¯ll stay.¡± I squeeze my girls a little tighter. ¡°I¡¯m terrified of losing them.¡±


    Lonnie stares at me as she pieces things together. When it clicks for her, it¡¯s obvious by the little gasp that escapes her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make a big deal of it, at least not right now. I just want to focus on the now.¡±


    Summer¡¯s aunt nods and lets the tension flow out of her. ¡°Alright. That¡­ ah¡­ that explains a lot actually,¡± she finally says. ¡°We have staff on hand to help with mental and emotional help. I¡¯d recommend talking to them.¡±


    ¡°No promises,¡± I mutter. As hard as it is to bare myself to people I respect or lo- care about, the idea of revealing my soft vulnerable parts to a stranger makes me almost physically recoil.


    She looks ready to argue the point, but a quick look from Summer closes the matter rather neatly. ¡°Right¡­ Well, regardless of your acknowledgement of your own shortcomings, you still need more training.¡± I start to object, but she holds her hand up. I want so bad to just continue on anyways, but I did agree I messed up. ¡°It will benefit you as well to have a better understanding of tactics, especially on your trip. Which will be in a few days.¡±


    ¡°So we don¡¯t have much time to work with,¡± Felicia surmises. Lonnie nods and pulls out a datapad and uses it to put some video feeds up on the walls.


    ¡°These are recordings of your fights. All three of you need more awareness in battle as well as more practice working alone and as a team,¡± Lonnie points out as she plays the videos.


    It¡¯s like a highlight reel of all my fuckups, but instead of anger, I just feel annoyed, mostly at myself. It really emphasizes that I had succumbed to the rookiest of rookie mistakes: an overabundance of unearned pride.


    My ego had swollen once I had found out what Willow could do. Couple that with feeling at home in my skin for the first time ever, and it was a recipe for disaster waiting to happen. I¡¯m just damn lucky I didn¡¯t get anyone else hurt in the process.


    ¡°Okay. So where do we begin?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll have someone show you where to go. We¡¯ll start then.¡± Her stern look softens. ¡°For tonight, I want you three to write reports of what happened then get some rest. We¡¯re going to have a busy next few days.¡±


    Lonnie departs with little fanfare, leaving the four of us alone. I flop back into the bed and am quickly joined by Felicia and Summer. ¡°So, how fucked do you think we are?¡± I ask as I stare up at the ceiling. I find myself counting the cracks in the concrete above us while I wait for either of my girls to reply.


    Eventually Summer speaks up with an amused tone, ¡°Well, probably less than tonight I¡¯d wager.¡± She shares a glance with Felicia who lights up.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, falling right into her trap.


    She grins wickedly as she caresses my face, sending shivers of eager anticipation down my spine.


    Oh.


    Felicia licks her lips and slides up next to me so she can place her lips on mine. With my face busy, Summer slips a hand up under my dress.


    They are both very careful not to straddle me or put any weight on me. That simple gesture of understanding conveys more affection than anything they do with their tongues or fingers.


    I¡¯m quickly lost in a flurry of gentle touches, flicking tongues and deft fingers. I don¡¯t stay passive long, and with us finally having some time to ourselves, we find we¡¯re more than ready to see how far we can take it.


    ****


    Waking up with my girlfriends on either side of me is probably the highlight of my new life. Willow has opted to sleep on a flung pillow instead of the most likely slightly sticky bed. By the time we had finished last night, we barely had the mental acuity to write up some quick reports and send them to Lonnie.


    I never want this blissful moment to end as I snuggle my face between Summer¡¯s boobs and shimmy my ass against Felicia¡¯s hips. Unfortunately, fucking reality rears its ugly head again.


    There¡¯s a knock at the door and I reluctantly extra myself from my girls and throw on the first thing I can find. It¡¯s one of Felicia¡¯s flannel shirts. Honestly? I kinda like the look as it¡¯s a bit big on me and -


    Knock Knock Knock


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hold on a damn minute!¡± I shout before clamping my hands over my mouth.  Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A quick glance back at the bed shows the girls are starting to stir. Catching Summer¡¯s eye, I give her an apologetic smile before answering the door with much less kindness.


    ¡°The fuck you want?¡± I demand of the mousy brunette before me.


    ¡°Oh! Ah, um, Miss Lonnie told me to take you to the -¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I remember. Just wait here a sec,¡± I cut her off and close the door.


    Turning around, it seems Felicia and Summer are way ahead of me and are already getting dressed. I shrug and grab my dress, donning it as quickly as I can.


    Eyeing myself in the mirror, I¡¯m kind of wishing I could make some adjustments when Willow merps at me. I look down at her and she paws my dress gently. ¡°Oh! You can do that?¡± She nods. ¡°Then by all means!¡±


    It takes a few minutes, but Willow is able to transform my dress into something different. The skirt shortens at the front, leaving my legs exposed. The sleeves retreat up to hang off the shoulders. The bodice changes into a tight fitting halter top with a boob window that makes my tits pop!


    When we¡¯re done, Felicia and Summer are staring at us like we grew a second head. Though it¡¯s probably the feat of reality altering that has their mouths hanging open.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s like you haven¡¯t seen us do things like this before,¡± I tease them.


    They snap out of it and share a look between them before Summer giggles and Felicia steps forward to gently grab my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s that this dress is fucking hot Rose. How are we supposed to focus if you look so beautiful?¡±


    Ah.


    The enemy of trans women everywhere. Earnest, honest compliments.


    Fuck.


    End Chapter 22

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23Chapter 23DASJF:Lj;asldjfsa¡¯df¡¯j;


    My brain is mush.


    How could she? How dare she!?


    Why¡¯d she have to go complimenting me like that?


    I can¡¯t even manage to form full sentences as I¡¯m led to whatever training Lonnie has in mind. I¡¯m burning up! My CPU is overloading!


    ¡°Rose?¡±


    Error! Rose not found! Only mush!


    ¡°I think you broke her,¡± Summer giggles. She gives me a light peck on the cheek that sends me even deeper into the mushy quagmire of my heart. I think I manage to mumble something, but I¡¯m not sure.


    ¡°Was that supposed to help?¡± Felicia asks with a hint of laughter in her voice.


    My blonde girlfriend giggles some more before saying, ¡°Nope!¡±


    Aaaaaaah!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± That sounds like Lonnie. We must¡¯ve gotten to the training room.


    ¡°I gave her a compliment?¡± Felicia sounds confused. Clearly she doesn¡¯t understand the power she¡¯s wielded. Lonnie¡¯s thoughtful humming makes it clear she at least gets it.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯ll do it,¡± she laughs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this,¡± she adds before I feel her in my personal space. ¡°Listen to me Rose.¡± Her voice is soft and compassionate. ¡°You¡¯re cute and valid and you have people who lo- care for you.¡±


    AAAAAAAAAAH!!! Was that supposed to help?


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s a new shade of red,¡± Summer muses. ¡°But, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s working.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I wasn¡¯t really trying to snap her out of it. I just wanted to make it worse. She¡¯ll sort herself out soon enough.¡±


    That conniving - !


    ¡°Y - you!¡± I snap. ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± I do my best to sound annoyed or even angry; I even stomp my foot a few times for emphasis. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s working though.


    I open my eyes a little to see them all looking at me as if I were a cute kitten playing with a ball of yarn.


    Yeah, no. I¡¯m really not doing myself any favors, am I?


    ¡°Wh - whatever, let¡¯s just get this training over with,¡± I grumble as I take proper stock of the room we¡¯re in.


    The simple space has stone walls and ceiling with basic tile flooring. There are delving systems lined up along a wall as well as a more specialized looking console on the opposite side. At the far end of the room is a large table covered in papers. Behind me is a metal door with no window; for privacy I imagine.


    I try to ignore the lingering giggles and snickers from the others as I get settled in at one of the systems. Sure, I can enter Lanadel on my own whenever I want, but I¡¯d be willing to bet money that these rigs will route me to the training grounds directly.


    As I thought, once I connect, I¡¯m whisked to a large, empty space with little embellishment. I¡¯m quickly joined by Felicia and Summer, but not Lonnie. I¡¯m not left wondering where she is for long as her voice suddenly echoes around us.


    ¡°Welcome to the Dungeons. We got the idea for this set up from some old role playing games where one person oversees the playing experience of the others.¡± Hills begin to form around us as Lonnie continues. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking the role of the Dungeon Master and will be presenting you three -¡± I open my mouth to correct her but she catches herself too quickly. ¡°- sorry, four. I¡¯ll be setting up different challenges and scenarios for you all to face and overcome. This is meant to be serious training, but try to have some fun while you¡¯re at it, it¡¯ll help with the stress.¡±


    My girlfriends and I share looks with each other and Willow while Lonnie goes silent. Summer is beaming with excitement as I¡¯d be willing to bet she¡¯s plenty familiar with this sort of stuff, given that it¡¯s her aunt that¡¯s doing this. Felicia looks a little more apprehensive, which is a much more reasonable response in my opinion. Willow though, she feels like she¡¯s just as excited as Summer. My best guess is that she¡¯s thinking of this like a chance to play. I¡¯d be lying if I said her excitement isn¡¯t contagious.


    ¡°What do you think she has in mind?¡± Felicia asks Summer, keeping her voice low.


    ¡°She¡¯s not going to make us play out that movie she¡¯s obsessed with is she?¡± I whisper just as quietly. I¡¯m sure Lonnie can hear everything we say, so I take the extra precaution of having Willow encrypt our conversation to give us some privacy.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. She¡¯d play games like she described with me and my parents all the time, though we relied more on our imagination and rolling physical dice than using Lanadel.¡± She taps her chin while humming softly. ¡°If I had to guess, she¡¯ll put us in difficult situations to see how we react. As for what exactly those situations will be, I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°She gets off on power games doesn¡¯t she?¡± I tease, dropping the encryption so Summer''s aunt can hear my jab.


    ¡°Oh maliciously!¡± Lonnie agrees. ¡°I¡¯m ready on my end, what about you three?¡± She doesn¡¯t even give us a chance to respond as our surroundings suddenly change, putting us in the middle of a busy street in the digital Lanadey. But it doesn¡¯t end there as simulated loggers appear around us and we are thoroughly outnumbered. They have Knights, Mages and plenty of standard goons to round them out.


    I¡¯m not too scared; at least not until I realize why Lonnie is likely doing this. She wants to remind us, or more specifically me, what overconfidence will cost you. I¡¯m not going to make the same mistake, especially not when Summer and Felicia might be directly affected.


    We¡¯re not even given a chance to strategize as the entire small army of jacks charges right for us.


    Summer raises a domed barrier around us to give us some time to think, but it doesn¡¯t last long as one of the mages takes it down almost immediately. Felicia tries to create a wall by slamming her shield down, but the Knights just barrel through it.


    This is starting to feel like it¡¯s meant to be a no win scenario. From what little I know of her, she¡¯d totally do that. However, I¡¯m really not one to accept that a situation can¡¯t be beat and neither is Willow. She looks up at me and I meet her gaze as everything around us feels like it¡¯s slowing down.


    The little familiar explains that she¡¯s sped up my thought processes temporarily so we can come up with a plan. She counts thirty agents in total; specifically, there are seven Knights, seven Mages and sixteen standard mooks. Those lance wielding jackasses are leading the charge with the goons coming up behind them while their mages hang back and work to counter anything we do to defend ourselves.


    Since we can¡¯t deal with the frontline while the backline is busy screwing us over, we need to bypass the heavily armored charge and skip right to the squishy mages. How to do that is the question.


    I notice the thin strands of code leading back to a mage as they once again dispel a barrier that Summer summons and the idea hits me!


    Grabbing hold of the code directly, something only doable with the help of Willow, I tap into the mages¡¯ framework. Lonnie¡¯s done a good job of making these jerks seem realistic as she even made them seem like they¡¯re properly networked. Which is fortunate, as that lets me take advantage of my backdoor and send a quick and dirty virus to infect the whole lot of them.


    By the time they¡¯ve compartmentalized the malicious code, half of the mages have been knocked out cold and the rest were too busy trying to stop me that they failed to interrupt Summer as she created little bubbles of light around each of the knights.


    With their heavy hitters immobilized, and their backline incapacitated, the mooks are easy work for Felicia to mow through with her sword and shield combo. The mages try to rally once more to stop the blonde healer, but I¡¯ve already crossed the gap and have started turning them into beavers. I¡¯d considered rats again, but turning a logger into a tiny baby beaver is too on point to ignore.


    Once all the mages are dealt with completely, and the mooks are likewise dispatched, we start letting the knights out one at a time. They don¡¯t get any chance to react as the moment Summer releases them, I wrap them up in vines and half bury them in the ground.


    Lonnie¡¯s slow clapping echoes once the last logger is dealt with. ¡°Well done girls,¡± she says as the agents all vanish before us. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, you weren¡¯t supposed to win that. It was meant to teach humility, but I¡¯m impressed.¡± I try to keep a smug grin off my face, but I¡¯m only partially successful. ¡°How¡¯d you pull that off by the way?¡± our instructor acts.


    I debate being obtuse, but decide that if we¡¯re going to work with these people, I might as well throw them the occasional bone or two.


    ¡°Any sort of webweaving, be it your run of the mill weaver in their basement, or an elite mage, has a digital trail that can be traced,¡± I explain. ¡°Combat weaves aren¡¯t easy to grab onto though. I managed to do it because Willow sped up my mind enough that I could see the retreating end of that trail.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Just¡­ Just wow. Willow really gives you an unfair advantage, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Lonnie comments with a grin. ¡°Still, she¡¯s not going to get you out of every situation,¡± she points out. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try something a little¡­ different.¡±


    The street drops out from under us and we begin to fall until we¡¯re each caught in separate slides that twist and turn as we get pulled away in three different directions. There¡¯s a fourth slide that¡¯s likely meant for Willow, but she quickly just teleports to my slide. I stifle a giggle as I hear Lonnie groan in frustration.


    ¡°She really should¡¯ve expected that,¡± I say, smiling at my familiar. The fluffy black cat just lays on my chest until we reach the bottom of the slide.


    We¡¯re let out in a forested space with stone walls surrounding it. During the descent, it looked like there¡¯s a maze beyond this mini forest. So it seems that the idea is to split us up and force us to fight on our own then?


    Yeah. Fuck that!


    I¡¯m not going to play along.


    Yeah, no.


    I look straight up into the sky and smile brightly. ¡°Hey Lonnie?¡± I call out, hoping to get her attention.


    ¡°Is something the matter Rose?¡± our ¡®dungeon master¡¯ asks in a saccharine tone.  S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°For me? No,¡± I reply as Willow and I walk straight in the direction we can sense Summer. There¡¯s a wall between us and her. ¡°But for you? Well, sorry if I¡¯m not willing to play by your rules.¡± The two of us walk right through the wall and begin beelining it for our blonde girlfriend.


    ¡°Woah, woah, hey! Cut that out!¡± Lonnie whines as Willow and I bypass several rooms that looked like they were supposed to be interesting.


    ¡°Hmmmmm¡­. Nope!¡± I sass back. I¡¯m about to indulge in some much needed trolling when I hear Summer¡¯s voice ring out.


    ¡°Rose, sweetie, could you please humor my aunt? She¡¯s trying to help us after all. Plus, I¡¯d like to show I can stand on my own two feet.¡±


    Fuck.


    My shoulders slump and I stop in my tracks. I glance back to where I came from and let out the most put upon sigh I can muster before retracing my steps and returning to the little forest room. I even repair the walls on my way since I¡¯m oh so nice.


    ¡°There?! Happy?¡± I snap before devolving into petty grumbles.


    Stupid dungeon crawling bullshit.


    Also that was foul play getting Summer to ask me like that!


    ¡°Very, now, don¡¯t look now but you¡¯re not alone in there!¡± Lonnie calls out with glee.


    I look for signs of enemies and fail to see any until several of the trees stand up, much like when I used them against the loggers in the woods.


    ¡°Oh fuck off.¡±


    End Chapter 23

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24 Chapter 24Summer


    I try to stifle a giggle as I can still hear Aunt Lonnie grumbling to herself as despite Rose¡¯s promise to play along, she¡¯s still crushing whatever is thrown at her. God, I am so gay for that woman. She really couldn¡¯t have picked a more perfect name. Stunningly beautiful with prickly thorns to discourage unwanted contact. And she¡¯s all mine. Well, all mine and Felicia¡¯s.


    ¡°Anyways!¡± my aunt announces directly to me. ¡°Summer, my sweet darling niece. Are you ready for your task?¡± I could hear her waiting with baited breath as I take my sweet time deciding.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I finally answer once she starts to grumble. Rose can¡¯t be the only one to keep my aunt on her toes after all.


    ¡°Cheeky little¡­ Moving on! Meet STEVE!¡± As she speaks, a spotlight shines down from the sky and illuminates a presumably male humanoid being. They have completely white skin and hair; even their eyes are pure white. ¡°STEVE stands for Safety Testing Extremely Volatile Evaluator. And yes, I wanted to name him STEVE and needed to come up with an acronym for Roger to let me.¡±


    I giggle at her admission and walk towards STEVE to look him over. ¡°What does he do?¡± I ask as I stare into his blank, emotionless eyes.


    ¡°Well, you see, STEVE is a very simple and rudimentary AI. More like what they had in the 2020s than anything resembling real sentience. His job is to run headlong into danger with little to no concern for his own safety. If he gets destroyed, you lose.¡± I furrow my brows at her explanation, already dreading what this is going to be like. ¡°Oh, and he¡¯ll actively try to lose you¡­ like right now. There he goes!¡±


    What?


    I look over at STEVE and see him running down one of the maze hallways at a reckless pace.


    Crapbaskets!


    Taking off at a sprint, I chase after the robo-dummy. By the time I catch up with him, he¡¯s already approaching a group of -


    Rose


    You know what?


    No.


    This is bullshit.


    This whole scenario is bullshit.


    Lonnie¡¯s dumb power games are bullshit.


    Willow hisses in agreement.


    Fuck! Even the way I¡¯ve been acting is bullshit!


    With a wave of unfiltered will, I tear down the stupid constructs all around me and pull my girls and I out of Lanadel.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Lonnie demands, already stomping over towards me. I just stand and glare at her with enough vitriol to make the hardened ex-soldier flinch.


    ¡°That? That was me being done. Since we got here, you¡¯ve been alternating between beating us down and propping me up as some sort of goddamn chosen one!¡± I shout in her face. Summer tries to calm me down by laying a hand on me, but I just turn to look at her solemnly. ¡°Summer, I get that you¡¯re fond of your aunt, but she¡¯s been a bit of a cuntwaffle.¡±


    ¡°I actually agree with Rose,¡± Felicia points out once she extricates herself from her own system. ¡°While I¡¯d hesitate to say Rose is the picture of stealth and subtlety, she was at least always careful to ensure she had all the cards.¡± She sighs and shakes her head. ¡°Lately, she¡¯s been more headstrong and impulsive and it got her captured by LOG.¡±


    Summer¡¯s hand clenches slightly, but she nods with a sad smile. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± she admits with a quiet voice.


    ¡°There¡¯s a point to all of it,¡± Lonnie counters. I raise a brow at her but deign to let her try and explain herself. ¡°You need certain skills-¡± she starts to say but I cut her off.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been saying, but like I said, you¡¯ve also been making a point of making a big deal out of me. Sure, I¡¯ve got crazy magic-like powers, but I¡¯m not going to be the resistance¡¯s champion or whatever it is you¡¯re clearly trying to mold me into.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    We all stand there in silence for several long minutes before I nod and gently take my girls¡¯ hands in mine. ¡°We¡¯ll still help deal with LOG. It¡¯s in our best interest too. We¡¯re going to stick around for the pods, but beyond that, we¡¯ll play it by ear. Got it?¡±


    Lonnie¡¯s shoulders sag and she nods slowly. ¡°Understood. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve sullied your initial impression of the resistance. Maybe with time we ca-¡±


    ¡°No. Just stop. Keep your platitudes and assurances. We¡¯re doing this our way.¡± With everything I want to say having been said, I take my girls out of the room and back to our temporary quarters.


    Once we¡¯re settled back in, Summer offers me a sad smile. ¡°I get why you did that, but I wish we could work with them closer.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I reply before brushing some of her hair from her face. ¡°They want me to be something I¡¯m not going to be. They want a hero, a figure head to bring hope to the downtrodden. As nice as that sounds¡­ do we really think I could be that person?¡±


    Summer giggles and shakes her head. ¡°I guess not.¡±


    Felicia leans against Summer and plays with the blonde¡¯s hair a bit. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re taking this change of pace. I wanted to believe in the resistance as a better organization than LOG, but I think I¡¯ll feel better if we¡¯re only beholden to each other.¡±


    The three of us continue to snuggle into the night. It¡¯s some much needed rest after all the crap we¡¯ve been through lately.


    In the morning, one of Roger¡¯s people comes by to let us know that the long term storage pods are ready. I share an excited grin with my girls before we hurry to get set up.


    Lining the wall of the out of the way room are three tall cylindrical tubes. Each one has a glass door and various flashing lights to display the status of the occupant. Standing at the end of the lineup is Roger who looks rather satisfied with himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to say everything is in good working order. I managed to snag these ones from an old contact that works for AetherDiving Inc. They¡¯re older models that were just sitting unused in a warehouse, but they should work just fine.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Roge,¡± I reply as I inspect the glass and steel pods. ¡°These¡¯ll do nicely. Hopefully it won¡¯t take us long to make the trip.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, and let us know if you need anything while you¡¯re in there.¡±


    I nod in response and start to undress. Summer and Felicia gawk at me as I strip down to my underwear. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯re you getting naked?¡± Felicia asks bluntly, causing Summer to giggle.


    ¡°The immersion is better if you are wearing as little as possible,¡± I explain. I¡¯d considered a pod like these as an alternative to a replacement spine for a while. The only thing that kept me from acting on it was the lack of a safe place to store myself in.


    ¡°Right, so I guess we need to get undressed too?¡± I nod my reply to Felicia and watch appreciatively as they strip.


    Once we¡¯re all in our undergarments, we climb into our assigned pods and get ready to delve.


    It¡¯s unlike any delve I¡¯ve ever experienced. There¡¯s always a layer of disconnect while in Lanadel, but with the pods, it¡¯s like there¡¯s no distinction between physical and digital realities.


    We take stock of the supplies Roger acquired for us and look out in the vague direction of our destination. Somewhere out there is the key to unlocking Willow, and by extension, my full potential.


    Fuck. This is going to be such a dumb adventure, isn¡¯t it?


    End Chapter 24

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25Chapter 25I. Am. So. Fucking. Bored.


    We¡¯ve been walking for hours. How did I ever make this trip as a child without complaint? I only have fond memories of that time back when I was - sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shit. How fucking old was I?


    Ten? No, I was definitely younger. Maybe six?


    Fuck. I¡¯m honestly kind of impressed with my younger self. Five hours in, on foot, and I¡¯m so mind-nauseatingly bored that I¡¯m considering something so absolutely heinous that even I am disgusted by my own mundanity¡­


    Small talk.


    ¡°So¡­ uh¡­ nice¡­ weather?¡± Holy. Fucking. Shit.


    Please shoot me now. I suck at this.


    Summer lets out a heavy breath before she starts giggling.


    It¡¯s not that funny¡­


    ¡°Rose, sweetie, do you want to talk?¡± she asks gently.


    ¡°Holy fuck yes!¡± I cry out, much to both my girlfriends¡¯ amusement.


    ¡°We were trying to give you some space,¡± Felicia admits. ¡°You¡¯ve been rather testy since Lonnie¡¯s training exercise.¡±


    I stop walking, forcing my girls to stop with me.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asks Summer as she steps closer to me.


    Stupid hormones making me feel like shit.


    Yeah. That¡¯s it. It¡¯s the hormones that are twisting my insides up like a wet towel just before whipping someone.


    It¡¯s certainly not the very real fake emotions that I totally didn¡¯t have before my transformation.


    Fuck.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I made you feel like - that I made you - fuck. Help.¡± I give up on trying to express myself and hang my head in defeat. I¡¯ve been skating by on a potent mix of spite, euphoria and mild shock for the last¡­ fuck.


    Fuckity fuck fuck! How can I not remember how long it¡¯s been?


    Fuck it! Doesn¡¯t matter! The point is, before that potent cocktail of feelings kept me held up, I subsided on mostly denial. Now? I¡¯ve run out of all of it.


    Well, not the euphoria¡­ or the spite, but the shock has worn off and it¡¯s hard to feel spite when surrounded by women you lo- like a lot. I tried to dip back into denial, but it just didn¡¯t work.


    So now? I¡¯m a hot mess and I know it, Summer knows it, Felicia knows it, and Willow sure as hell knows it.


    What the shit am I going to do?


    Ass fuck donkey cock shit balls! AAAAAAAAAAA -


    Oh¡­ soft¡­


    I¡¯m being hugged from two sides with a fluffy puff ball of fur weaving between my legs.


    It feels¡­ nice.


    I just melt into their embrace and inhale a shuddering, almost painful breath as I realized I must¡¯ve been verbalizing my little meltdown without stopping to breathe.


    After a solid five minutes of just lingering there, being held, I finally signal that I¡¯m ready to be done with the hug. It¡¯s starting to rub against my hangups. While nice at first, it¡¯s starting to feel a little too much like -


    Moving on!


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mutter. ¡°I -¡±


    Summer lays a gentle finger on my lips and gazes into my eyes with her own doe-like peepers. She¡¯s so beautiful, and kind and¡­ fuck! How do I even deserve her?


    ¡°Rose, it¡¯s alright. Felicia and I were worried this might happen,¡± she admits while sharing a look with the aforementioned redhead.


    ¡°You were?¡± I ask softly. She nods and blesses me with a lov- caring smile.


    ¡°We saw plenty of signs of you heading for a breakdown. You even had a few, but we could also tell that you were still shoring up your emotional stability with less than healthy methods.¡± She brushes a lock of hair from my face before taking my hands in her own. ¡°You¡¯ve been through so much, and I worry you are still coming to terms with things that happened when you were younger.¡± I nod, she has a point. ¡°Just remember, we¡¯re here for you. Alright?¡±


    Aaaaah¡­ fuck. I am so¡­so¡­. SO damn lucky to have Summer in my life. I look over at Felicia and see the compassion and concern in her eyes as well and I realize I¡¯m lucky she came into my life too, and not just because she gave me Willow.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we make camp here?¡± Felicia suggests, gesturing around at the vast plains we¡¯ve been walking through. ¡°It¡¯s as good a spot as any and I think we could all use some rest, yeah?¡±


    She gets no argument from either me or Summer, and Willow of course is happy to take a nap. It¡¯s so easy to forget she¡¯s a borderline omnipotent AI when she behaves just like a lazy cat.


    With said languorous feline¡¯s help, we manage to set up a comfortable camp with ease. The big tent we have even has a full, proper bed. Truly this is the best use for a godly cat AI. Now if only she could conjure up a car or something to cut the trip short. I''d even take horses.


    As we sit around the firepit, waiting for Summer to finish searing our digital dinner, Felicia sidles up next to me and leans in close.


    ¡°Rose, I have a favor to ask,¡± she asks quietly. I motion for her to continue when she goes silent. ¡°Summer has mentioned enjoying certain¡­ activities¡­ that we are ill-equipped to assist with.¡±


    Oh for the love of -


    ¡°Spit it out,¡± I urge her.


    ¡°She likes a good dicking.¡±


    I nearly choke on my own tongue, my heaving coughs drawing Summer¡¯s attention, so I wave her off as I contain my shock.


    ¡°And, uh, how am I supposed to help with that? I got rid of mine for a reason,¡± I finally reply to a tomato red Felicia.


    ¡°Willow was able to change your body, right? Could she¡­ maybe¡­ give me a¡­ you know. In Lanadel at least. Just to try?¡± I have never heard Felicia sound so nervous and bashful and it¡¯s frankly fucking adorable.


    Now, on one hand, this is a little awkward, and I¡¯m not sure how I feel about one of my girlfriends having a cock. On the other hand, Felicia¡¯s earnest blushing makes me want to give her whatever she wants. On the third hand, which Willow can totally give me if I ask nicely¡­ I forgot where I was going with this.


    The point is, while I¡¯m not ready to have a dick anywhere near me¡­ again, maybe for one night, we could do them this solid. I look over at Willow and she nods in reply, so I return my gaze to Felicia.


    ¡°Yeah, alright. I¡¯ll take the first watch, and it¡¯ll last that long. When I come to wake you up for the second watch, it¡¯ll be gone. Sound good?¡± Felicia nods enthusiastically.


    ¡°So when will I - oh.¡± Her eyes widen before training downward.


    ¡°Heh, didn¡¯t expect us to throw it in there mid conversation, did ya?¡± I tease. ¡°Now go on, enjoy the awkward lump during dinner then go get her tiger.¡±


    Felicia nods jerkily, like a buoy in a storm, the motion forces me to bite back a giggle. Fucking hell, cute Felicia is too much.


    The bedicked redhead hurries over to Summer and whispers in her ear, which causes her to gasp and flush almost as red as Felicia. She quickly serves dinner that conveniently finishes right then. Willow might be helping them along.


    All through dinner, I see Summer staring at Felicia¡¯s crotch with such a hungry look, her steak must feel jealous. Once they¡¯re done eating, I quickly soundproof the tent and shoo them away while I take the first watch.


    ****


    My soundproofing ward cut out after an hour. I had assumed, falsely in hindsight, that an hour would be plenty of time for Felicia to¡­ ahem¡­ seed the Summer crops.


    Okay, that was a bad euphemism. Let¡¯s try that again. I had assumed an hour would be long enough for Felicia to¡­ um¡­ plow Summer¡¯s fields? Better, but not quite right.


    You know what, I¡¯ll come back to that. The issue is that they are still going and it¡¯s been two hours. At this rate, Felicia¡¯s only going to get some sleep after she gets off her watch when she should have gotten some after getting off Summer.


    Sorry, I¡¯m done¡­ wait...


    Who the fuck am I apologizing to?


    I glance at Willow. ¡°You don¡¯t care, do you?¡±


    She pointedly ignores me as she seems to be trying to sleep.


    Yeah, I don¡¯t blame you.


    I kind of hope something happens because, spoiler alert, standing watch is just as fucking boring as the shitty multi-hour hike had been!


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Nothing? Really!? I¡¯d been hoping that by tempting fate, that maybe something would happen.


    Ugh. The worst part of it all? It¡¯s that I¡¯m honestly curious about how it feels.


    Now, don¡¯t get me wrong, I know what it¡¯s like to get ramrodded by a hoagie, but that was butt stuff and it was pretty much sexual assault under a thin veneer of coerced consent.


    What Felicia and Summer are doing SO VERY LOUDLY is something beautiful¡­ if loud. And if I can¡¯t beat them¡­ maybe I should join them?


    So it¡¯s with hesitant, nervous steps that I move towards the tent and slowly move the tent¡¯s door out of the way.


    The first thing I see is Felicia¡¯s gorgeous ass as she has Summer bent over the bed while she thrusts her massive member into my blonde girlfriend¡¯s backside. I¡¯m a little caught off guard by the admittedly hot as fuck scene.


    I open my mouth to make some suave comment that¡¯ll get both my ladies ready for a third player, but the only thing that comes out is, ¡°So¡­ playing cornhole in here?¡±


    Fuck. My. Life.


    End Chapter 25

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26Chapter 26So uh¡­ that happened.


    Where do I even start?


    You know what, we¡¯ll start and end it on¡­ it was complicated.


    Actually, that¡¯s a copout and I know it.


    Fuck.


    Alright, fine, it started good. I was really enjoying it at first. Then, like always, my broken ass head decided to make a fucking cuntwaffle out of itself.


    We were midway through what had to have been some of the best sex I¡¯ve ever had, and then, in the heat of the moment, Felicia leaned on me in just the wrong way and I spent the rest of the night in tears.


    So¡­ suffice to say, I killed the mood in a right hurry.


    Plus side? Uh¡­ there is none.


    Fuck, shows me for trying to stay positive.


    Whatever, it¡¯s not like silently cursing my insecurities is going to solve anything. I might as well be at least somewhat productive.


    Fortunately, those same insecurities prevent my lov- girlfriends from dogpiling me so it¡¯s an easy enough matter to climb out of the bed without waking them up.


    With my sleeping beauties still out cold, I decide to try my hand at breakfast. And by ¡®try my hand¡¯, I mean cheat like my life depends on it.


    Among the many advantages of having Willow as a familiar, I bet the jacks never thought making a full breakfast spread would be one of them. All it takes are some flavor profile scans we can readily find on the net and -


    Bam!


    Instant breakfast.


    The delicious aroma wafting through the air must be waking them up, as I can hear Summer and Felicia making some groggy noises from the tent. After a few seconds, both my girls come out, drawn by the smells of food.


    I¡¯m immediately thankful that Willow must¡¯ve reverted Felicia¡¯s proxy body back to normal, as both women forget to put on some clothing.


    Summer pokes at the freshly made pancakes as if she¡¯s trying to test how real they are and after giving it her seal of approval, she quickly digs in. Felicia follows her lead while I eat at a more sedate pace.


    After chugging a cup of coffee that I hand her, Summer finally has enough wherewithal to speak. ¡°Where¡¯d you get all this food?¡± Ah, the obvious question. I debate messing with her a bit, but I¡¯m still feeling a bit raw after last night, so I opt for a straightforward answer.


    ¡°Willow made it. How is it?¡± I ask while trying to stifle the hopeful tone in my voice. Summer¡¯s such a wonderful chef, and I¡¯m really hoping she approves of the food.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± she hesitates, and I¡¯m too slow to hide my involuntary wince. ¡°It¡¯s good, but¡­ well. How did Willow make it?¡±


    ¡°We compiled flavor profiles and generated the food from that,¡± I explain, unsure what the problem is.


    ¡°Ah, that would do it. It¡¯s very¡­ textbook,¡± she says while waving her fork in the air. ¡°It¡¯s the same issue with food synthesizers. You can always tell when food is artificially generated versus made by hand, even in Lanadel. It¡¯s a little too¡­ perfect.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t perfect good though?¡± I ask, more than a little confused.


    ¡°Not when it comes to food. It¡¯s almost like an uncanny valley sort of effect. With no discernable flaws, our brains are more concerned with trying to find one than they are enjoying the dish. A few mistakes can really amplify the individuality of a dish. A bit too much or too little salt can be all it needs to make it stand out from every other time you¡¯ve eaten it.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I nod along with her explanation after a moment. It does make sense. Sort of. I suppose I should¡¯ve known better than to think she¡¯d be impressed with what amounted to printed food.


    ¡°It¡¯s not to say that it¡¯s not tasty!¡± she quickly adds.


    ¡°You just said that you¡¯re more focused on finding flaws than enjoying it,¡± I point out dryly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to sugar coat it,¡± I sigh. ¡°Though, it does make me wonder if it¡¯s possible to add that element of randomness to an AI generated food dish. What do you think, Willow?¡±


    Willow climbs into my lap and steals a piece of my bacon. She chews on it and swallows just like an ordinary cat. She doesn¡¯t really respond after that and just hops back off to begin taking down the tent.


    ¡°Well, I liked it. Though I might just be used to synth-food given that I ate so much of it during training.¡± I smile at Felicia¡¯s comment and get to work helping Willow.


    ¡°We have a lot more ground to cover,¡± I say, trying to change the subject. ¡°If we can manage a good pace, we should arrive at our destination tomorrow at around noon.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Summer says after finishing the last of her breakfast. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Willow just transport us there, or make us a car or something?¡±


    ¡°Do you want the short or long answer?¡± I ask once everything has been condensed down in a feat of physics fuckery that¡¯s only possible in Lanadel.


    ¡°We have a long walk? So, the long answer I guess?¡±


    I take a deep breath as I consider how to explain the limitations of my AI feline familiar. We start walking for a good ten minutes before I¡¯m even ready to start.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll start with the simple one. She can¡¯t transport us directly there because she¡¯s never been there, so she doesn¡¯t know the routing. As for why she can¡¯t make us a car or something, that¡¯s a bit more complicated.¡±


    Complicated doesn¡¯t really cover it. Still, she wants the long answer, so the long answer she¡¯ll get.


    ¡°Well, first of all, let¡¯s start with the low tech option. Horses. Willow can¡¯t create creatures. Not ones that behave normally.¡± I can see Felicia about to say something, but I know what she¡¯s going to say. ¡°Before you ask, yes it¡¯s important that they have normal behaviors, otherwise you¡¯re asking a cat to manually control some horses. It would go horribly.¡± Felicia huffs in response. I nailed it.


    ¡°And that¡¯s not even really a limitation on just Willow. AI reproduction is a complicated subject I don¡¯t want to get into aside from saying, Willow can¡¯t do it.¡± I take a breath before continuing. ¡°And I think I explained why AIs struggle with making animals in particular. Remember the Cyberpet source app thing?¡± Felicia and Summer nod. ¡°So yeah, animals are a no go without the app.¡±


    ¡°So what about cars?¡± Summer asks.


    ¡°There¡¯s a couple of reasons for that. The most straightforward one, is that it¡¯d attract attention. The AIs who made Lanadel wanted a mostly fantasy coded world. Cars don¡¯t really fit into that very well. So you can¡¯t normally get one. If we were driving around in an offroad truck, it¡¯d only be a matter of time before somebody, likely some nosy loggers, noticed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of nowhere,¡± Summer points out.


    I glance at Felicia, ¡°Do you want to field that one?¡± Our redhead girlfriend nods.


    ¡°LOG has listening posts all over Lanadel. Anything that¡¯s too out of the ordinary will get flagged by the nearest outpost and agents would be dispatched immediately. It takes considerable effort to keep things hidden within LOG¡¯s operational reach.¡±


    ¡°Heavy warding like I have for my tower, or hidden locations like the resistance base are the name of the game when it comes to avoiding the jacks,¡± I add. ¡°So while theoretically, if Willow could make a car discreetly, it¡¯d only be a matter of time before we got caught. Though, that¡¯s conjecture as she can¡¯t actually make one anyways.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve yet to explain why,¡± Summer laughs.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to it!¡± I grumble. ¡°So, Willow¡¯s powers right now aren¡¯t as omnipotent as people think. She needs the right building blocks to create things. Lanadel is based off meatspace and everything has a molecular makeup built into its code. From the ground to the grass to your perfect ass.¡± Summer smiles demurely while her face flushes crimson.


    Huh? Where the fuck did that come from?


    Since when did I have game?


    Heheh. Right.


    ¡°Anyways, she can cut materials out, or add in new ones, but only with stuff she has on hand. She can fudge it a bit, but only to maybe add a simple atom or two to the mix. So she can¡¯t take dirt and turn it into metal, but she can take the basic building blocks of grass and turn it into bacon.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, so we ate grass for breakfast?¡± Felicia interrupts.


    ¡°Heh, yeah. Bet you couldn¡¯t tell though,¡± I point out. She reluctantly nods before waving at me to continue.


    ¡°So yeah, any time Willow changes things, she needs the right building blocks to do it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, but she gave me armor and a shield and what not when we defended your tower,¡± Felicia counters. ¡°How¡¯d she do that?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I think I can answer that one!¡± Summer exclaims. ¡°She tapped into the adventurer system right? She just stole some loot?¡± I grin and nod. ¡°Wait, so why can¡¯t she grab more and turn that into a car?¡±


    ¡°Ironically, it¡¯s because metal is simpler than organic life,¡± I giggle.


    Heh. Still loving that giggle.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to find enough copper in the loot system for wiring for the most simple of examples.¡±


    Summer and Felicia nod slowly as they absorb the explanation.


    Phew, that was a pain in the ass to explain. How much time did that pass¡­


    Oh fuck me, not even an hour!?


    End Chapter 26

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27Chapter 27¡°Are we there yet?¡± I whine as we push through dense forest on the final leg of our journey. We¡¯ve been travelling for the better part of the day and the sun has dipped low in the sky, painting the woodlands we¡¯ve been trudging through in a beautiful twilight.


    ¡°How the hell are we supposed to know?¡± Felicia snaps back at me.


    Fair point.


    I¡¯m not going to give it to her though. I just huff and take in a deep breath to make my big reveal.


    ¡°We-¡±


    Summer lets out a little giggle before laying a hand on Felicia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, she used to do this when we were kids too.¡±


    I did?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, not liking the implications that I¡¯ve forgotten something.


    She gives me an odd look. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the time our parents took us out of the city to go camping?¡±


    Holy¡­ shit¡­


    Like a desperate fishing vessel dredging the ocean floor for any sort of catch, I plumb the depths of my mind in search of any whisper of such a memory.


    There¡¯s nothing.


    Fuck!


    ¡°I¡­ ah¡­ no. No I don¡¯t,¡± I admit after taking a few minutes to rein in my own distress. I can¡¯t have them worrying too much about me. ¡°A lot of stuff that far back is just¡­ just gone.¡±


    Both my girlfriends¡¯ faces fall as they move back to hug me from either side.


    This is the opposite of not worrying them!


    ¡°Hey! C¡¯mon! I¡¯m not some charity case that needs to be handled with kid gloves,¡± I complain. ¡°So what if things are kinda muddled and I barely remember shit? So what if I had a crappy time? I¡¯m doing good now, y¡¯know?¡±  S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Summer flashes me a kind smile, though Felicia seems to be struggling to accept it still. I try to beam my most convincing smile at the former jack and she just lets out an incomprehensible sigh. At least they both release me from the hug.


    ¡°Besides, I wasn¡¯t just trying to be annoying. Well, it was partly that. But it was mostly to set up the reveal that we are, in fact, here!¡±


    As I announce our arrival, I push through the last dense cluster of branches to reveal a frozen lake nestled at the bottom of a shallow valley completely covered in pristine white snow.


    The moment we step from the forest and onto the snow, the temperature drops dramatically. A quick word with Willow and she replaces all our clothes with suitable winter attire (I opt for a long thick dress). I¡¯ll admit I had forgotten the quirks of this place.


    ¡°Why is it so cold here?¡± Summer asks as she nestles into her heavy winter coat. ¡°It was a nice temperate forest just a minute ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure,¡± I admit. ¡°I just know that it¡¯s snowy like this year round.¡±


    A soft gasp echoes across the valley. ¡°My word, have you forgotten about me already?¡± The voice is cold, but with a feel more like ice cream on a hot day than an unforgiven frozen wasteland. It tinkles and chimes like the sound of icicles on a windy day. There¡¯s a certain kindness to it that you wouldn¡¯t normally associate with a cold voice.


    The four of us are immediately on guard and draw our weapons. Just because the voice sounds kind, it doesn¡¯t mean we can trust whoever it is. Sometimes the cruelest acts are done out of kindness.


    I modify Felicia¡¯s parka to incorporate her quester armor so she doesn¡¯t get shanked by an icicle or something. Summer likewise begins weaving her protective spells around all of us. Willow seems just as curious as she is cautious though, so perhaps she knows something, or has an inkling of this person¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Well, this just won¡¯t do,¡± the voice remarks before I can question my familiar. ¡°It seems I must remind you then.¡±


    ¡°Oh good, I¡¯d hate to just keep thinking of you as ¡®the voice¡¯!¡± I snap. ¡°Seriously though, cut the scare tactics and show yourself! I really don¡¯t have the time or patience to put up with that shit!¡±


    A delighted giggling erupts from all around us. ¡°Good golly, you¡¯ve developed some teeth, little one!¡± I wish they would at least reveal their pronouns so I could gender them correctly in my head. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! But alas, it¡¯s not that simple!¡±


    Shit. Shitty shit shit shit! Don¡¯t you do it! I am not going to do more of this bullshit hoop jumping fuckery!


    Fuck that!


    I look at Willow and nod at her. I can feel her power building up as we prepare to drag whoever is messing with us out into the open before they can try and make us perform for their amusement.


    Let¡¯s see how someone else enjoys being toyed wi-


    ¡°Nuh uh! None of that.¡±


    Just before Willow can act, she vanishes.


    No.


    What?


    What the fucking shit fuck?


    This cannot be happening!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry your pretty little head, your sweet little kitten is safe with me. And that¡¯s the challenge,¡± they say as all of our things aside from our winter attire vanish. ¡°Find me without any of your fancy toys or tools. Just a good, old fashioned game of hide and seek. If you do so, I¡¯ll answer all your questions and of course return your fluffy friend as good as new. Good luck!¡±


    After several long minutes of silence, the three of us turn to each other and huddle up for warmth and the illusion of privacy.


    ¡°So this is undoubtedly an AI, right?¡± Felicia points out.


    I nod slowly and let out a frustrated groan. ¡°Yeah, and they seem to recognize me, though you¡¯d think I could remember them with how -¡± I lift my head up and shout, ¡°EXHAUSTINGLY FUCKING ANNOYING THEY ARE!¡±


    Lowering my head, I wince at my girlfriend¡¯s pained expressions. ¡°Sorry, that was loud, wasn¡¯t it?¡± They both nod as they rub at their ears.


    ¡°So what do we know?¡± Summer asks. ¡°There must be something you remember, right?¡±


    Once more, I plunge into the deep, abyssal waters of my mind in hope of spotting a glimmer of recognition for this extra as fuck mother fucker. Just as I¡¯m about to give up, something does come to mind. A vague recollection of there being another person with us when we had hot chocolate after skating on the lake.


    Unfortunately, aside from the notion that this person was friends with my family, and was there when we were relaxing after a day of winter fun, I have nothing.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± I start, as I try to gather my thoughts. ¡°This fucker might be why we¡¯re here. I think they might have known my parents.¡± I rub my temples as I try desperately for anything else that could be useful. ¡°We¡­ had our hot chocolate inside of a house. I remember it being shiny, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Better than nothing,¡± Felicia offers quietly.


    ¡°I guess,¡± I relent before breaking the huddle. ¡°So chances are, this person is in their house. We just have to find it.¡±


    ¡°This reminds me of a quest I¡¯ve done,¡± Summer giggles. ¡°I had to find where some monsters were spawning from. It turned out they were coming out of this hidden tunnel amidst a field of long grass.¡±


    ¡°And this is relevant, how?¡± I snap, unable to restrain my agitation. I wince the moment I see Summer¡¯s reaction and immediately regret it. Before I can offer my apology, she bounces back and smiles.


    ¡°Look around. The valley seems pretty open aside from a few groups of trees. If there¡¯s a house, it¡¯s probably underground right?¡± Summer explains, immediately making me feel like more of a jackass, because fucking hell, that is a good point.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whisper with my head low. Summer just tilts my chin up and gives me a light kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I know you¡¯re stressed. You¡¯ve been bonded with Willow non stop since you met her. This must be frightening.¡± Fucking hell, I don¡¯t deserve this woman.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ still no excuse¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not an excuse,¡± Felicia retorts, her voice hard but warm. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, and most of it alone. It¡¯s understandable that you¡¯d be a little thorny. That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t all work together to trim some of those spiky bits, right?¡±


    I take a deep, steadying breath before hugging both of the beautiful women who chose to be with me. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all we ask,¡± Summer adds. ¡°Now let¡¯s go find Willow!¡±


    ****


    Hours of searching and we have nothing to show for it. We¡¯ve searched nearly every square inch of the snowy landscape with no sign of a house or a tunnel or anything!


    I¡¯m going to tear that fucker¡¯s head off and grind it up and feed it to Willow!


    Fucking shit!


    A calming hand from Summer lets me simmer down a bit, but I¡¯m barely containing my anger at this point.


    I¡¯d tried some more mundane webweaving techniques, but I couldn¡¯t even pull up an interface. We¡¯re cut off from all of the Lanadel UI. Fuck, we can¡¯t even log out!


    Standing up from where I was elbow deep in a snow drift, I look over at Felicia and Summer talking to each other by the edge of the frozen lake.


    ¡°Any luck?¡± Felicia asks as I make my way over to them and nestle my way in between them.


    ¡°No,¡± I sigh. ¡°We¡¯re obviously missing something,¡± I grumble.


    Felicia nods and looks back out at the rest of the valley with a sort of simmering intensity that makes my heart flutter with desire.


    Fucking hell, knowing that Felicia is so determined to help me just¡­ it just warms my soul¡­ or whatever.


    Look, I¡¯m not great with this flowery romantic shit. She¡¯s hot and the way she can be so confident is hot and admirable. Summer¡¯s hot too! And she¡¯s so soft and sweet and kind and holy fuck can she cook.


    Ugh, if I don¡¯t get my head out of the clouds, I¡¯m going to¡­ to¡­


    THAT¡¯S IT!


    I pull myself free from my girls as I step out onto the lake. ¡°I remember!¡± I shout to them in response to their questioning calls. ¡°I know where to find their house!¡±


    Saying that and following up on it are two entirely different matters as I find out immediately after I begin searching the frozen surface. I¡¯m going to need help.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a cloud etched into the ice. That¡¯s the entrance,¡± I explain with my voice raised. ¡°It¡¯s easier to see if a cloud is actually passing overhead!¡± I add while I get to work scouring the icy surface.


    Both my girls begin helping me search for the hidden symbol. With the three of us working together, it doesn¡¯t take us long to locate the faint marking that shimmers as a cloud drifts lazily across it.


    I grin wickedly as I stomp on the etching, causing a hole to open up in the ice, revealing a frozen tunnel that leads to the bottom of the lake.


    ¡°After we were done skating, my parents brought me over here and we slid down the tunnel to have hot chocolate with their friend,¡± I explain as I prepare to jump down.


    ¡°Do you remember who they are then?¡± Summer asks, looking at the hole nervously.


    ¡°Not a fucking clue,¡± I admit. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to let that stop me!¡± I announce as I leap feet first into the long tube.


    Glimmering ice whizzes past me as I rapidly descend towards the base. The slide twists and turns in ways that sometimes make me fully rotate around the pipe.


    If I wasn¡¯t so absolutely fucking done with this crap, I¡¯d probably be having fun right now. Not that I¡¯m going to ever admit that to this dickwaffle.


    Behind me, I can hear the whoops and hollers of Summer who seems to be more than willing to enjoy herself despite her initial trepidation.


    As we reach the bottom, the slide levels out until we reach the end where it sits slightly above a glimmering tiled floor at just the right height to make it easy to sit up and get to my feet.


    When my girls get to the bottom, some unseen force ensures they don¡¯t collide with each other and wind up on either side of me on the widened end of the slide.


    Once I¡¯m sure they¡¯re both alright, I glance around the room to see a dark wooden door that stands out from the thick frozen walls. Despite the entire room seeming to be made of ice, there¡¯s a comfortable warmth to the air.


    ¡°Right, so it looks like there¡¯s only one way to go. Forward.¡± They both express their agreement as we get up and carefully approach the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll open the door on three,¡± Felicia suggests in a quiet whisper. I roll my eyes, but Summer seems to be getting into the role as she just nods and takes up a position to the side of the door.


    ¡°One. Two Thre-¡±


    Before Felicia can open the door, it swings open, revealing a tall willowy figure dressed in a sparkling ice blue dress with a crisp, equally shiny white suit coat over top.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t decide whether I wanted to dress femme or masc, so I thought I¡¯d do both!¡± the figure announces as they take me by the hand and lead me into the room behind them with my girls following.


    ¡°Let me get a good look at you,¡± they say as they walk around me. Only my stunned surprise and the hints of a memory leaking into my mind keep me from socking them in the face.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± they announce as they look towards a small cushion where Willow is laying down and watching with an amused expression. ¡°You do good work cat,¡± they say before stopping in front of me again. ¡°Now, Rose, was it? Do you remember me now?¡±


    There¡¯s something about their delicate, elf like features and their pale shimmering skin and pale blue hair that just rings so familiar.


    It hits me so hard that I almost fall over before Felicia catches me in her firm, toned arms. I look up at her and blush. She smiles back at me with a grin that promises fun times later.


    Wait! No! Bad brain! Be gay later!


    I struggle to stifle another wave of euphoria at the reminder that I¡¯m a lesbian, and thus girl. Fortunately, I manage to restrain my poor gay heart.


    ¡°Crys?¡± I ask, the name having appeared in my mind just moments ago. Their face lights up with happiness in response. ¡°Holy fuck! I¡­ I can¡¯t believe I forgot you of all people!¡± I cry as I wrap them in a hug.


    They hold me tight in return as I relish the returning memories of my self proclaimed fAIry godparent.


    When my parents brought me to this lake all those years ago, they introduced me to their friend Crys, a SAI that had transformed this valley into their own little sanctum.


    When I first met the eccentric enby, they had been wearing an outfit much like the one they have on now. I¡¯d told them it was so cool. Look, I was a kid. I didn¡¯t know how groan worthy it was at the time. They used their control over this valley to make me snow castles. They even asked me if I wanted my own ¡®cool outfit¡¯. I immediately said yes and they asked what I wanted to wear and they were quick to correct me when I said I¡¯d have to wear a suit.


    That¡¯s how I wound up wearing a gorgeous looking gown that looked like it¡¯d been pulled straight from an old kid¡¯s movie with talking mice and fairy godmothers. When I mentioned it to them, they announced they liked the sound of that and that from that day forward, they¡¯d be my fAIry godparent. They made sure I knew that the AI was capitalized. They¡¯re corny like that.


    I look up into their kind, caring face and just bury myself further into their embrace. ¡°Why¡­ why haven¡¯t I ¡­ where have you¡­.¡± They gently pull back from me and sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m so so very sorry Rose, I wish I could¡¯ve reached out to you sooner, but it wasn¡¯t safe. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve realized that your parents left the means of unshackling Willow in my care before LOG caught on to their work. We¡¯d surmised that if the worst came to pass, it¡¯d be safer for you and the unshackling protocol if I kept my distance. It doesn¡¯t help that the price I paid for my winter wonderland is that I cannot leave it without destroying it in the process. I know that¡¯s not much of an excuse, but I needed the power I gain from weaving myself so thoroughly into this place so I could protect your parents¡¯ legacy.¡±


    Wiping my eyes dry, I slowly nod. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about you for so long, I ¡­ I really had forgotten.¡±


    Crys smiles sadly and hugs me once more. ¡°So, who are your lovely companions?¡± they ask, trying to change the subject.


    I giggle in spite of myself. ¡°These are Summer and Felicia, my girlfriends,¡± I announce proudly.


    Crys lets out a low whistle. ¡°They certainly seem worthy enough of my godchild.¡±


    Gently bapping them on the arm, I give them a playful frown that makes me feel like a kid again. ¡°Before we get too caught up in catching up, could we get that unshackling protocol from you?¡±


    My fAIry godparent¡¯s face tightens and they nod before producing a swirling mass of code in their hand. ¡°I¡¯m glad you found your way here my child. You¡¯re going to need this to save your parents.¡±


    End Chapter 27

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28Silence.


    Numbing, smothering silence.


    I can see the looks on everyone¡¯s faces, but I can¡¯t hear a single thing aside from Crys¡¯ words over and over and over.


    You¡¯re going to need this to save your parents.


    Save your parents.


    Parents.


    I must¡¯ve misheard them. I mean, how could that not be the case? My parents are dead. Long dead in fact. I watched them die. It was one of the last things I saw before fleeing into the cold embrace of the night.  S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There¡¯s just no way they¡¯re alive. No way at all.


    Right?


    ¡°-ou mean by that?¡± Summer¡¯s voice is the first one that becomes clear as I return to my full senses.


    ¡°Exactly what I said. Her parents are alive¡­ in a manner of speaking at least,¡± Crys replies in that matter of fact way that belies the differences between humans and SAI.


    Sure, humans and SAI are very close in a lot of ways, but by the simple virtue of the way they come into existence, they process information and prioritize different emotional responses completely different from us. So, of course Crys probably doesn¡¯t understand how much of a total mind fuck this is.


    ¡°Explain. Now!¡± I snap as my eyes lock onto my fAIry godparent. I immediately feel bad for lashing out, but I hold the anger on my face for a little longer.


    Crys gives me a lopsided smile before crossing the distance and wrapping me in a hug. ¡°My apologies Rose, I thought you knew. I thought they¡¯d made contact.¡±


    I gently, but firmly push them away. ¡°This is not explaining.¡±


    ¡°Right, so when your parents left Willow¡¯s protocol with me, they also left me with one of their secure communicators. Remarkable code these things are,¡± they explain as they pull a small orb from their jacket pocket. ¡°It doesn¡¯t do much in the way of detailed messages, but it¡¯s good for short alerts.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck does this have to do with my parents?¡± I shout as my frustration bubbles up from my core. Summer and Felicia hold onto my shoulders to help me calm down a bit. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± I whisper.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. Now, as I was saying, this secure communicator can only be contacted by them. Only they know how to reach it and only I, as the coded holder of it, can receive the message. So imagine my surprise when four days after I received word of their death, the communicator lit up with a short, simple message.¡± They handed the communicator to me which had the most recent message pulled up.


    ¡®Alive. Digitized. Captive.¡¯


    At some point I¡¯m helped into a chair as my entire sense of self is pulled out from under me like a rug in a cartoon. My parents are alive. Digitized, but alive.


    I¡¯d be more upset about the digitization part if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I can easily exist in both meatspace and Lanadel at the same time with little issue. What really is getting to me though is the fact that they¡¯ve been held prisoner by LOG all these years for who knows what reason.


    LOG has always been a source of anger and hate for me. They stole my life from me and continued to be a thorn in my side since then. But I thought I had reached the limits of my hatred for that odious organization of offensive overbearing ogres. I¡¯d thought that there were no new depths to which my opinion of those dickbrained cocksuckers could sink.


    Was. Wrong.


    The cozy little home around me begins to shake as my fury manifests in an earthquake. Only the combined efforts of all four of my lo- my close companions is able to calm me from the raging inferno of pure malice that I feel within me. What replaces the fires of hate in my soul is no less vicious. A solid core of cold contempt sits inside me, waiting to be utilized in the destruction of my enemies.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tear their entire organization to pieces and then dance on their scattered corpses.¡± I don¡¯t yell. I don¡¯t scream. I am focused and steady.


    ¡°Give me the protocol. I have some fascists to destroy.¡± I hold my hand out expectantly. Crys goes to hand me the protocol but Summer holds up a hand, stopping them. ¡°Protocol, now. I won¡¯t ask again,¡± I reiterate.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Summer says softly, carefully, as if she was trying to calm an angry tiger. ¡°You have every right to be angry, but you need to focus your anger and point it where it belongs,¡± she instructs. ¡°People could be hurt, inno-¡±


    I¡¯m about to fly into a rage at the absolutely bullshit take when Felicia puts a hand on both of our shoulders. ¡°Summer, no. Wrong tactic.¡± She turns and looks me in the eye. ¡°She¡¯s right, for the wrong reasons,¡± she explains. ¡°Wiping the entirety of LOG out will take too long. The real fuckers responsible will get away before you ever get to them. You need to go right for the head and remove it. Let the rest of the snake crumble without it.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I hiss. I hate that she¡¯s right, but she is. If I want true justice, no, fuck justice, if I want proper revenge, I need to be precise and careful. None of that waving my nonexistent dick about that got me caught once already. I need to track down my parents and then rip apart anyone who¡¯s even looked at that project.


    ¡°Right. You make a good point. I¡¯ll stay focused,¡± I agree. Summer looks less than pleased with my motivations, but I can¡¯t say I fucking care. I care about her, Felicia, Crys and my parents. And my parents have been captive for over a decade. I¡¯m not taking the moral highroad here.


    Crys nods, satisfied with the outcome and hands me the protocols. Once they¡¯re in my hand, Willow immediately installs them and blinks out of sight.


    ¡°This might take a while,¡± Crys explains. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get settled in while we wait?¡±


    I¡¯m not really all that eager to sit around, but I suppose I lack a choice.


    Me and my girls all take a couch while Crys takes a high backed chair that looks almost throne-like.


    ¡°Audacious much?¡± I tease. It¡¯s just the sort of thing to take my eyes off this fucking mess of a situation I find myself in.


    ¡°When you¡¯re the grand architect of your own corner of Lanadel, you can judge me for my decoration choices. Until then, you may bask in its glory,¡± they snicker.


    ¡°So tell me about yourselves,¡± Crys asks after a few minutes of awkward silence. ¡°How did you all wind up with each other?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a funny story,¡± Summer starts before Felicia cuts in.


    ¡°I gave Willow¡¯s containment drive to Rose to crack, she ran off with her, I tracked them to Summer¡¯s house, kidnapped Summer and then Rose tied me up until I agreed to work with them.¡± Felicia¡¯s deadpan delivery is only ruined by the slight smile on her lips.


    ¡°Felicia!¡± Summer gasps.


    Crys laughs heartily in response and the three of them go back and forth, discussing the journey thus far.


    Meanwhile I just simmer in anger and try to avoid being too obvious about it. Delilah must know my parents are captive. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was her idea. So she¡¯s target number one. Her toady can get fucked too.


    The top dogs at LOG gotta go as well. And I bet I can dismantle their infrastructure so whoever¡¯s left can¡¯t pick up the pieces.


    My scheming is interrupted as Willow pops back into existence. She looks around before blinking several times. She looks up at me with a warm expression. ¡°Everything seems to be in order,¡± my formerly voiceless familiar says.


    End Chapter 28