Chapter 345: Alexanders leaves the stage… for now.

"I think that's about it." [Meat shield]… Was he still a [Meat Shield] he was more meaty than before for one, but he was not a shieldy as before, he looked kinda fleshy, "Do I need to do something to lock it in?"

"You can either save it on the device, or if you link the device to your phone or terminal you can save it there." [Big Brother] answered looking up and down the former [Meat Shield].

He now looked like a normie, a muscular normie, but somehow he didn't have the same vibe as [Sam] that made Alexa feel all weird, and since they didn't have Alexandra to compare and Ale was not available… or well, she was still on the TV looking around, but Alexa had still not managed to reconnect as normal.

She didn't want to use the route that the porple woman had given them, that was eeeevvviiiilllll after all.

"Otherwise you can ask Albireo or Craddle to lock it in for you… If they are busy you can try with Cardinal too I guess." [Big Brother] then turned to the TV, "I guess Ale could do it too? If she wants."

"[I guess?]" Ale said from the TV, "[Let me… yeah I can lock it in, weird.]"

"It's not weird!" Alexa chimed on from the side, "Ale is coolz like that after all."

Alexa of course would believe that it was not weird, since it was Ale, so she hit her chestto with pride while she nodded, as expected from Ale, the second smartest people Alexa knew, only second to [Big Brother]!

"Thank you." [Meat Shield] then turned to [Big Brother] as he spoke, his face still looked stiff, "Honestly… Can I take pictures with this? Will they look normal? I want to send a couple to… my family."

"Yeah you can." [Big Brother] nodded seriously, "My tech holds to anything current gen, the touch is something I'll work on, but I suspect you may not needed by when I get it ready…"

"[Of course he won't. I think we will already have solved the issue by then.]" Ale chimed from the TV, "[Still, work on that will you.]"

"Aye sir!" [Big Brother] did a mock salute at the TV. "So, this will fool most visual exam and cameras. I would suggest you either make the skin look somewhat shiny or rugged, so people think they feel stone because of a [Core Power], you could also make a faint force armor like [SuperForce], [Chrysalis] or [Stellar]. And pass as a [Core User] of their type."

"I knew SuperForce and Chrysalis had similar powers. But Stellar too?" [Fan Girl] was surprised from that? "I have spoken with that girl, she didn't give me the same vibes as those other two."

"Heh." [Big Brother] merely smirked as he laughed under his breath, "You don't need to think or even be similar to someone to have the same type of power, if it was like that, then every single Saintsworths would have the same [Core Power]. And that would be hell."

"I imagine, all the Saintsworths with Lightning power would be a menace." [Fan Girl] shuddered at the image.

"Oh… I am not the first [Core User] in the Saintsworths." [Big Brother] corrected, "The first recorded Saintsworths with a [Core User] had super strength, invulnerability, flight, super regeneration and he could derive his power from absorbing Theta Radiation."

"Theta radiation? That's a thing?" [Fan Girl] was confused at that.

"Theta?" Alexa was too, she didn't… she didn't have that on her database.

"That's how they used to call Mana. Before I came around anyway." [Big Brother] shrugged, "Point is. The guy got stronger the more dense the mana around was, he was planning to drench the world on it before we understood. Some scientist within the Conglomerate think he is the reason the actual [Core Trigger] event got so popularized that everyone and their grandmother wants to find how to trigger. Some even go as far as theorizing he is the one who popularized the [Wish] theory."

"…Of course it would be a Saintsworths." [Fan Girl] hmphed while shaking her head, "So what. The guy wanted more Core users to get more powerful? Who was he?"

"The hell if I know." [Big Brother] answered with a shrug, "We killed him, spread the ashes across the solar system and erased all data relevant about him. I only know that he is a thing because there are protocols in place to keep some data of him alive, just in case."

"In case…?" [Meat Shield] asked as he fiddled with his phone, his face changing from the stoic one to a questioning one.

"In case he manages to return of course." [Big Brother] then snapped a new blue screen into existence.

"[You think there is more to their power.]" Ale said nodding, "[Some aspect that could potentially grant him a degree of either regeneration or immortality.]"

"That is the consensus."[Big Brother] nodded, "We know he wanted to rule for eternity. He was a Saintsworths after all, and most of those that lead or are at a high spot within the Conglomerate wants this to some degree, some hide it better than others of course."

"Included you?" [Fan Girl] smirked at [Big Brother] when she said that, "What's your strategy?"

"For immortality?" [Big Brother] smirked back at her, "Simple, I'll double tap all my enemies and ensure no one can kill me. Easy."

"Of course, surely you don't have a whole facility dedicated to the gestation of artificial bodies. Another one dedicated to digitalizing the mind and a third one to implant said minds into those bodies to create a pseudo immortality." [Fan Girl] sarcastically said.

"Of course not." [Big Brother] answered with a shake of his head and pointing at the TV he added, "The first is not a facility, but a wing of the health department, they aren't gestating whole bodies but organs… You can make them turn to full bodies if you want with a couple tweaks."

Ale on the TV nodded sagely, Alexa also nodded of course, it wasn't that hard. The [Human] body was some flesh, a couple weird organs and tons of water after all. It was not rocket science.

"The scanning and digitalizing of the mind was resolved around ten years ago I think?" [Big Brother] turned to the TV, "Can you check that Ale? You should have access to the main Saintsworths data cluster right now, since you are using a device that Sapphire prepared."

"[Let me check…]" Ale then turned to the side and pulled a holopad, messing with it a couple seconds before answering, "[Yeah, you don't need a building either. You can get most of what you need easily enough actually… Do you mind if I copy a couple of these?]"

"Go nuts, the technology is more or less anti-ethical and it really isn't that useful." [Big Brother] shook his head and then while Ale was copying whatever she wanted, "As for moving those digitalized minds into new bodies… That is not possible, most of those that tried ended up crazy, killed themselves or turned psychopath. There has been maybe two? Perhaps three cases where the subject didn't just die or turn psycho. And none are reproducible, even if we replicate the circumstances to the last atom of air in the room."

Then sighing, [Big Brother] turned to look at the screen, but he wasn't looking at Ale. He was looking at something else, what was he looking?

"And even in those cases, we don't really understand how it happened or what happened." Then, as if he hadn't put on his sadge face, [Big Brother] pivoted the conversation again, "But that's beside the point, so. We solved the issue with what identity Eduardo is going by, Alexa is going as Alexa and Ale is going as…"

"[As herself, if we need a burner identity we can make it as we go.]" Ale spoke from the TV, "[Besides if the classes are as good at helping developing our powers identity will stop being an issue when we are done here.]"

"What about you then?" [Big Brother] turned to [Fan Girl], the only one who hadn't said anything yet.

What were the plans of [Fan Girl] anyway?

"… I'll go by my normal name then. Skye Venti." [Fan Girl] gave the boring answer, wouldn't this be a good moment for her to resolve the issue of her multiple names? Wasn't that what usually happened in these scenarios?

Alexa was so sure that was going to happen.

"Good enough." [Big Brother] nodded, he wasn't supposed to nod! He was supposed to question it!

"Something the matter Alexa?" [Meat Shield] asked with worry on his fake face.

"Hmm…." Alexa hmmneed thoughtfully, "Alexa thought she would use a funny name."

"I don't really have funny names, and since I'll focus on the space part of my powers here. Better to not link it too much with my identity as Sylph." [Fan Girl] shrugged, "Ed is probably gonna do the same, and Ale's powerset is different enough from what people have seen of Rhapsody."

"Then Alexa is the only one remaining the same?" Alexa asked grumbling.

"If is any consolation, I am going with my identity as [The Delivery Guy] when in classes." [Big Brother] chimed in, his weird armor materializing around his body, "See?"

"How do you eat in that?" [Fan Girl] asked as the helmet of [Big Brother] covered his whole face.

"[Hermes] doesn't have a patent on removable mouth pieces." [Big Brother] had his helmet open and show his smirk, "This is also an experiment to see how stupid the mask initiative is."

"How… stupid?" [Meat Shield] had forgotten to change his face from the worried on, so the tone didn't match his question.

"This does not change my voice, and you can see enough of my face to run a face ID program." [Big Brother] pointed with his own finger at his face, from certain angles you could see his whole face, and while the helmet had his whole face covered, his blue eyes still showed.

"[Running ID program… Yeah, I have enough to create a face profile… Man you have some heavy duty programs here.]" Ale said from the TV, "[I'll see how many of those I can take.]"

"Take as many as you are willing to risk, those are more or less all Sapphire stuff." [Big Brother] gave his permission! Ale would be taking them all!

"[…Dang it.]" Ale cursed on the TV, why was she cursing? That was [Big Brother] giving permission! It was fine!

"I have been meaning to ask." [Fan Girl] suddenly said as she looked around the room, "Do you live here too?"

"Of course!" "Sometimes." "Definitely no."

Three answers. One of Alexa, one of [Big Brother] and one of [Aunty Viv]!

"Took you long enough Kellet." [Big Brother]'s armor dissapeared and he was once again wearing his normal clothes, "Where is Eversoul?"

"Here." [Aunty Viv] answered by throwing a disc into the center of the room, it beeped for a second before it exploded throwing markers and forming a weird circle.

That thing glowed for a second before Alexa felt something thug at the [Mana] in the room, and before Alexa could take a taste of said mana to check what it was. The thing flashed and Alexa felt something overcame her base instincts.

"Mama!" Alexa then did what she was supposed to do, she took a running start, jumped into the air, did a 360000° somersault forward, backward and sideways only to end in a hugging jump!

Why?

Because it was the [Mom] person that had teleported into their living room!

"Oof." The [Mom] person almost staggered, but she remained standing, because everyone knew that [Mom] person couldn't be thrown into the ground by a jumping hug attack, they were impervious to damage like that! "Long time no see Alexa."

"Alexa was waiting!" Alexa had been waiting after all, "But you weren't at home! Alexa was about to be sadge because of it!"

"[And that's my cue.]" Ale on the TV said waving, "[Have stuff to check on my side, so I'll stop the connection from my side. Thank you for the help… Brother.]"

And like that, the Ale on the TV dissapeared! But she didn't greet the [Mom] person!

"…Was that…?" The [Mom] person said confused while pointing at the TV.

"Ale, yes." [Big Brother] nodded, "They had some issues when returning, the intelligence leaked, and not in a fun way. But in the worst possible way possible."

"Then…." The [Mom] person looked at [Meat Shield] and [Fan Girl], and lastly, she looked at Alexa, "Did something happen?"

"Eduardo Herrera had his whole body obliterated, only the [Core] remained." [Big Brother] pointed at [Meat Shield], "Skye Venti, she had several lacerations across her body, her liver bursted, one of her lungs collapsed from extreme depressurization and had a very bad concussion…"

[Fan Girl] seemed surprised at that. Did no one told her?

"As for MY SISTER. Well, she doesn't count. Most of her wounds got fixed as they happened, according to the logs, her wounds were the most severe of the lot, since she actually felt them and fixed them as they came." [Big Brother] shook his head as he moved towards the door, "She also got highly trained Saintsworths endorsed mercenaries point their loaded Bolter assault rifles. The very same ones I ordered to only be released to those working in BioWeapon subjugation teams that are under very strict surveillance."

…*Gulp*

"Wonder if someone had a hand in making 'Things fair' for everyone…" [Big Brother] didn't say anything specific, nor did he pointed at anyone, "What do you think? Miriam Eversoul? Vivian Kellet? Ring any bells?"

"You can't expect soldiers to work efficiently when you don't provide the best possible weap-" The [Mom] person started speaking only for the sound of the door opening to interrupt her.

"I can expect, and will expect, for MY handpicked soldiers to work to the best of what I want them to do." [Big Brother] walked out into the hallway, "And I'll also expect them to sell, loan and probably lose the equipment if they aren't being supervised. Which is why I don't usually allow that type of weapons to go into the broader pool. Because I don't want those same weapons pointed at things I care about. Namely, myself… And… Well, it doesn't matter does it?"

"… It was not Miriam the one who armed those soldiers." [Aunty Viv] pointed out, "It was not her who told them to take that job, and she was-"

"Not there when it happened. I know." [Big Brother] finished speaking for [Aunty Viv], "I made sure she had no way of knowing when or how Ale's plane would take off, because the bleeding heart of your friend can't keep her mouth shut. But that is besides the point."

[Big Brother] started closing the door at that moment, only for it to remain open for a second as he turned to look at [Fan Girl].

"To answer your question, no. I have my own apartment. I will come around from time to time when I feel like." [Big Brother] then turned to Alexa! Hi! "Because there are a couple people here that I want to visit. So you don't have to worry, against popular belief. I do care about consent and permission. I also do not enforce my lifestyle and choices on others."

And like that, [Big Brother] closed the door. Alexa didn't go to check it or anything, because Alexa knew. [Big Brother] had given his speech and opinions, he had done his dramatic exist, so he probably wasn't around anymore. Everyone knew that when someone did that kind of scene they would dissapear mysteriously!

"Man… All these teleporting stuff makes my Core Power feel kinda useless…" [Fan Girl] grumbled.

"[Big Brother] doesn't have a teleporting power." Alexa consoled [Fan Girl], "His thing is Lightning and only that, he just bzzzzzz all over the place!"

Alexa knew that, Alexa knew what kind of powers [Big Brother] had after all, he was just very good at using the bzzz thing! But his powers were kinda simple, his whole thing was using money and technology after all. Also sometimes becoming a giant [Dragon of Calamity] that may or may not be able to end the world.

But that was not important for now!