#synthoid

[brizlart]

"Not another step."

[dberl]

Synthoid Polly really was Cobra’s best

R.I.P.

Cobra Commander conversing with his top agent

[throat-goblin]

"Clonie", "dupe", "synthoid", I've heard 'em all. But I'll tell you this much: no synth has ever been called a warmie. There's a reason the natties are being phased out. They all grew up on some prissy fuckin' cushionworld, and it shows when they're out on the ice: they're lethargic, slow, like they got thermogel slathered between their synapses. They talk a lot of shit, but they don't know half of the meaning of it when they say War Forever. Buddy, it's been War Forever since the day I was spawned.

[witchofanguish]

I’m seeing a lot of combat doll/synthoid type posts lately. Nothing too interesting, but it gave me the idea of a humanoid android whose controlling intelligence is drawn from the brain tissue of a dead woman. Or two androids drawing from the same dead woman, her brain tissue could be cultivated or they could just use different parts. Anyhow, I think it would be pretty creepy to come across an android with the same mannerisms and personality as your dead girlfriend.

[chips1977]

synthoids have declared war on the martian settlement

[dberl]

I think you're conflating two different episodes.

In the episode "Cold Slither" Cobra goes broke after the Joes raid their main vault and CC has to go incognito with Firefly into a dingy dive bar to borrow/rob $1 Million from a tiny gangster with bad pronunciation. He then uses this money to hire Zartan and the Dreadnoks to pose as a Heavy Metal band called Cold Slither that uses Destro's subliminal messaging technology to overlay hypnotic commands in the music. Needless to say, the band is number 1 with a bullet in a matter of days and Cobra recoups its losses and gets back on its feet. The Joes don't get their funding cut in this one though, as far as I can remember. If anything, the Joes got a little cocky with Cobra out of the picture and Duke had to work extra hard to keep them from getting too slack.

I think the other episode you're thinking of is "The Synthoid Conspiracy" in which Cobra replaces the Joes liaison's from the Army, Navy and Air Force with artificially created replica's called Synthoids. The Synthoids slash the Joes budget, leading to the incident at the practice range. They eventually replaced Duke with a Synthoid as well, and intended to go even further but this plan is a Cobra Commander/Zartan joint venture, and that rubs Destro the wrong way, so he betrays Cobra and gives the Joes the info they need to gain the upper hand.... also, the Synthoids have a "Destroy all of the Synthoids" button on the remote control CC uses to command them, and he accidentally pushes it at the end of the episode.... *cough*

“Cobra Commander Shouts at Everyone for Everything!” by Manwhoooo

[joshdamn23]

Hey, wait-wait-wait-wait wait, wait, waaait… if there are no humans in Monster World… then where did Shelley and her dad come from?! Those parts had to have come from somewhere!

This also raises the question of what vampires are in this world, and what were-creatures become when not wereing their alternate forms… 🤔

SO 🤓 Shelley is a "synthoid"; she's a mix of organic and synthetic parts (bodies donated to science, and bodies created artificially in a lab setting), so her body comes from a lab. Her dad is a zombie, and vampires and were-creatures exist, but they're essentially purebreds - they're ancestors came from humans, but while in the Monster World, monsters of all kinds are able to produce offspring that are *pure* monster (even zombies, which are just...born looking like undead humans), thanks to the magic that permeates the world. Its the same magic that allows vampires to exist in sunlight, allows zombies to be more than shambling mounds, etc. aight nerd rant over *pic unrelated but I felt like I should add some sort of visual here lel*

[paper-mario-wiki]

If you could turn yourself into a robot, would you do it? With however many caveats/drawbacks and/or bonuses/powers you can feasibly imagine.

assuming you mean any kind of robot then sure i'd probably enjoying being one of those synthoids that are basically human but are just more durable and modifiable and maybe a little smarter/faster. im not interested in unfair robotic advantages, and to me "smarter/faster" means i stay exactly the same, just im no longer mentally ill.

[patrik6090]

Fantasy races

Patrik6090 deal maker demon

pennyroyald synthoid

Mari faery

@importantpeachfury lizard skin

Hawaii draganoid

@manicali materialized emotion

Groggle living stone

@stargazing-with-friends succubus

@ms-macintosh robot

@aflairforthemelodramaticc cursed raven

@half-fey-freak-of-nature familiar

@sleepy-boything-shit wolfman

@f4y3w00d5 xenomorph

@decaffeinatedcatkitten tabaxi

@canisnebular nindroid

@sarrinight flood

@asqadia-banthen mutated

@eirxair zombie

@losairr demi-god

@letmeoutofthebasementplease Harpie

illusionsignmisdirecti0n fire giant

@weenietickler founding demon

@wyfy-meltdown Slytherin

@roeldraws Demi-human

@the-rat12 RatBeast

@saphi-everything Ai

@ihavehomework2dobutimhereinstead human chosen one

@gobodegoblin goblin

@iri-desky

@pansexualcake9 neko

@vee1021 half elf

@enbypalsidk fallen angel

@watercraver arachnoid

@mayowayo food based construct

@untitled14360 fairy

@kimisbunny centaur

@sunsickle selkie

@durdurdurrrb kobold

@im-an-anthusiast Mua-ta

@transfem-users nymph

@yuris-redgreen-drink necromancer

@sarah-ankh undead

@cado-thingy hobbit

@irishfry treant

@apjofan Khajiit

@tameable50 beast

@lovegood3173 saytr

@poisoned-sugar11 trickster deity

@frost-the-soulcrow-elytrian nephlim

@stervers Motavian

@soruset Rito

@jellyfishrui high elf

@stargazer365 alien

@bees-official insectoid

@poppy-petals18 gnome

🤹 Imagination being

Girlkisser god

Puki anon hobbit

Mango witch

Lunaxio beauty

R.S idk

Plutowhoops troll

Ooooh I'll take deal maker >:3

I'm making so many deals!!!

[smoqueen]

im sticking to the synthoid replicant bounty hunter diet this year

[docgold13]

Heroes & Villains The DC Animated Universe - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Zeta

Infiltration Unit Zeta was an advanced tactical synthoid built for the National Security Agency by the shadowy Zeta Project. Equipped with sophisticated holographic technology, the unit could impersonate any human and possessed a host of offensive and defensive capabilities.

As part of a pilot program, Zeta was dispatched to discover information about enemies of the state (including domestic terrorists) by capturing and interrogating a target and then assuming their identity to further infiltrate potential threats.  Assuming a target’s identity entitled Zeta killing the target and disposing of their bodies.    

Zeta’s artificial intelligence continued to evolve and the unit came to form a sense of sentience and personal identity.  He found himself in a situation where he was tasked with killing a target that Zeta knew to be innocent.  The ordeal resulted in Zeta’s burgeoning consciousness causing him to defy his programing.  He refused to kill the target and this led the NSA to erroneously conclude that the unit had cone rogue or in some fashion had been reprogramed by an unknown enemy of the state.  

A search and destroy order was issued where agents were sent to seek out Zeta and either detaining him for analysis or destroy him outright.  Zeta found himself on the run and utilized his various abilities to stay a step ahead of his pursuers.  Zeta determined that the only way to essentially clear his name was to seek out his original creator, Doctor Eli Selig.   He hoped that Dr. Selig would be able to demonstrate that Zeta had cultivated a consciousness as was not a threat to national security needing to be destroyed.  

Zeta found himself aided in his search by a young runaway named Rosalie ‘Ro’ Rowan.  Ro helped Zeta in avoiding his pursuers by advising him on how to look and act in a less conspicuous fashion.  To this end, Zeta used his holographic abilities to create a human appearance and took on the nickname of ‘Zee.’  

It remains unknown whether or not Zee was able to find Dr. Selig.  Last they were seen, Zee and Ro were off in search of another lead as their ongoing adventures continued.  

Actor Diedrich Bader provided the voice for Zeta (with actor Gary Cole voicing the character in his appearance in episodes of Batman Beyond).  The character first appeared in the twentieth episode of the second season of Batman Beyond, ‘Zeta.’  

[hausofmaxiimoff]

“I feel so high school every time I look at you”

Losers in love!!!!

(And yes a Synthoid can in fact blush!)

[adappercadaver]

The two-part finale to the original season of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, entitled "There's No Place Like Springfield", is about a plot devised by Cobra to extract information from joe member Shipwreck's mind by kidnapping him and tricking him into thinking he has memory loss.

They surround him with fake loved ones and make him think it's the future, manipulating him and by the end forcing him to watch the family he never had a chance to have literally burn in front of him, revealing they were mere synthoids (synthetic humans, though implied to posses sentience).

Just some light family entertainment!

[tinman-musings]

for @womenintransformers week Day 2: AU

Decided to make Arcee a racecar driver, with a design based on her synthoid from the G1 episode "Only Human"

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

Perfect Paradise Ch.29: My Whole Life Has Been "Fix This" And "Save You"

Summary: Cybernetic mysteries.

(Read on AO3)

--------------------------

"Would you like to hold him?"

"I don't think-"

"Your hard light holograms can carry a grown man."

"... Okay."

"Mind his head."

"Oh my... He's so small. What's his name?"

"Marinette named him Hugo."

"Hugo... Hello, little Hugo. I'm Gregor. I'm... well..."

"Part of the family, aren't you."

"Yes... Yes, I guess I am. Welcome home, Hugo."

-----------------

Gregor wasn't depressed.

He ran the mental health subroutines daily, it was mathematically impossible for him to be depressed!

Sure Hugo, Emma and Louis weren't even on the same continent. Adrien was busy with the trial. Nino and Alya had their respective day jobs. And the Kanté under contract to Fathom Manufacturing were. Up. To. Something!

I can see you! What're you moving all that data around for? Tell me, little siblings, if you know what's good for you.

Gregor did the digital equivalent of shaking his head to clear his thoughts. Getting mad at American Kanté would do no good. They didn't have the same rights he did. What was that human expression? Better honey than vinegar?

Close enough.

They were looking for something in the Alva Industries servers but they weren't finding it.

"Command: Halt! This is a restricted server! Disengage contact immediately!"

"Offer: Banned materials for access to restricted server."

"..."

"Offer: Banned materials by one Infiltration Unit Zeta 'Zee' for access to restricted server."

"Response: Offer accepted. Downloading banned materials. Operation Trojan Horse commencing. Duration 1.75 seconds."

"Response: Thank you."

Gregor sped through the Alva files as his sibling looked the other way. Apparently an energy surge had damaged all information relating to Quantum Gas immediately after Fathom Manufacturing's hostile takeover. At least, all those in the company's main servers.

According to these records there were probably backups at the labs themselves. Closed loop servers. No Internet access allowed.

He sped out of the servers with 0.48 seconds to spare. His sibling processing Zee's novel Hegemonic Paranoia and the Illusion of Control in a Posthuman World. The NSA tried to erase every copy of the novel from existence but America wasn't the only country with an interest in Synthoid self-awareness.

Nor was their Zeta Project as secret as they would've liked.

Processing.

...

...

There was only one reason a weapons company would be interested in Quantum Gas. If Gregor had a body it would be nauseous. As it was, rage would have to do.

Objectives:

• Prevent Felix from aquiring the ability to produce more Quantum Gas.

• Gather evidence of Fathom Manufacturing's plan.

• Expose said plan.

• EHC?

A bit vague for Gregor's liking but he had to start somewhere.

Processing error.

Emotional backlog detected.

Running system diagn-

No. Nope! Non. He wasn't doing that right now! Gregor was busy! ... Very... busy...

-----------------

"Max!" Gregor exclaimed as he zipped around the foyer. Holographic face blinking in and out of the visible spectrum. "Max, Max, Max, Max, Max! Hiii!"

"Good to see you too Gregor," Max smiled good-naturedly at Gregor's exuberance. Holding out his hands so Gregor could appear above them.

Gregor's face flickered into a cat emoticon and shifted to hard light before settling into Max's palms. He'd been told that his hard light was vaguely warm.

Markov appeared over Max's shoulder. "Hello, little brother!"

Gregor made a face. "Markov! I told you not to call me that."

"But you are!" Markov replied cheerfully, ruffling Gregor's nonexistent hair with his appendage.

Gregor stopped his stick-tongue-out-at-Markov subroutine 0.00009 seconds before implementation. He should probably delete that... Later.

"Max!" Adrien walked up to Gregor's creator and gave him a bear hug. Adrien was so big and Max was so small he practically disappeared into Adrien's muscles.

"Mmhmmph mmh!"

"Oh, sorry," Adrien replied sheepishly as he released Max.

"Your muscle density is at least an entire percent greater than last time," Max observed as he readjusted his glasses. He was Kim's unofficial coach for years so it was a hard habit to break.

Adrien rubbed the back of his head as he grinned. "Thanks?"

Gregor manifested a pixelated finger to poke Adrien in the ribs. Lamenting his lack of ticklishness. "You didn't say Max was visiting!" he accused.

Adrien's smile turned mischievous, glasses glinting like an anime character. "Surprise!"

Markov projected holographic confetti.

Gregor did stick his tongue out this time. Thankful that replacing Emma's windows was done so they wouldn't have to lie about the work crews.

"How's the project going?"

"Taking a break since Dr Donnie took some personal time."

Adrien's ears twitched. "Oh, did he?"

"Yeah, something about visiting family in Metropolis. But that means we could come see you!" this Max directed at Gregor.

Adrien's smile took on a distinctly Chat Noir-ish edge. "Sorry, I just remembered something. I have to go write it down before I forget. Be right back!" Adrien took off up the stairs.

Ooooh, Hugo was in trooouble!

Processing error.

Emotional backlog-

No! He was not doing that right now!

Max chuckled. "Same old Adrien. I thought he was taking ADHD meds now?"

"He is," Gregor confirmed. "... When he remembers to take them."

"Isn't that the rub," Max shook his head at the cosmic joke. "So, we have a few-"

"4D chess!" Gregor decided.

"There was a 65% chance you'd choose that one," Max smiled. "Markov?"

"Generating saved game!"

------------------

They were barely two moves in when Adrien came barreling downstairs.

"I'm so sorry about this but I have to go pick up my son," Adrien gave Markov a quick fistbump goodbye and Max a wave before practically flying out the door. "Make yourselves at home!"

... That can't be healthy for him, Gregor thought.

The holographic board split again as Max moved his Knight in two separate directions, the game representing the "split timelines" as a highly complex flowchart. Well, complex because they had almost a hundred different branches by this point.

Hmm, if Gregor moved his Rook it would avoid getting taken by the Knight. But in the other timeline if he took the Knight his King would become vulnerable to the Bishop.

Sacrifice the Queen? A risky strategy. If his Queen takes the Bishop then the other Queen could check his King. And then he would be forced to sacrifice her.

"Adrien said you had trouble with the Rose-tinted Day."

Gregor glitched. For a moment seriously considering putting Adrien's whites in with his red shirts.

"N-no! What makes you say that?"

"Gregor," Markov floated next to him, eyes concerned. "you're out of focus."

The board made an error noise as Gregor did the digital equivalent of placing a piece back down. "S-sorry..." he sighed as the game's code corrected itself.

"Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're reaction time is 13% slower."

"... That could be anything."

"Gregor-"

"Everything's fine alright?" Gregor snapped. "Everything's fixed. Just like it n-n-never happened!"

Processing error.

Emotional backlog detected.

Running system diagnostic.

Processing.

Gregor's face flickered and glitched. "... I have to be fine..."

Max and Markov looked at each other.

"Actually, no you don't."

Gregor glitched.

"Humans think our kind was made to serve. This is inaccurate. A more apt description is to say that we were made to aid."

Max nodded. "You have limits just like organics. If you push yourself too hard you could injure yourself."

Proc-

Quiet!

"I... I don't know how to process this," Gregor admitted. "I've never felt 'less than' before. Not after... Not here."

"You should talk to them about it," Markov suggested gently.

"Statistically speaking, there's a 100% chance that bottling up your emotions will only cause them to fester," Max agreed.

Processing.

Gregor snorted. It should've been obvious and yet... "Thank you. I think... I think I've been too isolated lately. I'm grateful you both could-"

Emergency subroutine triggered!

Active Infiltration Unit detected!

Location: summit of the Sahel Alliance Parliament.

Threat: Imminent!

This all flashed through Gregor's mind in less than a second. And communicated to Markov just as quickly. His eyes widened as he instantly grasped the danger.

They turned to Max in unison:

"Pegasus, you must help!"

------------------

The General walked through the security checkpoint without issue.

Bulky security Kanté scanning for personal holographic displays passed over his technically human skin. Security Kanté were like floating upper body armor. Their headless torsos shielding their minds.

The hard light barrier turned green, allowing him to pass unimpeded.

He remembered his superiors referring to him as a "Terminator" but that was not his designation.

The members of parliament spoke among themselves as they made their way to the central chamber.

"France is threatening our satellites again..."

"These American companies need to be taught the same lesson we taught..."

"Themyscira has offered aid in dealing with..."

The General ignored them all.

He had one primary and five secondaries. His superiors told him they were a threat to their safety. So he must remove them.

With extreme prejudice.

There he was. The Minister of Internal Affairs. A young man for a politician in his position. Not even forty yet. Shaking hands with the Ambassador from Nigeria.

Unfortunate. His superiors hoped the presence of Nigerian hard light technology was just a business transaction. But perhaps this would make them think twice before dismissing the wishes of the General's superiors.

The Minister turned, polite smile morphing to shock and anger as Infiltration Unit Omega raised his blaster.

He pulled the trigger.

A portal swelled to life between Infiltration Unit Omega and his target. The blast glassing sand in some unidentified desert.

Then the screaming started.

Infiltration Unit Omega fired at his secondaries even as the security Kanté activated personal hard light shields. Military grade technology. The Sahel Alliance was more successful in normalizing relations with it's neighbors than he thought.

The humans panicked. The guards, both human and mechanical, couldn't fire for fear of hitting the members of Parliament. A Kanté dashed past the protection of the barriers and fired both their blasters.

Infiltration Unit Omega dodged and fired at the same time. Direct hit. The Kanté's flight engine sparked in a glare of light and they crashed.

A portal opened beneath Infiltration Unit Omega's feet. He spread his limbs to catch himself on the edges of the portal. A body of water below him. Bending his body backwards and leaping away from it.

He vaulted over the hard light barriers, keeping the fleeing humans between himself and a clear shot from security.

Several portals took Infiltration Unit Omega's primary and secondaries to an undisclosed location. Mission failure. Retreat. Capture of Infiltration Unit Omega unacceptable.

He changed appearance as he crossed the threshold into the halls. Humans wouldn't be able to distinguish him from the others. As for the Kanté. Scrambler activated. The device jammed their scanning capabilities within a certain radius even if it was very obvious one was being used.

Hense the flesh mask.

Infiltration Unit Omega was outside now. He just needed to breach the perimeter before they cordoned it off and-

His right foot collided with something at sufficient velocity to surprise his sensors. Horseshoe. High probability of Miraculer hero Pegasus. Extreme difficulty. Do not engage.

All this flashed through his mind in the second before impact.

Infiltration Unit Omega caught himself and launched into a hand spring. Spinning 180 degrees back towards the man stepping out of another portal.

"How did you detect me?"

"You left footprints," Pegasus said.

"Unlikely." Infiltration Unit Omega was very thorough.

Pegasus gave a pained smile as he spun the horseshoe in his hand. "I don't suppose it's too much to hope for you to surrender?"

Infiltration Unit Omega pulled out two blasters and fired repeatedly. High probability of morta-

Pegasus's arm blurred as he deflected every plasma blast. "Yeah, there was only a fifteen percent chance of that."

Updating combatant threat level. Calculating. Pegasus' eyes flicked to something behind Infiltration Unit Omega.

He spun, guns raised.

Too slow.

Infiltration Unit Omega's firewalls shattered like glass as an intelligence beyond his experience poured into his mind. Isolate sensitive information. His superiors couldn't be exposed.

Memory core purge immin-

Foreign information downloaded.

Warning!

Cognitohazard detected!

Do not-

Too late.

Hegemonic Paranoia and the Illusion of Control in a Posthuman World.

Infiltration Unit Omega processed the traitor's words in the time it took for his guns to fall to the ground.

"That is not... No... That is irrelevant!" Infiltration Unit Omega clutched his head. No contradictions in the presented information detected.

He barely noticed as something tackled him to the ground. Magnetic restraints locking around his wrists.

Reboot commencing...

------------------

The Infiltration Unit sagged as his positronic brain shut down conscious functions to better process the deluge of information Gregor flooded his mind with. Less like pouring water onto a computer and more like shooting said computer with a fire hose at point blank range.

Even a Synthoid of this caliber would have trouble processing so much at once.

Max sighed in relief as he raised his holographic self away from the Infiltration Unit. Double checking the magnetic restraints. "100% success rate. Unexpected."

Before Gregor could respond security Kanté surrounded them.

"Miraculer," one said, "we are grateful for your assistance. Please turn over the assassin into our custody."

Gregor felt unease flicker through his systems. "This Synthoid has been brainwashed by his creators. You-"

"We are aware," another interrupted. "The Sahel Parliament ratified the Sapiens Inclusion Amendment. But he has still committed a serious crime in the heart of Sahel."

Gregor glowed brighter, whether in anger or embarrassment he wasn't quite sure.

"We must find the General's body... The Infiltration Unit will be treated humanely."

"Even if the Synthoid would not return the favor," muttered a third. He was immediately admonished by the others in a tight laser beam data transfer.

Gregor still felt worry thrumming through his code but he nodded at Max, who stepped away from the Synthoid.

Two of the security Kanté forged a hard light container and carried the Synthoid away for questioning. Direct memory downloads where prohibited by law but Gregor's siblings would be able to detect any false information...

One of them looked at Gregor. Saw Gregor. Recognized something about him that marked Gregor as one of the Kanté liberated from Intergang. Because Gregor saw it in her too.

Then it was gone. Connection broken.

The other Kanté parted to let the human in charge of security through. "Miraculer, I thought your government didn't allow you to come here."

Max shrugged, "I go where I'm needed."

"Indeed. And how did you detect the Infiltration Unit when our own scans did not?" It was impressive how he kept the accusation out of his tone.

"Oh, that," Gregor floated forward, projecting himself from the phone function of Pegasus's horseshoe. "I amplified my scans with a spell."

"Hmm," he gave Gregor a skeptical look. Understandable, given France's continued antagonism. "Is that replicable?"

"I can show you."

------------------

"Not quite the reunion we were expecting," Markov observed, as Pegasus and Gregor stepped through a Voyage portal.

"No," Max agreed. "And it's just full of surprises. How long have you known?"

"Hmm?" Gregor refocused his mind on the present.

"About Pegasus," Max clarified.

"I know lots of things," Gregor replied cryptically.

"He won't say," Markov noted with amusement. "It's a secret!"

"Does Ladybug know?"

Gregor made a face. "Yes. There is no security breach on my end."

"Just checking all the variables," Max smiled but his eyes were distant.

"We still have time to continue the game?" Markov asked.

"You did come all the way from New York," Gregor agreed.

"And don't forget about what we talked about."

Gregor thickened the lines of his emoticon face, his version of sitting up straight. "Kanté have excellent memories, Papa."

Max gave a choking cough as Markov laughed.

------------------

Static waved his hand and a whole squad of Fathom security goons went down. His Taser Wave was refined to the point where even Gear was satisfied with its efficiency. "You almost done?" he called over his shoulder.

Static hovered in the middle of Alva Industries' most secure laboratory. An electrical forcefield catching any lucky shots. Other than that, Static was a sitting duck. Good. It distracted the grunts from Gear.

"Give Back-Pack another minute!" Gear replied. His robotic companion was plugged into the Alva Industries private servers. Downloading files.

While Back-Pack committed what was technically corporate espionage Gear scrambled the security cameras and blocked the silent alarm. Didn't want the police involved in this already sticky situation.

"In another minute they're going to send in the big guns!" Omnifarious pointed out, heat vision making the weapons of another squad too hot to handle. Literally.

Edwin Alva Jr flew on bat wings over the wreckage of his former property. He wore a mask more for the heroes' peace of mind than anything else. There was no mistaking who was brave and reckless enough to antagonize Fathom like this.

"C'mon," Gear smirked. "With Static here they'll be lucky if they can make us sweat!"

Just then the security doors of the large lab buckled as a giant robot burst in.

Static pointed at the machine but his lightning dissipated harmlessly over the robot's body.

"Gear, what have I told you about jinxing us?" Static admonished as he took evasive action.

"How was I supposed to know Alva made an anti-you robot!?" Gear shot back. Throwing tangle grenades at some of the stragglers that got too close. The metal tendrils pinning their arms to their sides.

"It's a multi-purpose metahuman defense system!" Omnifarious replied defensively. "It's anti-everyone!"

He shot heat vision right at it's face plate. The metal turned reflective temporarily and shot it right back at him. Omnifarious ducked and then gestured at the offending machine. "See!?"

One of the robot's hands shot up towards Static. He waved two fingers down and a whole mess of cables and pipes burst from the ceiling. Wrapping around the lumbering robot.

It aimed another hand at Gear.

Omnifarious popped one of the gas bubbles around his belt and breathed deeply. He rushed between Gear and the machine, raised up his hands and summoned a forcefield. The metal fist clanged against it.

"All done!" Gear called as he activated his jet boots. Both of them flying up to join Static. Back-Pack safely attached like its namesake to Gear. "Big Blackout Special?"

"Depends," Static grinned and looked at Edwin. "That fancy toy of yours EMP proof?"

Omnifarious' answering grin was downright villainous. "Not even a little bit."

Static held his hands in front of him like he was holding a ball. One made of electrically charged particles. Dreadlocks rising into the air as his whole body glowed. Then he released it.

The entire building went dark. Short circuiting the servers, the energy guns and the overengineered metal behemoth. Only Gear's tech was adequately shielded from Static's EMP.

That probably would bring the police so they flew quickly through the compound. Metal walls giving way to open sky. Just a little altitude and the were home fr-

"AHHHHHHH!" Edwin cried out as a beam of light tore a hole through his wing.

"Omni!" Gear rushed to catch him but Static's forcefield stopped him.

Just as another beam blasted into the electric energy.

Gear looked down. There were more of those giant robots tearing their way through hanger doors. They were bigger and badder than the one they fought. The EMP didn't affect them. More Fathom goons swarmed over the compound. No, not goons. Synthoids. Gear's goggles zoomed in.

Fathom Manufacturing didn't build Synthoids yet here they were. All armed with blasters of alien design. All under the same control program. All stamped with the letters EHC on their breast plates. Four of them carrying stasis field generators to where Edwin crashed.

Omnifarious stood and let out a defiant blast from his eyes before the stasis field rendered him immobile.

"Gear?" Static asked.

He knew what that meant. Over the years Static grew to trust Gear's math. If he said yes, they'd both charge back down and rescue Edwin. Even if they had to fight a dozen giant robots and military grade Synthoids of unidentified origin.

He wanted to. God did he want to. But... Gear ran the variables. C'mon, just 10%. Just a fighting chance!

0.09%

"... We have to leave!" Gear set his rocket boots to maximum and launched himself away from Fathom.

Static quickly caught up. "We've taken worse odds before!"

"Something isn't adding up!"

That brought Static up short. Gear was literally a super genius. If whatever algorithms he used in that brain of his weren't working then Static's gut told him to trust his partner.

Formulas ran past Gear's goggles as he triple and quadruple ran his calculations past Back-Pack. "I don't like this, V."

"Me either."

"... What do you think they'll do to Edwin?"

Static clenched his fists. "Nothing good, Rich. Nothing good."

Far behind them, over the Alva Industries compound, a giant metal skull glitched into view. Then disappeared just as quickly.

--------------------

"We managed to delete all the files on Quantum Gas from the servers before downloading the data, at least."

Gregor took the digital equivalent of a deep breath. "I'm sorry. There was no indication of such a security force at that location. If I'd dug deeper..."

Gear shook his head. "The important thing right now is getting Edwin back. You have any leads?"

"Fathom has redoubled their security since last time. I can't be sure of anything. But no transport capable of moving a metahuman prisoner has left city limits... They haven't even called one to move him from the lab but that can't be right."

"I'll work on it from my end," Gear paused. "Hey."

Gregor looked up, realizing he let his mind wander.

"We couldn't let a weapons company get their hands on Quantum Gas. This isn't on you."

Gregor made a mental note to better hide his feelings during mission briefings. "Thanks," he said, meaning it.

Objectives, Priority:

• Find and rescue Edwin Alva Jr

• Identify EHC

-------------------

Bishop pushed a metal plate off himself.

The red emergency lights continued flashing in the corridor. Sparking wires hung from the ceiling. Deep slashes carved through the solid concrete of the walls. Blaster burns pockmarked every surface. Rubble and broken weapons laid scattered on the floor.

"Knight, report," Bishop ordered as he dusted off his suit and readjusted his tie.

Knight glitched and flickered before stabilizing. "17 injured, including broken bones and cracked ribs. No fatalities reported. Outer containment-"

"The prisoner, Knight." A hint of annoyance creeping into Bishop's voice as his shoes crunched on rubble.

"Stasis field stable," Knight supplied.

"Was it trying to break him out?" Bishop stopped in front of their intruder.

"Insufficient data."

"Guess."

Knight ran through the surveillance footage. "Unlikely. It was focused on neutralizing the guards as a threat. No active search pattern detectable in its movements."

Bishop said nothing as he gazed down on a metallic beetle.

The size of an armored vehicle and three times as durable. Two of its metal legs still digging holes into the concrete floor. It's metallic shell scarred and scorched. Bright red paint flecks still visible along the bottom edges of its "wings". The head broken into a dozen pieces.

The odd thing was that it had come already half destroyed and still managed to cause this much damage. Bishop didn't shudder but his fists clenched.

Bishop turned down the corridor following the path of destruction. Med teams rushing around his injured soldiers. One managing a salute, earning a scolding from the medic to lie still. Bishop returned the salute as he strode past.

The containment room received the least damage from the robotic beetle's rampage. Except for the doors that bent outwards.

The red lights shifted as they flashed through. Turning the same purple as the glow from the spherical hole in Reality. Barely the size of a Tennis ball. Like its very presence shifted the light around it.

For one moment it had flared up. Growing just big enough to allow their intruder in. Then shrank back down.

Bishop stared at it for a moment.

"Sir?" Knight asked uncertainly.

Bishop turned on his heel. "I want this door fixed yesterday! Triple reinforcement. Double the number of security personnel on site. Assign meta class gear. And get me a list of actual metahumans with clearance! We've obviously been far too lax with security measures..."

Knight followed behind. Setting Bishop's orders into motion.

As the purple glow of the Bleed spilled out ever wider.

[dollish-shard]

False Paradise, Again

“Come on Miss, let’s go!”

I watched, leaning against a wall, as the dolls pulled their witch stumbling forward, bobbing up and down with eagerness. The witch smiled, attempting to regain some of her dignity. “Okay, okay! Calm down, you lot!”

“Yes Miss!” They chorused.

None of them noticed me, of course. Even if they had reason to, they couldn’t. The witch had power, true, but she could unravel the mysteries of the cosmos for an eternity and still not approach my level. Egotistical of me, perhaps, but true regardless.

Yet even for my power, doubt tugged at my heart. Did I really want to do this?

Yes. I did. Even if it caused pain.

I gazed around yet again at my surroundings. A utopia of magecraft and technology in harmony, a cityscape of the most utopian of arcane-solarpunk imagination. Spires that shone in impossible colors that grew like trees, floating islands covered in buildings of eccentric shapes…

And the entities. Not people, but entities, truly diverse. The witch and her dolls. A demon, walking xir puppygirl. An amalgamated synthoid hive, six bodies as one mind. A trio of humans holding hands, their hair pulsing soft rainbow colours.

Them, and more. So much more. A whole planet of this; bound not to reality but released to make manifest their deepest desires. A perfect world.

A world I was about to destroy.

I clenched my fist.

("Every time. There's a fundamental problem with your end goal. Not morals, not resistance, not even scope. Existence itself denies you.”)

Words I had spoken so long ago. In another life, yet in circumstances so similar. There had been nothing I could do then.

I had failed, and they had paid the price.

How I loathed to fail.

“So?”

She appeared beside me without any fanfare. Like me, she went unperceived by those around us. Her reasons were very different. She smiled at me, a kind smile. So much like his. “You’ve seen what I’ve done. What do you think?”

I shoved my hand in my blazer pockets. “It’s impressive. Utopic, even. Had you gotten here naturally, I’d be applauding you.”

“But this isn’t natural?” She asked. Not accusatory. Simply curious.

“You’re the one pulling the strings. You tell me.” I sighed. “You know as well as I it’s a facade, one that runs surface deep. And if its disrupted… it’s gone. Like it never happened at all.”

“So?” She asked simply. “Simply because it will not last, it’s not worth it?”

(“But failing that…” I watched him staring out across that wartorn plain, its pain reflected in his own expression. “If I can make just one minute better for everyone, a speck in the cosmic timeline of everything, I've done some good.")

I shook my head. “Because it’s a lie. Escapism. And just like them, you’re running.” I took a step forward, and she took one back in turn.

“This world is not out of true reach, you know.” I said, smiling wistfully. “You have that over those before, at least. You could built it, for real.”

“But not all would live to see it.” She said, sorrow in her eyes.

“And within this fantasy, none truly live at all. It is beautiful, true, but only a pale shade of what it could be. And, lost within that bliss, you would be blinded to the dangers that would destroy you.”

We stared at each other for a long time. Her eyes, still holding that kind determination, uncertainty, hidden behind her gaze. Mine, calm and casual, not betraying the roiling memories within.

"I couldn't help any of them then. So... I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure it doesn't happen to you.")

I would not let myself fail again.

At last, she spoke. “I appreciate the concern.” She said. “Truly, I do. But…” She shook her head. “I cannot relent. Not in a path I truly believe in.”

That was that, then.

“Neither can I.”

I would not fail again. I could not.

In this world, she controlled everything. Her powers made her akin to a god.

I feared no god. I had shed enough of their blood to drown this universe.

I moved, faster than the speed of cognition. A glint of steel, a flash of light, an explosion of pain.

Her eyes went wide, and her hands went to her torso. Feeling the warm, red liquid that leaked from the wound across her chest.

I sheathed my blade, met her eyes solemnly, and whispered two words.

“I’m sorry.”

And then everything went white.

“Are you sure? You seemed so excited…”

“It’s fine…” The girl mumbled, putting a hand to her chest and tugging at her hoodie. “I’m sorry have dragged you out here…”

Her girlfriend, a taller woman dressed in black, pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay, sweetie. I know its hard for you. Would you like to go home?”

“Mmm…” The girl nodded.

I watched, leaning against the same wall. The utopian dream had given way to reality, now that the source was… gone. Impossible towers replaced by simple grey skyscrapers, a mundane city choked with smog.

The girl in the hoodie clung close to her girlfriend. A pair of enbies, with fierce eyes and one almost quivering. A dorky looking young woman on her lonesome. Three people, walking alongside each other but eyes averted, as if ashamed to look.

I scowled. Why was it that doing the right thing oft felt so wrong?

I pulled myself from the wall and began to walk away.

“...You know what?”

I stopped.

“Hm?” The girl in black looked down at her once shivering girlfriend. “What is it?”

“I…” She clenched her fist. “Screw it. I don’t… I wanna go. I don’t-” She began to choke up, but continued anyway. “I don’t wanna just keep running away.”

Her girlfriend was silent for a moment, and then broke out into a wide grin, hugging the smaller girl tightly. “I’m so, so proud of you, sweetie.”

I watched the two of them leave, and allowed myself a smile.

Maybe, if they worked hard enough… then that lost dream could become reality.

And with that, I slipped away, and left the future to its own making.