Chronicles of the Exalted Sun Child

Yuriko hummed as she watched the faux controller attempt to dominate Scarlett's mind. Her Mien warded against other attempts at mind control

Yuriko hummed as she watched the faux controller attempt to dominate Scarlett's mind. Her Mien warded against other attempts at mind control. She wasn't sure if it would interfere with other sources rather than another Mishala Mien. She could feel the controller's voice resonate in familiar frequencies. However, it was odd how it resonated from the person's mind.

Rather, it felt as if it bounced off something first, then came out through the voice. Either way, the first vocal command washed over Harakin's defences easily and locked up her muscles. Yuriko couldn't be certain, but she was sure it was more than nerve and muscle control. She could feel Harakin's heart stop beating, her lungs stopped working, blood ceased flowing, and her nerves stopped utilising electricity to function. It lasted for a split second before restarting. Slow going, but whatever damage the stutter caused wasn't enough to trigger Scarlett's regeneration, so she concluded it wasn't going to be dangerous, much less fatal.

Not that she wasn't put out. Nobody touches those who belong to her!

Urgh.

Anima Pride and her complemented each other in annoying ways. Yes, she claimed Scarlett as hers, though she hadn't really cemented it. More importantly, her friend hadn't willingly forged the bond, and without that freedom of choice, the Mien rang hollow. There were ways to make it true that didn't involve choice, but Yuriko didn't want to turn to that. She had her third World Trial incarnation to show her what it would be like if she slipped down that slope. No, those who bind themselves to her must do so of their own free Will and nothing less would do.

Still, her Mien had already affected Scarlett—though she had affected everyone who had seen her in one form or another anyway—and it was at the point where defences against mind-altering powers activated. Not a complete immunity or even a powerful resistance, as fart as she could tell, but potent enough to allow the other to wiggle out of the lock with a steady application of mental force.

In the meantime, Speedrun and Brilliance continued to engage Multiplier and the other mooks. Yuriko extended her perception aura into the warehouse and snorted when she saw dozens of clones behind the closed door. They were merging two by two, doubling their effectiveness with every instance. Several engagements, as well as some online research, gave away some of the particulars of his power.

'He boasted about it in an interview with a groupie.' Yuriko snorted. He was probably drunk, and no doubt the interview ended up in a private room, but the groupie posted it on CWO.

One clone every second, and only from the main body. Clones can merge and double the effective power and toughness of the body and cloned equipment. Each clone can only merge with an equally empowered clone or into the main body without regard for levels. Doing so precluded another merge for a minute, however, so it was in the man's interest to merge separate clones before he tried to merge into himself. Clones last for an hour and cannot leave an indeterminate range from the main body, a secret he didn't reveal in his efforts to gain company. Something else of greater note, and demonstrated how foolish he truly was: merged clones lasted for less time than his normal clones, and the more he merged into them, the less uptime he had with them.

She wasn't quite sure how powerful he could grow, but the thing was, it all depended on his foundations. He wasn't even that fit to begin with, and the best force multiplier he had was an assault rifle. If he had a missile launcher or grenade launcher, it would be a different matter, she supposed. But even so, he wouldn't ever get to the point where he could threaten her incarnation.

What to do, hmm? Her attention was divided several ways, monitoring every fight while peeking into the warehouse. Aside from the clones, there were more than three dozen men and women inside. Five of them were gathered around a table that had a box set in the middle. The said box was open, revealing a single bottle roughly the length of her palm. It was unlabeled, but she could make out thirty capsules within, all uniformly made, except for a single discordant note hidden in the cap. A cap that had been placed in the middle, the wax paper cut, to reveal a small tube that contained some kind of powder.

The five's attention had been diverted from their business by the noise of battle, but they promptly returned their focus to the tube.

"A raid? You said this area was secure." A calm statement, yet cold. One of the five, a woman in her thirties, perhaps, clad in a pantsuit, unmasked.

One of the others, a familiar figure, a woman with shadows wrapped around her body and extended in thin tendrils, said, "It should have been." Tentagirl… or rather, Tentacler, which wasn't at all better than the epithet Yuriko came up with, shrugged. "You know how the heroes are, they always get into things that aren't their business."

"You don't think it's a rival gang?" the first woman asked. One of the others, a man clad in the same style as the Controller, chuckled. Actually, now that Yuriko paid a bit more attention, the man was clothed in an identical fashion, different only because of his physical characteristics from the other one that was currently trying to dominate Harakin.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"There are no more rival gangs in Brookshield," he said pompously.

"Lies," another one said. "There are always other villains, other capes around." He pointed to the tube. "Glimmer."

"How many do we have?" The fourth one said, another man, a cape and unfamiliar to Yuriko.

"Thirty ampoules," the fifth one said, though that one was less a man, and more machine. Familiar… ah, one that she encountered several weeks ago, when she flew towards Windefield, before she participated in Luvblooms. Though perhaps this was naught but another machine body rather than the individual.

Curious. Glimmer was a restricted drug, wasn't it? Or rather, a prescription drug, depending on the purity of the substance. Yuriko pursed her lips. Such substances didn't work on her unless she indulged in volumes made impractical. She could barely even get drunk on hard spirits, those that were meant to be imbibed in little shot glasses, even when she downed entire bottles. Hallucinogenic drugs didn't do anything to her, or at least, not the ones that weren't steeped in Chaos or conceptual energies, or something equally potent. Ambrosia was the closest she ever got to a recreational high, but that was during her last Ascension. Though she had several droplets with her, there was no reason for her incarnation body to indulge in it. Other than exploring Truths, this body was incapable of independent growth. Why, her Anima reach was always a tenth of her true body's, even if the density was triple.

And wasn't Glimmer the current fad? She knew it was expensive…a hundred Torries a hit? This didn't look like a business deal though, and thirty ampoules would only mean three thousand Torries? Hardly something for the gangs, right? Other illegal substances would go for tens of thousands or more.

Sure enough, when she spread her perception to the parts of the warehouse she could reach, the pallets were filled with packets of white powder. None of the gangsters were indulging, so they weren't foolish.

"Thirty ampoules," Tentacler muttered. "That's good. Six for each of us, then."

"Perhaps we should worry about the heroes outside?" the first woman said nervously.

"Multiplier and another me will keep them busy." The one that was dressed like the Controller said. Or from how he was speaking, another clone? Yuriko couldn't see how Altered power manifested unless it was being used, and there was no active usage from that man. Another mystery.

She noted that the one Harakin faced was now trying to completely dominate her, demanding obedience. Yuriko smirked as her friend resisted with all of her might and rejected the influence. Yuriko didn't even have to reinforce the other girl's Will.

One of Miltiplier's clones ran towards the central table, panic writ large on his face. He addressed the first woman, who was probably part of the Duad, in that case. An un-Altered Human leader? Or one who didn't have a cape persona?

"Boss! It's the Glowbugs!"

Huh?

"Regalia?" The woman and Tentacler hissed at the same time.

"Doing the usual!"

"Fark! Quick, divide the Glimmer and go!" Tentacler yelped.

The first woman's teeth ground together, while the robot turned to face the door. Oddly enough, he didn't make any moves other than to look up towards her direction. Considering she was floating four stories about the street, that was rather impressive. Huh, did he recognise her? Despite the different costume?

Then again, how many capes were capable of flying as opposed to those who were limited to the ground?

The five of them rushed towards the back of the warehouse a couple of moments later, and were soon beyond her perception range. She didn't bother to chase after them, considering her focus was on keeping Scarlett safe. Well, she had to provide backup to Brilliance and Speedrun, too, but it's only been a few minutes so far. Oh. The Controller clone Harakin faced made his minions shoot her, except she managed to use him for cover.

And they shot through him instead. The bullets that missed the man still struck Harakin, but rifle bullets weren't strong enough to penetrate her defences. Well, they'd fracture her Anima, but not go through them. Perhaps she should feed Harakin more Ambrosia to accelerate growth? But no, that would only make her dependent.

Brilliance and Speedrun managed to disable the Multiplier clones and the couple of mooks, while Harakin knocked out the Controller's minions. She then approached the stricken Controller clone, and the man whispered vengeance even as he slowly died…oh…that wasn't a clone.

Yuriko's Anima perception noticed that the resonance she felt earlier faded away, and his countenance shifted from anger to terror. He pawed feebly at his torso and gasped. Harakin staggered back and looked lost. Meanwhile, Brilliance blasted through the warehouse doors and was promptly met with empowered rifle fire from the hundred-plus times stronger clone.

"Ah!"

Brilliance dove out of the way, though she was winged by a bullet. Her costume was a reinforced bodysuit that was bullet-resistant, and her own light also provided some protection. Yuriko absently deflected the bullet enough so that it didn't go through the girl. She could have blocked the shot completely, but Brilliance was young and a bit too impetuous. Better to learn some lessons now… no, she'd come close to getting shot enough times that she really should know better by now.

Ah, but Multiplier's empowered bullet was more akin to an artillery shell in power than a rifle bullet now. Either way, when breaching a door, she shouldn't be out in the open.

The majority of Yuriko's focus was now on the dying man, and probably enslaved rather than a clone. She reached into the man's wounds and noted the damage. Several bullets went through his lungs, and one came close to piercing his heart. Fatal wounds, certainly. But…

She pinched the arteries and veins with her kinesis, though she didn't endeavour to cauterise them. He might not survive the trip to the hospital, but wasn't Desire lurking around?

If the man had been a true villain, she wouldn't have cared about his life, but it looked more and more like he was a victim instead. She called for her bound Chaos Lord, and the girl appeared a few paces away, though she used her Chaos to prevent others from noticing her presence.

Scarlett was panicking in full now, and Yuriko sighed as she flew down and landed beside the redhead.

"Shhh, it's alright. We'll save him."

Scarlett, no longer Harakin, collapsed against Yuriko while Desire had a put-upon expression on her face while she hummed her songs of renewal and life.