String [Superheroes, Technological Progression]

My suit was doing all it could to stabilize me, but despite that, my condition worsened the closer we got to my workshop.

To my displeasure, it seems as though I had yet another thing added to my list of projects. I would need my suit to be much better at healing me. I'm just lucky that my lack of preparation wouldn't lead to me dying tonight.

When we arrived, it was… quiet. Cyberspace's agents were absent—likely out causing more chaos. That left us with an empty building, with the sole exception of Vigil, who came bounding down the stairs the moment we entered.

"It's a shitshow out there. Ajax is deploying more of his war machines and Pandora is hitting back. It's spiraling, bad," Vigil said, unable to hide her stress. "My family is close to the fighting. I have to get them away before things start to escalate."

"Yeah, this isn't going to end well," Alice muttered. "But you need to pump the brakes there a little. Your family will be safe. While Ajax plays offense, the rest of the ECU will be doing damage control. Residential areas close to the fighting will be evacuated."

"How can you be sure?" Vigil challenged. "You don't have Gold anymore."

"I used to be part of their organization! I don't need Gold to know where their priorities are." Alice shot back. "Right now, we need to fix Max up. We're not about to go jumping into this conflict without him. Anomaly, take him over there." Alice said, pointing to a table surrounded by Splicer's mechatech.

Anomaly carried me to the table surrounded by surgical equipment. It was Splicer's DNA Reconstructor, a piece of mechatech I hadn't quite gotten to use yet. While its primary function was to alter the DNA of the patient, I could use my power to add the ability to perform other forms of surgery. Automation on top of that?

Far too costly to create tonight.

"Wait a moment," I grunted, causing Anomaly to stop and gently put me onto my feet. "Need to make a small change first."

My hand brushed against the table, and I viewed the functions I wanted to add. The [DNA Reconstructor] turned into a floating mass of transparent liquid before reforming into a seemingly identical table, with a few minor physical tweaks. There were more tools attached to the mechanical limbs hanging over the table, and the name had changed from [DNA Reconstructor] to [Full-Body Reconstructor].

"I thought Orange was going to do the surgery?" Anomaly asked.

I wheezed as I disengaged my suit.

Anomaly helped as best he could as Alice returned to our side, carrying a box of medical equipment with my prototype bone replacements inside. Coupled with the tools she was going to use were various grades of biogel. It would help to speed up my recovery.

"She is, but if she doesn't have some upgraded tools, it'll take too much time. I need to be ready as soon as possible." I said, carefully prying away my suit. "Vigil, I need some more information. Do you still have statues around my house?"

"Just one," she answered quickly. "What do you want to know?"

"Abby, is she still there?"

"No, she took Wildfire's body and flew back to the Citadel."

"She's going to try to conceal the body," Alice theorized. "Pandora won't know what happened to Wildfire if they don't find his body. They'll only be able to speculate, but with Mentalist aid, it won't take them long to put the pieces together. The ECU is buying time."

Vigil looked bewildered. "Buying time? Pandora's already attacking them!"

"They're attacking Ajax," Alice replied swiftly. "It's mostly about challenging his hold over the city than an actual attack. The moment they learn Wildfire was done in with two Rookies present, they will stop caring about collateral damage."

"It's fuckin' Grim all over again," Anomaly muttered, shaking his head. "Are we seriously about to go through the same shit? Fuck this city."

"Welcome to Evohuman warfare. We should count our blessings, there are worse places in the world to be living," Alice sighed. "New Elpis is rather peaceful all things considered, well, with the exception of Ashton."

"Talk more about this later," I said through labored breathing. "I'd like to get this surgery over and done with."

"Sorry." Alice said grimly. "Are you ready?"

"To be honest? No. But don't let that stop you." I edged toward the table, and Anomaly helped me onto it. "This fighting is only going to escalate, and I'm not about to be caught unprepared," I closed my eyes and breathed, letting the quiet hum of machinery calm my thoughts. "There's no changing what happened. We can only move forward now, so please don't get cold feet. There's so much I need to do and dying on this table would be a shit way to go out."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're not going to die," Alice replied, her usual humor completely absent. "You know how difficult it is for Orange to get distracted. Once I start, I won't stop until I'm finished. You'll live."

I stared at the ceiling as a chill crawled up my spine. It was one thing to say and know I needed surgery; it was another thing to actually put myself under the knife. The idea of being cut open scared me.

"Maxis," the voice came from Vigil. I could hear the anxiety—the fear in her voice. "I'm sorry, I should have done more. I could've—" her voice trembled for a moment before she found her words. "I shouldn't have let things get this bad."

"No, don't blame yourself." Alice said before I could get a word in. "None of this is on you. You—and the rest of us were lied to. If we knew things were going to get this bad, we would've acted," she ran a hand through her hair as she approached the table. Her face came into my vision, and her shining blue eyes captured my gaze. "That goes for you too, you know."

Easier said than done.

Lucy might have survived by the miracle of her Awakening, but I'd never forget seeing her burn to ashes. A punishment, not only for involving Lucy in this mess, but for how I lied and deceived Abby.

I didn't believe I deserved her forgiveness anyway. My allegiance to Madhouse and identity as Upgrade would force us to be enemies.

"I've made a lot of terrible decisions. I'll take responsibility and carry the blame I deserve," I replied softly, my gaze hardening as I focused on the ceiling. "Not this, though. Not this."

Various speakers crackled around my workshop as the prime culprit finally decided to weigh in.

"Greetings, Madhouse."

"Greetings?! Is that you've got to say?" Anomaly snarled. "Y'know, you got some real guts to start talking after the shit you just pulled. You can take your 'greetings' and shove it!"

"Liam!" Vigil hissed under her breath, sounding panicked. "Don't."

"A crude welcoming, but perhaps not entirely unwarranted," Cyberspace remarked evenly. "I won't be the first to admit that things got out of hand. Seraphim's appearance was… surprising. Unfortunately, not even I can account for everything. Sometimes, there are variables outside of my control."

Alice's lip twitched.

"You must really think we're stupid if you think we're going to buy that."

Her words came out quietly, full of venom. I could see how tightly her jaw was clenched as she leaned against the operating table. Now more than ever, I felt the pain of Gold's absence. I didn't want to believe Cyberspace right now, and without confirmation from Gold, I didn't want to start hurling accusations.

"Believe me or don't, I will not engage in meaningless debates to prove my innocence," Cyberspace paused for a moment before sighing. "However, I can recognize that you have paid an unforeseen price. That much, I am at fault for."

"Right," Anomaly muttered darkly. "Because you sound soooo fuckin' sorry."

I breathed deeply, controlling my growing anger. My injuries helped ward against any outbursts that were trying to claw their way out of me. I wanted nothing more than to put Cyberspace in their place—to punish them for landing us in this situation, but I was in no position to be doing so.

"I apologize, Maxis," Cyberspace continued. "It was not my intention for you or Lucy to suffer. I instructed Lucy to discreetly lure Comet to the dinner so Wildfire would be subdued and imprisoned by the ECU. To that end, I must also apologize for my dishonesty. I felt it prudent that you were none the wiser about this ruse. You are not skilled at concealing your thoughts."

Not their intention?

I was unable to stifle my bitter laugh before it transitioned into a painful coughing fit.

"You… find this amusing?" There was notable confusion in Cyberspace's tone.

"How convenient that despite everything that happened, it all worked out for you in the end," I croaked, clearing my throat. "A Pandora lieutenant dead with two ECU Rookies at the scene. I can't imagine it will be long before it gets out and Wildfire's death is blamed on them. Pandora and the ECU pitted against each other, just like you wanted."

"Perceptive," Cyberspace said, intrigued. "Color me surprised. While that outcome was my intention, the events leading to that conclusion spiraled beyond my control."

Bullshit.

Even in my pain-addled state of mind, I could see through the flimsy excuse. Seraphim wasn't surprising; it was planned.

Was it possible they engineered this situation to force my secret out into the open? On the surface, it seemed stupid to consider. What was there to gain by the ECU knowing who I was?

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Nothing… until I actually considered this from Cyberspace's angle.

I wouldn't be able to live as Maxis Troy anymore, only Upgrade.

"Convenient," I muttered. "You've already admitted you lied. As you can understand… we're not going to take you at your word anymore, and rebuilding that trust is not something that's going to be easy."

Cyberspace was quiet, letting my words linger. I imagined Abby was just as angry as I was. Abby and I had been friends—very close friends. Cyberspace and I were at best colleagues, and I was still feeling betrayed.

Naive. Stupid.

I should never have allowed myself to get so comfortable, despite our short time working together. Ironically, this was exactly the type of thing I was concerned Alice would pull long before Cyberspace came into the picture.

"You speak of fractured trust as if I am the only offending party. Do you think I am blind to your subterfuge, Maxis? While I've never doubted the extent of your loyalty, you deliberately kept your motives vague when requesting Splicer's technology. I have played this game far longer than you," Cyberspace intoned, before allowing a placated sigh to echo throughout the room. "However, if I must be the one to extend the proverbial olive branch, then I will. I have made arrangements for your mother. Eleanor is safe, and I have several of my best surgical experts en route to help with your condition. I am… sorry you have to endure such debilitating injuries."

I saw Alice's eyes narrow as she stilled. Liam crossed his arms and scowled while Vigil frowned, looking unconvinced.

"This was an opportunity that I've rarely come across and I was, perhaps, overzealous in my actions. I applaud utilizing your relationship with Lucy to lure Wildfire into a trap. Your intentions were praiseworthy, but unfortunately you lacked the conviction to follow through," Cyberspace paused for a moment, their tone twisting to sympathy, but I heard the hint of mockery. "Your bond with Lucy stopped you from doing what was necessary. I do not fault you for that. You are, after all, a child."

I wanted to laugh, but all I could do was lie on the table and stare at the ceiling. A reassurance and an apology for my condition, followed closely by a justification, before finishing things off with a criticism. I wasn't sure what was worse: that they only apologized for the fact that I got hurt, or the fact that they had the audacity to sound smug by the end of it.

"I've never heard a worse apology," Vigil sniped, unable to suppress her spite. "What's this supposed to be? 'I'm sorry you're too much of a child to follow through so let me do it for you?' None of this had to happen. We were supposed to be there to play damage control in case Wildfire started acting up. That was the plan. I didn't hear anything about dealing with Comet or Seraphim!"

"Yeah, what the hell gives?" Anomaly snapped. "How're we supposed to actually…y'know, do shit when you don't tell us anything? It feels like you set us all up to die, Max and Lucy especially." He wrinkled his nose as his scowl deepened. "Actually, now that I think about it, what's to say you didn't pull the same shit with my sister, huh?"

My eyes flickered to Alice as I waited for her to chime in, but judging from the uncertain look in her eyes, she didn't trust herself to speak.

"As I have plainly said, Seraphim's presence was unforeseen," Cyberspace said, sounding aggravated. "Comet's inclusion was a strategic decision. I did not inform any of you because I knew you would tell Maxis, thus rendering the secrecy moot. Given his nature and past transgressions, I do not believe we would have achieved the most preferable outcome if he had this knowledge prior to the dinner."

"Preferable outcome…?" Vigil's frown turned downright vicious. "Look at him! Look at what happened! All we've done is turn the city upside down. Seraphim is still out there looking for Alice and losing more of her mind every minute. Max almost died. Lucy—!"

"—Underwent an Awakening," Cyberspace cut her off. "An outcome my Mentalists predicted. Her case is a curious outlier, given her heritage. Third generation Evohumans typically have an easier time Awakening, predominantly occurring during their earlier years. It is unusual for someone in her predicament to have been dormant for so long."

"Third Generation?" Alice muttered.

"It's not something she likes to advertise, but her father is a second generation. Her mother—while not an Evohuman herself—was born to a first generation. She carries the potential and her father's powers would make quite the potent combination when merged with Wildfire, which is the primary reason he took her as his wife," Cyberspace explained. "I will admit, this information was not easy to come by. "

"That's…" Alice shook her head, confused. "That's not how powers work."

"On what authority do you base that claim?" Cyberspace queried pointedly. They didn't even have to wait for Alice to respond because the look on her face said everything. "Your fragmented understanding of what your Mentalist power was able to piece together is not the complete story. This is a subject both Pandora and I have monitored closely for decades."

"Even still, you couldn't have known," Alice tried to argue. "Awakenings aren't predictable. There's no pattern. There's a whole bunch of—of scenarios where an Awakening can happen," her tone became more frantic with each word. "So don't sit there and expect us to buy that shit!"

"How disappointing," Cyberspace sighed. "It seems Richard's interference has left you quite simple minded."

That insult destroyed the last piece of patience I had left.

"Fuck off," I growled. "Don't sit there and pretend everything you did was justifiable. I watched Lucy burn. You said all I had to do was play my part, and I did. After all your lectures, you turn around and pull the same thing. Your 'master plan' meant I had to watch my best-friend burn to death."

I heard the speakers crackle as Cyberspace prepared a response, but none came. They remained silent, my accusation hanging over them like a pendulum.

"My normal life, gone. My friendship with Abby, destroyed. My Mom could have died. I almost died, and chances are Lucy will never be the same again," I hissed through the throbbing pain. I felt my lungs contract, and I suddenly felt like I was breathing through a straw again. "I heard her scream as she was turned to ash, and you want to sit there and tell me that this was the preferable outcome? Fuck you."

"I… What?" Cyberspace's genuine confusion almost threw me off. "My reports state that Lucy's Awakening resulted in a flaming Morpher taking the form of a giant bird. There are already countless reports of a Phoenix flying north."

"Wildfire killed her." I muttered. "You mean to tell me this wasn't part of your genius plan? That you didn't anticipate this?"

"You must be mistaken," Cyberspace rebuked my claim without hesitation. "Awakenings cannot occur after death."

"On what authority do you base that claim?" I sneered. "You orchestrated all of this, whether you foresaw Seraphim's involvement or not, you've admitted your dishonesty, and we're not going to forget that."

"That sounds like a threat," Cyberspace mused dangerously. "I would advise you to be careful with your next words. You have already tested my patience before."

Despite my injuries and my fragile condition, the warning in their tone sounded hollow. It was a sad attempt to threaten me into silence.

"And now you've tested ours," I said. "You want to continue working together? There are some terms you're going to have to meet," I was forced to pause as I found myself short of breath. It was at this point that I realized that things needed to get a move on. I was in no condition to be participating in lengthy conversations with my injuries. I needed to move things along. "That, though, is a conversation for later."

"...Very well," Cyberspace said, sounding immeasurably displeased. "I agree this conversation would be more productive when you are in better health. I will suggest you wait for my people to arrive with the surgical team I have prepared."

"No," I shut them down. "I only trust Alice with this. We don't need your help here."

"That is incredibly unwise," Cyberspace retorted, this time with more bite. "I will insist that you wait."

"No," I repeated again with equal force. "Keep your people away from me. You've done enough damage tonight."

Cyberspace said nothing, and I took their silence as compliance.

"Alice—we need to start. Not sure how much longer I can keep going like this."

Alice blinked, seemingly snapping out of her stupor. Cyberspace's comment seemed to have gotten to her more than I thought.

"R-Right," she turned fully back to the table and began preparing me for the surgery. She nervously attempted to help me out of my clothes before she signaled to Anomaly for help. Stepping up, he assisted quietly, all while I groaned with every movement. "This might take a couple of hours, even with the machine." She turned and shot Vigil a quick glance. "You up to help? I can do the hard stuff by hand and you can work the machine."

"...What?" She looked horrified. "You can't be serious."

Not wanting to argue, Alice turned to Anomaly.

"What about you, do you think you can manage the machine?"

"Uh…" Anomaly turned to face the console at the end of the table. He darted over, tapped a few times on the screen, and then shook his head. "Yeah, no, sorry. I can't make any sense of this, and I don't want to be responsible for accidentally killing him."

What? It should be easy. I made it easy to understand… didn't I?

Even now, while I was lying on the table, the accessibility functions that came with the basic surgery modes were child's play. I could have operated with my eyes closed.

"I will operate it," Cyberspace interjected. "The change he made moments ago will allow me to speed up the process."

I went to retort, but Alice beat me to the punch.

"What part of 'we don't need your help' did you not understand?"

"Without my aid, this surgery will take longer than needed." There were notable traces of anger and distress in Cyberspace's tone.

It struck me as strange.

"If that's what it takes," Alice replied stubbornly. "If you insist on helping I'll rip it apart."

"This petulance is unnecessary, but if you are so desperate to make things more difficult than they need to be, then so be it!" Cyberspace's voice was filled with undisguised spite. "I will observe and help only if requested. However, should I see you make any mistakes, I will not hesitate to act."

"Mistakes," Alice snorted bitterly. "Orange doesn't make mistakes."

"Even the most skilled in their field are capable of errors."

Alice ignored the jab and continued to work.

One by one, she picked up each bone replacement and placed them in my good hand. I made the necessary adjustments to each one, feeling my number of charges deplete. Each replacement was several times more durable than regular bones, but if broken, would not heal naturally. It was a flaw I wanted to address before actually doing this, but it would be far too costly on short notice.

I needed more time. Time I didn't have.

"Last chance to back out," Alice said idly as she continued to work. She was marking all the places on my body that she would need to cut open. "I can still fix you up normally, but you know best if your replacements will work. It's going to be a mess if your body rejects them."

"We're not working with organs here," I chuckled painfully. "Not yet anyway."

"Bone replacements can still be rejected if done poorly, or if the wrong materials are used. Blood poisoning, corrosion… I could go on."

"'I've accounted for all of that," I breathed, shifting uncomfortably. "My power's made them safe. There's nothing to worry about."

"If you're sure," Alice said with a knowing look.

I replied with a simple nod.

Alice reached for a mask before placing it over my face.

"I'll see you on the other side."

My breathing slowed as the world darkened—and soon, dreams took me.