The conversation fell into a lull after that last thought process; Ale was still unsure if there could be a parallel between common mythological creatures and themselves. That is to say, what kind of entity would even be willing to entertain the [Wish] to be happy from Alexa?

And that whole debacle was another full thing; the theory of [Wish] was probably incompatible with what Alexa had been; what does a semi-independent artificial intelligence wish for? To be Happy was most certainly one thing P4 never desired or wished for.

Ale of that single thing was 100% sure.

"So?" [Big Sister] finally said breaking the silence.

"So?" [Golem] asked pretending to not understand.

"So what are we to do?" [Big Sister] elaborated, "You have prohibited Alexa from entering combat unless required…So I assume that means you fully believe her; what does that mean for us? For the Fairy Team?"

That was a very important question.

"Yeah, we do need money to survive." Ale said, chiming in, "We don't have a recourse to survive without it…Or well, we do, but Alexa will probably not enjoy it."

Or she would, it was hard to tell if Ale was to be honest, she very well could imagine Alexa being all happy living in the sewers hunting [Giant Rats] and whatnot…Actually, she could also imagine Alexandra happily doing that.

….Was Ale the only rational one?

"I imagine, not many would be happy turning to the Saintsworths," [Golem] said nodding sagely, wait what? "It changes…a few things."

The Saintsworths were an option?

"I imagine it does," [Big Sister] said nodding, "Repeat them for us. Do remember one of us is mentally challenged."

Rude!

Ale was not….Ale was not Alexa!

"First, Alexa is to not enter combat situations unless strictly needed; I'll ensure to file for the needed paperwork to make sure that she will not be required to enter combat and update her file…" [Golem] said as he raised a finger, "Second, while we can probably prevent Alexa from participating in most of those missions, the same can't be said for your older form and your current one."

Ale turned to examine herself, what was the issue with her form? She was the prettiest of them all. There was no issue with her at all.

"What do you mean?" [Big Sister] asked, "No way Haephestus' Forge would be fine with a teenager running….oh….It's because Stellar right?"

Stellar?

"Yeah, she left a precedent," [Golem] said nodding, "Because of her we have no recourse against Ale entering the field."

"I have no problem with that," Ale said raising her hand, "I was designed for that reason, my age was also decided using that data after all."

Ale's body had been designed using an old photo of that girl, after all, and Alexandra's body had been designed using the actual Stellar. Now that Ale thought about it, they really were quite linked with Stellar, and wondered if they would see her more often?

"That is to say…While I am not happy with this outcome, we do need to respect the rules," [Golem] said sighing, "And that means our next issue. Third, you are a time bomb."

She was?

"Your Core Power is problematic at best and outright dangerous at worst. A Core Power that allows you to replicate anything that you can understand is beyond mere Shapeshifting; you could theoretically produce money, rare materials, and even limited materials beyond normal." [Golem] said raising the third finger, "Which means that when someone notices this, they will probably put more eyes on you. Saintsworths protection or not, if someone kidnaps you and removes you from the area of influence of Haephesetus' Forge there will be nothing we can do about it."

That indeed sounded like a problem.

"But would they?" [Big Sister] chimed to the rescue, "I mean, messing with Vulcanus is one thing, messing with a kid in Vulcanus territory is another. And if we leak the fact that she is actually an honest to god Saintsworth….I can see more people not wanting to mess with her than anything."

"We can't do that," [Golem] said shaking his head, "The last part relies on Alexa discarding her secret identity, which would make people pay more attention to her all the time, better for her to remain as a powered Minion. At least that way, they will only be able to see what she does in a public setting while at work."

Also Ale didn't want to screw the secret identity, that was something that she could get behind. A secret identity that allowed her to return to the darkness, like a shadowy vigil standing guard over her domain…

Yes, Ale could see it, she now only needed a trench coat, a trusty katana and some boots. It was all coming together.

"We need to think more on this," [Big Sister] said, sighing, "The issue is that Alexa and Ale seem to be too carefree with who they give the information to…"

Beg your pardon? Alexa did give it away to anyone, but Ale hadn't been that exposed on who she told stuff to…She had spoken with Alexanders and didn't reveal anything!

"That is true, why did you gave this kind of information so easily Ale?" [Golem] pilled up on the accusations.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I did not give it freely without thinking about it," Ale said, crossing her arms atop her chest in annoyance, "Everyone I told my [Shapeshifting] was because they had the right credentials or rights to know."

"Really?" [Big Sister] asked with a knowing smile, "Who else knows then and why."

"You two know," Ale started easily, "Obviously, then there is [Billy], [Vulcanus], [Gabriel], [Eleanore]...Alan and Glory since Alexa fixed their congenital defects."

"Okay, full stop there," [Big Sister] said, raising her hands to the ceiling in a defeat sign, "Elaborate on that last part. Very carefully if possible."

"Also, you haven't told us the reasoning for exposing your Core Powers to the people you did so," [Golem] also added his part to the questions.

"The [Lieutenant]-ranks and [Vulcanus] got the information because it was deemed the most optimal way to retain our work within [Haephestus' Forge], [Gabriel] also stated that they wouldn't [Terminate] us even if we didn't disclose the information, but the penalties were too much for us, so we disclosed the data." Ale said shrugging, "As for you [Big Sister] and [Golem], you are part of our team and have proven to be valuable allies. So the allocation of information was deemed worthy of the risk."

That is to say, Ale didn't mind keeping [Big Sister] around, [Golem] seemed to be a good enough person too. So she wouldn't mind him knowing, besides, as Rhapsody they have made the promise to help him.

"As for Alan and Glory's issues…" Ale sighed, "Alexa made the stupid promise to fix them, they are schoolmates of Alexa. And one used their friendship as a way to bully Alexa into giving her past, we dealt with it."

"Dealt with it….?" [Big Sister] asked slowly, "How?"

"Alexa fixed them, their hyper-advanced maturity? Part of the genetic modifications, so when they got fixed their psyche started reversing to her normal level of maturity, half of the complex emotions they parsed are impossible to interpret, her brain will shut those parts out till she matures enough," Ale said laughing, "She got her just dessert, a healthy body devoid of genetic disease and a healthy childhood….She is now a normal six-year-old girl surrounded by vipers. Kind of poetic, isn't it?"

"You only mention one in this example, but you previously mentioned two. I assume the other would be Alan Harmonia? They are part of Alexa's class, Glory would be Gloria Blackthorn?" [Golem] spoke from the side, so he knew Alexa's full-class rooster?

The man knew how to do his due diligence.

"Yes," Ale nodded, "Either caused by the enormous trauma suffered from the body reconstruction or by how Alexa did it, they ended triggering a [Core Formation]. We believe that Alan has a power similar to what we can do, and in turn, is able to retain the best of his body modifications without affecting him negatively as before."

That was such a cheat, too; he could do what they did without the use of Nanites? That was outright bullshit.

"While Glory seems to have a more mental and nuanced [Core Power]," Ale still couldn't really understand what that girl did, it sounded somewhat similar to what Meli-Meli did, but different? That or the cosmic powers of the universe were running out of good things to give away.

Ale really hoped it wasn't that one, she couldn't deal with two Meli-Melie's running around right now.

"....We will go back to that later, but if you are capable of doing a core triggering event, that is more things you shouldn't say to anyone," [Golem] sighed and turned to the camera at the far end of the room, "I'll deal with the recordings later."

Oh right, cameras…

Would that be an issue?

[Query: Is it possible to purge video and audio files from the moment we entered the room?]

[Answer to Query: It is possible to delete the local files, but the backups are sent to an offshore server. So full deletion requires administrative rights.]

[Query: Do we have administrator rights?]

[Answer to Query: Yes, limited administrator rights have been granted.]

[Query: Under what limitations are we operating?]

[Answer to Query: So long the action doesn't go against the Saintsworths Conglomerate's interest, so long the action isn't made with the intention of making problems for Alexanders Saintsworths. And lastly, so long the action evicts a laugh from Alexanders, then they can be permitted.]

What the heck was that last one?

[Command: Delete all video and audio data from the moment we started speaking to Big Sister and Golem.]

[Answer to Query: Do you wish to delete from the backup server too? Y/N]

[Yes.]

Ale felt a few extra units of mana leave her body, but the feeling was also one that she didn't mind as she saw the command line of her interface scroll as fast as V-8 giving autographs in a site he didn't want to be in.

Ale could have read them, she could probably still do if she went to the memory data file, but she decided to do that at another time, for now she was happy with the result.

"Isn't the recording in these rooms only reserved for interactions between minions and external contractors?" [Big Sister] asked, turning to [Golem] confused, "Why would you need to deal with the recordings? They aren't even recording. See? The red light isn't on."

The what now?

"We can't be too sure," [Golem] said shaking his head, "Better safe than sorry."

"I could…" Ale said raising her right hand, the one with the Saintsworths bracelet on it.

"No" "No!" Even if both answers were quite fast.

"Sorry Ale, but no…We don't want to owe the Saintsworths, besides asking them to delete the footage would mean that they would see it first," [Golem] said shaking his head, "That is worse than merely some villains knowing, that would mean that the actual Saintsworths would have a reason to hunt you down."

The real Saintsworths?

"Yeah, those are nasty ones….I saw them…once…..after the….Incident in Alberta…." [Big Sister] said shuddering, "Those armors….how happy I would be if they weren't-"

The what now?

"You were there?" [Golem] asked with worry in his voice.

"Yeah….we are sharing bad past right? It's only fair." [Big Sister] said, giving the biggest of sighs, "I….was not always Skye Venti. I was born and raised in alberta, my Mother and Father were big shots there."

Alberta?

"[The Scrambler]," [Big Sister] said, the name coming out as if it was the most vile thing [Big Sister] could say, "He came to our city, from nowhere. One day we were having a normal picnic…The next second, I woke up in a Saintsworths-endorsed hospital with a hospital gown and no memories of my past…"

That….. Sounded odd.

"They said that my memories would come back, to hang tight, they gave me a dossier with a photo of myself and my parents, some data about who I was, my personality markers, estimated desires for education and hopes. With some notes on diary entries…" [Big Sister] gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Isn't it funny? The fricking Saintsworths had a copy of my diary, a private diary that I searched all over the house and never found."

That was totally not creepy at all.

"Anyway, they gave me another option too. Embrace a new identity and move with my life. I would to prove I could survive alone." [Big Sister] smirked at that statement, "Everyone wanted that option, why should we live as they tell us if those lives aren't ours?"

"So you proved them you could survive alone?" [Golem] asked showing great interest, "I assume you took advantage of your Core?"

"Bingo," [Big Sister] nodded, "The original….me. Was not a Core User, but I had a Core, I could feel it pulasting, so I proded at it and unleashed my Core Power. That was enough to prove that I could survive by myself, so they had no other option than letting me go."

"And your family?" Ale asked, remembering that [Big Sister] had mentioned them as if in passing only.

"...My Parents either don't exist or are dead," [Big Sister] answered with a sigh, "The people that are supposed to be my parents don't know me; they don't even know each other. My alleged Mother ran away and is now hiking in mountain paths; my alleged Father is now a successful book writer."

That was….weird?

"As for how or when I triggered….I am not too sure," [Big Sister] said with a sigh, "The Saintsworths medics believe that it was either during or after the aftermath. There was this Doctor, Miriam Eversoul who was in charge of the triage who seemed quite focused in healing us…But most of us just wanted out, so we left…"

Ale felt like that name had been dropped before…but where?

"Either way, I used my Core Powers to run as far and as fast away as possible, so that was how I ended up here," [Big Sister] ended her tale on that note, no speech about great upheavals or anything, just a mention about her past in passing, "Now is your turn Eddy,"

….Ale turned to look to the pile of gravel and dirt.

"Fair is fair…" Said the moving pile of gravel and dirt that was [Golem], "I am from the most rural parts of Ohio, grew on a farm away from the bustling of the city even."

"Ooooh….dang, I have heard tales of those places. Don't you have problems with the superfauna or something?" [Big Sister] said asking about super fauna? The hell was super fauna?

"It's fine most of the time, if you are living in the rural parts you either find a way to cope or buy a Powered Mech Suit to protect your farm, that or pay someone for the same. My old folks bought an old used one tho." [Golem] shrugged as he spoke, "My old man was a nasty one, emigrated to the US as a child and made a claim to his farm and dared anyone to kick him out, that claim was approved after the advent of Core Users when the super fauna became more than a mere legend."

"I imagine not many farmers wanted to stay as one when your cow turned from the cute Betsy into the Nemean Tiger." [Big Sister] said with a snort.

"...You have never dealt with cows or bulls, have you?" [Golem] deadpanned at [Big Sister], "Trust me, the cows didn't change that much; it became an issue that the Geese expanded their patrol area, but nothing to worry about. Now the foxes…those became an issue, but that is beside the point."

That didn't sound beside the point; if he mentioned them, then obviously they had something to do with his [Core Triggering]...right?

"So you triggered while being chased by a fox?" [Big Sister] asked.

"Nah, nothing so special…You see, my Father was a nutcase, a lazy bum, a terror to our neighborhood, but even like that, he was a stand-up guy…Never raised a hand against me, even while drunk and plastered in as many drugs as he could afford." [Golem] stated, Ale grumbled as she crossed out the drunk abusive Father from her bingo list. "My trigger event wasn't something that special; I triggered because of faulty wiring, a bull in heat, and a geese chasing a chicken."

….

"Okay, I will need more clarification on that," Ale said as she tried to picture that mental image and returned with nothing.

How the hell did those animals combine into making the Trigger event for [Golem]?

Surely the answer would come immediately, right? Right?

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