POWER LEVEL
10,039
Tech Points
1/7
Forms
N/A
Zeni
4,385
Archived
|
Apr 25, 2023 22:05:24 GMT -5
Post by Espere on Apr 25, 2023 22:05:24 GMT -5
Chapter 1: Pregnable pregnable: vulnerable to attack; not impregnable Espere had the upper hand. She always had the upper hand. She always made sure to stay one step ahead of her plan to take the advantage of any weak spots or windows of opportunities in the event that she might get countered. That's how it always been. Ever since her rejection from the Red Ribbon Army, she had never been the same. Her obsession of mechanics grew large up to a point where she became an android and even forced her family into the conversion. And for what? Who was she trying to prove? She already proved herself she had a gift for mechanics and a talent to build ruthless and fearful androids. Some may say the rejection drove her made, and Espere would have no choice but to agree, only because it's all true. It was a dreadful event, but she had no qualms in admitting the atrocity she put her family through. Even she'd agree she was a piece of shit. Still is. Could trying to take over the Red Ribbon Army as revenge to initiate her dream of achieving universal tranquility by converting every single breathing being into an accessible android as means to eliminate violence and other heinous crimes consider her redeemable. In her eyes, yes. As fortunate as she was to convince her younger sister to see her point of view along other empty promises granted to her, the duo had their ups and downs to making her vision come true. There was just one simple problem. They weren't the only ones that knew Espere's plan. All it took was one text message that buzzed Espere's phone that sent her into a state of internal panic from an unknown number, and a number that she was unable to trace: "I know your little secret on getting back at the RRA, little Ms. Rejected Scientist. Don't worry though, I'll keep your secret safe. Though if I were you, I'd choose my words very carefully if you want to try and text back."The phone was left with the screen on of the text message on the coffee table. It's been about half an hour since she gotten the message and the device remained untouched. Across the table was Espere lied down on the beanbag, her legs lazily spread out. The lit cigarette that remained in her idled left hand gave her temporary relief before reality came down and bitch slapped her across the face. Espere was far from being a smoker, but the desperate need for anything to give her some sort of peace was too great to ignore. She only wished that Hema was here to help her in some way. Help her how? Hell if she knew. Yell at her? Scold her for somehow fucking this all up? Ideally this was no way to comfort anyone, Espere no less, but just the presence of her sister could at least, in some way, help calm her down. Right now, all she could do was stare at the phone. There was another choice, the only choice, to take, and that was to call the unknown number and see what they wanted. Yet the question remained: it didn't matter who knew, the real matter at hand was how the hell did they know? Espere made sure to cover her and her sister's tracks. She was even sure that her presence in general remained as an ordinary citizen who aspire to be a better scientist... although the hidden truth behind the statement of improving as a scientist has a more forbidding motive. "God, do I hate being fucking vulnerable right now." Espere hissed at herself in complete annoyance. A groan escaped while she took the cigarette to her lips and gave a quick huff and puff. By the looks of it, she might need a second cigarette to burn through. There was no other choice other than to think about how much Espere is in a very compromising position. One fuck up and Espere ends up on the Red Ribbon Army's most wanted list. Screw it, she had to call. She needed to see what they hell they know and what the hell they want. Squashing the lit cigarette out in the ashtray, she picked up the phone and call the unknown number. For what it's worth, she could be able to trace the location of where the call is made. She'd just hope she made the right choice.
WC: 742 TWC: 742 OOC Notes: -time to get crackin' - Rookie Bonus +65% |
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POWER LEVEL
10,039
Tech Points
1/7
Forms
N/A
Zeni
4,385
Archived
|
Apr 26, 2023 0:32:53 GMT -5
Post by Espere on Apr 26, 2023 0:32:53 GMT -5
The few rings from the other line felt like Espere waited years for whoever was on the other side to answer. After another few rings, someone finally answered. Right away, she was greeted with a velvet feminine voice.
"Well, well, well," The voice greeted the android with an amused, breathy tone. "I didn't think you had the guts to try and call me, but here you are. I'll admit, I figured you'd be someone begging me through a series of texts to not snitch to the Red Ribbon Army. Then again, for all I know you might do the same thing but through a call. Heh."
Espere was lucky enough that this was only a voice call. Her teeth gritted together in frustration, she practically felt the cockiness from the unknown caller's voice, as if she had the upper hand somehow. And she did. Espere hated it. Still, she kept her composure in her voice. Like the text said, she had to be very careful with her next choice of words; a threat that Espere would usually take lightly up until this moment. In the meantime, the cyborg stood up from the beanbag and walked towards her laptop.
She had to be careful, but also show that Espere knew how to stand her ground.
"Alright, so what do you want? Money? Some weapons?" Espere kept her tone as casual as she could as a signal to the caller that she wasn't worried with the secret at hand, even though the tension in her body refused to go away.
A response of silence on the other line lasted for a few moments before the caller spoke. "Pity, and here I thought you'd put up a fight. At least you know your place." For a second, it sounded like the caller was caught off guard with how nonchalant Espere's reaction was; moreso slightly disappointed.
Espere placed the call on speaker as she reached for a black cord connected to her laptop to plug her phone in. In less than a few seconds later, she began typing away in hopes of finding where the call is being made. "Honestly? You're just not threatening enough for me to entertain you. Never mind a snitch. Intimidation is just not for you. I think working for a sex line would be more up your alley, though."
The caller replied with an empty laugh. Espere's quip triggered the caller for a split second and they both know it. "Bold words from a reject who thinks fucking with a major multi-billion corporation will make her feel better and less of a failure." The caller snapped back.
"Ouch." Espere mockingly replied. "When I do take over, it would definitely make me feel a lot better and less of a failure, I'll admit it." When, not if. Despite the circumstances, Espere still had complete confidence in her vision becoming reality. Before the caller could get another word in, Espere was quick enough to continue. "But enough about me and definitely enough about you. I just have one small question. I don't care who you are or how you know about my business with the Red Ribbon Army," Or at least, she didn't care anymore. "I want to know what do you want out of this."
"What I want out of this?" The caller echoed.
Espere still went on to type away to try and trace the call. "Right. Clearly you have sensitive information on me, dangling it above my head like a dog trying to jump and snatch a treat off of your hand. You want something from me. Or, dare I say, you might NEED something from me." It was an obvious observation, given that the caller initially felt entertained at the idea of having a secret that they can easily leak to the Red Ribbon Army.
"Hm." Was all Espere could get out of the caller. It sounded like the caller was stumped, but Espere knew better than to think she got a one over, not when something so classified is on the line. "I don't necessarily want you to do anything for me. You do know what I want to get out from this, though?" She asked.
Espere sat in silence, only the sounds of her fingers pounding against the keyboard could be faintly heard. "...Go on." Were the only two words she managed to force out.
"I want us to meet in person."
"A meeting? In person?" It was now Espere's turn for her to be caught off guard. "I'll be honest with you, I don't know how much use I would be as a rejected scientist."
"Well, guess we'll have to see. I'll text you the address. By the way, you can stop trying to trace the call. It's not working."
Espere couldn't help but huff a chuckle. "What gave it away? The sound of typing?" As she asked, she pulled her hands back from her laptop.
"Something like that, reject. Anyway, be there in 2 hours. Then we'll talk business."
WC: 836
TWC: 1,578
|
|
POWER LEVEL
10,039
Tech Points
1/7
Forms
N/A
Zeni
4,385
Archived
|
Apr 26, 2023 11:00:01 GMT -5
Post by Espere on Apr 26, 2023 11:00:01 GMT -5
Chapter 2: Accord accord: (of a concept or fact) be harmonious or consistent with As instructed, Espere arrived at the address texted to her. It looked like a ran down alley with the backdoor leading to some sort of cheap bar; one that the android recognized. This already felt shady, but fortunately for Espere, she knew exactly how to defend herself. After all, this was a fifty-fifty chance of this either being some sort of trap or ambush, or a golden opportunity to see who the hell was on the other line and find out what did this mysterious figure really wanted from Espere. She highly doubt it was someone powerful enough to have goons waiting on every corner on the street ready to try and put Espere down; the voice was too soft for that. Then again, anything can happen. Espere's outfit was simple; a black neck crop top with slightly baggy pants of the same color with a few belts attached, followed by black sneakers. Over the crop top was an open gray jacket with a small bag attached near her left hip. To top it all off, she wore black gloves; her left glove being fingerless and the other one having sleeves for her fingers. This was meant to signal that she had no intentions of battling if she were in a casual outfit, but it gave her enough breathing room to engage otherwise if things decide go to south. The android took a few more steps closer in front of graffiti that spelled "neon". She checked her phone for the time, noticing that it's almost been ten minutes since she arrived. Espere clicked her tongue in slight annoyance; was the caller running late? Was she deciding to be fashionably late? She was told to arrive in two hours, yet the caller herself didn't keep her end of the bargain. Hell, at this point she could only hope she wasn't being played. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."The same feminine voice Espere heard from the phone called for her from behind. The android's head perked up and turned around to see who was before her; a woman who seemed to be an inch shorter than Espere. She couldn't make out the facial features completely due to the darkness that surrounded them admist the dull neon lights, but it appeared that she had snow white hair and bright amber eyes. She wore a black and gold jacket with a large hoodie with horns on the top. Under it appeared to be some sort of black dress. "No, not at all. Though, it did felt like you stood me up for a second." Espere joked with a light chuckle. The stranger gave a slight smirk at Espere's little quip. "Then apologies. Had to take care of a few things before we met. I wanted to make sure I look presentable, since clearly you already passed that mark." She gave Espere a quick lookover before her head nodded in approval. "You have some good taste in fashion, I'll give you that." She complimented. Espere couldn't help but smile at the remark. "At least someone on this planet understands. You should try telling my dearest sister that, she'll think I somehow drugged you." She joked. "Heh." The stranger took a step closer towards Espere, then walked towards the door. "Follow me, private matters away." She said. Espere's head followed the stranger as she approached the door. "You think the owner would allow a couple of strays to loiter around?" She questioned. "The bar closed early for the night. I'm fine friends with the owner, so she wouldn't mind if we stuck around after closing hours for maybe a couple of minutes." The stranger opened the door and held it open for Espere to follow suit. "You comin'?"
WC: 625 TWC: 2,203 OOC Notes: Stranger:  Espere's outfit reference:  |
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POWER LEVEL
10,039
Tech Points
1/7
Forms
N/A
Zeni
4,385
Archived
|
Apr 26, 2023 14:34:01 GMT -5
Post by Espere on Apr 26, 2023 14:34:01 GMT -5
As Espere followed the stranger in, the duo arrived inside of the bar. Messy, filled with tags and other graffiti. She always saw its signature sign whenever she passed, but she never went inside up until this moment. As the stranger was right, no one was in but the duo. "Homey." Espere always managed to get herself into high-end bars and drink away, especially since she had a much higher tolerance with alcohol since her android conversion. She could never turn down expensive booze. On the contrary, there was something about this bar that gave her a sense of humble beginnings despite her parents being moderately well off. "Very. This place is practically my home now. My only one." The stranger commented. She led the android into a small booth where there were two bottles of what appeared to be different brands of shochu. Espere cocked an eyebrow out of interest as she took a seat. These brands had a hefty amount of money to their name, so it was somewhat of a shock that something that had a reputation of some sort end up in a low bar like this. "Alright," The stranger opened a bottle and reached for a glass. She filled the alcohol into the cup and slid it across towards the android. "Before we start, are there any questions you want to ask me?"Espere immediately took the glass in her hand after it was passed to her and took a quick sip. Her lips cracked into a satisfied smile as she took one more sip. She needed that sip more than she realized. Finally, her eyes wandered off to the walls in contemplation before they were right back on the stranger. There were a lot of questions she needed answered; some that were important, and others were just out of mere curiosity. "Quite a few just to keep it real, but I'll try not to turn it into an interview." Now what could be the first question to ask... "Okay... how did you know I got rejected from the Red Ribbon Army?" The stranger poured herself a cup and took a small gulp, swirling the drink around as she gave a relaxed shrug. "They may be one of the biggest and toughest, but let's just say their cybersecurity could definitely need a touch up." Just from that answer alone, a major assumption was made. The girl before her was a hacking expert and probably decided to mess around with the corporation for the shits and giggles. Though, why she did it was what was needed to be known next. "Right, then how did you know I was getting back at the RRA? Surely they didn't put down in their files, 'rejected RRA applicant goes wild and wishes to thwart the corp out of spite'." Espere questioned. This time, the stranger couldn't stifle her entertained chuckle. "Oh, that? That was just a little jab, nothing serious." She explained. Espere's eyes went wide in shock. "Really, now?""'Course. The whole 'I know your secret' thing was just a little joke. I figured since you were rejected, you must have felt some sort of anger and resentment or whatever. It was a bit of a jab at the fact that you got turned down. I didn't know you actually have any sort of vengeance planned against them. Not until now, at least." The stranger winked at Espere. "...Huh." Espere huffed in amusement. "I just got baited into admitting it, then.""Precisely." The stranger cooed. Espere gave a shrug of her own and took another sip of her drink. "Fair. Then my next question is, was this all some sort of joke? To come and admit you were just fucking with me?""Mm... not exactly. In their files, you didn't react too well to the rejection. In fact, you were just devastated. They've never seen anything like it before, was basically what they said. Now the specifics I won't get into, but...""You were curious as to why I reacted the way I did." Espere finished her sentence for the stranger. The stranger nodded. "I am... and I want to know how you're getting back at them."Espere laid back from her seat to get a good look at the other woman. "Why would you want to know? You're thinking about joining me?" She asked. As Espere talked away, the stranger was already halfway done with her drink. "Maybe I do, if you're willing to scratch my back in return." She admitted. Of course the other woman would want to have a favor returned out of this; nothing ever came free in this world. Then again, Espere wondered why exactly she wanted to join in the first place. "I don't know, it seems rather too dangerous for someone of your caliber in terms of strength and the likes. No offense." She said. "And it's way too dangerous for someone of your caliber to do this alone. You against a multi-billion dollar corporation that serves as a private contractor for the entire planet? You're going to need more than just strength. We may not have known each other for long... but I can tell you know what the hell you're doing. You got a decent head on your shoulders. Though, it doesn't hurt to have more help by your side if you want things to go mostly the way you want it." The stranger explained. And... she was right. Asides that Hema was taken along for the ride, it wouldn't hurt for her to have more helping hands; helping hands that are competent and hands that she could trust. "Well, my sister, Hema, is also in on the plan..." Before Espere continued, the stranger cut her off. "Sister?" She rose her eyebrows from her guard being caught off. "I assumed this was a one woman type of job you were going for." Espere shook her head with a little chuckle. "Well now you know. It's... a bit of a long story with her and even a longer story with my dissatisfaction with the RRA." She admitted with another sip. "Well, well. It's a good thing we got all night, then."
WC: 1,030 TWC: 3,233 |
|
POWER LEVEL
10,039
Tech Points
1/7
Forms
N/A
Zeni
4,385
Archived
|
Apr 26, 2023 16:01:32 GMT -5
Post by Espere on Apr 26, 2023 16:01:32 GMT -5
Espere stared at her cup for a while before she downed the rest of the alcohol in one gulp. The stranger gave an impressed smile as she watched the android quickly finish her drink. "I didn't catch your name. Well, I never gave you the chance to tell me it now that I look back on it." Espere reached for the first bottle. She twisted the cap off and poured herself another drink, this time filling it up to the brim.
"Nothing special. I usually go by the initial of my first name, X. As for what's my actual first name? Take me on a date first if you really want to get to know me better and my shithole you call life." A bitter chuckle escaped her lips as she shook her head and took a small sip from her cup.
Espere gave a hearty laugh at the remark and nodded her head. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to give you the best treatment you ever had. All on me, you don't have to pay for anything." She reassured. Whether it was a joke or not, X's smile at the response looked genuine. "So... you want the story behind the woman that wants the Red Ribbon Army all to herself." She dramatically announced, another sip of shochu taken from her cup.
"All to herself, eh? I thought you were going to burn those fuckers down to the ground or something." X cackled.
"Not exactly. Far from it, actually." Espere said. She paused for a moment to consider what should be said and what should be left out. Then, it all poured out. From her obsession with mechanics and androids to admitting the cruelty of putting herself and her family through android conversion after she was rejected by the Red Ribbon Army.
However, Espere conveniently left out the part where she wanted to convert every single species in the universe into androids and saw that the Red Ribbon Army was perfect for her vision to come true. Instead, she replaced it with the current events that happened on Earth, how both the planet and the USD failed to protect themselves and believes that she was a better fit to run the Red Ribbon army to put the government back in control to eliminate anyone that was not human or a cyborg that would submit to humans.
All X did was listen intently with brows furrowed in concentration. Once Espere was finished, she gave a low whistle and sunk a little in her seat. "Good lord! Aren't you an ambitious woman trying to look after Mother Earth." She gleefully cackled. "Honestly? I can't even blame you. After all the shit this planet went through, what WE went through, it's about time someone does something about this." To Espere's surprise, it looked like not only X fell for her lies, but also agreed with the sentiment. "Saiyans, Namekians, Change- whatever the hell you call them, they're all a cancer to this planet. It's bad enough we already got some fucked up humans, but aliens on top of that?" She paused and took another drink.
"So you see where I'm coming from with all of this."
"See it? I want it. Count me in." X eagerly replied. "Like I said, you're going to need a lot of help if you want to climb to the top." She reminded the android. "Remember, success doesn't have to be a lonely reward for you and your sister."
Espere nodded in agreement and laid back in her seat. "Hema won't be entirely happy with me bringing someone along without consulting her, but I think she could look past that once she learns you were able to hack into the Red Ribbon Army's network." It was more than enough to prove that X was a very valuable member that she needed for her little team. Though, there was one thing that kept itching at the android. "But like you said, you want me to scratch your back in return if you help me get that CEO position." She mentioned.
"That I did." X agreed. "But I didn't say you have to return the favor after you become CEO, by the way." She said.
"Fair enough." Espere said.
"Now, I'm willing to do a huge favor for you by doing some research on my own time on the Red Ribbon Army. Its key figures, its blueprints of any function you may need, etcetera etcerta." X explained. "After we get that done, you help me with what I need, and after that, I'm going to be with you and your sister all the way through. You have my word." She promised.
Espere smiled at X and extended her free hand towards her, to which X did the same to meet the android's hand to shake it. "In that case, welcome to the team... unofficially." She said. "There's just one thing, though."
"Yeah?"
"What is the favor you want me to do, anyway?"
WC: 832
TWC: 4,065
|
|
POWER LEVEL
10,039
Tech Points
1/7
Forms
N/A
Zeni
4,385
Archived
|
Apr 26, 2023 22:19:33 GMT -5
Post by Espere on Apr 26, 2023 22:19:33 GMT -5
For the first time since their first physical interaction, it looked as if X's expression saddened. She switched back to her usual smile, though it didn't reach her eyes completely while she shook her head. It appeared she tried to brush off whatever saddening thoughts she had circulating in her head. She opened her mouth, but left it open after a few seconds before she closed it and the corners of her lips shifted downward into a small frown. It looked like those thoughts won.
Finally, X spoke but with a soft voice. "My family. They used to own a little bakery down at North City. It was nothing special, but they were one of the best bakeries in the city. Finest muffins and cookies you'd ever dig your teeth into." She stared at her glass before taking another sip, her stare still on the cup. "Had three siblings; two brothers, one sister. We were a bunch of misfits, but we always looked out for each other. One big happy family just living life without much worries." She explained. She tried to smile again, but this time she couldn't. It was still stuck in a frown.
"All it took was a bunch of those barbaric Saiyans to come in and fuck everything up. Ran the place like it was theirs and destroyed the place like it was garbage. My mom... my dad... my siblings... they all got caught in the crossfire. Their bodies were buried under the rubble. I was lucky enough to survive... and hell, even that sounds like something so gross to say." There was no doubt X had survivor guilt and felt she could've done something to save her parents, even if it was completely out of her control. Just when Espere was about to interject, X continued.
"Since then, it's been me, myself, and I on this planet. Came and gone through a few shelters... slept on benches... it was a ride, I'll tell you that much." X gave a bitter laugh.
"And somewhere down the line, you picked up on hacking made a living out of it, I'm assuming." Espere spoke.
X nodded her head in approval. "Stole a laptop for myself. Then it just happened. Got into technology shortly after, trying to make new shit, inventions, gadgets, turns out I'm not the creative inventor type." X finally gave a genuine chuckle for herself. "So I stuck with hacking. The more I did it, the better I got, which meant it opened new gigs for me to take and make a decent living out of it. Still do it to this very day."
"Well... man, damn. At least you managed to find a way to better your situation a little. Handled it better than I would've." Espere commented with a laugh of her own.
"You're telling me. A lot of people thought I was some rebel of a kid that operated under her own rules and code of conduct that turned me to hacking. If I had a zeni for every time someone told me that, I would've had enough money to put a down payment on a house." X joked. "But uh... yeah. Saiyans pretty much fucked up my life, justice wasn't properly served, so I think you know where I'm going at with this."
Espere, after a while of sipping down shochu, placed her glass on the table for the first time. "You want me to track them down and get rid of them." If she had to guess, it was out of vengeance; the same vengeance that Espere felt when she was rejected. Although their situations were completely different from each other, they shared a common theme of wanting to do what's right for their own gains. That was something Espere was willing to respect.
"Yeah. As you can tell, I'm not much of a fighter. More of a keyboard warrior if anything." X then flexed what little muscles she had in her arms before she crossed them against her chest.
"To be fair, I may not be much of a fighter either. Who's to say I'm capable of trying to take out a gang, let alone a bunch of Saiyans?" Espere asked.
X gave Espere a look over a second time before she smirked. "I don't know any other crazy bitch that decided to convert herself and her own family into androids for some sort of greater good." It was something that even Espere herself couldn't help but laugh at. "If you can do that, you can definitely handle a bunch of monkeys and apes. Plus, like I said, you look like you know what you're doing and know how to get what you want." She said. "I'm... not sure if your sister would be willing to do something like this with you to help get the job done quicker and safer, but-"
Espere rose her hand flat to interrupt X while she shook her head. "No, I can handle it. I don't think she'd exactly appreciate being dragged into something that doesn't really involve her, especially if it's something she didn't agree with. Believe me, I had to learn the hard way." She sighed.
X's genuine smile came back on her face and gave a quick nod. "Perfect. Like I've promised, we're going to work on your plan first, or at least I can get started on a part that can make our lives a little easier as we move forward." She got up from her seat and stretched her arms out above her head before she continued. "That said, it's getting super late. I'll start working and contact you the deets once I'm done, then we can work from there." She explained.
"Fine by me." It was then Espere's turn to stand up and stretch her body. "I'll be on the lookout for your texts and calls. In the meantime, I'll let Hema know what's going on so she won't get caught off guard later on." She said.
"Then it's settled. I'll update you when everything's done. Been nice talking to you, Espere." X said.
"Likewise, X. Make sure you take care of yourself." Those were Espere's last words of farewell before she turned around and exited the bar through the back and went home.
The meeting went better than expected with an unexpected twist. It didn't feel real, but it felt good in knowing she just gained a new ally. Espere could only hope her sister wouldn't mind.
WC: 1,080
TWC: 5,145
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Apr 28, 2023 7:52:26 GMT -5
Post by Jelly Mod on Apr 28, 2023 7:52:26 GMT -5
PL: 3,248
Zeni: 1,298
TP: 0/6
Current PL: 10,039
Current Zeni: 4385
Current TP: 1/7
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