IS Virus: Episode 2.8 - Epidemic

Part 1: Everybody Blurbs

-NCSU, WAKE COUNTY; 10:36, SEVEN DAYS TO ELECTION-

November. Usually the month to reflect on the good things that happened, and to learn from the bad things. Usually, the month to give thanks to those who have contributed to life's successes. But there would be no such time, for a walking disaster has entered sacred educational grounds, unopposed. Sokoto and Silvia just walked in, with Akari in tow. Right when there was a lengthy battle to get the votes in. Lucky, they were in the seat of the county, so no opposition hostilities here. That didn't help the fact that Akari fell asleep, Sokoto was starving, and Silvia was using up energy to not accidentally drop Akari's head on the concrete. So, they put her down on the grass and planted their backs on the middle of the six way cross sidewalk.

"Y'know..." Silvia panted, "It's times like these where...I enjoy my intangibility..."

"Oh, bugger off..." Sokoto brushed, "I thought you could do that zappy voodoo magic to move electronic shit, no problem..."

Silvia wagged her finger to check her status. Her energy reserves were almost depleted, and her shield integrity was compromised, "DOES THIS NOT LOOK LIKE A PROBLEM TO YOU?!"

"Ah, screw it..." Sokoto grabbed a light post and forced himself upright, "We gotta eat..."

"But where?..." Silvia looked around for something to lift her circuits. She found an electric car recharge station and quickly darted off to it. She made sure no one was using it before shrinking to her default tiny height, hiding her electronic clothing, and dunking her face in the plug, "AAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW, YEEAAAHHHH...that's the stuff..."

"Hey...I know this place..." Sokoto blinked, "I led a frat party out here once...which means..." he traced his finger to another direction, "Crap...we ain't got any money, do we-oh, we do." He walked back to Akari, "Hey! Akari!" He ran her hand through her entire body on an effort to wake her up, "Wakey wakey! Eggs and bak-" he stopped when a nightmarish aura came from her chest, "Or don't. Either way..." Instead, he heaved her up once more, "OH GOD! Agh...What the hell do they feed you in that compound...Sil! I know where we can grab some grub!"

Silvia poked her head out, with a huge mouthful still being processed, "You go! I'm gonna hang back a bit!"

"YOU WANT ME TO DIE UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THIS FATSO?!" Sokoto screamed.

"Ugh! Fine," Silvia pulled herself out of the recharging station and back into her clothes. She regrew and reformatted literally all the energy in that station as a personal backpack and rushed Akari and Sokoto to the cafeteria.

An hour later, Sokoto and Akari finally had their fill, and Silvia finally processed all that recharge. They all let out a hearty BEEELLLLLLLCH! DUUUUUH! IIIIIIIIIIIIING!

"Oh, that hit the spot..." Sokoto leaned back and stretched.

"Finally!" Silvia commented, "You just went through five double-servings!"

"It was all worth it," Sokoto drank, "And what about you, Akari? Just one plate gonna do it for ya?"

"Yeah..." Akari said, "I haven't had food like this in a long time..."

"Well, savor it for as long as you can," Silvia nudged her, "Because after this, we're back on the road."

"Waaat! Can't we just stay here for a little longer?" Sokoto asked.

Silvia was about to answer with a snide remark when two female students yanked his seat back.

"Uh, you can't," one of them said.

"Uh-oh..." Silvia braced for the worst.

Too bad for Sokoto, this was a pro-Leonie county, so he got the worst of the worst. And yet for some reason, he didn't feel like wasting any effort on them. His anger ran out of anger to rage over. All he could say was a half-hearted, "O hai gills..."

"Look at this fuckin' dumbass hoe," one of the girls said, "Can't even say the words right," up in his face, "What are you doing here, dumb shit?! You don't belong on this land!"

"Nothing..." Sokoto said.

But the two women heard something else. One of the women pulled him off the chair, "Well, get your stupid dick-ass out of here! This isn't a man's dick area!"

"Hey," Silvia tried to say something, "I don't think you-"

"It's fine, honey," the student said, "no need to dirty your hands. We got this."

"Go on!" The other student literally kicked him off like a hackysack, "Get the hell outta here! I have no idea why this ain't an all-girls college yet!"

Sokoto turned back to see what else hey would do. The women where so focused on trying to get him off their section, they didn't even realize that he figured out how to live stream from his IS all by himself. And he caught everything, including the "men only" sections.

"The hell you ogling at, bitch?!" A student walked up to him and grabbed his shoulders, "Go back to the zoo and stay there!"

To which point Silvia had enough. All the energy she ingested had finally been processed, so she was able to manipulate her gloves to make it look like she really did throw a plate at her. She caught the women by surprise, and enraged them when she said, "You leave my brother alone."

"Your brother?" The woman said, "He's just a placemat! Why would you say he's your brother?!"

"He saved me from death!"

"He did what was required of him. Nothing more."

"He saved this girl from being raped!"

"He's a betrayal to his own kind, then. He's not a man; he's a pig."

"What..." Silvia got mad.

"Ok, look," a woman walked over to her, "It's clear that you're sick in the head if you think that this dick is anything good. So, if you're not gonna accept that he's not your brother he's your rag doll, then I don't know what to say."

Silvia heard the back talking before, but why does this particular case threaten her? Maybe it's because she's hearing it firsthand, or the separate man/woman dining areas. Or the fact that they are complacent with the world as is. Either way, it ended with her fist to the woman's throat.

That caught Akari by surprise. She punched someone! A holographic sprite electronic witch was able to land a solid blow on a human! Granted she needed circuits in her clothes to do it...eh, still counts!

"Then, don't say anything," Silvia growled, "I'll do all the talking." She forces her electronic shoes on the woman's chin. It was a KO.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" The women screamed, "You want to associate yourself with this monkey?!"

Silvia walked in between the students and Sokoto, and took her battle stance, "More like I want him to associate with me."

The woman could not believe what they heard, "You're not a real woman. You're a fake. Get her!"

"Captain obviously strikes again..." Silvia said before striking someone's eyes.

Time to rumble. The woman swiped at Silvia with slaps and punches, and Silvia easily redirected them all. Sokoto decided to join the fun and activated his shield bracelet, exponentially increasing the damage done to the cafeteria.

"I feel like dancing to an Irish jig!" Silvia said.

"Oh, we'll get there in less than a minute," Sokoto screamed, hinting to an extremely hostile aura in a far away corner.

Akari just say silent, confused. What should she do? If she intervened, no doubt she would get hurt. But she didn't want to be stuck here either. She was about to move, when she saw Sokoto slipping on water ("HERPAMEDERP!") and the other women pouncing on him. She stopped thinking and ran to the pile, tearing whatever hair she grabbed.

"YAAGH!" The woman yelped, "What's wrong with you?!"

At which point, all the rage and aggression Akari bottled up inside her just poured out. She was like a ferocious cat, clawing and biting everything in sight.

The person in the corner did not like what was happening. How could ten of her best MMA club fighters not be able to pin down three little kids? She sighed and stood up.

"ENOUGH!"

The entire cafeteria shook at the sound of her voice. Everyone stopped to look at the skyscraper of the woman who rose from her seat, who slowly approached the trio who intruded upon their sacred eating place.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now, worthless prick," a woman seethed.

Sokoto could feel the aura overtaking him. He hadn't felt this excited since the Battle of Ned's Creek. He deactivated his shield bracelet and stepped forward.

They took a moment to survey each other's physique before the woman made the first state.

"I don't know how you mesmerized those other two into throwing a feast for you," she growled, "but you're not gonna leave here with a ful stomach."

"Shame, I just finished digesting my fill," Sokoto took his stance.

"Then, I will serve you a platter of humiliation," The woman charged forward and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

"He's done for!" A student commented, "She's like 6-3, and he's a pipsqueak! Why bother?!"

Silvia knew better. That small height is the bane of all tall fighters, because of their sheer speed and vanishing attacks. Which was exactly how Sokoto avoided getting the sock for a full three minutes. She couldn't even grab his hair.

"Rrgh!" She was getting frustrated, "HOLD STILL!" and decided to come at him with full force and speed, with one swing to end it all.

Sokoto smirked, "Big mistake."

As soon as she threw the punch, he used it as leverage to get under her arm. She was barely able to see him coming and immediately moved to block her face. But he launched his feet at her head and her ribs. She felt it, and coughed a bit of wind out. She saw his hands coming and thought he would try to hit her armpits to disable her arm. But, nope. He went two for the face, and a foot for the gut. He quickly landed and uppercut to her chin.

She fell over on her back. A confirmed TKO. None of the women could believe what they had seen. A small fry man penis take down the best collegiate MMA fighter in the region? Unreal. Untrue. And yet here it was. While all the women scrambled to get their hero back on her feet, Silvia and Akari ran to their personal hero.

"Yeah!" Silvia and Sokoto twirled, "We did it! We did it! We di-we di-we did it!"

"I can't believe it..." Akari muttered, "I lashed out at them..."

"Yeah, and?" Sokoto asked.

"It was...liberating...like a chain just...poof..." Akari said.

"Oh, we're going there, aren't we..." Sokot sighed.

"After we go over there," Silvia pointed and dragged the trio away.

But none of the women would allow it. One of them threw a fork at them, but Sokoto caught it.

"You turn back right now and apologize!" She shouted, "You think you can walk away after what you did?!" She threw a knife at them, and it was caught as well.

"All we wanted was a place to eat together," Silvia said, "It wasn't any of you business."

"It IS my business!" She threw a spoon and it was caught, "Women made this school, and men ruined it! I paid up the ass for it! And men get the freeloader bonus!"

"Women made a public school, might I add," Silvia said.

"Should we say something?" Sokoto asked.

"Nah, just wait for her to come."

"Akari, under."

The woman finally had it. She grabbed the nearest chair and rushed over to the trio to prevent them from leaving the building. She swung high, "College is for women," and swung down.

Sokoto kicked the chair out of her hands. Silvia punched her throat to topple her over. Akari grabbed her feet and crashed her through the window. All three jumped outside and held her hostage, knife to the heart, spoon to the eyes, fork to the throat. The woman finally understood the situation she was in when the trio together said,

"YOU ARE GUILTY OF VIOLATING THE RIGHT TO LIFE. YOU SHALL BE JUDGED."

The woman couldn't scream, for that would be the last sound she would make. She couldn't move a millimeter. She couldn't even blink. What was she to do?

Sokoto decided on his sentence when he confirmed her aura going blue-gray. He moved the silverware aside, then stood up. He signaled everyone to move along, before he handed down judgement. "Live with defeat," he said while walking away, "Remember this humiliation, and never raise your being against another man. Do this, and maybe you would live." He planted the silverware on the ground, in the form of a cross, to fifth-degree-burn the memory into her mind, "Should you forget, the wrath of human life be upon you." And he ran to catch up with Silvia and Akari, "Hey, wait up!"

The woman just stared at the silver cross in disbelief. But that quickly subsided to pacified disapproval. The rest of the gang stood behind her.

"We can't allow this to go on at all," the tall woman said.

"He shall not go unpunished..." was all the trio heard before a...don't ask how...vomit grenade exploded. Then they just heard the shriek of their nightmares.

"Ah...music to my ears..." Sokoto said.

"Since when'd you find the time to make a puke grenade?!" Silvia winced.

"Since you took so long at the mall."

"It was just one hour!"

Akari was still just as shocked as she was when they first set foot into the campus. The IS was only supposed to be a machine, a battle suit to be won by brute force. And yet she just witnessed an IS that can interact with objects and people. Just like now, when an IS was bickering with its pilot.

Kinda like...

"AAAAAGH!" Akari crouched into fetal position and covered her ears, "NOOOOOO!"

"Hey! What's wrong?!" Silvia grabbed her shoulders, "Snap out of it!"

"I hate him!" Akari murmured, "I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM!"

"Him is in Japan! Him isn't in America! You don't have to see him again," Silvia slowly calmed her down, "Shh...shh...it's ok...he's not here..."

"Yeah, someone had to have heard that," Sokoto frantically searched for something to act as a getaway car. He found something new and tried to pry it open, "Hey, can you move this?!"

Just in time, too, because the campus police have arrived. As have the women they humiliated earlier.

"You in the black coat!" A policewoman shouted, "Hands in the air!"

"Betcha wish you were our placemat now, don't ya!" The woman shouted, "Now, hurry up and bend over like one!"

Sokoto surveyed the surroundings. Three police cars, four officers, ten women. The getaway car was behind them. Only one way to end it quickly. He played along and put his hands up.

"Finally," the woman walked over with the cuffs while everyone else cheered, "you're gonna pay for making a fool out of-" At which point her smile of satisfaction turned into a gasp of horror once she saw exactly what just came onto his hands.

"YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN," he slammed his hands forward and launched a Mini Radiant Gallic Grapple at her stomach, "IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN FIVE MINUTES!" then propelled his metal fist into her face. When it connected, he launched his hook at a cruiser's hood and somehow made the engine explode, sending shrapnel down an officer's neck. He swung the hook around to another car, reeling himself into the hood and giving the two officers a metal kick in the nose. Then he threw himself on top of the last car, dealt with the last officer, and shot a mega ball at the crowd. He made sure that everyone was down, then retracted everything and regrouped with Silvia.

"That was way too close!" Silvia said after getting the getaway car working.

"And it's about to get closer," Sokoto said, "Everyone inside, brave yourself for a car chase."

-PAST CALUMET RIVER, COOK COUNTY; 11:55-

Autumn was having a bit of fun with the group. Just last night, she got involved with starting a riot. Just a few hours ago, she sent a small town into Leonie-territory. Now, she's leading the group across the road, in a luxury van, with a view of the lake. She checked the status of the others using her rear view mirror. Madoka was chilling in the backseat with a Walkman. Cecilia and Chelsea were staring out the window talking about what to do when Ichika comes for them (trying to).

The last time she heard from Sokoto was an hour ago, with a shot of Silvia and Sokoto fighting over the steering wheel, and Akari screaming over the IS pilots pursuing them. The caption was titled, "Next time on Fast and Furious!" for reasons unknown.

Autumn smiled, as she could finally enjoy some alone time. "Ok, who's up for a quick bite to eat?"

"I fancy myself some seafood," Cecilia said, "What about you?"

"I guess..." Chelsea said unsure.

"Good fucking Christmas, ok," Autumn's moment was ruined, "What about you? Wanna eat fish?"

"Hm?" Madoka removed an earbud, "Oh. Sure."

At least Madoka seemed like her old self. Autumn swerved onto the exit and plowed her way to the port.

Lunchtime was...unusual, to say the least. Instead of living it up with the people, they spent mealtime trying to tak to each other. Cecilia was munching on marinated bass, "Wow...never has sea meat taken on a more scrumptious form...you have to try this, Chelsea!"

"Uh, no thank you," Chelsea brushed her off, "I'm not feeling hungry..."

"Ok, what's up?" Cecilia asked, "You've been balls-up in a mess of heart pus. What is on your mind?"

Chelsea just twirled her fork around, "Well...can you really forget everything that happened?"

"Hm?" Cecilia swallowed a mouthful before washing it down with Canada Dry, "Well...we can't really forget anything. At all."

"Yeah, but...the airport? The volcano? The Ichika? Does none of that mean anything to you?"

"Hmm...it used to," Cecilia suddenly got a little somber when she said that, "Actually, it still does. But I learned to not dwell on it. I moved on, per se."

"What does that even mean?"

"Dunno...maybe it's the renegade rubbing off on me, or maybe the Academy years clouding my vision. But it just suddenly clicked. I got tired of feeling down all the time."

"How? How could you do that to him?"

"Well...I knew he's Ichika. And I know Sokoto's resemblance to Ichika. Sure they share some qualities, but they're different people who made their decision. Ichika doesn't want me, so be it. Sokoto wants to force the fire onto him, it's his choice. And I have to accept it."

"So, that's it then? You two are just strangers now?!"

"Guess so. Nothing more than a pair of glancing wanderers trudging on the path of life."

"But...will you forget what he did?"

"No. But that's probably all I'll remember about him."

"I don't..." Chelsea was shocked. To see that Cecilia will move on as if never having met Ichika, or Houki, or any other friend, was disturbing, "Well, what about us, then?"

"Well..." Cecilia mused, "We could pick up where we left off."

Chelsea looked up. What did she just hear? She thought her ears were malfunctioning, "I'm sorry, what?"

Cecilia slid to her the friendship bracelets she saved. Chelsea just looked on with optimistic confusion, while Cecilia explained, "I couldn't destroy them at all. Too many memories make for an impenetrable trinket. So, maybe we could, I don't know, refine it?"

Chelsea stared at the bracelets, as if to scan every single memory embedded in it. There was a lot she missed out on in the days she hadn't been in contact with Cecilia. What has happened to her to quickly take the renegade's side? Maybe she could follow along with her, but that would require...what was more important? Her goals, or her friends? Should be a no-brainer, but the raping screwed everything up. Maybe it's because she needed someone to comfort her, and it wasn't the person she wanted. Ok, so it's that petty, but whatever gets her off the sad stool.

Chelsea took the bracelets off the table, "Or we could start over..."

"?!?!" Cecilia was surprised.

"I mean...we were friends, and then we weren't..." Chelsea explained, "So...we can be friends again..."

"Well..." Cecilia struggled to think of a straight answer, because of the implications that carried, but finally gave up, "Ok... I guess we could start there..." But then she had the nerve to swipe back the bracelets and chuck them into the rubbish bin.

"WHYYYY?!" Chelsea freaked, "The memories..."

"What?" Cecilia came off as taking it the wrong way, but in actuality, she's triggering her most precious memories in hopes of releasing her true self, something very renegade-like, "I thought we could make new ones?"

"YOU CAN'T MAKE MEMORIES OUT OF THE BLUE!"

"Aren't we making our own right now?"

"THE WRONG ONE! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!"

"Uh," Cecilia was thinking about what would be the best way to pay back her debt to Sokoto, without using the body as he insisted.

Outside, Autumn heard the entire thing via private communication channels, "THANK THE HOLY MOONSHINE SHE'S CURED! HUUUUuuhhhh..." She slumped over the rail and dunked herself in the lake, unintentionally splashing water on Madoka.

"WHAT. THE HELL. WAS THAT." Madoka growled.

Autumn came up to the surface and spat out water, "M? What're you doing down here?"

"That," Madoka pointed behind her to TWENTY-FIVE DEAD BODIES WHAT THE ABSOLUTE HOLY SHIT FUCKERY DOO DAH DAY!

"Opioids?" Autumn just so casually asked.

"And trafficking," Madoka answered in a monotone-ugh jesus forget it.

"Oh. Weird, I could've sworn you were just napping here," Autumn deployed her IS and floated her way up.

Until Madoka stopped her, "Why'd you do that?"

"Duwat?" Autumn quipped.

"Why'd you help me snap her out of it?"

A major call back to every single interaction Autumn had with her after the Canada rescue. Not only how she saw her try to fix Cecilia right and how she stepped in and took over after she was on the verge of losing herself, but also how she interacted with Madoka in the very few days they were thrust into the foray, and how they had to work together to stay alive, and have a it of fun while on the road.

Autumn briefly thought of a response (briefly=in 0.33 seconds), "I owed you," before floating away.

Triggering a call back for Madoka to Mt. Fuji, when she sacrificed her shoulders to save Autumn from falling into the lava. By the way, why did she do that? She spent the entire trip wondering why. Only when Autumn finally left her alone under the port restaurant did she figure out the answer.

"It ain't me you owe," Madoka whispered looking back at the now repaired shoulders. She sat down on a lateral support beam and stared at the rolling clouds. She wondered if there was an even bigger change coming their way, as if the renegade wasn't big enough. She sighed and stared back at the...dead body raft, "Is anybody gonna eat this dead guy?"