EXE

"Damnit!" A girl in a white cloak screamed on top of a rooftop.

Frustrated by everything that going on at home Amy finally had a chance to take a break on the hospital rooftop after healing a woman with a glass shard in her lungs during the Brockton Bay bank heist. She felt somewhat good about helping those people but she always had to push herself to prove herself. Of course, it was never enough. It never was for Carol.

The woman that called herself mother was always going about Vicky. Not that she had anything against her but the stress of living in that kind of environment was getting to her. Not to mention the urge to do something more with her power conflicting by the expectations of other people. Always judging, always looking. If she didn't have a good self-control of her impulses, she would have left long ago to do her own thing no matter the consequences.

Lighting a stick, she was about to inhale the harmful smoke before she was interrupted by a little girl in a red cape with a massive shield on her back flying by rocket boots and crashing onto the rooftop near her.

"Meh! Poppi confused, why ground upside down!?" The little girl questioned with her legs hanging over her head resting on the ground.

Still in shock over the fact that a little girl crashed on her head near her, Panacea rushed to the girl to check for any injuries. Only to be shocked as she didn't sense anything about her once she touched the face of the girl. Then she paid attention to the fact that the body on the ground is mostly mechanical, clueing her in that this wasn't a human being.

"Wha-what are you?" Amy stuttered out before stumbling back to fall on the ground.

The robot girl righted herself on her feet and looked at Amy with a smile.

"Poppi α is girl with important job! It very important! Mother create many sisters helping Poppi with job all over city!" The robot girl proudly proclaimed.

Wary about the 'job' that the girl mentioned Amy questioned about what it is. As while she gave the robot the benefit of the doubt, it probably wouldn't be anything good given her luck.

"And what is this 'job' you are talking about?" She asked with a suspicious tone.

The girl smiled brighter if that was possible and explained. "It job to spread Core Crystal and it make people life easier by helping them! But Mother no likey people doing crime so she also make them stop crime!" She explained with a serious tone at the end.

Calming down a bit but still being skeptical of the robot girl, she rose back to her feet and dusted off her cloak.

"And this Core Crystal you are talking about?" She asked.

"Core Crystal is amazing invention of Mother! It make friend for you for life. They have own life but they will always be friend of partner unless you do big crime! Poppi is very happy you ask because Poppi try many time with weird people on ground but always getting shot with toy gun! It not hurt but Poppi very sad they not listen!" She told her with teary eyes.

Growing a bit softer over the robot girl's plight, she put a hand on Poppi's shoulder and tried to comfort her. Poppi grabbed her hand with both of hers and looked up at her with a hopeful look.

"Will new friend want Core Crystal! Poppi promise you not regret it!" She pleaded.

Unable to refuse those adorable eyes she simply nodded uncomfortably and was rewarded by being swung in a circle around Poppi.

"Hooray! Poppi finally successful!" She yelled and put Amy down once she started to look green.

Nodding at herself with a cheerful jump, she grabbed at something in the air in front of her and a glowing blue crystal materialized in her hand. Amy only looked at the crystal in confusion.

"Poppi suppose to give random core but Poppi pull strings to get Legendary Core. It not guarantee giving you good Blade friend, but it give better chance to pull good data for evolved Blade!" She explained.

"How am I suppose to use it?" Amy asked with some confusion as she took the crystal in her hand.

"You just push Ether in it!" She helpfully answered.

"Uhm, Ether?" She questioned with a very confused look.

"Oh! Poppi realize new friend not know Ether. No problem, just will very hard for new friend while holding crystal!" She explained while grinning with closed eyes.

Amy thought about it for a minute, but just simply didn't care anymore. Even if this has horrible consequences it would bring an end to the conflict brewing inside of her. With Core Crystal in hand, the thoughts that were in her mind was about a partner that will always stay beside her and help her in difficult times and steer her to the right path with no judgmental eyes, only love. With these core principals, the crystal's glow intensified and a bright flash washed away her vision for a moment.

"Awright thare, ah suppose a'm yer partner fae now on" A female voice with a Welsh accent declared.

Opening her eyes, Amy was rewarded by a sight of a catgirl in revealing clothes that seem somewhat oriental. The girl smiled at her Driver's surprised look and reached out with a hand. Amy looked at it, and with reluctance took the hand in her own. The Blade's smile widened and she transformed the handshake into a hug.

"Don't worry, ah sense th' fear inside o' ye. Ye kin let it gang noo that I'm 'ere" She softly whispered.

Amy didn't know why, but here and there she started to cry into the shoulder of her new partner. The conflict inside of her heart with Vicky and the conflict inside of her with mother. She all let it go and placed the entire trust inside of her onto this unknown girl.

Poppi looked on with childlike curiosity and swayed left to right in restlessness. Figuring out that she wasn't needed anymore she turned her back to them in liftoff.

"Poppi very curious about sad new friend but Poppi also has very important job to do. Poppi see you later!" She exclaimed before flying off for a few blocks before crashing again with a yelp.

Amy was too much out of it to notice her disappearance and continued to cry while the Blade patted her back.

"Dunno if ah mentioned it bit th' names Nia, nice tae meet ya" Nia told her.

Amy let go of the girl and wiped the tears with her sleeves, feeling that she got rid most of her baggage inside her and feeling refreshed and free for once.

"Right, my na-" She tried to tell, before getting interrupted.

"Don't worry, ah know yer name. Amy " Nia told her with a smile.

"But how, I thought you were just created?" Amy questioned.

"When ye open a core crystal, data is pulled fae yer inner heart tae form th' basis o' mah existence. Ah ken o' th' feelin`s ye harbor 'n' th' knowledge ye hae o' th' world aroond us minus yer personal information. Ah an' a' have a comprehensive connection tae th' unus mundus netwurk, making me ferr capable o' searching relevant data when it comes up" She explained.

"I see… Nia, I hate to ask this of you. But who is the creator of the Core Crystals and why is she spreading them around?" She asked.

"Ah thought th' poppi unit awready tellt ye? anyways, oor creator is a body that haes seen that th' world is soon aff tae a darker path 'n' an ultimate demise. Sae she created us, th' blades tae hulp fowk aroond th' toon 'n' giving' thaim support. As while th' idea o' killing thaim or arresting thaim micht be a gud idea. Most fowk commit crime fur o' external circumstances. Th' blades ur a solution tae this kinch as core crystals is a wey tae power wi'oot triggering, 'n' thay limit th' damages thair drivers mak' sae that peoples lives git better" She further elucidated.

"But isn't working with the PRT and Protectorate a better idea?" Amy questioned.

"Some o' th' creator's blades hae th' ability tae see th' future 'n' glimpse deep intae th' unknown. Thair conclusion wis that th' PRT wis an ineffective system that creates mair conflict than it resolves 'n' th' problems lies in th' fact that thay wur created by powers that dae nae have th' lives o' fowk in mynd. 'n' besides, while ye kin be underwhelmed by poppi. Oor creator haes bigger machines numbering in th' thoosans in her arsenal that ilk haes th' capability tae destroy tae entire country. We don't need any governmental bodies tae order us aroond whin we don't need it" She answered.

"You what!?" Amy yelled in shock.

"Don't worry aboot it. Tis nae lik' thay wull be used anytime soon. They're thare fur whin situations escalate beyond a blades ability tae handle, 'n' fur endbringer fights" She dismissed.

Amy's previous baggage was somewhat gone but now she has a serious question in her head. Who the hell was this tinker and how did she get unnoticed all this time if what Nia said was correct. Looking at the time on her phone, Amy realized that she needed to get back to work. Then she also realized that she didn't know what she is supposed to do with Nia, because it's going to get really awkward when she brings her home where mo-Carol is gonna obviously question her. And frankly, she had enough of the bullshit at home.

"This is gonna be a weird question but can I stay with this creator of yours?" Amy slightly pleaded.

"Weel, ah dunno. But there's na reason ye can't. As long as ye hae a helpful ability or skill she wouldn't reject ye immediately" Nia tried to rationalize from her limited data.

"I see. Then once I finish with my healing. Can you bring me to her?" She requested.

"Na problem, i'll even hulp ye wi' yer healing. As a blade wha's data wis pulled fae ye, ah an' a' have tae ability tae heal 'n' alter biological as much as you" She replied.

Shocked by the fact that this unknown tinker had a way to copy powers, she was getting more curious about this creator. She nodded at Nia and brought her down with her to screen her for healing while also looking forward to meeting this mysterious tinker.

EXE

Poppi landed once again with a spectacular entrance and stood up to find herself in a park.

"Woooow, so pretty!" She exclaimed, looking around in wonder.

Walking around in the park she looked at the flowers and trees in curiosity. She then happily skipped around while forgetting about her very important job. After a few minutes, her unique attire and robotic walk drew some eyes from the neighborhood and a local called in the police to check it out.

Poppi was running around trying to catch butterflies. And as distracted as she was, she got redirected to a nearby road. Accidentally bumping into a van and steering it into a building to crash into it.

"Oops! Poppi not meaning to do that!" She called out in mortification

She ran up to the van and ripped out the sliding side doors, only to be met with a high tech looking rifle to the face. The laser traversed halfway to her face but was interrupted by a hexagonal Trion Barrier blocking the ray. Poppi only took about 0.000000001 seconds to analyze the situation and immediately switched to Crisis Mode.

She grabbed the barrel with one hand and used the leverage of the wielder to snap the rifle in two with her other hand. Scanning the van for anymore threats she determined the correct force she needed to aply and slammed the barrel of the gun to the side of the masked and armored assailant. Knocking him into unconsciousness and opening the way for her to grab her shield and shoot a wrecking ball into another two armed goons behind him. Stepping up into the van she punched through the wall that separated the driver from the back and grabbed the head of the person to slam him into the wall she punched through.

Her ECM detected multiple outgoing connections and she hacked them to block the source and put it on the UMN for auntie Adenine to figure out. She then shot out a web polymer from a port on her arm to bind the goons. The actions she made took only about 4 seconds and her Crisis Mode turned off to leave her with a bunch of bound armored goons and an unconscious little girl on a stretcher.

"Is Poppi doing good? Poppi don't know, but they not very nice to shoot at Poppi so it probably good" She convinced herself.

She then looked at the little girl and walked up to her. She noticed that her clothes where torn and signs of needles being inserted in her arm.

"It not ok, Poppi need help. Maybe new friend can help Poppi?" She wondered, and took the girl in her arms.

Stepping out in the open she was met by another dozen vans with more men pointing laser rifles at her. Her Crisis Mode didn't activate and she simply accessed the UMN to transport herself back to the hospital rooftop. A few hundred feet underground, a man slammed his hand on his desk and went back to scheming another plan.

EXE

Dinah groggily opened her eyes and found out that she lied in a hospital bed and there was a 100% chance that she didn't get kidnapped. And the second thing that she noticed was a doll-like face lying a few inches from her own.

"Aaah!" She yelled in surprise.

"Please no panicking! It ok now! Poppi rescued you!" Poppi tried to calm her down.

Dinah attempted to calm her breathing and find out that she couldn't find out anything about the girl. Any questions she asked only ended in a circling thread she couldn't comprehend. Being rather confused, she then focused onto the two other people near her.

"Awright thare little one" Nia greeted.

Amy didn't say anything but just looked at her with some worry.

"Where am I?" Dinah asked.

"Brockton Bay Saint Raphael Hospital" Amy answered.

"Ye wur kidnapped ah think 'n' poppi 'ere rescued ye. Th' drugs in yer body wur bonny serious bit it didn't dae ony damage. Most types o' thae gear whiles lea side effects bit ah cuid hae handled even if it did something harmful" Nia explained.

Having a bit of trouble comprehending her accent she simply nodded in general understanding.

"Do you need a call to your parents?" Amy asked in concern

Dinah teared up a little and shook her head. Remembering that before she got taken that her parents were shot. She saw the numbers but they just didn't listen.

"They-they are dead" She told them

The trio looked up at each other with sad eyes and Nia scooted closer to sit on the bed while holding her hand.

"What's yer name? Mine's Nia"

"I-I'm Dinah, Dinah Alcott" She returned.

"Well, mah friends 'ere ur panacea 'n' poppi if ye didn't awready know. Sae just rest up 'ere 'n' wur aff tae call' fur ony relatives tae visit ye 'n' pick ye up" Nia tells her.

Shaking her heads in refusal to the numbers in her head she grabbed the sleeves of Nia and looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"97% chance that I will get kidnapped again if I leave for uncle!" She yelled at them in distress.

Panacea looked startled for a moment and touched the other hand of Dinah. Finding out that the girl is a parahuman.

"She's a parahuman. This may be why she was kidnapped" Amy reasoned.

"Ye hae a finer control ower biology than me amy, ah didn't even detect that " Nia praised.

"But what doing now?" Poppi popped in.

"She is most likely a thinker, and I can't really question her considering what's happened. Dinah, what about the PRT?" Amy asked.

"98% chance that I will get kidnapped again" She answered.

"That's a full one percent higher, maybe the person has moles inside the PRT? I think it's just best for us to take her with us to your creator, Nia. How does that sound Dinah?" Amy asked.

"I don't get any numbers but I feel I will be safe with you" She answered again.

"Then that settles it" Nia concluded.

"Don't worry Dinah, Poppi will protect you from any mean people!" Poppi reassured.

Getting the feeling that it's going to be okay from now on, she can't help but be sad over the death of her parents. She can only tough it out and wait until she could take revenge on the person who did this to her.

EXE

Back at the underground base under the sea. Malos was leaning on a wall again while Ontos typed on a virtual keyboard before the Conduit. An unnerving humming present that wasn't there before.

"That kid sure has some weird luck, the first to convince any person to open any core crystal and also the first to do the actual hero stuff on accident. Of course the first fact may be because of her childlike personality but the second is quite a miracle onto itself" Malos spoke to Ontos with an amused tone.

Ontos merely smiled and shook his head in a knowing matter. "I'm sure it is luck as much as it is the passage of fate. Who can tell?" He cryptically said before phasing out to finish his work with the titans.

"Hm, smug bastard" Malos muttered to no one before also disappearing.

The Conduit in the background merely hummed as its secrets were dissected. There was a slight feeling in the air that someone or something was observing, like a god that did not understand the purpose of its being.

EXE