Exo Saves The Day, Chapter 25

[gynoneko]

I've been working on this one for a while. Too many Christmas and family things came up, which delayed me. I hope to get the entire thing finished this year but that is not likely to happen. I was haoping to have the last chapter out for Christmas, but there is a ot more to go. Luckily, I've worked out the rest of the story, and the introductions into the next one. Hope you enjoy it.


1) How did you like this chapter versus the last one? Which is your favorite in the whole story so far?
2) Are there too many details / not enough? Do they balance well?
3) Are there any questions you have about the story, characters, etc? (any at all, I might not answer if it involves the story, but it might clarify things I need to define more)
4) Out of the entire story, what is your favorite part so far? What is your least favorite part?
5) Is there any part of my writing that distracts you?
6) WHO is your favorite character?


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Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4.
Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8.
Chapter 9. Chapter 10. Chapter 11. Chapter 12.
Chapter 13. Chapter 14. Chapter 15. Chapter 16.
Chapter 17. Chapter 18. Chapter 19. Chapter 20.
Chapter 21. Chapter 22. Chapter 23.
Chapter 24.

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Exo Saves the Day
Chapter Twenty Five: Clockwork Heart
By Gynoneko


Cynthia took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.  "Let's go over this again" she requested.

"Ok... Annie says that Liberati frequents a nightclub he owns" Jen explained again.  He had already gone over the plan twice, but we were all so nervous with the idea of what was essentially a frontal assault, no one complained about reviewing it again.  "We know he likes to arrive late, and he has a private room where he often has a private session with the dancers."  Jen's voice sounded a little disgusted as she spat out the words.  We all knew he was a horrible person, and he did horrible things, and having his way with women was only one of them.

"The club has 2 entrances" Joan explained, bringing up a map of the building on the TV, which Jack made sure was connected to the internet.  "The front entrance is large and heavily guarded, and that is where the guests arrive.  It is possible Liberati will use this entrance himself, but the back entrance is more important.  VIPs use the back door, along with the staff, and it is likely they will try to get out the back if something goes wrong."

We looked at the blueprints on the screen and studied them carefully.  The nightclub was a small one, but relatively popular in the area, called "Club Liber8".  It was a sleazy adult venue with dancing, strippers, you name it.  More drugs were probably consumed and dealt there than the rest of the city combined.  I'm sure the cage girls were less-than-willing participants most of the time as well.  But that was what drew in the crowds.  The front was a large, ornate, red-carpet affair, with a valet service, a slew of bouncers, and a security team.  No one got in without getting padded down and scanned for weapons.  That could be an issue, if we used the front entrance.  The back was much more simple.  Annie told us that regularly 2 guards would watch the simple unadorned door, and all the real deals went through that entrance.  The show of force at the front was merely a display, a farce, to make people think they were safe when indulging in their twisted fantasies.  I was sure there were more than enough crooked black market deals and weaponry happening through the back than anyone realized.

"The guards there are cyborgs" Annie explained.  "They're..."  She tried to continue but shuddered at her memories of the place.  Tera placed her hand gently on her, and Annie looked up at her sister finally calming down.  "Sorry...  It's hard.  They're combat cyborgs."

"The plan is simple" I continued.  "We split up into teams, and each team covers a different area.  Tera and I will-"

"If I  may suggest" Joan interrupted.  "Tera is not a fighter.  I mean, she's not combat ready like Annie or I.  One of us should accompany you."

"I won't go near that place" Annie shuddered.

"You don't have to, but I want Tera to be safe" I replied.

"I'm going in with you!"  Tera was set on helping out with this attack.  "I can't sit by the side lines doing nothing at all!"

"I have a suggestion" Joan added.  "If Tera and Tom were to go in together..."

"Tera" I said, talking directly to her.  "I know you want to help, but I can't let you run into the middle of a fight like this."

"There must be something I can do!" she objected.  I thought about it for a second, and I realized there was a better way to use her.  Joan was a combat android, ready to fight hand-to-hand at any moment, but Tera was built for espionage.  Maybe I could use that to our advantage.

"I had an idea" I said.  "Jen, you are familiar with nightclubs, right?"

"Vaguely" she replied.  "I've been to some nice ones before, but nothing like this."

"Well, how about if you and Tera team up, you two can take the main entrance and make sure Liberati isn't hiding somewhere inside with his guests.  Who knows, he might leave and we'll need you to alert us."

"Ah... hmm..  that isn't a bad idea" Jen said thoughtfully.

"I can't go with you, Danny?" Tera asked looking at me with big eyes.

"Not this time, but we'll be in constant communication.  Besides, I trust you and Jen, and this really is an important task, we need someone who can blend into the crowd to monitor the main entrance, in case he makes a run for it."

"Alright Danny.  I'll do it!"  Tera looked determined, but I knew she was still nervous.

"What about the back entrance?" Jack asked, looking at the map.

"Well... everyone else will go in that way" I explained.

"And if he sneaks around and get out that way?  We'll need someone watching the back as well" he pointed out.

"I suggest you watch the back from a distance" Joan said.  "If Annie is willing to join you, she only need watch the back door from a safe distance... there is plenty of cover you can use if you need it."

"I... I don't know" Annie said nervously.  "I... I want to help.  But I don't want to be reminded of that place."

"Annie..." Cynthia said looking at her daughter with concern in her eyes.

"I'll let you shoot anyone who makes a run for it" I added.  "But not the staff... innocent people are out."

"You mean... I can shoot Liberati or his goons?" she asked.  I nodded and she got a sly look on her face.  "Alright.  I'll do it.  But does it have to be with Jack?"

"I won't bite" Jack said playfully.  I don't think it came off as well as he liked, since Annie shied away from the remark.

"He won't touch you" Jen said.  "He has sworn to it."  She gave him an icy stare, and he nodded back smiling.

"I swear I will not lay even one finger on you" he added.  "Besides, my job is to take out their security, that means all the cameras, sensors, security drones... the lot.  I'll be busy up to me arm pits in code."

"Oh" Annie said.  "Okay.  If Danny and Tera trust you" we both nodded "then I will too."

"Brilliant!" Jack said.

"But you're still talking about a head-on assault" Cynthia interrupted.  "This is way too dangerous."

"We don't have many options, Cynthia" Tom added.  He had been sitting silently contemplating the plan the entire time, and this was the first time he spoke out.  "We need to act, and we need to act fast.  Last time was too close, and I'd rather avoid there being a next time."

"I... I know.  But I worry."  Cynthia had every right to worry, we were all worried and scared.  But we had to do something.

"You are part of this too" I added.

"Jen and Tera will enter the front of the club first and observe" Joan added, back in her soldier/commander role.  "Once we have the all-clear, Danny and I will enter the back, taking out the guards."

"I... I think I can help with that" Annie added.  Joan nodded to her before continuing.

"Once inside, we will take route A" she said, indicating a path on the map through the back rooms and hallways.  "Meanwhile, Tom and Cynthia will follow behind and take route B" she said, indicating an alternate path reaching the rest of the rooms.  With Tera and Jen at the front, Annie and Jack watching the rear, the entire place would be covered, with one exception.

"What about the second floor?" Jen asked.

"Once we have completed a search of the first floor, we will proceed to the second" Joan said, bringing up a map of the second floor with a swipe of her hand.  The second floor was much smaller than the first, as it looked out over the dance floor, but it was a likely place to have increased security.  The special VIP rooms were located here, which meant Liberati would most likely spend his time there.

"We'll do the same thing on the second floor as we did on the first.  Danny and I will take this route" she said, indicating a small path on the map, "And Tom and Cynthia will take this route" she said waving her hand over an alternate path, "and we will meet here."  The two paths ended in a single large room toward the back of the building, which appeared to be the heart of the club.  However, there were dozens of smaller rooms which led away from the two paths Joan marked, and would take a little extra time exploring.

"There are security drones here" Annie said, pointing to different points on the map, "here, and here."

"We'll need to take those out first" Joan instructed.

"I think I can help with that" Jack suggested looking closer at the screen. "I'm pretty sure I can take out all their automated defenses..."

"This is too dangerous" Cynthia I objected.  "We can't just go running blindly into the serpent's den."

"We need to" I said bluntly.  "If we don't go in and try to rescue 262, and do something to stop Liberati, he'll just keep coming after us."

"And what do you propose to do?  Kill him?  Are you just going to go in and kill him in cold blood?" Cynthia said crossly.  She had a good point.  I wasn't the kind of person to kill somebody, and I didn't want to see Tera or her sisters take a life either.

"I will" Annie said darkly.

"No you won't" Cynthia and I said at the same time, startling each other.

"The last thing you need to do is start killing people" I added.  "It isn't something you can take back"

"We've killed before" Joan interrupted, with a sad expression.  We were all a little shocked, but we knew Liberati made them do horrible things, and murder was only one of them.  "If I only need to kill one more person to make this stop, I'll take that chance."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this" Cynthia burst out.  "My own daughters talking murder!"

"Maybe all we need to do is scare him out of it?" Tera suggested.  It was clear to me she was not in favor of killing anyone.

"I'm afraid that won't work" Tom added.  "Liberati is not a kind man, he wouldn't be scared easily.  I'm afraid we have no choice.  If we want him to stop, we will have to make him stop."

After that we all sat quietly knowing what needed to be done, but no one was eager to do it.  Taking a life is not something you can leave behind you.  It is a life changing experience; one I didn't want to experience myself, but was bound to sooner or later playing the hero.  I would do anything to keep Tera from that fate.

"I suppose I can't stop you from going" Cynthia said, resigning to the facts.  "If you must, I will be there to support you.  But our first priority has to be getting 262 away from him."

That was something we could all agree on, and decided our raid was going to be a rescue mission.  We didn't know if she would even be there, or if she would be as much of a problem as Annie was, but we had to at least try.

We talked more that night, reviewing the plan and refining it.  Perhaps we were over thinking things or not preparing enough, but we were all frightened but determined to make a change.  Tera wouldn't let go of my arm the entire time we were talking.  I could tell she was nervous, as we all were, but she seemed to be more on edge than usual.

In short, our plan was to go in, cover all the exists, and start looking for 262 and/or Liberati.  We'd have to move fast, and would be carrying guns which Annie still had in the bag we found with her.  There was a variety of firearms in her bag, so we each got to chose one.  Tera and Jen struggled with the idea of carrying guns into the main entrance, where they were likely to be searched.  Besides, they were also unlikely to be able to conceal much with the type of clothes girls normally wore to that kind of a club.  Once we got to 262, we would do our best to remove her from the club, even if that meant dealing with another collar.  If we confronted Liberati, well... we didn't talk about it, but we all knew what had to be done.

Before we broke for the night, we had to decide one last thing.  When would we attempt our rescue mission.  Thanks to Annie, we figured that our best chance was the following night, when Liberati was most likely to be at the club.  He often showed up late, we we had to make sure we were ready for a long night.  Until then, we had all day to prepare.

We soon split up for the night, everyone heading to the dorms for bed and sleep.  Annie was a little hesitant, standing in the hallway between my room and Joan's.

"Where should I...?" Annie asked, looking between us.

"I'm not going to make you sleep with me Annie" I said, reassuring her I was not going to make her do things she couldn't handle.  "Tera and I will stay in this room, so that doesn't really leave any room for you anyways."

"You're always welcome to spend the night with me" Joan said with a smile.  "What kind of big sis would I be if I turned you away anyways?"

"But I was hoping to stay with Tera" Annie said.

"Oh Annie.  I'd love to," Tera said apologetically, "but I couldn't possibly leave Danny.  Maybe if there was more room... I'll see you bright and early in the morning though, right?"

Annie nodded and smiled.  "Goodnight Tera, Danny."  She turned toward Joan with a smile, who gladly took her hand and led her into the bedroom.  Annie was getting better with me.  She didn't seem to struggle so much when talking to me, although she did still seem nervous.  She was getting to know me, and I feared she'd have a hard time dealing with a man she didn't know.

Tera snuggled close to me all night.  She was very clinging with me, as though she needed to reassure herself that I was there, but too nervous or excited to sleep.  I wondered if she was in the mood like she often was, but she never made any kind of move to hint at it.  She had a hard time sleeping, which in turn meant I did too.  I was tempted to just turn her off for the night to prevent her from tossing and turning, but I knew that was a bad idea and she'd hate me in the morning.  Besides, even though I lost sleep over it, I was glad to be the one she clung to for support.

Any dreams I had were short and soon forgotten; she too seemed too worked up over the idea of confronting these men and trying to save her sister that she didn't sleep enough to dream either.  I felt this was a blessing for once, no dreaming meant no nightmares.  However it also meant neither of us were getting any sleep, and while she would still have energy whenever she needed it by plugging in, I would be tired all day.

Morning came, and with it, preparations for the evening began.  Annie nervously got all the guns and ammunition together while Joan sat with her, keeping her company and reviewing the schematics for the club.  Jen decided that she and Tera would need to go out shopping for dresses for that night, and were busy discussing ideas.  They needed something that would guarantee them access into the club.  Jack brushed up on his... well whatever it is he did to prepare for such an event, which apparently involved his phone.  Cynthia helped out wherever she could, while Tom finished working on Andrea.  She was in the lab still being cleaned and getting much needed maintenance.  Even though she was rust-free, she was still showing signs of her age.

I couldn't help but notice how high spirited Tera had become, ready to go shopping with Jen.  She would do a little dance and sing a melodic tune to herself every time she walked somewhere.  I had never heard her sing before, although she did hum a lot.  Her voice was beautiful and enchanting, and I longed to hear her sing more after this was all over.

This left me to work on my Exo suit.  It was going to take time, and I was lacking a vital element of the suit to make it fully capable.  I didn't have the money to get a decent Kevlar vest that would attach to the frame, and I couldn't figure out what else could work. I designed the frame to work around the vest, so that it would be easy to implement the standard vest size and cut without having to do major work to make it fit, but unfortunately I didn't have any means to buy another vest.

"Hey Jack, who're you texting?" I asked him, watching him fiddling around with his phone.  Jack looked up nervously and slipped his phone into his pocket.

"What?  No one!  I'm just working on some programs for tonight... you know, mobile hacking stuff."  He looked calm, although he sounded nervous.  Still, I figured he was doing exactly that since he would probably have need for something like that later tonight.

"Ok.  Say, do you know of anything I could use on my suit to replace Kevlar?  Either that or a Kevlar vest someone is giving out cheap?"

"Hmmm.  Can't say that I do.  I'll snoop around a bit, but I can't promise you anything" Jack said.

"Alright.  Thanks" I said, before turning around to see Tom having left the lab to join us.

"Did you try the old armory down on Maple?" Tom asked.

"Armory?" I asked.

"It's really just a store where you can buy guns and the like" Tom pointed out.  "I think we have time to make it down there, I'm pretty sure we can find you something for your suit."

"Sure, wouldn't hurt to look... I just can't afford it right now.  I mean, I did kind of abandon my best client."

"Don't worry about that, we'll take a look while the girls are out."

"What about Andrea?" Jack asked looking back toward the lab.

"She'll be fine.  I've been upgrading her systems and fixing up the wear and tear in her, but I really need to head out to the armory myself so she has some sort of functional weapons and ammo."

"Functional?  You mean..." I asked, referring to her display when we first found her showing off her machine gun arm.

"Sure she looks tough, but in her condition, she'd be shooting blanks at best.  More bark than bite."

And so it was decided.  Tera and Jen left with Cynthia to go shopping shortly after, and Tom and I left to see what we could find at the armory, leaving Jack alone with Joan and Annie.  It occurred to me that this would be the farthest Tera would be from me since we met.  Even though we had been separated to some extent, we were always close enough to know where the other was.  I wasn't nervous about it though, she was in good hands, but we all had to be careful since we did't have any idea what kid of trouble we would run into.

The girls took Tom's car, with the battery restored in it, since the power had come back on.  Tom and I used the damaged SUV, and I wondered what exactly Tom was planning to purchase for Andrea if he wanted to use the SUV that much.  I noticed something odd.  The farther the two cars got, the less information I got from Tera's nano-machines about her.  It seemed the data was tied directly to a signal she emitted which faded the farther we got.  Eventually, it faded entirely, and I was left with an eerily silent mind for the first time in days.  I didn't realize until then how accustomed I had become to the constant trickle of data about her I got in the back of my mind.

It took about an hour to get to the Armory, which was actually the name of the place, "The Armory".  I thought it would have been close to the city, but it was actually fairly far away.  The place was a firing range set up on a hill with so much land, they dedicated half the space to a paintball range.  In fact, the place was crawling with teenagers who ogled the large gatling gun on display in the back of the store, but were content to shoot pellets of paint at each other for fun.

Despite the kids and parents (and lack of parents) at the facility, the owner was very strict with his clientele.  It appeared he once turned away 2 teens who tried to buy guns from him, and reported them to the police.  A month later, they were arrested while walking to their school with bags full of guns they 'borrowed' from their uncle, with the intent to shoot up their classmates and teachers.  It was a very close call, and could have turned out a lot worse.  Thanks to the information this shop owner provided, they managed to capture the boys before anyone was hurt.  He was praised as a hero, and made sure his shop kept a strict policy that no one under the age of 21 as allowed to handle the guns, even though the legal age was 18.  It was his policy, and everyone respected him for it, except for the 18-20 year olds of course.  Sure he could sell them to them, but it was a 2 week process, and that kept most of the ne'er-do-wells at bay.  He kept a clipping from a newspaper report on a wall as a reminder of his 'heroic' deed.

Tom knew the owner, and had apparently worked with him in the past.  As soon as we came up to the counter, we were greeted by a young man with a permanent 5 o'clock shadow and scraggly hair, who seemed all too young to be involved in owning a business.

"You two here for some paintball?" the guy asked with a certain amount of disdain in his voice.

"No, we're here to see Ralph.  Is he in today?" Tom asked, leaning on the display counter full of rentable paintball equipment.  The young man's eyebrows lifted, intrigued that he finally had a customer interested in the real thing.

"Sure, one sec" he said in a much lighter tone.  "RALPH!  CUSTOMER!  A REAL ONE!" he yelled toward the back without taking his eyes off me and Tom.

An old man who seemed to have never left the 1970's lifted a curtain covering the back room behind the counter.  He had a long white shaggy beard, wore a mid 20th century style army jacket, and a camouflage bandanna around his head keeping his long white hair out of his face.  His eyes were small and beady, well at least his right eye was.  His left eye was artificial with no pupil, but was capable of spotting a potential thief from 100 yards.  His left arm was also fake, nodding back to the old metallic cybernetic limbs which were never popular with the general public.  He looked thin, gaunt, and tough, and he wreaked of tobacco.

"TOM!" the old man burst out, his stern face morphing into one of surprise and joy.  "How've ya been ya old dog?"  He shook Tom's hand like an old friend or partner he hadn't seen in years.

"Surviving" Tom said, giving Ralph a strong shake of his hand.

"How's the misses treating ya?" Ralph asked, before letting out a loud and abrupt laugh.

"Good, good.  How's business been?" Tom asked, exchanging pleasantries.

"Ehhh" the man said with more disdain in his voice than his employee had.  "Damn kids always trying to get their hands on the real thing, you know?"  I noticed as he talked that his artificial eye was not looking at Tom.  It wasn't like one of those glass eyes that just stayed stuck in one position, or even one of the nice ones that move but might be off center.  No, this eye moved independently watching the kids in his shop.  It was rather creepy to see him eyeing the kids looking at all the guns and swords, yes swords, which adorned his walls.  It was even creepier to see his eye move over to me and focus on me.  "So who is this?" he asked, finally bringing his real eye over to look at me too.

"This here is Danny.  He's been helping me out lately, it's sort of a mutual arrangement" Tom said, introducing me.  "This here is Ralph, an old friend."

"Good to meet you" I said, offering my hand for a shake.

Ralph stared at my hand for a good 5 seconds, inspecting it as though I were offering him a dead mouse.  "A bit clean cut for ya Tom" he said, before finally taking my hand and giving me a tight firm grip.

"Ralph, you know I'm not doing that stuff anymore" Tom objected.

"Yeah, I know.  But I didn't think you'd go soft on me."  I felt offended by his remark, and let go of his hand, giving him a dirty look.

"This guy's tougher than he looks" Tom said, coming to my defense.  "He defeated 5 thugs at once trying to defend my-"

"Tom!" I hissed, transferring an even dirtier look to him.

"Oh did ya now?" Ralph said, eyeing me even more suspiciously.  "5 you say?  He didn't happen to also get in a fight with one of your girls did he?"

"How-" Tom spurted out, before I stepped on his foot.

Ralph looked me up and down, sizing me up.  He apparently decided he liked me after all, and offered me another hand shake, this time with a smile and and a wink.  I took his hand, and he gave a much friendlier and hardy handshake.  "Pleasure to meet ya, Danny" he said.

"Likewise" I said hesitantly.

"Listen Ralph" Tom started, "I have a few items I need to come home with..."

"And something for the lad too I take it?" Ralph asked.

"A little something" Tom replied, with a knowing look in his eye.

"I think I can help you out.  This way mister Danny" Ralph said, opening up the counter to let me into the back room.  "Watch the front" he said to his employee who was watching us more than the store.

Tom and I followed Ralph into the back room, which was really just a small room in a dark dirty hallway.  It was more of a break room than anything else, except there was a heavy metal vault door on one wall.  Ralph turned the handle with his strong left cybernetic arm, and pulled the heavy door open, leading us into an armory full of what had to be illegally obtained items.

Machine guns, rail guns, lasers, and a jeep mounted artillery gun were just a few of the items which greeted us as we entered the back room.  Ralph walked over to a wall full of some of the latest weapons the military was using.

"I was thinking a anti-personnel las-" Ralph started.

"No thanks" I interrupted.  "I'm really just here for some Kevlar or something."

"Kevlar?  What, are you a pacifist boy?" he said angrily.  "No, what you need is firepower son!"

"No, really" I repeated.  "I had plenty of that already actually" I said referring to the small arsenal of weapons Annie had.

"Nothing like this though" Ralph assured me.

"Actually he really does need some armor" Tom said.  "Something that might fit a P55-V58 vest."  I was startled to hear Tom rattle off specs for the Kevlar vest I was using.  I never even memorized the model number, and he knew it by sight.

"Are ya sure?  I just got a shipment in today of-"

"Yeah.  We'll talk firepower later for him" Tom replied.

"Well... alright.  I think I have just the thing you need."  Ralph walked toward us, and leaned in to whisper something to me.  "While I'm getting you this, do yourself a favor and at least look at the latest non-lethal weapons on the wall there" he said, pointing to the wall on my right.  He walked passed me and proceeded to go through assortment of boxes and supplies that had not yet been organized.

I decided it wouldn't hurt to look, and walked over toward the wall, studying his collection of weapons while Tom looked at larger more lethal toys.  I wasn't against using lethal weapons, but I was always fascinated by weapons that disabled instead of killed. He had a collection of stun weapons from grenades to guns, and an assortment of entanglement weapons as well like microtechnology nets and sticky foam.  I looked at all the unusual items, cataloging them in my head as I studied them.  Sonic weapons, heat weapons, freezing weapons, even a sick stick.

One item, however, stuck out to me.  It was an EMP gun.  While this was harmless to humans, an electro magnetic pulse gun was capable of permanently destroying any electronics it was aimed it, from a cell phone to a computer, a cybernetic arm to a robot.  This was lethal against Tera and her sisters.. it would essentially do the same type of thing the collar did to Annie, only more efficiently and thoroughly.  It would only take a second and her entire brain would essentially melt into a fine goo of metal and plastic.  The thought terrified me.  It was a perfect weapon against robots, with minimal damage to humans if any.  An EMP bomb was capable of taking out an entire country's electronics, crippling any nation.  Luckily, no one had used one yet.

As I was staring at the EMP gun, something else caught my eye that just didn't belong.  It was a golden gear in the shape of a heart, small and delicate with an intricate pattern, hanging from an ultra-fine golden chain.  It didn't fit with anything else there, and looked more like a piece of jewelry than a weapon.  I picked it up and inspected it closely.  It shone with a polish that looked like real gold, and had such fine detail I was careful not to break it.

Ralph returned with a box and vest in hand.  "Here we are" he said loudly, holding up the vest, before spying what was in my hand.  "Oh.  What's that doing back here?" Ralph asked himself in a grumble.

"What is it?" I asked holding the necklace up.  It was small, and expertly crafted.

"What's it look like?  It's a necklace.  The old lady talked me into selling some jewelry at the shop for all the men who shop for themselves can pick up something for the misses as well.  Not sure how that one got back here..." Ralph said, holding out his hand to take it.

"It is very nice.  Is it real gold?" I asked handing it back to him.

He took it in his outstretched withered hand and gently grasped it.  "24 karat" he explained.  "I'll just make sure it makes it back to the display case out front."  He pocketed the necklace and held up the vest, eyeing me for a comparison.

"I think this should fit" he said eyeing me closely, holding up the vest in front of me to see if it looked like it would fit.

"That looks different" I said eyeing the red vest.  usually, Kevlar was either blue or black, or at least the covering was.  This deep red material looked different, really different.  It was intricate, with lots of straight lines and angles intersecting in a complex pattern along the surface.  The shape of it looked like it flowed with a natural musculature design.  The color was a deep dark red with black trim and had a slight sheen to it.  I wasn't sure what it was exactly, but I knew it wasn't Kevlar.

"Well it is different!" Ralph exclaimed.  "Kevlar is old technology, 20th century stuff.  This here is a microfiber para-aramid synthetic carbon nanotube polymer Zylon vest."  I was lost in all his tech talk... and he apparently noticed me drooling incomprehensibly, and elaborated.  "Like Kevlar, but on steroids."

"Got it" I replied, my eyes coming back into focus.

"This here can not only stop a bullet from a rifle, but can deflect a blade, a bayonet, and even a laser.  It is lightweight, tough, flexible when needed, and form fitting.  It's the latest in smart armor technology.  Go ahead, try it on!"

I let him help me put the vest on and was pleasantly surprised.  This suit was comfortable, lightweight, strong, and even breathed.  It was much better than Kevlar, and if it was as capable as he claimed, it was a much better product.

"This is amazing!  But... how much does it cost?" I asked.

"Normally that would sell for around $200,000" a price that made me want to take the vest off and stay far away from it in fear I would do something that would force me to pay for it "but for you..."

"Hey Ralph, what's this over here?" Tom interrupted.

I never did hear the price, as Ralph went over to converse with Tom, and go over the various weapons he was considering on their own.  I looked around some more, making sure to take off the vest and lay it carefully back on the box it came from.

About 2,000,000 minutes later, Tom and Ralph had finally finished their hush-hush discussions and negotiations.  Both of them were smiling happily and shook hands as they walked toward the exit.  Looks like I would have to find something else for my armor, I would either have to do without or pick up something else before we left.  I never saw Tom walk away with anything, but it appeared a transaction happened one way or another.  I'm sure it must have cost big bucks, but Tom didn't seem to mind.  We turned to walk away at the end, after shaking hands and bidding Ralph farewell when he stopped me.

"Hey!  Aren't ya forgetting something?" Ralph asked.  He picked up the box with the vest inside and handed it to me.

"I can't afford that" I said, turning him down.

"Nonsense.  I've been watching you, and I like you.  Getting out there and doing the right thing isn't easy, and I would be honored if you'd take this and wear it proudly."

I carefully took the box unsure as to what he was saying.  I looked inside the box, to make sure he wasn't pranking me.  Sure enough the vest was inside, and a little note lay on top.  I grabbed it, and closed the box, reading the note.

'Consider this a gift for your hard work
Pleasure doing business with you, Exo.
- Ralph'

Well shit, the old man knew who I was, and that made me nervous.  Who else will have figured it out by now?  I looked up at Ralph, and he winked at me before vanishing behind his curtain again.

Tom and I walked out to the truck silently, and got in.  At first I was too shocked by what just happened to notice what else was laying in the back of the truck.  The large machine gun and a laser gun were packed neatly in the back seat, with boxes and bags of things to complement them.

"What's all this?" I asked when I finally noticed.

"Just a little something for Andrea.  Shouldn't be too hard to replace her old ones with these."  Tom answered with a smile, as he drove away from the armory on the hill.

"He knows I'm Exo" I said after a while of driving, showing him the letter in the box.

"I guessed he would.  He's very good at figuring out that sort of thing" Tom replied.  "Don't worry about it.  He is trust worthy, and tends to know things before most people hear about them.  I think he is offering you his services in case you decide you need to use them again."

I took out the vest and studied it.  It looked like a perfect fit for the suit, I couldn't wait to try it out.  As I held it up to look at it, something small fell to the floor of the SUV glinting briefly in the sun.  I looked down and saw the golden heart-shaped gear necklace with a tag attached to it.  I reached down and picked it up, reading the tag carefully.

'For the little lady you saved
Treat her well'

I clutched the necklace and put it in my pocket after removing the tag.  I was shocked to see he included this beautiful necklace, but I suddenly could only think of how nice it would look on Tera.

The rest of the ride back was silent, as I contemplated what being Exo really meant.  I hadn't done that much, but apparently, people had started already to take notice.  No one else was trying to do anything about the gangs and criminals that plagued the city.  Liberati was only one of a hundred like him in this city, and he was fairly low on the criminal food-chain.  All I had really done was confront thugs and assassins who were after me, and yet it was enough for some people to see me as a hero.  We'll see how that works out... but all I was planning to do now was save Tera and her sisters, and if that meant confronting a mobster, so be it.

We got back to the lab, and started to unload the truck.  Tom carried in the laser gun, while I carried the vest and several bags and boxes.  Just as we were walking toward the door, I started to notice the data stream from Tera starting up again, gradually at first until it regained it's normal frequency. Surprisingly, the girls drove up and parked behind us moments later.  We waited for them as they got out of the car, each carrying several bags from different stores.  Jen and Tera were chatting like old friends, and even Cynthia was in better spirits.

"I can't believe you boys bought more than us" Jen said, staring at the load of bags and boxes in my arms and still in the SUV.  She had apparently gone to the spa and had a whole makeover done.  She now sported fancy nails, makeup, and punk-style rainbow colored hair highlights.  They looked surprisingly good on her actually.  "What in the world is all this for?" she asked.

"Andrea mostly" Tom said.

"And a little something for Exo" I added.  Tera came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek, before grabbing one of the smaller bags in the truck to help out.  She had also had her hair done, but with no punk colors.  She was had a light application of makeup as well, which looked really nice on her.

"You two have been busy" Cynthia said.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to get in before I drop this" Tom said, indicating the heavy large gun still wrapped and bound in his arms.

"Oh, of course!" Cynthia said, and offered her hand to help.

Tera walked next to me as we walked back to the lab, Jen leading the way offering her hand at opening the door instead of carrying boxes.  As Jen swung opened the door, she glanced inside and froze.  She just stopped moving entirely, blocking the doorway.  Even though I was carrying several large and heavy things, I managed to look passed her into the room at what made her come to a complete stand-still.

Inside the building I could see Jack sitting on a chair, his eyes wide open with shock, while Joan straddled him, holding his face her her hands, kissing him deeply.  He struggled to break the kiss, but only when Joan let go of him did he manage to.  He stared at Jen in the door, shocked and disheveled, while Joan just looked longingly at him, before she nervously noticed us watching.  Jack pushed Joan off him, knocking her to the floor, and stood up.

"It's not what it looks like" he said.  Famous last words.  Jen did not take it well.  She marched into the room, and punched him in the jaw as hard as she could. Naturally he toppled over, and Joan backed away defensively.

"I-  I'm sorry" Joan muttered as she stood up.

"WHAT!?" Jen said, glaring at her.  She turned her attention back to Jack who was rubbing his jaw on the floor.  He was wise not to get back up.  "You PROMISED!" Jen growled, her voice cracking.  She briefly looked back at me, tears filling her eyes, before she ran off toward the dorms, kicking Jack on the way.  Joan walked over to the corner of the room and slumped onto the floor, holding her head in her hands.

This was bad.  Right before our big attack, Joan went and kissed Jack right in front of Jen.  I didn't know what to do to calm the tension, but I knew that this would not help with preparations or the attack that night.  We couldn't wait, we had to act fast, but this was not going to help matters.

"I'll go talk to her" Tera said, putting down the bags in the kitchen as she ran toward the back hall to confront Jen.

Jack lay there, rubbing his jaw, and looked up at me as I approached him. "She's not one to slap is she?" he asked rhetorically.

"Can't recall ever getting a slap from her before" I replied, offering him a hand up.  I wasn't terribly happy about any of this, but I wasn't sure exactly what just happened anyways, so I was going to give him a chance to speak his piece.

Jack declined my hand, and found his way to a chair, where he remained sitting and rubbed his bruising chin. Joan sat by herself in the corner, and I got the feeling she was punishing herself for what she did.  I sat near her, hoping to calm her down.

"Joan?"

"I'm sorry!" she spurted out without hesitation, still looking away from me with her head in her hands, grabbing at her hair.

"sorry for what?" I asked.

"I... kissed Jack.  I forced myself on him!"

"Joan..."  I placed my hand on her back, and she shuddered, before calming down and turning toward me.  She was really upset, scared, but not crying.  "I told you I'd support you if you found the right man, but do you really think Jack is it?"

"I... I don't know.  I just couldn't control myself.  I acted on an impulse!  I never do that!"

"So Jack had nothing to do with it?" I asked.

"No... not really.  I should have contained myself.  Oh what have I done?  Jen is going to hate me!"

"I think Jen is going to blame Jack before she blames you, but she'll get over it... that is assuming you let her."

"What do you mean?" she asked with the slightest hint of hope in her voice.

"Every relationship has ups and downs, and if you stay back and don't interfere anymore, I'm sure they'll be fine in time."

"So I shouldn't try for Jack?" she asked.

"Normally, I'd let you try whatever you wanted, but with Jen involved, and the mission tonight, I think it would be best to leave him alone for now."

"I'm so sorry!!"

"Don't apologize to me... apologize to Jack and Jen."  Joan looked away, but nodded in agreement.  She really messed up the mood now, but hopefully things would clear up.  I doubted it.

I got up and helped lead Joan toward Jack.  "Jack, are you alright?" I asked him.

"I'll survive, but I wasn't exactly expecting any of that.  She just jumped me!"

"I'm sorry!!  I don't know what came over me" Joan said.  It was concerning that she had this spur of spontaneity that she couldn't understand herself, but then again everyone has one; yet another thing that makes her and her sisters almost human.

"It's alright" Jack said.  "Just give me a warning next time you do something like that."

"Next time?" Joan asked.

"I'd rather there not be one actually" Jack added.  "I've been wanting to settle so-to-speak, and I thought I could do that with Jennifer but now..."  He shook his head and looked down.  "I forgive you, but let me just think for a bit."

I lead Joan away from Jack, letting her sit with Cynthia and Annie, who came out of the lab to see what all the commotion was about.  I let them talk things over while I went to check on Jen and Tera.

Jen wouldn't let anyone but Tera into her room.  The two stayed there for a while, and I was resigned to the hallway, unable to gain access.  I decided that this little set-back should not halt our plans, and we needed to proceed forward, so I busied myself with hooking up my new Zylon vest to my Exo suit.

It was a perfect fit.  The old Kevlar vest used a similar standard that I designed the frame of the suit to fit with.  This new vest actually had a slightly extended coverage, giving me better cover on my neck, shoulders, and sides.  I was glad to see these extended sections still worked with my suit with minimal adjustments, and soon the new Exo suit was finished.  I plugged it in to make sure it got a full charge before tonight, I knew I was going to need it later.

I joined the others soon after in the living area.  Jack was working on his computer again, checking his phone every so often, shaking his head in silent contemplation at the situation.  Joan stayed away from Jack, and helped Annie with the weapons she had.  The kitchen table was covered with an assortment of blades and guns, each cleaned, loaded, and assembled, ready for the evening's events.  Cynthia was helping them get ready as well, giving them advice and helping to sort out the ammunition.  Tom was no where to be seen, probably busy in the lab working on attaching the new weapons to Andrea.  I did what I could where people needed me, but the tension was uneasy and everyone spoke quietly.

After several hours of planning and preparing, Tera and Jen emerged from their seclusion, dressed in the sexiest dresses I had ever seen.  Jen wore a fun number with an all-too short skirt, intricate high-heel shoes, and a green halter top that matched the new green highlights in her hair perfectly and showed off her sexy mid-riff.  Tera wore an equally fun but different outfit, with matching shoes, and an equally short blue dress that showed off her shoulders and neck, showing more cleavage than I realized she had.  They had matching purses which were only big enough to carry a phone, an ID, and some credit cards.  I had never seen Tera in makeup before, and she wore it beautifully.  I could feel my pants getting tighter as they walked in.

Jen kept her head up, avoiding eye contact with Jack and Joan, and walked straight to a small unoccupied table sitting down crossing her legs impatiently.  Tera made a B-line for me, humming and dancing as she walked.  She looked absolutely amazing!  I had to pick up my jaw off the floor before I could complement her.

"Wow!  You look amazing!" I said, thoroughly impressed. She giggled and blushed as she smiled at me.  "But... something's missing" I added.

Tera looked at me quizzically before looking over herself, as though she was making sure she wasn't missing anything.  I then pulled out the intricate 24 karat gold necklace of the heart-shaped gear, dangling it in front of her.  Her eyes grew wide, and she smiled with a surprised look of awe and affection that it could melt the coldest heart.

"It's beautiful!  Is that for me?" she asked.

I nodded smiling, and unclasped the back of the chain.  "Here, let me help you put it on."

Tera turned around, and I slipped the necklace around her neck, reattaching the clasp behind her neck under her hair.  She turned around looking down at the necklace as it lay delicately on her chest.  She looked simply amazing wearing the necklace, but she wore her smile the best.  I couldn't help but notice how nice it looked on her dangling over her cleavage, as though to tease me.

"You look fantastic" I said.  For that moment, all the worries and stress and tension of the moment melted away.  Tera giggled, her chest bouncing in interesting ways while she gave me that look of love and adoration and lust.  If we weren't in front of everyone, I would have taken her right there.

"Get a room you two" Annie chuckled.  We snapped out of our little moment, and went to join the others.  I admit it was hard to take my eyes off her, and she seemed rather distracted by me as well, but we managed to do what we needed to in order to prepare.

Annie and Cynthia started handing out weapons to everyone.  Jack didn't take one, being that he would stay behind the lines with Annie, and Cynthia reserved some from Tom who was still in the lab working on Andrea.  We didn't have plans for Andrea, but he kept telling us he was almost done, and shooing us away while he worked.  I took a mid-sized gun cautiously.  I didn't really like guns, but for this I'd make an exception.  The real problem came when Cynthia insisted Jen and Tera carry weapons as well.  With their outfits, there was no room for a weapon.

"Don't you have anything smaller?" Tera complained looking at the size of her purse and the guns on the table.  The smallest thing was a pair of standard hand guns, each was too large for the little bag she carried.

"Naw, the bouncer will catch anything in our handbags in an instant" Jen pointed out.

"Hold on a moment" Cynthia said gesturing with one finger.  "I just remembered something that might help..."  Cynthia stood before Tera and lightly placed her hand on Tera's outer thigh.

"Oh!  Your hand is cold" Tera said startled at her unexpected contact.  Cynthia smiled, but kept her hand gently against Tera's leg.

"Please open your panel here honey" Cynthia requested.  Tera blinked, and looked down at her leg.  The familiar blue pin-point lights illuminated under her skin, and outlined a panel on her leg.  A panel extended outward from her leg, and revealed a lightly glowing chamber.  It was right at the end of her hand, and were just big enough to carry a standard sized hand gun.

"Woah!  I didn't now I had that!" Tera exclaimed.

"Well... what better way for a spy to hide documents and  such where no one else can find it?" Cynthia said.

"Cool!  I have pockets!" Tera said.  She sounded excited and impressed, and I thought it was really cute.

"You have one in each leg" she said as she handed Tera the 2 smallest guns.  They were a perfect fit, and her enclosure held the guns snugly as they closed up.  You never would have known there was anything different when she had sealed them up again, and yet she could gain access to them in moments, almost like she had on an invisible gun belt.

Tera definitely brightened the mood a little; even Jen giggled a bit.  Unfortunately, the tension was still heavy on the air, after all, we were only moments from heading out to confront Liberati on his turf.  It was dangerous, stupid, and probably illegal, but what choice did we have?

Just then, Tom entered the room from the lab, with Andrea close behind.  Andrea looked a million times better, her body polished and shining, and her joints restored to their former glory.  I never realized how cool she actually looked.  Her form was still very feminine, but her body had a black metallic sheen to it that was accented by chrome and gold.  Something about her felt happier and calmer than before, as she entered the room with the same fixed expression.

"Andrea 2.0 is up and running" Tom joked.  No one laughed.

"Is it really a good idea to bring her along?  I mean, wasn't she designed for base security?" Cynthia asked.

"She's not coming" Tom replied.  "I need her to guard the lab while we're gone.  After all, Liberati's goons may already know where we are, and the last thing we want is to come back to a destroyed lab."

"I am ready to defend the facility until your return" Andrea said in her cold but feminine voice.

"Oh.  Ok, very well.  We should return later tonight, but... well...  We don't know how long this will take." Cynthia said.

"Understood" Andrea replied nodding.  "I shall remain vigilant until your task is complete and you return."

With that, it was understood that we were essentially ready to go.  Everyone knew the plan and had an emergency backup just in case, and we had given everyone the weapons they needed.  I quickly grabbed my suit, and with Tera's help, donned the newly armored Exo Suit 2.0, as well as the signature overcoat and hat.  Everyone was rather impressed with the new armor, but there was little time to chat, as we walked out the door to see the last rays of the sun died out from behind the distant hills.

As we all went out to the cars to load up, an uneasy silence fell on us.  We filled the two cars, Tera and Jen riding with me in the car.  Jen insisted Joan drive, since I assumed she didn't want Joan in the same car as Jack, and Jen probably would rather kick Jack out on the highway than ride with him in silence.  Joan was particularly silent, especially while driving, which made the tension that much thicker and heavier.

The road and our task was before us, and we rushed toward it.  We had officially past the point of no return, and were now ready to face our foes.  There was no saying if any one of us would be hurt or killed in the night ahead, but we all knew the dangers and charged toward them head on.


------
/Chapter 25
Chapter 26 here.

[Baron]

[gynoneko]

Glad you like it so far

I edited a small part of the story cause I forgot to add it in earlier. Essnetially Danny starts to notice Tera's data stream return when she gets closer. Sorry about that, it needs to be there cause it comes into play later.

[liliwinnt6]

I'm wondering what did Jack hide from Danny? By the way, I'm interested about those EMP weapons, especially those portable ones.

[gynoneko]

What Jack was hiding will be revealed in a later chapter. As for the emp weapons, I haven't decided how much of a role they will play in this book yet. I may include them in the later chapters, however they will have a strong presence in the next book and I wanted to introduce the idea now.