The unknown man from before flies the Max Proiect. Light jazz seems to be playing, albeit quietly. Again, something speaks from the radio-like device in the background...

“Hypnonites”… very interesting. Very interesting, indeed… can you elaborate on the matter?
It’s implanted into my sockets. They’re pieces of nanotechnology that assert a sedative-like control over others upon visual contact. All I need to do is look something its eye– or other optical system.
Oh? And what happens then?
Whatever I want, to the artificial or biological. One contact is made, I have complete control over the target’s senses. I influence what they see. What they feel. What they hear.
Hmmm… then let me take a wager on what I believe happened during your latest hit.
Shoot. Your guess is as good as anybody’s.
After infiltrating Dregs’ home, you managed to shut down all the security guards… incapacitating them at least until you were already long gone. You found the location of all of the cameras, and caused a malfunction with a few more glances.
You waited behind the door for Dregs to arrive, then surprised him while he was in shock. He didn’t cry for help, so you probably took the illusion of a loved one to keep from immediate alarm… and then, you killed him.
…
It would be easier to trust you if you were less perceptive.
Fufufufu! I am an awfully sharp one, am I not?
But yeah. You got the gist of it… I let the bastard know he was going to die, because I thought I owed him that much… but he made things even more of a hassle. People need to suck it up. When you’re dead, you’re dead.
…….That man had children… when they grow up, they very well may dedicate their lives to ending you.
Hnn…
I’m more than privy to that… and I know what I’ve done is beyond justifying. But if they end up the same type of people as their daddy... there’s more than a chance I’ll be seeing them in the future.
…
…Oho… stoic as you are, not even I can predict some of the things you’ll respond with sometimes.

The small spacecraft soars through, continuing to fly towards a base of operations on an island-like celestial body...

Valkyrie Woman's glare sharpens. The zeptosecond it does, BD feels a Speed Star smash into it from behind! Silmultaneously, Valkyrie gathers the energy for Who Fights Monsters into her right fist, and slams against BD!

The fog slowly but surely disappears... and when it does completely, Opera notes that Arpeggione has as well.

He is... gone.
F! DUMB YEE-HAW SHEAD AWIPE B!!! STUPID COWAAAAAAARD!
Language! What if Delta overhears you?
...Keh. Whatever. But I wanted to tear that cowboy creep a new one... Why does everything have to end lame right when things are about to get fun?

Opera does a dramatic hair flip, and nonchalantly walks back inside.

Chances are, you will have another opportunity in the future.... Just so long as it is far away from here.
*incoherent mumbling*

Soul follows her lead.

---

The door is open... and the first thing the two sisters see is an incredibly, especially smug Scale.

Where did Mr. Arpego... go?
Confrontation not end so well, hmmmmmm? If one of you two had babysat Delta while I had went, you wouldn't be in this position right now.
Go f yourself, jackass.
Language!
Please. At least I can afford to.

Listening to the back-and-forth, Delta becomes puzzled..

What does fugg mean?
A-ah! Do not say such! That is a naughty word, and it--
It means 'fun'.
Really!? Wow!

Opera tries to interject, but Delta begins skipping around the house.

Yay! fugg, fugg, fugg! Funtime is fuggtime!

Urgh... I dunno, but--
HHGGGHHHAVAVVV

Gone.

Vyolen finishes stretching, and shrugs.

.....Competing with damn brats... (That was dumb. I should remember who my real target is...)

She folds her arms, seemingly in thought.

(It was too shallow... but how? Did I not put enough force into that?...)
(...Naah. Nothing bad like an arm tear happened, so I don't think it was a matter of power... I probably wasn't concentrating hard enough. I got distracted-- and it backfired as a result... I was also doing it pretty slow, because I didn't want to gloss over anything and make a mistake.)
...One more.

Vyolen reels her arm again, winds up... and is sent flying backwards from a horizantal whirlwind shockwave, crash landing back inside.

♫ Simon Benson + Eugenio Grandi / Enemy Approach ♫


A bullet of sweat runs down the side of Arpeggione's face. He finds himself caught on both sides in front of the house.

You are surrounded. Tell us who hired you, and we will make this fast. Refuse and you will face extended pain.
Please refuse. It'd be the biggest shame to end this so early...
(Dammit... filthy skanks... they managed to take away all my 'munition!)

Arpeggione lifts up both his revolvers, pointing them at Soul and Opera each.

Are you for real? What a dumb bluff. It's obvious you've run out of bullets.
...
Ya sure ya wanna test that?
Heh. I'll take that bet.

A large crack is made off the ground as Soul steps off of it, in a mad dash towards Arpeggione. Readying himself, Arpeggione--

SHOUL!
Huh?
?
!

All three of them immediately stop to see Delta banging at the window, with Scale trying to pull him away.

---

LOOK! LOOKIT'S SOUL! SHE'S GONNA BEAT UP MR. ARPEGO! LOOK! LOOK HOW COOL SHE IS! HI SOUL!!! LOOK AT HER AND OPERA, SCALE, LOO--
Get away from there, attention stealing baby.

Scale forcibly tugs Delta away from the window. Delta lands on his rear.

Owie.
I already have live footage of the whole thing, you little rugrat. You didn't have to go and distract them like that.
I just wanted to say hello to them! No fair!
You did more than just that, tyke...

---

Soul and Opera cough, as a heavy smoke fills the air.

*kaff* What the hell is this!? What's goin' on?
(We let our guards down... he set up a fog while we were distracted.)

Suddenly, an intense, immense power spikes from a few meters away. Subsequently, Burning Desire feels a powerful burst of energy strike him from behind... Who Fights Monsters. The assailant seems to be...

...

Valkyrie Woman makes a "shoo" motion with her hand, signaling Sleipnir to move. Without looking back, it dashes into the distance, leaving behind nothing but dust and wind.

...I'll nott allowwen you to moordenr anyonenn else.

---

RidebackLight Scourge
WithdrawalWho Fights Monsters

(A reminder that due to Plantern, Valk's accuracy is raised by 10%.)

YAY! I'M THE 2,000TH POST!

---

Walter scratches his head.

So... is there, like, any special criteria for being a Chosen One...? Orrrrrr....?

---

...

Vyolen, who had spotted Xe'endorph's display of proficiency.... stands there. Very dumbfounded.

....Rrgh... gh.

She falls on all floors.

(Are you kidding?... All this time, and I'm not even good enough to do one of Master's most basic techniques? All the while lean, green, and not-so-keen over there is just able to pull it off like it's nothing!?)
(...Wait a minute. if it couldn't even so much as make me budge before, yet now can do all this fancy schmancy stuff... was that brat just pretending to be weak so it could humiliate me? Was this all one big setup!?)

Vyolen shoves herself back upright. She chuckles, as if to be humored.

Tch. N-not bad, for someone relying on pure genetics. I just... I forgot to stretch. I don't function right if I don't get my limbs in the right mood.

Vyolen then proceeds to begin stretching... or pretending to stretch, depending on your persuasion. Once she begins to feel herself sweating, she turns her back on Xe while winding her arms and legs.

Vyolen seems slightly put off, but shrugs it off. She walks along one of the halls, wandering through, until she finds a shelf full of books. She looks through them intently, until she finds one that catches her eye.

Ah. 'Cool Moves Even A Monkey Could Learn'.

She plucks the book from the shelf, and opens it.

...Exploding?...

She looks up from the book, and then back at XE... for a few seconds, before going back to the book.

No wonder he needs me instead. Well, I should be at least be able to handle the basic stuff... like here. Level One...
"The Mystical Mortal-Killing Blows of Death That You Do Not Let Kids S-see"....

---

---

"Typhoon Fist" ...Hmmm! That sounds simple enough. Only a few steps, too...

She walks over to the backyard, and sets the book down. In the middle of the yard is a conveniently placed large block of wood. She stands meters away.

Okay... focus. Use my entire body, starting with my legs, to my hips... draw one arm back, push forward the other...
HYAAAAAAAGBAHSGKASGKASJGBG!!!

As if to penetrate the wind, she thrusts her right arm forward, releasing a stream of wind... with the diameter of a few inches, which fizzle out in about half a second.

....
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vyolen chuckles. She seems humored by XE's tugging ability... or rather, her lack thereof.

Hey, hey, I'm joking, cyclops. He gave me this before he left.

She shows it the letter that was left behind.

I'm not some dumb bozo freak who raids homes for a living. And I find it somewhat offensive being shoo'd away after he's put me through workout hell for so long. Because while you've been getting headpats and hugs, I've been-- I can't even explain it coherently! He's in that giant form, and he sits on me during my push-ups! He rides behind me like I'm a sled dog, and makes me run to no end!

Realizing how her behavior has escalated, Vyolen ceases her ranting.

...I may be going on a tangent. I just... I'm the real deal.

THE BATTLE WAS MINE! VICTORY WAS MINE!
Calm yourself, boy, I wasn't finished. Lest you incinerate the location.

Flamenco calms down, shortly. Salsa strokes his chin hair.

It did look competitive... you endured well, and, from an outsider's perspective it may seem like you had just as good a chance at victory as her...
However. There is a crucial flaw. A disadvantage that you can never mitigate.
...?

Salsa crosses his arms, leaning against a tree.

You failed to mention to me that your nemesis-- the android girl-- is not human. If so, I could have warned you...
GET TO THE POINT!
....Hmmm. She's not like you or I, which have a finite reserve of stamina. As machinery, she would have kept fighting you with the same level of resilience.
A--
--Perhaps I overlooked that.
You did well, and even managed to predict and counter her multiple times.

---

---

Rrgh... I was so sure of my strength...! The months that I had trained to pass her... Where they but a waste!?
Absolutely not. The fact that you were able to fight as you were compared to the first encounter you mentioned is proof of your improvement.

Salsa stops leaning on the chair.

All you need is a push in more areas to even out that gap... a few more hoops to leap through, if you will... and your little rival will be as good as crushed.

Double Speed Star.

Vyolen rolls her eyes at this response, and (quietly) scoffs. She also seems to be reaching for something.

(Someone's been a bit too pampered...)
...Technically, I have been told of you by him. But not much... just enough to know that he either has a son or a daughter. He seems like the doting type, so I suspected it was the latter. The rest was a mystery.

She casually opens a bag of chips with a "W.O" note attached to it, and tears it open.

Anyways... I have absolutely no evidence that what I claim is true. The most I could tell you is how I know him. But hold on...

And now she's eating them. The rest of what she says is between munches.

Mmmm... Why should I need to prove anything? Dads shouldn't be keeping such information away from their daughters, shouldn't they? I mean, there's no way he's been mentoring someone all this time and said nothing about it. Riiiiight?

Hahhh! Hngh! Haah!

Flamenco angrily fells a forest tree with a barrage of punches. As it topples over, he moves towards another tree to get started on it as well.

...I should have trounced her. I WOULD have trounced her! Showed that arrogant jackal how inferior she is to me!

He slams his hardened fist-shaped hand against the next tree. There seems to be a small, round, crater within it.

I will never be satisfied until I crush both that body and spirit... only then will I cease my fullest potential.
Wrong, child. Such furious tactics will never grant you victory.
!!?

Flamenco sprays a stream of flames in the direction the voice came from... or so he is about to, before coming to the realization that he is in a forest.

I made it clear that I would be on my own until I claim what is mine... why did you follow me, Salsa?
...
...Your extraordinary resolve had me curious... so I wished to observe it from a distance.
...Stalker. I need no form of monitoring when I have my pride to tell all details.
Do not be so resentful, boy. I have learned much from your skirmish. And I believed it would do you well to be privy to important details...

Something in Flamenco's attitude changes. His head rears towards Salsa's direction, but he rebeliantly refuses to look at him.

...And just what wisdom do you claim is worth sharing? As if I will need such.
Hmmm.... you won't take kindly to this, but I suppose it would be beneficial to reveal the biggest "bombshell" first.
That would be...?

Salsa clears his throat. He points to Flamenco.

That woman you called "Soooooooouuuuuulll!!!" If your battle had went the distance, you would have been defeated.
!?

For moments which feel like an eternity, Flamenco stands completely still, processing this... and in the instant later, his flaming hair burns more than ever.

YOU LIIIIIIEE!
(I had forseen this answer).

Uh.... okay. I'll just... do that.

Walter snaps his fingers. Chase and Note appear right in front of him.

Hi.

I tried to finish it before rosehead could end up "imitatin'" my weapons. But those ladies really are somethin' special... I just might hafta get serious.
As I said. Obtaining Soul is your primary goal, but whether or not you must capture both makes no difference. As long as they can be salvaged... then "how" is of no consequence.

---

M-mr. Arpeg is bad??
Obviously. He threatened to hurt you at gunpoint. Anyone who threatens to hurt babies is likely some sort of bad.

*BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!*
*Clickclick**BOOM!*

Delta huffs in disagreement with Scale's usage of the term "baby". Scale seems to take enjoyment out of Delta's stubbornness.

But he's also prepared. Clearly, he somehow already knows about both of their abilities. While that does make sense for Soul, who gets into constant street fights... Opera hardly ever engages in any types of incidents.
Opera told me... she says she doesn't like fighting like Soul does.
*BOOM!*
Yes. So... it's pretty concerning how this fellow neither you, I, or they have met somehow knows something about her only we should.

Scale hangs his arms behind his head.

Chances are, Arpeggione here may pull it off. But he's only really after Princess. So it makes no difference to me whether or not they succeed in kiddnapping her.
That's mean! You said you would be nice to Soul!
I'm pretty sure if she were here, she'd spout something like "Worry about yourself! I don't need anyone else's help but my own!" Or something like that.
*BANG! BANG!*
...
...Hmmm...

...Huh. It seems like some of you know me, even though I've never seen any of you before... well, it doesn't matter. Cuz we're here to hel--

Walter hears vibrating noises. He pulls out a device.

Oh, sorry. I gotta take this. You guys... carry on. I'll be with ya in a moment. He says this, then moves aside accept the call.
Helloooo?

Oh. Okay. I'll just... warp us there.... lemme lock onto an energy signature...

Walter's voice trails off... and then returns with a serious tone.

....Woah. That one's pretty weird... it's putting me off, but I think I can take us there. I'll just-

All reapers in the Lounge vanish.