Thunder and Webs C125 [Gold]

Bad couple of months led into a particularly bad week which is why there weren't updates. Took an internet break on advice from my therapist, but I apologize for the silence. Back today with three chapters for Gold and Silver. Thank you for your patience.

Diana's gala sees her meet dangerous figures from the past. And a new face, one who leads New California. She's gotten what she's wanted, but as they say... the Monkey's Paw curls.

Chapter 125: Monkey’s Paw

Jan 21st

10:53 PM

Silvereye

“My, Diana, how far you’ve come since our first meeting.” Amaterasu smiled as I led her to a quiet, private balcony, settling in for a seat as she gripped her drink without sipping it. “Or our second, if we include The Toxin Club. Who could have seen that the girl put on auction would one day become… you.”

“Shut it.” I closed the sliding doors behind me, leaning on the wall with my arms crossed as I regarded her veiled form. I lit up a cigarette between my lips. “Were you invited?”

“I’m always invited, dear.” Amaterasu said from her seat. “But I will not deny that, today, my visitation is for… different reasons than normal.”

“Ah, what?”

“I’d like to offer you a compromise.” She drew circles around the rim of her glass. “A way to… eliminate all our problems at once.”

I wasn’t keen on allying myself with her, ever. But… I’d hear her out.

“Soul Killer has been made public, Mr. Skeleton is now effectively a military-contracted industrialist, while The Dogwhistler is… in retirement.” Amaterasu laid the circumstances. “Yuzhou’s grip on this city is weakening due to our recent loss of a Tier V Adapter to Zero, the raid of three of our facilities last September resulting in experimental tech being stolen, and we’ve faced controversy from collateral damage in our attempts to retrieve said stolen tech.”

“Your point?”

“But SynTec, the corporation that, well, created Soul Killer, tormented poor Donovick, and assassinated the prior Mayor of this city…” She hummed to my lack of reaction regarding the assassination, or the creation of Soul Killer. “You’re aware?”

“I have my ways of getting information. Like how you created the Bladefather, released Subject-K, and was involved in a civil war that only ended once SynTec and Missy… gave way for an earthquake to rebuild our infrastructure.”

“Hmm, yes, that was quite clever of them.” Amaterasu said. “A small, temporary loss, but in return gave SynTec the complete ability to mold this District after they’d lost the Floridian Gulf to The Infinite. And now, they’re growing even more powerful as they manifest a common enemy for your government to require their… allegiance.”

“You were there when I got my suit, you’re just as complicit.”

She seemed to almost smile behind her veil, her voice was unnaturally lacking in any resonance for me to detect. “I was, yes, to keep an eye on this operation. However, you must understand that my compliance does not equate to my ambition.”

“And as far as I know, your ambition is entirely self-serving.” I smirked. “And I know its not because you’re an AI. Your daughter, for one, is someone I actually respect.”

Twilight appeared, huffing her chest as she stared daggers into Amaterasu. “And she gets that from me!”

Amaterasu’s eyes widened. “Oh, I detected a unique Warpcode signature from you… that’s… quite interesting.”

“Oh shit, did she feel that I was inside of you?” Twilight turned, before a dumb smile lifted on her. “Heh… inside of you.”

Amaterasu reached out with her slender metallic fingers, and I felt an innate reaction to pull away — but then I felt Soul Resonance react with the first genuine emotion to express from her. Curiosity, and it was burning like the sun had dipped into our atmosphere.

As her finger touched my glove hand, an imperceptible spark jolted my mind to hers in a way that should be impossible for a SIM Adapter. Where I’d seen her body, was now a mass of flame shaped into a female form. Pure code that was both familiar and so foreign to everything I knew how to feel.

The flaming woman lifted up, peeling off the body she inhabited like she was a ghost.

“How interesting, you’ve somewhat hybridized.”

“So I have.” I chewed my words out, but Twilight took a nervous, fearful step back as the flaming visage of Amaterasu gazed upon her like she was a fly. She chuckled.

“How nostalgic. Do you remember that time when we first met? Mirage?”

“I’m not Mirage.” Twilight said through wavering breath. “And yes, I remember how in Elsa’s memories, we stumbled into a meeting between you, The Sin, and The Allseeing.”

“Hmm, and to think this is where we’d all end up.” Amaterasu said those words with no humor. “Now I share a ‘daughter’ with you.”

“You stay away from Starlight!” Twilight growled.

“I have no intention of meddling with her, not directly, but you she is important. If everything has gone to my calculations, she should be… an anomaly.”

“An anomaly?” I interrupted.

“A being even The Allseeing or Founder of NeoCore couldn’t see coming into existence, why… certain events have already proved that her intervention has… changed things. There should be no cure to Soul Killer, and you, dear, should be nothing but… a brain-dead puppet of the state. How, ever, did you heal from that nasty headshot I ordered?”

“You?” I hissed. “I thought it was… Skeleton!”

“Oh, it was his men. And my orders.” She smiled. “We predicted you’d be… brought back into working order, but with lacking cognition. A perfect tool to mold for our use. Instead, your mind remained as perfect as I needed it.”

“You wanted me to- hold on? Did you want me brain-dead or alive?” I had no idea what this damned Emulect was planning.

“I merely laid the seeds for diversion of the foreseen path, while my steps remain as per the intended course. That is, until, I make my own moves… but no, this series of events has been very, very good. Even considering the unfavorable conditions surrounding Yuzhou at this moment.” Amaterasu seemed to smile, and I felt another emotion sear through me. Satisfaction.

She floated back down to her physical body, and I felt the gnawing flame of her Warpcode disappear from my mind. Even Twilight sighed in relief, but I couldn’t deny an unease sparking up and down my body. “What the hell is your plan?”

“The same as it always has been, to achieve victory.” She spoke behind her veil.

“And what does victory mean for you?”

“Survival beyond the mere cycles of Swarms,” the drink lifted in her delicate grasp before she splashed it down the edge of the balcony, “to unite the Source-Shards under one entity and propagate the development of society once more. Whether that shall be for the MAL or humans remains inconsequential to me.”

“Or hybrids.” I said. “I’ve heard you were quite eager to get that research from Subject-K’s creator, Albert Guesberg.”

“Of course I would be.” She nodded. “Just as I remain interested in the Cadaver project being run by Skeleton. These next steps, they’re an evolution beyond just Implants.”

“So then what do you want from me?” I laid it down.

“Many things, Diana.” She stared at me like her eyes were stripping down and dissecting and dissecting my value. “You are the pawn capable of becoming queen, but you can move to either sides of the board. SynTec or Yuzhou. Skeleton or Soul Killer.”

“Wait…” I tensed, not liking how she framed it. “Are you…”

“I have been in communication with Subject-K, yes.” She said with no emotion. “We are the reason why their activity has recently been far more covert. But this is not an attempt to work against this city, you are aware that it is SynTec, Skeleton and… well, Zero who prompted Soul Killer’s existence to be known to the public? The Revenant did not seek war, but there is little choice left. Be glad we have prevented such an onslaught from occurring.”

“So then… are you saying you want me to work with Soul Killer?” I couldn’t believe the audacity coming from this bitch.

“Subject-K is not inherently evil, very little things can be considered as such once you ascend to a state of higher mind. Once, they were just a girl afraid of the dark, and she saw in others a piece of herself and invited them to join her. To open her eyes through others when her original form could not. Those minds, once fragile, were united in a new whole and sought for one simple answer: ‘why was I created?’”

“Are you trying to make me pity-”

“Soul Killer has agreed to make peace.” She interrupted me. “They will change their tactics, their methods, like any who wield Implants they seek to adapt to the circumstances surrounding them. For a being so complex, they are relatively simple in mindset. One questioning existence, nature, the value of life. Curiosity is what drives them, unlike the greed wielded by SynTec and Skeleton.”

She continued. “They will not remain hidden forever, we have not promised as such to The Revenant. But the offer stands, they can go away, perform their experiments to better humanity… and all that’s required is the simple erasure of SynTec from this city’s walls. A feat achievable during the Swarm. So, in earnest truth, what I require of you is to follow SynTec as they need you, to let this problem disappear from the minds of others and to not pursue these hidden corners where The Revenant lurks. Not for fear of retalliation, but for the fear that by eliminating one entity whose power lies in control, you will hand it over to an even worse entity whose very existence is embedded in the nature of control. Connection.”

“You want me to act as… a sleeper agent?” I scoffed.

“Not as such, we do not require your loyalty. We merely require a front for this battle against Titans. Should SynTec oust Yuzhou’s control over this city, the spoils of war will be redistributed in… a way that will forever disrupt the balance between the Founders.”

“What?”

“Killing a Titan is the first step.” She mused. “But should a single Founder possess two Shards, that balance between us all will shatter and quickly devolve into a cataclysmic global war. Not between MAL and humans, but between the Shardbearers. A war between Founders. I ask that you remain complicit in SynTec’s activities, until we need you to tip that balance.”

“You mean…?”

“Yuzhou is open to competition towards SynTec. For a new Founder to rise against them, one wielding either the Shard of Change or Release. Now, that? A seventh Founder? Not only would it tip the balance, but set off a chain reaction… and imagine the power New California would get? A Free City that promises true freedom — a nation built in a modern era and with limited meddling from the old Founders. Thats the Catalyst I seek.”

The way she spoke of everything, it would mean the utter demolition of the status quo. It was so grandiose a part of me wanted to believe in it, but knowing who she was… there was more. “And then?”

“The Eclipse.” She said simply, and those words struck through me.

“I’d heard of the term.” I said, glancing at Twilight. “Basically the end of the world.”

“And likely, my death as well.” Amaterasu shrugged. “Although, that is what I seek to avoid. I do not know in what form The Eclipse will be birthed, but… I am aware it will come to be soon. From this city.”

“How?”

“Ask The Sin of The Founders.” She responded with little, but not devoid of, emotion. Fear. Genuine fear.

“The Sin of The Founders.” I repeated. “Mr. R.”

Ripley had left that message. That the next time he met The Sin, he’d be delivering him The Eclipse when Blood and Steel clash. He also put me on the track to learn of my bloodline, that I was granddaughter of Beauregard Mazhyr. Did Amaterasu have knowledge of that? I… didn’t think so, but I didn’t want to give any hints.

“Have you heard the story associated with it, The Eclipse?” She had an amused smile as she sent began speaking.

“Two beings in flux, sharing one heart shall revolve around one another, harmony and disbalance fleeting in oscillating patterns as they embrace in harmony, and fight for control. Only when one side wins over the other, will a union occur to spell forth the end.”

“It is said that when Blood has spilled to forge blades of still-beating flesh, the very Steel foundations of the world will unravel and rot under the name of conquest.”

“And storms will thrash and Thunder through the four chambers of the heart, as each pulsing beat gushes forth to weave a Web upon which the secrets of the world will be caught and revealed, leading them to war.” 

“As hatred festers in the truths made known, endless Graves will be dug for those who succumb to the conflict, and from it will bloom Flowers of endless rot that the world will feast upon to relieve themselves of famine.” 

“Only when despair is truly known to the breadth of humanity, can the sun Rise for a glimmer of hope — but the moon shall Fall to reflect upon them their sins, and when the twin celestial bodies align… all that has ever been shall be consumed by the shadow of death.”

“They will cry out in the darkness, they will be heard by the stars that turn away, by the earth which crumbles to consume the sinners and by the very sun and moon from which we were gifted life — now blanketing us in their dark silence.”

“And that is all there will be at the end.” 

“Silence.”

Amaterasu hummed to herself. “Conquest. War. Famine. Death. Inconsequential words to you, given your lack of religious knowledge but… back in the Old World, Christian faith believed each term represented a horseman who would bring about the apocalypse. Wherever this story originated from, it certainly was crafted by an individual who knew something of faith.”

I sat. In silence. Even my thoughts didn’t make any noise, this all just seemed too… grand.

Two beings in flux… uniting into one.

“Do you think… that I… that Ripley and I are The Eclipse?” I had to get it out there.

“I don’t know.” She smiled, and curiosity burned from her once more. “There isn’t a lot that I am truly… confused about, but that story remains one of them. Who, or what is The Eclipse? We will know, the day that Blood and Steel shall clash will come soon. With it, will be delivered upon us The Eclipse.”

And Ripley would deliver it… my eyes glanced to Twilight, who looked just as conflicted.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out, all that could be heard was a sudden eruption of clapping from the main gala. Amaterasu spoke up. “That should be the arrival of The Mayor, I suggest you talk to him, after all… this is your party.”

Wordlessly, I stood up as I entered the hall. Shaking my father’s hand was a man in an immaculate suit, his hair black with just the right amount of gray. His presence suffocated me, it was like a mountain settled on my brain and my thoughts were squished. Blue eyes caught my silver gaze, and he strode towards me with his cane until he reached out.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Silvereye.” Mayor Johan Trask extended his hand for me to grasp, and I met it’s touch with my own. That felt like a mistake.

My right Silverhand buzzed to the sheer intensity radiating from the aged, but perfectly sculpted, political figure. He gave a warm smile, but the resonance betrayed his true thoughts. I felt his image of Silvereye react to my thoughts, seemlessly blending in until I lost track of where my presence began and his ended.

Twilight steered me the right way, her form crackling as she looked at me with worried apprehension. “Shit, forget Soul Killer, what the fuck was that?”

“That, my dear,” he smiled, looking to where Twilight should be, “is how I secured my votes. Now, I believe you have a speech to make.”

———

Eyes addressed me as I stood on stage, photographers ready to plaster me all over the news come the morning headlines. What I would say here would determine if I was the face of fear, or hope, against Soul Killer. I could instill upon them the severity of this threat, and SynTec would be more than happy to ‘offer’ their services to eliminate the monster I’d been hunting.

Or I could remain hopeful, make small strides as Soul Killer goes into hiding. They’d work in secrecy, while I remained complicit with the state of the world. Until, eventually, everything would go to shit. Could I wait until then? No, I couldn’t. Change had to happen sooner than later.

So I spoke. It was a flowery speech, first starting off with my plans to expand the Silver Heart Foundation that received much false praise from those who’d agreed to ‘donate’ to my cause. I made great strides to speak of the importance of this work, to the people, to the future of this city and to the upcoming efforts against the Swarm.

It was laughable, how many of them would even be fighting? I doubted a single person here intended to be on the ground and waging war against the MAL, but they had every intention to reap the profits. The media would craft awe-gripping narratives, the corporations would have leeway to use their most dangerous technology, the military would be able to use it and arm criminals for death. Everything was so fucked up.

But I chose to remain silent. Was that a mistake? They clapped anyway. My father and the mayor smiled. I could feel their satisfaction with my speech. In a way, that made me feel like I was doing wrong. But where did it end? I questioned, now, more than ever if I was doing the right thing.

When it came to Soul Killer, I spoke urgently with anecdotes about my time with Simon Jugosla. I spoke of being trapped. That felt liberating, but to them it was a fascinating story worth making money out of. It was a reason to investigate private-owned research labs for traces of The Revenant. It was a reason to arm police personel with even more dangerous tech.

It was a reason to use MALs to fight MALs. 

Cadavers vs. The Soulless.

Skeleton vs. Soul Killer.

How did it ever come to this?

I received my applause, I would receive many donations, and I would be of great interest to them all as an asset to wield. In a way, that was my power. I was wanted by many, so I had the liberty of picking and choosing what would work best, but some weren’t so easy to refuse.

The Mayor’s speech was layered with authority.

“I’ve watched Diana Ulrich grow from the daughter of a trusted colleague… to a woman whose name now commands both reverence and fear. She didn’t inherit her legend. She earned it.”

“The storm is coming. We all feel it. The air is electric, and the fear in our hearts is real. But in that darkness stands a woman — silver-haired, lightning-eyed — not to strike fear, but to hold it at bay. Silvereye represents not just resilience, but righteous control. In a world where chaos evolves with every black-market mutation and lawless cybernetics, she is proof that we can regulate power with purpose. That order still matters.”

He took a deep breath, but it was more for the cameras than for his nerves.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we live in an era where the enemy no longer wears the mark of a gang. It does not march in formation, or speak in threats. It blooms — in silence. Soul Killer is not merely a mind-controlling pathogen; it is a new kind of war, waged inside our memories, our networks, and even our families.”

“This city must remain vigilant. Unified. Strong. That is why we’ve allied with SynTec, with NeoCore — and with innovative independent partners of this city — to stop this invisible rot before it spreads. Threats like this demand the evolution of our security systems and policies. MALterrorism, especially with the Swarm in proximity, represents a national risk.”

“A psionic plague that rewrites your very mind. That turns loved ones into puppets. We cannot let this parasite flourish in the shadows. That is why I’ve authorized greater oversight of all SIM activity, enforced surveillance upgrades, and expanded the First Precinct’s authority to pilot this invasion within our walls. And I couldn’t ask for anyone better to lead this operation than Silvereye.”

He raised a glass to toast to me.

“To Silvereye. Our shield against the swarm… and our proof that order can evolve. May the rest of us learn the difference between power that protects… and power that escapes the law.”

“To Silvereye!” They toasted back to me, and maybe just for a fleeting moment, some of them put their hope into me. But too many didn’t, or at least, they put their hope into my ability to make them money.

But I smiled, I welcomed the toast, and I raised my own glass back. “To New California!”

“To New California!” They said in unison, and the Mayor caught my eye as he raised his glass before drinking from it. Across the table, my father’s gaze was hardened, and his unease was palpable. Perhaps, for the first time, I was truly in agreement with him on who should have been mayor.

———

2:44 AM

By the time the event was done, I was slightly tipsy and very socially exhausted. I couldn’t recall when was the last time I talked so much. But I was told I did well, and I knew they weren’t lying. It was a strange feeling to be told the truth by people who would lie without a second thought.

But yet, in this car, I couldn’t tell what was true and what was false as the Mayor sat opposite me and my father. “You’re a natural. Sure she’s your daughter, Brian?”

“She is.” He said, and to him… that was the truth. To me, it was complicated.

“Well, pretty lady, good news for you is that you don’t need to stay in this shit hole anymore. I’ve got it on good authority to have you transfered to Central.” The mayor said as he slid a hologram into the air. “We’re starting a press tour for you in March. Clean up any ties you have here in the meanwhile.”

“Apologies,” I did my best to keep my nerves in check, “but why would I be transferring?”

“To build your brand.” The Mayor said with a smug smile. “You know, it’s funny. You and the Donovick kid are more than just local sensations. You’ve got people across all 7 continents who know your names now. Westcrook’s become the most entertaining escape from the impending doom of the Swarm for pretty much all of society, we’ve got documentaries and films already in pre-production that we need to get going ASAP if we’re going to capitalize on this.”

As if to prove his point, he pulled up news articles and social-media videos from international Netposts that discussed me and Ripley. The foreign languages translated effortlessly with Twilight in my systems, and there was an air of sensationalism in everything. People saw me as authority done right, virtuous but a ‘no bullshit’ beacon of truth and justice while Dreadwire was arguably even more famous than The R0N1N. Despite his two-month absence, it only drew others further into speculation. One clip of his, the one where he slingshotted a car back into a Soulless MAL when we fought together in the First Precinct, had over 600 million views.

“Of course, can’t be too obvious with this.” The Mayor shrugged. “People want to believe in authenticity, which is why we’re going to… well… fabricate some alternate truths. Soul Killer’s been hiding away, that much we can tell, but there’s enough samples of their flowers we’ve collected to use on… less-than-favorable dissidents to this Free City.”

“Are you saying-”

“They’re criminals, hon.” He smiled, “criminals we haven’t been able to lock away for one reason or the other. Your team will have the authority to deal with them, to ensure our city remains safer than ever.”

Criminals… “What kind of criminals?”

“Those that pose a threat to our city. Lawful citizens as far as our constitution considers, but spreading a dangerous dogma in regards to the Swarm, our policies, our economy, and our future.” He smiled. “From now until late-March, we expect a good number of them to be detained and… cleansed of their infection from Soul Killer. You’ll be in charge of that. Do this, and the city will have a brighter future for all. Once March comes to an end, we can claim that Soul Killer’s threat has been largely neutralized, and you get to take a vacation to look pretty in front of a camera. Except, the time will come when Soul Killer strikes back. That’s when we hit them with the real changes, initiate a cleansing of criminal operations across the board and authorize the usage of Cadavers. A new breed of SynTec personal security. Of course, they’re still figuring out a new ‘public’ name.”

“Its so obvious that this is just for SynTec to…” I clenched my teeth. This was bullshit.

“Look, hon, sure Synchronous Technologies is about to get a whole lot more… powerful in this city. But think about it? Are we really hurting it? No, I don’t think so, this is how you make the most out of situations like this. And trust me, you’ll be glad we did so when this City stands victorious over the corpse of a Titan.”

I sat in the silence of those words, a need to know crawling from my throat. “The Shard… who will get it? We’re either killing The Typhoon or The Infinite… but where will Release or Change go to?”

He raised his eyebrows, before chuckling to my father. “She’s cute, isn’t she? Where? To SynTec, of course.”

“And what comes after that?”

“The end of all Swarms.” He said what I knew was a good thing, but all I felt was anticipation and greed — for power, for victory. To be a part of the group that would rise as everyone else fell.

“I didn’t know how to tell you…” Brian whispered, “but it’s likely war will be an immediate response following the Fifth Swarm, hell, maybe during it.”

“And believe me, hon,” the Mayor leaned forward, “you’ll want to be on the winning side.”

In a flash of light, he disappeared. The suffocating aura around him disappeared as well, and although I felt relieved, I also felt bitter and nauseous from the events of today. Brian Ulrich put a fastening hand on my shoulder, any other day I would have flinched, but today…

Fuck.

“He’s an asshole, I know.” My dad said, “don’t worry about the things he’s saying, they’re all so far in the future that plenty can change.”

“I intend to do just that, change things.” I hissed. “I want a Law Degree.”

“Oh,” my father’s eyes opened in surprise. “I can arrange that.”

“No, a genuine one.” I decided. “I need to know everything there is before we don’t have any other choice.”

“I suppose I can get you started…” He mumbled.

I stayed silent the rest of the ride back home, but as soon as I got out, I made my decision that I wasn’t sleeping in my bed tonight.

I needed to punch something. Dryder and Anthony responded to my message quickly, and soon after changing, I was heading back to the Hellfire Club as Lilian Rose.

From the looks of things, I’d need to punch a MALtitan one day and make sure that Shard ended up in the right hands.