VB!Foxillians: Terminus

Breached Security

- Emist's POV -

As I brought a set of clothes for Vagabond, Viper's phone rang.

"Hi sis, need something? ... No, I didn't ask for his location, why? ... and you told her anyway?! ... Please tell me you're locking her out already ... She's where?! ... Crap. Alright, we're going to make our move. Thank you."

Viper then put her phone away.

"So, apparently, Vileper got into the Viperan network and swiped our current location. Vera's working on setting up a fake connection to cross monitor her" she says. "Vileper is on her way here, in fact she's outside the perimeter fence and looking for a way in."

"Vagabond, we're going now. We're drawing Vileper away from the forest." I say as I motion to the door. Vagabond nods and we leave the shack

"So this is what the shack at Fox Forest would've looked like after seven years..." Vagabond says with traces of both disappointment and fondness in his voice.

"Indeed." I say as I hop onto my quad-bike. "You know how to fire a gun, right?"

Vagabond nods and I hand him my pistol.

"Be sure to return it when we get back to the tavern, alright? We're going to be making a lot of noise to draw Vileper towards us and away from the shack." I explain as Vagabond sits behind me.

"A plan to protect the Sophie that still lives. Let's do it!" Vagabond says with determination.

"Fantastic. Here we go!"

Revving the engine of the quad-bike to warm it up, we race away from the shack and drive towards the gate that Vileper is getting uncomfortably close to.

"Hey Viper! Over here!" Vagabond shouts as we speed past a disgruntled yellow blur.

"Come home with me already and stop wasting other people's time!" Viper shouts at us before running after us.

I slowed down just enough that we're barely outrunning her.

As we reach the outer ring of Nomadia City, Vagabond fires a few shots and a number of FR Mk Vs pop out of their road slots. I could feel that we were being scanned by the FR Mk Vs. Luckily enough, they figured that Vileper was the one who was hostile and they started to engage her.

With that, I hit the gas, brought the engine to full throttle and whizzed away.

"The First Responders should handle Vileper for a while. She also ought to not be suspicious of the shack for a while."

Eventually we drove down a familiar road and stopped in front of the tavern.

I was first to get off the ATV and when we got to the door, the bouncers blocked Vagabond.

"Let him in. Boss' orders. It was a misunderstanding and the problem is resolved." I said before the bouncers nodded and let Vagabond in.

Vimaat was behind the counter mixing drinks.

"Welcome home Emist!" She shouted from behind the bar waving happily.

I smiled and waved back.

"Is that another Viper? How many Vipers are there in this place?" Vagabond asks with slight wariness in his voice.

I look at Vagabond then sigh.

"Yeah, technically Vimaat is another Viper. It's a long story which I'll tell you when we get to your room. For now, notice how she has a green armband like me? We're both clones. I'll explain the rest later"

Since the Fox Skulk has close ties with Randal and his Raskals, especially after the occupation, Randal managed to convince Ernst to install hideout rooms into the tavern. We have a number of rooms underground.

"You're going to be getting a hideout room here, Ernst is going to keep you posted, and while I'm sure it'd be no problem for Viper or the Viperans to simply have Vileper assassinated, I'm sure you'd rather kill her yourself." I say as we reach the hideout installation.

"Aye, I can work with that. What am I expected to do while... Ernst and company create plans?" Vagabond asks

"I'd appreciate help with serving drinks but I get the feeling that you don't know how to mix drinks."
"You're right, I don't"
"Then it's not a problem. Just sit tight while the boss comes up with a plan for you."

Eventually I walked to an empty room and unlocked it.

"In usual Raskal fashion, keys are on the desk over there. No windows or anything, and a bathroom to your right. Make yourself comfy." I say as I lead him into his room.

"You've affiliated with the Raskals?" Vagabond asks.

"More or less. It became more formal after the Zukarian Occupation."
"So what happened in the seven years that I somehow skipped?"
"Were you able to see the Teslie Rebellion?"
"I don't think so."

I take a deep breath and begin to explain what happened over the past seven years.

"I see." Vagabond says after I finish. "So how come you and Vimaat didn't get bio-massing with the rest of the clones?"

"We were... special. Unlike all the other clones that maintained the sentiments of our source materials, I had managed to grow attached to my spotter, VM47. She shared my feeling and just before we stepped up for bio-massing, we asked permission to not be bio-massing. The boss hesitantly agreed on two terms, VM47 and I would create identities different to that of our source material and that should our relationship fall apart and we return to simply becoming friends, we'd be willing to be bio-massing." I explained to him

"So essentially, VM47, now Vimaat, is a clone of Viper who formed a relationship with you, a clone of Ernst." Vagabond summarily repeated

"Essentially, yes."

"I see... was there ever any... Sophie clone that you grew attached to?" Vagabond asked awkwardly.

"All of the Sophie clones worked as medics but there were none assigned to our squad which I'd have worked closely with. I still had an immense respect for them though."
"I see. I think I'm going to sleep now. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. Good night, Vagabond." I say as I take my pistol back from the desk.

I locked the door behind me as I left the room and made my way back to Vimaat who was still at the bar.

"You're almost done up here?" I ask her while I lovingly pat her head.

"Yeah, just gotta finish washing up." She replies.

"Alright, I'll start closing up." I say as I walk to the doors.

After I paid the bouncers, I locked the front doors and aligned the tables.

"Another day with no incident" Vimaat says proudly.

"Minus the Vagabond incident" I add in.

"Oh right. Oh well." She says with a shrug.