Chapter 18 (Intermission): Coming Back Early

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We last read Chapter 17, in which Specter and T.J. return in triumph to the latter's house in the Rusted Citadel's residential district following a successful infiltration into one of the Imperator's Armory delivery trains. Specter snarks at T.J. regarding the presence of the Bengal plush toy he won earlier that day at the Beheaded Bengal Saloon, stating that it had no purpose during the mission and claiming that it won't have any purpose for the entirety of the adventure.....something which T.J. himself is incredibly quick to deny. T.J. then hauls the gigantic stuffed toy out of the sleek silver convertible and hauls it all the way back inside the house while continuing to insist that the plushy will be useful---much to Specter's amusement---before shutting the door and parting ways with the spectral superheroine for the night. With her objective for the night having been accomplished, Specter then takes the convertible's keys---which had been returned to her by T.J. following their escape---and drives the vehicle back to the Obsidian Sanctum to get a "good" night's rest.

Meanwhile, we learn the exact purpose of the device that Specter placed on the train's fourth boxcar weapon cache. Once all the boxcars arrive at the supply hub---and Rogue and one of the supply hub workers go to check on it---the device Specter planted reveals itself to be a bomb once the duo open up its case, which also happens to contain an RPG. But neither of them get to use it; the bomb promptly blows up, obliterating the entire supply hub, killing a large number of laborers---including Rogue's guide---and rendering the entire delivery completely useless. Now fuming over her movement's most recent setback, Rogue bolts away from the scene of the destruction to inform her superior, Imperator Barrows, of the events.

This time, Imperator Barrows hears back from Rogue regarding the disaster, and Specter is revisited by her mysterious companion a lot earlier than she had expected.....

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-Imperator's Armory, Rusted Citadel, Asia-

"The spectral scoundrel did what?!" Imperator Barrows exclaimed, immediately after hearing of Rogue's account of the events that had transpired down at the supply hub. "How did she manage to get past everyone we placed on the train?!"

"She's formidable, sire," Rogue insisted. "Much more than just some random girl. Now, no thanks to her, an entire shipment's worth of armaments---as well as a good deal of our workforce---have been practically flushed down the loo."

Barrows buried his face in both of his hands and slumped over the terminal of the huge, still-inactive supercomputer within the same chamber as him and Rogue. In his mind, this wasn't just a setback for he and Rogue's organization, the Shattered Circle.....but also a setback for him. The one who they were doing all of this for in the first place. Their entire goal had been to sow distrust, discord, and violence amongst the Citadel's populace in order to distract them while they prepared for his return.....and because of Specter's intervention, their most recent plan had utterly failed.

"Truth be told, I had a feeling that something had gone wrong when you showed up back here about an hour ahead of schedule," Barrows admitted. Then, he exhaled, his breath itself carrying an air of reluctance and concession. "Fine.....I suppose you were right. Perhaps I was wrong to underestimate her."

"I know more than most that underestimating the capability of people---especially women---never ends well, love," Rogue informed. "I know I don't look like much from the outside....."

"What are you talking about? You do!"

"At any rate, just remember that it was me who did her best to save you.....back when those strange sound waves hit the Citadel a while back."

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