10.05

Dragon opened fire, unleashing four streams of containment foam. The group narrowly avoided being trapped, thanks to their quick reaction. Shadow Stalker, controlled by Regent and aided by Bentley, engaged Weld, utilizing a unique, self-sacrificial fighting style that seemed to catch him off guard.

The narrator brought her swarm into the fray, initially trying to use them to clog Dragon’s systems, but the foam’s force proved too strong. Adapting, she used her bugs to lift pieces of shattered glass, creating makeshift shields to catch the foam and then depositing the sticky glass on Dragon’s sensors and joints.

Tattletale analyzed the situation, pointing out that Dragon’s reluctance to use lethal force in this cross-border incursion was a disadvantage. Regent revealed that Dragon was physically present in the suit, but Tattletale warned against Imp using her power, given the uncertainty.

Weld, likely communicating with Dragon, separated Shadow Stalker and Grue from the group with a wall of foam. The narrator’s initial swarm was mostly incapacitated or busy placing glass, and time was running out before the Protectorate’s arrival.

Dragon advanced, her heated feet negating the foam’s stickiness. Imp, despite warnings, attempted to approach, only to be driven back by Weld, who was now receiving directions from the visible Dragon. Dragon then ignited an accelerant, creating a wall of fire that cut off their escape.

Weld leaped through the flames, immune to the fire due to the accelerant on him. Dragon managed the fire with chemical sprays, prioritizing data security over property damage. Tattletale explained that Dragon likely planned to cover the costs herself.

Grue, now awake, created a distraction with his darkness, allowing himself, Shadow Stalker, and the smallest dogs to escape through the front door. Bitch’s remaining large dog, Bentley, crashed through a display window into the gift shop, followed by the narrator, Tattletale, Imp, and Regent.

The gift shop, filled with cape merchandise, offered an awkward battlefield. Tattletale used her lightning cannon to melt the bars on a street-facing window. Dragon, partially inside the shop, attacked with foam, forcing them to take cover.

Tattletale rigged her gun to fire continuously, using a Miss Militia model to hold the trigger, then threw it, creating an electrical hazard that forced Dragon back. Tattletale escaped through the window, narrowly avoiding the foam.

Imp and Regent made their escape, using the bookshelves for cover. Dragon blocked the window, her body angled to spray foam downward. The narrator, in a risky move, stepped onto Dragon’s electrified foot, relying on her insulated costume to protect her. She was knocked off balance into the foam, but managed to partially deflect her fall.

Bitch, riding a now-giant Bentley, was near the window. Dragon turned to attack, but Bitch and Bentley escaped through different parts of the window, leaving the narrator trapped.

Dragon, sounding surprisingly human despite her digitized voice, confronted the narrator, revealing her responsibility to protect the data. She questioned the narrator’s loyalty, referencing the post-Endbringer events, but the narrator remained silent on her true motivations.

Dragon, reacting to the whining of Tattletale’s gun, ordered the narrator to move her bugs from the suit. Dragon then encased the gun in a dome of her body, containing the imminent explosion. She freed the narrator, advising her to reconsider her priorities.

The gun detonated, severely damaging Dragon’s suit. Regent’s earlier statement about Dragon piloting the suit was confirmed, but the pilot was not Dragon herself. It was a fetus-like creature with crude features, connected by wires. The creature self-destructed in a fiery display, leaving the narrator with more questions than answers.

Escaping through the window, the narrator rejoined her team, who were dealing with the Protectorate. Tattletale expressed concern over the narrator’s delay, but the narrator was focused on one person: Bitch.