Chapter 218 - Speedy Search Success

The glass shard inspection bot sets the box containing the strawberry sponge cake on top of one of the few still structurally sound portions of the counter. Shortly after, 23 collects the Miss Masher-requested beverages, puts them in a cardboard 5-cup holder, then places them alongside the cakebox.

“If you don’t have any other requests, that should be everything for you and your companions for this evening, Miss Masher.” As 23 addresses her, it nudges her share of the order towards her.

“Hmm? Oh, nice. Yeah, that should be everythin’.” Miss Masher shuts off and pockets her phone as soon as she realized 23 was speaking to her.

Once it’s safely tucked away, she lifts up the severed limb that was still hanging off of her shoulder and waves it from side to side. Considering how much of the blood from it had already soaked into her shirt and pants, there isn’t much blood left within the arm to leak out from the swaying movements.

“Ya got anything that Calc could use to carry this a bit better?” Miss Masher’s request prompts 08 to rummage around under the area where the Point of Sale terminal was previously located.

A few seconds later, it holds open a plastic shopping bag, extending it towards her so she can comfortably reach in to insert the arm, which she proceeds to do so. She bends it at its elbow so the mangled wrist is sticking up out of one side with the rent upper arm poking out opposite it.

Upon witnessing this exchange, Jonathan exclaims, “Oh, right!” and dashes away.

‘...Uh?’

[He’s searching the bathroom that the... late task target came out of. Between 011’s guidance and his vision, if there is any drug residue left behind for Miss Calculated to examine, he’ll find it.]

‘Eh? His vision?’

[...You should have had more than enough clues by now. He took enhanced vision as his second power back when he hit 5 GDV.]

‘OH! Wait, what’re we even up to now, anywho?’

[...Let’s wait to have that conversation when none of the sisters are around, rather than when they’re actively looking in your direction.]

‘...Okay, fine...’

427’s hesitation is certainly merited, considering Lucas’s sudden look of enlightenment upon hearing about Jonathan’s previous enhancement selection. If either Miss Calculated or Miss Chievous noticed his shift in expression while they were facing the hole in the wall that the druggie smashed his way through, they hopefully just assumed it was him belatedly realizing what Jonathan ran off to do.

Unconcerned with the thoughts of others, Miss Masher claims the sugary calories 23 sent her way, setting the drinks on top of the cake box to carry the stack one-handed. Snacks in hand, she turns to look at Willy.

“Ya ready to head out, Willy? I’m guessin’ that 23 was carryin’ ya earlier because of all the broken glass outside, right? C’mere. I’ll hold ya until it’s safe to walk around without shoes.” While Miss Masher is saying this, she starts walking in his direction.

With an agreeable bark, Willy bounces up from his languid position, trotting over to meet up with her.

Once they’re close to each other, Miss Masher crouches down with her free arm held wide open. Willy rears up on his hind legs and rests his front paws and snoot over her not-gorey shoulder, and then she lifts his rump with her free hand as she smoothly stands back up.

[...That was so much more efficient than when you first carried him.]

‘Hey! That was before I knew he was smart enough to cooperate! It’s not my fault!’

Miss Masher turns to grin at her sisters, giving them a quick, “See ya later!” then looks over at Lucas with a raised eyebrow. “Text ya tomorrow ta figure out when we’ll get back to work?”

“Eh? Yeah, sure. Ah, crap, I still haven’t talked to Alley Cat about when and where we should meet up tomorrow... I should shoot ‘em a text in a min. But, first, hold still a sec for me.” While Lucas is answering her, he walks towards Miss Masher... and stops behind her to reach up with both hands to rub Willy’s ears.

“I’m gonna miss you, buddy. You be good for them, yeah?” As Lucas makes his partings with Willy he’s answered by a happy arf and the tip of Willy’s tail wagging a bit, despite the way Miss Masher is carrying him.

While Miss Masher is busy struggling not to laugh, Lucas gives Willy a few more ear rubs and then loudly gasps.

“Wait, where are your toys!?” Lucas’s exclamation is punctuated by Willy making a bark that somehow sounds just as scandalously shocked as his gasp did.

Willy looks over at the cardboard box full of Miss Calculated’s recent acquisitions and barks once more, leading to Lucas turning and marching over towards said box.

“Was that mean ol’ nerd holding your toys hostage!?” Lucas shouts out with an accusatory tone as he goes to pick up the box and Miss Chievous cracks up laughing.

[...I think it’s safe to say that the word ‘mean’ is hardly accurate in regards to the interactions between Miss Calculated and Willy.]

‘Details, details.’

“I was not! I was just helping him carry them! I already said I only need one of them for testing purposes!” Miss Calculated’s guilty-sounding denial only makes Miss Chievous laugh even harder.

Lucas starts rummaging through the box. After a few moments, he pauses, holding up the pen-sized utility Viblade, and glances at Miss Calculated.

“Ya sure you should just leave this thing lyin’ around? Here, catch.” Lucas tosses the high-tech tool to Miss Calculated before she even manages to make any sort of response.

She easily catches it while blinking a few times, although the effortless receival is more due to the precision behind the seemingly-casual throw than because of her own abilities.

Miss Chievous manages to get her laughter under control and turns to give Miss Calculated an amused look, conveying some hidden meaning with an arched eyebrow while doing so.

Miss Calculated merely snorts and tucks the knife away in the same pocket she originally carried it in.

Lucas didn’t even witness the exchange between the twins, as his attention turned away from the blade the moment it left his hand.

Once he has all three of the toys he stares at them for a few seconds before dropping the mini Mind Flare back into the box.

“Who am I kiddin’? With the way ya were fangirlin’ over Josephine’s music earlier, there’s no way yer gonna’ cut hers apart, and there’s no way I’m lettin’ Dan’s be the one gettin’ dissected either. Sorry, Mark.” Lucas’s evaluations are the tipping point of Miss Masher snorting out a puff of laughter and Miss Chievous snickers again while Miss Calculated looks away, crossing her arms as she does so.

Before Lucas finishes walking back over to offer Willy his chew toys, there’s a briefly visible blur and then Jonathan is suddenly standing nearby, reaching up to pet Willy’s head.

Miss Masher flinches from the sudden appearance in her peripheral vision, but it doesn’t take her long to realize it’s Jonathan.

Willy similarly yelps out a startled bark, but stops upon recognizing Jonathan, and instead leans into the offered head pats.

Lucas makes an amused snort as he finishes his trek over and holds up the two toys for Willy to bite.

“Any luck in there, kiddo?” Lucas’s question is immediately answered by Jonathan nodding a few times.

“Y-yeah, I didn’t, um, t-touch it though. Th-there was a bag too, b-but I’m not sure how you want to keep it, um, u-uncontaminated.” While Jonathan is initially looking at Lucas as he answers, partway through he turns to look at Miss Calculated. Before he’s even done speaking, she already has a pleasantly surprised expression.

“You managed to find some of what he took? That... was fast.” Miss Calculated turns to look at the bag of medical supplies that Miss Chievous is absentmindedly carrying.

“Have any sterilizing wipes in there? That would certainly be better than relying on washing my blade with tap water. I probably should clean it both before and after scraping up... whatever the compound might be.” Miss Calculated doesn’t make it very far into her question before Miss Chievous has already begun sifting through the contents of the bag.

“There should... Ah, here you go.” Miss Chievous holds out a small box with a few remaining individually wrapped sanitizing wipes, which Miss Calculated pulls out two of with one hand while taking her double-ended utility Viblade out with the other.

As she’s alternating between pulling the cap off of the metal utility blade end and ripping open the small pouch with the wipe, she turns her attention towards Jonathan.

“If you don’t mind..?” Miss Calculated doesn’t even need to finish her question before Jonathan nods at her.

With one final ear rub, Jonathan lets go of Willy’s head, though Lucas takes his place immediately afterward.

“See you later, Willy. And, um, b-bye Mash.” Jonathan takes a small step back and Miss Masher gives him a toothy-sans-one grin.

“See ya tomorrow, Jackknife.” Miss Masher’s parting earns a bright smile from Jonathan before he walks off to lead the way for Miss Calculated.

Of course, Miss Chievous tags along with them, too.

Lucas whines and finally stops petting Willy, then takes a few steps off to the side.

“Alright, alright... Catch ya two later.” Lucas isn’t even attempting to hide his disappointment over Willy’s extended-duration departure, his slight pout plainly evident.

Willy’s muffled bark of parting manages to make him smile, though.

Miss Masher glances at him and lets out an amused snort. “See ya, rival.”

“Yeah, yeah...” Lucas can’t resist rolling his eyes, turning to go join Jonathan and the twins on their way to the men’s room.

Miss Masher grins again as she leaves, briefly giggling as she kicks the heavily damaged front door right off of its hinges, sending it crashing onto the sidewalk.

[...]

-----

Lucas’s total kills: 9

Lucas’s total deaths: 12

Lucas’s total assists: 1

Lucas’s current GDV: 20.41 [+.01 +.01 +.01 +.01 +.01 = +.05 net change]

Lucas’s fame level: 7.25* [The VoDs of the stream are circulating, starting to gain some traction.]

Lucas's hero suspicion level: 1.0*

Jonathan’s total kills: 8

Jonathan’s total deaths: 4

Jonathan’s current GDV: 8.14 [+.01 +.01 +.01 = +.03 net change]

Jonathan's fame level: 5.75* [Even with the attention gained from the broadcast of him briefly being badass while beating the befuddled bully, he still isn’t as famous as Mr. Quacks.]

Jonathan's hero suspicion level: 1.5*

Willy's fame level: 5.5*

Mr. Quacks’s fame level: 6.0*

Supervillain social circle size: 16

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Little character theater:

Jonathan, flinching from the sound of the door ripping out of its frame and the ensuing shattering of its small amount of remaining glass: ...I-I guess it’s already such a mess it doesn’t matter anyway...

Willy was briefly startled, but it doesn’t take him long to guess what Miss Masher just did.

Lucas, reflexively looking over at the chaotic noise: ‘Yeah, okay, I can’t say I’m surprised. Well, a little surprised that there wasn’t a task to try to stop her?’

427, mimicking a sigh and then clearing his digital throat: [That was definitely easily predictable behavior. However, it hardly would make much difference if you did save the door. It’s probably even better this way, they’ll be forced to replace the warped frame, instead of perhaps just the door itself while the frame’s structural integrity was questionable at best.]

Author, checking their notes: It’s only been... uh, 84 chapters since Jon picked up his vision. I think there were plenty of clues, but it doesn’t hurt to actually explicitly state it, I guess.

Mr. Quacks and Quackette are sitting by opposite sides of the few rogue white granules on the edge of one of the sinks, wondering how Jonathan noticed them so quickly: Quack...?