The inmates stared at me, their expressions ranging from shock to eager interest.

  "What are you doing?" Cinder hissed at me as I pulled off my orange jumpsuit.

  "Ah, right, introductions!" I said. "Misfits and Murderers, I'd like to introduce all of you to my lovely Hearth Shield Keeper! Cinderella!"

  Cinder's eye twitched.

  "Now, what are you calling in regards to, my starshine?" I grinned at Ci. "Did you miss me since our last conversation and want to shower me with wing-hugs and kisses?

  Cinder’s face lengthened from irritation.

  "This isn’t the time for your stupid jokes! Vee's father took her from Skyfall," she growled out. "Lord Ceter just stormed into Graves' office with guards and took her!"

  "Did he now?" I frowned, rapidly undressing the Black Unicorn. "That's not ideal."

  "Not ideal?!" Cinder's wings flared. "He knocked us out with an EMP blast and just... took her!"

  "At least she'll have a nap at home," I sighed. "She needs rest anyway."

  "But what if they try to break the soul-bond?!" Cinder demanded.

  "Then we'll make a new one," I said.

  "What if they erase her mind?!"

  "Then we'll fall in love again, like in that movie..."

  "WHAT FUCKING MOVIE?!"

  "Seventy seven first dates?" I rubbed my chin as I pulled on the slightly too big therapist's outfit, pinning it with pins from my pocket so it wouldn't flap around too much. "You know. A whimsical comedy from two thousand and four. It's got Antony Sandy in it dating this girl who can't remember anything past twenty four hours, cus she got struck by a magical curse in the head or something?"

  Cinder growled at me.

  "What do you want me to do, dragon-bae?" I asked her. "I need time to take over this prison island."

  "Take over the..." Cinder's holographic form sputtered. "Are you insane?!"

  "Quite possibly," I adjusted the therapist's cap. "But as a therapist I have also diagnosed myself as sane.”

  Cinder made a face not appreciating my joke.

  “I have a plan,” I added. “These fine individuals behind me are going to help."

  The inmates perked up at that.

  "What's in it for us?" Uliuss, the Grootslang asked.

  "Eternal freedom, beast cores, and membership in my Clan," I said. "Plus dental."

  "Dental?" Lilith raised an eyebrow.

  "And a 401k," I added. "Also, weekly movie nights. No more dancing for rich assholes. If you want to study in Skyfall, I'll cover it. I'm a wealthy man. We can be roomies! I'm probably going to get a nice tower loft for my Knights and Sixies after this whole incarceration biz."

  I opened my cash-pocket, showing off my pile of shimmering cards.

  "Holy shit," Lilith inhaled. "Are those celesteel cards... from Arx? Can't you buy a mansion in Shandria with one of those?"

  "Yep," I nodded. "Robbing banks pays off. I see that you used to participate in delving class activities?”

  “Yeah,” Lilith nodded. “Before I was sent to juvie in grade eleven.”

  "Alex," Cinder flapped from the hologram on my wrist. "This is serious! Vespera could be in real danger!"

  "I know," I said. "But rushing in half-cocked won't help. Our Clan needs more Sixies. These guys seem acceptable, right?"

  "They're juvie convicts," Cinder pointed out with a frown.

  "And?" I raised an eyebrow.

  Cinder stared at me and my new prison-mooks with a judging look.

  "I think that they're perfect for what we need," I explained. "Each one was wronged by the Omnithornian corps. Each one is a bit of a delinquent like you. Each has unique skills. For example, Lilith here can spread memetic nightmares. Mariana knows her way around wards and can control deep sea creatures. Royaul understands sonic manipulation. Viktor has inside knowledge of corporate security. Etc.”

  "But..." Cinder protested.

  "Trust me," I said. "I know what I'm doing. These fine folks are going to help me take over this facility, which will give us leverage against both the Stratos Clan and possibly SimmiTech."

  The inmates exchanged interested looks.

  "How exactly do you plan to take over a prison?" Ash, the Erlking, asked.

  "I have a gun," I waved my arbalest. "This is a juvie housing Omnids under twenty one years old who are all relatively low or mid level like you. From what I saw so far, the guards only have pacifier batons. I'm the only person in this entire facility with a long range weapon and I have a lot of void-arrows that I bought for my father-in-law.”

  "But how do we get past the wards?" Mariana asked, her tentacles writhing. "The whole island is covered in anti-escape hexagrams."

  "We're not escaping," I grinned. "We're taking over. Big difference. The wards likely prevent outward movement. They won’t stop us from accessing the control room or the warden's office. Hexcrete is kind of useless against Void arrows as I just learned. I could probably plow right through the walls straight to the Warden's office."

  "Alex," Cinder's hologram flickered as she tried and failed to form a convincing argument.

  "Just let him do it," Katherine commented. "It's not like we can stop him from where we are."

  "But he can't just..."

  "Can't what?" I asked cheerfully. "Take over a correctional facility? Create my own private army from reformed criminals? Watch me. This is a nice island. I'm confiscating it from the Stratos."

  "You're... what?" Cinder sputtered.

  "Basic Omnicorp Clan warfare," I said. "As 'I Love You' Clan leader, I have been unjustly placed under duress here. As such it is my prerogative to strike back and to claim their property as mine."

  "And what if they drop a magitek nuke on you from a Sky-Glider?" Cinder barked.

  "And destroy their own prison?" I asked. "Yeah, okay. Dragons like to cling to their shinies. Sides' this place probably has wards against all sorts of stuff. It's a prison. I could probably redirect the wards from keeping people in to keeping bombs from falling directly on my head."

  "Ughh!" Cinder deflated. "There's no convincing you, is there?"

  "Nope," I shook my head. "We need a nice Clan compound on Earth! This is going to be it. A nice island within a Strand Glider's distance from Cradlefall? How can I resist?"

  My future Hearth Keeper frowned.

  "Plus," I added. "San Clemente Island has nice weather year-round."

  "Alex..." Cinder's hologram flickered with a look of deep concern.

  "Look, I'll call you back in a bit," I promised, finishing dressing up as a therapist. "Hugs and kisses. I got some rehabilitation to conduct."

  I ended the call and turned to my potential recruits. "So, who wants to help me take over this lovely place to turn it into a compound for my Clan?"

  "A rather bold move that’ll piss off the Stratos," Uliuss commented, looking down at me from his elephantine height.

  "They pissed me off first," I said. "I don't take shit lying down. If they didn't gate me here, in an attempt to murder me, I'd have no rights to take over their island."

  The inmates exchanged glances. Magdaline grinned, her sharp teeth glinting.

  "Right then!" I clapped my hands together. "First order of business - let's talk about your feelings…”

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  “Feelings?” Mariana blinked.

  “Feelings about taking over this place."

  The Yara-ma-yha-who, Tate, stared at me. "You're... serious about this?"

  "Dead serious," I nodded. "But first, everyone needs to swear loyalty to Clan I Love You. Can't have random Omnids running around my island causing unauthorized chaos, you understand. I prefer authorized chaos directed by yours truly. As your first day salary each of you will receive one of these overpriced dragon-balls to chew on."

  I pulled out a shimmering beast core from my pocket. "So, who'll go first? Mags? Why don't you show our lovely ladies and gentlemen how it's done?"

  "I, Magdaline Satosh,” the shark went down on one knee. “Do hereby pledge myself as Sixie to Clan ‘I Love You’ for all eternity."

  I tapped her on the shoulder with my arbalest. "I, Alexander Glock, Slayer and Clan Leader of I Love You do hereby accept you eternal services and raise you from lowly Sixie to my trusted Knight and personal Scrutimancer.”

  Magdaline’s entire face lit as she stared up at me. She didn’t expect this promotion so soon in the game.

  I handed a second beast core to her. Mags shoved it into her mouth with a wide, happy grin.

  I turned to the other convicts.

  "A rather odd Clan name but I'll bite," The Yara-ma-yha-who stepped forward. "Sounds better than living in a vent eating rats or therapy here. I, Tate Lissthoric, hereby pledge myself as Sixie to Clan I Love You for all eternity."

  One by one, the others followed suit, each pledging loyalty and receiving their yummy rewards. The cores vanished into eager mouths, eyes lighting up with renewed energy.

  "Excellent!" I adjusted my stolen, ill-fitting therapist cap that kept sliding off due to my lack of horn. "Now, here's the plan. Magdaline, I bet you know the layout best as a Scrutimancer sharkie. Where's the ward control room? Don't take me straight to it, take me to a wall I can obliterate to get inside from behind."

  Mags nodded, inhaling the air, red eyes igniting. She reached out to me with a large hand and I felt her skill bouncing off me, amplifying itself. “Got it!” She smiled, letting go of my hand with a blush.

  I picked up the knocked out therapist's tablet and made a bored face. "Onwards then!"

  We moved through the gray corridors with purpose, my new Sixies falling into formation behind me. The facility staff barely glanced at our group–just another nondescript therapist leading a group of inmates to their next recreational activity.

  Our group walked through the sterile corridors, passing security checkpoints with ease thanks to the therapist's uniform and ID badge. The inmates' expressions remained carefully neutral as we approached our target.

  "Left here," Magdaline whispered, guiding us toward a maintenance corridor. "The ward control room is behind two walls."

  I raised my arbalest, aiming at the hexcrete barrier. "Everyone ready?"

  My new Sixies nodded, tensing for action.

  "Remember," I said quietly, "non-lethal takedowns only. Bonk on the head, knock everyone out. We're reforming this facility, not adding to its body count. Plus, hostages are nice to have to sell back to the Stratos."

  The void-bolt pierced the first wall with a whisper, followed by a thunderous implosion as the void core detonated. Then the second wall imploded with the second bolt. Alarms began blaring immediately.

  We rushed into the ward control room. The ward techies definitely didn't expect Ocean's Eleven to come in directly through the solid hexcrete wall behind them.

  Through the dust and debris, I spotted three startled technicians at their control panels.

  "What? Who the shit... how?!" The Ward Administrator standing in the center yelped.

  The Mapinguari and Bies moved swiftly, knocking them out before they could reach the control panel. I walked over to the knocked out administrator and put his hat on, noting the man’s name “Eron Kotiff” on his badge.

  “I’m the Warden now,” I grinned at my mooks.

  “Now," I said, approaching the main control console. "Mariana, can you interface with these systems?"

  The Scylla's tentacles flew across multiple keyboards. "Basic ward architecture... fairly standard stuff. Give me five minutes."

  "You have two," I replied. "The guards will be here soon."

  "Tate, Ash - watch the door," I ordered. "Viktor, Renmar–secure the technicians. Everyone else, spread out and barricade entry points."

  The sound of running footsteps echoed down the corridor.

  "Incoming!" Lilith called out.

  "Mariana! Lock down the door," I barked to the Scylla as her tentacles danced across the control panels.

  "Working on it!" she called back, multiple dark limbs covered in small finger-like tentacles flashing frantically over the controls.

  The first wave of four guards burst through the doorway, pacifier batons crackling. Ten Omnids met them head-on, the enhanced strength from the beast cores giving them the edge.

  "Got it!" Mariana's tentacles flew across the final sequence. Heavy security barrier-doors slammed down, sealing the front entrance to the control room.

  "Excellent," I said, looking over the map. "Now, declare an emergency and give me the speaker."

  Mariana handed me the magitek mike.

  "Yulia copy the yelling voice of the Ward Administrator," I whisper-ordered my AI in Kaska.

  "Voice copier agent activated," Yulia replied. "Generating voice. Voice generated."

  "Attention..." I began typing into my phone.

  "Attention all security and facility personnel. This is Ward Administrator Eron Kotiff. The enemies of Stratos Clan are threatening to use biological weapons known as Duskbloom from Arx to take control of the island. Please report immediately to secure meeting room 4-B for an emergency briefing!" Yulia announced over the facility's communication array. "All inmates are to return to their cells right away!"

  I watched through a thousand camera screens on the wall as guards and administrators got up from their posts and offices rapidly heading towards the safe room in the basement. The inmates rushed to their cells.

  I turned the microphone off.

  "Holy sheet," Tate commented, watching the monitors. "They're just... obeying? Just like that? That's it?"

  "People obey orders. They trust their Ward Administrator’s voice," I shrugged. "This is just a minimum security rehabilitation facility filled with troublesome teens that Cradlefall doesn't want to see on its streets, not a maximum security prison. Nobody expects us to actually try taking over the ward from the inside so blatantly using magitek dungeon-delving weapons from Arx designed to punch through dragonhide and other giant monsters.”

  "Except for this man it seems," Mariana commented, pointing a tentacle at one of the cameras.

  A single officer hadn't left his post. He was just sitting in his office, staring unnervingly at the camera with blood red eyes.

  I walked closer to the screen wall and recognized the man right away. Megalodon Scrutimancer Satosh.

  "We should do… something about him," Magdaline said, her voice tight with tension.

  "We will," I agreed. "Your dad seems quite determined."

  "Always has been," Mags sighed.

  "There isn't much he can do from over there though," I said. "And it doesn't look like he's calling the Stratos to warn them about my takeover. He's just... sitting there. How odd."

  I studied Satosh through the security feed. He sat perfectly still in his office, those cold eyes fixed on the camera as if he could see right through it to me.

  I looked at the other cameras. The prison's offices and halls were now empty. Meeting room 4-B was packed to the brim with confused personnel.

  "Lock down 4-B," I told Mariana. "Seal them in. Maximum wards around that room."

  Mariana smiled at me and pressed a bunch of buttons. Blast shields rolled across the door of room 4-B, sealing everyone who could stop me within the meeting room.

  "And done," I smiled. "The place is now ours. Lockdown the other inmates so they don't get in our way."

  Mariana nodded. Red lights flashed across the cells in camera view.

  "A prison riot would have been more fun to watch, but this is nice too,” I commented. “Good job team.”

  Magdaline started to laugh. The other Misfits and Murderers stared at each other and at me. Uliuss high-fived Viktor.

  "Now what?" Lilith asked, her serpentine tail swishing back and forth.

  "Now we deal with Scrutimancer Satosh," I said. "Mariana, patch me through to his office and give me audio. Mags, want to chat with your dad?"

  "I..." Magdaline hesitated. "What are you planning to do to him?"

  "Offer him a job," I shrugged. "He's clearly talented. Plus, he's your dad. Can't have my Knight's dad unemployed, can I?"

  "You want to hire the man who put you in here to kill you?” She asked.

  "Why not?" I shrugged. "He's just doing his job. Following orders. Trying to provide for his lovely daughter."

  Magdaline blushed even harder.

  "And ready," Mariana said.

  I tapped the activation hexagram on the mike, watching the little crystal turn green.

  "Good day Scrutimancer Satosh," I said. "This is Warden Alexander Glock speaking."

  "Ah, Warden," Satosh exhaled, still unnervingly staring at me through the camera feed. "You work fast, human."

  "That I do," I agreed.

  "Wait," Mags blinked. "Dad... you knew?!"

  "Of course I knew," Satosh said via the speaker. "I'm a Scrutimancer. I could smell his humanity from the moment he arrived. But that wasn’t all. I could also smell... hope. I brought Alexander Glock to this island because it had to happen."

  "Had to happen?" I asked. "What? You wanted me to take over this place?"

  "I wanted things to change," Satosh said, staring at us from the screen. "I'm tired of serving the little dragon princess. I want to see my daughter smile for once. I want my wife back."

  "Dad?" Magdaline stepped closer to the mike. "What are you talking about? You..."

  "I worked two jobs," Satosh said. "I served that blasted girl as her personal Scrut. Did so many awful, terrible things for Emerald Stratos... all to reach this point."

  "You... you fed me forty one humans because..." Mags choked.

  "Because I wanted a future for both of us," Satosh said. "Those humans were irredeemable criminals. This one is... different." He pointed at me with a blue-white finger as if he knew exactly where I stood.

  "Dad! I don’t understand… I thought that you hated humans," Mags stammered out.

  "I hate human criminals and the ruthless gangs of Scab Row," Satosh sighed. "But Alexander Glock isn't a human, is he? He's something more."

  "So my jacket never deceived you?" I smiled.

  "Not really," Satosh shrugged. "I smelled the thunder and rainbow in you. You're soul-bound to two Omnids. If you managed to win the love of two Omnid girls, then you're not a complete monster. Not like the bastards who killed my wife. Perhaps, a bastard I can work with, yes? One that won’t enslave me like the dragons?”

  "Yes," I nodded. "So you knew that I would succeed?"

  "I brought you here because Emerald ordered me to," Satosh said. "I knew you would either die or take over. Either I would have a new Clan Leader to serve or get my girl another year of Skyfall education. Besides, you don't seem like the dying type."

  "He's really not," Magdaline agreed, struggling to keep her blush down as she chewed on two beast cores.

  "So," I said. "Want to join my Clan as a Sixie too?"

  "No," Satosh shook his head on the screen. "But I will serve as your Scrutimancer if you help me get my wife back."

  "The one in White Hall?" I asked.

  "Yes," Satosh nodded.

  “Get her back, how?”

  "She cannot remember me. You will have the same problem soon."

  "The same problem... Oh. You know about Vespera?" I asked.

  "Yes," Satosh nodded. "I have little magic eyes concealed all over Skyfall. Your Prima Sword was taken from you. Her mind will be overwritten by her father. She will not remember you."