Peace Descends on Washington

To cut to the chase...

The duel between Leon Dusk and Will Bates only ended after the entire Microgenics headquarters building vaporized into thin air.

It was quite the spectacle, watching that massive structure get shaved away from the top down. Steel beams melting like taffy, glass windows turning to steam and scattering, concrete crumbling to dust like powdered sugar. Spaces that must have housed hundreds of employees per floor vanished into empty sky in an instant.

And yet, there were no casualties. Thanks to Will Bates evacuating the entire headquarters staff beforehand. Calculating that far ahead proves this bland uncle is nothing if not rational.

As for how the duel wrapped up: Both had nearly exhausted their power when Will Bates, in his signature flat tone, proposed a truce.

"By rational judgment, no conclusion will be reached at this point. Further expenditure would cause fatal damage to both sides."

Even as he accepted, Leon Dusk kept up the bravado to the end.

"Hah, I could go all day. No choice, though. I'll stop here for your sake."

But his breathing leaked out ragged as a bellows from behind his visor, and his nanomachine suit was crumbling with ominous cracks in places. Probably out of energy even for repairs.

In the end, the duel between these two tech-feudal lords ended in a draw.

Still, I was satisfied. Shows like this come once in a lifetime, if ever.

But here's the thing. Those two were insanely strong—but exactly how strong?

Okay, explain.

The lab-coated thought munching popcorn in my mental world went wide-eyed.

Yeah. You're the explainer.

The guy hemmed and hawed before dragging over a chalkboard, gripping the chalk, and clearing his throat a few times.

Peta, huh.

The sharp-eyed thought, arms crossed nearby, chimed in abruptly.

A few mini-thoughts raised their hands at that.

The mini-thoughts erupted into a cacophony, each piping up. No choice—I stuffed a snack into each of their mouths to quiet them down.

Oh boy. My Three Run Ball stock will run out soon. Gotta restock in Korea.

Hmm. So to sum up: Will Bates and Leon Dusk are Peta grade. Strong enough to devour the whole Earth pie solo. Humans never cease to amaze. Always something new.

While I'm at it, maybe tourist Texas sometime. Later, though. Got things to do now.

……

The reactions from my attachment humans, who witnessed this oversized duel up close and personal, were a sight too.

First in view: Han Min-seo. She—oops, he clutched the magic wand in both hands, biting his lip as he watched. His frilly skirt fluttered, flashing underwear, but he had no spare moment to press it down. Totally awestruck. Face like watching monsters clash.

Fair enough. Will Bates and Leon Dusk are monsters in their own right.

Yeom Hana next to him reacted differently. How to put it... Like a fighter watching a champ in his weight class. If I fought there, could I win? Can my Neutromium Suit block Will Bates's aura rush? Can my mass piercing kick breach Leon Dusk's nanomachine shield? Questions swirled endlessly in her pupils.

But as the duel peaked into its late stage, she bit her lower lip in frustration, clenching her fists. No matter how she simulated in her head, no path to victory against those two. Gotta keep pushing, attachment human. Your Neutromium Suit's output is infinite. If your will holds.

Not sure if she heard my cheer, but waves of emotion poured from Yeom Hana: burning rivalry, frustration, upward drive. Mmm, like a challenger vowing to topple the champ. Perfect. That's my attachment human.

Finally, Lee Se-hee. This one was anything but ordinary. Visor down on her black power suit, she stared unblinking at the rooftop clash. At a glance, like Yeom Hana immersed in the fight—but a key difference: faint blue LEDs blinking steadily at her visor edge.

Recording.

The glasses-wearing thought flashed his lenses in commentary.

Steal just by recording?

A faint smile curled the glasses-thought's lips.

Whoa, classic Lee Se-hee. Part of why Oseong's chairwoman came personally: this data grab. Her power suit's scanners probably upgraded just for now. Triple-digit billionaires don't hit those digits by accident.

Me? Just had a blast. Only downside: nearly ran out of snacks sharing with mini-thoughts at the climax. Otherwise, perfect viewing. Would've paid for this. Not that I have cash—if real money, I'd swipe Shin Chang-seok's card. Copied his and Oh Deok-hwan's cards into my internal subspace.

What? Interest-free, unsecured, indefinite, collateral-free loan from friends. Just the principal's Shin Chang-seok and Oh Deok-hwan personally, not a bank. Heh heh.

……

After the CEO duel ended in a draw, both armies withdrew in turn.

Leon Dusk and his nanomachine suit infantry jetted into Washington's night sky on foot and palm boosters. Trajectories southwest toward Texas.

Per their pre-flight agreement: Will Bates holds anti-air fire on withdrawing Nikola forces; Leon Dusk skips Stella Link mass bombardment.

Microgenics' gene-enhanced guards began city cleanup. Clearing fallen trees, hauling wrecked vehicles, rescuing buried civilians. Washington squared away in a flash under their hands.

And the Korean awakener party. Atop the skeletal ruin of the building's outer walls, they prepped to leave. A massive air carrier approached for pickup. Heading home via Arctic route.

As liftoff loomed, Yeom Hana turned and approached me.

"Outer God."

She opened awkwardly.

"Staying in Washington?"

Huh? Why ask that? I tilted my head; she scratched hers, averting eyes.

"...Just wondered if you'd come back with us."

Her true wish leaked: hoping I'd return to the Agency. Kinda touching. Don't worry—Korea's Threat Management Agency, with daily snacks, toys, and tons of attachment humans, is like my heart's hometown.

——But.

One face surfaced in my mind. The human who treated me like a daughter. Who pitied me sincerely. Who threw away his life to save mine.

Sorry, still got business in Washington.

I slowly shook my head. Yeom Hana read my face, asked no more. Her palm rose to my crown, stroked softly, then withdrew. Warm, gentle hand. Unchanged since we met.

"Got it. Be careful. See you later."

She left those short words and returned to her team. Han Min-seo waved his magic wand from afar in greeting; Lee Se-hee gave a brief nod past her visor before striding to the carrier.

Soon the massive air carrier slid north through the night sky. I stood at the roof edge, watching their silhouettes shrink to a point.

……

Oh, right. One loose end: the Mohawk shock troopers.

Not a single one escaped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Washington.

Some got pinned by nearby Microgenics defenses right after drop pod landing. Others rampaged through the city with slaughter and destruction. Suppressing them cost civilian lives and injuries.

Figured they'd get executed on the spot—but an unexpected order came.

Will Bates commanded full capture alive. Order executed faithfully. Mohawks beaten near death, subdued, and caged.

What became of the captured Mohawks? All dosed with Puppet Vaccine-MK27.

Different from Karen's nightly Model Citizen Maintenance Agent. This strips malice, pleasure, anger, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠joy—turns them into Will Bates' literal puppets.

Emotions erased, they'll slave in grueling physical labor till death. Microgenics mines, factories, construction sites. No rest till the end.

Imagine: Dopamine-fried pleasure-killers, injected with a drug yanking all emotion and joy. Castrated egos, eternally tightening screws, hauling bricks. A century, two. Till lifespan ends.

Ugh.

The mental world's mini-thoughts shuddered.

But we wouldn't die in a micro black hole. Puppet Vaccine wouldn't work either.

Maybe the six Mohawks whose heads I burst are better off. At least they died as pleasure-killer Mohawks, not Will Bates' puppets.

Alright, time to head back to Karen. She's waiting.