The Birth of a New Generation (Saber)

[Mani4c]

It had been several days since news of Baretta's pregnancy had been announced, though only a select few officers and Net Ops agents knew the particulars of what had transpired (not that it really did much to dispel the entirely correct rumors regarding not only the father, but how and WHY it had transpired. Mani4c and Baretta were about as subtle regarding their love life as Noxus was regarding his love for risky, low security experiments.), and things had, for the most part, stabilized.

Crime was down, and morale had steadily climbed thanks to the small amount of peace that had been won since the war, with new departments devoted to policing the Red-Light district, as well as a veritable MOUNTAIN of funding thanks to the NPD's part in pacifying Abraxas' little world domination attempt.

Unfortunately, for one person, things were far from fine, and they were only seeming to deteriorate.

Lilith was staggering through her apartment, her left hand clutching her abdomen in agony as she stumbled around, attempting to locate an emergency beacon to contact her friends. She had been praying that this pain, this weakness, was only a result of the final battle with Abraxas, but the pain only grew, until it was now a stabbing, blazing pain that radiated through her entire being.

"Ngh...a-arrgh!" The viral woman lost her footing and toppled to the floor, her stomach heaving as a spray of caustic code splattered to the ground, her throat and mouth burning from the substance. "nngh...h-help me..." Lilith crawled forwards, reaching up and grabbing at the top of a nearby coffee table, her palm blindly searching for the object of her salvation, and by a stroke of pure luck, she slammed the emergency beacon, opening a direct line to Mani4c, Saber, and Noxus...her family, or what was left of it with Viral's loss.

"P-Please! H-help! I-I...ngh...I can't...I...c-can't..." Another stabbing lance of agony, and another hoarse scream and anguish. The pain was growing, surging..."I don't wanna die!"

Lilith could speak no more, the pain, already torture beyond anything she had ever felt, exploded, there was the feeling of something tearing, she could feel her code leaking, draining from her like she had been gutted by a blade. The vampiric woman's hand slipped from the beacon, clutching her stomach...only to feel a long, DEEP tear in her belly...and something pushing out from it...

[Saber]

It only took a few moments for a response to come crashing through the door to Lilith's home. Saber, Mani4c, and Noxus all rushed in, searching for signs of a struggle. When it appeared the entire apartment seemed in one piece, Saber silently signaled for the group to spread out, and look for Lilith with military hand signs, pistol at the ready and bracing for a shootout at the worst.

Having grown closer to Lilith, after the emotional and mental struggles with her viral side, and his interactions with that side of her to help convince her to work together with Lilith's logical side, many thoughts were running through his mind about her safety. But one stuck out in particular, this place was in too good of a condition '...Everything seems too neatly placed for Lilith to send such a distressing message...I need to find her so Noxus can figue out what happened.'

[Mani4c]

Mani4c spread out, checking his corners and scanning the apartment with his pistol, <Noxus, Saber...anything? I got nothing over...wait, hold on a sec...> Mani4c was close to Lilith's bedroom, and could hear something and see light through the cracked open door. <The Door's cracked and the Video screen is running...Saber, Noxus, on me, got it?>

Meanwhile, a lone figure sat at the end of Lilith's bed, holding the injured avatar's hand. The data vampire was in a deep BSOD state, her eyes shut and her body shuddering as the massive, gaping hole in her torso knit itself shut thanks to an infusion of code from the mysterious avatar. The avatar looked at the healing woman, it's face and body featureless, save for a pair of large, violet eyes that dimly glowed in the light of the video screen. "There are people here...I hope they let you rest, you need your sleep..."

The stranger turned back to the video screen, watching a saved file that showed Lilith and Viral goofing around at a carnival, laughing, eating and just being very much in love. She seemed to be examining Viral and Lilith's features, their eyes, faces and body types. They just sat there and stared, until finally, they started to morph, their body shifting and actually gaining a tinge of color other than pure white as their body took shape...

[Saber]

Saber hurried to Mani4c's location, pistol at the ready and preparing for a possible hostage situation. When all three of them were at the door, they rushed into the room, hearing the new, unfamiliar voice speaking to Lilith.

Saber trained his gun on the first thing in the room that seemed out of place. But his hand lowered at the sight in front of him. He was ready for a hostage situation, attempted murder, even a mugging...But this? This odd, featureless being sitting beside of Lilith, who was being healed by it, was starting to morph, and take shape into something different.

"...I...I'm not sure how to respond to this...Noxus?" He looked Noxus' way, trying to figure out what in god's name was going on.

[Mani4c]

Mani4c didn't lower his magnums, getting ready to step forwards and attempt to grab the unknown program. "Get away fr-!"

"Mani4c! Stand down and let me speak to this one." Noxus placed a calming hand on Mani4c's shoulder, giving his older sibling a calm, but stern glare. "I do not think that it's a threat." Noxus released his brother and walked up to the slowly changing program, pulling out a small rectangular box that had a small screen and several switches on it.

The viral scientist knelt down so he was at eye level with the unknown avatar, his voice calm and almost soothing. "Hello, my name is Noxus, and I'm a member of the police department. This woman is a friend of mine-" Noxus gestured to the unconscious Lilith, "And I'd like to scan her so we can make sure that she's okay, can you allow me to do that?"

The program was silent for a moment, simply staring at Noxus in an inquisitive manner before finally speaking. "Nox-us...Noxus...alright, I cannot let go of Momma until I am done healing her, but if it'll make sure that she's alright..." The program's tone was almost childishly innocent. It seemed so confused, as if the whole world around her was new and unfamiliar, something that made several red flags pop up in Noxus' mind, to say nothing of how it had called Lilith her "Momma".

"I promise that I won't separate you two, Thank you." Noxus walked over to Lilith and activated the device in his hand, which let out a small series of beeps before sending out a beam of light that swept over the comatose woman's form over and over, collecting data as it went. "She seems alright...her framework and base code is completely undamaged. It seems that either our friend here has repaired any major damage already, or the rupture we're seeing long her stomach isn't as severe as it looks. Though the fact that it looks like the wound came from something, or someone forcing it's way out of her abdomen from the inside is more than a little worrisome."

The program's burgeoning facial features contorted into what could only be a sheepish wince, like a child who had been caught snatching sweets when told not to. "I...um...I might have done that. I remember pushing my way out of a warm dark room and suddenly feeling really, really cold and clammy before falling onto the ground. There was screaming and crying, a-and when my eyes started working I looked around and saw Momma on the ground, leaking all over and having a big, red cut on her belly..." 

[Saber]

Saber watched the interaction between Noxus and 'the program', observing how it behaved and reacted to Noxus when he tried to learn what had happened in their absence. When it flinched and explained that she might have been the cause, and described what it had done, and what it had heard and seen, Saber began to put some of the pieces together.

"Noxus? Mani4c? Do either of you recall when Viral helped bring back Lilith's old self, after her body was hacked by Abraxas? He had to interface with her code, and somehow Lilith came back from deletion. Do you think that data link could have held some small part in this?"

[Mani4c]

Mani4c was silent for a few moments, thinking back on Viral's fusion with Lilith. "No...it wouldn't have done that, he had complete control of himself when he separated, he would need to have...have...oh fuck..."

Mani4c's eyes widened and turned to Noxus, "The final battle with Abraxas! Viral and Lilith had fused for a power boost, and tried to split apart in the middle of it!"

Noxus nodded, remembering that part of the battle, he had been blasted back soon after, and was forced to fight alongside Kaiser, Saber and Schatten. "Viral was cleaved in half by Abraxas, and his code..." Mani4c finished Noxus' thought. "It got sucked into Lilith's body! Without Viral there to control it's replication, it must have bound itself to Lilith and formed a stable Data Egg!"

The young program simply stared at the two, tilting their head curiously as she kept compiling a new appearance. "If it was stable...why did I rip my way out of Momma? I didn't want to hurt her, I just...came out." The child sounded concerned, and more than a bit guilty at her unintentional hand in hurting Lilith.

[Saber]

Saber knelt down beside the young program and placed a hand over the program's hand that was healing Lilith's body "Your 'conception' wasn't done by usual means. When two avatars exchange and merge their code, for the purpose of creating a new life, it is a mutual, willing process. The merging of your mother and father's code was meant to fight someone who was very bad. That man cut part of your father's code off, and it returned to your mother because it didn't have anywhere else to go. What returned to your mother merged with her own data and created you, but it didn't secure itself in a safe channel, as would normally happen when a new avatar is being created."

He gave her a reassuring smile, to make sure she knew that none of this was her fault, and that she shouldn't feel guilty "Much of the process is similar, but because it was done with unsecured ways, your creation caused some damage to your mother. But your ability and willingness to heal her only shows that just because you were created in a different way, doesn't make you a bad person, so don't feel guilty for what happened, okay?"

[Mani4c]

The program nodded, her guilty expression abating a bit. "Still...I do feel bad all the same...d-do you think that she'll still want me? I wasn't planned it seems, and I might remind her of my daddy too..."

Mani4c spoke up this time, walking over to the young avatar. "Hey! None of that. Lilith wouldn't ever abandon you kid, she was BORN in the same way as you, by accident. She was made because of a viruses code merging with another avatar, and when that avatar got rid of it, it made her. She lived on the streets for years, and she wouldn't condemn you to the same thing."

Mani4c smiled softly, his voice becoming a bit less sharp. "And...if you're Viral's child, she'll love you as much as she loved him. They were so close that they could've been married if it wasn't for the lack of papers, so don't worry about reminding her of him...it'll only make her feel more protective of you."

The young program looked down, her body starting to glow as her new appearance started to compile properly. "Thank you...M-Mr Mani4c?" Mani4c just chuckled, "I was Viral's brother hon, call me Uncle Mani4c, ok?"

The program actually smiled at that, her face compiling enough that her expression was visible somewhat. "Uncle Mani4c...thank you. N-Now, you might want to back away, my body seems to have settled for what I'll look like, and I think I might-" and before she could finish her warning, her body exploded in a blinding flash of light, her code shifting wildly as her framework settled and cosmetic data compiled right before the three officers' eyes.

[Saber]

Saber shielded his eyes, the final piece of this new being's creation coming to conclusion. Mani4c's words only seemed to strengthen the avatar's confidence in itself, so only time would tell what this 'child' was going to look like when it finally compiled.

[Mani4c]

Mani4c's reaction was a bit less dignified, rearing back and covering his ears and cursing about "It's always the goddamned eyes! What the hell!?"

The blinding glare filled the room and blazed at full power for a good 10 seconds or so before slowly dimming, revealing the new program's appearance, though, there was one complication, one that a red eyed Mani4c pointed out in a blunt, somewhat pained tone. "This girl's naked...did she not compile any clothing?"

The young girl smiled innocently and looked at herself, unperturbed by her lack of garments. "Well, from what little I know of humans, they aren't born with clothes...maybe it's because I was naturally born?"

Noxus nodded, "Perhaps, but I would recommend something for you to wear in the meantime, perhaps we can get someone who can whip up some clothes?" Mani4c nodded, "I'm not good with women's fashion unfortunately...ngh, Saber, maybe Katana can help, or Amaterasu?" "Or Mirror perhaps."

The girl simply giggled and held her Mother's hand again, crossing her legs and continuing to channel her healing energies into the passed out woman's body. "I'd love to meet new people, if that's helpful at all.~"

[Saber]

Saber lowered his hand just long enough to lift it right back up when he noticed that this new girl was born without anything on, which was incomprehensible to him, given his own specific knowledge of natural avatar creation, but here she was. When Mani4c and Noxus thought up calling one of the girls to help with getting the girl something that was publicly decent, he nodded and turned away from the girl, lowering his hand to open up a call channel "Let me call them up."

The window was blank, but Mirror was the first to pop into view, followed by Katana and even Amaterasu, in a tiled view "Sorry for bothering you ladies, but we've got a bit of a situation over at Lilith's place...How soon would one of you be able to come here to help with a 'wardrobe malfunction' for a newborn?"

Katana's head tilted, not quite sure what Saber meant by 'wardrobe malfunction' <What're you talking about big bro?> Saber simply took the window with everyone staring into the room and aimed it over his shoulder, where the new child was sitting beside a healing Lilith, and holding her mother's hand "...It's a long story..."

[Mani4c]

Amaterasu's reaction was to grin like a kid in a candy store and try to stifle a squeal of joy at the sight of the little girl. "Oh my! She's so adorable! I'll be there in just a couple of minutes Saber!~" Amaterasu cut her connection, almost certainly sprinting to her speeder to get to the apartment.

"Pfft...yep, figured she'd do that.~

[Saber]

Katana watched behind her as Amaterasu rushed past her video feed <I guess Mom's volunteering for this. Does this mean Mirror and I are gonna have a new friend to hang out with?> "We'll see, Kat. Let's make sure she adjuss to her new life first, so she can comfortably introduce herself to people." <Okay bro! Talk to you later!>

Katana's feed ended, leaving Mirror to stay on the video, a smile on her face as she looked into Saber's eyes <Our family in this precinct just keeps growing and growing, doesn't it?> "Heh, yeah, it does. Well, I'm gonna check and see if I'm still needed here before heading home, see you there?" <Definitely.~ Love ya bae~>

Mirror cut her connection and turned to look at Mani4c and Noxus, closing the windows "Amaterasu is on her way now,
she'll be a few minutes, if that."

[Mani4c]

Noxus sighed and shook his head, his voice filled with snark at Amaterasu's reaction. "I pray that she doesn't cause an accident...or just plow into the damn building, she's a bit of a lead foot on a good day."

Mani4c chuckled, looking at the girl, who had laid down and cuddled next to her mother and was humming softly as she slept, her wound almost completely gone now. "Heh, can't blame her though, kid's a cute one.~"

[Saber]

Saber rubbed his neck nervously as Noxus commented on Amaterasu's skill behind a driver's seat, nodding in agreement as he let out a soft sigh "Yeah, she doesn't always focus on the road when she has her mind on other things. Hopefully she has someone to reign her in, so she doesn't drive over here with reckless abandon."

[Mani4c]

Thankfully for everyone involved (and the many motorists of the city) Amaterasu wasn't TOO reckless, though she still practically drifted into a parking spot before leaping out of the speeder and sprinting upstairs to Lilith's apartment, stopped only for 10 seconds as she entered the security code and burst into the room. "I'm here!~ What can I do to help the young one?~"

Mani4c just snickered and rolled his eyes, pointing at the nude newborn avatar. "Clothing, preferably, but she's in the middle of healing up Lilith." The matriarch nodded and turned to Noxus and Saber, "What's her status? Any glitches or defects?"

Noxus shook his head. "Nothing outwardly visible, but my portable scanning gear isn't made for comprehensive, down to the bit code observation, we would need to get her in to see Bit or another R&D officer for that."

[Saber]

Saber nodded at Noxus' current diagnosis, crossing his arms and watching silently when Amaterasu came storming in. "Once we're sure that she's healed up, and the child isn't still trying to put Lilith back together, I can fly her back to the precinct to get looked at." "Always the knight in shining armor, huh bro?"

Katana walked into the apartment, followed by Mirror, who was smiling at Saber sheepishly as they walked in "Sorry...I didn't want to wait." Saber just chuckled and shook his head with a smirk. Katana noticed the nude girl and gave a friendly wave and a smile "Hi there! I'm Katana, what's your name?"

[Mani4c]

Mani4c chuckled at Mirror's awkward admission, grinning softly at the AUGMENT avatar. "Don't worry about it hon, I'm the same with Baretta.~ It's part of being in love."

The newborn sat up and looked at Katana, smiling softly and waving back. "Hello. I'm...oh, it seems I don't have a name yet...I should look into that once things calm down, I think..."

[Saber]

Mirror blushed when Mani4c basically reminded her that she was in love with Saber, this made both her, AND Saber blush a little, Mirror more so than Saber. When Katana found out that the girl didn't quite have a name yet, she merely nodded and shrugged softly "Don't worry about it! That'll come along eventually. It's nice to meet you though!"