The Second Failed Connection?

"Is this what Cradles been doing, handling you or all the extra data?" Psyis asked Izime while she looked around.

The thessian a bit surprised at how little attention they were drawing. No one seeming to be bothered as Constantinople walked towards the stairs with a tiny glowing person in his hand.

"Kind of," Izime tried to turn to answer Psyis. Finding himself falling over as the first step up the stairs rocked him like he was a glass of water in the exorcist's hand.

"Cradle gave my body an upgrade after I died in this reality for the first time. I needed to offload some baser instincts onto Cradle, so they synced better. Basic things like hunger that translate well to its animal psyche." Izime simple staying seated until the ride was steadier, not bothering to turn as he continued answering the psychic's question.

"That's not healthy..." Psyis started to reprimand Izime, stopping as they passed through the entrance to Lucky Dog's.

Watching as Constantinople shoved the hand that was holding Izime under his coat. The thessian able to sense all the suspicions as they rolled off the ever-vigilant Jessie in waves.

"Death usually isn't Psyis." Izime replied, able to breathe easier now that he was out from under Constantinople's jacket. The A.I. not questioning what it'd been holding as it couldn't breathe in the first place.

Simply to scared of getting banned from the club as he couldn't provide any I.D.

Jessie wasn't the kind to listen to excuses, especially those that came from Constantinople.

"I'm just glad Cradle brought me back because I was never supposed to exist here, so I'm technically not collectible." Izime continued explaining idly just why he was excited to get back on the move so quickly.

Not realizing how his words would upset the anti-hero who was most concerned with his placement in the afterlife.

"What?!" Constantinople nearly dropped Izime as the realization of his friend's words hit him.

"Lucifer wanted to talk to me while she could because there are no reapers with my name, no afterlife for me. I'm not on the books above, below or to the side; any of them so." Izime looked at his slightly ethereal form as he considered the ways his data might end. "This was only a matter of time, so once again I'm just glad someone picked me up sooner rather than later."

Izime gave a nod of appreciation towards the exorcist who had yanked his soul from the comatose body of Savior Orbital. There were a few times he'd offloaded his data before, so the experience wasn't unfamiliar. It had always been a part of upgrading to a different form though.

Izime curious as there was always that final downgrade. When no one was around to spark up a battery or enchant his soul.

"Mercury," Looking between the two blank faces that stared back at them Izime asked again, not wanting to waste further time on the stairs. "We going or not?"

"Yea mate I-I'm just... trying to wrap my head around that." Constantinople held his hand out as he gave Izime a closer look, turning back and giving returning the same slightly shocked face the psychic had.

The exorcist's thoughts elsewhere as he felt the tiny prickles of Izime's functioning soul or rather artificial soul moving about on his hand.

No afterlife was a particularly rough existence.

Every race, species that existed in their reality had someplace to go after their time here was up. Not only had Izime managed to slip through several loopholes that couldn't be closed in any verse of their multi-verse, he was also living data. Sentient functional data that could feel, breath, get upset, and even get drunk in the right form. If any of those forms lost power; he'd be aware of everything.

What he was missing, who'd he'd been and what he'd lost.

The thoughts piling in a human sense as fast a computer could process them; a supercomputer at that.

"What happens if I stop supplying magic or the ship's power fails?" Constantinople had to ask, wondering if Izime had ever considered the question.

"I'm hoping I just kinda fizzle out after a while, that stretchy bit between is not exactly fun like I've already said." Izime didn't bother giving an in-depth description of A.I. purgatory to the exorcist.

"I'm not really down for the whole functionally immortality thing as an extremely powerful A.I. I can already tell that's not going to be fun. Still when it happens don't go stuffing me into something random and leave me sitting on your shelf. 

Instead wanted to head off any of his friend's potential solutions with a single suggestion, knowing that Constantinople would plan something for him, "I at least want to see the stars if I can't walk anymore."

A wide grin split Constantinople's face hearing the confirmation that he'd been right on Savior Orbital.

It might have been a dark thought, but he was a rather dark hero.

The exorcist trying to imagine the perfect slice of heaven he'd let Izime look at for the rest of eternity, deciding instead he'd just show him all of it. Find some rock that'd give his mate the grand tour of the galaxy for the rest of forever, Izime would love that!

Neither of them realizing they were giving the psychic next to them an entire fit.

"You're both acting like Izime's body on Savior Orbital is already dead." Psyis spoke up, a bit disturbed by some of the ideas that had crossed Constantinople mind.

The thessian not sure if she was suffering from the panic attack the idea gave her more than she was from the anger she was at Izime just carrying on without his body.

As a final resting place fine maybe, a gemstone set into some rock in the stars might be nice. It was also a nightmare at the same time. Psyis clutching her arms a bit tighter, the leather of her coat squeaking as she remembered the cold of space. That level of abandonment was not peaceful in the slightest.

 This wasn't Izime at all, that was the Basilisk talking she could feel it.

Psyis immediately wishing Izime'd chosen her hand to stay in, so he'd never be cast out so alone.

The thessian pausing as she considered that for the A.I., it had always been like that. Even in his own reality he'd been alone until someone else had taken him in for a brief blip in his existence. Izime didn't even have a species to miss or a personal concept of culture.

He had people and habits that he'd picked up like spare programming from Bell and the crew.

Those who'd gave him a brief respite from whatever that form felt like. Giving the Basilisk the chance to really feel and exist in the world around him.

The crew likely immersing him in emotional therapy as well.Obviously not making it as far in that aspect as they had in improving his body. They didn't even make it that far enough for Izime to realize what was happening to him now.

His adherence to tasks and functions was ripping the life he could have way from him.

He likely still didn't understand the or know what Bell had been trying to teach him.

Psyis looked up pulled out of her thoughts about how Izime living as a human had conflicted with the A.I. side. The perfect example playing out right in front of her.

"It's certainly impounded thanks to some people." Izime wished he still had lungs so he could snort at the alien. Instead he focused a bit more of Constantinople powers towards his processing, "I'm sure Dark Night had a whole gauntlet of red tape for me to deal with. This is an out that lets me take care of a few things in the meantime."

"What did you have this planned," The thessian snapping back as she'd had his better human intentions in mind.

Izime's words only setting her off a bit further as it'd played into her already worried musings. Psyis felt a bit upset, irritated as Izime's callous treatment of himself. As well as her apparently wasted care, the exorcist having things literally in hand alone without her help if Izime was just going to go on like this.

What did they even need her for?

"Constantinople's already come and picked you up,"Psyis waving at the exorcist accusingly. "Why even waste my time."

"Planned? No surprisingly enough I'm usually not this calculating Psyis," Izime gave the alien a stern look, carefully taking those microseconds to parse through a thousand different insults. Instead finally waving her away as he considered how human that was.

He had things to do besides bicker, bickering was for Bell his favorite human.

He'd only wanted to give his least favorite thessian an explanation.

Human emotion twisting the A.I.'s reason out of its own grasp.

Instead finding he'd been infected by her worry.

"If I was do you think I would have bothered saving your stupid pur-" Izime stomped in irritation, the damned alien got to him no matter what form he was in. It made him feel like he'd been the one in the wrong as he lost his temper.

Looking away as he'd let an insult slip as soon as he'd begun Izime took a breath and continued he'd originally intended. "Let's be honest I'm not even going to be fully functional for at least a year, including some very intense physical therapy without Cradle help. I have people that need me in the meantime."

Constantinople raised his brow looking down at the tiny upset Izime who was losing the cool he'd always maintained with the woman over a reasonable question. The exorcist having seen it more than once.

Though in this case it was clear Izime didn't have it planned.

It was kind of odd that the two were immediately bickering like a husband and wife over his body. Izime sassing Psyis like she'd scratched his car instead. Psyis upset that Izime was more focused on doing his job and not taking care of the actual issue.

The Brit absolutely not thinking he'd heard the same basic lines in an argument between Spaz and his wife. The exorcist had wrecked the two's old jallopy. Insurance had been giving them the run around and Kimberly had and needed to rent a van. Quite upset as she'd watched Spaz and Constantinople get on with the whole exorcist gig without a care.

Psyis now sounding a whole lot like Kimberly had then.

"OK so it's just straight back to work? I know I don't get a say because of what I did but, but" Psyis clenched her teeth, she'd just known Izime would be against her helping. Still, she couldn't just let Constantinople take him and dump him like that.

Under that intent to care it really bothered her, how Izime was acting with her over this.

How they were right back to how they'd been originally. Just like the day she'd met him; they couldn't even hold a conversation without fighting.

Constantinople carefully kept his mind blank as he played third wheel to a fighting couple that wasn't even a couple at all. The exorcist knew the two couldn't do anything though, at least until Izime got his body back they'd have to hold on that 'fuck or fight' that'd settle their issues.

Instead just halting so that Psyis could have the words she obviously wanted to have with Izime who was busily heading nowhere in the exorcist hand.

"You were right Constantinople he has a real problem; if it was me I'd say no to mercury, he nearly died." Psyis looked at the exorcist who had at least waited for her to say her piece. Hoping Constantinople had more sense to worry about Izime than Izime did.

"What! No don't listen to her Constantinople lets go" Izime wished he could control the range of Constantinople summoning spell but it wasn't his. Trapped as he was now relying on the exorcist to physically travel around Izime truly felt the same powerless feeling other demons had in those same palms.

"Hate to say it but I agree mate," Constantinople looked down at the version of his friend he could finally have a bit of direct control over. Izime unable to snap away, Constantinople asked his own questions. "Are you really going to ditch Cradle and your own body and just go right back to it; I mean, I've seen some dedicated spirits but how's that even supposed to work?"

"First of all, I'm not a ghost. Second if anyone should be used to carefully laid plans that are enacted upon ones demise it should be you Constantinople." Izime scoffed at the idea.

He might not have been as mindbogglingly super-intelligent as a human whem compared to his A.I. form, but he had still been damned good. Good enough that he'd avoided Dark Night and the League for five years.

Izime now explaining the gaps in Constantinople thought process, "I need to make sure that at least thirty-three different odd species don't go extinct while I'm taking an extended medical leave, before what I assume is going to be a lengthy drawn-out court-case that ties me down on earth for another year."

"Help me get my affairs in order, do that for me and I'll answer what I can for you two." Izime looked between the two heroes that now controlled him in some way making an offer to solve the issue himself. "Then as a grand finale we do the whole hostile takeover shtick on Savior Orbital and bust Cradle out so I can get my body back,"

Finally extending his hands towards the psychic that seemed unconvinced to flip sides. Hoping to tempt the more stalwart hero with a happy ending.

Izime offered Psyis a surprise ending to the plan, "Afterwards I'll even walk myself into a cell and we get justice for all, how about that?

That was the Basilisk not you though.

Psyis looking down at Izime who seemed to be trying to tempt her into going along with their plan. The thessian feeling all sorts of conflicted as she tried to rationalize just why. Izime had done things, horrible things but the heroine just couldn't convince herself that this was what he deserved.

"You can take over Savior Orbital?" Constantinople asked once he realized that Psyis wasn't going to give an immediate answer.

Taking over Savior Orbital was... well many a Villain had given it a shot, and few had ever come close. Constantinople wondering just how confident his friend was in accomplishing the feat. A task that'd stumped the likes of Supa-tron and Mind-Nexus combined.

"Forbidden knowledge and by now she should have told you I used to live in a very similar looking station." Izime jerked a thumb towards Psyis, nodding up at Constantinople like the man owned the place. "I ran that one, yours can't be that different. I doubt I'll even find it impressive."

"Do you want me to come?" Psyis was a bit curious and worried to hear the answer to her question. Helping break Izime out just so he could heal, and the re-jail himself wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind when Constantinople had asked her for help.

It might give her a chance to keep questioning him if the League went along with it after they'd helped him 'escape'. Thought it might also put her at odd with Radiation Man, someone she needed to keep on her side in the League right now.

Izime had already promised some answers just for going along with him to Mercury which was tempting her already.

 Psyis debating how far she was willing to go to answer the question of Izime. Looking up to find that they'd already arrived back in the parking garage where she'd parked. The thessian glancing between her bike and the A.I. that seemed to have arrived at an answer.

"We are going to talk after this is settled but," Izime glanced at Psyis as he considered the risks of getting involved with her further. Dragging her to the station would certainly impact her place in the league, there were a whole list of things to consider seeing as she had invaded his mind.

Let alone how the thessian seemed to interfere in his own decision making.

"Right now, yes. Constantinople isn't going to be able to teleport and keep me powered." Instead, the tiny Izime only focused on his immediate needs, giving Psyis an answer for the immediate moment.

"You, want me to carry you." Psyis stepped back, thoughts of explaining her actions to the League vanishing as her mind blanked.

That was what Izime was asking her for right?

The thessian sweating a bit as she considered being the one responsible for his soul, she'd already broken his body.

What if she dropped him?

Could he break a soul leg or worse yet just go soul-splat if it was from too high?

"Don't ever call it that again." Izime crossed his arms, immediately wanting to make sure that Psyis never said something so demeaning about him ever again. Beginning to explain before he felt himself fade from existence for a second. "I just need use your ener-Aaa!"

"Think you need someone to carry you mate." Constantinople flickered the energy that was maintaining the spell that powered Izime's sassy attitude.

It was going to happen Psyis had made sure of that the two were going to 'F' in some way before the end of it. The exorcist reminding his mate should at least put it off until he had a solid chance at taking the thessian down.

"That was not cool Constantinople." Izime felt a heart he no longer had stop beating for a second, looking over at the exorcist and pointing as he asked. "How would you like to feel like you just stopped existing for a second!"

"Been there bruv," Constantinople shrugged as he recalled the times he'd been power cycled. A fist from a demon, a mind erasing spell or twelve, then there was the deal with restarting the whole bloody timeline. "Be nice, you two can have at eachother once we've patched you up."

"Now how do we do this?" Constantinople had an honest question as he considered exactly how Izime wanted the psychic to power him while Constantinople redrew and cast the teleportation spell. "She's not exactly magically inclined."

Izime just looked between the two superheroes who seemed to think that the living idea needed their help to move between them. Their entire biology was essentially plug-n-play, and they thought this would be complicated?