Yawn!
Gehera woke up at the sound of the alarm, still feeling tired as she instinctively looked into her Ruin of Amagoth, searching for a power to get rid of her exhaustion, controlling herself a moment later, recalling Compass Carburettor's statement where he wished to rely on his powers less and experience things personally, 'Yeah, I should do the same too.'
'Wait, yesterday...' Her eyes widened suddenly before shooting towards her left, noticing the figure of Compass Carburettor sleeping there, 'He's here!'
'Is he really asleep though?' Thinking as such, Gehera gathered her wits and crawled closer, poking his cheek with her index finger, noticing that he felt...humane to the touch?
Moreover, there was a bit of warmth to it too, just as a human would, surprising her, 'Shouldn't there be a difference due to the Mental Fragments?'
During the war, irrespective of what he did, Compass Carburettor didn't seem human. When she touched him while he was carrying her, he was cold to the touch, like a block of steel, rigid in feel, and sporting a texture similar to silicon.
But now, his cheeks were soft, just like a human's, there was a warmth to it, and most of all, his skin felt like actual human skin.
"Yes?" His eyes shot open as Compass Carburettor asked, staring at her.
"When did you become this...humane?" Gehera asked, failing to reel in her curiosity.
"I'm not all the way there yet." Saying so, Compass Carburettor woke up, lifting the bedsheet with his hand to point at his leg, "See."
Gehera stared in that direction, noticing his legs had disappeared. Compass Carburettor's voice resounded then, "When I'm not using them, they instinctively retract. I thought of what might happen when I slept on the bed yesterday night. But the moment I relaxed, my humanoid form collapsed to become a sphere."
"And, I cannot fall asleep yet." He sighed.
"But, any entity with powers would kill to not fall asleep," Gehera said, having the urge to punch Compass Carburettor in the face. She was a nervous wreck throughout the night, hoping for something to happen, only to be met with this in the morning.
She felt like a cheated young maiden.
"For what I wish to be as, I need to be able to eat and sleep like a normal human." Compass Carburettor said, "Sometimes, having the needs and disadvantages of a mortal being isn't bad. It is a valuable experience."
'Yes, especially against the Systems that cannot do so.' He thought, his eyes turning sharp for a moment as he regrew his legs and woke up, snapping his finger as his clothes transformed into a pair of casuals.
"You're not taking a bath?" Gehera asked, tilting her head in confusion, "Didn't you say you're planning to live as a human?"
"It's not necessary yet," Compass Carburettor said, "I don't have a scent of my own yet."
"My body is still incomplete," Saying so, he arrived at the kitchen and began working on their breakfast. "But, I'll get there soon."
'And with that, the solution to save Stencil would be completed.' He thought, glancing at the wristwatch on his left.
It was what Hazen had left for him. Contained in it was information that he unearthed regarding the collective consciousness.
An hour later, Compass Carburettor and Gehera had breakfast and left the house at the same time. Gehera had to go to her university for work.
As for Compass Carburettor, he made a trip to the same cafe as the previous day, taking up a seat in the same spot as before as he ordered a cup of tea before taking out a book to read, 'How long has it been since I could relax like this?'
He was in no hurry this time. After all, he knew that his daughter was safe. The collective consciousness, as Stencil mentioned, was part of her. So, the only thing that needed to be changed was to make her assume complete control over her body.
Stencil's consciousness would never be erased by the collective consciousness. After all, just like them, she too was an integral part of her body.
Moreover, based on what Gehera said, Stencil was able to assume control for around two minutes daily around noon. And it was during her body's strongest moments. Therefore, whenever she made a public appearance, however short, it was as herself and not a collective consciousness.
Also, it was unknown how she did it, but even if they were in control, the collective consciousness worked towards her benefit, forging ahead in the play she laid out.
It was as if she was remotely controlling her body. And during the fights, Gehera had already confirmed this fact, which was why Compass Carburettor wasn't in a hurry like before.
His current goal was to first finish conceptualising his power and completing his body. By then, he would gain the abilities necessary to solve Stencil's issues. And since he couldn't hurry this, Compass Carburettor decided to take it slow.
'Besides, since they lost the Tell-Tale System, Zaira would be busy strengthening her defences.' He grinned, 'The era of the System expansion is over.'
He then muttered, "I wonder what those two Heroes are doing now?"
...
Kachink!
"Thank you for using our bank's services, Mr Marello." A bank staff said as she extended a card towards a middle-aged man.
"Thank you," The middle-aged man said as he received the card and exited the bank in a daze, 'The money in it is real. With it, I won't be able to just establish an Academy, but even creating a top-class Academy is possible.'
He was Muscle Lantern, having arrived at the bank to check whether or not the balance in the card given by Compass Carburettor was real or not.
It was at this moment did he understand the financial muscle the Contained Villain had in the world, being able to give out such a sum of money casually without even getting any confirmation from Muscle Lantern and old man Mida.
'If he had this much power, why didn't he establish his own Academy? He could make them pop up all over the world.' He wondered as such, a tad sullen as he began to return to his home, passing by a cafe when he spotted the familiar man with blazing hair, hurriedly entering it to arrive before the other party's seat.
He didn't even realise his actions and stared at the mysterious man, asking, "Tell me your plan."
