Mark watched the news for a while trying to understand how Matthias was going to play out this incident. So far Matthias was claiming to have attacked him and Matthew over the simple fact that they would have resisted the Pet being taken. That drastic measures had to be taken for everyone's safety. He even went so far as to say that Mark was going to falsify the results to prove his Pets innocence. Mark clawed his fingers across the top of the couch. Matthias was pulling everything out of his ass to remain on everyone's good side. It was sickening. Matthew suddenly turned off the TV, moving to sit on the coffee table beside him as he asked softly. "What are we going to do, Mark? We can't prove Sean doesn't belong there without revealing our own origin... and if that gets out... It will be chaos. We can't go against Matthias if he's got everyone thinking that what he did was justified." Mark let out a heavy sigh, crossing his legs as he sat up more on the couch. Sinking deep into his thoughts, he told Matthew honestly. "This is Mother's doing... She's using him. I just don't know why. It doesn't make sense."

Mark rose off the couch to pace, muttering out dryly. "Matthias has always been threatened my authority. The attack from the Slums must have pissed off Matthias. As head of security it probably made him look weak... That I get. Breaking into the lab to steal information of Sean to get any excuse to remove him... Sure. Fine. But this?" Mark gestured to the blank wall where the news had been, before adding bitterly. "If Mother is obsessed with ME. WHY is she letting him play king of Valhalla? She knows how impulsive he is! Matthias will probably..." Mark stopped talking and pacing. Matthew turned to face him better, answering for him in a grim voice. "He'll destroy the Slums and everyone in it. He's talked about it for years. He takes over as the new Master Elite and he can order it to be done." Mark shook his head, uttering out in reluctant disbelief. "No. Mother needs the Slums. She knows this. All our genetic research comes from there. She wouldn't..." Mark moved to grab the back of a dining chair to lean on.

Matthew stood up, walking around to stand behind a different chair as he told him gently. "She would... To get your attention. The question is... how far will she go to get what she wants? I've never known Mother to be... aggressive." Mark looked up at the open windows, upon answering darkly. "Aggressive, no. But manipulative, certainly." Matthew leaned forward to rest his arms on the table, when Nate suddenly interjected from across the room. "She's not holding the Slums against you. It's Sean." Matthew straightened up off the table to look at him with worry on his face. Mark nodded, saying softly. "I know. But that still doesn't help me find him. She could have him anywhere in the Slums. Hidden among thousands of others. I make the wrong move... She just might kill him." Nate limped closer, growling out. "I know of a place she might take them." Mark's eyes locked with Nate's, listening as Nate told him seriously. "The Trader in the Slums. He stores and moves cargo from a cluster of guarded warehouses. Some were even abandoned over the last few years when they fell into disrepair. Any one of them could be used to house well over a thousand shipping containers."

Matthew nodded to himself, then pipped up excitedly. "That's right. No other place in the Slums would be secure enough or could house that many people at one time." Mark raised a hand to stop their excitement, telling them firmly. "That still doesn't help. The second we try to find him amongst all that... She'll have made a move. I can't see another option... I have to talk to her." Nate tossed up his hands, answering bluntly. "Fine. You talk to her. Distract her and we'll go-" Mark pointed a stern finger at Nate, snapping out. "NO! You will do nothing!" Nate tensed, yelling back bitterly. "You'll let him die in there?! They are never going to give him to you! We have to act now, or we'll lose him!" Mark lost control and flung the chair across the room to smash it against the wall as he yelled out. "YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT CARES ABOUT HIM! You will NOT FUCK THIS UP!" Nate puffed up his chest, causing Matthew to rush over to wedge himself between them.

Pushing Nate back from Mark, Matthew wrapped his arms around Nate's neck and whispered something into his ear. Nate glared at Mark, refusing to let down his guard until Matthew covered his eyes. Nate flinched, but Matthew kept whispering to him. Mark turned away from them, letting himself calm down. He was just as worried, but he couldn't let himself lose it. He needed to think this through. He went back to pacing the living room, while Matthew coaxed Nate into sitting down on the couch. With Nate seated, Matthew told them both calmly. "Talking to Mother first might not be such a bad thing. Mother is programed to react to hostility. If we show no aggression. She should let us come to a basic understanding." Mark stopped, admitting reluctantly. "I'll need to talk to her alone..." Matthew looked like he disagreed, but with a sigh, he reluctantly admitted. "She has always opened up to you more in the past... That's probably wise. But still... What if she says no?" Mark exhaled lightly, upon answering. "I'll think of something. I always do."

Mark flashed Matthew a smile, then started to turn but stopped himself. Matthew had absently put a hand on Nate's shoulder, asking if he felt alright. Nate nodded, tapping Matthew's hand before shrugging it off. Rushing over toward Matthew, Mark grabbed Matthew's wrist. Matthew flinched, grumbling out. "Ow! Mark, what are you-?" Mark shushed him, looking over his wrist. He could see the blinking light beneath his skin. Dropping Matthew's wrist, Mark moved to the kitchen, asking Nate aloud. "Nate, you work on bikes like Sean?" Nate huffed, sarcastically retorting. "Ya. Why?" Mark yanked a knife from the sharping block, moving back to grab Matthew's wrist. Matthew tried to yank his hand back from Mark's grip, stuttering out terrified. "M-m-mark?! What are you doing with THAT!" Mark didn't answer, he just slashed the knife across Matthew's wrist. Matthew screamed, trying to run from him but Mark had his wrist in a firm grip.

Nate bolted up from his seat, snapping out. "What the hell are you-?!" Mark cut him off to show him Matthew's wrist, telling him in a stern voice. "Take these implants out of him. Matthew only has three. One in each wrist and the back of his neck." Nate stared at Mark completely caught off guard by this behavior. Matthew tugged against Mark, shrieking out. "Mark?! Have you lost your mind?!" Mark ignored Matthew, telling Nate in a deep serious tone. "Mother turned my shield against Sean. If you don't want that to happen to you... REMOVE THEM! NOW!" Nate shrugged, saying shakily. "I don't know how." Mark yanked Matthew's bleeding wrist closer to Nate, snapping out. "Just look at them!" Matthew slid uselessly to his knees, still trying to pull away as he pleaded. "Mark! Stop! You don't know what you are doing!" Mark held onto Matthew more firmly to keep his arm still, while Nate inched closer to look. Mark used his own sleeve to absorb the blood to let Nate see better. Nate's eyes narrowed on the implant, muttering stuff to himself. He seemed familiar with the make and model.

Reaching down, Nate removed a pocket knife from his sock. Pressing a button, he flipped the tool out. Nate winced when he saw Mark eye him suspiciously but told him curtly. "What? I found it." Mark highly doubted that. Only Valkyries carried those pocket tools for quick repairs on themselves. Nate flashed him a smirk, bringing the tool to Matthew's wrist as he uttered out under his breath. "So, I might have found it after kicking some Valkyrie ass... What's the old saying? It hits the ground and it goes to the hound?" Mark rolled his eyes. He'd worry about Nate's sticky fingers later. Nate started working until Matthew's wrist sparked with a blue flash. Nate yelped, falling backward across the floor in surprise. Matthew yelped in fear, but Mark kept him steady. Mother was onto what they were doing and tried to activate Matthew's shield, but Nate had managed to weaken the connection. Mark wrapped an arm around Matthew's neck to stop him from squirming so much, while asking Nate a little worried. "You alright?"

Nate looked at his fingers, rubbing the tips together for a second before answering a little shaken up. "Ya. I'm good. Just... startled me." Picking up his tool, Nate jumped back in to finish. He removed the first and Mark had to fight with Matthew to get his other arm. Once he had it, Nate cut it open using his pocket knife and quickly got to work. Mark told him to hurry, listening to Matthew complain and beg them to stop. Matthew wasn't good with pain, but Mark was trying to protect him. When Nate finished, Mark reluctantly knocked Matthew out by applying pressure to a spot on his shoulder. He was out before he knew what happened. Laying Matthew down, Mark started wrapping Matthew's wrists and talking Nate through taking out the implant at Matthew's neck. For a bit, they worked in silence, until Mark heard Mother tell him a bit sternly. "Mark. What are you doing?" Nate froze to look at something, but Mark gestured for him to keep working and got up. Turning slowly to face her, he said calmly. "I wanna talk, Mother."

Mother's face was a scowl as she sneered out. "So, you mutilated your brother to get my attention?" Mark shrugged, asking her curiously. "Would you have answered otherwise? Nice dress. Celebrating something?" Mother gestured to the front door and Mark followed her outside without question. Outside in a smaller parking lot area, her Valkyries closed the door to make their conversation semi-private. From the walls of the parking garage, lights came on to form Mother's hologram. She stopped at the center, turning to face him with her hands folded delicately at her stomach. Giving him a softer look, she told him openly. "I wanted to give you time. I know this is hard for you to understand. It's a big change." Mark stepped closer to her, stating out heatedly. "You're damn right that I don't understand! What are you up too, Mother? If this is to get my attention, you have it! Please stop this..." Mother shrugged calm and collectively as she said. "I don't know what you are talking about. Sean was taken as we agreed. There was no fowl play. Everything was fair. I just took initiative because I knew that you would never uphold your end. You're too emotionally attached to him. Is that not why you activated the Valkyries old program?"

Mark shook his head but couldn't lie. That had been part of it. Lowering his eyes to the floor, he told her softly. "Mother... Please. I know you did this. You see him as a threat... but please don't hurt him. You do... and I'll never forgive you." Mother tensed; her eyes hurt for a moment before she said casually. "Mark, he's never been a threat to-" Mark jerked his head up, his voice bellowing out in a dark tone. "Mother. Stop. I know about the DNA match. I know about what he is. I know why Matthias wants him dead and I know why YOU want him dead." Mother showed no facial expression as she said gently. "Do you now?" Her lack of expression made Mark huff with realization. Licking his dry lips, he said to himself softly. "More secrets. What else are you hiding, Mother? How long have you been able to talk to other people?" Mother rolled her shoulders back, answering lightly. "Just a few years now. I researched my problems and fixed them. All to build... your Amy."

Mark inhaled sharply, muttering out. "But she wasn't MY Amy. She was YOUR version of her." Mother winced, her voice glitching a little as she told him. "What does that matter? You loved my version all the same. Have I not given you everything? I have cared for you. Raised you. Loved you. You were happy BEFORE HER... and with MY AMY... You were closer to me than you had been in years." Mark shrugged, stating out dumbfounded. "I GREW UP! I don't need a mother anymore!" Mother covered her face, falling to her knees to cry. All around the parking lot, the lights flickered as she cried out. "I KNOW! That's why I HAD to upgrade! I need you to NEED ME! Otherwise, what do I do?! I love you..." Mark dropped to his knees, trying to touch her shoulders to calm her, but it was useless when he couldn't touch her physically. Dropping his hands to his lap, he told her more gently. "Mother, listen to me. Stop this, please! It's not too late." Mother lowered her hands from her face, looking up into his eyes. Reaching out, she cupped his face. He could feel the static of her fingers but nothing else.

She looked deep into his eyes, the flickering lights calming down, before telling him in a collected voice. "You're right... You won't understand until I show you. You want to see Sean? Go to the Slums. Warehouse fourteen. He is patient and container number 507. When you get there. You'll see for yourself." To Be Continued...