Tuesday Pt 3 "New" Used

"Welcome!" Called out a Nadia as they enter Donner's New and Used Characters. Walt waves to the young Atlantean. They have several "Floor models" on display. Walt recognizes a Samus in her Zero suit, a Tifa Lockhart, a Prince Adam of Eternia, a Zero-Two, one of the MCU Thors and a Princess Jasmine.

A younger, heavily fake tanned, man in a suit appears. He smiles broadly like a salesman and extendeds his hand.

"Hello. Welcome to "Donner's"." He shakes Walt's hand. "I'm Michael Donner, Jr. How can we help you today? Are you perhaps interested in buying or selling a character?"

He looks over Ilulu who suddenly doesn't like being here, but Walt immediately takes her hand and gives it a squeeze reassuringly. "Not selling, though I might be interested in purchasing. I was told you have the wide selection of used characters?"

"Certainly!" He says turning his attention back to Walter. "And you heard correctly! The models on display here are only a small sampling of our "pre-owned" merchandise. We have many more in stock and get more all the time! Are you looking for a certain type or have a preference?"

Walt pauses as if thinking. "I'm kind of looking for some warrior types or skill specialists? Preferably females between 18 to mid thirties that can work well in either a team or solo?"

The man grins smelling a potentially big sale. "I see! Why don't I show you to one of our showrooms? Right this way sir!"

He leads them to private room with a couch set before a stage and hands them a tablet. "In here is a list of all our ready to purchase characters from our system. Other, smaller, places keep all their characters on display but we find it's easier sometimes to simply assist our customers like RealDreams does theirs. Obviously our selection is a bit smaller. The tablet will give you their info and if you'd like to see a particular model simply select it and the Characterball they're stored in will be brought out for display. Can I get you all something to drink? Tea or coffee perhaps?"

Walt nodded. "Two coffees and a water please."

"Certainly!" He leaves to get their beverages and give them sometime to peruse the selections.

"Ugh," said Ilulu. "Thank God. Too much cologne! And what is with that creepy smile?"

Walt chuckled as he patted Zwei. "You're not wrong. He's just the typical used salesman type trying to make a sale. Back in the before it was vehicles and realty. Today it's characters. The market is always changing. Come on let's look over the list before he comes back. He's probably giving us time to look over the salacious stuff considering how he kept looking at the two of us."

Ilulu doesn't even blush. "I mean I like naughty stuff sometimes and I don't mind that your species finds my flame sacks alluring but, yeck! That guys a creeper!"

Walt chuckles and gets up. "Here then. Sit between Zwei and myself."

"Woof," Zwei agrees and cuddled up when she sat making Ilulu giggle. She looks as Walt starts acessing the pad using Friday. "You're not going straight to the RWBY characters?"

Walt nodded. "I'm probably being overly cautious about it but Friday can search their database while we pretend to be interested in others. Don't want to be too obvious."

She studies his face and smiles. "You might find something good is what your face tells me... you remind me of the kids at the dagashi i worked at having fun just looking around!"

Walt chuckled. "I genuinely like characters. Like our encounter with Aika and Soma, you never know what gems you might uncover... I try to think about if 3S might benefit or be a good fit for them and vice-versa. It's the same reason I love dropping by Rein Corp. It fires up my brain with the possibilities. Hmmm... anything you want to look for?"

Ilulu thinks about that. "I'm not sure... I never really thought about it before... and I don't really know what we would need for home."

Walt nods. "Until very recently I never really considered it either... outside of Friday and Robots and Droids, I didn't own any sentient living characters. And honestly I am happy with things as they are but..." he squeezed her hand. "Each one of you brings more and more happiness into our lives. If you girls decide to include someone in that, that's ok by me."

Ilulu blushes and smiles. "I like you too, Walt. I'm happy with you and I agree, our home is a good place full of some pretty good people." She chuckles. "Even if we have a few delinquents!"

Walt laughed thinking about the "delinquents" but nodded. "I hope in time they can learn to settle in also. Plus it's better if not everyone is the same. It'd be boring if it was... hmmm..."

She looked at him. "Find something?"

Walt nodded. "We might have... Friday is confirming it now... plus there's a few interesting choices here in the "damaged" section... maybe..."

Walt makes a selection. A picture of a blue skinned humanoid with head tentacles pops up. "Yep. Her instance matches... hmm... but what does it mean?"

He taps on it again and the system drops her Characterball and a blue skinned young lady twi'lek appears. She's a little underdressed in a skimpy black bikini with a vest in her hands. "Ah! That's so annoying when it does that! At least let me finish changing-" she stares at Walt and squints her eyes, "Wait a minute... ain't that you Rev-"

There's a knock at the door and Walt looks at her and puts his fingers to his lips and gives her a wink. The Twi'lek grins and nods but then blushes realizing how she's attired. She quickly puts the light brown vest on to sort of cover up a bit.

"Alright two coffees and a water for you... oh, a twi'lek! You a fan? They're usually hot commodities but poor Mission here gets overlooked in facor of the Dancers and the Jedi, types."

Walt nods. "She's a lovely young woman but it's her skills and abilities that interest me. Says here she's a skilled slicer and..."

He watches Mission smile then get into her act. "And pickpocket and I'm handy with a blade and blaster, old man-"

Mike Jr shakes his head. "She's a bit of a brat and a handful. Previous owner thought all twi'leks were dancer girls and was disappointed by some of them. He ditched Mission and the Jedi. We bought the lot. Jedi are hot commodities and got snatched up quick but we still got Mission. She might not be a good fit for you but if you'd like to try we can come down on the price a bit. Maybe another 5%?"

Walt looked. She was already at a clearance price as it was. Left over inventory. He didn't want to seem too eager though. "She's got a mouth and that attitude will have to be fixed. 15%?"

Mike Jr shook his head. "I couldn't go any lower than another 10%-"

"I'll take her," Walt said. Her price was reduced anyway and he hit authorize immediately and Friday put the transaction through.

Mike Jr blinked then smiled. "Sold! She also comes with-" he paused seeing Walt had already added her items as well as her current characterball. "I see, you've done this before Mr- Stark?" He swallowed. "Ah, I apologize for not recognizing you right away, Sir! Obviously, you're an old hand at this! We're happy to fill any requests you or 3S have."

Walt raised his hand. "It's fine. Most folks don't recognize me outside of the face of the company when I ditch the suit. I see some other interesting characters you have here..."

Mike Jr looks at his own tablet. "Yes sir! These ones you've marked for 3S should be fine! Thank you for your business... but these others are from the "damaged" section. You're aware they'll need some repairs?"

Walt nodded. "I am. The robots and the like I can fix, it's a hobby of mine. And I got some of the finest medical personnel waiting for the others " Walt already knew Friday was gathering the necessary parts back home. "I'm interested in these others though... how'd they all get so beat up?"

Mike Jr swallowed and Walt grinned. "I could go up on the sale for the information..."

"10%" Mike Jr said excitedly.

"3%" Walt countered.

Mike Jr shook his head. "7%"

Walt smirked. "5% unrecorded transaction. Consider it a tip."

Mike Jr sweated just a moment and then nodded smiling. "Deal."

Walt hit authorize. "Done," he said as Friday immediately processed the transaction. "So tell me..."

Mike Jr sighed. "There's an underground fighting arena. They meet from time to time. Winners are valuable and get patched up but critically damaged or repeat "losers" get dumped back onto the market. Not everyone wants to see the squeaky clean fights that the arena provides. Some just want to see carnage and pain and ****."

Walt smiled and nodded as if that was perfectly understandable. "And you just happen to be near at hand when the opportunity arises." He raises his hand to stop Mike Jrs objections. "No don't. That's smart business, son. Makes perfect sense. Golden opportunity. I won't ruin that for you... but I want to attend the next gathering."

Jr looks at him and nods. "I can arrange that. The next ones in a couple days. I'll send you the details." He nervously swallows looking at Walt smile. "A deals, a deal. I won't go back on it. Whatever you or 3S do there is none of my business."

Walt stood and shook his hand. "That's good. You're a smart man. Now show me to these robots I just purchased..."

Walt smiled at the plainclothes 3S teams loading up the transports gesturing. "...And that batch goes to medical 3 where doctors and investigation are already standing by. I want statements processed immediately. These are going to the ranch with Mission Vao."

Mission hugs him. "Thanks Revan-I mean "Walt". Haha. That's going to take some getting used too! Are any of the others here?"

Walt shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not Mission. Infact you shouldn't be here either. Your instance is on a protected list. As far as I know they're all back safe in your world. I'm sorry, Zaalbar isn't here, as far as I know. But I'll look around using my information networks. Something mighty peculiar is going on..." He smirks. "I do have one of the Ebon Hawks, though..."

She laughed. "Oh, wow! That'd be awesome to see again!" She looks at the robots in disrepair "That is a lot of trashed droids. Some don't even look like droids! Like this one. It looks like a person... crazy!"

Walt nods reaching into one's container to stroke her orange hair. "Yes... crazy..." He looks at his crew. "Get them to the base and then I want every available one of our experts to go over them all with a fine toothcomb. Infact even the busy ones need to suspend what they're working on asap and give these a check through. I can do the repairs but I want every single chip, every byte of data and every single screw analyzed repeatedly, multiple times. No surprises! No Trojans!... and they'd better be extra gentle and careful. These aren't damaged goods. Treat them as fallen comrades. Understood?"

"Yes, Boss!"

Mission looks at Walt and Ilulu and even Zwei's serious faces. "Someone you know?"

They nod as they close up her container. "Someone special... very special," Ilulu said.

Zwei whines.

Walt pats her container. "We'll get you home... Penny."

"... and then I leave them by the window to cool for a bit and that's how I make the chocolate chip cookies!" Penny says turning to the camera as a hand sneaks into the window to grab one.

Neo laughs silently while Manami tries to hold it in. "Thank you for that Penny! That's very helpful. We'll do other cookies another time but I wanted to ask. Are chocolate chip cookies special to you?"

Penny smiles widely and nods as the hand sneaks back in the window behind her for a second cookie only to get spatula slapped by Roberta. "They are special! They're my friend Ruby's favorite! She likes others too but Chocolate chips are special to her. And she's special to me! So making them makes me think about her and feel happy!" She puts her hands over her heart. "Right here. When I think about her and Walter and everyone special to me it feels warm right here. Like a hug from the inside!"

The targets head shatters as the round impacts it.

"Good Puppy. Good," said Cinder giving Puppy a cookie after she finished reloading. Puppy gratefully accepts the cookie and savors it slowly, carefully. Just like her kills. It's important when she's hunting to do it properly.

Cinder uses her semblance to reform the broken shards then nods and Emerald sets up the targets again.

"Again," says Cinder. "Ready..."

Puppy, still in hunter mode, readies her rifle and takes aim on the "Cowboy hat" target. It's important to finish that one as quickly as possible if she can.

"Attack," says Cinder.

Puppy shatters the head with one perfect shot before aiming at the next target. The second one with the redhead wig with the funny ribbon is the most difficult. She shoots off each limb starting with arms and then the legs. Only then does she target the others with lethal accuracy.

It's important that the second one always be left alive. She has to suffer and only mistress can end her. That's what Mistress wants, so that's what Puppy wants! It's important.

Cinder smiles as Puppy does a good job again. She gets another cookie ready. Next they'll move on to attacking with the scythe... against the robots.

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana and Mission Vao

Will Return In

Tuesday Pt 4

Coming Soon]