“…This has to be a dream world. A nightmare realm to chain me and the others up for—existing, I guess? Because I refuse. I refuse. I FUCKING REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT PLASTIC TEXAN GIRL IS HEADING THE ONLY BASTION OF THE HUMAN RACE RIGHT NOW—”

Eclaire laughed, unwavering as she had her hands against her hips as she swayed in place.

“Well now,” Eclaire’s drawl was sugar sweet. “Mighty kind of ya’ to think I’ve aimed so high, but naw~ I’ve gotten the next best thing: being the first of possible many!”

Jackie’s wary eyes tried to search for something. Some meaning in her pastel-colored dress, and her bubblegum-dyed hair. Her stupid and knowingly fake smile slathered in red lipstick.

“What are you talking about…?” Jackie just pleaded for her to give her answers.

Eclaire waggled her finger. “Well, that definitely ain’t my job to tell ya’.”

She then pulled out a metal saucer from behind. Kneeling down as she put it flat against the “floor”, which didn’t exist and yet did.

Stepping behind it, an A.R. projection formed into the smeary visage of Mr. Davenport.

His shaved, white mullet has grown to his shoulders, the man being split behind his neck. Known for his tasteless fashion sense for years, he actually managed to where a decent white suit, with black dress shirt and slacks.

But it couldn’t distract from the fact that he was cybernetically bound—wearing some sort of frame that has cuffs dotted down his arms, legs, and midsection. Blue, A.R. lines that surged slowly up and down this frame, mirroring pace lines.

“Ah, Jackie Valerie Jackson Jr.,” Mr. Davenport’s smile tried to be warm, but became smug. “I’ve been dying to meet you for days, my dear girl~”

Jackie couldn’t believe it. She had to squint to really take in this fresh Hell she was witnessing.

“Mr. Davenport…?”

“In the relative flesh!” Mr. Davenport exclaimed. “Oh, sorry, I’ve forgotten that this is a new sight for you~ You’ve missed out on so much due to your accident. Doesn’t help that I don’t have a name for this suit—I’ve been worshipping names whenever I have a second to spare and nothing is coming out; creative ruts are the worst—”

He suddenly appeared next to Jackie, causing her to jump in her hold, as he wrapped an arm around her—and she could feel it. “But not as worse as what you’ve been going through. You poor thing…”

Jackie fell from her hold, landing on her hands and knees. Sweating, wrecking her brain trying to figure out what’s going on.

Mr. Davenport helped her up. She was too afraid to wrestle out of his hold.

“You’ve been having a difficult time lately…” he tried to comfort her, lacking the critical understanding that he was the source of her current unease. “My condolences, firstly.”

“I—I just,” Jackie stammered. “Why are you here, talking to a nobody like me…?”

Mr. Davenport glanced over to Eclaire with a wide smile. The rubber girl meeting her boss with her own.

“For such a nobody, you have impressive records to your name…” Mr. Davenport turning back towards Jackie, now walking towards her with his hands behind his back. “Good grades, star on the Basketball team due to your leadership skills, daughter of a veteran-turned-police officer-then-turned first responder and a lawyer mother… It’s hard to ignore, Ms. Jackson. You’re very special.”

“And then the world broke into pieces,” Jackie quipped. “Too bad it didn’t mean shit in the end.”

“And luckily for you, we’re building the world back. So that means that it all matters in the end—your constant pain and heartbreak has finally ended, my dear girl! Because I have a very special offer to make. To you and your cohorts.”

The usage of “cohorts” caused Jackie to pause. “Right. What is this proposal…?”

“I mean,” Mr. Davenport was once again behind her, hand on her shoulder as he gestured with his other. “With your credentials, I would’ve made you head of a little division I’ve been thinking up—siVis Enforcers. But that’s too little, too cog-in-the-machine for someone like you. You’ve survived the harshest, most unfair, and outright weird of the Noumena so far—in a condensed timeframe as well! And you’re here still! Talking with us! That’s nothing to sneeze at…”

Mr. Davenport then gestured towards Sinclair, causing her to pose. “So you’re going to be the next best thing: Counter-Trends.”

He then dope-slapped himself. “See? That came to me in a second, right after I signed dear Sinclair on.” He pinched at his suit. “And yet, nothing for the suit--!”

“…That…” Jackie had to find the words. “That doesn’t sound terrible…”

“Of course, it doesn’t!” Sinclair piped in. “We’re the newest first line of defense in wranglin’ out Trend peers up and protecting our cities! We already have some people dotted my country of U-S-n’-A, but we’re coming together to put a stop in this here madness, bein’ the face of Extant, and helpin’ along siVictim relations~”

Jackie just looked gob-smacked. All of this hitting her so hard, causing her to just search around herself, to see if there’s a prank being pulled here.

“Oooh…” Mr. Davenport cooed, patting her shoulder before grabbing it. “I understand that you’ve been dealing with and dealt with bad hands so far moving here, but trust us. This is nothing but a good thing. You’re going to be surrounded by like-minded people, making the world a better place little by little. And hey! If your friends agree to it along with you, you’ll have them around too.”

Jackie looked away. “You wouldn’t want us anyways. We’re broken. We don’t have the talent and time to fix everything wrong with us. We’ll only drag you down and this idea in the mud—”

“Say no more~ We’re aware of your… Performance issues, and we do have the resources to help you. In fact, you all not being well known is perfect for us. Imagine, Sinclair and the others fighting in the open—while you all are blended in, within the crowds, as you rush in and undermine from the shadows! And Sinclair and others perform the finishing blow! WAPAH!”

“WAPAH~!” Sinclair repeatedly, annoyingly.

Jackie looked down. Grimacing in thought.

“This is something that we have to talk about. Together, I’m afraid,” Jackie looked up towards Davenport. “You have to wait until then.”

“I didn’t hear a nooooo~” Mr. Davenport chimed.

“I didn’t say yeeeeeeees,” Jackie blandly countered back.

He laughed uproariously. “I like this girl! No wonder she leads everyone!”

“Oh no, I knew she was a force of nature when we met all that time ago~” Sinclair followed up on.

Jackie looked at Mr. Davenport. “I am curious… How did you know our situation?”

“Oh, we just combed through your medical history along with that footage Tabby Morrow collected,” Mr. Davenport casually answered.

Jackie’s face dropped like a stone.

“You what?”

“Oh, don’t worry, she didn’t betray your promise,” Mr. Davenport once to comfort someone he had no idea how to talk to. “We seized control of everything.”

Mr. Davenport was pushed away. Blinking in confusion as he stared at a panting, rageful Jackie.

“On what grounds?! Why?! Where is she—what did you do to her?!”

“Your grieving families, because I want to help all of my fair citizens and will use any means necessary to do so… And hey. Don’t worry.”

The man looked over to Sinclair. “I guess since she’s so, uh, currently irritated—no need to mention the other use said footage provided—”

“You tell me, and where Tabby is and where my friends are AND OUR FAMILIES—AND I’M WALKING! THE DEAL IS OFF!” Jackie pointed at this careless man.

“I’m afraid your agreement is your only way out of here,” Mr. Davenport kept a cordial smile. “Otherwise, you and everyone else will be transported to Dr. Taber’s Memorial Research Center.”

Jackie growled, fists clenched. She stepped forward, only for Sinclair to get in front of Davenport. Not to protect this real-life projection, but to engage in a fight.

“Your mind isn’t clear right now, Ms. Jackson. You said that you’ll make your choice later, and I’ll give you until later to decide~ Besides…”

He turned away from her. “It would break my heart, to report to my new Head of Enforcement, that his dear daughter won’t follow in his footsteps after all.”