Pyre Academy
Hope and Greed

Pyre reeled as news of the Imperistia disaster reached Raryst. Security was ramped up massively, with students of all years now being sent on patrol missions, airships regularly made flyovers of surrounding territory as the Imperium threatened retribution.

In the midst of the chaos, Araneia discovered that Victoria had died. Instead Araneia decided that she would focus on tracking down Lumina, and had begun wandering South to the ruins of Imperistia to enlist the help of the Imperium.

Roisin, Wes and Dex were held back in the Academy while other students had been sent out. They were sat in the empty common room.

"Why do we have to remain here? We should be out there defending Pyre" Wes complained.

"To be honest, I'm not complaining, it's not mine or Dex's war to fight" Roisin shrugged.

"Yeah, we're kinda out of our element here to be honest. We have our own enemies back home without making new ones here" Dex added.

"I guess, but I was born and raised here. I want to fight." Wes sighed.

"They might have other plans for us" Roisin smiled.

Anya stumbled into the room before falling to the floor, Roisin ran over to check on her.

"Anya, are you okay?" She asked, panicking.

"I'm tired of being killed, I can't do this anymore..." Anya punched the floor, leaving a dent in the marble. Roisin backed away, surprised.

"How'd you have the strength to do that?" Roisin gasped.

"She's a bucket of bolts, all the VR heads are" Wes quipped.

"I'm not just a bucket of bolts!" Anya shouted, stumbling to her feet.

"Unfeeling, uncaring, murder machines, paid for by the Fyre family." Wes added.

Anya growled and lunged at Wes, but Roisin stopped her.

"Wes! What's wrong with you?" Dex frowned. Roisin put her arms around Anya to calm her down.

"Before all this kicked off, the Fyre family used the 'Droids' to replace the miners at the Iryn mining company, putting hundreds out of work, including my parents" Wes explained.

"Still no reason to talk to her like that! She obviously has feelings" Roisin growled.

"They didn't just use them to replace the miners, they used them to suppress the protesters too, became the Iryn and Fyre's private army, until the Pyre family took the project from their hands" Wes replied.

"He's right about the older models of us. We were originally unfeeling and uncaring. Before Pyre gifted the newer models the power of Crystalliam. Now we feel... though I wish I didn't" Anya looked down at the floor.

"Right, the synthetic Crystalliam... so that means..." Dex began.

"Yes, I have a shard of the Crystal in my core" Anya nodded.

"Thieving our power" Wes grunted.

"Wes, stop it!" Roisin scowled. Wes looked at Roisin's face and sighed.

"Fine... but don't expect me to like her" Wes shrugged.

Footsteps approached the common room, it was Skylar, she spotted Anya and frowned.

"There you are, you're needed back in Remote Operations" Skylar commanded. Anya went to stand, but Roisin pulled her back softly and stood up herself.

"She's tired" Roisin frowned.

"She's a machine, and property of Crystech" Skylar replied, calmly.

"She's sentient and has a right to choose what she does" Roisin stamped her foot.

"She thinks she has emotions, she doesn't, now, come, Anya" Skylar said, slightly raising her voice.

"Excuse me, if she is property of Crystech, then she doesn't follow your commands, Headmystress" Dex interjected.

"Pardon?" Skylar growled as she shot an angry look at Dex.

"You are the Headmystress of Pyre Academy, and last time I checked, you are not a part of Crystech" Dex shrugged.

"Then 'she' is my student and must follow my commands" Skylar began to raise her voice.

"You are all the same, you Raryst lot, you invent technologies, and you don't care what they are used for..." Dex grunted.

"And what do you mean by that?" Skylar shouted.

"The Hubun settlement outside Aranei ring any bells? Your son's lovely inventions doomed my people. So fuck you, Headmystress" Dex shouted, as he swiped a lamp onto the floor.

"You are EXPELLED!" Skylar roared at Dex.

"Good! I never wanted to join your Academy anyway! We came here to replace a way to defend our home, and instead we replace you all caught up in your own hubris to even care to think about the continent you abandoned!" Dex yelled.

"If he goes, I go too" Wes chipped in. "While I have no love for the droid girl, I'm not going to stand by and watch as my nation falls" He added.

"Yeah, this is just a waste of time..." Roisin shrugged, as she stood up and headed for the door. She froze in position.

"You are going nowhere, Luna" Skylar said, as she used a binding spell on Roisin. Dex summoned his Celestial Lance, but was thrown aside by a burst of fire energy, which also knocked Anya and Wes flying across the room.

Skylar pulled Roisin towards her and grabbed her arm, and dragged her away from the others. As she walked away she cast a fire shield, stopping the three from pursuing her.

Skylar opened up her communications device as she walked.

"We have had a change of plans, prepare cell 3B, and make it comfier. Prepare plans to accelerate Project Fallen Angel." Skylar commanded.

"Where are you taking me!? Let me go!" Roisin shouted.

"Be quiet, this is for your own good" Skylar shrugged as she headed into a staff only corridor.

Back in the common room, Dex punched at the fire barrier.

"Let me through!" He yelled as his hands burned from the barrier. Anya and Wes pulled him back.

"We'll get her back... I swear" Wes sighed.

"Skylar... she has bad intentions" Anya stated.

"No shit" Wes grunted.

"No, I can read the emotions of those with Crystalliam... the power that radiates with it. Dex's is love, yours is fearful, Roisin's is hope." Anya sighed.

"What is Skylar's?" Dex asked, deflated.

"Greed" Anya said, looking down the corridor.