Dr. Eugene Wusiji was still collating the data. He had a few Mons helping him out, of course, and some of the more academically inclined local youth were helping out on laptops in the lab. What he was was encouraging on a few levels.

  His phone went off. It was a second, followup message from Ondun with local energy scans and a text message that included scans of Sylphie Lee, and the Positive Dark energy that radiated from her. He tapped his lip, in thought. Of course she would have Auric potential. Lee Lee has been a known Auric Artist for decades now.

  Something about the data caught his attention. The human brain was prone to seeing patterns in chaos; it was what tens of millenia of human evolution had been predicated on. Of course, sometimes those patterns were just the brain trying to make sense of a chaotic world. Thus, why the scientific process was essential: To help inform the decision-making away from imposing order onto a chaotic world, and towards finding true order that was hiding itself amidst a world of chaos.

  He began furiously typing on his keyboard. The mathematics were rather basic, all things considered. He was merely plugging observed values into the best tool he had: Maxwell's Equations. These were normally used by physicists, electricians, and electric Mon coaches, to help determine fields produced by a given input of electrical power. His first try looked a little strange, but not as strange as he'd been expecting. He tweaked a few values to account for Sylphie's powers, and also the anima polarity concept. "Positive Darkness, interacting with Negative Light..." he muttered. One of the youngsters looked up with a confused expression, but went back to their own number-crunching.

  The second pass through the modified Maxwell equations made his eyes go wide. The values themselves weren't revolutionary, of course, they were exactly what he'd expected to see. No, when he thought about the changes he had made to the equations, that Dr. Wusiji realized he'd made a breakthrough to dwarf anything else he'd found in his entire career.

  He broke into a wide grin. This. This is why I love science! He picked up his phone, disregarded the "DO NOT CALL ME!" message - she'd used her now-limited authority to get the message pinned, he noted with some amusement - and immediately dialed her.

  "Doctor, this is not the time..." Alice said testily but he shushed her.

  "No, this is. I think I understand, on a scientific level, what's going on, and how to thwart the corrupted Mon situation. Do you have a moment?"

  A loud roar of "Gemragon!" came across the speaker, as in the background several unfortunate people were clearly getting a refresher lesson on "Alice is the strongest coach in Kongming," and "These are the reasons why you don't mess with Alice..."

  "Give me ten minutes. Then I'll hear you out."

  The red-haired man looked around theatrically. "I spy with my little eye...something that ends with '-ick'"

  The blue-haired woman just sighed. "Brick. You know, you're so bad at these word games I wonder if you're secretly a tick?"

  He frowned, but still leaned on his partner, both in and out of crime. She did the same. Sure, they'd had their Mons taken, all of their tools and anything that could be used as one, as well as their most stylish of attire. Even so, Bonnie and Clyde of Yamato's dread Team Missile-Bomb still had their pride as members of Yamato's previously most-feared criminal organization.

  Both members nodded in the silence of their cell. Sure, Hiro Kaminari and his team may have completely dismantled our organization, beat the boss three times in his own lair, and foiled so many of our attempts to steal his Mons that any sane criminals would give up! Unfortunately for him, we're not sane!

  They looked at each other, grinned a goofy grin, and giggled. When they got through the entire giggle without a guard slamming a baton on their door and telling them to be quiet, their eyes narrowed like predators sensing blood. As one they carefully got up and checked the door. The guards who normally patrolled weren't anywhere to be seen.

  Kongming was less of a security state than Mericaria, but the cells the two had found themselves in were well-built to contain criminals like them. Unfortunately for the Kongming Rangers, the two had broken out of better cells than this. A few minutes of checking the door revealed a few vulnerabilities they could exploit. With a bit of elbow grease, perseverance, and some gentle cursing from Bonnie at a few moments, eventually the door was gently wrested free from its frame, then carefully put back.

  In the hall, there were still no guards. Other prisoners were glaring out from their cells, but Bonnie and Clyde paid them no heed. Instead the partners put their heads together in a patented Team Missile-Bomb huddle.

  "The guards are missing...this is very strange."

  "Perhaps they're all practicing marksmanship at the local range?"

  "Not a chance my fellow thief. That can't possibly be right."

  "Hey, it's not my fault of the two of us that you're the less bright."

  "Quit your teasing, you enormous fool! We've got to get out of here, and case our quarry!"

  "We also need information...guards never abandon their vigil of their prisoners. It makes me worry."

  She narrowed her eyes. "That was a slant rhyme. You really are worried."

  He nodded. "I've read enough to know that weird behavior like this is never a good sign. Something's up."

  She nodded. "Stealing a phone comes first then."

  Their planning session complete, they tip-toed through the prison. They'd been here the past few days, and had gotten a good sense of the layout of their cellblock. They tiptoed through quiet commons, past a silent cafeteria and commissary. They began to despair of finding any devices at all, before they circled back to the commissary and appropriated some odds and ends that would help advance their escape.

  Their ill-gotten gains in tow, they bypassed a few more locks. Their first stop was the room containing their capture capsules and Mons. Many in Team Missile-Bomb had derided Mons as merely tools, but Bonnie and Clyde knew far better. Their Mons were also their partners in crime! They'd all worked together to secure food, ward off those that were stronger, and make attempt after failed attempt to steal Hiro Kaminari's Voltshrew.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Good times, they thought in unison. Sure, they'd failed every time, but they'd learned so much from each attempt! It was a bit unfair, though. It was as if some higher power had basically arranged everything so that, no matter what sinister plan they executed, no matter how perfectly, events always conspired to make sure Hiro Kaminari came out on top. After a certain point, the two had stopped blaming themselves, and continued their attempts on principle.

  After a moment to reunite with their allies, they continued their search for a laptop or cellphone, or something with an Internet connection. The prison they were in was high security, of course, so they both expected access to be severly limited to only government sites and certain news outlets, but that was probably more than good enough.

  A few minutes later, their shared theory that only Hiro Kaminari was protected by Olympus Himself was proven, as the two found all of the guards in the entire prison in a massive room. They huddled outside the door, listening in.

  "Commander, why would the Guardian go rogue? She's only ever been a champion of popular government and not having the Circuit and Tournament decide everything. She's said for years that entire setup is stupid and wouldn't produce good leaders for Kongming."

  A deeper, slightly older voice harrumphed. A woman's voice cleared her throat.

  "Look, I don't know the details either. I just know the Guardian has been declared an enemy of the state by the Conservatist bloc in the Assembly, and the Reformist bloc is too busy trying and failing to debate regulation and rule to properly resist them. They've been trying for the last two decades to go back to how things were before Alice's administration, but now they've finally found if not an opportunity, then at least an excuse to claw back some power without going through a proper Mon duel."

  The room was silent for a moment. "But...isn't that against the rules? Mon duels decide everything. Alice is the strongest!" one guard asked. A few people hummed in agreement while others let out exasperated sighs.

  "Look, whoever's in charge, we still have prisoners to guard. If the odd fissures appear, or any Mons get discolored, contain them and report them to me. I don't have an answer to the situation, but we can at least enact containment until the government pulls its head out of its collective ass. My money's personally on Alice reminding everyone why she's the Guardian of Kongming, or a civil conflict of some kind - many people hold debts of gratitude towards Alice, and she's a shrewd enough politician to know that this is the moment to cash them in. What I offer is that, if pro-Alice or pro-Government Rangers show up, we stall, play dumb, and don't join any sides. These prisoners are all dangerous people who display no capacity for reform. The best thing we can do for our families is keep them contained."

  There was agreement. "Now, here's some ideas I have for exactly what to say..." The two nodded to each other and continued past the assembly.

  "If Kongming's in turmoil, we may just have a chance."

  "You mean to catch that Aquehound, and do a victory dance?"

  "Not at all my dear partner, I think we should flee."

  "I like how you think. Allemand sounds like a good place for a vacation to me."

  The two opened a door, and slammed both their faces into a poofy black skirt. As one they looked up at a blonde woman with crossed arms, and black ribbons tying various pockets and pouches on the elegant yet robust dress that everyone knew was the trademark outfit of Guardian Alice of Kongming. The two blinked once.

  "We didn't expect to see you here! I think we'll just be going back to our cell."

  "We just needed a walk, the air was very stale."

  They both turned, and a graceful hand landed on both of their shoulders. She turned them around, where they beheld a ferocious grin.

  "No, it's fine, you've saved me a trip. I've read your file, you two were said to be joined at the hip! But worry not, this makes things easy for me. I need Garamond to probe your minds, because you've seen the face of our shared enemy."

  A Palapaladin stepped out from behind them, their eyes already glowing. The two felt the Mon flipping through their memories like pages in a book.

  The day we met each other on the road...we were so young.

  We got our first Team Missile-Bomb uniforms! So proud.

  We'll steal that Voltshrew one day, Hiro!

  No, Bonnie! Don't die on me!

  Clyde...I never knew you looked so good in a dress...

  I'm done with you! Our plans just keep failing! Hmph, I'm walking away!

  Clyde, I'm sorry...I didn't mean it.

  Nor did I, Bonnie.

  The flipping stopped as Garamond found the memory of the day Ondun of Arcanis won his historic first win in the Kongming Circuit. There was a fast-forward effect, as if someone had accelerated the tape on an old VCR.

  "The first thing to know about stealing Ondun's Aquepup is that he himself is a potent combatant. His Mons aren't the real threat; he himself is. The man is dangerous in melee and can use type moves like a Mon. However, he has a traveling companion, Sylphie Lee. She's the daughter of Lee Lee. Unlike him, she's just a normal human girl, and she has no combat experience. Tie him up in combat, and target her. He seems to care about her in some capacity."

  The two looked at each other, frowning.

  "Your main goal is to steal the Aquepup and the Luxli she owns. If you can tie them up on the road for any amount of time, that works fine too. Do this, and we'll make sure you're paid well. You'll have enough money to enjoy for the rest of your lives. I recommend not wasting a moment."

  The memory faded, and the Guardian frowned. "Ondun was right. They were using you."

  The two looked at each other. She pulled out a cellphone, tapped it a few times, then held it up to them, showing them the zombie attack on Cheng. They were both aghast.

  "Criminals we may be, but too terrible that is."

  "That black-robed bastard used us."

  Clyde looked at the enraged Bonnie. "I have a cousin who lives in Cheng. She left Yamato years ago. She works as a baker now. How do you think I learned to build robots?"

  Clyde patted his partner on the shoulder. "That makes far more sense than it should."

  The Guardian cleared her throat. With a startled yelp, the two returned their attention to the real threat in the room - the black-clad woman who had the power to singlehandedly fight small nations to a standstill.

  "Since you have a personal stake in this, and you are skilled criminals, I think you two may qualify for some public service." The grin was predatory, and she squatted to their level. "The robed jerks exploited corruption in my government that could end the world. I want to retake our nation. The Rangers are all fighting amongst themselves. I need some people who will do what I say, when I say. You two may be criminal scum, but you're brilliant criminal scum who come up with solid plans, you know the face of our enemy, and even you have hangups about some things."

  They both nodded, and didn't say anything. This was going too good.

  "So, here's the deal I wish to make with you. You two will help me go behind the corrupt government's back and help me solve this crisis. In return, there's a nice island off the coast of Kongming - you will live there for the rest of your days, with your Mons. You will want for nothing, and be low-key heroes of Kongming. You will never commit a crime again, or I will personally end you."

  Both remaining members of Team Missile-Bomb enthusiastically nodded. "Deal!" they cried in unison. Alice was taken aback.

  Bonnie shrugged. "All I've wanted this whole time was enough to eat. Joltshrews are rare enough that one can go a couple of years without working if you sell one on the black market."

  Clyde nodded. "I just wanted to leave my oppressive family, and especially my icky fiancee behind. I'd rather marry her..." he jabbed a thumb at Bonnie, "...instead."

  The blue haired woman went red, and her expression warm. Alice held up a hand.

  "Then we're in agreement. Wait here, I'll have a word with the guards. Then we move on our first targets."