The race…wasn’t as close as Ale had expected, not because she won it since she could use the propulsion system of the Nuzzler Armor Mk 1 to gain great speeds, because she had done just that.

  “You cheated,” Ale said while gring at [Gabriel], the man was…slow. Way slower than her both on ground and air, while he had the advantage of flying, he needed to use a couple of boosters to move, and really, at best he could hover.

  So he was not someone that she could call fast.

  “I arrived first, didn’t I?” [Gabriel] said with mirth in his voice, they had arrived at the safe house quite easily.

  Ale had needed to take a detour to not give away the location of the Safe House, so she had to enter the sewer system a couple blocks away and then double back since the route they took had them run past said Safe House.

  On this way she would make people think that the Safe House was actually further in, when instead she needed to return back.

  “I used my Core Powers to arrive here, didn’t I?” [Gabriel] said as he let himself fall onto one of the couches within the safe house, the man’s wings of light disappeared as soon as he did so. “Same as you, if anything I would say that you are the one cheating, how is a shapeshifter even making that kind of armor?”

  [Gabriel] had some powers that Ale had categorized, “List the possible [Core Powers] of [Gabriel],”

  “[Perusing data…]”

  Core:Possible powers and theoretical Cores associated to them.

  -Flight - Telekinesis Core

  -Teleportation - Space Core

  - Energy Manipution - Energy Core

  It is possible that flight and teleportation are tied to a singur Core of higher rarity than seen so far.

  Theoretical possibilities in that case:

  -Psionic Core

  -Divinity Core

  -Angel Core

  -Mythic Core

  These Cores would grant SuperVilin, Gabriel, the Fallen Angel, access to the powers that he has shown so far without needing additional cores.

  “[.....SuperVilin Subject: Gabriel, the Fallen Angel is probably the wielder of-]”

  "Yeah I got it, thanks Core and Main Core." Ale sent inwardly, really, she didn't need two answers of the same. She felt bad for Main Core, of course, but Core had given a better answer, probably since that one had access to more Mana and Data, for some reason.

  They would need to check on that, too; they had too many things to ask during the next maintenance, nonetheless. The problem was that [Gabriel] could teleport, and since he could teleport…

  "You didn't do the detour, so of course you are cheating." Ale said grumbling, when they went throught here Ale had already lost track of [Gabriel], it wasn't till he told her that he had teleported straight here that she noticed how it was impossible for her to win.

  While she had an advante of a few minutes ahead of him, since she gained speed faster than him. He didn't have problems with moving in a three-dimensional space; if anything, he merely teleported ahead while not moving or gaining kinetic momentum.

  So whenever Ale needed to kill speed and momentum to give a turn, Gabriel merely carried on, and worse of all, when Ale needed to be mindful of her surroundings, [Gabriel] only needed to teleport.

  "You are putting at risk the safe house," Ale grumbled.

  "Nah, they know that I like to teleport into houses and then from there into the sewer system, they think my Core Power requires sight or contact to work, so they think I teleport into houses to go into their bathrooms and from there teleport into the sewers." [Gabriel] said with a shrug, "If they come here and see us, you are to say that by the way."

  Ale, by this point, had discarded her Nuzzler armor and was wearing a pair of short pants and her favorite oversized hoodie and sneakers.

  "And they will believe this?" Ale asked raising her eyebrow at [Gabriel], would they really?

  "Probably? They will suspect that you know me but have no way to prove it, that is why you aren't wearing a mask and I am." [Gabriel] said pointing at his facemask. "So? Care to expin how you made that armor go away? And your clothes too, for that matter, there are limits to how one changes their clothes. Usually people use clothing that can expand, and while there is clothes that can shrink, they usually aren't minions like you."

  So there was? Actually, Ale already knew that, she had gotten a few samples of the more exotic types of materials hadn't she? Probably one of those types that were actually fungi like her underwear. But Ale would feel weirded out, since she was used to having her fungi underwear, so it would feel like she was only wearing underwear.

  And with that thought out of the way, "Of course I can expin," Ale said nodding, at this answer [Gabriel] inched forward on his seat, focusing fully on Ale and how she moved and reacted.

  "So long you expin how you are teleporting, materializing energy objects and flying." Ale said with a smile.

  "....Tch." [Gabriel] merely clicked his tongue, "So it's like that, instead of having a base Core you also have a higher order? I had guessed only Eleanore, myself, and Vulcanus were like that."

  ….so he did have a rare [Core]?

  "Did you tell anyone else?" [Gabriel] asked, "I would ask Eleanore to confirm it but she can't use her Core power on you anymore, and I assume you will not let her?"

  "No," Ale answered quickly, she didn't like how that had gone, besides…that was more of an Alexandra problem, "I can't decide that, Alexandra was the one at charge of that."

  And it would remain like that, Alexa may have be fine with that, but Ale was most certainly not, and she would do her best to keep it that way, at least until Alexandra checked on it, but if it was for her, she would never give that authorization.

  Now however, she was in front of another person with a dangerous [Core], "What is higher order [Core]?" Ale asked, she needed that information if it was something that reted to her, she doubted it was though.

  "How to expin…Do you know the theories that we expined at the beginning?" [Gabriel] asked, Ale of course nodded, she was the one that had recieved those after all, and even if she hadn't. They all had access to those memories, and educational and informational data was freely shared among them. "Well, they are bullshit."

  ….

  "I beg you pardon?" Ale asked, not sure what to make of that.

  "Bullshit, like we said, there isn't enough data to make sure that Cores are affected by people near them, or that making a wish is enough to get what you want." [Gabriel] shrugged his shoulders at that statement, "I was wishing for salvation while being surrounded by people that was closer to demons and devils, I was not granted salvation, but the means of achieving it by myself."

  Huh?

  "So…you wished for this skillset?" Ale asked not sure what to make, "If those around you were [Demons] and [Devils] then it would mean that your [Core] was made from a [Wish], right?"

  "No, you don't get it." [Gabriel] said shaking his head, "I was literally surrounded by people that would be more aptly described as demons; they were normal humans. No core users as far as anyone knew."

  "Normal base [Humans]?" Ale asked, "But then…if no other [Core] was near, then that means the [Wish] theory is the correct…right?"

  "Yeah, but my wish was for salvation, not for the means to save myself, I wished for a hero of justice to come and help me. I wished for someone to come and save me and my friends…" [Gabriel] extended his palm and the same [Gun] he had been using before manifested in a bright light, a golden [Gun], "Instead what I got was this, a pair of guns that never run out of ammunition, the means to summon bolter rounds and a skill that lets me fly and teleport."

  …That was what…around five to six different abilities?

  That was indeed as [Gabriel] said, pure [Bullshit].

  "Ale! Language!" The voice of her older form chided her.

  "Bullshit! Bullshit!" "See what you did! Main Core, set up a censor or something! We can't let Alexa hear these things!"

  ….That was funny on their own way, but Ale didn't think that it was needed, this was vital data and Alexa would need it, so she would allow the data to continue flowing.

  "And Eleanore?" Ale asked.

  "...I wouldn't share what isn't mine to share, but since you have seen her Core Powers might as well, not like she can use them on you," [Gabriel] said sending a message with his phone, "Got confirmation, so here it goes…"

  Ale prepared to record all the data, she wanted to make sure nothing was missing, not after how [Eleanore] had moved against them.

  "She wanted the truth, she wanted to know why they were doing that to us, why they hurt us. She continued asking and pleading for help." [Gabriel] said shaking his head, "So she became a warden of truth. She became the guardian of the gates of hell."

  That…made no sense, why a warden of truth was also a guardian of gates? Also, what the hell was hell?

  "As you already know, she can tell the truth from falsehood, she can bind people using vows made upon their own Cores to guarantee fidelity, and finally, she has a low-grade telepathic prowess." [Gabriel] said, a power per face on her mask? Was that why she had a mask with three faces then?

  "And that still doesn't expin why the powers are so diverse," Ale compined.

  "I am getting to that, now the st one Vulcanus, our boss. My older brother, the one who gave everything to protect us." [Gabriel] said removing his mask, now that Ale could see him, she noted how [Gabriel] 's eyes were shining in golden light.

  Was he using his [Core] powers nonstop? Why?

  "He was stripped of everything that made him Human, all to attempt and see what made a Human a Human." [Gabriel] said turning his golden eyes to Ale, "What do you think makes us Human?"

  That was probably the worst and best type of question to ask Ale, since she was a person, but was not a [Human].

  "....You can make a [Human] body by just staking meat, bones and some rogue elements," Ale said raising her finger and making a small figure of bone and flesh in the form of a happy smiling Alexa.

  The small doll could move at Ale's wishes, but she refrained from doing so, "And yet I wouldn't call this flesh puppet a [Human]." Ale said as she reabsorbed the flesh doll, "I don't know, honestly. A month ago if you asked any version of Alexa, then they would have answered that we weren't [Human]."

  To be specific, a month ago it would probably be P4 the one to answer, and the answer would have been a cw to the head.

  "A week ago we would have answered that anything that was made based upon a [Human] blueprint is [Human]." That would be also because they were pretending to be [Human], or to be precise, they pretended to be a [Person]. "Nowadays?"

  Nowadays…Ale was even less sure, they knew that Alexa was a [Person], both [Core] and Alexanders were adamant about that. And P4 was acting weirdly about the topic, making clear distinctions between itself and Alexa.

  And in turn, making clear distinctions between them, that one had made it clear that Alexa was a [Human] since she had a [Consciousness Stream] of a [Human]. So what makes a [Human]?

  "I think that their mind, what controls their body, their [Consciousness Stream] is what decides what makes a [Human] a [Human], but my definition will probably change with the time." Ale knew that, the more they learned about [Humans] and about Alexa seemed to have that effect.

  "I guess that is quite apt for a shapeshifter's answer." [Gabriel] said, nodding at Ale, "I hadn't heard that way to describe the Soul, but I guess that may be because of how you see people and your own body. But Consciousness Stream huh…it does have a nice ring to it."

  Soul?

  "[Notice, Soul is the way that Humans refer to the metaphysical aspect of their own existence; this concept seems simir enough with our interpretation of what the Consciousness Stream is. Unlike the concept of Consciousness Stream, we haven't find any evidence of the existence of said concept like a Soul. More data is required."]

  …So [Humans] viewed their own [Consciousness Stream] as Souls? That was one weird way of seeing it.

  "So, is Vulcanus human then?" [Gabriel] asked, "By your definition so long his Soul…or well, his Consciousness Stream remains attached he should be human right?"

  That….

  Ale remembered him, or well, they all remembered him, he made quite the impact on them, the fact that a [Machine] acted, or pretended to be [Human] and managed to convince everyone, even though Ale didn't remember seeing anything [Human] on him.

  Even the expressions that he hid within his helmet were made up, Ale knew it, since Alexa had used some simir, only difference was the fact that [Vulcanus] expressions were made up with leds, while Alexa had used the full fleshy suit.

  "...I guess so." Ale said at the end, "I don't know where a [Human] 's [Consciousness Stream] is located, so I am unsure if [Vulcanus] has his, I guess that so long his [Core] is intact he should be fine as a [Human]?"

  "Fair enough," [Gabriel] answered back, "I know he to be Human, we asked Eleanore to check, and he passed the question. But about his Core…I can't disclose it, but trust me on this, he isn't a normal one either."

  ….Well, that was underwhelming, all that build-up only for it to end in nothing?

  "Then what is the difference between a normal [Core] and what you people seem to have?" Ale asked, she needed more data on that.

  "The difference is…unlike normal Cores, we have bigger mana output, it is the reason you can be safe even while facing dangerous Core Users like [The Theater Master] and [The Scrambler]," [Gabriel] said, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the mention of those two, wasn't [Haephestus' Forge] in good terms with the Theater Person? "High-Grade Cores are more sturdy and can bring more protection."

  "Aren't we allied to The Theater person?" Ale said and covered her mouth when she noticed what she had said, "I mean, aren't we allied to The Theater Master?"

  She spoke like Alexa, Ale couldn't help but blush in embarrassment at that; Alexa had been uttering his name so much that it stuck to her; it wasn't her fault!

  "The Theater Person is a meanie! He left Alexa alone against Meli-Meli and her minions!"

  "We are, but only because he seems to be antagonizing [The Scrambler] and since most of his work is harmless…Either way, try to remain away from him when possible. Even if we are immune, he can still affect us to some degree," [Gabriel] said, shaking his head.

  Ale knew this, of course, since he still somehow managed to sneak on Alexa, and that should have been impossible.

  "But a let us get some examples, a normal Core User who wished to have esper-like superpowers would awaken something like… let's see…" [Gabriel] said stopping to think for a few seconds only to come up with an idea and raise his [Gun], "Here, they would probably end with Telekinesis Core, and that would allow them to do this."

  And as if to make his example obvious, he made his [Gun] float, "But that would be all, they could make stuff float around and control it with their mind." How was he even doing that? Was this a new power that Ale needed to add to the list?

  "Unlike them, a higher grade Core User would be able to make stuff float, and something else. Like for example, summon energy attacks." And at that point [Gabriel] made one of his Bolter Rounds manifest besides the [Gun], "And after that, we have the Myths…"

  Standing as he said that st part, [Gabriel] opened once more his wings, "People whose powers aren't limited by hard logic. Sometimes they don't even make sense either."

  "Like how the Theater Master can affect other people and do what he does?" Ale asked.

  That man's powers were weird; they seemed to affect probability in some way, Ale had thrown that suitcase in one way, but her throw had changed as she did it in ways that it shouldn't. And if that wasn't enough, it achieved the goal that it was supposed to achieve.

  "Or how [The Scrambler] seems to change people into different people, both internally and externally." [Gabriel] said adding to that.

  No wait, "Iternally?" Ale asked confused.

  "His victims change to a genetic level. We didn't know at the beginning since it was weird, but one of our former minion's twin brothers needed a blood transpnt, and his twin brother wasn't compatible. That is how we found out, people got heart diseases, cancer, all kinds of ailments that they didn't have before." [Gabriel] said dropping that little tidbit of data, "All in accordance to what they said, even if we have evidence that they didn't have those things before."

  So the scrambler not only changed their minds…but also their body?

  Ale really, REALLY wanted to take a sample of that [Core], if nothing else it was surely a way to become stronger.

  "And so, you also have one of those," [Gabriel] said pointing at Ale, "Since there is no way a normal Shapeshifter Core can allow you to make that type of armor pop from nowhere."

  ….Ah, right….this was the reason why [Gabriel] had spilled all these secrets to her.

  "So?" [Gabriel] said, standing in front of Ale, the previous [Gun] still floating, the Bolter round still there pointing in the same direction as [Gabriel]. "Will you at least tell me something about your Core?"

  …Ale really didn't want to…

  "...Do I need an Adult?" Ale said aloud, unsure if she should try to lie her way out of this, or summon Alexandra.