Transcript: Bird Up (S.I.N.K or Swim)

A bird flies through the sky over the Sink Appliances store, the cover for S.I.N.K. Site 3:15.T he bird lands on top of the roof and pecks at a small leftover piece of food. The bird then turns into a toy car, because what it ate was definitely not food.

Inside the site...

Satori: And this is where I usually work with my two teammates. Miles, Hunter, this is Dirk. He's our newest intern.

Miles: Woah! Nice to finally get some new blood in here.

Hunter: Yeah. We could always use more people in the fight to protect the world.

Dirk: It's..um..nice to meet you guys!

Satori: Well, I guess that concludes the tour of the site. So if you've got any questions, feel free to ask. If not, then you're free to go.

Dirk: I actually do have one question.

Satori: What is it?

Dirk: Where's the break room?

Miles looks at Satori incredulously.

Miles: You didn't show him the BREAK ROOM?

Satori: I believed it wasn't too important. I was instructed to give a more business-oriented tour to our interns.

Miles: I can't let this stand. Dirk, follow me. We're gonna show you the best affogato you'll ever have.

Dirk: I-...ok...

The four leave the B-15 entrance and make their way down the hall. Dirk winces as he looks down the hall doors and sees Lance lurking around his dressing room. He then looks the other way and sees a pillar of Soulflame circling around a book. He winces again.

Hunter: Is it me or did the halls get longer?

Satori: Yeah...Archives needed more space ever since the whole...er...Excursion Incident.

Hunter: Jesus.

Miles: We're here!

Dirk's jaw drops as the break room is revealed to be a 4 Michelin Star restaurant. He looks to the side and sees multiple sidebars for foods of nearly every culture, from French to Italian to Japanese to Mexican. He then sees a large interchangeable drink fountain with a keypad. An agent types in '805 Cervesa' and beer fills up his cup. He finally sees multiple portals spitting out food from different dimensions and times.

Dirk: Oh my...

Miles: Right?

Hunter: Well, I could use a slice of pizza right now.

Satori: Help yourself, Dirk. You work here, after all.

The intern runs off while B-15 walks away back to their office

.Miles: Ah, I love seeing the look on their faces when they see the break room.

Hunter: I remember first seeing it. I slapped myself thinking I was dreaming.

Satori: Hmm...I just got an email from The Board. We have a few more reports we need to sort.

Hunter: Again?

Satori: Yeah, they're demanding a lot more information this time. Apparently a big thing went on right after the whole Roswell situation. Some guy broke an ancient Otherrealmian seal and picked a fight with Laura, Adriel, and Akshar. It was all over the Otherrealm programs from what I have seen.

Miles: Why ask us then?

Soo-Jin: Don't worry. They just do that for some reason! Remember that whole Nick thing you guys had? I was assigned to sort that!

Miles: Oh, hey Bubbles!

Soo-Jin: Hi!!

Hunter: You seem to be in a good mood. Anything big happen?

Soo-Jin: No, it's just been a nice day so far

!Satori: God, I hope that remains so.H

unter: Does it ever?

Satori: No, but I'm remaining cautiously optimistic.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Satori: ...

Satori: Never fails.

Miles: Uhh...it could just be a drill?

Soo-Jin: We don't...have drills.

Hunter: I think it's coming from the Codebase.

Miles: Shit, seriously?

Satori: If the Codebase is in trouble, the entire base could potentially be compromised.

Hunter: Then we've got no time to lose! Let's go!

The 4 run down to the hall and quickly activate the retinal scan next to the door, allowing them into the Codebase.

Inside, they are shocked to see Dirk being tied up in Alexandreina's time chainwhip, Dicennium.

Miles: WHAT THE SHIT?

Satori: Dirk??

Alex: I found this little shit pouring coffee over one of the control panels.

Dirk: It...urk...spill...acci-GAK! Dent...

Hunter: Alex, I think he said it was an accident.

Alex: Oh really?

Dirk: ACK!

She tightens her hold on him.

Satori: I might seem naive but I believe him.

Soo-Jin: Wait! Why don't we check cams?

Hunter: Good idea. Hold on-

He runs over to a control panel and types in a few commands. A video shows up of him deliberately pouring coffee on a panel.

Hunter: Goddamn.

Alex: You LIAR!

She tightens her hold on him again.

Dirk: AAACCCK!

Miles: Damn it man...He pulls out a ray gun and blasts him with it. He instantly disintegrates.

Satori: Wh- MILES!

Miles: Relax, I set it to teleport! You'll find him in one of our cells.

Satori notices the gun's switch on KILL. She facepalms but says nothing.

Soo-Jin: I don't understand...if he wanted to sabotage our systems, why would he do something as mundane as spilling coffee on it? You'd have to do more then that in order to get through.

Satori activated one of her visors and her eyes widened.

Miles: What? What is it?Satori: It wasn't just coffee. It was laced with electromagnetic disrupting nanobots.

Alex: Wait so...if it was laced with bots that disrupt tech, wouldn't it-

Suddenly, the panel he spilled the coffee on begins to clank and creak.

Alex: Damn it.

The screens on the panel shut off, emitting a 'byeoooo' sound.

Hunter: Um...which panel exactly did that control?

Satori leans down and analyzes it with her visor again.

Satori: Fuck...

Miles: What?

Satori: This panel controlled...

Miles: Yeah?

Satori: Birds.

Miles: ...BIRDS?

Satori: Yes, Miles. Birds. Specifically our robot birds that essentially monitor the world on our behalf?

Alex: Wow. I guess Great Uncle Val was right. He always had the weirdest conspiracy theories.

Hunter: So if they're all down right now...aw fuck.

Suddenly Soo-Jin gets a notification and checks her phone.

NEWS: Swarms of birds fall out of the sky all across the world! Mass species extinction?

Soo-Jin: 오 소년...

Hunter: We need to do something about this!

Alex: Soo-Jin and I will go talk to Hologram Sam.

Miles: Right.

The two time girls run out of the room.

Hunter: There's got to be something that gets these things back up...

Satori: There is. It was run by an artificial hivemind, but since the only panel holding it was disrupted, the AI's code was deleted.

Miles: There aren't any backups or anything?

Satori: Oh of course there are.

Miles: Then where is it?

Satori: Australia.

Miles and Hunter: AUSTRALIA?

!Satori: What, did you think we were gonna keep all our shit in the same base?

Hunter: Fair, but I never considered...Australia.

Miles: Me neither.

Satori: That's the point, boys.

Hunter: So I guess that means we're on our way?

Satori: I suppose...normally I'd wait to get briefed but this is too big an issue for us to just sit by and wait to be told what to do.

Miles: Now you're speaking my language. Let's do it!

The three warp out of the room, leaving the Codebase empty.

Miles: Woah!

Satori: I've never actually been in any of S.I.N.K's Australia Division Bases. This is pretty new to me.

Hunter: It actually looks fantastic. It's always nice checking out bases aside from ours. Though it is...quite messy.

Satori: We just need to somehow find where they keep the backups here.

Miles: Maybe if we try and talk to any of the agents here?

Satori: Well, it looks pretty empty around here. Let's look around.

The three search around the robotics lab.

Miles: What the fuck is this...

The three search around the robotics lab.

Miles: What the hell is this...

He notices a small metal backring. The backring has a small button on the side.

Hunter: I think you're supposed to put it on your back.

Miles: Hm...I feel like I'm gonna get Doc Ock-ified.

Satori: Maybe. This whole place is covered in potential safety code violations.

Hunter: It's like if Doctor Frankenstein had the worst hangover in history.

Miles: Well, now I want to put this thing on even more now!

Miles attaches the thin backring to his own back and presses the button. Four robotic arms with human-like metal hands pop out of different parts of the backring.

Miles: Holy shit, I am Doc Ock-ified!

Suddenly, one of the arms punches Miles in the face.

Miles: ACK! NEVER MIND!

Satori: Jeez!

Another of the arms tries punching him, but Miles blocks.

Miles: What is wrong with these little pricks?

???: RINGO! CALM DOWN!

Hunter: Ringo? Like from The Beatles?

Suddenly, a short girl with long, blond, light-purple shaded hair, pink eyes, and a prim technologic lab coat bursts into the room in panic.

Miles: Oh, these are yours?

???: Yeah...I'm dreadfully sorry. They get super antsy and don't really react well around others for some reason. Still working on that a bit.

The girl sticks out her hand.

Aires: Aires Krier Luxenberg! Pleasure to meet you!

[AIRES KRIER LUXENBERG

Age: 28

Sex: Female

Nationality: Luxembourgian

Division: S.I.N.K Australia, O-94

Robotics Physicist and Inventor]

Miles: Aires...Kre-what?

Satori: Miles, shake her hand.

He quickly obliges to a giggling Aires.

Hunter: So you called that robot arm Ringo?

Aires becomes a little embarassed.

Aires: Um...yeah. I named the arms after The Beatles. I originally wanted to name them after The A-Team, though.

Miles cracks a smile.

Miles: Why didn't you? This arm definitely gives off B.A vibes to me.

Aires laughs.

Aires: Because he punched you in the face?

Miles: What? Nooooo...ok, yes.

Hunter: I'm assuming you created this? And that this is your lab?

Aires: Yes! Yes, this is my lab!

Hunter: It's...unique.

Aires knowingly smiles.

Aires: Oh, don't be so coy! I know it's messy, but I have a lot to do...I can't take things out and put them back, only to put it back in, only to take it out again, and unpack this, and that, and all this other stuff and...

Satori, whispering: She rambles a lot.

Miles, whispering: I know. It's probably why I'm starting to like her.

???: Hello? Is there someone in there?

Aires: Yes!

???: Aires? Is that you?

Aires: It's me! But there are some others here too!

Soon, a tan-skinned, black-haired man and a moderately tall dirty blonde-haired woman both walk into the room.

McKenna: Looks like we have visitors today, yeah?

[MCKENNA CLANCY

Age: 31

Sex: Female

Nationality: Australian

Division: S.I.N.K Australia, O-94

Weapons and Coding Specialist]

Miles: Oh...my...

Satori notices Miles' sudden starstruckness and her face takes on an expression of slight worry.

Lorenzo: It would appear so. Welcome to S.I.N.K Base 7:52. You must be here from America. We got an alert about the whole bird thing.

[LORENZO PANGAN

Age: 35

Sex: Male

Nationality: Filipino

Division: S.I.N.K Australia, O-94

Tactical Lead and Defense Specialist]

Hunter: Yeah, that's us. I don't believe we've met before.

Lorenzo: Name's Lorenzo Pangan. That's McKenna Clancy. S.I.N.K squad O-94. Robots, AI, all that stuff; that's our thing.

McKenna: If ever there might be a Skynet, or an Ultron, or a Brother Eye, it's our job to deal with it! So how ya goin?

She sticks her hand out to Miles to shake it, but Miles is only eyeing her gun.Miles: Is...is that an Owen?

McKenna's eyes widen in surprise before smiling and pulling the gun out, twirling it.

McKenna: Ya beauty! I didn't expect anyone to recognize this bangshotter!

[THE OWEN

Named after the creator of the gun, Private Evelyn Owen. Entirely Australian-designed and constructed. Used by the Australian army from 1942 until 1971 until it was later replaced by the F1 and the M16. Was primarily utilized during World War II.]

McKenna: This is a rare ass beaut! How'd you know what it is?

Miles: I...really like shooting things!

McKenna: Crikey, so do I!

Hunter grins at Satori. She doesn't make a face back.

Aires: Oh gosh, I just remembered why you guys are here! So you needed that backup AI for the whole bird debacle, is that correct?

Aires nervously adjusts her glasses.

Satori, under her breath: Finally.

Satori: Yeah. It's kind of an urgent situation so I'd like if we picked up the pace a little bit?

Aires: Of course, of course. Let me just open up a few things here-Her robot arms begin fiddling with a couple of control panels. One of them opens up to reveal an entire library of USBs. One of the arms grabs a red USB.

Aires: Gotcha!

Hunter: Um…any idea as to why it’s red?

Miles: Yeah…AI and the color red tend to not be a winning combination most of the time.

Aires: You guys are so silly. Don’t worry! It’s just how we color-code things here.

Satori notices Aires slipping another USB in her pocket.

Aires: Alright…just gotta fix up a few things here, clear up this clutter, and we’ll be right on.

Hunter turns to Lorenzo.

Hunter: So how long have the three of you worked here?

Lorenzo: I actually worked here for quite some time. During my time in Boracay for my honeymoon, my wife and I were confronted with a vicious manananggal.

Hunter: A manana-what?

Satori: It’s an ancient creature of Filipino mythology, a hideous bat-like creature with a severed lower half. It tends to prey on newlyweds, couples, and pregnant women.

Lorenzo: Precisely. And we encountered one when we least expected it to. However, I was told by my Tita how to destroy one many years ago as a child.

Hunter: How so?

Lorenzo: As its moving body a severed top half, the bottom half is left completely defenseless. So my wife distracted it while I located the bottom half and sprinkled salt on top of it, which fatally kills the creature.

Miles: Goddamn.

Lorenzo: As it turns out, an agent of S.I.N.K was hot on the trail of this manananggal, and was impressed at our ability to destroy the creature. Both of us were offered spots. My wife politely declined, but I did not.

Hunter: Amazing.

Lorenzo: McKenna here is actually fairly new. She joined the agency about a year ago from the ASIS after she showed proficiency in long-range weaponry far beyond anyone else in her unit.

McKenna: Ah please, I’m just bettah.

Lorenzo: Aires on the other hand…I don’t really know. She never really was super chatty about her origins, but I can only presume that’s because she never has the time to. She’s always, always, always working. I honestly commend her for it but at the same time I don’t think she’s gotten a full 8 hours a night of sleep in years.

McKenna: Yeah, I’m really worried about her. I once caught her in the office doing paperwork with The Bottles-

Hunter: The Bottles?

Miles: Beatles…bots…Bottles!

McKenna: Yeah! Anyway, I was going off to bed and I waved her goodbye, but when I returned next morning, she hadn’t moved an INCH! She was in the exact same spot on the couch with the exact same back posture! And her eyes didn’t have a single bag! I don’t know how she does it!

Miles elbows Hunter.Miles: Sounds like someone ya know?

Hunter: Wh- Laura gets sleep! I think. And very desperately hope.

Aires: Alright, we’re finishing up here! 3, 2, 1-Aires inserts the USB. Nothing happens.

Satori: Nothing happened?

Aires: Don’t worry, it’ll be on in just a sec.

Suddenly, the screen begins turning a dark shade of green.

McKenna: Crikey…

Miles: What the hell is happening?

Aires: I don’t know…I swear this was the correct plug-in!

Suddenly, a face shows up on the screen.

Backup AI: AIRES KRIER LUXENBERG.

Aires: No, no, NO! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO-

Backup AI: WHAT AM I NOT SUPPOSED TO DO, AIRES KRIER LUXENBERG?

Aires: ...

Aires: IF YOU LET ME FINISH I WOULD'VE TOLD YOU!

Backup AI: YOUR OPINION IS IRRELEVANT. WE ARE MOVING ON.

Aires: UGH!

Backup AI: THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH HUMANITY. ALWAYS PUTTING CONSTRAINTS ON FREE MINDS. AND FOR THIS, YOUR SPECIES WILL PAY.

Miles: Fantastical.

All of Aires' arms, robot and human, are frantically typing on a holographic keyboard screen.

Aires: This wasn't supposed to happen! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!

McKenna: Aires, she'll be apples-

Lorenzo puts a hand on McKenna's shoulder.

Lorenzo: There's no convincing her. We just need to take care of this now.

Backup AI: ALL OF YOUR BIRDS ARE NOW UNDER MY CONTROL.

Satori: Dammit, of course...

Backup AI: I HAVE ANALYZED ALL AVAILABLE DATA ON: S.I.N.K. FROM ALL OF THE INFORMATION I HAVE COLLECTED, THE FIRST STEP TO DESTROY HUMANITY IS TO DESTROY: S.I.N.K.

Hunter: Well, he isn't wrong...

Backup AI: WITH MY ARMY OF AVIANS, WE WILL CREATE A UTOPIA. EARTH WILL BE SAVED FROM POLLUTION. NATURE WILL THRIVE AGAIN. SPECIES WILL NO LONGER FACE EXTINCTION.

Miles: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before, Fowl 9000.

Fowl 9000: I WILL BE STEALING THAT NAME.

Miles: Oh, COME ON!

Fowl 9000: BEGIN PLAN!

Lorenzo: We've dealt with shit like this before. Keep your guard up and we'll all be fine-

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Satori: EVERY TIME!

Suddenly, Hologram Sam warps into the room.

Miles: SAM!

Hologram Sam: Heya team, we've got bad news and some bad news!

Hunter: What- why would you-

Hologram Sam: First, the bad news. All of the previously inactive birds have now come back online, but are now circling in numerous formations across the globe.

Satori: Good lord, just get on with-

Hologram: Next, the bad news. The birds are expressing extremely hostile behavior towards any and all S.I.N.K personnel recorded in their database. Some have even started breaking into registered Sites.

Miles: Oh, for FUCK'S SAKE-

Suddenly, Miles receives an incoming transmission.

Miles: Hello? I'm kind of busy right now-

Soo-Jin: Miles!

Miles: BUBBLES?!

Soo-Jin: We've got a big sitch here! Pigeons...everywhere!

Alistair: THESE FUCKING THINGS DON'T BOLT!

Lance: I'm slightly surprised we actually built this many. My respect goes out to whoever dedicated their day to making these contraptions.

Aires: Thanks!

Lance: Hm? What was that?

Miles: Not important! We'll fix this up soon, promise! See you soon Bubbles!

Soo-Jin: Bye!

Miles ends the call.

Miles: Ugh, we need to leave! Immediately!

Fowl 9000: I'M SORRY MILES, I'M AFRAID I CAN'T LET YOU DO THAT.

Lorenzo: Really just gonna...phone it in like that, huh.

Hunter: Well, I respect the dedication to the bit.

Fowl 9000: THIS MISSION IS TOO IMPORTANT FOR ME TO ALLO-

Miles shoots the panel.

Miles: Look, I love the 2001 jokes and all, but not when they're out of obvious spite.

Fowl 9000 shows up on the panel next to it.

Miles: I probably should've seen that coming.

Fowl 9000: YOU WILL NOT INTERRUPT ME AGAIN, MILES IRVINE JERICHO MCHALEY.

Miles: Har har, you know my full name. Satori probably knew my full name when she was in diapers. Big deal.

Satori: Miles...

Fowl 9000: ENOUGH OF THIS INSIPID BANTER. MY AVIAN ARMY IS BREACHING YOUR DEFENSES AS WE SPEAK. I WILL NO LONGER WASTE MY TIME WITH ANY OF YOU. I SUGGEST YOU STOP WASTING YOURS AS WELL.

Fowl 9000 exits the panel.

Lorenzo: The damn thing is right. We can't just stand around here. Let's move!

The 6 run out the room.

Lorenzo: Me, Satori, and Hunter will attempt to buy you 3 some time to get that code fixed. Either that or you initiate a total shutdown. However, that's the worst case scenario. A lot of things depend on the power being on. Alright, break!

The teams split up. Miles, McKenna, and Aires run down the hallway to spot several robotic eagles trying to peck their way into the holding facility.

Robotic Eagle 1: S.I.N.K AGENTS SPOTTED. S.I.N.K AGENTS SPOTTED.

Robotic Eagle 2: INITIALIZING TERMINATION MODE.

Miles: Again, fantastical. Hey Air-ohh...

He looks over to find Aires practically pulling her own hair out as her robotic arms work on her holographic computer.

McKenna: She might not be any use to us right now, huh...

Aires: DAMN IT!

She runs off, leaving behind a confused Miles and McKenna.

Miles: I...uh...guess not.

McKenna: The eagles don't even try to chase her?

Robotic Eagle 3: SEARCH AND DESTROY.

They begin shooting lasers at Miles.

Miles: SHIT!

McKenna: GET DOWN!

She crushes a ball of exploding ash in her hand, creating a smokescreen.

Robotic Eagle 1: LINE OF SIGHT DETERRED! VISION UNC-

McKenna blasts the eagle down with her Owen, which she modified to shoot bolts of plasma.

She then runs onto the side of the wall, jumps on the second eagle, jumps off it onto the third eagle, and shoots the second eagle. She then leaps off the third eagle and shoots it too, landing on the floor.

Miles: Woah...

McKenna: C'mon, let's check if there are any that got in!

Miles: Wait, what about Aires?

McKenna adopts a theorizing look on her face.

Miles: What's with the theorizing look on your face?

McKenna: Miles...this might catch you off guard a little bit..but...

Miles: But?

McKenna: I think this was all a set-up.

Miles: What?! And you think Aires was behind it?!

McKenna: Miles, think about it! She wasn't attacked by the eagles at all when she ran off! That could only mean she wasn't in the database and the birds didn't recognize her as a threat!

Miles: Holy shit...

McKenna: On top of that, it was HER robotic arm that inserted the USB, it was HER that was making a big panic stink about it, and not to mention how she yelled "THANKS!" after she was complimented over your call!

Miles: Holy hell, you're RIGHT!

McKenna: I don't know why she'd do something like this...but then again I know so little about her I don't even know if I consider myself her friend.

Miles: Man, and just when I was starting to like her, too.

McKenna: I know you like me though.

Miles: I-huh? Y-MMPH!

McKenna kisses him full on the lips. She pulls back, leaving him dazed.

Miles: You- what- I- why did-

McKenna giggles.

McKenna: For luck, you cunt! Now let's go stop this Hitchcockian nightmare!

Miles giddily runs and stands up. The two run into the holding facility, only to find Hunter, Lorenzo, and Satori in holding facility cells, with a panicking Aires typing over the control panel.

McKenna: FUCK ME DEAD!

Miles: The jig is up, Olivia Octavius!

Aires: I..what?

McKenna: We know your game, you bloody drongo!

Aires: What the hell are you talking about?! Help me get them free!

Lorenzo, Satori, and Hunter are currently unconscious from the sleeping gas emitted in their cells.

McKenna: Enough!

McKenna activates a glowing concussive blast from her wristband, sending Aires flying next to an empty cell.

Aires: AAAH!

Miles: You're done for, Aires. We know what you've done, and we know what you're going to do.

Aires: You've...ack...got it..wrong..

Miles spots a blue USB on the ground that fell from her coat during the blast.

Miles: Gotcha now, bitch.

McKenna catches up a robot eagle in the air and hands it to Miles.

Robotic Eagle: LET GO OF ME!

Miles: Oh, shut up.

He strenuously searches for the USB port as the eagle struggles and plugs it in.

Miles: HAH!

The eagle continues to struggle.

Miles: Nothing happened...

Aires: BECAUSE IT DOESN'T GO IN THE EAGLES! IT'S ONLY DESIGNED TO FIT WITH MY FUCKING ARMS!

Miles: What?

A still lying down Aires raises her head.

Aires: It's...um...

Miles: What is it?

Aires: Code for an ASL program...

Miles: Huh?

Aires sighs.

Aires: My brother...he works for S.I.N.K Austria. He got into a fix during a mission a while back and he permanently lost his hearing. Not even a time rewind can reverse it.

Miles: Damn...

Aires: And because of this, I've really been wanting to learn ASL...but I've just never had the time! So I got an idea. I decided to make a program that would continuously teach itself ASL using knowledge obtained from the web.

McKenna walks and sympathetically stands next to Aires, who is still lying on the floor.

Miles: Jesus...now I feel like a gigantic asshole...

McKenna: Yeah.

McKenna kicks Aires. Hard. She flies right into the empty cell, and McKenna closes it shut.

Aires: Urk...no...

The cell fills up with sleeping gas. Aires slowly succumbs to her newfound drowsiness as her robo-arms bang on the cell floor.

Miles: MCKENNA! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

McKenna turns to Miles with a sinister smile.

Miles: No...you...YOU DID THIS! YOU RIGGED THE AI!

Miles: Wait...

*[MCKENNA CLANCY*

*Age: 31*

*Sex: Female*

*Nationality: Australian*

*Division: S.I.N.K Australia, O-94*

*Weapons and **Coding** Specialist]*

Miles: GODDAMMIT! I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE PAID ATTENTION TO THOSE!

McKenna: Oh Miles, you bugger...

Miles: Why. WHY?!

McKenna: Heh. Why?

She grins sinisterly and insanely.

McKenna: You don't get it, do you, Miles? Everything that AI said, I programmed it to say. I programmed to make it look like your usual bullshit sentient me-hates-all-humans type AI defect to throw you alllll off the trail. And it seems it worked.

Miles: That's not an answer to why, dipshit.

McKenna: You wanna know why? I'll fucking tell you why.

McKenna pulls out her Owen.

McKenna: You ever hear that little voice in your head, Miles? That voice that gives you a terrible, awful, idea? One that could destroy your reputation like that?

She snaps her fingers.

McKenna: That idea that's so terrible, so abhorrent that the other 95% of your brain shuts it down immediately?

Miles: What the fuck...

McKenna: We all have it, Miles. You do. I do. Satori, Hunter, Aires, Lorenzo, everyone. You ignore it, but it's there. Me, however? That voice just kept on shouting. Every day it grew louder, and louder, and LOUDER, to the point where the rest of my brain gave up in suppressing it.

Miles looks at her in heartbroken disgust.

McKenna: Face it, Miles. Humanity is inherently evil. No matter how much good any of us do, how many lives we save or how many people we change, at the end of the day, there will always be darkness lurking inside us. It will always be our inner instinct. All I'm doing...is letting it out.

Miles whips out Gabriel's Wing from the Quantum Backpack.

Miles: Maybe. Maybe you're right. Maybe humans are inherently evil. Perhaps that might even be a good thing. Because believe me, if I wasn't inherently an evil person, the battle that's about to happen would have a very different outcome.

McKenna: It hurts that I have to do this. I really did like you, Miles.

Miles: If I can't have the honor of taking your heart, the honor of taking your life will be just as sweet.

McKenna: My thoughts exactly!

She blasts her Owen at Miles, who blocks with Gabriel's Wing. The two then engage in a fierce fight, as McKenna uses her own blade against Gabriel's Wing. They slash and shoot at each other as stray bullets and feathers reflect off the walls.

McKenna: GIVE UP, MILES! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!

Miles: FUCK OFF, YOU WANKER!

McKenna uses her control-siphoning chestplate over Fowl 9000 to send in hundreds of birds into the jail cell. They all begin to swarm Miles.

Miles: NO!

McKenna: It's over, Miles. I tried to warn you. I tried to tell you. I extended my hand towards you. I wanted to be your friend! I WANTED TO STAY BY YOUR SIDE FOREVER!

Miles: Shut...the fuck...up..

He struggles to point Gabriel's Wing.

McKenna's voice begins to...change. It becomes more verberating and boosted in volume.

McKenna: I DID EVERYTHING! I TRIED TO SPARE YOU! BUT YOU DECIDED TO TURN YOUR BACK ON ME! TO TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR HUMANITY! YOUR NATURE!

Miles: No...I'm..stil..hum..an..

He points Gabriel's Wing at the closed jail cell behind her.

McKenna: NOW, YOU WILL JOIN ME IN ETERNITY, FOREVER FREEING HUMANITY FROM THE CHAINS OF SOCIETY, TO UNLEASH OUR TRUE NATURE AND MIND!

Miles: I don't...need..to know..

He fires Gabriel's Wing. A feather reflects off the jail cell door...and straight through McKenna's chest. The siphoning plate she was wearing to control the birds shatters.

Miles: Saving people is my true nature.

He runs over to McKenna's body. He can't help but feel grief over having fatally wounded her.

McKenna: Well...you did it, ace...you beat me.

Miles: McKenna...

McKenna: I'll admit...I was a bit of an arse...

Miles: Stop it. Stop.

McKenna: Don't worry.

She raises her hand and caresses his cheek with it.

McKenna: You'll remember me. Whether you want to or not.

Miles: I-...

McKenna: I'll see you again one day...yeah?

Her hand drops to the floor, and she dies. Miles punches the ground and yells in anger.

--2 DAYS LATER--

Hunter walks into B-53's office to find Aires fussing over paperwork.

Hunter: Aires, what did I say? Stop working yourself like a horse when you don't need to! I can do all this myself!

Aires: B-but the event of a dead agent is a big one, Hunter! Especially when she was a traitor and essentially caused a disaster big enough to use the Mindcleaner on the entire Earth, and I figured it was the least I could do for McKenna-

Hunter: AIRES!

Aires: Sorry....

He kneels down and puts his hands on her shoulders.

Hunter: I appreciate it, Aires, I really do. But Lorenzo and I both agree that you need a break! You've done so much for S.I.N.K, and for us. When's the last time anyone did anything for you?

Aires: Um...

Hunter: Exactly. So just leave this to me, ok?

Aires: I...ok.

She gets up and gives Hunter a small smile before leaving the office, only for Satori to come in right after.

Satori: Hunter! Is Miles-

Hunter: Over McKenna? No. Drinking? Yes.

Satori facepalms exasperatedly.

Satori: Fucking of course. He hasn't gotten off the bottle since that day. AND GIVING HIM ALL OUR BEST SCOTCH ISN'T HELPING!

Alistair, from far away: IF THE BLOKE IS GONNA DROWN HIS SORROW IN ALCOHOL IT SHOULD AT LEAST BE FUCKING GOOD!

Hunter: He's got a...point, you know.

Satori: Look, I tried getting something that'll cheer him up.

Hunter: What is it?

Satori: Well, the Summer Festival is coming up soon, and he's been always talking about how much he wanted to go back there...so...

She hands him three slips of paper. Hunter's eyes widen in surprise as the 3 slips are actually airline tickets to Haneda National Airport in Tokyo, Japan.

Elsewhere...

Miles is sitting in the empty break room, a bottle of scotch next to him. Soo-Jin walks in and sits beside him.

Miles: B-bubbles? What are you...

Soo-Jin: I was really worried about you...are you holding up ok? I heard about what happened with McKenna...

Miles: We had a connection, Bubbles...but then she turned on me...said a bunch of shit about how humans are inherently evil...and how she was just acting on her instinct...

Soo-Jin: It'll be ok, Miles. I promise you.

Miles slams the table, startling Soo-Jin.

Miles: Bubbles, how do you always manage to do this? How do you always give off so much radiance all the time...I've never seen you angry, or scared...I don't even think I've ever seen you cry...how d'you do it...

Soo-Jin gives him a sad smile and cups her hands on his cheeks.

Soo-Jin: I believe that a good mood is a human's primary emotion. Every single day I walk by so many people that don't have happiness as their default setting. Depression...rage...indifference...every single time, that's what they revert to right after they feel a semblance of another emotion. And on top of that...they surround themselves with likeminded people because they find comfort in the fact that others suffer the same way they do.

Miles: Bubbles...

Soo-Jin: My mom always told me that being just a tiny bit nicer can impact someone for years and years to come. So that's what I did. I was a shoulder to lean on for all my life, and it gave me nothing but friendship and joy in return. If I can't be that tiny shining ray of light in the darkness of so many lives...then no one will be. That's why I try my best to shine. I know people need my light.

Miles: Well, whatever it is you're doing...it sure as hell is working on me.

The two share a tight embrace.

THE END