Phase 3: Bites of Deception

**Phase 3: Bites of Deception** is a saga of the dystopian science fiction, *Project: Tr!dok3n*. It ran on January 29, 2019 to April 27, 2019 with chapters published on DeviantArt. This saga describes the investigation over a Zeeko-funded fast-food chain that is said to be using human corpses to make "special" sandwich meat. Chronologically, this saga succeeds the events of the second saga and the spin-off of the main series.

## Summary

Tr!dok3n and his friends are concerned about the workings of a Zeeko-funded fast-food chain called the BurGarden. They end up discovering a series of twists, including the restaurant owner's true identity. Meanwhile, Sladerik and some police officers within the task force talk about a possible plan to free the prisoners from Zeeko's prisons.

## Full Plot

Tr!dok3n and Vic are training for future confrontations with Zeeko, which ended with the shuriken-bearing rebel giving up. The chameleon neo-human suggested to make use of one's surroundings to prevent energy usage from one's given capabilities. The shuriken cyborg was then invited to move in with Vic's group. When nighttime came, Haylie and Tr!dok3n made passionate love, feeling as if they needed to relax as hard as they can fight.

Meanwhile, at the Redband Agenda clubhouse, B.M. contemplated about her time as a member of Murre's gang, until Gatz appeared to have a conversation with her. Observing his actions, the wolf neo-human decided that Murre's club drinks were drugged, allowing the members to become submissive to Murre's demands.

At some other part of the North American Union, a job seeker was greeted by a man with a prosthetic arm, whose name is Larvio. Due to terrible environmental conditions, the job seeker stayed close as he wandered through this eerie factory. This factory appeared to be a slaughterhouse with human corpses hanging on chains, much to the job seeker's horror.

The next day, Vic's group enjoyed a breakfast meal while they heard latest news reports about protests against the BurGarden, a peculiar fast-food chain that sold so-called special meat to attract customers. Gavin confessed he had a sandwich with the meat tasting like men's cologne. Vic has a suspicion that the restaurant is a ploy to help with the world depopulation agenda, and Tr!dok3n believed Zeeko could be supporting the establishment. The gang decided to pursue an investigation.

At the Zeeko Headquarters, Jerome had decided to resign from the corporation after the events he went though, including the time when he witnessed Tr!dok3n suffering in a glass box and Sladerik attempted to rescue Shar from a pit of molten iron. Feeling that he had enough of Zeeko's wicked antics, especially Florence's, the former computer programmer berated the chairman, then left the building, leaving Florence and his robot butler in shock.

Tr!dok3n and Vic originally planned to enter a location of the BurGarden chain, until they were immediately recognized as Zeeko's wanted criminals. The shuriken misfit suggested to let Haylie enter the restaurants herself while she spends time with her father. In the meantime, the boys decide to keep training with their special quirks. Later that day, Tr!dok3n had rescued Jerome who recently moved to an apartment. The ex-Zeeko employee was threatened by Abby and her group of masked officers. Even though he can sense Jerome being ungrateful, Tr!dok3n affirmed he can make the ex-Zeeko employee one of his allies.

During a restroom break from a road trip, Haylie discovered through the BurGarden's posters that the establishment was indeed owned by Zeeko. She was then approached by two girls, who were associated with B.M. They argued whether or not they should attack her, or simply tell the crimson cyborg to meet with the neo-human in person.

Sladerik and Officer Walker are assigned a task by Officer Ziggery to search for Coach Ige, under suspicion that he can be a Zeeko agent like Officer Abil was weeks ago. When they arrested some criminals up in Canada, they were suddenly greeted by Florence and his posse of masked men. Along with them appeared Coach Ige, who declared that his job at Nexus Labs was temporary, all to monitor the crowd for possible anti-Zeeko tendencies.

Haylie reluctantly kept her word to meet up with B.M. At the bowling center, the wolf neo-human explained her experience as one of Murre's members and revealed that her recent behavior was nothing more than an act to spy on the leader. In reality, she considered herself as a cyborg misfit with a concealed dislike towards Zeeko. Haylie was surprised to hear all of this.

At the BurGarden factory, Larvio's stepson, Oscar, pleaded to have the operations terminated, as he felt they have too much negative reception from their target customers. In response, Larvio scolds his stepson that what they're doing is good for them, and he reminded Oscar that if he agreed to his ideas, he shouldn't be complaining. Mentally defeated, Oscar resumes shipping boxes of chopped human corpses into transport trucks.

After rescuing Jerome again, this time from Murre and Gatz's harassment towards him, Tr!dok3n learned of the real Larvio who went missing since the inauguration of the BurGarden chain. Tr!dok3n and Vic head over to the factory to confront the main owner of the restaurant chain. They meet a heavyset man named Larvio who testified that he was believed to be missing, confirming the striped cyborg's findings. Tr!dok3n, Vic, and Larvio meet the old man who claimed to be "Larvio", but his real name turned out to be Phillip Paige, a cannibal who butchered human corpses to make meat products for his restaurant business. Just when the heroes planned to go home, the boys meet with Haylie and B.M. Catching everybody off-guard, Paige revealed to be a protected Zeeko agent, who schemed for the cyborgs to show up, so Zeeko's police could capture them.

Of course, the cyborgs wouldn't back down without a fight. Tr!dok3n was suddenly attacked a newly built SAM-02, which can actually taunt its targets at free will. The automated vocal patterns belonged to Modos, which surprised the shuriken cyborg. When Tr!dok3n survived his clash with Zeeko's repaired robot, he reunited with his comrades. With the help of the Independent Task Force, Oscar and Paige are arrested, and the surviving victims of Paige's kidnapping were set free. Among these survivors is Vic's transgender friend, who understood his true feelings. Lizanna wishes Vic good luck with B.M., then leaves.

Few days later, Merrick Larvio had opened a restaurant after granted the permission to redo the BurGarden's management using its funds to hire a crew, cyborg and neo-human alike. Among the small wave of customers are Tr!dok3n, Haylie, Vic, and Shannon. Dr. Acewood, Shar, and Sladerik also came around to dine in. Also entering the restaurant is Jerome, who began to take a hint of liking to Shannon. Dr. Acewood suggested that once Zeeko is officially defeated, Tr!dok3n and Haylie can coach newer cyborg patients on how to defend themselves using their given bionic capabilities.

At the Zeeko headquarters, Florence encountered two scenarios; Z-Ro and his sudden ability to think for himself and *disobey* his master, and a mysterious phone call who recognized his plans to control the population of the Obedient New Earth. Perhaps Zeeko World Security's endgame has just begun...

## Other Facts

* This saga has inspiration from a dystopian science fiction, *Soylent Green*.
* This describes the turning point for Jerome as an employee of Zeeko. Because of the events in *Wanted: Sladerik*, he had enough of the wickedness of Florence, so he resigned.
* Like *Wanted: Sladerik*, this saga revealed characters switching sides of allegiance. As an exception, B.M. was never evil to begin with. She was undercover for Stanley (also known as Vic) and exaggerated her acting to convince everybody around her, especially Haylie and Tr!dok3n.
* The title of the saga references the focus on the BurGarden, a fictional fast-food chain.