text: [Themes: sci-fi, serious]
  
  Sure why not. People have fought wars over stupider shit than the attention of some young woman, besides if Miranda's willing to kill everyone just to be the only one left for Becky, its obvious she's pretty deranged. What would be stopping her from killing Becky too, if something went wrong their "relationship"? Miranda should be stopped just because she murdered Mark and Paul for that matter. Besides its like you told Xavier, you don't like running away if there's something you can do about it...and there's the fact that you don't buy Xavier's whole "I don't care" routine, not after taking a quick glance at some of his record logs of a couple private conversations he's had with Becky.
  
  You ask the Shelter something before continuing your discussion with Xavier; the Shelter says you didn't even need to ask, as it was doing it anyway. Nodding, you go back to talking with Xavier.
  
  OmegaMan23: I'm fighting her, and you should help me.
  Shadow21: I told you I don't see why I should risk my neck.
  OmegaMan23: Because if we work together we can easily take out Miranda, then we can work out our differences later.
  Shadow21: Our differences? I told you I don't...
  OmegaMan23: Cut the bullshit. I just glanced through some of your private record logs. In fact ALL of those private conversation were initiated by YOU!
  Shadow21: Fuck! I thought I erased them all!
  OmegaMan23: Yeah, well you didn't, I think it's obvious by the flirty comments that you DO have your eyes on Becky, though I don't know why you haven't made a committed move yet.
  Shadow21: Because of fucking Miranda that's why. I figured I'd buy myself some time for preparation if I didn't get properly involved with Becky. I figured maybe Miranda would attack you soon, but she hasn't yet, I guess she doesn't know who's the bigger threat yet, I'm pretty confident that she wants to get rid of both of us though.
  OmegaMan23: So let me guess, you're plan was either let me fight Miranda and probably let us fuck each other up while you finished off the winner OR scare me off completely and convince me to disconnect so then you'd only have to deal with Miranda. Am I right?
  Shadow21: Sadly that sounds about right. Although I still don't see how you're going to make me help you.
  OmegaMan23: Easy, because if you don't help me take Miranda down, I'm gonna send the whole record log to Miranda and I guarantee she'll attack you first and even if you disconnect she'll wait for you. So if you want ANY shot at Becky, you'll help me!
  Shadow21: Arrrgh! Alright, I'll help! You gotta gimme time to prepare though.
  OmegaMan23: Fine by me, I gotta prepare too. You got ten minutes; Miranda always comes online about this time so she should be here soon.
  
  You disconnect from Xavier and address the Shelter about that business you asked it before.
  
  "You said you recorded all that right?"
  "Of course sir."
  "Good send the entire conversation to Becky, it'll save me time to explain everything to her. Hopefully she'll realize I am trying to do this to protect her and to stop a murderer. Not mention it should expose Xavier for being a fucking opportunistic vulture too. Also add a message on to it that after she reads it there probably will be a bunch of shit going down and she should get off line so she doesn't get hit in the crossfire. And send Xavier's private record logs to Miranda anyway, it should give me some extra time to break through Miranda's protection while she concentrates her fury more on him."
  
  While the Shelter carries out your orders, you do some last minute checking on your firewalls while waiting for the fireworks to begin.
  
  Five minutes pass and you see Miranda's name arrive online.
  
  Another five minutes pass and you see a private window pop up from Xavier.
  
  Shadow21: YOU MOTHERFUCKER! YOU TOLD MIRANDA ANYWAY! SHE'S ATTACKING ME!
  OmegaMan23: Well I suggest you stop talking to me and concentrate on her then, besides you had ten minutes of prep Mr. tech wizard.
  
  "Alright Shelter, let's get to work."
  
  You attempt to hack Miranda's files, and start trying to break down her protection. While you're trying to decrypt the coding, you get another private window pop up. It's Miranda this time.
  
  MissKitty25: Fucking trying to sneak around huh? You and fucking Xavier think you can gang up on me? Well I can take the both of you fuckers! Try this, you backdoor bastard!
  
  Miranda sends a power surge and overloads some of your components, frying them. Some of your lighting goes out and you hear something explode in the living area but fortunately nothing else happens.
  
  "Shit!"
  "Some of my files have been destroyed sir, attempting to correct..."
  
  You concentrate on rebuilding your protection while Miranda focuses back on Xavier.
  
  Shadow21: What the fuck man? Are you even helping? My fucking shelter is getting shit on over here! Move in you dickhead! Attack the bitch!
  
  You ignore Xavier's plead when you see Becky log on.
  
  "Please. Please, read the damn message and get off as quick as you can..." you mutter, while launching your second assault on Miranda.
  "Sir, I have been monitoring Shadow21's shelter and it's running dangerously low on power, Miranda's apparently siphoning it. He probably won't survive another attack."
  "All he needs to do hold out a bit longer...there that should do something..."
  
  You send a virus to corrupt some of Miranda's systems, during this time you see Becky go offline.
  
  "Good girl." You say and start your next round of malicious coding. You notice Xavier's name has disappeared.
  
  MissKitty25: Xavier's fucking dead and you're next shithead! Don't think your weak ass virus is gonna stop me either!
  
  Another power surge hits you. This time ALL the lighting goes out, and you even get a couple sparks coming from the computer, you're lucky it didn't do more damage.
  
  > continue your attack
  She's doing a lot of bluster, but your Shelter has detected just how bad of shape she's really in, if you continue your attack she can't do anything about it. You send your attack and finally give her a last reply.
  
  OmegaMan23: Sorry Miranda, but as much as you'd like to be one, only I can be the Omega Man in this little war.
  
  You completely destroy what's left of Miranda's systems and you see her name disappear from the screen.
  
  That's it. You've won, but there was a high price. Your Shelter's AI has been severely damaged...
  
  "I fffffear that I ccccannnnnnot corrrrrrect...it wwwwas a pleasure serrrrving you ssssssir...."
  "Thank you Shelter." You say before it dies completely.
  
  You manually do an in-depth scan, and its definite, Miranda's shelter is powerless. Xavier's as well. You then proceed to start fixing some of the stuff that got damaged in the fight, and you're not sure you can. While you're doing this, someone appears online, you almost go into battle mode again, but then you see its just Becky.
  
  RockerChick20: Hello? Is there anyone there?
  OmegaMan23: Yeah, I'm still here, the others aren't though.
  RockerChick20: Are they dead?
  OmegaMan23: No, but without power they soon will be. Is your shelter working alright?
  RockerChick20: Oh yeah, it's working fine. What about yours?
  OmegaMan23: I dunno, it's not in the best condition...I might be able to fix it, but...well I can figure something out.
  RockerChick20: So...I guess you were right about the hacker...I should've listened to you. I was even starting to fall for Xavier's charms. I feel really stupid about all of this.
  OmegaMan23: Forget about it, it's all over now anyway.
  RockerChick20: I can't believe you were still willing to fight for me even after I broke up with you...why?
  OmegaMan23: Cause I'm an idiot obviously. Lol. Come on after all that time we spent together, it wasn't like it didn't mean anything to me, and Miranda was a killer that needed to be stopped. She might've even hurt you, if you didn't give in to her advances.
  RockerChick20: Nobody's ever done anything like this for me before...I never want you to leave again.
  OmegaMan23: Well unfortunately I might have to for awhile, my Shelter is fucked. I'm looking at it more now and I don't trust it lasting too much longer. The AI is completely fried, and I can only access the most basic things. I have to leave this shelter. It's not safe to stay.
  RockerChick20: No! I can't lose you now! I've just realized you're the best thing that's happened to me in my life, pre and post apocalypse!
  OmegaMan23: Calm down, I got an idea. I'm gonna track the location of your shelter, and then I'll just travel over there.
  RockerChick20: But...that's crazy! You don't know what's up top!
  OmegaMan23: Well I already took one crazy chance for you; I might as well take another, besides like I said I gotta leave anyway, at least this way I got a worthwhile destination. Now you just be sure to read up on your Shelter's internal operations in the meantime and try to see if you can access your elevator's controls so it'll open for me with no hassle, of course if you can't I'll figure out how to open when I get there somehow. Now I need to access your systems for a minute to get the location...and I hope I can still print out shit.
  
  You access Becky's shelter and get the coordinates and print out a crude map. It's not the most accurate, but you're pretty sure if you follow it, you'll be heading the right direction.
  
  OmegaMan23: Alright Becky, I'm calling my elevator down, and I'm leaving now.
  RockerChick20: You'll come looking for me won't you? I mean you won't get sidetracked once you're up there right?
  OmegaMan23: Of course not. And don't worry, I won't get killed either. We will meet in person sometime soon, I promise.
  
  A single small heart shape emoticon appears on the screen, before Becky logs off.
  
  You access the elevator controls (One of the few things working right and undamaged) and call the elevator to continue it's decent. You go back to your room and pack up all the things you brought with you when you first got here. You didn't even need most of the stuff, but maybe you will above ground. You then go to the water dispenser which is thankfully still working and fill up to empty bottles with water.
  
  The elevator door finally opens up and you put your bag to block the door from closing and head back to the computer room where you access the system to tell the elevator to go back up and then run back to the elevator where you gather your bag and enter.
  
  On the ride up you get a little nervous and even fearful. Not so much of what might await you on the surface, but of hoping the damn elevator doesn't suddenly stop, fortunately that doesn't happen and you eventually reach the ground once again. The door opens and you enter the same foyer you arrived in five years ago. Same ATM like machine is there, except its screen is flashing a single message at you.
  
  "No shit." You mutter and take a deep breath before opening the door to the outside.
  
  You see a bright light, but of course it's only the sun rather than a nuclear flash that devastated the world. You forgot how bright it really could be.
  
  Your immediate surroundings look relatively untouched. You can only assume there weren't any bombs falling near this area. You also see your van, you'd completely forgotten about it. It looks like it's even in worse condition than when you left it, which you never thought was possible. On a lark you take out your long unused van keys and try to start it up, naturally it doesn't even make a noise.
  
  "Looks like I'm walking."
  
  Looking at the map, you've got quite a ways to go. You're not sure of what to expect, but you know you've got a worthwhile destination to keep you going.