Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.
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Morgan and I are walking on Myrddin's left side, while Bazett is on his right.
Barghest and Leonidas are walking ahead of us.
Joan is keeping an eye on Tattletale. And Sasaki is to keep an eye on them.
From what I saw, Tattletale is the kind of person who enjoys to poke at other people.
Joan is the last person you want to do that to.
Arash is jumping between rooftops, keeping an eye out.
Thrud, Ortlinde, and Hildr are floating high above us, awaiting the signal to rush towards Medhall.
It's going to take a few minutes before we arrive at our destination.
Let's see if Myrddin wants to have a quick talk.
"Can we talk?" I asked.
Myrddin hums, "Thought you were never going to ask."
Tattletale casts a curious glance our way, clearly wanting to be part of it.
Before she can say anything, Joan grabs the back collar of her costume and drags her away from us.
"Come on, pipsqueak," Joan said.
Tattletale lets out a yelp, "Wow! What are you-hey! Hey! Let me go!"
Joan ignores all of her complaints.
With a swift motion, Morgan conjures a shimmering dome of magical energy that envelops the four of us in an instant, silencing the surroundings and shielding our presence from prying eyes.
"You're a magus," I said flatly.
"So are you," Myrddin equally flat.
"Honestly, I'm still deciding if I should be shocked that you have been telling the truth to the entire world or be mad at myself for not seeing this coming," I said.
"Says the guy that is using it as his cape name. Isn't that right, Magus?" Myrddin teased.
I shrug in response.
It was the first thing that came to mind, and I had more important things to focus on.
"Why are you here?" Morgan asked.
Myrddin chuckles, "I'm certain that you guys have a good idea on why."
"I see," I hum. "Will this impact future interactions between Chaldea and the PRT/Protectorate?"
"Only if Chaldea starts to cause havoc, bring harm to innocents, and break the laws. You know, things that we stop daily," Myrddin shrugs.
Oh boy.
The PRT/Protectorate is going to be very surprised at Halloween and Christmas.
Good thing that there are no holy grails around.
...I'm going to talk with Da Vinci later.
Just to make sure.
Myrddin turns to Bazett.
"Is there something wrong? Cause that's a pretty intense glare," Myrddin said.
"You revealed your status as a magus," Bazett said with a heavy frown.
"I did," Myrddin said unbothered.
Bazett's eye twitches, "Why in the world would you do that?"
"That's simple. Cause it's hilarious watching people's reactions when they realize that I'm telling the truth!" Myrddin with a shitting eating grin.
"What!?" Bazett and I said at the same time.
Morgan glances at him with a raised eyebrow.
"At first, I would only tell close friends, but with the emergence of parahumans, I got curious to see if anyone would be able to tell that I'm not one. Then it became kinda of an inside joke. The PR team even started to promote this as a gimmick of mine," Myrddin said, amused.
Bazett is right, he's fucking crazy.
"What happens when someone figures it out?" I asked.
"Nobody wants to be the one that says that the occult is real, so they don't say anything!" Myrddin said with a hearty laugh.
"How are you alive!?" Bazett demands. "The Mage Association would never accept this breach of secrecy for such a petty reason!"
"Mage Association? Who are they?" Myrddin asked curiously.
Huh?
Bazett falters in shock for a second, then quickly regains her composure.
"I know quite a few of the magical organizations, but never heard of them," Myrddin scratches his beard. "Or perhaps I did and am not remembering right now. Could you tell me more about this Mage Association? It might jog my memory."
"Hum, they are located in London, composed of multiple departments, focus on concealing and developing magecraft, founded around the Middle Ages," I said.
Myrddin stays silent for a few moments.
"The only organization that I know in London that fits that description is the Arcanum," Myrddin said.
That name doesn't ring a bell.
This Arcanum could be my world's equivalent of the Mage Association.
"Are you certain of that name?" Myrddin asked.
"Yes, but it has also been some time since we had contact with them," Bazett said, making up an excuse.
Myrrdin nods, "Perhaps one of the smaller organizations decided to change names, and I'm not aware of it."
There's more than one in London?
I have so many questions, and we don't have the time for it.
Damn it.
"Does the PRT know that you're a magus?" I asked.
Let's keep the conversation going.
"I'm the one who introduced them to the moonlit world," Myrddin said.
Okay, I wasn't expecting that.
Bazett blinks in surprise, "Why?"
Myrddin scratches his head, "Well, with how the world is slowly going down the drain, I thought that maybe combining parahuman powers with magecraft could give us an edge to turn things around."
That's not a bad plan.
Da Vinci is also interested in the result of mixing both of them.
"How is that going?" I asked.
Myrddin makes a so-so gesture, "It's a work in progress."
"Not all of the PRT/Protectorate know about your status, correct?" Morgan asked.
"What makes you think that?" Myrddin glances at Morgan.
"The ENE branch lacks the basic protections against the mystics, and none of its members gave any indication that they are aware of mystics. They truly believe that my husband is just another parahuman," Morgan explains.
"Yeah, we're going to have to fix that," Myrddin said, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. Then, with a smirk, he nudges me, "By the way, congratulations. You've got yourself one hell of a beauty right there."
I rub my neck in embarrassment as Morgan smiles beautifully.
"You know, I've been answering your questions, how about I ask a question this time. It's only fair, don't you think?" Myrddin said.
He's dodging the question, but he has been cooperative.
"Go ahead," I said.
"Your servants...are they truly heroic spirits?" Myrddin asked grimly.
"Yes," I said flatly.
Myrddin shakes his head in disbelief.
"Unbelievable. I have heard of the legends, but to have so many in one place. This is unprecedented," Myrddin said.
It really is.
Chaldea is the only place where you can find so many servants in one place.
"Hm, it does make one curious as to why someone would feel the need to summon so many heroic spirits. Yes, very curious," Myrddin nods to himself.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Which makes me wonder what Chaldea's purpose is?" Myrddin asked gravely.
"Our mission is to safeguard humanity against any threats that might bring its extinction," I said.
"Like the Endbringers?" Myrddin asked.
"Yes. We're going to kill the Enbringers and then deal with the rest of the S-class threats," I said.
"Hoh, that's a bold claim. Many have said the same and failed," Myrddin said.
Morgan scoffs, "Don't compare us to the rabble. Where they have come short, we will thrive."
"I see..." Myrddin hums thoughtfully.
"By the way, do you know what the Endbringers are?" Bazett asked.
"That's the million-dollar question, girlie," Myrddin said.
"What about the Arcanum? Do they know?" I asked.
Myrddin shrugs in response, "If they do, they haven't told anyone."
Something to check later.
"We are arriving," Morgan said.
Myrddin frowns, "What a shame. I was enjoying this talk of ours."
"How about we continue this later at Somer's Rock," I offered.
This conversation is far from over.
"Around noon?" Myrddin asked.
"Deal," I said.
The world returns to normal as Morgan dispels the dome.
Hm?
"What's with her?" I asked.
Tattletale is kneeling, a hand pressed on her mouth, visibly battling the urge to vomit.
"She tried to spy on your conversation. I told her not to, but she didn't listen," Sasaki explains.
"Ooh, what's the matter, pipsqueak? Bitten more than you can chew?" Joan smirks mockingly.
"Fuck yo-UGH!" Tattletale couldn't contain herself any longer and vomited.
Joan burst out laughing at Tattletale's misfortune.
Well, it's her fault for not listening to Sasaki.
"Here you go, girlie," Myrddin said, inscribing a rune before Tattletale.
She glows for a second and looks considerably better.
Not bad.
I'm curious about his usage of runes and how they relate to the portals that he has access to.
It's a shame that the ruby is out of power, or I would summon Scathach. She would be interested in Myrddin runes.
Another time, then.
We're positioned behind the golems, while across the street stands an army of clones. At the forefront of their formation is Spartan, accompanied by the other two capes.
"Fuck, that's a lot of them," Tattletale grimced as she slowly gets up.
Not for long, though.
"Do it," I order Hassan.
In an instant, all the clones burst like balloons, vanishing so suddenly that the Gesellschaft capes are left stunned, glancing around as they try to understand what had just happened.
"Much better," I said.
The Valkyries rush towards Medhall at breakneck speed, slamming into the building within seconds.
Leonids steps forward, drawing the attention of the Gesellschaft's capes.
"Step forward and face me! You shall pay for the audacity to dress as one of my soldiers and bring shame to Sparta!" Leonidas roars, thrusting his spears toward Spartan, eyes blazing with fury.
Spartan leans back in surprise, then plants his feet and steadies himself.
"And who the hell are you supposed to be!?" Spartan shouts.
"I'm Leonidas I, king of Sparta! Now come and face your punishment!" Leonidas shouts back.
Spartan roars as his upper-body muscles grow with power. He lunges foward like a missile, fist cocked backa, aiming to punch Leonidas's head clean off.
Leonidas braces himself and raises his shield.
Spartan slams a powerful haymaker into Leonidas' shield, the impact ringing out like thunder down the street.
Though the strike was powerful, Leonidas remained firm.
Spartan unleashes a relentless storm of fists, each strike faster and harder than the last. The air cracks with the force of his assault, but Leonidas doesn't flinch. Blow after brutal blow lands, yet he holds his ground, standing like a fortress amid the storm.
Seeing how his attacks are having no effect, Spartan swiftly changed tactics.
He jumps two meters away and lunges at Leonidas, intending to tackle him to the ground. In a split second, Leonidas counts by thrusting his spear forward, finding its mark as it impales through Spartan's stomach.
Gasping, Spartan spats out a glob of blood, desperation fueling his next move. With a fierce grip, he clamps a hand around the spear impaled in his gut, refusing to let Leonidas pull it free. His other hand shoots towards Leonidas's throat, aiming to crush his windpipe in a final, savage counterattack.
Leonidas slams his shield forward, knocking aside Spartan's hand just before it could reach his throat. Leonidas draws his arm back, then drives the shield into Spartan chest with brutal force, shattering the breastplate. In the same motion, he yanks his spear free from Spartan's stomach and raises his foot, delivering a vicious frontal kick that launches Spartan straight into a three-story building.
The impact shatters every window and sends tremors through the building that last for a few seconds, leaving cracks spider-webbed across its surface.
Good things that wasn't a residential building.
The other two Gesellschaft capes still have to make a move.
It's obvious that what happened to the clones and Spartan left them on edge. They keep glancing at each other nervously.
"You two still have time to surrender," Myrddin said.
They exchange one last look before turning their hateful gazes on us.
"Suits yourselves then," Myrddin shrugs.
"...I just realized that we don't know the name of those two," I said, blinking.
"The one in full body armor is called Bulwark, and the other one is Mireblade," Myrddin said. "We were able to find out their names. Both of them are newbies."
"Huh, okay," I shrug.
It doesn't really matter at this point.
Sasaki decides to take the initiative and steps toward Mireblade. She glares intensely at him before drawing her sword and swinging in a wide arc, aiming to strike him down. Sasaki effortlessly deflects the blow.
Man, she has no idea how to use a sword.
There is no grace nor technique in the way she fights. She just swings her sword around like it's a club, trying to overwhelm Sasaki in sheer ferocity.
Unfortunately for Mireblade, that kind of tactic will never work against someone who has reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship like Sasaki.
Mirablade lunges forward, aiming to drive her sword straight through Sasaki's chest, but he slips aside with effortless grace. She gasps with wide eyes. Mirablade contorts herself, desperate to protect herself, but it is already too late.
Sasaki's sword blurred in motion, each strike too fast to follow, a storm of steel crashing down on her. For a heartbeat, Mirablade doesn't move, then crimson lines bloom across her body. Blood erupts in every direction as the cuts are torn open all at once.
She falls to the ground, and a pool of blood quickly forms underneath her.
"NO!" Bulwark shouts in distress.
She tries to rush forward, but Bazett intercepts her.
Bulwark snaps up an energy shield around herself in a flash, but it's useless. Bazett barrels through it with a brutal right hook, the impact destroying the shield and sending a shockwave through the air. Stunned, Bulwark staggers back, and Bazett goes for the kill. She seizes Bulwark's face in a crushing grip and drives her head into the ground with bone-jarring force, smashing a small crater into the ground from the sheer force of the blow.
"Shiiiit," Tattletale whispered with wide eyes.
Yeah, Bazett dosen't fuck around.
"Well, that's that," I said.
Arash rejoins us.
Tattletale swallows heavily, "Is Hydra..."
"He's dead," I said bluntly.
Tattletale nods slowly as she gains a thoughtful look on her face.
"I swear, powers like his only ended in the hands of villains. Of all the ways it can be used, Hydra just spams enough clones to overwhelm its enemies. Such a waste," Myrddin shakes his head.
"What would you use it for?" Bazett asked.
Myrddin looks at Bazett with a straight face, "I would use them to do all my paperwork so I can focus on other matters."
Bazett hums, "That's not a bad idea."
"I would also use them to clean my house, buy groceries, do the laundry, and all that," Myrddin said, listing what he would use a clone for.
"Okay, now you're just being lazy," Barghest raised an eyebrow.
"And? Tell me one person that wouldn't use clones to make their life easier," Myrddin said.
"He does have a point," Joan crosses her arms as she thinks how easier it would be to draw manga with clones.
"Hey, master, take a look at this," Sasaki hands me the Mirablade sword.
It's a one-handed sword featuring a lime green hilt...with a button embedded in the handle.
I press the button, and the swords start to vibrate lightly.
"Tinker tech," I said.
So that's how she destroyed the golems so easily.
"Hassan, take this to Da Vinci," I said.
In the next moment, the sword disappears from my hand.
Myrddin hums in interest, while Tattletale looks around rapidly in confusion.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
Explosions are happening on the last floor of Medhall.
Reinforcing my eyes, I catch brief flashes of light and notice metal spears jutting out from some windows.
"New Wave is fighting Kaiser." Arash looks intently at the fight.
Thought so.
"Why was Kaiser on the last floor?" Myrddin asked curiously.
"That's his office. Most likely, he was transferring money to offshore accounts to rebuild the Empire later," Tattletale theorizes.
"Hmm, and what would be his escape plan?" Bazett asked.
"He would switch to his civilian identity, act all sacred and say something like Kaiser is long gone or something like that," Tattletale said confidently.
That would have worked if I hadn't revealed Kaiser's identity.
"She's right. Kaiser tried to do that, transfer his money," Hassan said.
"Tried?" I asked.
"I cut the internet in the building to stop him from doing that. Not before using the pendrive with the virus that Moriarty gave me," Hassan said.
"Let me guess: it was designed to steal money from Kaiser accounts and any documents that will facilitate us acquiring Medhall," I said, taking a guess.
"Exactly. And it looks like Kaiser is the one who did those transitions," Hassan said.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
"...let's pick up our pace, shall we?" Myrddin asked.
"Yeah, let's," I said.
At that rate, New Wave might bring down the building.
It takes a few minutes to get to Medhall.
The Valkyries, Chevalier, and Rime are in front of the building.
Chavalier and Rime are guarding some grunts of the Empire, and...is that Fenja?
Why's she still alive?
Thrud, Ortlinde, and Huldr approach us with sour expressions.
"What happened?" I raised an eyebrow.
"That coward didn't have the guts to face us and surrendered before we make her pay for disrespecting the Allfather," Hildr spat.
Ortlinde and Thrud frown heavily.
Ah, that will do it.
Chevalier approaches us.
"Hey, is anyone hurt?" Chevalier asked.
"No, we're good. Where's the rest?" I asked.
"Assault, Battery, Miss Militia, and Dauntless are dealing with some grunts. It shouldn't take them long to get here. Armsamster and Dragon went to help New Wave as they were worried that if their fight continued any longer-"
BOOM!!!!!
The last floor of Medhal erupts in a violent explosion, sending debris hurling through the air. Cracks spiderweb across the structure with alarming speed, every window shattering into a shower of glass. The building groans and creaks as it starts to fall apart.
"It's coming down!" Joan shouts.
Morgan swifly conjures a shimmering shield, enveloping everyone in a protective dome. Without hesitation, she summons multiple glowing magic circles above it. In a blinding flash, beams of radiant light erupt from the circles, tearing through the sky. One by one, the incoming debris is obliterated midair, each impact lighting up the street. The barrage lasts for a couple of seconds before stopping.
Some of the buildings around us sustained damage from the debris that wasn't destroyed. Thankfully, none of them were destroyed.
What's left of Medhal is on fire.
"Armsmaster, Dragon, what's your status!?" Chevalier asked urgently, using his earpiece. "I repeat. Armsmaster, Dragon, what's your status!?"
Something heavy lands to our left.
It's a suit of armor about three meters tall, covered in scales and a dragon-like face.
Oh, so that's one of Dragon suits.
She's holding Armsmaster in a bridal carry.
"We're fine," Dragon said, putting down Armsmaster.
"What happened?" Bazett asked.
"I don't know. We were about to reach the last floor before the explosion happened," Armsmaster coughs a few times.
"Wait, where's New Wave?" Dragon asked, scanning our surroundings.
"O-over here," Someone said weakly.
Manpower is moving a piece of debris they used as a shield to the side.
I hiss at New Wave states.
Manpower is covered head to toe in cuts, with a spear lodged in his left thigh. Flashbang also has cuts all over his body, and the left side of his torso is covered in second-degree burns.
Brandish lies on the ground, unconscious, with cuts scattered all over her body, but the real problem is the spear lodged in her stomach. There's already a pool of blood under her.
Photon Lady is leaning against a piece of debris; her arms, chest, and the left side of her face are covered in second-degree burns.
"Morgan!" I said quickly.
Morgan creates a magical circle beneath New Wave, and in the blink of an eye, a gentle green light envelops them. Slowly, their wounds begin to heal.
"Brandish s-she needs-ugh," Lady Photon couldn't speak anymore.
"Save your energy," Dragon said gently.
She applies some kind of gel to Lady Photon Burns.
Morgan and Barghest walk to Brandish side.
Barghest gently grips the spear and begins to pull it out with as much care as possible. Once it's out of Brandish's stomach, Morgan casts a more powerful healing spell to mend the wound and repair her internal injuries.
Flashband grunts in pain as Arash helps him to move, "Is she-"
"She is out of danger but needs a blood transfusion," Morgan said.
Flashbang nods in relief.
"How powerful is your healing?" Rime asked.
"More than enough to heal their wounds," Morgan said.
"Just to be safe, we're still taking New Wave to the hospital," Armsmaster said.
"That isn't needed, but do as you please," Morgan shrugs.
I turn to the valkyries, "Give them a hand."
Thrud, Ortlind, and Hildr nod and move to help transport New Wave.
What a mess.
Tattletale taps my shoulder.
"What?" I asked.
Tattletale leans closer, "I get that it isn't the best of moments, but I need to talk to you," she said low enough so that only I would hear.
"Then talk," I raised an eyebrow.
"I can't do that here," Tattletale said.
"Whatever it is, you can say right here," I said, annoyed.
"No, I can't," Tattletale said strongly as she briefly glanced at the Protectorate.
I narrow my eyes.
"What the hell is it?" I asked.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for information on someone that is way more dangerous than everyone thinks," Tattletale looks straight into my eyes. "Now, can we get some privacy or not?"
I keep looking at her for a few seconds.
Damn it.
"Morgan, Joan, Bazett, with me," I said.
"We're going to take a look around. See if there are any more grunts or any injured civilians," I said.
"Okay," Chevalier turns to everyone else. "We need to move the rubble so that the fire trucks can get here!"
Everyone starts to clean the street of rubble, as Joan, Morgan, Bazett, Tattletale, and I leave the area.
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About ten minutes later, we found a secluded place to talk.
"We got some privacy. Now talk," I cross my arms.
"Whoa there, let's slow down a little. After all that has happened, let me take a minute to gather my thoughts," Tattletale said.
Joan narrows her eyes, "You better start talking or we're leaving," she threatens.
"Okay, okay, geez. A girl can't catch a break these days," Tattletale takes a deep breath. "Coil is a lot more dangerous than everyone thinks."
"How so?" I asked.
"He's a sadistic bastard who tortures and kills anyone who gets in his way. There's nothing that he won't do to further his plans. In fact, he wanted me to find your identity," Tattletale said gravely.
I place my hand on the revolver, Joan lights her hand on fire, Bazett clenches her fists, and Morgan's eyes start to glow softly.
"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait! I swear I didn't find it!" Tattletale raises her hands in panic.
"Morgan," I said.
Morgan creates a small crystal on her hand.
"What did you find about me and Chaldea?" I demanded.
"I couldn't find anything! Just a bunch os speculations that went nowhere!" Tattletale said.
The crystal glows blue.
"What about Coil?" I asked.
"As far as I know, he also doesn't know anything. Cause, trust me, if he did, he would have already sent his men to kidnap your family," Tattletale said.
The crystal glows blue.
Joan, Morgan, Bazett, and I ease our stances.
Tattletale lets her arms drop limply to her side and falls on her ass, struggling to steady her breathing.
"I'm...going to need a minute," Tattletale said, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Yeah, sure," I rub my neck.
After a minute, she gets up.
"You work for him," Morgan stated.
"What can I say? It's hard to say no when you are being held at gunpoint," Tattletale spat.
"Gunpoint?" Joan frowns.
"Oh yeah. I was checking out Brockton Bay, still deciding if I should stay or go somewhere else before one of Coil's men took me to him," Tattletale said.
"What about your family?" Bazett asked.
"I haven't talked to them in years, and I'd like to keep that way," Tattletale said with a displeased expression.
Bazett raises an eyebrow, "If you say so," she shrugs.
"Does he know the identity of any of the capes in Brockton Bay?" I asked.
Tattletale chuckles mirthlessly, "Oh, you're going to love this. You see, a few months ago, Coil ordered me to fact-check a dossier that he was working on for some time," she leans closer. "It was a list of every Empire cape secret identity that he had found out."
"What?" I hiss.
"Yeah, Coil dosen't give a crap about the unwritten rules," Tattletale said.
"The hell did he want that for? Blackmail?" Joan asked.
Morgan shakes her head, "Kaiser was far too prideful to let something like that stand. He would have used all his resources to find the culprit. The consequences are far greater than the benefits."
"Perhaps Coil was planning to give to the Protectorate and let them do all the work as he reaps the benefits," Bazett said.
"Making others do his dirty work is his style, but something is missing. He wouldn't spend so much of his time and resources just to give the dossier to the Protectorate," Tatteltale said.
I'm going to talk with Moriarty later. He can figure out what Coil was planning.
"You didn't want to talk with the Protectorate around. Why's that?" I asked.
"Simple, I would be dead within the hour the moment they reported what we're talking about," Tattletale said.
"Which one is the mole?" Morgan narrows her eyes.
Tattletale shakes her head, "It's not the heroes that are the problem. It's their internal system."
Crap.
"How compromised are they?" Bazett asked with a frown.
"So much that it's actually ridiculous. There are these back-doors that give Coil complete access to the PRT/Protectorate database," Tattletale said.
"Okay, how did Coil do all that and still stay under everyone's radar all these years?" I asked.
"Coil is a Thinker," Tattletale said flatly.
So he's a parahuman.
"What can he do?" Joan asked.
"Now that's going to cost you," Tattetale said with a sly, fox-like grin.
"What do you want?" I cross my arms.
"I need protection. Like, I would like to have one of your servants as a bodyguard. Coil is going to kill me when he figures out what I'm doing," Tattetale said. "And include the rest of the Undersiders too!" she adds quickly.
That's easy.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"Yes, you need to move fast. Now that the ABB and Empire are done for, Coil knows he's next in the chopping block, so he's fleeing the city," Tattletale said. "You can't let him leave under any circumstances," she said strongly.
Joan hums, "You really want him dead."
"That bastard keeps tormenting me with all the threats of what he will do if I ever disobey him," Tattetale clenches her fists.
"Hassan," I said.
Hassan appears next to Tattletale and lets out a tiny squeak of surprise.
"Hassan is going to take you home, and you're going to give her everything you have on Coil. Then she will take you to the hotel," I said.
"Huh, how secure is this hotel?" Tattletale asked.
"It's the safest place in the city," I said.
"Oookay," Tattletale said, uncertain.
Hassan takes Tattletale to her home.
I pinch my nose.
"Well, we were right about Coil being more than meets the eye," Morgan said.
"Moriarty is going to be interested in this," Bazett said.
"Okay, let's go home. I still have to meet with Myrddin tomorrow," I said.
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