The group met back up at the rusty ship. Erin brought a few helpers along to fix the ship and was shouting orders as soon as they got there. Ava walked up to Twilight, her eyes widening.
"Oooh! You look just like Captain Shadow Paw now!" she chirped.
Twilight looked in the reflection of a puddle a slightly smirked to himself. "Well...I didn't notice that. I guess I do look like that son of a bitch."
Twilight pulled at his collar, and looked at Orion. "First thing when this ship gets fixed, I want you to teach me how to fly a spaceship. You guys want fun?"
Twilight's smirk widened. "I'll give you fun. The real Shadow Paw won't know what's coming for him."
Erin stomped past, barking orders at the workers as they hauled supplies onto the ship. "Less standing around, more making yourselves useful! If this ship doesn’t get off the ground soon, we’re all sleeping in a scrapyard tonight!"
Ava practically vibrated with excitement, her wings fluttering. “Ooooh, this is gonna be so good! We’re gonna out-Shadow Paw the real Shadow Paw!”
"I guess I could teach you a few lessons," Orion mumbled.
Twilight clapped Orion on the shoulder. “Good. Because if I’m gonna be mistaken for Shadow Paw everywhere I go, I might as well make it useful.”
Ava grinned, throwing an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “Y’know, this is the first time I’ve seen you actually embrace the whole ‘criminal mastermind’ vibe. I like it.”
Erin snorted as she walked by. “Yeah, yeah, real inspiring. Just don’t crash the damn ship when you start playing pilot, got it?”
Twilight smirked. “No promises.”
Orion, suddenly looking more nervous than usual, tugged at his jacket. “Uh, m-maybe we should start with the basics first? Like… how not to crash?”
Ava waved a wing. “Pfft. Crash courses are the best way to learn! Right, Twilight?”
Twilight chuckled, his red eyes gleaming. “Absolutely.”
Erin sighed, rubbing her temples. “I swear, if you break something I just fixed, I’m making you do the next round of repairs.”
“Deal,” Twilight said without hesitation.
Erin raised an eyebrow. “Wait, really?”
Twilight shrugged. “I like working with my hands.”
Ava gasped dramatically. “Twilight, are you… are you actually cool now?”
Twilight rolled his eyes. “I’ve always been cool.”
Orion whispered, “Debatable.”
Ava cackled. “I love this version of you.”
Twilight smirked, adjusting his new coat. “Then buckle up, because I’m just getting started.”
"Whoop whoop! Captain Shadow Paw is back baby!" Ava cawed excitedly.
Erin glanced over at the group, shaking her head but smiling. "You guys are way too excited for your own good. Just remember, this ship isn’t a toy. We get it off the ground in one piece, and I’ll start believing in the whole 'Shadow Paw' act."
Ava flapped her wings. "Oh, you’ll see, Erin! Twilight's got this! We're gonna out-smart, out-fly, and out-style the real Shadow Paw!"
Orion, still uncertain, adjusted his jacket again. "Uh, just... remember to start slow? I don't think anyone's ready for a full-blown intergalactic criminal mastermind just yet..."
Twilight shot him a grin. "Well, they better be, because that’s what’s happening." He turned to Erin. “Don’t worry, Erin. You won’t even hear the ship's engines screeching until we're already in the stars.”
Erin didn’t seem convinced, her expression serious as she watched the workers hustle around, fixing various parts of the ship. “Just don’t make me regret it. You might think you’ve got this whole Shadow Paw vibe, but you better know what you’re doing up there, or I’m locking you out of the cockpit.”
"Won’t happen," Twilight replied with quiet confidence, his red eyes flashing. “Trust me, Erin. I’ll be a better Shadow Paw than he ever was.”
Ava raised a wing to her face, dramatically pretending to swoon. "Oh mi gosh, you're so cool now. This is it, Twilight! You’re on the path to greatness!"
Erin narrowed her eyes but couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her. “Alright, alright, let’s just get the damn ship running first. Then we’ll see how much ‘greatness’ you really have in you.”
Orion nodded, trying to seem reassuring. “Y-yeah, let’s get that part right first. We can work on the flying... later.”
Twilight leaned back against the ship, a devilish grin playing at the corners of his mouth. “Oh, it’s all happening right now, Orion.”
Meanwhile...15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpybrBOLvF
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKNIBOuA09
"B-7T3, where's the nearest port for me to get my damn ship fixed?" Levi barked.
B-7T3's glowing blue eyes flickered as it processed the request. “Nearest repair port detected: Machina Prime. Distance: 34,728 kilometers. Estimated travel time: 4.2 hours at current speed.”
'Twilight' hummed. "Machina Prime. Haven't heard of that place before."
B-7T3 turned his head to look at 'Twilight'. "The planet is heavily industrialized. Home to many factories, mechanical cities, and advanced technology. It's a hub for many inventors and engineers."
Levi smirked. "Perfect. So they'll fix this baby right up."
Levi glanced at B-7T3. "Set a course for Machina Prime."
B-7T3's eyes flickered again as it processed the command. "Setting course."
Levi leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "Finally, something going right for once."
Glitch, who had been hanging upside down from the chair, perked up. "Oooooh! Machina Prime! That sounds so cool! Do they have, like, g-g-giant robots? Or maybe a t-tech bazaar? Ooo! Cyber-cats?"
Levi sighed, rubbing his temples. "Glitch, please don’t start getting ideas."
Luna, lounging lazily nearby, smirked. “You say that like she ever listens.”
Glitch slid out of the chair, landing on all fours before standing up and saluting. "I l-listen!"
Levi shot a glare at 'Twilight.' "You're the only other wolf here. Control her."
'Twilight' smirked, leaning back in his seat. "You control her."
Levi groaned. "You're so much more useless than I thought you'd be."
B-7T3, oblivious to the bickering, spoke up. "Reminder: Machina Prime enforces strict trade and conduct regulations. It is advised to refrain from unauthorized hacking, illegal modifications, and public destruction of property."
Everyone turned to look at Glitch.
She blinked. "...What?"
Levi pointed at her. "No touching things."
Glitch pouted, her ear twitching. "B-but! But! What if there's a super cool piece of tech that needs to be touched?"
Luna chuckled, patting Glitch’s head. "Then you admire it from a distance."
Glitch groaned dramatically. "This is so unfair!"
'Twilight' smirked, watching the chaos unfold. Machina Prime, huh? he thought to himself. Might be a good place to gather some… resources.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
