Back in uniform, Eous paced through the Hollow with Belobog's best behind him. Anton stayed back to keep watch of the other machine's signal.

"This is where the signal came from... that child... In-Hollow Boring Machine Mark III, Greta." Grace announced.

"Grace, describe the boring machine." Koleda instructed, knowing she'd more than oblige.

"Hardworking and capable, and cute— just like sweet pea when she was little." Grace cooed.

"Doesn't sound too boring to me." Eous nudged Koleda with a smirk.

"Nobody has a clue what you're talking about." She lightly shoved him away.

"Fine. To put it into words the average human can understand—"

"Ouch."

"It's a machine responsible for excavating tunnels. To work faster, it's also equipped with a demolition saw used to tear down buildings! I thought the little thing would become more efficient after the update. I never thought she'd run off!"

"No one told you to do such an unnecessary update! It's more annoying than my laptop's constant updates!" Koleda complained.

"I hear you there..." Eous mumbled.

Grace pouted and turned her head. "You never talked like this when you were a kid. You used to be so cute when you were little..."

"But it's normal to go through a rebellious phase growing up, right?" Ben questioned in attempt to ease the growing tension. "Maybe it's just got a few rebellious ideas in its head?"

"No— I won't allow it!" Grace snapped, stomping her foot down. "I won't allow my cute children to become unruly, rebellious beasts!"

Eous turned to the others in concern, a question mark appearing on his mask.

"Midnight drag racing, deliberately scratching up their bodies, putting on massive stickers that are extremely difficult to clean, trying prohibited Ether fuel mixtures, even imitating the old civilization cartoon and trying to merge with other machines!" Her wails of terror made everyone step back nervously.

"Wait, was that a damn Dragonball Refere—" Koleda slapped her hand over his mouth.

Grace suddenly scooped up Eous with determination. "Proxy, we have to find it quickly! I hope it isn't too late!"

"W-Well, it's not too far. It's sort of pacing around somewhere nearby from what I can tell— but because of its little renovation project, we've gotta find a way around."

"Lead the way, darling! There's no time to waste!"

•

Eous hummed as he and Ben shoved aside a shipping container with ease. With their combined effort and his Ether output at its full capacity, the task was no sweat.

Grace and Koleda slipped by the two and into the lot's opening, quickly followed by the heavy lifters.

"Don't come any closer! This area is for me and my lover!" A voice echoed around them.

"Why can I hear a girl's voice? Is that normal?" Ben questioned, setting down his pillar. He and the others then spot another massive machine with four piston-powered legs on top of a building under reconstruction.

"So it's you! The bad guys who tried to break up me and Mr. White!" Its screen panel showed pink orbs that resembled a child-like frustration.

"Aww~, it's only been a couple of days, and yet our child has become a fabulous young lady!" Grace cooed, tugging on Eous' sleeve.

"I have no relation to this woman." Eous announced to the Boring Machine, Greta.

"Easy, Grace..." Ben looked around and scratched his chin. "Who's Mr. White? Is it another machine?"

"I think it means the building, dude." Eous pointed forward at the torn tarp draping down the scaffolding, a few splotches of white paint littered over it.

"The rundown building? Seriously?" Ben muttered.

"Don't insult Mr. White!" Greta shouted before leaping off the building and into the sky.

"Holy shit— you've done it now!" Eous scrambled back along with the others before it landed with a massive clang, unfazed by the height of the fall.

"I've made up my mind! I'm staying here with Mr. White!" Greta exclaimed, drawing out its massive saw in a large heave. "So take back what you said!"

"Spread out—?!" Eous was suddenly tackled by the massive machine, its chainsaw grinding against his claws in attempts to tear him to shreds.

Sparks scattered against the wind as the three tried to find a weakness in the machine without harming it.

"D-Damn! You guys got any ideas?!" Eous' claws were proving far more dense than the chainsaw seeing as it began to chip the blades from simply blocking.

"Take it off its feet!" Grace shouted, dashing around with Koleda to attack its hind legs.

As Grace began to litter its joints with bullets, the saw suddenly began to turn and spin towards them, taking Eous with it.

"Woah, woah! Look out!" Eous was flung away and slammed into a vacant crane.

"I've got it!" Ben slid in between Grace and the saw, using the thrusters on his pillar to parry the chainsaw upward.

Koleda raced forward using the opening and slammed her hammers into the leg with a roar. The leg clearly buckled from the strike, but suddenly a flush of sand was blown out from a compartment around its base, pushing Koleda away.

"How dare you hit a lady!" Greta wailed, stomping around its legs in a tantrum.

"You're not acting very ladylike, damnit!" Koleda spat out the sand in her mouth and shook her head of the rest. "Grace, stun it!"

"On it, sweet pea!"

Grace held two grenades in her hands. She slung them at Greta, but she swat them away with her chainsaw before they could detonate.

"Aw, her reaction time is astounding. I'm so proud!" Grace cheered, unaware that Greta was charging at her at full speed.

"Now's not the time! Look out!" Koleda shouted.

Ben positioned himself between the two, ready to block the charge, but its thrust was suddenly stopped just before striking him.

The three peeked over and saw Eous holding the massive Boring machine back alone, two white appendages grasping it alongside him.

"You wanna take a picture or finally stun it?!" Eous asked with strain.

Grace giggled and kicked up another two grenades like a hacky sack before expertly using her agility to kick them at Greta's base.

In a flash of electricity that even surged to Eous, Greta was stunned into a brief submission. Eous winced and let go, letting Greta stagger forward with a whine.

"You ready to listen up?" Koleda questioned the boring machine.

The only reply they heard was a harmonious growl from a horde of Ethereals gathering around the perimeter.

"Uh oh, the fighting attracted some Ethereals..." Ben announced.

"You dare jump on Mr. White! Get your filthy hands off him!" Breaking free from the shackles of Grace's stun, Greta smacked Eous away and turned to the Ethereals.

They paid her no mind and continued to slither and crawl towards them all from the building.

"Get away! You filth! Stop being so rude, or I'll... I'll..." Greta's voice suddenly deepened as she revved her chainsaw at maximum power. "I told you not to touch him! You moldy turds just don't understand, do you?!"

"Sh-She's like a different person!" Koleda exclaimed.

"Unbelievable! Is this the power of a girl in love?" Grace awed.

"What kinda love allows for the use of an Ether-electric hybrid 1,400 kilogram demolition saw?!" Koleda shouted.

"Y'ALL'S APPARENTLY!" Eous yelled from the rubble of a bunch of concrete.

"W-Wait! Miss Boring Machine! That way is—" Ben couldn't and wouldn't dare stop the full force of Greta's charge into the horde of Ethereals crowding Mr. White.

The makeshift support of Mr. White's foundation was shred like paper at the mercy of Greta's attack.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, Mr. White. I got too excited—" Greta was enveloped by the weight of Mr. White as the massive building toppled over onto her.

"Mr. White! Hang in there, Mr. White!" She whined in disbelief.

Eous stumbled over to Ben, who shook his head with guilt. "That impact just now cut through the load-bearing walls."

With a shaky breath and deep heave of regret, Greta cried, "I killed Mr. White...! It's all my fault!" from under the massive chunks of concrete and rebar.

"Oh, don't blame yourself, it's not your fault. In fact, I should congratulate you!" Grace skipped over the debris to Greta's face panel.

"Now wait just a minute Grace! Think about what you're saying..." Ben warned.

"Oh no! Grace might know everything about machinery, but she's single as hell! She knows nothing about love!" Koleda wailed.

"And you do?" Eous mumbled, catching a swift elbow to the rib.

"You wanna find out?!" Koleda grabbed his collar with a glare.

"You hitting on me?" He smirked down at her, making her face flush red in an instant.

"Y-Yeah! So what if I am?!" She double down, but was clearly trembling in embarrassment.

Seeing his teasing succeed, he chuckled. "I'm into it, but don't start something you can't finish, boss."

Koleda growled and threw up her arms, overwhelmed by the thoughts of a relationship.

As the two bickered, Ben shook his head and saw that Grace had somehow convinced the boring machine to come back with them to help rebuild Mr. White.

"Aw, looks like someone else is struck with love too~." Grace whispered to Ben.

"N-No, I'm not!" Koleda shot Grace a glare that made the woman hum in understanding.

"Ah, I understand, President!" Grace saluted.

Ben sighed at all the tomfoolery and shenanigans they'd gotten up to. "Let's head back so we can tell Anton the good news. I'm sure he'll be happy to see we've made some progress."

"Wanna hold my hand?" Eous asked Koleda, a kissy face on his mask.

Koleda tried to kick his shin, but he dodged and skipped back to Ben and Grace. Her frustration and embarrassment reached their peak, making her shout. "No, no, no! I didn't mean it, you got that?! Quit flirting with me!"

"You started it! Told you that you couldn't finish it..." Eous hid behind Grace as Koleda stomped over to hit him.

"Yeah, right! You just couldn't handle me, pipsqueak." Koleda tried to grab him, but he slipped beside Ben, leaving Grace to catch her with a giggle.

"Come on, Mr. Proxy, I think she's had enough." Ben commented.

Eous laughed and pat Ben's shoulder. "See? Ben thinks so too. What say you, Grace? Think she's had enough?"

Ben shook his head after falling for his ploy, but it looked like Grace was all for it. "Our sweet pea isn't all bark, you know! Isn't that right? You can take him?"

"O-Of course I can! You'll see! Next Friday, your treat, right?! Since you wanna talk so big?" Koleda jabbed his chest a glare.

"W-Wait, you're the president of Belobog, why am I—"

"Your treat, right?!" Koleda tossed up her hammer with a malicious grin.

"Yes, ma'am...?" Eous weakly nodded, confused at how he was strong-armed into a date. "Wait, are we actually gonna go out?"

"You punking out on me then?"

"Well, aren't you guys in the court case?" He questioned.

"Oh, yeah..." The three muttered in realization.

Eous slid in front of the three and called a time out. "Postponed!— But I'm still down."