#lion whisperer

[naturecpw]

Kevin Richardson - The Lion Whisperer Official Trailer

2019 Year In Review The Lion Whisperer

[vivi-vix3n]

I figured I jump on the Mimic Bandwagon too, since the Annual was pretty good!

[sage-nebula]

That look into Mimic's psyche was so fascinating, because—despite him being the most obviously unreliable of unreliable narrators—it truly seems that his actions stem from him being a deeply mentally ill man, torn between a desperate need to be loved and rejection sensitivity so powerful it drives him to paranoia and murder.

Few things before I elaborate:

I'm not going to "diagnose" Mimic with anything specifically, aside from what I myself have—namely, rejection sensitive dysphoria. Particularly when it comes to villain characters I think that armchair diagnosis can be really irresponsible, and reading symptoms off a website isn't comparable to living with an illness or disorder. I used to do that kind of thing, but I've since learned not to. So this isn't a "Mimic has x" post, aside from extreme sensitivity to real or perceived rejection, because oh boy.

Mimic being mentally ill is NO EXCUSE for everything he's done, and I don't feel sorry for him in the least bit. This is not an "alas, poor Mimic" post. Again, I have RSD and I don't go around murdering people because of it. But it is fascinating to look at.

He is canonically 32 years old. He is indeed a man, not a boy.

So as I said, Mimic's main thing is that he is torn between two powerful emotions within himself: a desperate need to belong and be loved, but also an intense fear that he'll be rejected by those who might ultimately love him. Mimic being an unreliable narrator, he's a bit all over the place with this, but he does acknowledge his need to be loved in a few places:

But as you can see, he tied it up with "the spotlight" — with validation and appreciation, something he later tries to convince the reader he believes is beneath him (hence—unreliable, because an attentive reader knows he's a lying ho):

He just wants his skills appreciated, and it's childish to yearn for friendship and belonging, so he doesn't and won't. Along with that lie, he also claims he only joined with his other teams out of cold practicality as well, and betrayed them for the same:

It's important to note that his "I mean, in worldwide discord . . ." justification came immediately after "again I felt that nagging ache [. . .] to belong." So yes, he's lying to himself and the reader to cover what really happened.

And what really happened?

Mimic displays a pathological fear of rejection. It's impossible to say what started it. Mimic claims all of his issues stem from the war:

But to quote Phoenix Wright, he's lying, damn it, and I can prove it!

In the very first panels of the flashback, set before the war starts, we're shown a scene of Mimic on set during his actor days. And what happens?

He gets forcibly removed from set after he ruins the scene. Look at how he reacts: wide eyes, reaching back for set . . . he looks panicked. And these were people that he at the least considered colleagues. Instead of just telling him not to do it again, they kicked him out altogether. They rejected him. And at this point, he already had a strong need to be seen and accepted.

While I don't think that this was where it all stems from—I think Mimic faced rejection before this as well, for rejection sensitivity to flare up as bad as it does for him—this incident did stick with him. We know it did.

So no, the war did not fuck Mimic up. Mimic was fucked up long before the war. And exactly how is Mimic fucked up? What is it that he's doing, specifically?

Rejection sensitive dysphoria is when a person experiences an unusually strong, negative emotional reaction to real or perceived rejection. What serves as a rejection trigger varies from person to person. For some people it's things like, everyone suggests a restaurant for an outing but Jessica says she doesn't like your choice, and your RSD brain takes that to mean shs's rejecting you. For me, I've always struggled in situations like group chats where my messages seem to be ignored but everyone else seems to interact and get along really well. It sets my RSD off something fierce. It's really different for everyone.

Just like there are a myriad of triggers, there's also a myriad of reactions. Some people, and especially those who may not realize yet that they have RSD, may lash out and get angry. So Jessica might get blown up at because she said she doesn't really like Chipotle and suggests Five Guys instead. Others may start fawning and clinging, figuring that if they pretend to love Five Guys hard enough (side note: Peridot, that's lying!), Jessica won't reject them anymore / after all. And still others might bail, figuring if THEY leave first, then it'll hurt way less than if they're asked / told to leave later. This has always been my go-to in the past, unhelpful though it is to maintaining relationships when I'm tempted to do it on "perceived" rejections my brain made up.

And Mimic . . . Mimic also perceives rejections that are not there, mostly via catastrophizing (another out of my brain's playbook), and then takes "bail" to a whole new level: "murder." (I personally have never done this.)

Let's look at the meltdown scene, shall we? Here's what triggers it:

Before, he was working with the Diamond Cutters, and they expressed admiration for his skills, yes. That was all fine. But here, they're giving him special masks that essentially make them a real, bonafide unit. Smithy describes them as being one on the battlefield. And he is included in this, absolutely, without any question; a personalized mask was made just for him. Whisper says, despite Mimic's internal narration telling her not to, that she's so glad that he's there to watch their backs and that he makes the team complete. This is the Diamond Cutters truly, unreservedly, letting Mimic know that they accept him, they care about him, he is one of them, he is their friend. He belongs with them.

And that is the rejection trigger for Mimic.

Not because of anything the Diamond Cutters did, per se—but because of what Mimic thinks they could, or will do. He outright says this himself in one of his rare moments of blunt honesty (and I think the tell that he's not fully in control here is the stuttering):

Yes, the Diamond Cutters accept him now. The Diamond Cutters love him now. But Mimic is terrified that the second they learn who he "really" is, they'll turn on and reject him. They'll throw him out like his colleagues at the theater company did. That is why their friendship hurts; because it is, as Mimic himself said, what he wanted. It's what he has always wanted. But the second he gets the love that he desperately craves, his brain immediately starts sounding the rejection sensitive alarms, telling him that there is danger ahead, that this cannot and will not last, that if he lets himself accept this, it will be to his own downfall.

But here's where things go from "Mimic is having an understandable trauma reaction to something that happened in his past" to "Mimic clearly has deep psychological issues that have never been treated or seen the light of any healthy coping mechanisms and he makes this everyone else's problem by murdering them."

If Mimic left it at, "If they saw the real me, they'd reject me" and bailed, then he would be putting the blame on himself. But this is not something that Mimic is truly capable of doing. While Mimic does say at the end of the comic that he is selfish, cruel, and cold, he also says that he's happy and that he likes what he is. That, too, is part of him being an unreliable narrator, I believe; I don't think that this desperation he has inside of him for love and belonging has ever actually gone away. But nonetheless, Mimic isn't really accepting blame for anything by saying that he's cruel, selfish, etc. He's not putting the onus on himself as being the problem. Instead, he's celebrating himself and almost recommending that others do / accept the same thing he has. It's a defense mechanism. A shield. He's reclaiming being a ruthless, remorseless, backstabbing murderer so that such accusations can't hurt him.

And Mimic does something along the same lines in this meltdown. He doesn't—he can't—leave it at, "if they saw the real me, they'd throw me away" because that puts the onus on him. And he also can't just leave these people that have accepted him so earnestly, that he wanted to accept him, that he himself wants to accept. So instead, he twists them. He takes the perceived future rejection (which, reminder, has not happened and he has no proof even would happen!), and takes it several steps farther, deciding that all of this has been a lie and that they're monsters and therefore he's doing the right thing by plotting to kill them:

A few panels ago their love and acceptance was making him hurt from the terror he felt at the idea that they could reject him. Now he's convinced himself (at least on some level), that they are untrustworthy liars that he needs to dispose of, for his own (emotional) safety. As I stated before, Mimic lies not only to the reader, but to himself; and he does it so harshly here, with such fervor, that on some level he makes himself believe it.

So then, we get to this:

(I have to upload this from desktop rather than mobile, and it looks blurry on desktop . . . hopefully it's not blurry when actually posted.)

As I mentioned before, some people with RSD will bail on those they think are rejecting them, a sort of, "I'll abandon you before you have the chance to abandon me." But Mimic is so far gone that his strategy is to go to the farthest extreme imaginable; he has them murdered, because the thought of them still existing in the world without him—the idea of them smiling, laughing, having fun, loving each other, without him there—causes him pain. He can't stand it. Mimic feels—or at least, he tells us that he feels—that the only way that he can be at peace and move on from his time with the Diamond Cutters is if they're dead. If he can't be friends with them, then no one can. They're not even allowed to live.

Of course, the tragic thing is, he could have been friends with them. He was friends with them. But he was too fucked up to see that, and I think accepting that now would destroy him to the point where his psyche won't let him acknowledge it as even a remote possibility. Because if he acknowledges that none of the Diamond Cutters were lying, and that they truly did like him—and, more than that, that they would have kept him even knowing about what he did in the past—then it would mean admitting that he killed them for no reason. And I truly don't think that he would be able to handle that.

Again, I don't feel sorry for him. I'm mentally ill myself and I deal with RSD. One of the several things I'm working on in therapy is my RSD, in fact, because I'm very bad with the whole "perceived rejection, time to bail!" thing, and I don't like how difficult it makes my life. Mimic was a 32 year old man who, instead of recognizing and finding a way to deal with his mental illness, decided instead to murder a bunch of teenagers and one barely adult (Smithy was the next oldest at only 20). And even now, he's still stalking and trying to murder a 16 year old girl who is just trying to move on with her life. I don't feel sorry for this man, and neither should you.

But it is still interesting to look at how he ticks, to see how he created the self-fulfilling prophecy that led to Whisper rejecting him so hard that she would not hesitate to bust a (wisp) cap(sule) in his skull-less head if given the opportunity, all because of deep-rooted psychological issues that I don't think Mimic himself even realizes are there. It's certainly more interesting than "he's just evil" or "he did it out of cowardice."

All my love to the original Diamond Cutters. Mwah.

[tart-miano]

🦉Toh characters as Animal Crossing villagers🍃

[idwsonicnews]

Sonic the Hedgehog #64 Preview Page

Misadventures (Part 2) Writer/Line Art: Evan Stanley Colors: Valentina Pinto Letters: Shawn Lee

also featured in the issue is the back-up strip Two of a Kind Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Mauro Fonseca Inks: Rik Mack Colors: Reggie Graham Letters: Shawn Lee

[thehypedbuddy]

All paired up!

[spiral-lemur]

OK THE ANNUAL’S OUT AND I JUST NEED TO BABBLE ABOUT STUFF SOOO SPOILERS AHEAD READ AT UR OWN RISK ETC ETC ETC

OK STORY NUMBER 1.

Ok wow. No it’s fine really. Go ahead. Go ahead and BREAK MY FUCKING HEART right off the bat. They don’t even know later in they’re subconsciously Still following the path Starline mapped out for them by still aiming to replace Sonic and Tails. Like yeah this time Eggman is on the chopping block for real which would make Starline lose his gay little mind but GODDDDDDD

Also it’s really funny that the general perception is that Kit is the more mellow of the two. Appearance wise? Yeah. Mannerisms? For the most part yeah. But deep down this little guy is FUCKED UP.

Like every so often the comic just reminds you “see this cute little guy? he can and will drown you for nothing more than surge’s happiness if he sees fit.” Lil dude does NOT care. Genuinely curious as to how this plotline will develop later on since Kit is clearly misguided. Yes he wants to help Surge and she’ll be happy for a while with this arrangement…as long as she doesn’t find out. What happens when she finds out though? I doubt she’ll be very happy to know all her “accomplishments” were part of a carefully constructed narrative set up by the very person who was meant to support her. I’m just RRRRRRRRGGHRGGHHHRTHHHHHH about them yknow? Also I think it’s interesting that this is set sometime after issue 75; very curious about what “he had to drag them out of there” means for the safety of Restoration HQ and I’m even more curious about where Surge and Kit are right now. Are they still there? Bunking somewhere else? What happened with them and their ties to Clutch and Mimic? Lots of questions to wait and find out. Very excited to see how this goes.

Now for the Knuckles story; admittedly this one isn’t spinning around my brain as much because of the other two stories, but it’s still a lovely read. It serves as some insight for Knuckles’ thoughts about his current life and relationships with his friends and it brings a good ol’ smile to my face.

The art FUCKS as usual when ABT is involved. Like this page? This page right here. Gorgeous. Would be a very fun redraw I think. And I feel it says a lot about how Knuckles feels about these characters without having to say anything which is nice. Rouge, for all the trouble she gives him, also gives him an outlet to blow off some steam and a reason to keep up with his training(aside from Eggman of course), and she obviously wouldn’t be there if he didn’t respect her to some degree. Sonic is someone Knuckles views as a worthy rival, but he’s also a treasured friend alongside Amy and Tails. They may clash, but he knows that at the end of the day they’ve got his back, and he’s got their’s. The Chaotix are a little trickier to pinpoint, but they’re here for a reason. I believe they add a dash of excitement and companionship to his life. They might be a bunch of clowns, but they’re HIS clowns and he cares about them just as much as everyone else here. He knows he can depend on them when it comes down to it, which is what I believe the Master Emerald was trying to get at here.

Also Sonknux enjoyers got a little snack here. A little treat even. But it’s nice to see that just like these guys are still on Knuckles’ mind, he never left THEIR minds either. It’s nice to see that they aren’t just trying to get his help for something and just giving him a friendly visit because 1.) We get to see Knuckles and 2.) The dude could use a day where they don’t bring trouble to his doorstep LOL

Also what the FUCK happened to the Tornado guys I JUST said you weren’t bringing trouble to his doorstep you better keep it that way—

And then it ends with the gang catching Knux up to speed on their latest shenanigans. Like I mentioned earlier I think this story serves as a look into how Knuckles views his current situation, and it’s very heartwarming in my opinion. I think this sequence really sums up the big takeaway from this story:

sorry the quality is ass it’s hard to do these things on a phone

There was a moment where I thought that bright light echidna was Tikal, and I’m a little disappointed it wasn’t. It’s still nice but if it’d been her, you’d best believe I’d have a lot more screamy words about it. It’s not a bad story at all though, and if you’re a Knuckles fan who loves digging into his deeper thoughts I think this story is a good read for you. Also YIPPIEE KNUCKLES CONFIRMED FOR ISSUE 80!!!

Now for the story that I(and I’m sure many others are) am currently foaming at the mouth the most over. It’s no surprise at all that a look into Mimic’s backstory would be something I eat the fuck up as a massive fan of Tangle, Whisper, and everything relating to them. But holy WOW this story had everything I could’ve wanted and I will be using this as fuel for my Diamond Cutter Autism™️

Okay, starting off with him being an actor before joining the Diamond Cutters. This may not seem as relevant to people compared to literally everything else in this story BUT you guys. You guys. When I tell you I lost my shit. Why? BECAUSE I FUCKING CALLED THAT SHIT.

This excerpt is from a (now scrapped) fic where I tried tackling a possible redemption arc for Mimic. We hadn’t had any backstory for Mimic so I’d tried making one up that tied into his shapeshifting. I ended up scrapping the whole thing because Mimic kept getting worse/more irredeemable as a character and I didn’t feel like trying to keep it going; and I feel the need to bring up that Tangle and Whisper would’ve never fully trusted or forgiven him(like. at all), he just would’ve gotten over trying to kill them by the end. I swear I wasn’t aiming for a “you did this horrible shit but it’s ok you feel bad about it so we’re buddies now :3” type deal. Anyway, that useless bit of info aside, I wrote this thing back in 2022. It’s not EXACTLY the same way obviously, but seeing this after having written him as a former actor made me actually stop and gape for a second before scrambling to find that old draft. I guess I could just SMELL the washed up actor on him. And yeah maybe it was the most plausible thing, but I’ve been given an inch and just this once I’m going to run this mile in circles.

After the whole acting thing, the war started, Mimic wanted to show off, left some other teams for dead, etc etc and then he met THEM.

This…houghhhhhhhhh

Do you think Whisper ever thinks back to this day? Do you think it’s ever crossed her mind that if she’d never invited him, her friends might still be alive? Do you think this thought eats her alive on bad nights? Whisper honey I am so fucking sorry. It’s not your fault, you couldn’t have known how fucking shitty this guy really was. You didn’t deserve that.

FUCK!!!

Ahem. It’s really bittersweet looking into how these guys acted not just as a team, but as friends. We got a better look as to how these guys were personality-wise and it just stings knowing that this little found family is no longer here because one of them just couldn’t handle vulnerability. Smithy was like an older brother—wise, but just as goofy and playful as the rest of them, and just as ready to tease his little twerps. Claire was like an older sister; similar to Smithy, always looking out for the others, but just as ready to make fun of them. She was probably the straightman in a lot of their antics, but with that loving “oh, you” sense to it. Slinger was the goofy, cocky younger brother. Ready to go for the biggest thing he could find, and usually needing to be saved from his own ambition. He’d make up for that trouble by bringing in a lifetime supply of laughs for all of them. And Whisper…honestly I’d go as far as saying Whisper back then was just like Tangle is now. Optimistic, eager, bubbly. I wonder if that might be why she gravitated towards Tangle rather than the other characters she was friendly with; even before their miniseries. I’d show more images for this part but apparently I can only use 10 images on a phone and my computer still isn’t up so that’s just SWELL. For the last image I’ve got, I’ll just use this:

It just stings so HARD when you really think about what was taken from her. We might have gotten the Whisper we know and love because of it, sure. She may not have met any of the people she holds dear now if it hadn’t gone the way it did. But the fact that she had this little family, the fact she loved them so dearly, the fact she’d put so much trust into them—only to have it ripped away in one selfish decision? That’ll hurt forever. That’ll haunt her for the rest of life; it’ll haunt me too. God the Diamond Cutters sting so good.

Now let’s get Mimic’s little monologue in here. Ahem.

“I got what I wanted. Did I just crave validation? Was it ever about the spotlight? I can’t be myself around them. They don’t know what I’ve done…friendship is supposed to feel good. Solid. Like a foundation…so why does it hurt so much? They don’t see I’m a walking contradiction. One look p-past my facade and I’ll be thrown away! I can’t afford to be so fragile. I look back at my acting days with a soul-wrenching truth staring back at me. The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s a rehearsed charade! They are all mirrors, saying what I want to hear until they get what they want. They can’t be trusted. I refuse to play this game anymore.

The moment an opportunity to be rid of these nuisances came, I readily took it. The Diamond Cutters would be gone from this world and mine. I could clear my mind and never feel such visceral pain from their fake smiles. Attachment was erased, like weeds pulled from a garden, as they perished. The pain inside nearly vanished, a good sign for my healing journey. Yet…there was a single, terribly annoying headache left to deal with. I can’t fix what that team did to me until I shatter every last one. Only with this knife, will I finally be cleansed.

I can’t think straight tonight. What is the point of reflecting on all these memories? Am I afraid? Or am I just…tired? Soon, that pain deep within myself will be washed away. And this can all be a bad, bad dream. I’m selfish, arrogant, and colder than a frozen lake. I enjoy the chase, watching others struggle, and I love that about me! I know what I am, so…who are you?”

Man…a LOT to unpack here.

Mimic is a coward. There’s certainly vitriol to my words, but it’s also just a fact based on the evidence we’ve seen. He’d been burned so many times chasing the spotlight in the past, he’d grown to view it as conditional. No one ever truly valued his contributions in his eyes. He was just another part of an act, and when that act was over, no one would need each other anymore—so whenever he felt done with putting on the “show” of contributing to a new team during the war, he quickly cut ties. Some ways more permanent than others—we’ll never know for certain if he got those people killed like the Diamond Cutters, but he certainly didn’t care if he did. The show was over. It didn’t matter.

Then the Diamond Cutters came along. The show was going well, it was a broadway smash! Then the actor’s nemesis began to creep in; imposter syndrome. Mimic knew deep down, he didn’t deserve this success. How many people did he really cut down as he chased the spotlight? How many people had seen his previous work? How long until that all came back to bite him? He didn’t know. It terrified him deep down, judging from the moments of hesitation he’d shown in his monologue. Surely it began to gnaw at him more and more towards the end. He can’t trust them, his smiles were fake so they all had to be faking too, right? There was no way there was such a thing as genuine friendship, teamwork, or any of the like. If it didn’t exist in his world, it couldn’t have existed at all. It began to be kill or be killed; and Mimic intended to be the one doing the killing. So he cut them down too.

But Whisper survived. Whisper was a present reminder of the horrible, selfish things he’d done. As long as she’s around, he can never fully ignore what he’s left behind. He can never truly run away from all of it. So he has his sights set on her; killing her will surely solve all the pain within himself. It has to. It has to.

And he still hesitates. Maybe it’s the way suppressed guilt is manifesting itself, maybe it’s being overly cautious, he doesn’t know. He doesn’t care. Perhaps once there was a time he could’ve gone back on everything and reinvented himself, but it’s gone now. And he’ll run away from that possibility for the rest of his life. He just has to get rid of that last poster before he can move on to his next big show.

Or I could easily be reading way too much into it but who cares I’m having fun this way! Really enjoyed this story—easily my favorite of the three if you couldn’t tell from all that word vomit. This annual might just be my favorite of them all so far, and I’m excited to see how these characters continue to develop as the comic runs on. That’s just about everything I can think of to say, so that ends my babbling. Thanks to everyone who read this far! I don’t normally get so wordy but this annual really just activated something in me.

[hagusanimations]

One More Time (IDW Short Fan Comic)

I almost forgot to share this here, whoops!

Whisper receives training from Mimic while with the Diamond Cutters. She would've never guessed how important that training would one day become...

(Written/drawn over 6 months ago, finally went back and finished it!)

[thenerdymouse]

! ! Spoilers Ahead! ! !

I am going to ramble about Whisper and the Diamond Cutters in the new comic! Because my god, I love this! But beware, this contains spoilers!

OMFG, she is so fuckin' proactive and LOUDER than her current self!

I love how she USED TO BE a fucking ball of energy!

Smithy and Slinger having a brotherly rivalry is EPIC!

I love how these guys are like just so excited to fight unlike everyone else

I now understand how fucking hurt Whisper was when she lost her team

Okay, I feel tiny bit sad for Mimic, BUT he is still a fucking asshole for killing his team!

His redemption arc would be WILD lmao

WHISPER CALLED SMITHY A BIG TEDDY BEAR?! HUHWUAEAYU

I love the sisterhood between Whisper and Claire! Diamond Cutter Sisters 4 life!

[sonic-panels]

[star-critter]

There is so much potential for Sonic IDW analog horror and I'm surprised no one has made it yet. Anyone could easily make an in-universe analog horror following :

The First Diamond Cutters Deaths

Whisper & Mimic's Mask Recordings

Metal Virus

Doctor Starline's Personal Vlogs/Video Entries

Imposter Syndrome

There's probably more, but that is just to name a few.

[blackpointgame]

[kolibruy]

Mask

As an experiment, I tried to translate my own fanfiction. I don't know how badly I did it, but if it turned out to be readable, I could post fanfiction here too x) Of course it's scary to go for this... I just decided to try x_x

Rating: G Category: Gen Characters: The Diamond Cutters team (Whisper, Slinger, Claire, Mimic)

Summary:

As soon as she joined the new team, Whisper immediately faced difficulties: her mask did not want to work in any way. What should she do? Help came from where Whisper had never expected… *The events are entirely based on the comic book "Tangle & Whisper" and are a direct backstory.

      Once again, Whisper was startled by the unexpected and loud beep that the white mask spewed out. The single electronic eye on the front side suddenly blinked and went out again. What is it?

      She was clearly doing something wrong... but what exactly?

      The wolf continued to nervously twist the high-tech mask in her hands, as if it were some kind of mysterious and alien find. But in words, everything sounded so simple! Such and such a button does this, another button does the opposite… Press this, then this… And it will work like clockwork! But for some reason, the simple algorithm did not work for the gloomy Whisper in any way: the mask simply refused to work, as if unwilling to obey unfamiliar hands.

      "You'll figure it out in no time!" optimistically put an end to Smithy's explanations, thrusting his creation into Whisper's hands. The wolf, on the other hand, just watched with a dumbfounded look as Smithy hurriedly collected piles of scribbled papers and crumpled drawings... The inventor was clearly not up to it at all. He was too busy. The blue eyes blinked in confusion, looking first at the mask itself, then at its creator, who was hurrying away.

      Maybe then Whisper didn't have time to understand anything, but... since Smithy said that everything was very simple... then perhaps she shouldn't burden the leader of the Diamond Cutters with stupid questions, right? She'll figure it out on her own. Somehow.

      ...Of course, Whisper soon regretted her decision: left alone with the outlandish mask, the wolf managed to get only annoying beeping from it. The mask seemed to turn into a small bird, angrily pouring out a trill of insults. It was getting annoying.

      The wolf tried to start over. She slowly repeated the sequence of actions that busy Smithy had babbled to her.… Slowly, button by button... like that? Mentally praying, Whisper put the mask to her face: nothing had changed. Still, the wolf saw dead blackness instead of a cozy room around. However, now it was possible to notice a number of incomprehensible numbers, fluently replacing each other.… Well, that's something. Maybe it was lines of code? Should Whisper ever have seen these numbers?

      Whatever it was, but in this ridiculous battle, the wolf was defeated again. She gave up trying to guess the coveted combination to the tricky puzzle. Whisper was sure that she was holding in her hands just a titanic work that took an indecent amount of time from the brilliant inventor. And what about her? She wasn't even able to just turn on the mask. Not like using it. The gentle wolf drooped even more. Will Smithy be very upset? What if he kicks a would-be volunteer recruit out of his team? Chaos, this is only the very first task, and everything was already wrong!

      ...But after all, cutters not taken her for ”deep knowledge of technology”, right? So would something terrible happen if she went out on the battlefield without her mask for the first time?

      But it was such an important event. The very first assignment in a new role, in a new team… Whisper wanted everything to be perfect. She didn't want to stand out in any way. All of the Cutters proudly wore Smithy's creations. Everyone skillfully used the inventions of the talented lion against the Eggman… How could Whisper not follow their example? No, she has to deal with her mask. By all means. Whisper saw this as a manifestation of her respect: not only for the leader, but also for the entire new team. In response to all that the Cutters had done for her... it was the least she could do.

      In her reverie, the wolf turned over the mask and peered into the dead eye, in which the blue ring should have been glowing. But it didn't glow. The lens resembled a smooth gemstone of the blackest shade of all existing ones. It seems that Whisper had not noticed before how this mask was actually... frightening. Why were these dots-holes on the right half needed? Is it such a symbol? Or did these strange holes have some important function? Or maybe-

      No, no, it wasn't up to that at all now. She urgently needed to figure out how to use the mask before the operation began! But how? Keep playing with luck, hoping not to hit the self-destruct button in the end? Maybe Smithy will still have time to come back and explain to Whisper again-

Of course! After all, she can turn to other cutters, not necessarily to the main inventor! And how did this thought not immediately occur to her?

      Inspired, the wolf jumped up from her chair and hurried out of the rest room.

      At the same time, Whisper continued to look at the cramped quarters of the headquarters, in which she will spend the next few years… Unless, of course, she accidentally messed up. The anticipation of a new life felt like a pleasant chocolate sweetness. Whisper no longer hoped that the established way of life would change so rapidly for the better. And everything was just beginning... The wolf couldn't believe what was happening. Wasn't all this just a fleeting dream that would irrevocably melt in the morning rays? Maybe she's about to open her eyes and find herself back in the dusty cubicle of the Resistance?

      Whisper clutched the mask to her chest like the most precious treasure. The wolf was walking down the corridor, and her new dark cape was fluttering behind her back. She was not used to this either…

      Whisper broke away from her thoughts, concentrating on remembering the way to the armory. Some time ago, almost all the Diamond Cutters took the recruit around their lands together, having a nice tour. The main thing is not to confuse the door. After the unsuccessful experience with the mask, Whisper doubted her own memory ... but fortunately she made the rest of the way to the armory already following a familiar voice that echoed through the walls of the headquarters.

      At first, only the sharp wolf ears appeared in the opening, and then the whole Whisper. She was in no hurry to take a step outside the door. At first she only watched what was happening from the side, like a child who stared at a toy showcase on the way.

      At the end of the long room, hung from floor to ceiling with wispons and other dangerous weapons, stood a broad-shouldered ocelot. He was concentrating on his laser guns. Cutter kept getting distracted by two mischievous ephemeral spirits-wisps hovered above, weaving among the hanging fluorescent lamps. For them, it was like an aerial obstacle course prepared especially for them. Wisps were clearly having fun, judging by their happy faces and gambling coos.

      «Cyan! Rocket! Just don't break anything!» Slinger called out to them for decency, concentrating on trying to figure out where the fresh scratch appeared on the body of his wispon. The whole spectrum of ocelot's heavy thoughtfulness was betrayed by his swaying tail.

      Wisps muttered something in their own language in response. They listened to the cutter and slowed down slightly, but they didn't stop playing catch-up. It was as if wisps were ordinary little children, and not dangerous entities woven from the pure energy of Chaos. However, they were only dangerous in the wrong hands... they were the sweetest creatures in themselves.

      Whisper stole a glance at the wall hung with weapons. There was also her orange wispon. A sniper rifle. The rifle would have been useless without a wisp named Rocket, whom the wolf met quite recently. Just think, but Whisper was the only owner of such a unique wispon… The Resistance could only dream of such a thing. Proud and happy lights lit up in the blue wolf eyes of their own accord.

      Suddenly, wisps began to murmur and were distracted from the game. Both spirits descended to an unexpected guest, who for some reason got stuck in the doorway. Maybe she was waiting for an invitation? Orange spirit and turquoise spirit circled around Whisper affably, clearly greeting her. A shimmering train trailed behind them. Electricity was felt. Immediately Whisper's fur stirred. The wolf waved her hand timidly in response, and both wisps rose to the lamps again, as if wanting to disappear into the white glow.

      Slinger immediately noticed the guest and smiled sunnily. It seemed that the ocelot could emit light along with wisps, even though he consisted of ordinary flesh and blood. Although, who knows?

      «Oh, Whisper!» Slinger greeted cordially, returning the laser guns to their rightful place on the wall. Very soon, he will take them up again to destroy another pack of Eggman’s bots.

      All the first days of her new life, Slinger was a safe island for Whisper: no expectations, no masks and no worries… The cheerful ocelot was generally the primary reason why Whisper was able to join Diamond Cutters. Of course, the wolf first turned to him. Perhaps it was even worth doing it right away and not wasting time arguing with an inanimate mask ... However, she did not want to use the help of an infinitely kind and generous ocelot too often.

      Slinger continued to speak, noting the restless shadow in Whisper's eyes. He was quite a tall mobian, so he had to lean a little towards the wolf:

      «How are you? Are you worried?»

      «...A little bit.» Whisper did not lie, palely responding to Slinger's sunny gaze and smile, «I hope nothing happens.»

      «Don't worry, we'll be right there! Let at least one @##!&% just try to approach you… And It will regret it.» although the ocelot said this with a smile, but in his eyes Whisper clearly saw a predatory gleam that overshadowed all doubts: this is exactly how it will be. «Let's blow up a couple hundred blanks and go home! Before you know it, it's all over, haha!» Slinger finished as if nothing had happened.

      ...Sometimes Whisper completely forgot who Slinger really was, right? The Diamond Cutters team took on the most dangerous missions possible only to extremely experienced freedom fighters. The Cutters wouldn't have taken Slinger in just like that. Only the best of the best were among them. And ocelot was like that. There was much more to his childish, beaming smile. But what about her? Did the team make a mistake with their new recruit? What could they see in her? Will she be able to meet their expectations, their trust?

      As if hearing someone else's confused thoughts, the mischievous wisps immediately returned to their owners. Cyan settled comfortably on the shoulders of a tall ocelot, his gaze questioning the essence of the conversation. The orange Rocket landed on the palm of Whisper's hand. Rocket lifted her awkward paws up and squeezed her eyes shut happily. Rocket repeated and repeated something in her own language, but without a mask, no one could understand these cute messages… However, it seems that Whisper guessed it anyway. She may not have had time to get attached to a new companion yet, but warm feelings were already touching her heart.

      «Do you see? We're not going to let Whisper get hurt, are we, guys?» Slinger asked cheerfully, and the wisps became even more animated, vying to answer the obvious question.

      «Thank you, Slinger,» Whisper smiled warmly. «I appreciate it.»

      She had no doubt that she could rely on ocelot. She only doubted her own abilities.

      «And thank you too.» the wolf turned to the cheerful wisps.

      Rocket and Cyan soared again, taking the enchanting light with them.

      «...Actually, I wanted to ask for help,» Whisper said softly, showing the ill-fated mask to Slinger, who carefully pricked up his ears.

      «With a mask?» he said.

      «Yes.»

      «What's the matter?»

      «I... I didn't understand how it works. Smithy explained it to me, but he was in such a hurry, and I-»

      «Yeah, I understand. Lately, he hasn't even had time to breathe once more...» Slinger took the mask with the extinguished eye from Whisper and turned it over in a puzzled way.

He examined it properly. He studied it with his cat's eyes. The front side, the inside. By his instantly frowning face, the wolf immediately suspected something was wrong.

      Chaos, she didn't break the mask, did she? What's the matter?

      «I would love to help you, Whisper...» Slinger finally looked up at the worried wolf, « ...But I don't use a mask. I have this instead.» Ocelot took out a monocle from the depths of his gray poncho, very similar to the switched-off lens in the Whisper’s mask. Perhaps it could be called... a mini version?

      «Do you remember saying that you used to have a mask too?» she said.

      «Yes. But to be honest...» Slinger scratched the top of his head and grinned, «I can't even remember roughly how this thing works.» ocelot returned the mask to the owner with a sincerely regretful look, «I'm sorry.»

      «Oh, it’s okay.»

      At some point, the wolf was already sure that her problem was about to be solved. Now, Whisper finally remembered that technology and Slinger are practically incompatible things. Gadget even said that for him it was beginning to believe in paranormal phenomena, because it was simply statistically impossible to break electrical appliances with the frequency with which Slinger did it.… Why Gadget has not tried to smooth out the relationship between ocelot and technology after all? Then the wolf would not have to take on all these breakdowns, resurrecting the unfortunate toasters and microwaves over and over again… But Slinger never had any problems with wispons: everything that fired seemed to jump into his skillful hands.

      Whisper still have to try to figure it out on her own. But will she make it in time?

      Slinger was silent. Then the disheveled ocelot smiled encouragingly again, that's how he was built:

      «Well, what's the big deal! Then go without a mask today. Smithy will explain everything to you again later, no problem!»

      At first, Whisper did not want to tell everything as it is. But she trusted Slinger completely:

      «...It's important to me.»

      «What's important? Be in a mask? Why?»

      «Smithy did me a favor. I want to show that I appreciate his work.»

      «Oh, Whisper! This does not mean that you don't appreciate his work!» Slinger leaned a little closer to the wolf, as if trying to give his words even more weight, «He is an understanding and kind lion! Don't get so upset.»

      Whisper nodded, dropping her thoughtful gaze back to the mask in her hands. She really wanted to be in it on her first assignment, but apparently she would have to-

«You know what? Why don't you go to Claire's place?» Slinger suddenly spoke up again, beaming even more at the visit of such a wonderful idea, «She knows more about these things than I do. She should be upstairs.»

      «Would she... mind?» Whisper stammered, confused for some reason.

      «Of course not! Maybe she'll also make you some kind of prediction for today?» ocelot spread his hands and closed his deliberately cunning cat's eyes, «Who knows?»

      What? A prediction? Oh, yeah. Claire is... a medium, right? Smithy also called her a "psi-operator”, but Whisper didn't even understand the meaning of that title. It was obvious that Claire had some kind of powerful ability... but what exactly was that power? Could Claire sense other people's emotions? To see the aura of others? Feel the danger? To anticipate events and see the future? To move objects with the power of thought alone? Whisper’s head was already spinning with various theories. ”Medium". Even the word alone felt extremely mysterious! And ”psi-operator"? Absolutely terrifying.

But at the first meeting, Claire left an exceptionally pleasant impression on Whisper… Well. If everything goes well, then Whisper will find out about everything herself after a while, right?

      «...Yes. I'll go.» Whisper nodded again, more to herself than to Slinger. She drew the mask closer to her heart, along with an instant renewed hope to make everything perfect.

      The wolf in the dark cape was already turning around, when she suddenly realized: maybe she should have asked Slinger to come up with her? Unlike Whisper, ocelot, after all, has been working with Claire for quite some time. They already have a good relationship. And Whisper barely exchanged a few words with Claire on that cursory ”excursion”... however, what's so scary about that? Whisper will just ask one question, right? The world won't go up in flames from this. And the wolf will not be kicked out of the team for this.

      So Whisper left the armory, waving goodbye to Slinger and wisps. Soon they will all be on their way together.

      The closer Whisper got to the living rooms, the harder her steps got. It was as if her legs were going to tie themselves into a knot to give themselves an excuse not to go anywhere. A dialogue was being rehearsed in the wolf's head, which was about to sound in reality: everything is to the point, everything is clear, everything is fast! So as not to cause any inconvenience to the future teammate! Whisper wouldn't want to start a full-fledged acquaintance with Claire on an unpleasant note… It made her nervous to realize that Claire was far from her and Slinger's age. For some reason, in Whisper's eyes, this fact turned everything upside down. It was as if she had to come up with a completely new language just to ask the medium for help.

      Finally, the right door was right in front of Whisper. Plain and wooden, just like in the dormitories of the Resistance.

      The wolf knocked, having only rehearsed the lines a few more times.

      There seemed to be an infinity hidden in every second. The sharp wolf ears pricked up as soon as Whisper heard footsteps outside the door. Soon the door was opened and clear ice-like eyes stared at the wolf from a dark crack. As soon as Claire recognized the new Whisper as a guest, her gaze immediately warmed up: like a frozen river visited by the spring sun, chasing away all the cold. The monkey in the dark cape magically changed, brushing aside recent thoughts.

      A friendly smile appeared on the neat face of the little mobian, and she left her secluded abode:

      «Hello, Whisper! How are-»

«Hello, Claire! You're-» wolf stammered, accidentally interrupting the respected medium.

      Oh no! Whisper immediately caught herself, covering her mouth with her hand:

       «I'm so sorry!»

       «Don't worry!» Claire chuckled kindly, immediately gently taking Whisper's hand in a soothing gesture.

      Now the wolf herself appeared in the place of the tall Slinger. She unconsciously leaned closer to the interlocutor, who was barely taller than an ordinary child. It wasn't rude, was it?

Claire suddenly spoke first:

      «What’s wrong? Did something happen to you?»

      How? Did she-

Whisper blink in surprise:

       «…Did you... feel it?»

      «Oh, no!» Claire laughed softly at such a funny guess, «You just look a little worried, dear. What's the matter? Do you have any problems?»

      «I...» Whisper exhaled and handed the short mobian a non-working mask, «...If you are not busy and I am not distracting you... then could you help me deal with the mask?»

      «Of course! Just give me a second.» Claire smiled warmly and released Whisper to return to her room for a few minutes.

      During this time, Whisper tried not to think about how stupid she looked and sounded. And why did she say that out loud? "Did you feel it?". How could you even think of such a thing? Obviously, everything was written on Whisper's face. In huge letters. In bold. You don't have to be a medium here to understand that something has happened…

      After a while, Whisper suddenly realized that she and Claire had very similar dark capes. It felt like a real honor. Wearing the same uniform as all the other talented cutters filled the wolf with a wide variety of feelings. A sense of responsibility, among other things.

      Finally, Claire returned. She was holding a Whisper’s mask in one hand and her own mask in the other:

      «Oh, I'm sorry, honey... But it seems that you and I have completely different models. I'm afraid of spoiling something inadvertently.»

      Claire's mask might be similar to Whisper's in general terms, but it was still completely different. The medium's mask did not have any lenses. There were only three dark dots-holes. It was not necessary for a higher being like her to see the world. However, maybe the reason was something else? Of course, the mask of the mystical psi-operator had to be special and distinctive from the rest. Whisper should have guessed it herself…

      Whisper obediently took her mask back, already resigned to the trouble that had happened.

      Claire continued encouragingly:

      «Smithy's busy right now, but he'll definitely help you later. Don't be afraid to handle any problems, okay?»

      «...So it's better for me not to take the mask with me on a mission?»

      «Yes, I think it would be wiser to leave it for next time.»

«I understand. Thank you very much.» Whisper said with the utmost seriousness and hurried away so as not to detain the respected medium any longer.

      Before the wolf had even reached the middle of the cramped corridor, Claire called out to her:

      «Whisper?»

      «Yes?»

      «Don't get upset. I'll bring you some waffles tonight,» Claire smiled sincerely again, clearly intending to share the warming sun, «Okay?»

      Waffles? Whisper expected anything but this. She had forgotten that she now lived here with the Cutters. Her and Claire's rooms were literally a few steps away from each other. Oh-

«Thank you!» Whisper belatedly replied with a confused note.

      She will definitely need to figure out what to give Claire in return.

      The medium smiled sweetly and closed the door, returning to her abode, filled with the smells of a wide variety of Mobius flowers: healing, beautiful and long-withered.

      On the way back to the break room, Whisper continued to examine the mask in her hands. She wasn't trying to do anything anymore. Probably just hoping to find something she might have missed.… Where is it better to leave the mask? Should she take it to the armory? To Smithy's workshop? Or go up to her new room? Or maybe it's worth trying to remember the combination of buttons again? What if it does work out?

      Carried away by her thoughts, Whisper was about to enter the break room to return to her favorite chair.…

      But suddenly she stopped abruptly, as soon as she looked up.

      This is-?!

A wolf in a dark cape immediately darted back through the opening, as if being a ghost from the depths of darkness.

      She saw the black silhouette of an octopus standing at the end of the room. The last cutter, which Whisper preferred not to even think about once again, and-

      Mimic.

      Slinger said a lot of things to Whisper about his teammate. For example, that it would be much more difficult to get along with a Mimic than with anyone else. If even for Slinger (for the friendliest creature in the world!) it was difficult... then Whisper probably shouldn't have even tried. At first, she hoped to encounter the octopus only in the company of someone else. Ideally, of course, with Slinger. Slinger even promised in advance to settle any such issue. But the tall ocelot was not there. Neither sweet Claire, nor needlework Smithy were around.…

      No, of course, it was just stupid to expect real danger from the elder cutter. Whisper just didn't want to appear like a complete idiot in front of one of the founders of the team. That's all. The first time they met, Mimic carefully watched at Whisper's every move, as if she were a potential thief and not a new member of the team. This observation made her terribly uncomfortable. Whisper immediately decided that Mimic disliked her from the very first seconds. But what did she do wrong? Wouldn't she make the situation even worse if she asked for help?

      ...When the wolf, clutching the mask to her heart, was about to hurry upstairs: away from such nervous meetings… Suddenly, there was an incomprehensible rumble in the room.

      What's it? Did Mimic move something or-? Something heavy? Maybe it was Whisper who should have helped her teammate right now?

      Partly due to the last thought, and partly due to ordinary curiosity, the wolf nevertheless carefully looked into the opening…

      Mimic opened the door of the transparent refrigerator with a bang. He began rapidly filling the empty shelves with whole packs of some glossy cans. At the same time, Mimic worked not only with his hands, but also with tentacles, managing to hold the door for himself. When the refrigerator was full to overflowing, the octopus took one can and slammed the door with an even stronger bang. And how did it still not crack? Whisper heard the familiar hiss, accompanied by which an ordinary can of drink is usually opened… The octopus didn't seem to need any help. So-

      Just as Whisper took a step away from the ill-fated opening, she suddenly noticed something familiar in the middle of the cluttered table.

      It's not by chance-…

      Yes. It is.

      Whisper dropped her gaze back to the mask in her hands.

      There was a Mimic mask on the table: almost exactly the same as hers…

      It would seem that the wolf had finally found someone to ask for help... but it was scary to even think about it. Hmm, and what should she call it? Incredible luck or incredible bad luck? Why exactly did Mimic, the most ambiguous cutter of all, have a similar mask? Could Whisper have asked him for help? Or is it better not to? She felt that the stakes were much higher now. The tremor in her voice and unnecessary chatter would definitely not be tolerated by Mimic, unlike Smithy and Claire. And do not forget that the future of Whisper in this team depended not only on the leader, but also on Mimic — the ”second founder”, as ocelot called him… She had to take control of the situation.

      Where is the best place to start a conversation? Apologize? Start with the case right away, so as not to waste his time? Or-

«...Are you going to stand there and stare at me for a long time?» suddenly Mimic spoke sharply to the ghost behind his back, without turning around.

      Did he notice her?! How?!

      Caught off guard, Whisper immediately stepped inside. Her heart skipped a beat and began to beat with triple force. Chaos, what had she gotten herself into?! She should have left right away. What was she doing all this for anyway?! Now it looked like Whisper was deliberately spying on Mimic, right? If she had been in Mimic's place, she would have been angry too. Has she already ruined everything, and-

«I'm sorry.» Whisper said in a surprisingly calm voice faster than her thoughts.

      Mimic finally turned around.

      There was no anger in his black eye sockets and predatory snow-white pupils, which Whisper was so afraid to see. The octopus's gaze was rather... completely blank.

      Before that, in her entire life, which Whisper had spent mostly in the Resistance, she had not yet met the cursed mobians. She didn't understand what it was. And there were so many opinions on this subject on Mobius that it couldn't be counted… Almost everyone was terribly afraid of the cursed ones. Who would have thought that in the ranks of the best freedom fighters of Mobius there would be just one of them?

      Soon Mimic arched an eyebrow, waiting for at least some sane explanation from the newcomer.

      «I wanted to ask you to help me deal with the mask. If it doesn't bother you.»

      It would seem that just a minute ago, Whisper was terribly panicking ... but as soon as she spoke, cold calculation immediately filled every cell of her body.

      Whisper changed beyond recognition, as soon as she was on the battlefield, all her fears and doubts disappeared in an instant, irrevocably burning in an icy fire. She became a completely different creature, trying on metal scales on herself: in order to resist Eggman, wolf had to spy on him in some things. So it was now. As soon as Whisper was not in front of the brightly smiling Slinger, Claire or Smithy, but in front of the cursed Mimic, everything acquired the familiar cold colors of metallic shades. No, she wasn't afraid of him. And she didn't see him as an opponent. Whisper saw in him only a mobian who could sense someone else's weakness. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe not.

      The octopus was silent. In his reverie, he dangled the can, boring into Whisper’s mask with a heavy gaze. The wolf could only guess what was going on in the cursed mobian's head. But she did not feel any threat from Mimic: even though it was the first time she had come face to face with the cursed mobian. It seems that all these stories turned out to be untrue.

      Finally, Mimic spoke dryly, no longer addressing Whisper, but the void:

      «...So our Smithy doesn't have enough time for his own duties?» the octopus drank sweets from a can of soda with such a look, as if in fact it was low-quality and indescribable bitterness, «...Unexpectedly.»

At that moment, Whisper felt a pang of guilt: Smithy was certainly not responsible for the fact that she didn't understand the instructions. The tall lion had already spent a lot of time to create wispon and mask for Whisper. No one else in the whole world had such. Was Smithy obliged to waste even more of his precious time on such a formality? In a good way, Whisper should have dealt with it on her own, without distracting the cutters from their business. But…

      Mimic gave the glossy can to his own tentacle to free his hands. He walked up to the table and picked up his mask.

       «Alright. Come here.»

      Whisper roused herself and hurried to obey the order.

      ...Surprisingly, Mimic spoke quite calmly: without the irritation inherent in former Whisper’s mentors from the Resistance, without any reproaches and arrogance. One could even say that the octopus did not correspond at all to the image that had formed in the wolf's head long before the meeting. Slinger was describing a cursed octopus... what would be the right word? Probably strict. Whisper expected that she would not have the right to make any mistakes, because Mimic simply would not let her get away with it. This was the case with Slinger: ocelot, as he himself put it, learned on the run, barely keeping up with the older cutters… But Slinger never gave specific examples. Maybe that's why there was some misunderstanding? Or did Whisper not notice how she herself fell into the trap of all those rumors about the cursed mobians?

      The octopus calmly explained the purpose of each button, even the most inconspicuous one. Mimic expressed himself in a completely different way, not like Smithy: without any incomprehensible terms and without distant thoughts that could not fit into the ordinary mobian's head. Simple and understandable. Whisper was no longer afraid to ask questions... but there was no need to. Mimic gave Whisper just enough time to figure it out and try to repeat it herself. Following the octopus, she pressed the buttons. The lens perked up, looking at the world with a glowing turquoise ring... Really? That's it? It even seemed that Mimic had replaced mask with a more obedient one while Whisper was not looking.

      It was difficult to say whether Mimic could also professionally transfer combat skills… But something told Whisper that yes. Maybe if she had a similar mentor in the Resistance, she would not prefer to train alone.

      She even had the following thought. The wolf knew firsthand that the ocelot often behaved frivolously. Even in extremely... serious situations. Perhaps in this way Slinger was mocking the very essence of a sometimes unfair and cruel world… Whisper understood that this could be annoying. Maybe it might have seemed so at first, but for Slinger, blowing up robots was not just fiery fun.

      Whisper excitedly put on a mask. Finally, everything worked as Smithy described. She could see the world around her as clearly as with her own eyes. No obscure numbers and frightening blackness!

      «...Now the interface.» meanwhile Mimic continued, politely giving Whisper time to get used to her new vision. The octopus also put on a mask.

      ...Whisper could not have imagined that there would be so many functions in such a light mask. Mimic himself noted which of them were fundamental and which were purely situational. For example, a thermal imager, although it might be needed, but obviously not as often as night vision. And for a sniper, the ”smart” sight was paramount at all. It is unlikely that Whisper had ever been interested in technology ... but then a purely childish delight blossomed inside her. Of course, she did not show it. She only thoughtfully listened to every word of the elder cutter, who was standing a little apart. She will have time to rejoice and think later.

      Now it's time for communication. The Diamond Cutters used masks to communicate not only with each other, but also with their faithful wisps: a translator was built into the masks, which allowed them to understand funny gurgling language. Whisper had already communicated with her Rocket, but for this she had to use Slinger's monocle — then her mask was not even ready.

      After listing all the voice commands, the octopus moved on to practice:

      «Can you hear me?» Whisper was asked by the voice of a Mimic from the loudspeaker of the mask and from the outside world at the same time.

      «Yes.» the wolf pressed the button, «And can you hear me?»

      The sound of her own voice, coming to her from Mimic's mask, seemed simply terrible. Is that how the others will hear her? What a horror-

       «Yes. Claire and Slinger are online too. Try to contact them.»

      The elder cutter lifted the mask to his forehead and returned to the drink in the can, which he had been holding in one of the tentacles all this time. It seems that the drink was no longer as cold.

      Whisper calmly did everything as Mimic told and showed her.

      «Um, can anyone hear me?»

      «Whispe-e-er! It's Whisper! You did it, a-woooo!» Slinger howled triumphantly, deliberately wolfish, celebrating her victory as if it were his own.

      Whisper flinched in surprise: sometimes sensitive hearing was not a blessing of Chaos at all. Mimic readily suggested:

       «The volume is adjusted from the side. I advise you to make Slinger quiet permanently.»

      «Mimic?! You already here?!» asked the ocelot from Whisper mask, deliberately raising his voice so that the elder cutter would definitely hear him even in such conditions.

      Whisper turned the wheel and a volume bar turned down in front of her eyes from the side.

      «As you hear...» Mimic replied lazily, sipping a drink. Then he gave Whisper the following practical task: «Switch to the general channel so that both Slinger and Claire can hear you at the same time.»

      «Like this?»

      «Good job, Whisper!» Claire suddenly responded instead of Mimic, joining in the congratulations. She could be heard so well, as if she was standing very close.

      «Thanks! Over and out.» Whisper said with a timid half-smile on her face and hung up.

      The wolf took off her mask and blinked, getting used to the light again. She had hoped to at least just turn on this incomprehensible unit... but instead she was now free to use the mask on her own. Absolutely all functions. Of course, everything that had been learned still had to be consolidated, but now it didn't look so terrible. Neither did the future training of cutters in general look scary.

      Whisper squinted at the octopus in the black cape:

      «Thank you for your help.» she said softly.

      Mimic did not answer. He emptied a can of soda, crumpled it to a flat shiny round and threw it into the trash with a tentacle, without even aiming. In an instant, the octopus pulled away, drowning in his thoughts — this was evident from his gaze fixed on an invisible point.

      Both founders of Diamond Cutters seemed to Whisper not only authoritative and experienced... but also terribly tortured. Was the reason for this a Eggman who did not close the ”mechanical all-seeing eye"? Recently, there have been more robots both in the Sandy House and on the outskirts of Metropolis… Who knows? Maybe with the Diamond Cutters Whisper will see the long-awaited fall of the empire of Dr. Eggman.

      Mimic suddenly put on the mask again and contacted the team:

      «Let's move out. Take the wispons. Slinger, grab the Whisper’s rifle.»

      The wolf just blinked in surprise.

      Wait, what? Already?

      «Accepted!» Slinger and Claire immediately responded with alacrity in one voice.

      Something was wrong... after a moment's thought, Whisper realized that it was their team size: had the leader of the Diamond Cutters been in touch? She don't think so. As far as she understood, the old lion was not at the headquarters at all. How could they launch an operation without their commander? What about the plan? How-

     «Is Smithy going to be with us too?» Whisper decided to express her thought out loud.

     «...Smithy won't be free today.» Mimic replied with an ambiguous intonation.

      Footsteps were heard, and Claire and Slinger appeared on the threshold of the break room. When they stood next to each other, the difference in their height seemed simply enormous. Both cutters were already fully armed: Claire was wearing a mask, with a wispon in her hands and a green wisp on her shoulder. In this form, she truly looked terrifying. And Slinger was even rearmed: in addition, he also held an orange Whisper’s rifle in his hands. The wolf immediately caught herself and hurried to meet her friend to pick up her weapon. The ocelot looked happy.

      All the peace that filled Whisper disappeared at once. On a mission? Already? She didn't feel ready. Even the air in the recreation room was saturated with electricity. Either from the presence of the wisps, or from the omen of an imminent battle.

      Claire and Slinger didn't ask about the commander. Ocelot, of course, once casually mentioned that the full complement of Diamond Cutters went only on particularly important tasks… But Whisper could not even imagine that the founder of the team himself could be absent. She even felt sorry. She would like to see lion not only in the role of an inventor, but also in the role of a skilled warrior too. However, everything is still ahead, right?

      Mimic went to the wall and took his wispon, which, it turns out, had been waiting alone on the sidelines and propping up the wall all this time. The octopus put it on his shoulder like some kind of metal bat with an impressive sphere — it looked a little like a steel wrecking ball that demolishes buildings. Even the inactive wispon of the elder cutter looked very impressive.

      Claire and Slinger parted to let Mimic go ahead and let him lead. Little Claire immediately followed. Before that, Slinger turned to Whisper and gave her two thumbs-up. There was a whole silent tirade in his eyes about how well she was doing.

      Whisper smiled warmly and hurried after her new team.

      Everything is just beginning.

[sage-nebula]

SLINGER SAYING "PEW PEW" AND SMITHY LAUGHING EVERY TIME . . . CRIES

[lead-to-light]

Say, Whisper. Have you thought about asking Kit, Tails, or Belle to make masks like yours for the rest of the team? Or, did Smithy have the only blueprints for them?

Whisper looked uncomfortable, "Tails and Kit given enough time could reverse engineer it but that's not the problem. We actually did try. Lanolin had simple masks with built-in radios in them made for Tangle and her. Her idea was to get an idea if masks would impede their senses too much. We were doing a simulation of an operation at an abandoned eggbase nearby with the masks. It was going well but then I accidentally called Lanolin......Claire."

Whisper looked down, "Lanolin and Tangle were very understanding when I said I didn't want team masks anymore."

[thehypedbuddy]

Can you make a follow-up comic about whisper having nightmares please?