:::Side stories that occur before Chapter 31 which gives a time skip:::

  "Gehehahahaha!" A skinny man cackled maniacally over his cluttered workbench, artificer tools scattered chaotically among the pos. Sweat dripped from his forehead, yet his hands performed precise work. Through it all, he kept giggling and ughing, his shoulders shaking non-stop.

  Large and filled with meical parts and junk piles stacked haphazardly, the room is lit by a single buzzing Chemtech light above the workbench. To his left, a window is opeo let the vapors escape as if it helps when his face is dangerously close to the source.

  he exit, a retively well-built man sits. He looked ready to bolt, tense and apprehensive as he guarded the door, his gaze darting now and then to the maniacal artificer.

  Bang-Bang-Bang

  More maniacal ughied from the lithe fellow as loud banging reverberated through the room. The guard stands, sliding the wooden cover on the spy hole to peer outside. After a moment, he unbolted the door and cautiously opens the door.

  The man who walks in has both eyes repced with artificial lenses, dressed like a sger, and an arm repced with a grabbing cw. Without a word, he throws a sack from his shoulder to the already-heaped pile of junk, the tents crashing noisily against it.

  "That's the st of this week's trash," the cwed man grumbled, his lensed gaze darting toward the giggling artificer and expression twisting with disdain.

  "Good, good geha," the artificer wheezed through wet coughs, his lungs rattling with an iion but still his hands remaieady. "I have three made already."

  The artificer gnced back, grinning while asking with an amused tone, "You look upset! Did you run into those kids again?"

  "Yeah," the sger scowled, shaking his head with frustration. "Fu' booted that blue-haired brat this time. Sick of her nabbin' our shit."

  The artificer froze, and his maniacal grin disappeared. Slowly, he pced his artificer tools down and turo face the man, crooked teeth bared in a scowl of anger and nervousness. His hands went up to the side of his head, nails scratg at his temples iween nervous, hitched giggles.

  "No...no, no no... You are stupid! Gehahaha," the artificer's voice pitched higher, cut between with more strange giggles. "Y-you don't mess with them like that. You don't touch them, you idiot! The Hound will e now! The Hound!"

  k-WzzzT

  A small rock shot through the window, striking the device the artificer was meticulously w on. Everyone froze, their gazes snapping to the device which began to whir and shake violently.

  "FU-" A rge bang cuts off the artificer's shriek, and a brilliant light fills the room. Everyoumbles and crumbles to the ground, disoriented and uo get their bearings. Their ears rang mercilessly, the smell of burnt circuitry, and vision distorted.

  Thuds break through the chaos as feet nd, followed by a sharp feminine voice, filled with fury.

  "You fuckers want to kick my sister?"

  Chaos ensued immediately. More feet thudded upory against the metallic floor, followed by numerous painful shouts and shrieks. As quickly as it began, it stopped.

  The artificer was groaning on the ground, clutg his broken nose, and rolling around in pce. Blood smeared his face, and his tools were scattered across the ground. The guard slumped against the wall unscious, blood dripping from his nose.

  The sger, when the chaos settled, fared far worse. He had his augmented arm ripped off and his left leg bent unnaturally at the knee. His face was bloodied, his nose broken, an eye swelling shut, and bd blue bruising from other strikes.

  Orion stood iermath, havihis little revenge py. He threw the rod let the others have their time. Orion fixated his attention ohree remaining devices, p their effects.

  "Fshbangs? ChemFshs?" Orion muttered bemused. He grabbed the ChemFshes and examiheir exteriors closely. The design was crude, featuring a priming switd a button, likely triggering a timer before detonation.

  Cggor slung the sger's sack over his shoulder and called out, "Let's bounce."

  Mylo smirked and nodded in agreement, giving the artificer o kick to the head as Orion stashed the ChemFshes into his jacket.

  "Let's go!" Orion called back to Vi, gng at her bloodied shoe tips and knuckles. Her fierce gaze tio hold unresolved violence, but she huffed loudly and strode back toward the window.

  Orion patted her back as reassurance as she passed but she just shrugged it off, her fury still burning. After she hopped out, Orion gave o look at the damages with a satisfied smirk before following suit.

  When they returo the Last Drop, Vi retold their story to Vander while Orion tossed a dismantled ChemFsh to Powder, keeping the remaining two safely tucked in his jacket.

  Powder's eyes lit up as the gadget nded in her hands, her fingers eagerly running over it to ihe crude design. Her wide eyes dazzled and darted up to Orion, giggling and giving him a small hug before diving bato it with focused excitement.

  Sighing tiredly, Orion flopped himself onto the couext to Powder, a faint smile lingered on his face as he watched. Occasionally his gaze would flip to the boys digging through the sack.

  "All ended well," Orion thought happily, closing his eyes.