Other Side of the Raid
Homework (Part 1)
📻 BBN Transmission Log
World: Post-Comet Earth
BBN Podcast: Latest Character Interview
📡 Chapter Navigation
⬅️ Previous: Justice (Part 4)
➡️ Next: [Coming Soon (02.04.2026) - Subscribe for Updates]
📚 Series Hub: Complete chapter list and series info
Previously on “The Other Side of the Raid”
Chapter 8, Part 4: Justice
News reached Aria that the Efficient Exterminators planned to clear the entire Dungeon the following day, apparently as a show of force following her investigations. With their window for action open, Aria used her Administrative privileges to teleport directly to the first boss room, where Rei was already waiting. Aria reminded Rei of the plan: attempt diplomacy first, and only escalate if talking failed. When the Exterminators arrived and found Aria blocking their path, Marcus Chen’s corporate composure faltered only briefly before he dismissed her as a B-rank Explorer turned politician—an inefficiency to be corrected.
The confrontation turned quickly. Marcus, Sarah, and the Porter twins refused to engage in good faith, with Sarah openly describing their psychological abuse of Explorers as valuable “trauma response data.” When Marcus raised his blade and moved to attack, Aria activated her adamantine nails and sheared his mythril sword into five pieces in a single fluid motion, shattering the team’s confidence. With the Exterminators panicked and off-balance, Aria revealed that the Dungeon bosses were not anonymous system constructs—they had names, memories, and grievances—and that Rei had specifically requested to stand in for her sister Mei for this encounter. Aria left the boss room, closing the doors behind her, and let Rei handle the rest.
That evening, Rei confirmed the matter was settled. She had prepared a report for Emily: statistically thorough, but deliberately vague on specifics. Back in the UK, Emily later received data showing a marked improvement in Explorer safety outcomes, and while she never learned exactly what transpired in that boss room, she suspected Aria’s diplomatic visit had resolved the problem permanently.
Key Takeaways:
Aria used her Administrative privileges to teleport directly into the Dungeon, bypassing normal entry procedures
The Efficient Exterminators refused to negotiate in good faith, with Marcus threatening Aria and Sarah defending their abuse as research
Aria revealed her adamantine nails by destroying Marcus’s mythril sword in a single motion, exposing that she is far beyond her listed B-rank
Aria confronted the Exterminators with the knowledge that the Dungeon bosses have identities, undermining Sarah’s dismissal of them as mere system constructs
Rei swapped in for Mei as agreed, facing the Exterminators alone in the boss room after Aria withdrew
Rei coordinated with Aria to supply Emily with anonymized data showing improved Explorer safety, keeping the specifics of the confrontation confidential
The Efficient Exterminators’ threat to the Dungeon and its employees was conclusively ended, with Marcus’s warning that “no one will dare try” proven wrong
Homework (Part 1)
When Aria returned home, she found the now-familiar scene of Vaeloria and Mittens sharing tea in her living room. The delicate bone china cups, passed down through generations of British aristocracy, seemed oddly mismatched with their contents - a peculiar purple liquid that released spiraling tendrils of lime-green vapor into the air. The vapor formed intricate patterns before dissipating, almost as if it were dancing to some otherworldly rhythm.
Vaeloria: “OMG OMG OMG! That battle was like, totally EPIC!” she bounced so excitedly her feet barely touched the ground between leaps, causing the green vapor to swirl chaotically. “And then you were all swoosh-swoosh with those nails, and the ratings literally BROKE the quantum metrics!”
Aria: “I can explain---” she began, setting down her bag and taking an instinctive step back from Vaeloria’s energetic display.
Vaeloria: “It was totally astronomical! The Producers were like, freaking out, and the viewership numbers just---” her words tumbled out between excited gasps, hands gesturing wildly as sparks of interdimensional energy crackled around her. “Like, fifty trillion live viewers! Can you even?”
Mittens: “I’m afraid she shall be in this state for quite some time, my dear,” she observed with refined composure, delicately sipping from her cup while her tail moved with elegant precision. “I attempted to serve some Percefon blend - quite the delicacy from the Andromeda galaxy, I assure you - to calm her nerves, but it appears to have had rather the opposite effect.”
Fifty trillion viewers? Aria felt slightly faint at the number.
Aria: “Is she angry with me?” she asked cautiously, eyeing the still-bouncing Vaeloria with growing concern.
Mittens: “Quite the contrary, darling,” she replied, adjusting her position with feline grace while using her tail to steadily maintain the balance of her teacup. “Our dear Vaeloria simply finds herself utterly unable to contain her enthusiasm. Though I must say,” she added with aristocratic amusement, “your performance was rather spectacular. The interdimensional ratings committees are absolutely beside themselves.”
Vaeloria: “Like, three different dimensional planes are fighting over broadcast rights!” she spun in mid-air, trailing green vapor in her wake. “And your fan mail! Oh em gee, we had to create a whole new quantum server just to handle it all!”
The green vapor from the tea had begun forming what looked suspiciously like viewing statistics before Mittens delicately waved her paw through it, dispersing the numbers before Aria could process them.
Mittens: “Perhaps we should allow our dear Aria a moment to settle in before overwhelming her with the more... astronomical aspects of her newfound celebrity,” she suggested diplomatically, noting Aria’s increasingly overwhelmed expression.
An hour later, the calming effects of the purple tea had finally settled over the room. Aria found herself pleasantly relaxed, watching the last wisps of green vapor dance above her cup.
Vaeloria: “Kay, so like, time for the super important stuff,” she declared, her expression shifting with surprising suddenness from hyperactive teen to something almost businesslike.
I know this will not end well. Aria took another sip of tea for fortification.
Vaeloria: “So Lady Kitsune Starweaver totally wants to meet you IRL! She’ll be waiting for us at the Pleiades Entertainment Hub in three days,” she announced, bouncing slightly despite her attempt at seriousness.
Aria: “And where exactly is that?”
Vaeloria: “OMG, it’s like, right there in PL-E-001!” she gestured at the air as if this should be obvious. “What do you mean you don’t know? That’s like, saying you don’t know where the mall is! Though I guess Earth is still totally behind on standard galactic navigation and stuff...”
Mittens: “Perhaps we might focus on more pressing matters, darling,” she interjected with diplomatic grace, her tail swishing thoughtfully. “For such an auspicious meeting, one must present an appropriate gift. Might I suggest something from Earth’s rather remarkable culinary repertoire?”
Aria: “That’s actually not a bad idea, but wouldn’t most dishes need to be served hot?” she mused, professional experience with diplomatic gifts showing. “What sort of facilities does the Pleiades Entertainment Hub have for food preparation?”
Mittens: “Allow me to demonstrate a rather elegant solution,” she replied, casually gesturing with one paw to open a small black portal, from which she delicately extracted what appeared to be a perfectly preserved pastry.
Vaeloria: “Oh em gee, I totally spaced on telling you about dimensional storage!” she exclaimed, frantically summoning several holographic screens. “It’s like, this super cool pocket dimension thing where you can store stuff! And there’s this special time-frozen dimension that keeps everything perfect forever - hot stuff stays hot, cold stuff stays cold, it’s literally the best!”
With characteristic enthusiasm, Vaeloria launched into a demonstration of dimensional storage, her hands trailing sparkles of magic as she created and accessed various pocket dimensions.
Vaeloria: “Kay, so it’s totally easy! Just focus your Creation magic like this---” she demonstrated the gesture, creating a shimmering outline in the air, “---and think about, like, folding reality? But sideways!”
Several attempts and one accidentally summoned rain of interdimensional sparkles later, Aria managed to create her first stable pocket dimension.
Vaeloria: “OMG, you’re literally a natural!” she clapped excitedly. “Now for the time-frozen one - it’s the same thing, but you have to think about stopping time while you fold reality. Easy peasy!”
After mastering both types of dimensional storage, Aria looked at her luggage with newfound exasperation.
Aria: “So you’re telling me I’ve been lugging around suitcases all this time when I could have just...” she gestured at the convenient tear in reality she had just created, “done that?”
Vaeloria: “Oopsie!” she grinned sheepishly. “My bad! But like, better late than never, right?”
Mittens: “Now then, darling, let us return to the matter of the gift,” she redirected with elegant precision, her tail swishing thoughtfully. “I believe your recent acquaintance in Japan might provide something suitably impressive.”
Aria: “True, Ryusei’s creations are remarkable,” she mused. “But even with flights arranged immediately, I’m not sure I could manage a trip to Japan and back before the meeting.”
Vaeloria: “OMG, you’re still thinking about planes and stuff?” she rolled her eyes dramatically. “Hello? Portals? Like, instant travel anywhere? As long as you’ve got all the boring paperwork done, obvs!”
Aria: “Oh good grief,” she smacked her forehead with an exaggerated facepalm, drawing a delicate chuckle from Mittens. “I’ve literally been opening portals all week. Talk about missing the obvious!”
Vaeloria: “Speaking of Japan,” she brightened, summoning a portal with a casual wave. “I’ve got some totally important inspection stuff to do at Senso-ji Shrine right now. If you need anything super urgent, that’s where I’ll be!” With that, she practically skipped through the portal, trailing sparkles of interdimensional energy behind her.
Mittens: “There she goes, perpetually in motion,” she observed with refined amusement as the portal closed. Then, turning to Aria with elegant authority, “You should make haste yourself, my dear.”
Aria: “Yes, yes, I’m going,” she replied, carefully crafting a portal to the discrete alley beside Ryusei’s restaurant.
📡 End of Transmission
Oliver here - That was quite a chapter! Our dimensional frequency is picking up intense emotional resonance from Aria’s world. What did you think of her decision? The comments below are buzzing with theories from other interdimensional travelers...