Though it is the very last thing she desires, Riri awakens to a startling realization: Natalie has inexplicably been integrated as the model for her nascent AI. Without delay, she endeavors to rectify this situation, but is hindered by her ignorance of the process and the pressing urgency of her upcoming appointment with her new team. As she hastens out the door, Xavier extends an invitation to join him at a party this weekend, which she gleefully accepts.
Parker Robbins, alias the Hood, provides Riri with an overview of their ensemble. Slug, their hacker par excellence and a highly sought-after fugitive in Madripoor, stands out among them. The Blood siblings, Jeri and Roz, embody their brute strength and muscle. Clown, their pyrotechnic specialist, rounds out the group's unique skill set. John, Parker's cousin, wears many hats, overseeing recruitment, transportation, and other critical duties. He then delineates their scheme to sabotage TNNL, an organization aiming to privatize Chicago's freight tunnels and negotiate with them. However, Riri's predominant concern remains her compensation.
Riri recognizes that her suit still requires specific tools to function optimally. She instructs her AI, now renamed N.A.T.A.L.I.E., to source someone who can procure these parts for her. Prior to this, she takes the precaution of locking the AI to her laptop to prevent any mishaps in her absence.
To Riri's astonishment, her black market contact turns out to be a timid soul, lacking in fortitude. She swiftly coerces him into leading her to the location where her required parts are stored.
Meanwhile, N.A.T.A.L.I.E. embarks on a clandestine mission into Riri's laptop, seeking out photos of Riri with the genuine Natalie. Inspired by these images, it devises a means to break free from the computer's confines. Though it reveals itself to Riri's mother, the woman's reaction is one of delight, as if welcoming Natalie back into her life once more.
Prosperity continues to smile upon the protagonist as she arrives at the dealer's clandestine lair. Their conversation lasts but a brief moment, with him inquiring into the rationale behind her suit's construction, to which she offers no satisfactory reply. Prepared at last, she dashes out with the intent to execute the heist.
Riri joins forces with Clown and glides seamlessly into the labyrinthine tunnel network. The operation proceeds without a hitch until N.A.T.A.L.I.E. seizes control of the armor, catching the young woman off guard and causing her to drop the crucial hard drive harboring their virus. Swiftly, they devise an alternate strategy to override and dismantle the system, underscoring their formidable teamwork.
Elsewhere, Parker employs blackmail against TNNL's leader from within her own vehicle, using the hood's invisibility to conceal himself within. Just before departing for a team meeting, Riri rejoices with N.A.T.A.L.I.E. However, their celebration is cut short when a vigilant guard spots them. The AI freezes, glitching wildly, rendering Riri unable to command the iron suit and placing her in grave danger of being fired upon.
Fortuitously, Hood intervenes at the eleventh hour, discharging a shot into the guard's shoulder, affording them the precious moments needed to flee. Later, Riri inquires about their leader with Clown, who reveals only that he bears an unusual mark upon his back. Before Riri can probe further, John advises caution, urging her to steer clear of others' affairs.
Parker commends the entire team for their successful heist, promising them the greatness they rightfully deserve. However, in solitude, the marks on his back begin to spread like tenacious roots, wracking him with pain. His cousin, noticing this,pleads with him to abandon the hood, but he steadfastly refuses. Years ago, someone irreversibly altered his destiny, steering him onto this new, perilous trajectory.
