Chaos Sonic

A Knight's Tale Ends "Sir Petrus...?" Petrus heard the cooing of Gwenllian, causing the red armored knight to turn away from his steed, to see the princess standing at the doorway to the stables. "My princess, why have you come?" he sighed, looking away from the beautiful one before him. "I had wished not to see you, before I departed." "Yes, Sir Petrus." Gwenllian responded softly. "But I could not, nay, I would not be alright until I saw you off. After your engagement with the dragon under Adrien's control and even stopping Adrien from his unfathomable techniques in the dark arts, I prayed you would stay for a bit longer." "Aye, and I would indeed stay." Petrus spoke, his gaze returning to Gwenllian. "But you know as well as I do, my princess, that the longer I stay, the more danger that would be caused by Adrien and his magic. It is the duty of a knight to protect what I care for..." he paused. "To protect who I care for." The two continued to stare at each other, until finally Gwenllian embraced Petrus, holding him tightly and not letting go. Petrus could hear the young girl sobbing, even hearing her tears colliding with his crimson armor. He tried his hardest to fight the tears that hung in his eyes, but it was not to be. From his eyes, the crimson knight began to cry as well, continuing to hold onto Gwenllian and not letting her go. The minutes seemed to tick away as the two continued to hold each other endearingly, but alas, this slowly was broken apart by the crimson knight. Petrus wiped the tears from his eyes and then Gwenllian's eyes, before he took her hand and slightly kissed it. "Gwenllian, I promise to you, I will return to you." he spoke, his voice cracking with sadness. "I will defeat Adrien and return to you." Gwenllian's hand remained held by Petrus until she put her other hand on top of his. She gave off a faint smile before slipping something into his hand. It was a small ring with the emblem of a spider engraved into it. "Then return to me, Sir Petrus." she said softly. "This will give you reason to return to me." The crimson knight remained quiet, only holding the ring in his hand as he looked at Gwenllian. A small nod came forth as he turned and mounted his steed, before trotting out of the stables. With a small jolt of his foot, the painted horse galloped away fast from the kingdom. He jolted his foot again, the horse ran faster. Then faster. And faster... Petrus tugged on the reins of the horse, before he stopped and looked back behind him. Now the kingdom of Orléans was but a faint glimpse, a far distant goal now. He looked away, directing his gaze only to the spider engraved ring. His mind could only drift back to Gwenllian and her beauty. Petrus couldn't stand being apart from the love of his life, but he swore an oath, and as a knight, he knew he would have to uphold it. He put the ring into the satchel on the horse, before jolting its side again, riding off towards the rising sun. The sunlight glistened over his crimson armor. And once more, the spider knight rode off, to finish his quest once and for all. He looked at his computer screen, letting out a loud sigh. Right now, that was the last page he had on the story he’d been working on and off entitled “Of Spiders & Knights”. This was a project that Marcus had started since he was fourteen. Of course, it would’ve been done quicker iiiiiiiiiif he wasn’t also moonlighting as the one and only arachnid based hero and saving the city. He finally got up from his chair, moving away from his desk as he moved around his apartment. “Okay you guys…hit save on that for me…I'll send it to Triple J by the end of the day.” he said, pointing at a small group of spiders that were by his keyboard and mouse, to which they immediately went to work on saving the document quite a few times. "Who am I? You sure you want to know? Alright then, let's start at the beginning, one last time. Same story, different beats." From the Top! "My name is Marcus Mattox. I solved an ancient tablet and got bit by a mystical spider, and for the last four years I've been New York's one and only Spider-Man Multi-Threader! Pretty sure the rest of the narrative you know, or at least the broad strokes of it. Became Anansi's ambassador, became a superhero, lost my dad, saved a bunch of people, saved the city...quite a few times actually, fell in love...uh...she's on the wrong side of the law currently...hopefully that'll change, wrote a book...well...attempting to write a book. Hey, you try and juggle being an aspiring writer while also being a protector of the city and tell me how easy it is! Ahem...anyway, even though I have to juggle the career I'm chasing and being a spider-based hero, I wouldn't trade it for the world. After all, I'm the only thing standing between New York and the ever oncoming threats that rear their ugly heads. It's my story that I've been blessed with...and I'm going to see it through to its final chapter!" “Grazie, the first of many tales that'll be written for the Daily Bugle Publishing. Now…let’s see if the city that never sleeps has anything new for me.” Marcus said, immediately flipping on a police scanner whilst grabbing his phone. He started flipping around it as the scanner crackled to life. “ALL UNITS! We have a situation…” the voice said immediately. Marcus knew that always meant something ‘fun’ was afoot. Whilst shoving a chocolate chip muffin down his gullet, he could hear the scanner continue. “...Repeat! Mysterio in Times Square!” “Oooooh, more waxing lyrical with the discount Sorcerer Supreme!” Marcus laughed, fastening his web-shooters onto his wrists. Hang On...! Let's review this... "Bit of background on one Quientin Beck AKA Mysterio. He was generally just an illusionist that played shows out here in NYC, but he had the aptitude and determination to do more. Apparently he went to study the Mystic Arts from our own Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange. So he had the drive, the aptitude and determination…he ended up getting to the top in terms of skill levels to an extent…so what happened? Well, you're Friendly Neighborhood Multi-Threader happened. Mind you…not purposely. See about this time, Strange sought me out for a potential candidate for his replacement and wanted to train me. Now, this was short lived, considering the guy was very strict when teaching anything in the Mystic Arts, plus he hated how I utilized tech with my powers. Nice guy though, we occasionally chit chat from time to time, play chess…even assists me with ideas for my books…annnnnd I'm rambling. Back to the present topic! Beck seems to resent me, not only taking away his chance to become the next Sorcerer Supreme, buuuuuuut I sort of saw him attempting to mess with the wrong kind of magic while he was at Kamar-Taj. We're talkin' like serious Dark Dimension stuff, the kind that would probably make Criss Angel blush. Downside, most of Beck's stuff is all just illusionary based, cause that's all he's good with. Maybe one day he'll surprise me though." HELLO NEW YORK!!! He grabbed his suit and immediately tossed it on, sliding the mask on last. He flung his apartment window open and took a running leap out of it, immediately launching himself outward, shooting a web as it caught the corner of a building, slinging him around to follow after New York’s Finest, already rushing to the scene. The exhilarating rush of the web-swinging helped Marcus…Multi-Threader…focus and clear his head. Right now, he knew how the former Sorcerer Supreme candidate operated, he was a sucker for the audience…a sucker for theatrics, so if he played his cards right…it would be simple. His thoughts, however, were cut short by the ringing of his phone. Luckily he had the earpiece in his ear. “Hellooooooo?~” he answered with a laugh. “I assume you overheard the news?” the young man’s voice on the other end said. “Oh hey, kiddo!” Multi-Threader laughed, doing a quick flip in the air during his web-swinging. “Yeah, it’s ol’ fish-bowl head. So, we know what’s going on at present, Terry?” Terry simply sighed on the other end. “Honestly, it seems like the same situation as usual, buuuuuuut…looks like he brought in a giant wyrm-like dragon.” “A wyrm?! Oh man, he’s really upping his game if he’s going that far for an illusion!” Multi-Threader smirked, flipping over onto a SWAT truck’s roof. “Either way, this should prove to be fun for me…gotta cut loose after finally finishing that final chapter! Anyway, talk with you later bro…enjoy the show!” He cut the call short, holding onto the truck’s roof, watching them turn sharply into Times Square. Even before the turn, however, he was already feeling that sensation. His hairs standing on end, a tingling sensation at the back of his skull and the general chills he felt: his Spider-Sense. Once the turn was made, lo and behold, there was the green scaled menace of a wyrm dragon, terrorizing the citizens. “Sheesh, he wasn’t kidding…talk about a humongous beast!” he whistled, flipping off the truck’s roof and onto a nearby building wall. "Let's see if Beck's taught it any cool tricks." “BEHOLD!!! The return of the master of the arcane arts: Mysterio!!” a figure spoke, simply walking down a set of green magical steps. The man in a green pressed suit with a smokey fish-bowl helmet descended into the Square. “Purveyors of this new age, attempting to banish the old arts from this world, see before you the wyrm summoned straight from the Dark Dimension! You must know now that your resistance to the old arts is futile!” “So does Dormammu know that you took his pet or did you borrow it without permission?” Multi-Threader piped up, waving a bit at the villain, who now turned towards him. “Awww, what’s wrong Beck, you don’t seem happy to see me. Then again, it’s always hard to tell with that small fish tank on your head.” “Wall-crawler! You shall not hinder my plan to become the new Sorcerer Supreme this time!” Mysterio shouted, his hands began to have a magical aura around them as two green triangles began to spin in front of them. “Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas!” He spoke, shooting out two green magical beams straight at the spider based hero. “-Well I tend not to smoke anything, it’s bad for the whole hero image!-” Multi-Threader shot back in perfect Latin, which seemed to make Mysterio grumble under his breath. The wall-crawling hero immediately jumped off the building’s roof, narrowly dodging the two blasts as he fired a web onto another nearby building and swung around Mysterio, flipping upwards as he shot a web ball filled with a few spiders right at the sorcerer. “Seriously Beck, I think you need to come up with some new ‘incantations’, and maybe ones that actually make sense?” “You insolent arachnid!” Mysterio shouted, already attempting to knock the spiders from the web ball off his clothing. “Totem of Anansi, you shall cease this mocking of the TRUE Sorcerer Supreme!!” “Hey, what can I say…I’m a mocker, I mock!” Multi-Threader landed on a nearby roof, immediately firing two webs at a nearby air conditioning unit that was on the roof. It was a bit of public property damage, but he figured New York would look past that part. “I’m also a puller…a tugger…a yaaaaaanker!” he grunted, pulling the unit off and proceeded to swing it around before launching it at the arcane lunatic. “Guess I’m just a general jack of all trades!” “Denique diatem efficacem inveni!” Mysterio fired off another set of magical energy in the direction of the flying air conditioning unit. “Beast of the Dark Dimension, dispose of this meddlesome spider!” he commanded the wyrm, to which Multi-Threader was now realizing..it was real, the damage it was doing definitely seemed 100% real. But luckily no one was injured that he could see…so it could’ve been much, much worse. “First, congrats on the new effective diet my guy. What did you decide to cut out…the fish?” he quipped, knocking on his head to refer to the fish-bowl helmet. “Secondly, color me impressed, Quentin! You managed to actually conjure something that isn’t a pale imitation and illusion! Maybe I should call the doc and have him inspect the impressive feat!” The wyrm roared as it slithered towards the wall-crawler, to which Multi-Threader leapt from the roof and proceeded to aim right in the direction of the creature’s face. “Let’s try and blind this guy…alright fellas, show time!” he said, holding his hands in front of him as he flung a few spiders that crawled along from them towards the oncoming beast. Once they were on the creature, Multi-Threader immediately moved mid-air to narrowly grab onto the wyrm. “Okay…time for some blindness. Go for its eyes!” For some, it would look like nothing was happening at first…until a loud, ear-piercing roar was heard from the wyrm…what truly was happening was Multi-Threader’s spiders were in the process of biting the creature’s eyes over and over again. “Alright, that’s Plan A…now…didn’t get to Plan B yet…” he grumbled, before running along the wyrm’s back, webbing one side of it’s head before swinging around it’s open mouth, narrowly avoiding it’s closing jaws, before webbing the other side. Now he held a makeshift set of webbed reins. “Alright boy…HEEL!!!” he shouted, yanking the reins upward and getting the wyrm to cease its moves.Eventually, it would stop, whether by the pulling or just due to the sheer exhaustion it was feeling. Regardless of the reason, he let go of the reins and stood victoriously over the wyrm…who…began to fade and disappear beneath his feet. “Awwww, so it was an illusion? Man, you had me convinced there Beck. Lemme take a guess…illusions with a sort of a Dark Dimension styled buff to make em feel more realistic in the moment? Gotta say, you're putting more work into this than you usually do. It's almost impressive…almost being the keyword." “Grrrr…you and your insistent meddling with my destiny shall not stand, wall-crawler!” Mysterio began to slowly descend, holding a hand out towards Multi-Threader. “Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere!” A quick bolt of magic was delivered towards the spider-hero, with another being prepared in succession. Multi-Threader glanced over, seeing a manhole cover and immediately fired a web at it, yanking it towards him as he used it as a shield against the first bolt of magic. He immediately spun a bit before launching it at Mysterio. “Cap…eat your heart out! Also, I'd kindly ask you to leave Elvis out of this. Let the King of Rock rest already, for Pete Sake!” Mysterio was hit by the manhole cover, trying to get his bearings back together, grumbling. “Nullae satisfactionis p-...” “Yeah yeah, you can’t get no satisfaction!” Multi-Threader was already right there in front of Mysterio, delivering a punch right into his helmed face, knocking him onto the ground. “Least you could do is not rip off Mick Jagger…first Elvis now Jagger, for shame.” he said, snapping his fingers as suddenly he was beginning to be webbed up like it was nothing. After a few moments, Multi-Threader had those few spiders start to crawl back up towards him. “Job well done, fellas.” he watched as the last one came up, noticing that it left the message: Baddie Bagged, courtesy of the Magnificent Multi-Threader. “Alright, time for us to go.” Multi-Threader chuckled. “Lest the news media decides to want to pin this on me…oh what am I saying, some most likely will anyway!” He grabbed onto a nearby light pole, swung upwards before firing a web to grab the nearest building, swinging away. Or at least…he would've, if something didn't immediately catch his eye. A bubbling black hole slowly opening nearby. Multi-Threader paused in his stride, sticking to a nearby wall, staring at the strange portal. He tapped his ear and immediately called Terry once more. "Hey kiddo…" "Marc! Saw everything, you really got him good this time round!" "Yeah…listen, there's a strange portal-like sight I'm looking at right now." Multi-Threader continued, sounding a little serious. "May want to cancel the plans with me coming to see you and the missus…" "...Marc don't do anything stupid, please…" A chuckle escaped his lips. "Me? Stupid? C'mon kiddo, it's more-or-less called creative curiosity. I'll be back, don't worry." he said, hearing his brother sigh on the other end. Once the call was over, the arachnid based hero made his way towards it, getting closer and closer…though it was beginning to be a bit too close…like at an alarming rate. "Okay…it's sucking me in like a Hoover…wonderful!!!" Multi-Threader shouted, trying to resist but ultimately took the plunge and was drug in. Hitchhiker's Guide to...the Spider-Verse? Multi-Threader wasn't too thrilled about this insane roller-coaster of a ride he was being taken on…even noticing a few of his spiders crawling on his arm and beginning to web a sign saying: S.O.S. "I doubt anyone's gonna answer that, fellas!" he shouted, falling or being drug along through wherever he was going even more. He did, however, eventually see quite a sight he'd never seen before. Was it…space? No…that couldn't be the case, as he could still breathe. Scratch space out of the equation for the moment. If not space, then what? He didn't have much time to ruminate on it, considering his eyes were glued on the grander picture before him. An infinite web…spread across this strange void. "Curiouser and curiouser…" he muttered, continuing to fall as apparently others before him did. As he passed by…he was stunned at seeing the sights he did. World's that were similar to his own…but vastly different. "It's a full on multiverse…interconnected by these weaved webs…" Multi-Threader guessed to absolutely no one. He had heard that it might've been possible, but this wasn't something he figured was. He passed by a few of these interconnecting threads…seeing the world's and even specific things. For instance, a young man being hit with an ancient arrow and obtaining a ghostly spider-like being that came from within… Then there was a robotic heroine dressed to the nines in black armor… And…was that a horde of spiders, dressed up in a spandex suit? That one there sort of hit home for him to an extent…just like how the world that was in front of him was planning to. "Oh damnit…" he gulped, bracing for impact as he was practically launched right out the portal into the air. It was a strange looking city, though at first glance he could've mistook it for Manhattan. Nevertheless, Multi-Threader exhaled slowly, immediately looking around as he found a nearby rooftop and a billboard on it. "Now…let's hope…my aim ain't off…otherwise this spider is going splat!" he muttered, immediately launching his web right to the billboard. It stuck successfully, allowing him to swing gracefully upward and land on top of the roof. "Alright, stuck the landing!!" Multi-Threader huffed lightly. "Now…where in the world am I?" He looked around, before glancing at the billboard and noticed the words: Metro City. "Metro City? Well, I officially know I'm not in Kansas anymore…and luckily no house was dropped on me." He took a moment to attempt to gather his thoughts, about the time a glider flew past his peripheral. Well, perhaps "flew past" is a bit of a stretch...it was more like it was stationary and hovering at about 50 feet above the roof line. Unbeknownst to him, it wasn't who he thought it was…but he wouldn't know this or care. "Oh goodie, looks like the Wicked Witch sent out at least one of her favorite flying monkeys after me. Well, better not keep ol' Norman waiting!" He began to jump building after building, eventually web-swinging towards the glider. "Ayyyyy Gobby! Been a bit! What's the plan this time? Drag me into a new dimension, attempt to squash the spider? Ooooh! Or are you planning to open that Goblin themed restaurant you've always wanted??" Multi-Threader called after the "Goblin".

Marv was shocked to say the least about all this, thus far. Between half the crew beating Jirachi up to the other half not giving two shakes of a Ratata's tail...it was clear that they all were sort of...not cooperating. However, once Jirachi woke up...it made at least one thing clear... "As I'm sure you've all figured out, this place you've all found yourselves in is the world of Pokémon. And it's my fault you're here. At least… I think so. This world is in trouble. And I made a wish upon the stars to save it. Right after, you all showed up! Since I am a genius, I just know that there is a connection. You seven (or twelve) must be the heroes this world needs!" "Jirachi...was the voice in the dungeon?" Marv muttered, apparently coming to the conclusion most others were already getting to. While the others, however, were debating on where they were or even why they were even brought here...the Froakie was thinking and dwelling on something else. ...would this be the style of world where Explorer Guilds are a thing...or Rescue Teams...? he thought, rubbing his chin slightly. Marv kept thinking, being in deep thought for a moment. Back to the real world, apparently Hector wanted to return...saying he had something there that needs him. Could Marv really say the same? Try as he might, he couldn't really pick up anything in his mind and thoughts to even give a reason why he would. Maybe he had family that would miss him...but other than that, why would he? Here and now...he was a Pokémon. He could do things he was fairly certain his old self couldn't do...maybe it was all for the best for him. "In all honesty, we may as well do what we can here." Marv finally spoke up, a smile showing up on his frog-like face. "We play our cards right, we may end up getting what we want in the end...that's usually how these Mystery Dungeon scenarios go, right?"

"Obviously! That was nothing compared to the power of the chosen heroes! Hehehe!" Sabrina was so...confident...so collected in this moment, Gene was obviously envious of this. She remained as stoic as she was prior...meanwhile he faltered...questioned himself and potentially his worth. He prayed this wouldn't be a reoccurring issue, but it was too soon to even tell at this point. Yet, in the moment, with the Guardians felled, Gene along with the others, watched as two orbs went straight to Abby and Sabrina. He was a bit...disheartened, to know that he wasn't able to obtain an orb like that...but perhaps it was for the best right now. Better to wait and not get one than just getting one now and potentially being screwed up later. The sound of water dropping was heard again...but then, Gene's vision went dark... Before him was...what Gene could only describe as a cutscene like in a few of his games. It was clear...concise...life like...it was depicting something, of what specifically, he knew not. The best he could've potentially described it as was a creation myth. He read about a few creation myths and legends back when he was still alive, but this seemed to accurately depict a history of the world here...a Primordial Dragon, Star, to be exact. "Congratulations every one. You fought very wonderfully and used masterful teamwork together. And with it you have passed the trial of Storm and have been bequeathed with his power. do you have any questions?" His vision returned to him finally, but once he did, he noticed something...yes, the obvious strange creature statue in the middle of the room...but something else: Marshall...alive. He wanted to immediately move and happily embrace the conductor in a friendly manner...buuuuuuuuut... "And speaking of dispatching, Mind telling us what the hell you were thinking throwing yourself into the jaws of death like that!? Now look, I'm very happy you're alive and well, but for all you knew, that would have been it for you! We're already tight on numbers as it is, and the last thing we need is..." "H-Hey...least we're all together though..." Gene sheepishly said, rubbing the back of his head, still trying to mask the fact that he almost had a mental breakdown complete with panic attack. "I-In any case...I think all the questions have been asked so far...sooooo that doesn't leave me much to ask."

"Oh I see, fighting fire with fire, or lightning with lightning, I guess. You're a funny guy aren't you, magic man? Watch, it's pretty exciting when you try to do this!" Trevor watched intently on the situation that Lacie seemed to produce...and was both dumbfounded and amazed. When she moved over the roof, the lightning struck her, yet when she was clear of the roof, the lightning no longer was a threat. "I see now. Unless one is on the roof or in the area of effect with the lightning rod...it won't strike. So it would seem that this way is nigh impossible to try to get around. Quite the ingenious security system..." "Impossible is just a faster way of saying I'm possible you know!" "While I admire your gumption, I don't think that's quite how that works..." Trevor sighed, deciding to test a theory. He, himself, hopped onto the roof proper. As if on cue, the lightning immediately attempted to strike at the young sorcerer. He immediately moved back, returning to the hanging off the edge of the roof again. "Okay...so it's every and all intruders...good to know." he sighed, shaking his head. "I'd rather not have to break their security system to just get inside." "Well come on now, no one likes stopping before you even start, maybe I can try and dodge lightning that might be fun." It looked like Lacie was debating going back onto the roof. "...unless you have a better idea, my dear." Trevor glanced at Lacie, already seeing she was debating going back onto it. "I mean, aside from just letting the lightning rod doing it's thing...again?" She'd end up on the roof and dodging a bolt then being hit by another, and then she goes soaring off the roof, waving as she falls past, not seeming too bothered by it. "I believe the term I'm witnessing here...is the definition of insanity..." he sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Are we good over there, my dear?" "Shockingly!" She called out as she spins through the air. "...was that an magic based pun?" Trevor asked, legitimately surprised to hear a pun like this. "Any more bright ideas and theories you wish to test out?" She began to make her way back up. "Try try again!" is all she says "Oooooooor...perhaps we could try an alternate route? Maybe one that doesn't require the same thing over and over again?" "If you want!" She's back up at the top...wonderful. "Now, do you see any other spots that could be used as an entrance?" Trevor asked, peeking over the roof to investigate the area. As far as Trevor can see, while it resembles a coliseum, it doesn't have the openings like one. Instead those areas are covered in some kind of black screen. It looks like there's simply an entrance at three sides which are all locked with the same signs as the front. "...right. Well, it seems like we're not getting in there through there." he sighed, shaking his head some. "So the doors are locked, the roof is protected by the security system in the electricity...and the doors up here are locked too. Wonderful..." Meanwhile, Lacie was just trying to get on the roof...again...insanity, we have arrived.

To his shock and surprise, the axe guardian was felled...and that issue was finally over with. But unfortunately, they weren't out of the woods yet. Gene glanced over and saw the lancer was still striking at Abby, and she wasn't having a great time. He began to slightly grit his teeth, knowing that Abby right now was the team healer of sorts...on the count they had no other methods of healing. If she went down...then they'd be in a worse condition than they already were. They couldn't let that happen... Luckily, now he could see large cracks beginning to form along the foe's armor. It was the same as the other one...which meant... ...it should be possibly close to falling...which means we may have a chance!! Gene thought, slowly huffed. He still wasn't feeling his best, but he wasn't going to let this be the end of it. Gene stood upright, adopting a stance, exhaling slowly. To his surprise, or maybe his expectation, Sabrina went rushing forward towards the lancer immediately before him. ...last one...she hits em from the back...then...I'LL GO FOR THE FRONT!!! he thought, before rushing right after Sabrina. Gene knew how he wanted to strike this foe...he wanted to strike him just like Sabrina did with the other...go for the arms. With Abby doing what she's doing...that should make the inner integrity of the armor...just weak enough for a strike...gotta make it count! he thought, getting up close now to the armored warrior. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sabrina deliver the heavy attack straight to the warrior's armored back. The moment she did...Gene let out a yell as he slashed his sword in an downward swing, making contact with it's arms. And it surprised Gene this time...as the sword went clean through the arm. Must've been due to the armor being so weakened by Abby like it had been, but regardless, the cracks from its damaged arm start spreading, as does the cracks on its back until the whole thing splits and shatters into a bunch of a pieces, falling to the ground and turning to water as it does so. "D-Did...d-d-did we do it...?" he huffed slowly, feeling his knees slightly buckle beneath him.

“What’s the saying? Power corrupts? Or is it the desire for power that corrupts people? It’s difficult to tell when so many people can do so many different things, I suppose.” Override listened intently to every word that was spoken, understanding the ins and outs (the best he could). Luckily he had P.I.X.E.L. to assist in the case he failed to catch up on something, the A.I. assistant recording the entire conversation for an easy access to play back afterwards. However, after a while, he received a new message. If anyone noticed, they would've noticed him tapping the side of his armored head. What's the message...? he thought, watching it finally appear on his HUD. And what it was...wasn't great. It was from Victor himself at G3... "Got an actual fucking S-Class this time. Caesar just declared war on the city. Drop what you're doing and get to Goodale Park. That's our new base of operations for this. Escort any VIPs with you." ...oh no... Override read the message that was pulled up on his visuals. ...at a time like this? Shit...okay, it's okay, so long as nothing happens right now at this location, we should be fi-... “Oh dear. It looks like we’re interrupting something.” The armored hero cursed under his breath, seeing Hellhound make an appearance...as well as four more Gibbons members made the scene. The display gave him the names from the G3 Database.... Censer, the one who looked like a type of ninja.... Lucky Cat, the one with the cat ears... Arcturus, the blonde one... and Vambrace, the one with the interesting machinery on his arm. He stood up, assessing the situation they had right now. Currently, it was Hellhound and four of the Gibbons' members...with himself, Thessa, Sybil and the Archangel. The plan right now, according to Victor, was to get to Goodale Park and escort VIPs to that location. BGM “Archangel Lailah, by order of Scarlet City’s new hegemon, Caesar of the Gibbons Gang, you are to step down as leader of the Apostles effective immediately.” “No.” "Kids these days...Hey, Miss Angel, sorry but I might end up breaking your church a lil bit." "so which of you sinners wanna go first?" It seemed like the others were all fired up for this...but instead of joining in with the banter, Override made a move. "I do hope you'll forgive any property damage from our side, Archangel." he quickly said, before immediately lifting his right arm towards Hellhound and immediately shot a pulse bolt straight towards them, making sure to only hit the person...not the dog. The moment the pulse bolt shot out, Censer made the next move, moving immediately in front of Hellhound and slamming a smoke bomb down in front of them. The pulse bolt passed through the smoke without hitting them...and slammed right into a church wall. "...perfect..." Override finally groaned, lowering his hand for a moment. "...now I'm aiding in desecrating a church. Bad enough I'm a lapsed saint...now I get to burn as well." This just wasn't his day, though he rolled his shoulders some, noticing both Hellhound and Censer making a rush towards them. "Make sure the Archangel is secured. If anything, get out of here and go to the rendezvous point! I'll cover you!" And so, Override had his repulsors flare to life as he rushed towards the two.

Ziun hated this...one moment he was perfectly fine and out of the hulking creature's way, the next moment he blinked, this creature was barrelling down on top of him in a massive bear hug attack. He basically had his life flash before his eyes...this was NOT how he thought he'd go out...then again, Ziun wasn't going to go out like this at all. Not after losing Robin the floor before...he said he was going keep on for the two of them, and he meant it! But the question became...how would he possibly be able to get out? It was getting so bad that the bard was currently sweating like a mad dog. Wait...sweating...? The gears began to turn in his mind, which caused him to sweat even more with all the thinking and mind racing. Ziun started to wriggle in the hulking creature's arms, doing his best to break free from the creature's grasp. The sweat, surprisingly, seeped through his clothing to the point where he was just basically...a sweaty mess. "The one time...my fear...has come in handy!" he groaned, still wriggling further within the hulking beast's arms. Eventually...the wriggling began to work and after a moment or two, he finally got to a point where his arms were free, now able to finally push himself out of the arms of the beast. "G-Gah..." he huffed, scrambling away from the creature. "N-No offense to you, but if one is to touch me like that specifically...they need to at least buy me a drink first!" He now watched as the hulking beast was on it's knees after the whole situation. Ziun took the opportunity to make a move, thanks to Estelle's reinforcement to his rapier, he swung it a bit before striking at the hulking beast, making more and more gashes along the beast's arms and even it's sides. "Such an uncivilized creature...I swear."

There I am, Turn the Page

Obligatory/obvious interest drop...considering we already talked about it.

Gene watched the Axe Guardian, hearing the subtle but growing louder humming from the weapon He couldn't exactly tell what this was, but it was something he had to keep an ear out for. But he couldn't really focus too much on that, what with the Guardian currently slamming the axe into the ground and sending another thunderous clap axe slam. This wasn't good...he couldn't afford to be knocked back down by something like this again. "W-Water Wall!" Gene shouted, throwing his hand in front of him, holding his upper arm as the sigil on his hand began to glow. Between him and the oncoming reverberations appeared another wall of water. "Shitshitshit..." he groaned, moving back a bit. The wall of water would provide a negation to some of the reverberation, sure, but right now he needed to distance himself from the wall. After getting a bit further away from it, Gene watched it shatter against the weight of the reverberations. But the plus side: he was alive still. A sigh of relief was breathed at this. But they weren't out of the woods yet. "E-engulf in draconian flames! Just....lose already, ugh!" Luckily, Sabrina was shooting it with a fireball, though the elemental affinity here wasn't exactly helping in the long run. Nevertheless, he was glad she was doing something to keep the guardian busy. Gene decided to take this opportunity to strike again at the guardian...especially while it was being distracted. With a slow exhale, Gene rushed towards the guardian once more before striking at the armored foe's back...about the time the fireball was making contact. As he got close...he noticed. The fist of the armored guardian began to vibrate with the same type of magic as it's axe did...and he simply punched the fireball with ease. The armor was scorched, of course, but Gene also noticed it was starting to crack around the hand. "...wait...what?" he muttered, before looking at the area of the guardian he struck. All this time, water came out of the wounds...and yet...the spot he struck this time...the armor began to crack and split. W-What is going on? Gene thought, immediately backing away from the armored warrior, trying to get his bearings together. Where did the water go? What changed? It makes no sense...could it be the fire? No...wait...maybe it's that sound magic...that has to be it. I mean...what else could it be?

"Hmmm. Boop. You know, I think I just remembered. I was going to go have a chat with Mauvache over a cup of tea. Something important I was going to tell her I think. Wow, and here we are right at her house isn't that convenient! If I had to guess I'd say you were planning on doing the same right? Is that why you wanted something to drink before? Hmm, interesting. But you know what the best parts of signs like this? If you ignore what they say, they have no power over you! How about we just go on in anyway? What's the worst that could happen?" "Honestly, I would advise against that. I'm sure there's a reason why they have the Arena closed. Aside from that, part of me is unsure what will happen if we disobey our fellow top-hat wearing employer." he sighed, tipping his hat over his eyes for a bit. This had to be the worst idea that anyone had...and that went without saying on him asking Grigoriy to train him. This...this however was something completely different. "Hmmm, but, is that fun?" Lacie asked, tapping her forehead as though she had come up with a brilliant response. "...would it really though?" Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Don't know if you don't try, come on magic man! I tried to go in through the roof but a rather rude storm tried to zap me." "A storm? Puzzling...there's no cloud in the sky. Hmmm, must be a perfectly placed electric defense spell to keep out intruders..." Trevor lulled this thought in his mind, rubbing his chin slightly. "Yeah, that, electro de-fence, exactly." Lacie said. "And then I saw you down here and well, came to say hi!" Trevor sighed a bit, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "...I'm afraid to ask that you possibly show me...but my curiosity is getting the better of me." "Oho there's the adventurous spirit I know you for." Lacie said despite having only just met Trevor now. "Follow me!" She began to form what Trevor could then see were simply saucers that she was using as platforms to jump higher. The adventurous spirit I know you for? But we've never met...something is truly puzzling here with Lacie...a mystery even. I'll have to make a few notes about this later... "Very well..." Trevor sighed, beginning to follow after Lacie, though he was a bit clumsier in the execution of following. He fell face first towards the ground, only grabbing one of the saucers to stop himself. "...pray tell...how in the world do you make it look so easy?" "What do you mean?" She said, turning around and looking down towards Trevor while continuing to jump. "I don't make it look anything I simply do it." "Yeah...and apparently you're doing it better than meeeeee...!" Trevor attempted to get his balance and follow Lacie once more, though he was doing it on a crawl's pace...though at the last word in that sentence, he almost fell again. It almost didn't help that the saucers were disappearing after she generating, so it was obvious why he wasn't able to properly follow after her. "Come on come on, what will you do if you take too long and all the fun is over before you make it?" She doesn't seem to intend to stop and help. "Then at least I'll get my workout for the day..." he huffed, finally pulling himself back up and continued to follow after Lacie. What kind of sorcery is she working with and where on this plane of existence can I learn it... he thought, shaking his head slightly. As they reached the top, having to cling to the side, Trevor sees there shouldn't be anything blocking the way to the roof. However up this close he could see clouds located entirely above the building. If he tried to climb higher a bolt of lightning would fall from said clouds. "Hmmm...storm clouds, huh?" the young sorcerer watched the clouds with intent. He began to rub his chin slightly. "Hmmm...okay, this should be interesting. Let's see what we can find out about this." With a quick flick of his wrist, his yellow-gemmed ring began to glow and Trevor began to cast a simple Thunder spell towards the clouds. The Thunder spell went into the clouds, crackled in the process, but nothing else occurred. "Hmmm...curiouser and curiouser."

"No, no I do not. I don't want your weird frog bubbles anywhere near me actually. I'd be more worried bout what those guys are up to. What do they think they're doin' over there?" Marv shrugged a bit at Clobber. "It was just an offer..." he said, before looking in the direction that Clobber was directing him, and he wasn't too thrilled at seeing what he was seeing. Both the legion of Hector and Es was...attacking...the sleeping Jirachi. He had that phrase go through his mind again: ATTACKING a sleeping MYTHICAL Pokémon. His hand met his face, letting out a bit of a sigh. "...you can't be serious...I can't be seeing that..." But alas...he WAS seeing this. Things weren't doing any favors for the pair of them either. Hector was a Falinks, meaning he was a Fighting Type. Es was a Rotom, an Electric/Ghost. Meanwhile, Jirachi the Wish Granter, was Steel and Psychic. The Psychic typing countered the Fighting type, while the Ghost typing countered the Psychic typing. Out of the two of them, Es was the perfect fit for this, but at the same time...it was a Mythical Pokémon, they had no business just attacking it when it was doing absolutely nothing. And it seemed like the two here were the only ones going for this...as the others were already moving away towards a tree. Marv sighed heavily again before figuring it was time to shout at the two. "HEY!!!" Marv yelled, apparently having his voice mid-croak in the process. He cleared his throat after it, not expecting that. "Are you two really going to attack a SLEEPING MYTHICAL Pokémon? C'mon!! First off...Hector, you're doing jack all to it! It's Steel/Psychic!" He rubbed the sides of his head some, just shaking his head. "And second of all, why are you fighting Jirachi? Do you want the Mythical Pokémon to be against us? Hell, if this goes awry, the Legendaries might be on our tails!"

Once the meeting was over the crew was able to prep for some time to hang out with one another, just like they had time and time before. This time, rather than Falisha or Kendra, he decided to go with Evelyn this time. Those from the Nippon needed to stick together after all...which did mean it was only a matter of time before he and Sai had to hang out...he still wasn't prepared for that day. But in either case, he set up the hang out with Eve for Thursday...make it easy on the two of them instead of trying to just rush before the weekend...never a good idea. Daichi waited, his eyes glancing at his phone at the time. He wasn't in a rush or hurry to get in if Eve was late…however…he knew the food would be the freshest if they would get in right at or before the lunch rush. After all, it was VI Guys, the burgers and fries here couldn't be beat. Though he did have to ask himself: How is it that the easiest way to hang out with these guys happens to be food? In truth, when he hung out with Kendra, it was more than just food but an Exhibition Match at an arena…with concessions. And with Falisha, it was just them hanging out somewhat at their second team match and opening packs…without food. Perhaps he was just thinking too hard about it. Eventually, he did end up seeing Eve make her way in his direction. "And here I thought you were gonna be late." he smiled, giving a two-fingered salute. “So did I,” Eve sighed, parking her D-Wheel and removing her helmet. “Hit just about every red light on the way here. I almost thought about running one of them, but I really don’t want to deal with a ticket.” Eyeing up the food joint where the two agreed to meet for lunch - on Daichi’s glowing recommendation, that is - one question sprung to mind. This was her first time here, and she’d heard good things, but that was all online reviews, which left one confusing thing to be answered… “So… is it supposed to be pronounced “Vy-Guys” because it rhymes, or “Six Guys”?” Daichi looked at Eve before looking up at the sign above the restaurant’s door. His hand met his chin as he rubbed it slightly. “...to be honest…I don’t really know.” he admitted. “Hm. We should look into that sometime, after we eat.” Eve led the way in, admiring the interior design of the place. Lots of posters and records and stuff on the walls. And that fast food smell, but considerably stronger than in other places. “Nice place,” she commented. “Yeah it’s got a pretty nice aesthetic all things considered.” he nodded, strolling in right behind Eve. “It’s got that retro feel to it, which ain’t bad. But the food sorta improves the aesthetic, surprisingly.” “What, do they put little decorative Famicom on their burgers or something?” Evelyn joked, stepping up to the register to look over the menu. Surprisingly diverse options! She’d never seen a fast food place sell grilled cheese sandwiches before, but she respected this establishment all the more for it. “I can order for us if you grab us a table. What are you getting?” “A bacon cheeseburger…and an order of the cajun fries.” Daichi nodded, before leaving Eve to her devices to find a table…perhaps this was a bad decision on his part. “Got it.” —A few moments later— BGM “...” Sitting on the table, between Evelyn and Daichi, was a tray. It had Daichi’s bacon cheeseburger, a grilled cheese sandwich for Evelyn… and a veritable mountain of cajun fries. To the untrained observer, it may have seemed more like fries with a side of burger and sandwich, rather than the other way around. “...is this normal?” she asked. Daichi’s head was in his hand as he let out an audible sigh. “...Eve…what exactly did you tell the cashier…?” “Two medium drinks,” Evelyn said, reading off the receipt. “One bacon cheeseburger. One grilled cheese sandwich. And a large cajun fry.” “A…large cajun fry…” he repeated, his head slowly raising slightly to look at her over the mountain of fries. “Out of curiosity…did you read the reviews on this place? And if so…did you see if any of them said explicitly not to order a large?” “All the reviews said was that the fries were a great value. I thought it just meant they were really good fries. So I did what I’d do when I’m eating with someone anywhere else and got a large to split, but… I think this is something to split with the whole team, not just two people.” “Bingo.” Daichi nodded, sighing a bit. “This place isn’t like anywhere else…you fell into their trap and ploy…now we’ve gone into the ‘Potato Dimension’ as it were.” He paused, before stuffing his face with a few of them. “...could be worse though…” “We could get some to-go boxes once we’ve had our fill,” Eve nodded, saving the fries for after she had the chance to enjoy her sandwich. “Good point, good point.” Daichi agreed with this notion. After all, it would probably benefit the team after the fact, boost morale and all that jazz. “Though next time, let’s try and not say a large fry…lest we go through this again.” he laughed. After the general potato debacle, Daichi took a swig of his drink and decided to start some conversation. "So, have you decided to run in this upcoming match or are you letting Falisha have another go in the spotlight?"

Ziun narrowly dodged the beast's strike that was aiming straight for his skull, thanks to Chris. Once he dodge, Chris seemed to find himself next to him, both seeming to catch their breaths for the moment. Now, what brilliant scheme would Chris have ne-... “Okay, while it’s distracted...uh, get away from it?” "That's the best plan you have?!" Ziun asked baffled, watching Chris now rushing towards the cultists. He had a thought in this moment...could he possibly use this hulking beast to his advantage and have it knock the cultists out of the equation? If he was chased by the creature, heading towards the cultists, he COULD get those cultists out of the way. A moment before he put his plan into motion, however, he watched Lana attack and kill a cultist. After that, she rushed behind Chris towards the cultists. Alas, my plan is basically fruitless now... he sighed, before actually having another thought. ...perhaps this beast might actually be more along the lines of a dunce, meaning the plan wouldn't work. On the other hand, I'm positive those cultists would be the brains of the operations...so it wouldn't work. Perhaps this now is the best course of action. So now what was he supposed to do? It was at this moment that he glanced down and finally noticed about his rapier...it was...glowing a bit. It seemed...sharper...and when he gently swung it, it seemed quicker than he had ever swung before. He connected the dots, glancing over at Estelle as she began to cast fire against the beast. "Seems like I'll have to do this then...t'would be a shame if I neglected this gift of a buff." Ziun said, moving towards the hulking beast, immediately proceeding to deliver slash upon slash on the beast. The rapier in his hand was quicker than he had ever used it, and it felt natural...almost like the true potential of the weapon was seen in this moment. Maybe it was the spell that was cast upon it...or maybe it was his own mind playing tricks on him. Regardless, the bard continued to deliver quickened, sharp cuts and slashes on the beast. This plus the fire would definitely wound the beast.

"Uh! I guess we're going now!" Gene followed Sabrina's lead and for the most part, the plan worked...until he felt the pain again...right in his unguarded torso. His eyes went wide, feeling the sound magic and vibrations coursing throughout his body...it hurt...no, it didn't just hurt, it was PAINFUL. Right now he had two wounds from this axe wielder...and he was already feeling his consciousness falter, fatigue was already beginning to slowly creep in now. His breath was getting a bit shallow from what he could feel. Sure he could stand still, but it was obvious on one fact: Gene Eric could not keep this going. The young man was already attempting to move back away from the Axe Guardian, successfully dislodging himself from it's axe...though it hurt like a mother, huffing and panting in the process. ...w-what...a-are...we...s-s-supposed to...do? he thought, trying to steady himself some. This was getting them no where, and he wasn't in any shape to keep going. But that was only the beginning. He glanced over to the other two and his eyes went wide with fear. The Lance Guardian had Marshall, though from what he could see...she was...she... "N-No...no no no no no no..." Gene muttered under his breath, feeling his chest get real tight for a bit. He knew what this was to an extent: hyperventilating. He could feel his heart beating a mile a minute as well. Was he...? There was no doubt about it, he was having a panic attack. Gene immediately dropped to his knees for a moment, the Aqua Star sword clanging to the ground before dissipating. ...t-t-this can't be happening...c-can't...be...happening... he thought, clutching his chest slightly, gasping for air some. They had already lost so many others... Drake, Jocelyn, Percy, they practically left them to fend for themselves, no words...nothing...and now Marshall. It was only Sabrina, Abby and himself...but with how he was feeling...he'd follow right behind Marshall. They weren't able to do much of anything right now...one step forward, ten steps back it seemed. He looked up in the direction of Abby and then at Sabrina, still trying to catch his breath. He shook his head slightly, still trying to calm himself down, though now he was seeing the Axe Guardian moving. The Guardian practically performed a jump attack, swinging it's axe in the process. Gene panicked again, immediately scrambling and tried to dodge the attack, to which he thankfully did...but barely. The axe slamming into the ground caused that sonic boom again and it struck at him, knocking him back a bit more. D-D-Damnit!! he thought, struggling to get himself up. ...s-some hero...I-I turned out to be... Gene proceeded to slam his closed fist into the ground, his whole body shaking. ...how t-the hell...a-are we supposed to beat them...?! Were his dreams of being the courageous hero just that: dreams? He was a fearless swordsman that laughed in the face of danger in his dreams, and yet, he was shaking like a leaf...he was terrified. He clenched his fists, his eyes closed tightly, trying hard not to just burst into tears. BGM Could it be that he was right along? That his step father was ri-... His fist slammed into the ground again harder than he did prior, causing his fist to bleed a bit, shaking his head fiercely. "N-No...I-I'd rather die again...b-before I ever think he was right..." he muttered weakly to himself. He did his best to steady himself, finally getting back up, his legs shaking beneath him. Gene's eyes, they had tears in them, but there was a fierceness in them...one that showed he wasn't done. To his hand, Aqua Star was summoned once more. Gene wasn't done...he couldn't be done...not after just seeing that Marshall was willing to throw her own life in the line of duty...but at the same time, he wasn't going to let HIS words be the thing that he found out were proven true about him. He shifted slightly, knowing that now the Guardian had a bit of a recovery period. This wasn't the first time this happened...now he knew something. Twirling Aqua Star in his hand a bit, Gene rushed forward towards the recovering Guardian. He rushed around him, striking at the armored being, namely at his shoulder...the one with axe. The moment he saw him move, the young man immediately disengaged and skidded to a stop near Sabrina. "...t-that should be the time then..." he said, his voice still wavering slightly. He was still shaking, his grip on the sword's hilt was deathly tight. Yes, he was still scared to death (literally), but Gene couldn't stop...not now. "...we make sure they're at a distance...do that attack...they have to recover afterwards...s-s-should be the time to strike..."

It was a blur, in more ways than one. Marv heard the howling wind, felt it…it was intense, like he was experiencing a massive tornado or even a hurricane. It came out of nowhere but practically ravaged them all like a wild animal, feral and bloodthirsty. To say Marv's heart was beating miles a minute was an understatement…he honestly felt like he was going to collapse from a heart-attack. Everything else was fuzzy, as his vision played tricks on him…or did it? He could've swore he saw a portal open and…a Pokémon of some sort…and a human? He reached out for it, didn't he? Cause that was -----...he did want to at least make sure that ----- was alright... But was that what he was doing? Then…it all went black for Marv. The wind was the thing that caused Marv to stir, though it was a calm awakening versus the monstrous beast that whisked them from their previous location. No, this seemed more like a parent's tender touch to wake their child. It was something Marv did not mind, as he stirred himself awake. The surroundings seemed more colorful than the stone dungeon that had been their first awakening experience. The hot sun, the soft grass, the cool breeze, a blue sky and a few palm trees stretching above them. It was a beautiful picture that lay before them, at least, from what Marv could see. There wasn't any urban noise, which meant civilization wasn't around much…which was both a plus and a negative. The plus being, it was more peaceful and quiet. The negative being, they didn't know how far civilization was…and they needed that at least, especially if they wanted food. Marv finally began to sit up, no longer wishing to stare up at the blue sky, as he rubbed a hand over his face. He paused, looking at his hand. It was a white hand with blue…that…was right, right? He shuffled himself upward and began to hop…wait…hop? Regardless, he hopped until he found himself a small spot where water was. Looking down, he saw his reflection: a Froakie. He recognized the Kalosian starter, but was he always a-... His eyes went blank, his thoughts began to mist over. It was like he went into a sort of trance-like state. It lasted a bit before finally snapping out of it, though Marv then ended up wondering just one thing. …what…was I just thinking about? Once he got himself situated, he noticed Hector, Es and the aptly named Clobber (he at least remembered the little brawling octopus requested to be named that) looking at a… "Wait…is that…?" Marv muttered, tilting his head, looking at the white and yellow Pokémon. There wasn't any mistake. Once again, he hopped in the direction of the others, trying to make sense of the strange thing. “Hello? Are you awake? Did you bring us here?” “If so! Watch it, b-b-b-buddy! Unlike some of my friends here, I’ve got a br-brain, and can only t-t-t-take so many blows to the noggin!" "Oh yeah? Really coulda fooled me. Surprised you don't think they're dead, too." "Seemed like a bit of an insult…but maybe was meant as a compliment?" Marv shrugged. He looked at the three, before looking at the sleeping Pokémon. "And I'm not sure this little guy did it…unless they wished us out." The Froakie looked at the others, before explaining. "...they did a whole Poll back on the forum. Was a popularity contest…I think…but this little guy popped up. It's Jirachi. Soooo the odds of meeting a Mythical are…kinda high." He glanced at Clobber, seeing his face basically still covered in dirt. "By the way…yooooou want me to clean you up? Got something…right about here…" Marv motioned with his hand over his whole face, showing Clobber where the dirt happened to be.

It was an ominous and foreboding feeling...the feeling of being watched. He had experienced in his life, sure...especially during his adventures within the Ever, those Undecided always did have a funny way of just appearing out of nowhere. Nevertheless, he kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings for the time being as he made his way to the Arena. However, once he arrived there, he would simply be met with a holographic sign... ARENA TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOR EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE "Hmmm, well that's troublesome..." Trevor sighed, seeing the grimoire rising up next to him. "Our third trip to this location and suddenly it's needing maintenance." Quite a mystery. Mayhaps what miss Nabudis said about Mauvache just simply knowing may be the case? "It's a thought...but one that we don't know for sure." he shrugged slightly, preparing to turn immediately on his heel, but he froze. Something caught his eye, something glistening in the sunlight. It was a rainstorm...of...knives. "What in the...?" Trevor clicked his tongue slightly, immediately casting Aerora as a quick wind swept around him and immediately defended him against quite a few of the knives. "And here I was afraid to not get a workout in." he muttered, immediately backing away from his original standing spot. Unfortunately, more knives continued to fall...more accurately, directly at him. Trevor began to grit his teeth somewhat, before having an idea. "Well...I had been wanting to test this one out specifically...MAGNET!" He shouted and threw his hand to the side as a small set of constantly rotating orbs of magic appeared directly to his right and with it, the knives began to gravitate direction towards it. "Perfect! It works like a charm...now, if I were the source of this knife-storm...where would I be?" Trevor began to immediately survey his surroundings. At first he didn't see anything, then he would hear something above. If he looked, which he obviously did, there would be a woman dropping down towards him from the sky. She seemed to be jumping from small round objects that appear right before she landed on them. Each time she landed she'd kick off, they'd break, and she'd land on another a bit further down. The young sorcerer raised an eyebrow, seeing this woman approaching him in quite the flashy display. It was obvious she was a potential user of magic, so this would be interesting. "Impressive trick you've displayed..." Trevor spoke, still staying on the defensive. "I suppose an introduction is in order...miss...?" "Oh, don't you know me? No why would you, we've never met. Isn't that funny? Because for some reason." She jumped from the next disk, vaulting overhead and twirling. "Looking at you makes me kind of upset, like you did something really, really, mean to me in a past life." Before landing a few more knives suddenly appeared in front of her and were shot towards Trevor. "Magnet!" Trevor cast the spell right in the area between him and this mystery woman, attempting to halt the knives. "Perhaps a case of mistaken identity?" he asked, walking away from the Magnet area to look at the woman. "Nevertheless, I suppose I'll introduce myself then. Trevor Masters, apprentice to Balthazar B-..." "Lacie! That's my name! Almost forgot it! But I don't remember the last name right now, maybe it's time to change it again." She tapped a finger to her chin. "Hm. What was I doing...Oh!" More knives, quite charming. Trevor frowned at being interrupted like that, but the name was now out there: Lacie. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly ring a bell... "Well, miss Lacie, whatever you believe me to have done, I can assure you I haven't." he said, nonchalantly firing off a Fira spell to stop the next wave of knives. "Oh, I know. I'm already past that part. I'm just greeting you. What's the saying...'knives to meet you'!" She then began to cackle. "Charming." Trevor sighed. "With the knives present like this, my dear, I feel like you may be trying to end my life. This seems all so sudden...I hardly know you." he said with a sly smirk, as he tipped his hat. "You could at least buy me a drink first." "Well I WAS trying to, but now I'm not! Oh, I've got tea!" She then is holding a cup, and a teapot, and began to pour some liquid into the cup. What even was she? Trevor had to ponder this. Never before, at least not in his recollection, had he ever met a woman of this caliber to the point where she seemed...almost absent minded. Ditzy even, but then again, it was rude to even make such a judgment call on that. "Well then." he said, remaining defensive, but was somewhat more relaxed about the situation. "So pray tell, my dear, why attempt to attack me...meet me...whatever you wish to call this?" "I told you didn't I? I wasn't lying, I'm a lot of things but not a liar!" She takes a sip of the tea, then seemed to remember something. "Oh yeah you wanted some didn't you?" She offered the cup. "I still feel kind of mad when I look at you, but the best people are a little mad I always say." Trevor snapped his fingers and had the cup float his direction, taking it in his hand. "My apologies, never once intended to insinuate you as a 'liar'. But perhaps, like I mentioned earlier, it's a case of mistaken identity. I seem to resemble someone you've met, perhaps" "Nope! I remember all the faces I've seen, especially mine!" She held up a mirror and gasped, "wait, I'm gorgeous!" Trevor blinked a few times, seeing the Cabanomicon rising up once more and writing the following for him to see: Seems you attract all the loons, Masters. He sighed and closed the book. "Thank you for your riveting insight, my leatherbound friend. Not exactly helping." he muttered.

What was once just a casual conversation between Jeremy and Gareth turned into the latter going on the defensive against the two bull-headed brawlers. Jeremy was already just rubbing the bridge of his nose, lifting his glasses slightly in the process. He looked up just in time to see Kess giving him the deadliest of glares. “If there WERE, I’d bet they could stay out of my WAY. MOVE, idiot!” It was obvious what she was trying to tell him: HELP US YOU, IDIOT!! But as Jeremy watched the two follow after the Fount of Brilliance, he just stood there on the edge of the building, letting out a sigh. "...help, you say? Or you guys could've NOT gone in guns blazing and just let me talk to him." he grumbled, running a hand through his hair. All the while he could hear Ibuz snickering from within his lamp. "What's got you all giddy, Ibuz?" "Isn't it obvious? Seeing those two brawl heavy buffoons rushing into the fray like that is quite the spectacle. And considering that the Hero of Light practically dispatched them without so much as a second thought...truly he is worthy of the holy sword!" "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying this...but now he's being forced to fight them." Jeremy sighed, shaking his head a bit. "Guess there's no choice then..." "Are we going to assist? And if so...which party, master?" Jeremy glanced down at the lamp, shaking his head again. "Firstly, yes. Secondly, who do you think? I told Gareth earlier...and if I decide to back away now from it, he'll think it's namely all big words." he adjusted his glasses, backing away from the building's edge, before taking a running leap to the next building's roof...as Ibuz appeared and grabbed his hand to pull him immediately over to it. "Kess and the Brit are strong...so we'll have to find a way to stop them...if we can..." "Brains over brawn situation, master?" "Only way to do it..." he said, descending after the fighting trio. "Let's just hope they don't try and turn on me immediately...maybe they could see reason...though I highly doubt it."

Override stood there, assessing the situation for a moment or two, though he noticed immediately about the Archangel seemed to...have a quickened breath for a moment. The lights flanking her grew jittery, more so than they normally were. "Tell me you got most of that on the visuals, P.I.X.E.L." he said, muting himself to speak to his A.I. "The visuals showed it, sir. We'll add it to the end of the report towards Roy." “I think, technically, it's six ears. But alright. Let’s go back downstairs. I suggest this for two reasons: I think it will be easier to make the points I need to make with the stained glass as a backdrop -- one in particular, I think, will do just fine -- and the second is, well, if things continue to escalate as they are now, the naves are a bit more open and certainly more replaceable than the materials contained within this office. I would also prefer the loser, whoever she may be, be allowed to flee this place and lick her wounds. I do hate that you came all the way up here only to be brought back down, but I suppose it can’t be helped. Please,” "We appreciate it." Override nodded, finally unmuting himself as he followed suit and went back down the stairs. He seemed to notice that the Archangel was conversing with Sybil herself, but alas, right now he couldn't make out what they were speaking on. Perhaps it was for the better. Regardless, the more time Override spent in this church building, the more uncomfortable he was getting. Slight memories flickered into his mind of him being drug here every single Sunday...it wasn't the greatest time in his life at that point. Hopefully none of that would play a factor in the conversations today...he hoped. Once they were finally downstairs, the tech hero saw the sun shining through the warped stained glass...and even though he wasn't a religious man, he saw the beauty in this mystique and overall atmosphere surrounding it. It felt a bit calming, to say the least. He questioned why the Archangel chose this as the backdrop of their conversation, though he figured it had something to do with the figures on the window. “So, G3 needs to learn more about the end of the world, hm? They need to brace for Nihil’s inevitable return, do they? How may I be of service?” "If this is the situation, then yes. We'll need whatever information you can give us, Archangel." he spoke, keeping a glancing watch over at Sybil whilst looking at the stained glass window again. "Though I suppose, as I haven't been around here and my memory is a bit hazy on the details, please enlighten me: who or what is Nilhil?" "Nihil is a who," Lailah said, clarifying the question before getting into the details. "He was a supervillain, perhaps the only one who lived to ever attain the status of archvillain, with goals nothing short of world domination -- or destruction." "The only one ever attaining the archvillain status? I suppose that's fair, considering there aren't very many of those." Override nodded. "Now, what do you mean 'his return'? Did he threaten to come back? ...sounds like a villain thing to do..." "Nihil's final plot was to bring the sun crashing down on Scarlet City." Lailah gestured to the stained glass behind her. "He, Zorro, and Astra are locked in an eternal battle up there, one that, for reasons made clearer in our texts, he will inevitably win, consuming everything and leaving him lord of the ashes. That is the end of the world we believe in. The return of Nihil and the apocalypse are one and the same." Sounds like a bunch of drivel to me... Override thought, listening more to the Archangel. He was a scientific mind, at present...no one had the physical power to have the sun crash into the planet, let alone Scarlet City. There had to be a logical answer. "Okay..." he nodded, sighing slightly. "So is it stated how he'd win?" "Zorro was a living legend," Lailah said. She held her hands in front of her chest and interlocked her fingers. "I mean that literally. His power is boosted by belief, so as long as people believe in him, he is certain to win. But if we falter, so will he," she returned one of her hands to behind her back and balled the other one into a fist, "and Astra will follow." "So it's a general faith situation..." Override unenthusiastically responded. "Sounds like a way to just sell the religious rhetoric, but that's simply me. Doesn't exactly help..." he muttered, trailing off some. "Humor me then if you will, Archangel. Aside from the belief system, what else could possibly happen to signify something of this caliber happening?" "Sir, I don't believe that she'll be kind to hearing something like t-..." P.I.X.E.L.'s warning came a bit too late on that. "These are real people," Lailah shot back. "They may not be in the general archives, but there are sources that reach that far back, you only have to know where to look. And besides, unbelievable things happen around us every day? Isn't the existence of superpowers a small miracle in and of itself? Don't ask for my humor without offering a little in return." Override was silent for a bit on the outside, though on the inside, while he was muted... "...could've warned me a bit quicker there, partner." he grumbled. "Perhaps you should have read and assessed the room first, sir. I understand you have your own thoughts on the subject at hand, but perhaps some diplomacy would help. Try not to bring your personal views and stake into it. In her words, 'humor her', sir." "..." Override put a hand to his face, if the armor wasn't there, he'd be dragging it along as he face palmed. "I'm not religious, so pardon my outbursts in the way of my speaking. I meant no disrespect, so I'll offer my own humor in this as well...please, continue."

Ziun was pleased to see his illusion worked...not greatly, mind you, but it did something. Downside: the hulking being was now barrelling towards him, this wasn't the best outcome. However it only got worse after Chris decided to wrangle the hulking beast...only for him to be drug along for the ride. “Um. Um! Okay, it’s slowed down now, but, uh, new plan: help!” "Not the best plan you've had!" Ziun shouted, already turning heel and running away from the rest of the party, leading the hulking beast (and Chris) towards the top left corner of the room. Due to Chris' efforts, however, he was slowed down...so that made trying to evade the being a bit easier. "Hmm...if this beast has some forward momentum...perhaps a bit of a trick might help!" He kept running, but casually conjured up an illusion a few feet in front of the hulking beast...a nice sized hole. The hope was that the beast would try to halt itself, trip and fall over. Alas, this wasn't the case. Ziun looked over his shoulder, seeing that the beast...ran completely over top of the illusory hole in the ground. It was almost like it was oblivious to the possible danger. ...great...it's as daft as a jester... he thought, lamenting as he kept running. An idea came to him, possibly using the power of music to soothe the beast. The saying was: music soothe the savage beast, after all. However, surprisingly, he thought against it. No, if it's as daft as it is...then my music will fall on deaf ears. Typical...a potential group to play my music for and one is as dumb as they come. What was the only option? With a sigh, Ziun knew what it was: fight it. He hated that he had to resort to this, all the fighting. If they could've just done this quietly or worked the illusions to the point of hiding themselves, they could've slipped through undetected. That was his honest hope, but it wasn't to be. He grabbed the hilt of his rapier and moved a bit, before turning around and making his way towards the still advancing hulking beast. With a quick movement, he immediately struck at the creature's legs...once...twice...thrice! However, he noticed the hulking monster lifting it's arms up...about to smash him into the ground. The bard immediately moved to his right, feeling the ground somewhat rumble as beast slammed his fists into the ground. Ziun kept the attack up, slashing at the left arm and even leg of the beast...though he watched the arm being swung in a wide arc...he narrowly dodged it...but he still got clipped by it. Close proximity and dodging...seems like that's a bit harder...

It happened all too quickly...and Gene was shocked. The Axe Guardian struck at him, Aqua Star being sent flying out of the young man's hands...and it's axe was lodged in his side, the burst of sound and his entire body shuddered as it sent a shock through him. He was stunned, watching the blood exiting through the wound...and yet he stood tall still. But it didn't mean it didn't hurt like a mothe-... His eyes went wide the moment the guardian pulled the axe out from his side and struck at Sabrina. "....FUUUUUUUUUUUU-..." Gene shouted, holding his side slightly, doing his best to back up a bit. He needed to assess the situation, while also attempt to tend to his wound. Unfortunately, he glanced at his hand with the sigils, sighing. ...fantastic...Water and Wind. Neither one can probably allow me to heal...d-damnit... he thought, gritting his teeth slightly. Meanwhile, he watched as Sabrina launched a fireball at the guardian, while the latter ended up striking Sabrina who was landing from her little assault. However, this was a good thing. Right now, Gene noticed something: the Axe Guardian was now in a sort of lag after it's attack. Meaning they had time...now was the plan making part. C'mon Eric...there has to be SOMETHING you've seen, read or played that could be applicable in this moment!! Gene thought, closing his eyes for a moment. Then that's when he saw a moment...a scene...something he recalled from his various anime and shows he watched. ...maybe that could work here... Gene thought, making his way up beside Sabrina. "...I think I have an idea. You familiar with SAO at all...?" he asked hopeful. "Of course I am what kind of question is that?" He slightly winced at that reaction, but it was understandable. "I mean...I don't know your tastes in anime or manga..." he muttered, before clearing his throat and began to explain. "Floor 1 boss, the Kobold Lord. The way they defeated it...with the switch technique. It could work...considering it was having a hard time keeping up with the both of us." Gene saw her raise an eyebrow for a moment, before clearing this up. "Basically, parry an attack...switch...strike. Lather, rinse, repeat." Gene watched a sly smirk appear on Sabrina's face, which must've meant she was agreeing to this plan, which caused him to breathe a sigh of relief. "That said..." he paused, huffing slightly. "I'm in no condition to take point in this and lead it...you care to take point? We're both pretty speedy, but I'm also nursing this gash in my side." "Uhhh you mean you want me to go first? I can do that." He nodded, giving a bit of a smile himself. "I'll follow your lead...the more we overwhelm it, the better our outcome might be. I mean, after all, just a bit ago...our assault worked...with a bit of fine tuning, this plan could be just what could work." Calling Aqua Star back to his hand, Gene gave Sabrina a look and nod. "At your word...Dracona."

“It is quite the logical fallacy to assume one squad is better than another when you know nothing of said squad. But to answer your question, it really depends. So far they tend to be between three and five. The first squad, in fact, has only three.” Trevor frowned slightly, sighing a bit. "It wasn't an assumption regarding that. I was simply asking if there was a hierarchy about that, given our introduction to Squad Grand was one that warranted it seeming to be a higher echelon than elite. I meant no disrespect." He was having to walk on eggshells around this woman, he wasn't thrilled about it in the slightest. "However, if the members of a squad are between three and five, then we should be in quite the bit of luck after all. That's truly a blessing in disguise, I would say." He turned to the grimoire, who now finished writing everything and returned to it's resting position at his side. ...perhaps fate is working it's way to put us in a better position... Trevor simply ruminated in thought, before hearing Melissa's query. “Trevor, someone texted Fen and me with plans already, do you think you could tell Mauvache for us then?” He smiled and simply nodded. "Of course. Any chance to possibly speak to our resident employer is always good, especially when my last conversation with her proved to be quite informative." he snapped his fingers, his coffee cup floating and making it's way to the sink. After all, it would've been rude to assume Melissa would simply wash his own dishes when he was capable of doing it...or rather, having the dishes do it themselves.

“Not an apostle, then? That’s fine. But Lailah’s like every other holy leader Scarlet City has had, so I would have assumed you’d have been able to make some extrapolations.” Victor wasn't all too much into religion, not when there was the stuff he had to deal with. At the same time, he wasn't going to say it was all just boring stuff that he cared not one iota about, but it was something that many actually followed, so he wasn't going to just be down on it. Everyone had their own choice to believe whatever they wanted, who was he to judge anyway. "Honestly, sometimes you just gotta go do the thing instead of asking for every scenario." "It's now how I work...I don't question how you work." he said, giving Thessa a side glance. "Information is key...otherwise we're out there on the field, flopping like a fish out of water. It's best to get everything we can about the situation and then work it out." “You had better get going, before the situation gets even worse.” "If anything happens, I'll let you know immediately." Victor nodded, turning on his heel, the nanites in his watch already reacting as they began to form his suit around him. An x shaped building didn't seem like the best design choice, but then again, it made it easier to spot. X marks the spot, after all...you'd have to be insane to even miss this place. The Church of the Sacred Harp...he had heard about this place, then again, who didn't? Same with the Apostles of the Sun...everyone knew the stories, hell it was a search engine click away if you didn't. Nevertheless, Override didn't care too much about it...all he cared about right now was getting the job done, complete the mission. They were on a time limit, after all. "You know I used to go here. Not the church. The school, when it was a school. They tore it down a loooong time ago. The Joseph School, I think. The principal was caught in some sort of big scandal so everyone left then this thing was put up in its place." "Scandal...somehow that doesn't surprise me." Override sighed over the coms. "I'd say, maybe it was for the better that they transitioned it into what it is today...after all, giving things a second chance isn't a bad thing." He almost got wistful after he said that, but he focused and landed right down in front of the building. Naturally, Thessa made it in before he did...always the quick one apparently. "So not a churchy guy I suppose?" Override sighed a bit. "Parents were religious, they sort of drug me to this kind of stuff all the time..." he waved his hand slightly. "Unfortunately, I got bored of it. It wasn't something I was ever into...once I got to the high school years of my life, I decided not to keep going. Had more pressing matters to attend to...like honing my powers. Parents basically respected my wishes...thankfully." "Welcome to the Church of the Sacred Harp, how may we be of service today?" "Yo! We're here to see the important lady for some hero business!" "More hero business? Couldn't you have just sent a message to the person already talking to her? Why send two more -...Um, well, she's currently in a meeting now, but since you two were the ones scheduled I'm sure she would at least like to see that you are here, if you would follow me?" That didn't sound good. Override immediately tapped his helmet, making contact with Roy. "Quick question, were there any other Capes supposed to be having an appointment with the Archangel. And I'm talking hero business appointment?" "No? Why would we send more than two capes, and not at the same time?" "I figured that was the case. Seems there was a mistaken identity situation down here. Someone is already speaking with the Archangel...we're being directed to get speak with her now." "That would explain the rapid change in colors this morning. Maybe if you hadn't- no, it's been getting worse since then anyway. It could just be another petitioner. Still, be on your guard." "Affirmative." Override ended transmission, before following after Thessa and the Pastor. Whoever was here before them was already in the process of talking with the Archangel, so this wasn't the best scenario for them in the long run. Once they finally arrived where Lailah was, he noticed the other person in the room. Luckily he muted himself within the suit, to where the outside couldn't hear. "P.I.X.E.L., do a facial recognition scan on the person here..." "In the process of it now, sir." the A.I. spoke, before a few things popped up on the HUD of Override's helmet. "It seems to be...according to the villain directory via the G3 database...Sybil Ashton." "Sybil? So a villain is here..." he muttered, nodding. "For the moment, send a copy of what we're seeing here to Roy. Let him know we're not going to engage here...the last thing we need is a scene being presented at the church, especially if our actions cause scrutiny to G3." "At once..." P.I.X.E.L. responded, as Override unmuted himself and began to move. "Heya, we're s'posed to talk to you about the end of the world." Least she's forward about it... Override thought, speaking next. "What my associate means is, we're the heroes from the G3 Organization: Aeon and Override, we had the appointment to meet with you, Archangel."

Oddly enough, the first impression Gene had on the guardians wasn't a negative one...rather it was more akin to: "...the design of that armor, the color scheme...it looks amazing!!" Needless to say, he was excited to see such an amazing design on these guardians, like it was something ripped straight from his fantasy games and stories...hell, even his own dreams! But now wasn't the time to be gawking at these beings, it was time to fight them. “...Gene or Abby-- One of you should probably come with me. Sabrina, I would suggest trying to use a combination of your weapon’s range and speed against the one with the axe, while whoever doesn’t come with me tries to cover you. Above all, try to see what they’re capable of before engaging directly; I suspect this is going to require us to use our heads as well as our strength,” Honestly it sounded like a pretty sound plan in the grand scheme of things, Gene nodded in response only. He was originally planning to go with Marshall and assist her, but his attention was directed towards Sabrina. A sigh escaped his lips, as he honestly thought about. It was obvious he and her weren't meshing well with personalities and the like, but even still, she was a teammate. Summoning forth Aqua Star to his hand, he exhaled slowly. Alright Eric...the guardian is currently focused on her...and it's in movement now. he thought, the grip on his sword tightening slightly. That being the case...it's obvious that myself and her are a pair of the speedier ones...and if he's distracted by her, with my speed... Gene nodded, having the plan formulate. BGM "Abby, try and give Marshall the assistance as needed...I got Sabrina." Gene simply said before rushing forward. He accelerated quickly, just like he did against the Drengr, the wind becoming his ally in this effort. He closed the gap almost in an instant, now being right in front of the guardian. "Weapon Art: Quick Strike!!" he shouted, swinging the sword at an upward perpendicular line along the guardian's chest. It was obvious that this threw a wrench in the guardian's plans, not even realizing he was there until he was right in swinging range. Oddly enough, when the sword scraped across it's armor, there was a definite trail of water present. Huh...that's interesting...oh wait, right! "Call your scythe back quick!" he shouted back towards Sabrina, looking over his shoulder, which she did. Gene probably should've kept his eyes ahead of him, due to the fact that the guardian immediately shoulder checked him and knocked him back. The guardian seemed to immediately take this opportunity to perform a horizontal swing with it's axe. "W-Water Wall!!" he shouted, as the wall of water appeared right before him, the perfect shield to block the axe strike. The axe collided with the wall and destroyed it immediately, causing a pulse of sound in the process. This pulse pushed Gene back some, to where he could actually back up a bit further. Right now, he wasn't in the way of the axe...which was the good thing. "S-So...got any ideas...?" he wiped his brow some, backing up towards Sabrina, his eyes still focused on the guardian. "I dunno! Keep trying?" Sabrina rushed to the other side of the guardian and tried to attack again with a reckless swing of her scythe. "Could work...let's give a shot!" Gene nodded, following her lead, rushing the opposite side to strike.

Prior Floor Exit The sight began to finally return to Ziun, but when he looked around...he wasn't thrilled about what he saw. He was indeed alive, there was Lana, Chris and Estelle...and yet, she wasn't there. This began to make Ziun feel a knot in his stomach, causing the bard to turn around to see the door way all but faded. He scrambled to where the door was, only to put his hand where the door remained at one point... This wasn't how this was supposed to go...not in the slightest. It was supposed to be the two of them with this new little crew making out with whatever riches this dungeon had at the end. That was their plan from the beginning...the Dread Pirate Robin and the humble bard Ziun. He simply let out a sigh, standing to his feet as he did his best not to show the tears that he wanted to let free...it wasn't something he figured Robin would be appreciative of. After all, they still had work to do here...he couldn't wallow in the pit that he was finding himself in. Instead, he removed one of the feathers in his hat and pulled out a small notebook. Opening the notebook, he proceeded to write a few things. An ode to a dear friend, one who swore we'd see the end But alas: the time came and went, and while she was the one the goddess sent She was the one the zombies hate, thusly she was ate To the Dread Pirate Robin, for she'll continue to sail untrodden A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he turned around on his heel, the feather returning to his hat and the notebook being put back into his pocket. He slowly pulled his hat over his eyes and finally spoke: "...let's keep going..." Present Floor The room was filled with a reddish tinted fog. His heartbeat intensified the moment he entered the room. A vague feeling of panic entered their mind, causing them to be more nervous and jumpy than they already were, and each of them would have to, on occasion, fight an urge to flee. But Ziun couldn't...he was already working on keeping on this...he had to at least for Robin's sake. There was not much in the room, especially compared to others. A large, open, coffin rested on a dais in the middle. On the left and right of it were two men. They wore dark purple robes and had their faces mostly covered, and each of them carried a dagger in their hand. They seemed to have been chanting, or praying, when the group entered. It was the worst thing that Ziun saw, it would be absolutely the worst thing he could've seen...and he was already dealing with skeletons, wandering eyes and zombies...which was already the worst in general. “This way!” "uh, right!" "Right behind you!" Ziun huffed, following after Chris and Lana. He decided, perhaps, there could be a way to give them an out...all he needed to do was finagle some stuff. "In the meantime, let's see if we can give something to deal with." While he ran after his party members, he threw his right hand in the direction of the cultists and the hulking creature and threw an illusory cone of various, vivid colors. The hope: it would stun them, blind them or maybe cause them to fall over due to a seizure with the various flashing and moving colors. One could only hope.